There always seems to be that one person in the room that is constantly disrupting you. While working at the local zoo, I had given numerous presentations to preschool age students and there was always that one kid that would never stop raising their hand or interrupting me. It’s a common problem among all ages, buy what can you do about t? It’s usually not personal. Especially if the interrupter cuts everyone off, maybe they just have a lot to say or they are super smart and their brain works faster than the average person. They want to keep everything moving at a faster pace, so often they will interrupt to ensure that happens. Chronic interrupters might be overly excited and impatient to make their point. Perhaps they just want to engage in the conversation by verbally exploding. Maybe they just think the presenter is conveniently finished, or
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Any extraneous language that pads your sentences without adding any additional meaning is a crutch word. They are also called Fillers because instead of using key pauses to let the audience digest what you are saying, they are filled with empty words that weaken the overall message. Using crutch words can take away from the forcefulness and eloquence of your speech. People use crutch words because they have been around since the beginning of spoken language. Every person uses them on some scale and they vary depending on location and language! Transitions can easily become crutch words if the presenter is not careful. Be strategic on how transition words such as and then, and so, so, then, and, also. Crutch words can indicate that the speaker is in trouble, a moment is needed to plan what next. They happen when we think and speak at the same time or act as placeholders
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I’ve written other blog posts about how to organize your speech. Whether it’s chronological, topical, process, or special order depends on your topic. It is extremely important that you organize a speech, but why is it important to organize at all? As a speaker, your role is to inform the audience about your topic and possibly persuade them to take action. Your audience will understand your thoughts better if you have them in some logical order. There are benefits for the presenter as well as the audience. The presenter can follow a well-organized speech and be able to think more effectively and maintain flow. At the same time, your audience will understand and better comprehend, they will remember your presentation better, the presenter will remain the expert, and the presentation will be more enjoyable for all.
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As we have said before, everybody is a presenter! 90% of your entire life is spent talking to people. People talk….a lot! Since we typically spend so much time with our mouths flapping, breath should be important. Just like first impressions are important when it comes to appearance, the same rules should apply to smell. Being a speaker of any kind makes having a conversation in close proximity to others inevitable. That makes your breath essential equipment. Bad breath can affect personal and professional relationships and lead to embarrassment and low self esteem. It is believed that the breakdown of a sulfur containing acid, cysteine, in the mouth produces hydrogen sulfide causing stinky breath. I have experienced times (like sitting on Santa’s lap) that breath smelled so bad I just wanted to run, but couldn’t. Avoid funky breath that repels rather than attracts, especially before going into a meeting or
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Most people preparing for a presentation jump to the visual aid first, get all excited, create their slides and then don’t have anything to talk about. One of the problems of doing the visual aid first is the temptation to write out your entire presentation on your slides. Creating slides full of text is too easy, it’s a security blanket for a presenter who doesn’t know what to say. What good is a presenter if the audience is more focused on your visual aid? Although it is natural to go straight to the computer, break the madness. Pull out the pen and paper and thinking cap. (Technically, you can type your notes on the computer, but you get my gist.) Once you have thought through your goals, identified your topic and sub-topics, now it is time to think about how your visual aid will convey your spoken message. Remember that
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Developing a presentation is similar to the basics of a research paper and nothing to fear. Most people believe that the first step to preparing a presentation is to develop the visual aid first. On the contrary, the skeleton of your presentation, aka the outline, is what you need first. Your visual aid is the last item on the to do list. First things first, choose a topic to begin with and make sure the topic is not too broad. Identify a goal, purpose, message, and lesson you want the audience to take away. Develop your theme by listing three sub-topics, three main points of discussion. These points of discussion should explain or describe your topic. The purpose of keeping to a limited number of main points is so your audience will stay more focused, and have a through understanding. Develop your main points of discussion by listing out the
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Just like in the written words, transitions are usually problem areas for most presenters. It is easy to choose a topic and prepare the information, but to transition from one thought to the next and maintain a flow is sometimes really difficult. Filler words such as uh, um, like, so, and you know mostly come out when the brain is straining to transition. Transitions need to be well thought out, wisely chosen, and rehearsed. Your presentation needs to flow effortlessly and take on a zen of its own. It will feel very rigid and boxy if transitions are not put into place strategically. Arrange your information so one idea flows into the next so nobody notices that you have begun a new idea In other words, you don’t want to take too big of a leap from one topic into another. Just like the trees transition from one season to
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Only after you have identified your topic, three main points, and organization may you think about what how to go about the introduction. Introductions differ depending on where you are and what type of presentation you are giving but they all have three characteristics in common. First an effective introduction will create a favorable atmosphere, second an effective introduction will generate interest in the chosen topic, and third an effective introduction will clarify the purpose in giving the presentation in the first place. Just like we have all heard in basic writing class, the thesis statement has to come within the first paragraph of a research paper. Well that goes for anything including your presentation, the thesis statement or in this case the purpose must be stated rather quickly. Conclusions are just as important as introductions because a conclusion is the last thing you will say. It is the exclamation
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There are actually two different points in this blog that relate to each other. The first is responding to the mood of your audience before you begin a presentation. In a recent blog I talked about the importance of arriving to the presentation site early and mingling with the audience as they arrive. This is important because during that time you should be getting a feel for the mood of the audience and planning how to adapt your presentation to that mood. If they’re in a light mood, you can respond with humorous banter. If they’re in an inquisitive mood, you can give them some unusually interesting information or question that provokes thought. If they’re in a hostile mood, your introduction must be longer than usual as you will need to have your audience in a receptive mood before you can proceed. The second piece of advice is one that
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I understand it doesn’t always happen, but some times presenting with a team of people is necessary. Especially when new business is at stake, the bidder wants to see who exactly will be handling the account. Just like I have stressed for individual presenters, preparation and strategy is the cure! It is commonplace to divide the topic up into enough parts that each person in the team gets a piece. They in turn go on their own and research their part and make sure that they have developed a script. After time passes, the presentation goes live and all the team members come up with off the cuff ideas on how to execute the team presentation. Sadly, it never seems to go off well. It partly goes back to the preparation, preparing for a team presentation individually is only part of the problem. Working closely with the other members of
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