FREE! E-Newsletter Presentations Points is a free short monthly bulletin sent out by Claudyne Wilder. Every bulletin discusses two ideas for presenters and one for designers. There's also a monthly challenge for presenters and designers. Subscribe Now February 2004 Your Presentation Success Is Our Passion Present It Right...The First Time! WINNING PRESENTATIONS PUBLIC SEMINARS Goal: Learn how to develop, design, and deliver a persuasive, results-oriented presentation. Testimonials from the last seminar: "Fabulous course. Thanks very much." "I will always take with me tips from this course." "For the first time, I am looking forward to giving a talk." 2004 Dates: February 19-20, April 15-16, and June 10-11 Location: Boston by the Fleet Center Time: 9 to 5 Cost: $700, with a money-back guarantee For a seminar outline click here or e-mail me at claudyne@wilderpresentations.com When you refer someone who comes to my seminar, you'll receive a free book or CD. If you already have those, I'll give you some slide design ideas you can use. PRESENTERS: CHANGE THE PACE-KEEP YOUR AUDIENCES'S ATTENTION There is a belief floating around out there about presenting that goes something like this: "We've got to be consistent. Act consistent. Look consistent. Talk in the same consistent voice. Show the same slides. This will brand our company." Yes, that will certainly brand your company with your audience. They'll think of you as the company that makes boring presentations. We will talk about the slides another time. Today let's talk about the presenter. MISCONCEPTION 1: I have to keep the same pace during my whole talk. "I should start talking and stop when my presentation is finished." Reality: Anything done the same way over a period of time is boring. To talk with the same speed and voice inflection is boring. To not change the speed of your delivery is boring. You must also change the tone of your voice. If you don't, you will hypnotize your audience into a trance. They'll just sit there, not really listening nor engaging in what you are saying. Exercise: When talking, practice slowing down your speed. Say the words and points that are most important to your audience much more slowly. MISCONCEPTION 2: I should keep the same voice volume. "I can't change my voice volume. That's just me being quiet." Reality: Your speaking in a quiet voice all the time will also hypnotize your audience. You must vary the volume. Not everything you say is of the same importance. When you are delivering your key points, make your voice louder at the beginning of each one. This signals to your audience that you are about to make an important point. Exercise: When talking, practice speaking softer and louder. Listen to how you signal to your audience that you have something very important to tell them. PRESENTERS: HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS You are in a meeting. Your boss's boss asks you, "So how is the project going?" You start mumbling something and before you know it, you are going on and on. The boss's boss isn't looking that interested. What happened? You didn't organize your thoughts before you started talking. As a result, you sound disorganized and not in charge of what is happening. Here's a simple way to put your thoughts together before you start talking. 1. The topic 2. Three points about the topic 3. An example to make your point 4. Recapping the key points 5. The next steps And here's an example. Topic The new product we are working on. Three points 1. New product development is on schedule. 2. One of our customers is very interested in the new product. 3. We have another application for the product. Example Let me tell you about a customer who may be interested in licensing this product. Recap In summary, the product will be on time and we will have some ideas for spin offs. Next steps Set up two customer meetings next week to show them where we are with the product. They are very excited about the possibilities. DESIGNERS: CHANGE THE PACE For the next few months, we are going to talk about changing the slide look. There is another thought out there that goes like this: "We have to have the same template look for every slide." This is boring. By changing the look of the slide as you talk, you change the pace of the talk. This is another way to keep yourself and your audience interested. Who wants to look up at the screen and see the same look over and over again?   MONTHLY CHALLENGES PRESENTERS Change the pace of your voice, slowing down and speaking louder when you are making key points. DESIGNERS Experiment with ways to vary the look of your slides. A PRESENTER'S NOTEBOOK My clients have the most wonderful things to say. I am going to showcase one of them a month. Tammy Rossochacki is the Manager, Sensory and Product Guidance, at Pepperidge Farms. Here's what she plans to do this year. I am sharing her resolutions as I believe many of you will be motivated by her ideas. 1. Live in the moment. I will live in the moment when giving presentations. In doing so, I will think about what I'm saying and not what I'm planning to say. 2. Live Larger. I will appear larger when I speak by taking up more space and opening my mouth wider. 3. Enjoy presentations. I will enjoy giving presentations by imagining that I'm enriching others' lives by conveying important information. 4. Live healthy. I will drink eight glasses of water per day, eliminate white flour, gluten, and other known allergens to make sure that I can think clearly and feel less tired on a daily basis. 5. Videotape. I will ask a colleague to videotape one of my presentations; then I will watch the presentation and look at hand motions, eye contact, pausing between sentences, and making sure that my voice doesn't trail off at the end of sentences. 6. Personal challenge. I will learn something new and be good at it by the end of the year. I will select from one of the following items: Pool, French or Yoga. I will use this new skill to enhance presentation skills. For example, I will give a presentation in French; use Yoga to relax my mind, spirit, and body and improve my ability to concentrate; or use skills learned in pool to strategize developing better presentations. Presentation Points may be forwarded via e-mail, printed for circulation, and quoted FREE of charge. No permission is required, but please mention where you got this information. It’s also perfectly acceptable to post Presentation Points on your company’s Intranet. To subscribe to Presentation Points or visit my home page, go to www.wilderpresentations.com.