What is the Most Embarrassing Thing that has Ever Happened to You or Someone Else in a Presentation? We’ve ll had those hiccups in presentation delivery where we either just freeze, or a visual aid malfunctions, or we prepare an hour-long speech and are told just before we start that our available time has dropped to 25 minutes. These glitches can cause embarrassment, but they are also fantastic opportunities to shine. What was your most embarrassing presentation moment, and if you recovered… how did you do it?

The Fearless Presentations Workshop in Washington DC was another total success.  The class was full of determined individuals wanting to improve their presentations and public speaking skills.  The quality of the instruction was equaled to the efforts of the attendees.  The overwhelming consensus of the people was that they felt like the class greatly reduced their anxiety for speaking in front of groups.  Also the instruction of how to design a presentation with the audience in mind was very helpful in preparing very effect presentations.    Washington DC is known for their incredible orators…you can add another 13 to the list.  The improvement was very evident from the group from the beginning to the end.

Fearless Presentations® class in Phoenix, Arizona helps participants become more confident speakers. Many of the participants in the class experienced a fear of public speaking and nervousness that was holding them back in their careers.

In the Fearless Presentations® class, participants are able to overcome the fear of public speaking by immediately practicing the exercises that the instructor explains. By no means is this a passive, lecture-based class. Participants spend more time out of their seats than in their seats!  When they leave the class, they feel more confident not only about speaking in front of a group, but also about the future of their careers.

Phoenix, Arizona is just one of the cities the Fearless Presentations® class comes to in the U.S. throughout the year. Participants are guaranteed to reduce their nervousness and improve their public speaking skills.

This video is a first in a series of PowerPoint Tips to help viewers more quickly and easily design and deliver PowerPoint Presentations. Tip #1 is that PowerPoint is a Visual Aid, Not the Actual Presentation. Most people start designing their speech by creating their slideshow, but that is backwards. If you design your presentation first, it is more easy now to design slides that help explain or prove the points in your presentation. If you design the slideshow first, you are likely to use Powerpoint as a crutch which increases nervousness and increases the chances that you will actually forget something or lose your audience along the way.

While many people are thinking about buying presents and preparing for the holiday season, the 9 people who attended the Fearless Presentations Public Speaking Workshop prepared for a more successful future by improving their public speaking skills.  They came from as far away as Paris, France to Chicago, Illinois, with a common goal — overcome their fear of speaking in public and learn a more effective way to deliver presentations.  Mission accomplished.  Everyone experienced major improvement in the increased confidence in their newly developed skills in public speaking.   They each got up in front of the group and delivered five well thought out and delivered presentations.  The Fearless Presentations Public Speaking Workshop is centered on the philosophy is that we have to have right attitude to develop a new skill, we must learn the proper techniques to be a great presenter, and to practice the new skills.  But, participants found that the biggest difference between this workshop and others they have attended was the Real Time Coaching performed by one of the Leaders Institute’s qualified and experienced instructors.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to improve your ability to communicate by signing up for one of the Fearless Presentations Workshops in your city, or one close by.

Business PowerPoint Presentations have changed a lot in the last ten years, but some of the best presentation secrets have been around for a while. Almost 25 years ago I was given a little book published in the 1950’s. It was entitled, “Public Speaking as the Audience Likes It”. I don’t remember much of the contents, but I do remember the point- when you are preparing to make a presentation, consider the audience and think about the best way to present your material so they will enjoy the experience and remember the valuable material. So here 3 things you need to know to help you relate to your audience when you design a business PowerPoint presentation.

Consider Your Audience

Before you start to design a business presentation, spend some time thinking about those who are going to receive your message. What do they have in common? What do you know about who they are? What do they feel? What experiences have they had? Where are they coming from? Consider, from the audience’s perspective- what is so important about what I have to say? Why should they listen? How will they benefit? And how can I help them enjoy the experience?

Too often we begin our preparation thinking about what we want and need to say. We think about major point and what information we need them to assimilate or remember. We think about our responsibility, and if we have any fear or trepidation about being in front of people, we just wish it were over and prepare the message without much thought given to the audience.

That last line is too much too true. We prepare the message without much thought given to the audience. We think about the message, what we want to say and how we are best going to say it; we prepare our PowerPoint slides hoping that will “wow” the audience into valuing the material. We remember the KISS method of presentations and we keep is simple, stupid. Maybe we remember the old adage, stand up, speak up, shut up, sit down. Fun little sayings, but not much help.

First in your PowerPoint preparation is to consider the audience and the best way to communicate with them. Think about the specific people, the demographics, commonalities, idiosyncrasies; examine them from every angle you can. Also consider your venue- where you will be making your presentation. Will you be on a stage with people seated in front of you; will you be on the same level as your audience; will they be at tables, round or square; will you use a microphone- hand held, lapel, or stationary; what kind of interaction can I facilitate, and the list goes on based on your own experience and creativity. But always consider your audience; it will influence the rest of your presentation.

Second- Involve the Audience

The days of getting up and speaking and then sitting down have past. We live in an age of reality TV in which we get to vote on the results, interactive games on the computer and via game modems, we have unlimited accessibility through cell phones, email and texting. People are not used to sitting back and just listening, the presenter must get them involved. So you have considered your audience, and you know your message, now how do you get the audience involved?

It is more than asking questions and showing slides, it is putting something in their hands, it is incorporating movement, it is using as many of their senses as possible to get them and keep them involved.

Nearly every book on public speaking skills written within the last 15 years has a section on telling stories, but don’t just tell a story, show it. If you were riding a bike, then show it; if you were going over something, show it; if you were involved in a heated conversation, show it; if you were throwing a ball, show- never just tell a story, but show it, use gestures and plenty of them.

Are you talking about something, an object, show it, better yet, if possible give everyone a sample. If you are talking about something with an aroma, then work the smell into your presentation, use a candle, home baked cookies, incense, whatever it takes. Perhaps it is a sound, a firecracker, jet engine, ocean waves- find a way to duplicate it for your audience’s aural stimulation. Perhaps it is a taste, give them something to remind them of the taste, a candy bar; a drink; ice cream- be creative. Maybe it is a texture- then give them something to feel, sandpaper, a piece of cloth, a rock, use your imagination, but incorporate some type of extra sensory experience for your audience to participate with you in the presentation. Be creative and push the envelope. (Some things I have done- handed out ice cream, given latex gloves and pens so the audience could take notes on their hands (five points-five fingers), lit incense prior so the room would smell like pine trees, given out hotel size soaps; spoken in a Santa Claus suit and a guerrilla outfit; given the participants small craft packages to built a boat made out of wooden ice cream spoons a toothpick and a piece of cloth, given out colored pipe cleaners for participants to fashion antennas… the ideas are as limitless as your imagination. Do it- get your audience involved.

Third- Be Concise in Your Closing

Once you had delivered the main thrust of your PowerPoint presentation and have involved the audience, leave them wanting more. Be concise in your closing remarks. Highlight the high points and then be on your way. Too many speakers close with their main points but continue to drag on thinking that re and re-emphasizing will make the message stick. When it is time to end, then end. Don’t keep re-covering the topics and never introduce new material. If you have considered the audience, gotten them involved, then you can make a quick recap and let their involvement continue to speak after you have stopped.

Besides giving thoughtful consideration to your messages, these are three ideas to help your presentation be powerful and memorable- first, consider the audience; second, involve the audience; and third- make your closing concise.

Participates of the Fearless Presentations public speaking workshop got to enjoy the fun of shopping in Manhattan, New York during the holiday season as well as strengthen their confidence in their ability to speak with confidence.  One of the Gifts that they received in the workshop was an understanding of how their personalities are their greatest strength as well as their weakness when delivering a speech. Regardless of someone’s personality, the key is to overcome the fear of speaking in public first.  Once the anxiety is overcome, people with outgoing personalities have the strength of sharing their presentations with passion and enthusiasm, while the introverted people will usually use facts and data to get their points across.  An extrovert could benefit from including more evidence with their presentations, while the introvert will benefit by delivering their presentations with a little more enthusiasm and excitement.

Make sure to sign up for the Fearless Public Speaking Workshop next time it’s in New York in Early 2012 by going to www.FearlessPresentations.com .

Presentation skills class in Dallas, Texas November 17-18 provided a great opportunity for participants to deliver concise, compelling presentations.

The Leader’s Institute® held its two-day presentation skills class in Dallas, Texas with a very energetic and enthusiastic group.  Participants were able to get rid of the fear of public speaking and deliver dynamic, engaging presentations.  By the end of the second day, each participant delivered their presentations with ease by learning how to use a clear, easy-to-follow structure.  They were able to design these presentations in 15 minutes or less!  Then they added more flavor to them, by incorporating stories, analogies, demonstrations, and audience participation questions.

The Leader’s Institute® offers more than just a presentation skills class.  It’s truly a life-changing experience!  Classes are offered approximately every 3 months in Dallas, Texas and across the U.S.

When you write a presentation or design a PowerPoint slideshow, make sure and think of your audience first. This public speaking video gives tips on how to write a speech better by considering the wants and needs of your audience first. When your audience changes, your presentation should also change. When your audience changes, your PowerPoint slideshow also needs to change. Consider your audience, and you are much more likely to have a success delivering your presentation.

This presentation skills video is one part of a three-part video series that helps presenters design presentations more quickly and easily. Subscribe to our feed or LIKE us on Facebook to receive additional tips in this series.

Another successful Fearless Presentation Public Speaking Workshop was completed in sunny Miami on November 15 and 16th 2011. The participants met at a beachside hotel to improve their presentation speaking skills. It was once again, as usual for Miami, a multi-national that had two goals in mind, to overcome their anxiety for speaking in public and to learn to design and deliver a more effective presentation. Countries like Croatia, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, and Canada, as several people from the United States participated in a two-day presentations course. The one thing that they all learned is that the fear of public speaking is universal, but something we can all do if we understand that public speaking is a skill that can be developed and mastered. The class saw significant improvement  at the end of the second day felt much more confident with their ability to speak clearly and concisely. Fearless Presentations will be back in Miami in February of 2012, make sure to sign up today and take the next step to improving your public speaking skills.