New Hampshire

Influence - Persuade - Instill Trust - Win the Confidence of Your Listeners!

Presentation Effectiveness is essential every day. Listeners are counting on you to be clear, dynamic, purposeful, trustworth, engaging and so much more, including a good use of their time. Here are some tips. Please send the Carnegie Coach questions for future postings to Deb.Titus@DaleCarnegie.com

June / July 2009

Dear Carnegie Coach:

I just started at a new job and will soon be making my first presentation in front of my colleagues and supervisor. I would like to make a good first impression by referring to several charts and graphs in order to help my audience visualize the results I am proposing. In the past, I have been comfortable with public speaking but have never needed to integrate visual aids into my presentations. Could you offer some advice?

Steven

Dear Steven:

Implementing visual aids into presentations can serve as a powerful tool for holding your audience's attention and condensing large amounts of information. Feeling at ease with public speaking is the first and most important step for any successful presentation. The comfort with public speaking that you have gained from your previous experiences will surely show through and impress your audience, though here are a few tips that will help you use visual aids effectively:

1. Use to highlight only main points. Large amounts of new information are difficult to retain so use visual aids to help your audience remember only the most important points. First, decide what information is vital to your presentation and needs to be emphasized visually. Visual aids are meant to assist you in your presentation, not say the whole thing for you. When used excessively, visual aids can clutter your presentation and convolute its main points instead of making them easier to grasp. Remember attention spans are limited and processing many charts and graphs may cause your audience to loose interest. In addition, if you need to use a lot of visual aids, allow your audience to take this information home by giving out a folder to everyone containing the presented material.

2. Choose the appropriate aid. This is one of the most important visual aid tips to keep in mind. The method you use to display the visual aid should be appropriate for the information being presented. There are many different options that can be put into use from PowerPoint to overheads. The chosen method should be able to effectively convey your information. No matter how well the content is put together, if it is presented using an inappropriate aid, its effectiveness can be lost.

3. Practice until fully prepared. Make sure to practice using the equipment you will be presenting your visual aids with. Feeling comfortable with the equipment will make the actual presentation run smoothly. On the day of your speech you should be able to operate the machine without any hesitation, as you will need to concentrate on your speech and not be distracted by easily avoidable technical difficulties. Practice your whole presentation, including visual aids, in the exact way you will want everything to fall together on the big day.

As long as you follow the above tips, using visual aids should be a rewarding experience! Confidence that comes from being fully prepared is the best way to make your presentation stand out and be memorable. Good luck with your presentation!

May 2009

Presentation Effectiveness Month Feature Article

Boring, Sleepy or Stimulating?

By Deb Titus
Managing Director of Dale Carnegie-New Hampshire

Picture this: You wake up one day ready to attend what had promised to be the business conference of year. Vendors from all around the world are presenting th elatest developments and you aime to stay on the leading edge of your industry. You arrive early to catch some networking around the coffee station and quickly engage in exciting conversation related to the anticipated topics of the day. Yes, a great start to the day. Then, the lights flicker to call everyone's attention into the conference hall, energetic music fills the room, people are just shy of dancing to their seats, yourself included. After everyone is seated, a dynamic individual takes the stage, sets the tone for the day and without delay, he introduces the morning's kick-off presenter.

Just as the enthusiastic applause began, you observe a mellow-walking man take the stage with little to no expression of excitement in being at the conference, let alone, being a guest.

You talk yourself into giving him more time to grab your attention and make a great second impression. Minutes into his presentation, you reaffirm that this gentleman is lacking lustre and your boredom is competing with his message. You nudge yourself as a reminder of your professionalism and try once again to give this presenter your attention.

Ah, another failed attempt. The battle continues, it just takes too much effort. You then look around and unsurprisingly observe lots of heads looking down...at their mobile devices. Then you think to yourself 'Does this presenter know what's going on?'

Through interval listening to him then switching to your own thoughts, you begin to rapidly build a list of questions about yourself and your colleagues...as presenters.

Okay - here's what we know. Depending on your industry, you may be finding that you have few opportunities in the pipeline. You may find that there are more competitors on the street vying for the same project. You may even be seeing that businesses are crossing the border to find new business on 'greener' turf. You have just realized that your presentation effectiveness means more now than ever before.

Here are a few key things to remember regardless of the audience size:

1. An audience expects a good performance.
2. People rarely object to being inspired.
3. The brain has a tremendous capacity and it needs to be engaged or it will find something else to pay attention to.
4. Presenter behavior influences audience behavior

Now here are some timeless tips on Building Audience Rapport from Dale Carnegie's Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking:

1. Consider yourself honored by being asked to address an audience and say so!
2. Give youre listeners sincere appreciation
3. Mention the names of some listeners, if possible
4. Play yourself down - not up!
5. Say "we" - not "you."
6. Don't talk with "a scowling face and an upbraiding voice."
7. Talk in terms of your listerners' interests.
8. Have a good time delivering your talk
9. Don't apologize.
10. Appeal to the nobler emotions of your audience.
11. Welcome criticism - instead of resenting it.
12. Be a "good person first who is skilled in speaking."

So what does this all come down to? YOU - you are the message. Delivery is important; we can't just leave it to the content.

In a competitive situation, when content is mildly different from one vendor to the other and the delivery is sleepy or boring, that vendor will most likely go back to their office empty handed. Your stimulating delivery will influence others and win contracts

Click here for information on a program that builds dynamic vocal skills and body language of a leader

Click here for information on a program that helps executives present to persuade.

March/April 2009

Dear Carnegie Coach:

I have a career "make-it or break-it" opportunity and I'm committed to make it! I have accepted the invitation to present before 400 people at our corporate headquaters. In the audience, all of our organization's executive leadership, our key customers and executive leadership from our supplier companies. This will be an impressive group and now I need to be sure I impress them! The challenge: I will be the first presenter after lunch, I need to challenge the audience for them to change the way they operate to be considered a preferred supplier and I will only have 10 minutes. I'm struggling with deciding on content, approach, visuals and delivery. Any suggestions on how to tackle this?

Judith

Dear Judith,

Congratulations on three counts:

1. Being respected as an authority with credibility to speak before this important audience
2. Accepting the challenge
3. Seeking suggestions to ensure you have a career "make it" experience and result

Whenever people have brief presentations to deliver, the challenge is often around trimming the content. By trimming the content, it gives the presenter greater clarity, command, focus and flexibility. Here are some guidelines to support your presentation's success.

Establish the Message Statement:

Your 10-minutes could be the most memorable presentation of all the lengthier ones to take place at your conference. Don't think too hard, just answer these three questions.

• What do you need this audience to hear?
• What do you want them to think?
• What do you want them to do?

If you can answer each of these questions in 5 words or less, you will have the focus necessary to be effective.
If you can integrate all three answers into theme that you can tie into the opening, frame the structure of your message and again, link it to your closing remark, your 10-minute presentation will be very clear and powerful.

Elicit the audiences interest in you and your message immediately.

• Startling Statement
• Question based on a Need or Interest
• Mysterious Statement
• Start with end in mind - be preapred to link your closing remarks to your opening.

Your delivery:

• Be energetic (remember, they may have just had turkey sandwiches)
• Be emphatic - nail your points home
• Keep your pace deliberate - if you rush, it will give the perception that you had too much information
• Pause to help make your key points to stand out
• Use certain, confident language; inspire them to do as you say; lead them to action!

Your visuals:

• Simplify - Message should be understood within 5-7 seconds
• Maximum 6 words per line
• Maximum 6 lines per slide
• Color
• Photographs- all images need to be appropriate to the audience.
• Visuals are NOT the message, they support the message - be sure they don't detract from you and your leadership

We hope this assists you in your preparation. In the meantime, you may find it useful to know about the following coaching opportunties.

Two Day Seminar : High Impact Presentations

One Day: Executive Excellence in Presentation - Email Deb Titus or Call 603-434-4042 for more information

Various Presentation Effectiveness Modules for you and your team

January/February 2009

Dear Carnegie Coach:

I work in the IT services industry. Recently, I've been asked to make presentations to introduce new products to the rest of our company. I've been having trouble presenting the new products. Many times the presentations end and I feel like the audience is more confused about the product than when they walked into the presentation. What can I do to create an effective presentation for non-technical people?

Hurley

Dear Hurley

When you present does it feel like you might as well be speaking in a foreign language? The technical language that you use is second nature, however the terms and phrases are probably very foreign to your audience. Here are a few tips that will help you better reach your audience.

1. Do your homework - Know your audience, and identify key points that you would like to make. If it is a non-technical audience, tailor your presentation for them using words and terms that they will understand. Consider interviewing a cross-section of your audience prior to the presentation.
2. Boost your vocabulary - Pick up on key words the listeners have provided. Use their language to better explain products and ideas.
3. Talk in terms of the other person - You must talk in terms of the other person's interest. Make sure that you stress their benefit. Highlight the meaning features of the product will have for them; how it impacts their work, their efficiency, etc.
4. Don't memorize - Don't try to memorize what you want to say. Be spontaneous, creative and learn to improvise. By freeing yourself you can focus on topics that your audience might not get immediately.
5. Review at the end - Make a brief summary at the end of the presentation. Always give the benefit, "by using this product you will ..............". Even if some of the information was lost in translation it will still lea