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You want to be confident and relaxed so you can deliver presentations that make people listen and take action.  But even the most experienced presenter can get nervous before an important presentation.  One tool you can use to help reduce nervousness is to visualize your success.  If you imagine yourself succeeding, you will be more likely to do so in reality. Implement the following techniques prior to your next presentation to get on track for success:

1. Close your eyes and picture giving your presentation.  Imagine yourself gesturing.  Imagine the audience response: picture them smiling and nodding at what you have to say.  Even picture the room and the clothes that you will present in, so that you can see yourself realistically succeeding. 
2. Write out positive statements affirming your skills and the desired audience response.  Phrase the statements realistically and as if you have already given the presentation.  For example, write, “I calmly answered tough questions,” or “My boss said I sounded knowledgeable and convincing.”  Focus on these statements for a few minutes. 
3. Take deep breaths.  Slow, deep breathing releases tension in your body and slows down your heart rate.  Breathing puts you in a relaxed state that will help you keep an open mind about your presentation.

Visualizing is a simple way to relax and build confidence, which will help you give better presentations.  Visualizing your success helps make that success a reality!

Make Every Presentation Great,
Sheri Jeavons

When conducting webinars and web meetings your goal is to be a dynamic presenter and to engage your virtual audience.  Since your audience can’t see you while you present, you need to keep them interested and on-track using just your voice.  While you may be a dynamic speaker in person, you’ve probably noticed that you fall flat during web sessions.  So how do you adjust your voice to the virtual medium? The following steps will get you on track:

1. Push your enthusiasm. One of the easiest ways to become more dynamic online is to push your enthusiasm.  Your voice can lose a lot of energy and enthusiasm when you speak on conference calls or webinars, because you are usually just speaking to your computer screen instead of to an audience.  So to re-energize your voice, ask a colleague to sit in your office with you during the webinar.  That way, you will have a live (if small) audience that you can feed off of.  Presenting to even one live audience member will automatically increase your speaking volume and enthusiasm. 
2. Stand while you talk.  This will help energize your body and voice. If you are standing, you will be more likely to gesture, which will help you to be more relaxed.
3. No reading. Make sure you only use bullet points, not sentences.  If you have sentences on your slides or if you use a script you will read and sound very monotone.

Also consider telling a story, calling out someone’s name on the call or refer to an experience or conversation you had with one of the attendees. If you follow these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to increasing your vocal enthusiasm and being an engaging online presenter!

Make Every Presentation Great,
Sheri Jeavons

To sound as dynamic and engaging as possible while conducting Webinars and Web Meetings, consider using a headset.  It is tempting to just use a speakerphone or a cell phone when calling into a Web session, but speakerphones and cell phones can make you sound distant or unclear, and they can inhibit your natural vocal energy. 

Using a headset, on the other hand, reduces background noise and helps your voice sound clearer and louder to your colleagues on the call.  And unlike a phone, a headset leaves your hands free to gesture, generating energy and enthusiasm that comes across in your voice.  Headsets have better sound quality than speakerphones, don’t have issues with bad reception (like cell phones), and allow you to gesture to unleash your vocal and physical energy.  So to help your voice sound clear and compelling on conference calls and Webinars, stop using that speakerphone and invest in a headset!

Make Every Presentation Great,
Sheri Jeavons

You want to gesture naturally and dynamically while presenting.  But you don’t know what to do with your hands when you talk in front of a group.  You feel silly and unnatural if you gesture too much, or boring and stilted if you gesture too little.  So how do you find a happy medium? 

First, unlock your hands.  Let them relax and rest at your sides.  Don’t worry, they will not stay there; they just have to be unlocked at the outset to be free to gesture.   Next, you must have your entire body facing the person you are speaking to.  This means your toes, hips, and shoulders need to face that person.  As you look to a new person, again align your body by taking a few steps and planting yourself.  Your free hands will swing up and begin gesturing once more. You don’t even have to think about the gestures: they will occur on their own.  Unlocked hands and proper alignment promote natural gestures.  It’s as simple as that! 

Make Every Presentation Great,
Sheri Jeavons

Many of you are conducting online meetings and webinars, and we want to help you make your virtual communications run as smoothly as possible!  All too often, Webinars and Web meetings can be disorganized and poorly moderated, because the virtual format leads to greater anonymity and less accountability.  To help your Webinars and Web meetings run smoothly and professionally, and to keep your audience engaged, I suggest setting some Guidelines for Participation at the beginning of each Web session. 

• Establish roles: who will be the presenter, host, note-taker, time-keeper, and technical support? 
• Decide whether or not the session will be recorded.  
• Make an announcement about reducing noise and distraction by having participants mute their phones.  
• Explain how questions and technical difficulties will be handled, so that participants know where to direct their issues during the session.  
• Describe which interactive tools the participants will be expected to use, such as chat, emoticons, video, or poll questions. 

By explaining your expectations, you can encourage focused and organized participation.  Announcing your Guidelines for Participation at the beginning of each Web session is a quick and easy step that can help you avoid confusion and headaches later on!
 
Make Every Presentation Great!
Sheri Jeavons

I know it’s tempting to sit at your desk and read over your notes or run through your speech in your head and call it a practice session.  In all reality, reviewing the information is helpful, but it doesn’t truly count as a practice session. The main problem is that it’s just not realistic. The added stress of standing up in front of an audience creates a whole new dynamic and it’s important that you practice under realistic conditions. The following tips will help you make the most of your practice sessions:

1. Strive for three complete practice sessions (using visual aids and speaking out loud).

2. Don’t memorize your presentation! Use your PowerPoint slides to prompt your memory and remember what to say.

3. Ideally you should practice in the same room (or a similar room) to the one in which you will deliver your presentation. Wear similar clothes to what you will wear on that day. It will help create a realistic situation, making you all the more comfortable when the day to present arrives.

Make Every Presentation Great,
Sheri Jeavons

Many of you struggle with developing content for your presentations. You may spend hours compiling information and putting it in a format that makes sense to you, only to deliver it to an audience of yawns and blank stares. There is an easy remedy for this problem called the TOP Mastery Craft Compelling Content Format.

The first step in this process is to think about your audience. Who are they? What do they want to leave your presentation knowing? What’s in it for them?

The second step is a compelling introduction. This consists of four elements and should be delivered in approximately two minutes.

1. Open/Goal Statement:  Highlight the audiences’ goal for your topic.
2. Current Situation: Briefly review the audience’s current situation as it relates to the information you are about to offer.
3. Agenda Topics: Briefly list the topics you will cover during the presentation to help solve your audience’s problems.
4. Value Statements: Highlight the value the audience will realize as a result of implementing your recommendation.

Make Every Presentation Great!

Sheri Jeavons

There is no doubt that heavy workloads have us all stretched to our limits these days. Executives are no exception. Their time is more valuable than ever. So, when you’re given a 10-minute meeting with an executive to pitch an idea, how do you make the most of your time?  Implement the Ten-Minute Solution Process:

1. Identify the pain or change opportunity
2. Propose goal-related solutions
3. Quantify solution options
4. Describe the pros and cons of each proposed solution
5. Urge specific action steps

Sticking to a short, goal-oriented agenda is sure to make your recommendations stand out from the crowd.

Make every presentation great!

Sheri Jeavons

One way to enhance your professional presence and get noticed is to stand when you present your ideas. It may feel awkward at first, especially if it isn’t common practice at your place of business, but it will help you gain visibility for your ideas and knowledge. It will also show your passion and enthusiasm for the information you have to deliver.  If you want to appear more relaxed, consider taking a seat to engage in a question and answer session.

One of the biggest issues I hear about from clients is that they are simply afraid to give a presentation. Standing up in front of a group makes their heart pound, hands sweat and knees shake.

While I can’t guarantee these tips will immediately eliminate your fear, they will certainly help you manage it by increasing your confidence:

1. Focus on your audience: Think about what you can do for the audience, not the personal anxiety you may have about presenting.
2. Pause for Power: Take a deep breath and calmly stand still until your thoughts return to you.
3. Remember, the audience does not see fear: They cannot see your heart pounding, stomach churning, knees wobbling or hands perspiring! Your audience wants you to do well. They want you to motivate, educate and inspire them.

Make every presentation great!

Sheri Jeavons