Presenting tips

3 simple tips to help you put together a presentation

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!

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...

10 tips for effective presentations

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...

The Camino Way and Less is More!

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...

How to look and sound more confident

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...

It’s a dialogue not a monologue

“Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?”
As You Like It – William Shakespeare
 
William Shakespeare had many wonderful monologues in his plays.  They served him well. However, when your audience is listening to you – dialogues can be much more engaging. Here are 3 reasons why:
1. TONE
You are more likely to take on a conversational tone in a dialogue.  Most of our day to day communication is in conversation and that is when we sound most like ourselves.  If you present as a monologue there is a danger that your tone can become more lecture-like.
2.  CONTROL
It is a proven fact that when it comes to educating adults they prefer to be in control of their own learning.  Therefore, in a presentation if you can involve your listeners more they are definitely more likely to feel in control of the content.  This in turn can lead them to taking on board your ideas more readily.
3. FOCUS
We have over 50,000 thoughts racing through our head in one day....

Tips for TEDx

This coming Saturday The Fulbright Commission of Ireland will host the first ever TEDxFulbright event in Ireland.  The event will be held on Saturday 5th April in the Smock Alley Theatre, Exchange Street, Dublin 2.
I was delighted to be engaged as the speaker coach for these wonderful speakers with diverse and stimulating topics.  During the 1 to 1 sessions with each speaker there were 2 key points that we discussed before looking at 10 tips.  All of these have a certain amount of relevance to any talk that we are giving.  Some of them are more relevant when the talk is being videoed and in particular when it is being videoed for viewing internationally.
Key Point #1 – Who?
It is important to consider the audience, not only in the room but also the wider international audience who will be viewing.  In particular, the average knowledge level of the audience needs to be assessed.  If in doubt, explain any acronyms, phrases, concepts etc. that might not be understood by a gene...

What do Valentine’s Cards and a love struck teenager have to do with presenting?

When I was a teenager I had an enormous crush on a guy who lived about half a mile away.  He went to the all-boys school across the road from me and I would gaze lovingly in his direction – but he never even noticed me.
 
One year for Valentine’s Day I sent him 3 valentines cards.  Yes not 1, not 2 but 3 – as I said, it was an enormous crush!  The 3 cards were as follows:
 
Card Number 1:  Sent to arrive on the 13th, a day early.  Inside I had written “The early bird catches the worm”…. how corny was that!
 
Card Number 2:  Sent to arrive on the 14th – just a normal card, nothing notable written on the inside.
 
Card Number 3:   A blank piece of paper in an envelope.  Nothing on it at all.
 
By sending 3 cards I was  trying to appeal to him in 3 different ways.  Now you might be wondering about 2 things – firstly, what has the story of these 3 different Valentine’s cards got to do with communications and secondly, what happe...

Presentation tips for speaking at events to raise your profile

The article below was published in The Sunday Business Post in the Small Business Section on January 19, 2014.  The article was printed as part of a special feature on women in startups.  However, the tips below can be relevant to everyone in business, male or female, startup or established.
Enjoy!
Presentation Tips for Startups
As a start up you might be looking for ways to raise awareness of you and your business that don’t cost a fortune.
One way to do this is to speak in public.  There are plenty of approaches to  this – if you are a member of an institute you might speak at one of their events or maybe even at a conference.  However, you want to make sure that you get your message across and that you are memorable – for the right reasons.
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.  Agree the topic of your presentation with the...