|
Your
Presentation Success Is Our Passion
Present It Right...The First Time!
DRESS
FOR THE ROLE
Years ago I went to see a client who had referred many clients
to me. We knew each other fairly well. It was a beautiful spring
day and I wore a flowered dress. I arrived and my client said,
"I wish you had worn your power suit." I was shocked,
but when he introduced me to the new VP of Training I understood
the comment. This man was meeting me for the first time and imagining
me talking to his hard-earned clients. I didn't exactly look the
part of a serious consultant. The next time I went back, I wore
my power suit. My client remarked, "You wore your power suit
today." I have never forgotten that lesson. I always think
about who else might be present who does not know me. Then I dress
for that person.
Since
people don't often tell you what they think about how you dress,
you have to think about it yourself. If you speak to many audiences
in many different kinds of companies, do your homework every time
and find out what, exactly, is appropriate dress. Although business
casual is the norm in many companies, I constantly hear from clients
that their people do not dress well enough. I doubt that the employee
under discussion is ever told this.
Remember:
dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
SPEAK
UP!
What makes some people easy to listen to,
and others not so easy? First, it's volume. When someone speaks
too softly, the audience gets tired of straining to hear. When
someone is too loud and overbearing, people feel boxed into a
corner. They may listen, but they won't buy.
Then
there's pitch, which has to do with the high or low sound of your
voice. When a sentence ends on a high rather than a low note,
people hear the speaker as lacking in confidence. When someone's
voice never changes pitch, it begins to sound boring after a while.
The
speed of your talking will also influence how much you connect
or do not connect with your audience. When you speak too fast
and run your sentences together, audiences tend not to pay attention.
They don't have the time they need to process the information.
Even if you talk fast, you can still pause between sentences.
I have rarely had someone talk too slow in my classes.
Finally,
consider how well you articulate your words. Don't mumble or let
your words trail away at the end of a sentence. If you aren't
speaking in your native tongue, make sure you are understandable
to your audience. Audiences don't usually mind a speaker with
an accent as long as the person is understandable.
Get
some feedback. Ask someone to rate you in these voice areas:
| 1. |
Am
I loud enough? |
| 2. |
Is
my voice too high or too low? Do I end my sentences in such
a way that I sound confident? Does my voice go down at the
end of each sentence? |
| 3. |
Do
I talk too fast or too slow? Do I pause enough between my
sentences? |
| 4. |
Can
you understand all the words I say? Do I mumble the last few
words of my sentences? |
COLOR
TIPS FOR THE CHARTS
Often a pie
chart with six slices will have six really different colors. This
can look attractive or really awful, depending on the colors chosen.
Consider using only one color from light to dark shades. This
is easy to do. Select one of the pie pieces and go to Format>AutoShape>Color>More
Colors>Custom. You will see a color bar to the right of the
color spectrum. Pick a color, then move the slide up and down
the color bar to select different shades. This is a good way to
highlight the different slices, but in a more subdued fashion
that using contrasting colors.
USE
TEMPLATES YOU CREATE
The Nature
Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural
communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting
the lands and waters the need to survive. They work around the
world and constantly give presentations. To learn about them go
to www.nature.org.
Below you
see four design slides that they can use when sharing how to protect
and manage these Last Great Places over the long term. By having
these slides, the creator does not have to start from scratch.
The slide design is done. Only the specific content has to be
entered as well as the pictures for the place being discussed.
PRESENTERS
Ask for feedback about your voice.
DESIGNERS
1. Try using one color in many shades for different
types of charts.
2. Challenge yourself to do something other than just text on
your slides.
|
