Visualization is a very important aspect of a good presentation. Before a presentation, visualize yourself speaking with confidence, presenting your subject in your most confident manner, delivering a very powerful presentation. Visualize yourself breathing properly, feeling good, looking good, sounding good. Visualize (and hear) your words flowing perfectly and your audience happily hanging on to your every word. Visualize this scene as many times as you can. It programs the way you will actually perform.

Before your presentation, when people are arriving, having coffee, or finding their seats, go say hi, shake hands, say your name. Keep it simple, keep it brief. It's only chit chat, getting mildly acquainted. Talk to as many people as possible. The reason for this interaction is simple. As you start your presentation, people will see you as a caring and friendly individual, and quickly connect with you. Since they already know you (even if so very little), they want you to be a success and will help you during your presentation.

This is a very, very important step.

Many presenters hold on to the lectern for dear life. Some also wrap one leg around the other and lean on one foot. The perfect picture of someone who is very uptight. The audience easily picks up on this stance and reacts accordingly.

Posture is important. You can't possibly feel good slouched over and holding on to the lectern. Stand straight, legs a bit apart, feet firmly on the floor, chin a little bit up (but not too much). Some women have a problem with this stance. They feel that they come across as aggressive or too masculine. Actually, when women stand this way, the exact opposite is true. They project incredible confidence.

Be conversational. Use simple words that get the point across. Communication is not about knowing how to use big words. Communication is about being understood. The greatest speakers, orators, politicians always use words that everyone can follow. Your words have to come from within, from your heart and soul, from who you really are - not from a piece of paper.

Humor is definitely a big plus in a presentation. It makes the audience feel at ease with the speaker. Speaking is about perception and projection - what you project, what you send out, whatever vibrations you are moving with, affects the way the audience relates to you. If you make your listeners feel at ease with humor then they ‘connect’ with you.

No PHD? No MBA?

So what! Out there, in the speaking world, business credentials don’t make that much of a splash. It all comes down to what you do when they hand you the microphone.

Any time you’re ‘on’ (i.e. giving a speech, attending a business meeting, job interview), wear clothes that look good on you and you'll feel more relaxed. The less you have to worry about, the more successful you'll be.

And last but not least …

Where do you focus when you drive? The road, right? If you focus on the ditch or the tree, where will you end up? In the ditch or you’ll head for the tree. You’ll end up exactly where you focus.

When speaking in front of an audience, if your focus is mainly on your nervousness, the way you look, or any other fear, your performance will definitely suffer. Focus on what you are saying instead of the things that scare you, and your performance will reflect your confidence, enthusiam and passion.

Hums, or space fillers, occur when the mouth is open and the brain is not ready to spill out the next word. To stop your hums, keep your mouth shut while your brain is searching for what to say next.

• Speak at a comfortable pace
• Use voice variety
• Show your emotions
• Get to the point
• Use visual aids to illustrate points
• Smile, smile, smile

DON’T:

• Use poor grammar
• Use unfamiliar jargon
• Ramble on and on (beating around the bush)
• Read your own slides (insults the audience - they can read)
• Use slang or profanity
• Talk down to the audience
• Use offending humor
• Be a verbal steamroller

• Holding on to lectern
• Shifting from one foot to another
• Dancing (moving back and forth)
• Moving too far or too fast
• Looking up at ceiling or down at floor
• Playing with watch/ring/keys/coins/glasses/hair
• Fiddling with pen or paper clip
• Popping top of magic marker or pen
• Extending or retracting a pointer
• Lip licking/biting
• Scratching head
• Sucking teeth
• Smacking lips
• Stroking beard
• Drumming fingers
• Blowing hair out of eyes

© Anthony Curiale, 2004