Powerful Presentations
A well-organized, polished presentation will take you closer to the sale when making your pitch. A professional delivery depends on leaving nothing to chance. Here are some tips for polishing your speaking skills.
Practice, Practice, Practice--
Establish a group of your co-workers, friends, and/or family who will constructively listen to your presentation. When possible use a video recorder or tape recorder to capture your rehearsal for your own review. Ask your rehearsal audience to watch for excessive body movement, nervous fidgeting, and unbecoming gestures. Listen carefully for non-words in your speech pattern such as "uummm," "ahh," "youknow." Note whether you are modulating your tone of voice, volume, and rate of speech to make your voice more interesting. Practice using your visual aids until you can refer to them seamlessly. Flip-charts, overhead transparencies and slides all require practiced skill in order for them to add to and not detract from your presentation. Joining a Toastmasters chapter or taking a speaking seminar will give you valuable experience and provide a captive audience for rehearsal.
Understand Your Audience--
Target your presentation to a specific audience. How well does your prospect know your industry or product? What position(s) in the company are you addressing? Is your audience made-up of individualistic entrepreneurs or corporate bean-counters? Tailor your vocabulary, level of detail, allegories, and anecdotes to your listeners.
Be an Early Bird--
Arrive at your presentation site with plenty of time to set-up and get familiar with the room. Test any audio-visual equipment that you may be using. Become familiar with the room's acoustics. If possible, do a last-minute rehearsal. Take some time to relax and focus on the task at hand. Set aside any distractions. As people arrive introduce yourself and begin building rapport with your audience.
The First 30-Seconds Are The Most Important--
It's possible to make or break a deal in the first 30 seconds of your presentation. Unless you are very gifted, it's best to leave humor to the professionals. Avoid clichÇopenings. Grab your audience's attention with any eye-opening statement about your product or service.
Tell Them What You're Going To Tell Them,
Tell Them,
Tell Them What You Told Them--
This tried and true method will help you to plan your presentation to remain on target. Ask yourself, "What is the purpose of this presentation?" then outline your words with this formula. Not only will you stay on target, so will your audience.
Stay On Time--
If you only have 20 minutes, plan your presentation to give the most important pieces of information in 15. Keep an eye on your watch. Even with "all the time in the world," prioritize your information. Save the minutia for later in the presentation. Pepper your delivery with possible closes, if your time runs out you will have presented the meat of your information and can close quickly.
Beware Lists Of Numbers--
If your presentation calls for lists of figures and statistics, share these as handouts. This will enable your audience to follow what you are saying easily, and your presentation won't get bogged down in reciting columns of numbers. When at all possible, use charts and graphs to illustrate numbers and statistics, these are more readily understandable and make more interesting visuals.
Know Your Presentation--
Reading a canned presentation will induce sleep rather than action or decision. Rehearse your speech until you can deliver it from memory without sounding memorized. Use an outline and notes for important points and numbers. Establish eye contact with your audience, making eye contact with each person in the room at least once. Your prospect's experience should be one of being spoken to, not at.
Invest in planning, preparation, and rehearsal and your presentations will reap big dividends.
