Knockout Presentations

How To Deliver Your Message With

Power, Punch And Pizzazz

By Dianne DiResta

Whether speaking one-on-one or before a large audience, you are making a presentation -- of
both your ideas and yourself. Now you can dazzle any audience with the expert advice and
creative ideas Diane DiResta has used to train thousands of businesspeople and celebrities in
the art and skill or delivering knockout presentations.

GETTING STARTED

Every time you speak with friends or colleagues you're speaking in public. Most people can
handle these situations with ease, and yet find speaking to strangers in public very difficult.
The difference of course is that in these every day public speaking situations they feel
comfortable and know their subject. So the question is, how do you create this comfort zone in
your formal presentations.

The answer is:

 Know yourself
 Know your audience
 Know your material

CH 1 - SECRETS OF PLATFORM EFFECTIVENESS

Let's start by dispelling some of the common myths surrounding public speaking.

MYTH: Some people are just not public speakers. Wrong, every one is a public speaker,
whether you're getting up to speak at a staff meeting or in a job interview.

MYTH: Look over the heads of the audience to avoid nerves. This technique is often
suggested to make it easier to speak, but often ends up alienating the audience. Instead, look
directly at key individuals. Experienced speakers look at a few people at a time. This helps to
establish a relationship with the audience and makes it easier to speak.

MYTH: Memorize your speech for effective delivery. It can actually make you more nervous if
you memorize you speech -- what happens if you blank out or forget what you had to say.
COMMON MISTAKES
Here are some of the common mistakes made by speakers:

LACK OF PREPARATION: If you don't practice your speech and know your material, it shows.

LATENESS: Turning up late for your presentation shows a lack of respect for the audience.

PROJECTING THE WRONG IMAGE: Dress appropriately for the audience -- for example,
don't wear your nightclub outfit when meeting with a group of bankers.

OFFERING ONLY WEAK EVIDENCE: Support you presentation with solid facts and evidence.

PRESENT OR PERISH
Public speaking is an important skill in today's society. It's worth improving your presentation
skills for a number of reasons:

1. Job promotions
2. Raises
3. More sales
4. Improved productivity in meetings
5. Less frustration and stress
6. Better personal image
7. Stronger relationships

FINDING YOUR STYLE

It's important to stay true to yourself and find a style that suits you. There's no point trying to
make out you_re a dynamic and highly-charged speaker, when you're a shy and retiring type.
You'd just look ridiculous. This book is about helping you find your own style.

CH 2 - SIZZLE OR STEAK

A good presenter needs to master both style and substance. Communication happens on
three levels: Visual (body language), 55%; Vocal (tone), 38%; and Verbal (words), 7%. People
tend to believe body language above words. Dynamic speakers are congruent, in that their
body language, tone and words all communicate the one message.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It takes seven seconds or less for someone to form an impression, so it_s important to start off
on the right foot. Don't launch into your presentation as soon as you're at the lectern. Before
you start, scan your audience, and:

Breathe
Collect your thoughts
Feel the energy coming towards you
Greet the audience
Pause long enough for the audience to respond.

This allows you to create a relationship with the audience.

ACTS OF SABOTAGE
It's easy to distract the audience with squirming and other acts of self sabotage. These acts of
sabotage can be visual, vocal or verbal.

VISUAL SABOTAGE-- Examples include pacing, rocking and rolling; few gestures, fidgety
fingers, inappropriate appearance, and poor eye contact.

VOCAL SABOTAGE -- Examples include non-words, volume, speaking rate, monotone, rising
inflection, going blank, and vocal problems (nasal, hoarse, high-pitch, breath).

VERBAL SABOTAGE -- There are many words and phrases that can sabotage your speech.
Among them are taglines, wimpy words, jargon, apologies, colorless words and sloppy
speech.

CH 3 - FEAR FIXES

Many people are nervous about public speaking because of stage fright. While there is no
magic cure for stage fright, there are ways to manage and control your nervousness. The first
step in controlling your nervousness is to acknowledge it. The second step is in knowing that
you're in good company, and the third step is in managing your nervous energy. Remedies for
nervousness, fall into four categories: mental, physical, behavioral and chemical.

MENTAL REMEDIES: Nervousness begins in your mind and translates into a physical
reactions. People usually go into one of two types of nervousness -- hyper drive (flapping arms
and rapid speech) and deep freeze (monotone, locked arms, little animation). There are a
number of mental tools that you can use to help alleviate nervousness, these include
visualization (where you imagine a positive response to your presentation), meditation
(emptying your mind and relaxing and centering your mind), affirmations (using positive
statements to change your reality), loving the audience (because people can pick up fear),
and soothing music (for example classical music can help you relax).

PHYSICAL REMEDIES: These include things like breathing (our natural reaction is to hold our
breath when we are nervous, proper breathing can help to deal with our nerves), Yoga (Good
for achieving deep states of relaxation, exercise (one of the quickest way of burning nervous
energy is to exercise), working the room (involves moving as you make your speech, but it
must be done with purpose), eye contact (look out for friendly faces), gesturing (similar to
working the room, it gives you a way of releasing nervous energy), pausing (gives you time to
think and breath), and smiling (makes you confident, and warms the audience).

BEHAVIORAL REMEDIES: Include rehearsal (practice really does help), interaction (don't be
afraid to engage the audience, you'll feel less nervous because the audience is sharing the
presentation with you), passion (when you have passion, you have power), acting lessons (can
help by showing you how to move your body, move your voice, be spontaneous and common
an audience), meet the audience (it's easier to talk to people who aren't strangers), visual aids
(slides and charts can take the edge off your nervousness) and support groups (joining
Toastmasters, for example can make a big difference).

CHEMICAL REMEDIES: Consult with a doctor before taking any herbal or chemical
substances. Obviously diet is important, and making sure you have enough energy to get
through your presentation is important. Oatmeal is a good breakfast as it helps to stabilize your
blood sugar and keeps you on an even keel. You might also try Valerian Root , which is a
natural tranquilizer, without the side effects of drugs.

CH 4 - LISTENING: THE OTHER SIDE OF SPEAKING

Even as you're making your speech, you need to be listening for both verbal and non-verbal
feedback from your audience. For example, if they're all scowling with their arms crossed, you
can perhaps lighten things up with a joke, and find up why you've got them off side.
Being a good listener involves four factors:
1. Attention -- this means being alert, ready to listen, and focused.
2. Comprehension -- understanding what the other person is trying to say.
3. Interpretation -- being able to make judgments and inferences from what you've
understood.
4. Retention -- if you don't retain the information, you'll loose the message.
BARRIERS TO LISTENING
There are a number of reasons why we may not listen effectively:
Childhood messages: If as a child, you were often told, "speak only when spoken to", you
probably listen passively, without interrupting others. However, a good speaker questions and
clarifies information.

EMOTIONS: If we're in an emotional state, we don't tend to be good listeners. To listen well,
you need to be in a calm state of mind.

MAKING JUDGMENTS: It's easy to tune out if we don't like the speech or the speaker. If
you_re critiquing the speaker, you're not listening.

DISTRACTIONS: Can be both internal (your own thoughts and worries) and external (noise,
clutter, poor lighting).
FATIGUE: It can be difficult to listen to someone when you're tired.

EXCESSIVE NOTE TAKING: Writing notes can help you remember what was said, but you
can't expect to write down every word that was said and still understand the message.

LISTENING AS A PRESENTER
Your job as presenter is to listen to your audience, and to help your audience listen to you.
Your audience might not listen to your speech if your speech is:

 Too long
 Disjointed
 Inaudible
 Boring
 Lacking in passion.

TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR AUDIENCE LISTEN TO YOU

HAVE A CONVERSATION: Use the word "you" in your talk, as in "Ask yourself...", "What
would you do..." and so on.

GET PERSONAL: Use your own experiences in your speech. People relate better to other
people.

KEEP IT CURRENT: Talk about today's events or tomorrow's meeting.

PRESENT WITH PASSION: Enthusiasm is contagious.

INVOLVE THE AUDIENCE: Do this by asking members of the audience to come up on stage
and assist you with the presentation.

CH 5 - RESEARCH AND ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE

The first step in preparing your speech is to find out about the audience and tailor a speech to
them. Audiences can be grouped into two major groups: generalist and specialist. A generalist
audience is the public at large. The audience might consist of a wide age group, a variety of
occupations different levels of knowledge and experience. A specialist audience is a subgroup
of the general population. It might be the sales department at your company or a Rotary group,
for example.

SPECIAL AUDIENCES
You may also come across specialist audiences, who may need a special approach. Here are
some examples:

EXECUTIVE/SUPERIORS -- don't generally liked being spoken down to. Suggest don't tell.

PEER GROUP -- with these groups you can share information and relate to them on their own
level.

SUBORDINATES -- need details because they will be actually implementing ideas.

MULTICULTURAL -- you need to be sensitive to the needs of these audiences. For example,
Asians don't generally like to answer direct questions or being singled out or asked to act as
volunteers.

SPEAKING OVERSEAS
This can be difficult because you may not be aware of the nuances of the culture -- you won't
know whether silence means interest or confusion. However, it is a good idea to say a few
words in the foreign language. It shows good will and caring. Do a bit of research before you
go overseas. You might, for example talk to a colleague, or your contact person for the
presentation.
DEVELOPING A LISTENER PROFILE
To develop a profile of your audience you should consider the following factors:

 Size -- how many will be in the group

 Age -- the average age of the audience
 Gender -- what is the male to female ratio
 Knowledge -- how much will they already know about the topic
 Education -- what is the formal education level of the audience
 Regional background -- where are the audience members from
 Political affiliations -- who in the audience is able to influence decisions
 Social economic background -- knowing can help you speak the audience's language

AUDIENCE CULTURE
If you look at today's audiences, it's possible to make some generalizations:

 They're busy -- most people are pressed for time.

 They're sophisticated -- they'll expect your visual presentation to be of high quality.
 They're skeptical -- most people do not accept things on faith.
 They have information overload -- People are inundated with facts, statistics, data and
numbers.
 They're diverse - today the workforce is multi-ethnic, global, and gender tolerant.

I DON'T HAVE TIME

It doesn't necessarily take weeks to research an audience. It may be as simple as ringing up
your contact and asking a few questions about the audience.

LEARNING STYLES
Most adults learn differently and most adults communicate differently. There are three basic
learning styles: Visual learners see pictures in their minds, and in order to reach them you
need to be able to paint pictures with words. Auditory learners are tuned into sounds, and
typically use auditory words and phrases like "rings a bell" or "I hear you". Kinesthetic learners
are sensitive to touch and feelings. They language makes use of things like "feels good" and
"gut feeling". If you're speaking to a large group, remember to include visual, auditory and
kinesthetic components to each presentation you make.

CH 6 - BUILDING YOUR PRESENTATION

Now that you know your audience and what it expects from you, it's time to prepare, structure
and organize a speech.
CREATE A CLEAR FOCUS
The first step is to make sure your speech has a clear purpose or objective. For example, your
speech may be aiming to teach, inform or persuade the listeners. Once you know what your
purpose is, you can focus your speech --for example, you might be doing a speech that is
designed to inform colleagues about the new dress code, or to persuade the public to donate
many to a charity.
After you've worked out what your speech is trying to achieve, you need to find facts and
information to make your points. There are a lot of places where you can find information for
your speech -- everywhere from your local library to the Internet to newsletters and
newspapers. If you know that you've got a speaking engagement coming, you might even start
a file where you can keep relevant information.

SPEAKING IS NOT WRITING

Keep in mind that the written word is not the same as the spoken word. If the audience doesn't
understand what you're trying to say, they can't just go back and reread the sentence.

STRUCTURING YOUR PRESENTATION

The structure of a good speech is as follows:

1. Outline what you're going to tell them (introduction)

2. Tell them (body)
3. Tell them what you've just told them (conclusion)

The introduction is a roadmap that helps to prepare the audience for what is to come. Once
people know what to listen for, you can give them the meat of your speech.
Many people find "mind mapping" is a good tool for organizing a speech. Using this technique,
you can help to overcome blocks that occur when you start to self-censor your work. Take a
piece of paper and draw a small oval in the center. Write the topic in the oval. Draw lines
radiating out from the circle. On each line write the main point. Create sub branches on these
lines radiating out for sub points. When you're finished, number the points in order of
importance. This mind map can form the basis of your presentation.
The next step is to sequence your main ideas into a logical order that the audience can follow.
Think of yourself as a tour guide who has to take your audience from idea A to idea B. Some
possible sequences include:

1. Go from simple to complex

2. Be chronological
3. Go from specific to general

INTRODUCTIONS
Audiences get bored very easily, so it's important to get their attention right away. Presenters
use various techniques to get an audiences' attention, and this may be by starting with a:

Startling sentence
Rhetorical question
Quote
Personal experience
Anecdote
Humor

Don't rely on the same technique for every speech. Study your audience to make sure the
technique you choose is appropriate. Don't start by telling an off-color joke, apologizing, or
telling the audience you don't like speaking.

TRANSITIONS
Transitions help to take your speakers from one thought to the next. If you don't use transitions
your speech may come across as choppy. To develop transitions, think about where you've
been and where you're going. An example is: "Now that we've covered policies and
procedures, let' move onto legal issues."

DEVELOPING THE DETAILS

Listeners need descriptions and examples to truly understand what you're saying. If you're
trying to sell something, your listeners will need evidence and support before they'll make a
decision. Your body should include facts, statistics, examples, definitions and descriptions,
expert testimony, case studies, anecdotes, analogies and historical background.

THE ENDING
It's important to end your presentation on a memorable note. Again there are several ways of
doing this -- you might for example tell a story, recite a poem, quote someone, summarize your
main points, bring it back to the beginning, or even play some music. Your ending is just as
important as any part of your speech, so don't forget to end on time, keep focused, end with
purpose, and signal to the audience that the speech is drawing to an end (for example you
might say "in conclusion").

CH 7 - LISTENER-CENTERED COMMUNICATION: PRINCIPLES OF PERSUASION

It's your job to convince your audience that what you're telling them is worth listening to. Just
dumping data is not enough. People don't necessarily care about your product, service or idea,
they just care about their own needs -- "What's in it for me" (WWIIFM) and _Make me fee
important about myself" (MMFIAM). To help you get inside your listeners' heads, you can use
a simple formula -- HIRBEC, which stands for hook, issue, recommendation, benefits, close.

SIX SIMPLE STEPS TO SELL LISTENERS ON YOUR IDEAS

1. HOOK. Get your audiences into your speech by starting with their agenda. What's important
to them?
2. ISSUES. What key issues are important to your audience. You need to show you
understand their reality.
3. RECOMMENDATION. Introduce your idea, product, service or recommendation, but don't
be too specific. Lead the audience to your solution by showing you understand their needs.
4. BENEFITS. Explain how your solution can help your readers.
5. EVIDENCE. Support your recommendation with evidence.
6. CLOSE. This should have two parts - a summary and an action step. Give a summary of
how your recommendation can help your listeners, and then give your listeners a specific
action.

ELEMENTS OF PERSUASION
Here are some of the key elements of persuasion.
PASSION: Enthusiasm and passion are your strongest selling points. Even with a watertight
case, you won_t persuade your audience unless you're passionate.

PERSONAL STORIES: Using stories from personal experience helps to create credibility, and
help you create a bond with your audience.
SPEAKING TO LISTENERS' NEEDS: Unless you satisfy your audiences' needs, you won't
persuade them. You can't ask people who are struggling to pay the rent to support the arts,
and in a similar way, people who already have material comfort won't be too enthused if you
simply offer more of the same.

REPETITION: People won't remember you very well unless you repeat your key points more
than once.

IMPORTANT THINGS LAST: Every savvy sales person knows that you don't mention the price
too early, because you haven't yet built "value". Build your case first.

CALL TO ACTION: Don't forget to ask for what you want.

LANGUAGE OF PERSUASION
Keep your language simple. Short, simple words are more powerful than polysyllabic words.
Give just he facts. Too much detail will bore your listeners. Use active voice. Try to be precise;
don't use vague terminology. Use absolutes _ _always_, _never_, _definitely_ and
_absolutely_ show conviction.

CH 8 - SEEING IS BELIEVING - VISUAL AIDS

Studies show that listener retention increases 70-85% when visual aids are used. Visual aids
can also serve as your notes, underscore your points, and help keep you focused. There are a
few things you need to remember when developing effective visual aids:

KEEP IT SIMPLE (KISS) -- keep your visual aids short and simple. Complexity overwhelms.

KEEP IT LARGE AND LEGIBLE (KILL) -- the print on your visual aids must be large enough
for you to read from the back of the room.

BE ACCURATE -- proofread your visuals before displaying them.

BE RELEVANT -- the visuals should related to the content of your speech, otherwise they will
compete.

USE GRAPHICS -- the mind thinks in pictures, and graphics are more interesting than a page
of text.
TIPS FOR USING COLOR, GRAPHICS AND TEXT

COLOR

_ Use no more than four colors per slide

_ Use dark print on a light background.
_ Keep the same background color through out your presentation

GRAPHICS

_ Bar charts are good for showing comparisons of data over a specific time.
_ Line charts show data over many time periods so you can see trends.
_ Pie charts are good for showing the relation of parts to the whole.
_ Cartoons add humor.

TEXT

_ Keep titles short.

_ Use white space -- don't try to crowd the slide with words.
_ Express only one thought per slide.
_ Use both upper and lower case text, since it is easier to read.
_ Use no more than two fonts.

When planning your visual aids make sure know the objective or outcome you're looking for.
Ask yourself whether a particular point lends itself to a slide, or is it better illustrated using a
story.

CH 9 - SETTING THE STAGE

You should now be ready to stage your presentation. There are a number of elements to this:
setting up the room, working with lecterns and microphones, using notes, and creating a
positive environment.

ROOM SET UP
Sometimes you'll have no control over the room used for your presentations. But if you do, you
need to consider the type of presentation you're giving, the size of the audience, the tone of
the meeting, whether there is audience interaction, and how long you'll be speaking.
There are several different styles of room set up, including theatre (the most common set up),
conference (usually used for company meetings), circle (similar to a conference but with a
round table), u-shape (good for training classes), and classroom ( tables and chairs are set up
in rows).

LECTERNS AND MICROPHONES

Don't use as lectern to hide behind. If you do need a lectern, it should only be used to hold
notes. You should never lean on a lectern. Stand up straight and anchor your feet so you don't
sway. Prepare the lectern in advance-- for example position its height and place your glass of
water underneath before you start. Familiarize yourself with any controls.

If you're addressing an audience of 50 or more, you'll need to use a microphone. There are
different types of microphones around. Many lecterns have a microphone built into them,
which unfortunately means that you have to stay glued to the lectern. A Lavaliere microphone
goes around your neck; make sure you request one with a long cord so you can move away
from the lectern. Some presenters prefer a handheld microphone, which needs to be held at
the right length. The most convenient and flexible microphone is the cordless. It usually
attaches to your lapel and gives you maximum freedom.

NOTES
Notes can be a hindrance or a help. Sometimes visual aids -such as slide shows - are a better
way of helping you remember your key points without needing to refer to notes. Some people
prefer pictograms -- little graphical notes -- since they prevent you from reading.

Manuscripts -- your speech written out word for word -- should be avoided, unless you need to
deliver a word perfect presentation, for example, if your speech is going to be published in the
media. The danger with manuscripts is that you can loose your place, sacrifice eye contact
and the speech may sound canned.

CREATING A POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE

Check the temperature of the room where you're giving your presentation. Adjust the air
conditioning so that your audience is comfortable. Check the lighting. Ideally there'll be a
dimmer switch or when you need to project slides and images. If your audience is coming first
thing in the morning, provide some food. Allow for lunch -- people's attention dwindles when
they're hungry.
Make sure you start on time.

CH 10 - Q&A DIFFICULT PEOPLE

There's a five step process for handling Q&A. It's called ALRAM:
1. Anticipate and prepare
2. Listen
3. Repeat or rephrase
4. Answer concisely
5. Move onto the next question
When preparing for your presentation, you also need to prepare for the Q&A session. You do
this by making. three lists. The first list contains questions you know answers to. Also write
down the answers. The second list contains questions whose answers you don't know. Do
some research to find the answers to these questions. The third list contains questions you
dread. You'll need to plan a strategy for handling these.

If no one wants to ask the first question, you can ask one yourself, like "A question that is
frequently asked..." or you can use humor, like "I did such a good job that there are no
questions to ask". Or you can plant someone to ask the first question.

MANAGING DIFFICULT PEOPLE

Some of the difficult people you might come across include:
Eager beaver: This character asks all the questions and takes up all of your time. He might
make you feel good, but, no one else gets a chance to respond. Acknowledge the Eager
Beavers input, and suggest others to respond.

NEGATIVE NELLIE: This person challenges everything. You can't ignore this person, so the
best thing is to tackle their issues head on.

WHINER: These people complain, and often it's not because they're resistant to learning. The
best way is to deal with these situations is to acknowledge the complaint and ask the group for
a solution.

EXPERT: All most experts really want is recognition, so do that. Call on experts early and ask
for their opinions.

CLOWN: The clown can be quite distracting. Speak to them privately and ask them to hold
their jokes until after the session.

WITHDRAWN: These people don't want to participate. This may be because they lack
confidence. Ask them some easy questions to build their confidence.

(c) Free Books Summaries 2002, Mind Park 2002