Simple survival tips for public speaking

For most people, the thought of public speaking sends shivers down their spines. According to national surveys, fear of public speaking surpasses the fear of illness, flying, terrorism and often the fear of death, among Americans.

So what if I told you there was a way to make it easier – a way to ensure your presentation goes smoothly and leaves your audience wanting more? Interested? Can you believe that all of this can be yours if you follow two simple words?

Hold on to your hat, here it is… Be Prepared.

Yep, it’s that simple. Being prepared and knowing your game plan before going into your presentation can relieve loads of stress and actually lend itself to an enjoyable experience.

Apple recently demonstrated what happens when even the top dogs aren’t prepared. When Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, gave a presentation introducing the new iPhone 4, I’d venture to guess he didn’t take much time to prepare. Otherwise, he probably would have had a backup plan for when his technology failed mid-presentation.

So how does one prepare for a presentation and avoid the awkwardness that was Steve Jobs’ presentation (which even led to a nice slam against Apple when Jobs asked the audience if they had any ideas how to fix the problem and someone yelled out “Verizon!”)? Here’s my sure-fire list of steps to follow in order to be prepared for any presentation:

1. Know your audience and know what they expect from you. Don’t walk into a room assuming you know who will be sitting out there. Before your presentation, determine what exactly your audience wants to hear about and who will actually be listening.
2. Know how much time you have – don’t run over and always allow time for questions and answers. Know when to end your talk.
3. Know what you are going to say and practice your presentation several times. Make sure when you are practicing that you are using your audio-visual equipment so you know how to work it before the day of the presentation.
4. Special Step for to Steve Jobs – When using audio-visual aids to enhance your presentation be sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good working order prior to the presentation. If possible, have an emergency backup system readily available.  Check out the location ahead of time to confirm the seating arrangements, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc. are suitable for your presentation.
5. Provide handouts – this way your audience can focus on what you are saying instead of trying to take notes. Handouts are also important if you have a complete audio-visual meltdown. Participants can still follow your presentation by hard copy.
6. If and when all else fails, remember the most important step is to be able to adjust and adapt. If you have prepared possible “what if” scenarios and have ideas for how to handle them, you will be comfortable enough that you can handle any crisis without getting overly anxious. Being prepared allows you to roll with the punches while keeping a smile on your face!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/28 at 11:21 AM

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