How to Give a Great Speech or Presentation - 10 Top Tips! by Peter Baker, Voiceover from http://www. TIP 1: Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
It doesn't mean over rehearsing the presentation and trying
to remember every word in the right order. Even though you were a
good actor, this isn't the way to go about it. You’ll come across
unnaturally, and won’t have the ability to react to any reactions. However,
I do suggest that your critical first and last sentences are learnt
word perfect. It’s like flying a plane - take-off and landing are generally
very critical!
Now - what IS important is that you need to ensure you're totally
confident in these areas:
Voice artist- You 100% be aware of structure of your presentation.
- Have fully rehearsed just the start and end from it.
- Have familiarised yourself together with your slides if you have them.
- Confident the equipment will work!
- Know how to answer the questions you guess the audience
will have for you. What are the MOST DIFFICULT questions
they might throw at you? Investigate the answer to those
BEFORE the day!
narrator
TIP 2: Stay moist!
Any form of public speaking or audio or video recording
causes presenters to “dry up” so that their performance is
impaired. Drink some still water (Not fizzy, you may burp on stage!) before
your talk and some water by you during it.
TIP 3: Forget you are speaking to a large group.
Your listeners in the audience will like to think you are talking to
them personally anyway. Suppose you are talking to just ONE
person; and say “you” in the singular tense throughout your
presentation. Never say “Hello everyone” and so on.
Even seasoned broadcast professionals play this mind trick to
acquire a personable, empathetic performance and also so they
don’t get scared by thinking about the thousands or millions
listening or watching them!
TIP 4: During the “performance”, it’s important to relax, and
conserve a cool, professional approach.
If you’d rather takequestions at the conclusion, say so at the start of your business presentation, or you’ll be distracted from your structure by questions from the audience.
TIP 5: Get confidence!
For any business speech, get a CV or resume out and
remind yourself of who you are and what you’ve done! It’s
important to give yourself a logical assessment of your abilities and
experience.
You've real accomplishments and strengths, by getting
good feedback from the outside world, your positive selfassessment
becomes fact.
TIP 6: Reinforce your confidence!
There are many “tricks” to create short-term confidence that
may work for you. This is something some theatrical actors use to
boost their confidence when waiting in the wings ready to come
onto stage.
Nervous actors sometimes say to themselves:
“I am Beautiful”; “Everybody Loves Me” & “I know a Secret”.
Obviously, self confidence is the difference between feeling
unstoppable and feeling scared from your wits. Your perception of
yourself comes with an enormous impact on how others perceive you.
Perception is reality - the more self confidence you have, the
more likely it is you’ll succeed. More about this later.
TIP 7: Dress smartly, but comfortably.
We're not more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. Whenever you don’t look good, it changes how you carry yourself and connect to other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your individual appearance. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot on clothes.
One great rule to follow along with is “spend twice as much, but buy half as
much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as
many select, high quality items that you feel comfortable in.
The secrets of how to give a great business presentation
TIP 8: Get and turn into fit!
Along the same lines as personal appearance, physical
fitness includes a huge effect on self confidence. If you’re out of shape,
you’ll feel insecure, unattractive, and fewer energetic and
passionate about what you’re talking about.
By going to the gym, being active or playing sport, you’ll improve
your physical appearance, breathe more effectively, and energise
yourself. Having the discipline to work out not just makes you feel
better, it makes positive momentum so you can take new
experiences like speaking in public in your stride. That is so
very important.
TIP 9: Enhance your posture.
People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display deficiencies in self-confidence. The look like they aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing plus they don’t consider themselves important either.
By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more
confident. Operate straight, keep your head up, and imagine you
really are a puppet on a string, being opened up from the tip of your head.
Don’t forget to make eye contact with people; outwardly flirt with
people you fancy!
You’ll create a positive impression on others and instantly feel more
alert, empowered and confident.
TIP 10: If all else fails….
Accept your reluctance to speak and accept your fears, but just “go with it” and look toward having a treat of some type afterwards. Just categorise the knowledge as something slightly unpleasant
and it'll be over soon. BUT - it’s vitally important you keep these thoughts TO YOURSELF. If you do, most people find the speech goes perfectly, and even enjoy it, and wish to do it again for the thrill!
However, if you admit to the audience you are scared or
inexperienced; it puts them within an awkward position and also
reinforces your worries to yourself, making the feared situation
take place in reality!
Still worried about building confidence?
Many people may find that any kind of public speaking or audio or
video recording causes them to “dry up” so that their performance
is impaired. Throughout the “performance” it is important to relax, not
rush answers and gaze after a cool, professional approach.
It effects everyone differently, but maybe you’d benefit from taking a walk
or having a long break before a media interview. The last thing
you will need are immediate work worries on your mind before an
important TV, press or radio interview.
Remember that during a recorded or live video or audio interview
you must imagine that you are speaking with just ONE person; your key
imagined “ideal viewer / listener”.
If you begin to think about what you are saying going into thousands or
millions of homes, it may seriously affect your confidence.
Even seasoned professionals play this mind trick to attain a
personable, empathetic performance.
Preparation is paramount to building your confidence; not just on the
subject to be discussed, but it is important to remind yourself on:
• Your background.
• Your talent.
• Your achievements.
• Your talents.
• Your strengths.
• Why you were accepted for the current job.
• Why you were chosen to speak.
Let’s visit again that mental trick some theatrical actors use to
boost their confidence when browsing the wings:
“I am Beautiful”; “Everybody Loves Me” & “I know a Secret”.
The ultimate one is easy to explain. The final time you knew some
“office gossip” first, might have given you a lot of additional confidence
to chat to others about the knowledge you had just discovered.
So, it’s exactly the same in a presentation…to repeat what I mentioned
above - YOU know something THEY don’t know. They WANT to
hear what you have to say!
There’s your instant confidence! Good luck!
Peter Baker is really a professional voiceover having a BBC and ITV news background has a broadcast quality studio in Cheshire, United Kingdom.
Check out his site at http://www.MaleVO.co.uk His e-mail is mail@peterbaker.tv
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