I am of the belief that the majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone say, "Wow, she was great! Did you see how effectively she used her hand gestures?"
That said, here are some ideas to help you become a better speaker.
1. Keep it simple
Speak naturally
Make eye contact
Don't do crazy things with your hands
Don't do much more than speak, i.e. managing props etc.
2. Be impassioned
3. Balance the format of your information
4. Build the relationships beforehand if possible
5. Get the audience to participate at varying levels if effective
6. Show, don't tell. That is, use stories, not facts and figures
7. Get rid of distracting idiosyncrasies
8. Don't misinterpret people's actions and get discouraged
9. Know your material
10. Never, ever, go overtime
About The Author:
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams.
To see Chris "live" at the upcoming Jim Rohn Weekend Event as he speaks on the subject of Secrets of Influence go to http://Chris-Widener.InspiresYOU.com/ or call 800-929-0434.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
People love stories. We love to hear about other people,... Read More
"I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only... Read More
Calling a projector hire company will often get you confused... Read More
Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for... Read More
(Excerpted From the Jim Rohn Millennium Weekend Event)Persistence in your... Read More
Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More
Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my... Read More
How many people will need to see the screen? A... Read More
The communication process can be much more difficult than a... Read More
Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More
Regardless, if your goal is to make a sale or... Read More
First and foremost, you must deal effectively with your own... Read More
I just got back from my whirlwind speaking engagements and... Read More
When its time to give your next sales presentation, here... Read More
So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for... Read More
There are five key elements that can make... Read More
Tomorrow's the day and you're dreading it. You're scheduled to... Read More
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one... Read More
Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More
Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More
So you're going to have a booth at a trade... Read More
Kvetching is the Yiddish word for complaining, hand to the... Read More
Yes, there are ancient PowerPoint secrets...secrets your grandmother knows and... Read More
If you really aware and alert, your audience's behavior -... Read More
Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group... Read More
How many times have you attended a meeting where the... Read More
I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More
Long long ago, it was the time when time itself... Read More
I am of the belief that the majority of people... Read More
MORE and more corporations in Malaysia have awoken to the... Read More
MAKING INFORMATIVE LESSON PLANS: --The performance objectives should answer this... Read More
Most of us would agree that having humor in our... Read More
You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations... Read More
THE LITTLE-KNOWN SPEECHWRITING SECRETS THAT WON GEORGE W. BUSH THE... Read More
You speak before a group. You present your message. You... Read More
A top complaint from audience members is that many presenters... Read More
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE FACILITATOR: As chairperson, focus on the... Read More
So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for... Read More
MORE and more corporations in Malaysia have awoken to the... Read More
There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there... Read More
Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the... Read More
I just got back from my whirlwind speaking engagements and... Read More
Regardless, if your goal is to make a sale or... Read More
It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors... Read More
Delivering humorous speeches involves a lot more than simply having... Read More
1. Play "find the meeting" by changing the location and... Read More
Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More
If you really aware and alert, your audience's behavior -... Read More
Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want... Read More
I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More
MANAGING MEETINGS--BEING PREPARED MAKES A DIFFERENCE: You can schedule all... Read More
You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations... Read More
The most critical job of a manager, when you boil... Read More
Communicating Bad News The Right WayIt's the rare executive who... Read More
Here, David Letterman style, are what I consider to be... Read More
Communication is a complex and often difficult process for both... Read More
Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for... Read More
ALTERNATIVES TO THE LECTURE FORMAT: How often do you use... Read More
Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business... Read More
Flip charts are so common that we all think we... Read More
First and foremost, you must deal effectively with your own... Read More
I am of the belief that the majority of people... Read More
You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you... Read More
Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my... Read More
If the mere thought of standing up in front of... Read More
A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your... Read More
Presentation |