blog
Three reasons why More is Less
Apr 30, 2015 |
Presenting tips
More is Less … yes, you read it correctly “More is Less” not the usual “Less is More”. In terms of presenting, this really is something I like to harp on about. So much so – I have it on the back of my business cards. In short, the more you talk the less people listen.
However, there are many other reasons for my love of this expression. Following my own advice, I will keep the reasons to the top 3, rather than give you more because you will remember less!
1. Less for your audience to digest.
Think of all the presentations you have sat through – how much do you remember? Probably not a lot. So, if the presenter is covering more and more content, the less likely you are to remain engaged and consequently digest.
2. Less for you as a speaker to remember.
Many people whom I work with have a fear of forgetting a point. When I see the volume of information they plan to present – I am not surprised they have this fear, the vol...
However, there are many other reasons for my love of this expression. Following my own advice, I will keep the reasons to the top 3, rather than give you more because you will remember less!
1. Less for your audience to digest.
Think of all the presentations you have sat through – how much do you remember? Probably not a lot. So, if the presenter is covering more and more content, the less likely you are to remain engaged and consequently digest.
2. Less for you as a speaker to remember.
Many people whom I work with have a fear of forgetting a point. When I see the volume of information they plan to present – I am not surprised they have this fear, the vol...
My top 3 PowerPoint Slide Show tools to make you look even more professional.
Mar 31, 2015 |
Presenting tips
Within PowerPoint there are some really cool slide show tools that can help you to look more professional.
Pressing F1 during a slideshow will bring up all of the tools but the 3 below are definitely my favourites.
1. Go to Slide
This feature allows you, in slide show mode, to type a slide number and press enter to go to that slide.
You might ask yourself – why would I want this feature?
Well, if you are the kind of presenter who sometimes runs out of time and needs to skip through a few slides, this tool is an absolute gift. Your audience does not know that you have skipped the slides. The alternative is to go down through the slides with a feeble apology along the lines of “sorry, but we do not have time to cover these slides” – ouch.
2. Change pointer to a Laser or a Pen
The novelty value in these two features make them worth using – if nothing else!
CTRL + L changes your pointer to a big red laser dot, which is handy if you do not have a remote presenter.
Ev...
Tips on delivering presentations from a 9 year old
This is Kaitlin, she is 9 years old. Recently, she did her first ever presentation. The topic was “The Lifecycle of a Butterfly”.
She told me that she was very nervous but that she got some good advice from her mother (my niece Kacy) and her school teacher. She said that her presentation went very well and that her teacher was very pleased with it.
I asked her what tips she would give to anyone who had to do a one minute presentation. Below is an exact transcript of her tips which she typed without any help. She is one bright 9 year old, in more ways than one!
These are my tips for a one minute speech by Kaitlin Downes age 9
1. Always have someone with you to help with (e.g.) Timing to start and stop your stopwatch. Telling you whether or not you have enough detail.
2. Don’t have too many facts, depending on your subject have about 7 main facts.
3. Keep trying until you get to a minute if that means you have to take one or two facts out well then that’s what...
She told me that she was very nervous but that she got some good advice from her mother (my niece Kacy) and her school teacher. She said that her presentation went very well and that her teacher was very pleased with it.
I asked her what tips she would give to anyone who had to do a one minute presentation. Below is an exact transcript of her tips which she typed without any help. She is one bright 9 year old, in more ways than one!
These are my tips for a one minute speech by Kaitlin Downes age 9
1. Always have someone with you to help with (e.g.) Timing to start and stop your stopwatch. Telling you whether or not you have enough detail.
2. Don’t have too many facts, depending on your subject have about 7 main facts.
3. Keep trying until you get to a minute if that means you have to take one or two facts out well then that’s what...
Tips for networking
Tonight I have the pleasure of facilitating a speed networking session in the Coca Cola facility, in Drogheda, Co Louth. The event is being hosted jointly by Drogheda and District Chamber of Commerce and Network Louth Meath Women in Business Networking group.
Just before we get into the networking I will be sharing a few tips on networking but with a specific focus on tips for speed networking. Each person at the event will have 2 minutes to pitch their business to the person on the opposite side of the table, the roles will be reversed and after 4 minutes they move along and repeat the process with the next person. It is a great way to meet a lot of people in a short space of time.
Here are the tips I will be sharing to help them all get the most from this invigorating way of networking. Enjoy!
1. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
Networking is not selling! The likelihood of you meeting someone at a speed networking event, or any networking event, needing your offering at that specific mo...
Just before we get into the networking I will be sharing a few tips on networking but with a specific focus on tips for speed networking. Each person at the event will have 2 minutes to pitch their business to the person on the opposite side of the table, the roles will be reversed and after 4 minutes they move along and repeat the process with the next person. It is a great way to meet a lot of people in a short space of time.
Here are the tips I will be sharing to help them all get the most from this invigorating way of networking. Enjoy!
1. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
Networking is not selling! The likelihood of you meeting someone at a speed networking event, or any networking event, needing your offering at that specific mo...
The Male Voice Choir and your Group Presentations
Nov 27, 2014 |
Presenting tips
Recently I had a most unusual request from a friend who is in a male voice choir. As someone who was kicked out of the school choir (yes, it is true!) I was wondering how he thought I could help him.
He explained that while he believed the choir were good at singing, he just felt that they were lacking a bit of polish. This resonated with me – quite a few of my clients who are proficient at speaking, come to me because they feel they too can do with a bit of “polishing”.
I went to one of the choir’s performances and he was absolutely correct – their singing was really beautiful but a few small things detracted from their performance.
It was interesting how many of these small things also relate to group presentations.
Shirts, ties and being different!
All 10 of them wore trousers, shirts, ties and waistcoats. This made them look a bit different from most male choirs who tend to wear jackets, not waistcoats. If you don’t believe me, Google “male voice choirs...
He explained that while he believed the choir were good at singing, he just felt that they were lacking a bit of polish. This resonated with me – quite a few of my clients who are proficient at speaking, come to me because they feel they too can do with a bit of “polishing”.
I went to one of the choir’s performances and he was absolutely correct – their singing was really beautiful but a few small things detracted from their performance.
It was interesting how many of these small things also relate to group presentations.
Shirts, ties and being different!
All 10 of them wore trousers, shirts, ties and waistcoats. This made them look a bit different from most male choirs who tend to wear jackets, not waistcoats. If you don’t believe me, Google “male voice choirs...
3 simple tips to help you put together a presentation
Oct 30, 2014 |
Presenting tips
In this short video you will find 3 really simple tips that will help you in your presentation preparation.
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Nerves – how to shake them off!
Sep 30, 2014 |
Presenting tips
I was talking to a university lecturer recently and she told me that 75% of students said that they experienced “anxiety” when delivering presentations.
Another word for anxiety is nerves. It’s not just students who suffer from this phenomenon. With all of my clients – from the solicitor to the CEO, from the engineer to the TD (Teachta Dála, member of the Irish Parliament) and from the groom to the conference speaker, nerves are a common issue.
So, what can you do to help shake them down, rather than have them shake you up?
Here are my tips to S.H.A.K.E. them down and relate to things you can do before the event:
STOP!
Stop calling them nerves. The adrenaline pumping through your body is its way of getting you ready to perform. If you had those same feelings before your holidays or a big date you would probably call them excitement. So no more nerves, just excitement!
HIDE!
Well maybe hide is too strong a word but certainly avoid people or situations immediatel...
Another word for anxiety is nerves. It’s not just students who suffer from this phenomenon. With all of my clients – from the solicitor to the CEO, from the engineer to the TD (Teachta Dála, member of the Irish Parliament) and from the groom to the conference speaker, nerves are a common issue.
So, what can you do to help shake them down, rather than have them shake you up?
Here are my tips to S.H.A.K.E. them down and relate to things you can do before the event:
STOP!
Stop calling them nerves. The adrenaline pumping through your body is its way of getting you ready to perform. If you had those same feelings before your holidays or a big date you would probably call them excitement. So no more nerves, just excitement!
HIDE!
Well maybe hide is too strong a word but certainly avoid people or situations immediatel...
10 tips for effective presentations
Aug 29, 2014 |
Presenting tips
This post originates from an article that I had published a while back in the ACCA – Accounting and Business Ireland magazine – enjoy!
1. Decide your key message
As you prepare your presentation it is absolutely vital that you decide on your key message or messages – try and keep the messages to a maximum of 3.
When you have decided your message you can then choose the essential points that you need to make to help you get your message across. Sounds simple, but amazingly many presenters put a lot of content together and end up over-loading their listeners with facts and figures leaving them totally bamboozled.
2. Know your audience
Have you ever been to a presentation where you thought “this presenter really does not have a clue about me?” That really is the last thing you want them thinking because it significantly reduces your chances of connecting with them and selling your message.
Finding out as much as you can about the audience you are...
1. Decide your key message
As you prepare your presentation it is absolutely vital that you decide on your key message or messages – try and keep the messages to a maximum of 3.
When you have decided your message you can then choose the essential points that you need to make to help you get your message across. Sounds simple, but amazingly many presenters put a lot of content together and end up over-loading their listeners with facts and figures leaving them totally bamboozled.
2. Know your audience
Have you ever been to a presentation where you thought “this presenter really does not have a clue about me?” That really is the last thing you want them thinking because it significantly reduces your chances of connecting with them and selling your message.
Finding out as much as you can about the audience you are...
The Camino Way and Less is More!
Jul 31, 2014 |
Presenting tips
Recently I did part of the Camino Way with my husband, yes, that is him trudging along in the picture! Before we went we asked for tips from people who had done it before. We got lots of fantastic advice but there was one thing that every single person said.
You will pack too much stuff.
They were right!
In presentations quite often we try to pack too much in too, when we probably already know that Less is More. Here are 3 quick tips to help you to put less into your presentations so that they have more impact.
Establish the core message you wish to get across, how long you have for the presentation and the number of points that you need to cover. This is a bit like looking at how many days you will be away and how much you actually need to bring.
When you have decided on your points and your content is complete – go through it again several times and see if you are repeating yourself or if there are points that are not absolutely vital. For our Camino trip, we packed and...
You will pack too much stuff.
They were right!
In presentations quite often we try to pack too much in too, when we probably already know that Less is More. Here are 3 quick tips to help you to put less into your presentations so that they have more impact.
Establish the core message you wish to get across, how long you have for the presentation and the number of points that you need to cover. This is a bit like looking at how many days you will be away and how much you actually need to bring.
When you have decided on your points and your content is complete – go through it again several times and see if you are repeating yourself or if there are points that are not absolutely vital. For our Camino trip, we packed and...
How to look and sound more confident
Jun 13, 2014 |
Presenting tips
Virtually every coaching session I do, whether it is with a group or 1 to 1, whether experienced speakers or novice – the question of confidence almost always arises. People say they want to look and sound confident.
So how do you do this?
Apart from being well-prepared, which in itself is probably the best way to help with confidence – the key to looking and sounding more confident is to address your stance and your voice.
STANCE
I often ask those I work with to stand like a CEO – it’s amazing to watch how people suddenly become up to half an inch taller! So, the quick way to look and feel confident is to just stand like a CEO. For those of you who prefer the step by step approach:
1. Begin by standing with your feet hip width apart.
2. Keep the weight evenly on the left and right leg.
3. Put a little more weight on the heels than on the rest of the foot, about 55%. Why? Well, your body joins to your feet at the back of the heels so it works best dynamically to...
So how do you do this?
Apart from being well-prepared, which in itself is probably the best way to help with confidence – the key to looking and sounding more confident is to address your stance and your voice.
STANCE
I often ask those I work with to stand like a CEO – it’s amazing to watch how people suddenly become up to half an inch taller! So, the quick way to look and feel confident is to just stand like a CEO. For those of you who prefer the step by step approach:
1. Begin by standing with your feet hip width apart.
2. Keep the weight evenly on the left and right leg.
3. Put a little more weight on the heels than on the rest of the foot, about 55%. Why? Well, your body joins to your feet at the back of the heels so it works best dynamically to...