Category: Presentation Skills

  • 3 Rules for Excellent Presentations

    I was excited to find John Medina’s great book, Brain Rules, in the San Francisco airport bookstore in 2009. The book is incredibly readable and valuable to trainers and presenters. I was thrilled most of all to see that Medina provides research to support 3 rules I’ve shared in my Train the Trainer classes for years.

    1. Provide the gist, the core concept, first.

    Verbalize and show your session’s purpose within the first few minutes of your presentation or training. Medina claims that you will see a 40% improvement in understanding if you provide general concepts first.

    2. Give an overview of the class at the beginning, and sprinkle liberal repetitions of ‘where we are now’ throughout.

    Provide clear transitions and summaries throughout your session. Clearly and repetitively explain linkages.

    3. Bait the hook.

    Every ten minutes, Medina gives his audiences a break from the firehose of information by sending “emotionally competent stimuli” (yet another word for ‘hook.’) A hook can be a surprising fact, anecdote, or question, and must must trigger an emotion: anxiety, laughter, nostalgia, etc. It must also be relevant. Use hooks at the beginning of each module.

    Research suggests that by using these skills, you will prevent your audiences from “checking out” during your presentation.  Not only that, but these 3 tips will enable  you to enjoy presenting more. Have fun!

    Learn about Training Development. Read more articles about training.

    © Guila Muir.

  • Presentation Skills: How to Prevent “Drowning”

    by Guila Muir
    info@guilamuir.com

    These skills will keep you afloat.

    There are many parallels between swimming in open water (the English call it “wild swimming”) and giving a great presentation. These skills will keep you afloat, no matter how choppy the water.

    1. Be totally present.
    When I swim, my focus is completely on what I’m doing. I’m not thinking about anything except moving forward. I am aware of each stroke, and often “course-correct” when I feel my form getting lazy.

    Great presenters have this same focus. They inhabit their bodies. They don’t wish they were somewhere else, doing something else. They totally commit to the activity of presenting.

    2. Ignore the environment at your own risk.
    The minute I enter the open water, I begin a wilderness adventure. Unlike a pool, open water offers seaweed, sea animals, hidden objects, floating logs, jellyfish, currents, waves, swells, and…well, you get the difference.

    If I swim blindly, I may run into something. This happened recently to a co-swimmer who was so focused on winning our race that he ran into a submerged piling and broke his nose.

    Presenters, too, can “break their noses” by barreling along with little sensitivity to the environment. Environmental input takes many forms, including disinterested or enthusiastic participants, room acoustics, hecklers, heat or cold, and ambient noise. Presenters who shut themselves off from this input risk failure. Great presenters retain their sensitivity to the environment, without letting it overwhelm them.

    3. Discovery is key.
    While swimming, I have discovered iridescent seaweed, a Weber grill, and curious seals with puppy faces. I have also discovered my own physical limits. Every time I swim, I discover something new, even if it is just the way the sun shines through the water (or not).

    Great presenters do this too. No matter how many times they’ve given a presentation, they discover new ways of saying things. They may develop new handouts or slides, or develop new questions to ask the audience. Boring presenters are those who never risk discovering new ways to present.

    Take these lessons to heart. When you invest yourself totally in the act of presenting, it all becomes easy. You’ll glide through your presentation like a fish.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

  • Perfect Presentations: What Not to Wear

    by Guila Muir
    info@guilamuir.com

    How to dress for credibility, while remaining true to yourself.

    What to wear for a perfect presentation? As you design and polish your speech, developing visual aids and handouts, this question may fall into the background until dangerously close to the presentation. Suddenly, you look up: “Yikes! What am I going to wear?”

    Your appearance impacts your credibility as a speaker. Don’t leave it to chance, and don’t wait until the last minute to decide what to wear. Just think of preparing your appearance as part of your overall speech preparation. Here are my favorite, possibly competing, guidelines:

    • Stay authentic.
    • Dress like your audience- but one step better.

    Stay Authentic: Within reason, your attire must express who you are. If you feel like you’re wearing someone else’s costume, your verbal message may not ring true.

    Dress Like Your Audience, But One Step Better: Appearing similar to, but slightly more dressed up than your listeners conveys respect both for them and for your subject. It enhances your credibility.

    Use these five tips as a guide to dressing for credibility, while remaining true to yourself.

    1.  Wear well-made and well-maintained clothing.

    Granted, no one will be checking your clothing’s seams or labels. But image consultants counsel that your audience can tell if you’re wearing a cheaply made dress or suit. You can probably feel it, too. Whether you choose to look conservative or creative, wear well-made clothing made from high-quality fabric. Avoid linen and other easily-wrinkled material.

    2.  Pay attention to details.

    Even if your audience won’t see your shoes, make sure they are polished and that the heels are secure. Men should have a recent haircut and trimmed facial hair. Search for loose threads or inopportune gaps between buttons.

    3.  Wear your “Confident Clothes.”

    Wear something that makes you feel sprightly and energized. This could mean sticking to the tried-and-true, so long as it’s one step above your audience and expresses your personality. Use a solid color that suits you near your face. (How do you know which colors suit you? Ask one of your color-savvy friends.)

    4.  Make sure it’s comfortable.

    You are NOT allowed to tug at or re-arrange your clothes while presenting. Wear your outfit around the house a few days before your presentation to ensure that you can move comfortably. Then put your outfit aside, including all underwear, jewelry and shoes, and go back to prepping your speech.

    5. Dress to look taller.

    Consider wearing a solid color for both pieces of your outfit. This will help you appear taller and help you tap into the “Intensified You.”

    So—to pull together both my responses to the question “What should I wear?” I leave you with these words: Let your personality shine through even as you “fit in” with each specific audience.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

  • 3 Words to Weaken Your Presentation

    I’m here with some good news for most presenters—along with some cautions you’ve probably never thought about.

    The Good News: “Ums” Won’t Kill You

    Speakers, don’t worry so much about using fillers like “um” and “uh. ” These only become problematic when other distracting factors are in play. Your audience will only notice your “ums” if:

    • You haven’t practiced, so you don’t know where you’re going next.
    • You don’t enunciate clearly.
    • You don’t exude enthusiasm about your subject.

    To some degree, a speaker’s occasional “um” gives the listeners’ brains an opportunity to catch up—we can speak faster than we can listen. Michael Erard, bestselling author of UM…Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean sums it all up by saying: “Want people not to notice your ‘um’s’? Be interesting.”

    The Caution: Three Words to Weaken Your Presentation

    Some words we use to strengthen our presentations paradoxically weaken them instead. Which example below sounds more powerful?

    I love you.

    I actually love you.

    I recall watching a woman presenter, extremely confident in most situations, speaking to a hostile and primarily male group. Not only was this group opposed to her message, it had the power to sway mass opinion throughout the organization.

    To my surprise, this usually dynamic speaker came off extremely unconfidently. Her voice, dress, and manner were the same as usual, but I noticed that she used the word “actually” in nearly every other sentence. Unconsciously, she was attempting to ingratiate herself to this powerful audience.

    Research by Erickson, Eind, Johnson and O’Barrr discovered that a few specific words deprive a speaker of power. Surprisingly, we often use these words to underline or “pump up” the importance of our message. By over-reinforcing our message, we seem to be “protesting too much.” Our credibility takes a hit.

    These words are:

    Really, (really) As in: “It’s really, really a good cause.”

    Truly, As in: “It’s truly the best software.”

    And, or course, actually.

    Watch your use of these words, particularly when faced with an audience that challenges you. Strip them out, and your speech will be more powerful, direct, and credible.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

  • 3 Tips to Deal With Audiences from Hell

    by Guila Muir
    info@guilamuir.com

    Resis­tant dynam­ics can be found in any audi­ence. Here are three essen­tial tech­niques to stay sane as a presenter.

    1. Check Your­self.
    Ask your­self: What am I feel­ing about this audi­ence? Why? What’s the worst that could hap­pen?

    Pre­pare your­self emo­tion­ally and phys­i­cally. Make sure you’ve had enough to eat, and drink plenty of water. If you find your­self going “on stage” expect­ing the worst, or not being pre­pared for  many ques­tions and chal­lenges, you set yourself up for failure.

    2. Don’t Let the Hostile Faces Hook You.
    Your goal is to present to the best of your abil­ity, to everyone in the room. Don’t get emotionally connected to the few unhappy audience members.

    Acknowl­edge and respect the dynam­ics in the room. Detach from them. Most likely, these have nothing to do with you.

    3. Present as if Every­one Were Uncom­mit­ted.
    I bor­row from Don Pfarrer’s book, Guerilla Per­sua­sion, for this incred­i­bly help­ful final tip. I’ve used it often, to great success.

    Assume that every audi­ence is comprised of four different groups. Each group is either friendly to your mes­sage, hostile, indif­fer­ent, or sim­ply uncom­mit­ted.

    Here’s the strategy: Focus on the uncom­mit­ted. In this way, you will successfully address everyone in the audience. By focusing on the uncommitted, you will con­struct and present your mes­sage more thoroughly and per­sua­sively.

    All 4 Audi­ence Seg­ments Ben­e­fit When You Focus on the Uncommitted.

    Audi­ence Segment What Do They Want From Listening to You?
    		 Dan­gers of Focus­ing Only on This Segment
    		 How This Seg­ment Ben­e­fits When You Focus on the Uncommitted
    “Friend­lies” Sat­is­fac­tion, affin­ity. Too easy — you may assume too much. Their knowl­edge and com­mit­ment is deepened.
    “Hos­tiles” To see you fail. Increases your own defen­sive­ness. You may come off abra­sively and unlikable. They expe­ri­ence human respect, open­ness and rea­son from you (and are likely to mir­ror the behavior).
    “Indif­fer­ents” To be left alone and unchanged. You may tie your­self up into knots try­ing get a response. They may get the mes­sage, while not being ham­mered by you.
    “Uncom­mit­teds” To expe­ri­ence a rea­soned, well-thought-out, good-natured expo­sure to the issues. NONE! They get the best of YOU: affin­ity and reason. You won’t cut cor­ners by assum­ing sup­port where it might not exist.

    The bot­tom line is: KNOW YOUR STUFF. Be ready for ques­tions and chal­lenges. By check­ing your­self, not getting “hooked” by hostility, and focus­ing on the Uncom­mit­ted, you take great strides towards more resiliency and professionalism as a presenter.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

    © Guila Muir.

  • Avoid Audience Overload: Less is More

    Pic­ture it: You’re a stu­dent in a class­room. The instruc­tor is throw­ing out fact after fact. At first, you lis­ten intently, try­ing to grasp every­thing that’s going on. After about 15 min­utes, your atten­tion drifts.  After try­ing to focus a few more times, you feel so over­whelmed (and pos­si­bly irri­tated and bored) that you just give up.

    Hey-how did you like being on the receiv­ing end?

    Trainers, have some sym­pa­thy. The instruc­tor was just try­ing to “cover the mate­r­ial.” (How many times have YOU used this line?)

    The fact is, more content does not produce more competencies. Information overload can produce confusion, anxiety, and indecision. It does NOT help students transfer learning into the real world.

    Training Rule: “Less is More”

    Identify the most important pieces of content. Spend training time to ensure that participants can process the information and apply it to real-world situations.

    Here is a short list of instruc­tional strate­gies you can use to bring your lesson’s con­tent alive:

    • Dis­cus­sions
    • Sur­veys
    • Con­tests
    • Case stud­ies
    • Drills
    • Reflec­tive writing
    • Mind maps
    • Jig­saws
    • Brain­storm­ing
    • Role-plays
    • Sim­u­la­tions

    The moral is: By trying to “cover all the material,” you do just that—cover up what’s really important.

  • Can You Hear Me Now? Three Tips to Rise Above the Crowd

    Can You Hear Me Now?!by Guila Muir
    info@guilamuir.com

    WOW, the pressure on public speakers is great. Speakers and audiences realize that PowerPoint won’t save anyone anymore. The focus now shines on YOU more than ever before. How can you be heard above the crowd?

    1.  Do your homework.

    What are your audience’s needs, wants, anxieties, biases, “personality?” What history do people bring into the room? What do you need to know to ensure that your message fits this audience?

    Presenters who don’t ask these questions are like basketball players trying to dunk in the dark. All they can do is hope for the best.

    2.  Raise your fitness level.

    Quality presentations demand energy. You owe it to your audience to exude vitality. To increase your energy and vitality, you must build your physical endurance outside of speaking situations.

    It really doesn’t matter how what size you are. It does matter that you increase cardiovascular fitness in your everyday life. Do whatever turns you on, from walking the dog faster to taking up some scary and exciting new sport.

    3.  Start with the end in mind.

    Always ask yourself: “What do I want to this presentation to achieve?” Don’t move ahead to organize your presentation until the answer satisfies you.

    Yes, audiences expect more from speakers these days. But you can rise to the challenge–and rise above the crowd–simply by integrating these tips into your life as a speaker.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

    © 2009 Guila Muir. All rights reserved.
    You may make copies of this article and distribute in any media so long as you change nothing, credit the author, and include this copyright notice and web address.

  • The “Intensified You:” Key to Giving a Great Presentation

    by Guila Muir

    “An ounce of energy is worth a pound of technique”. (Anonymous)

    When people describe the best speaker they’ve ever seen, the word “energy” always comes up. What are the secrets of exuding energy, vitality, the life force, as a speaker?

    Be Big

    Regardless of what size you are, take up more room. Become the “Intensified You.” Practice in front of a mirror:

    • Stand up straight.
    • Use your arms and hands to create space around your body.
    • Pump up the volume in your voice. Try saying, “Hello! My name is…” in a healthy and robust voice.
    • Pour yourself in. Be 100% present.

    Practice “being big” before you get in front of a group!

    Come Alive in the Magic Circle

    Once you stand up and speak, you step into the Magic Circle. This is your space to shine. This little patch of earth is your Real Estate—so own it. Show what you’ve practiced-be big, take up room, and pour the energy on.

    When you step out of the Magic Circle, you can relax. You no longer have to take up space…you can go home and “be little” as you watch TV. But you owe it to your audience to shine when you’re in the Magic Circle.

    Energy is Key

    Your ability to exude energy plays a huge role in your success as a speaker. Just try “pumping it up” a little in your next presentation, and you’ll experience a true difference.

    Read more articles about Presentation Skills. Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

    © 2009 Guila Muir. All rights reserved.

  • How to Blow Your Credibility from the “Get-Go”

    When you are speaking in front of a group, do you really want to blow your relationship with the audience immediately? These two common presentation behaviors will help to ensure that you do!

    Myth #1: You should start a presentation by thanking your audience or your hosts

    Picture it: You’ve prepared carefully and are about to present. The first words to your audience as you take the stage? “Thank you. I’m glad to be here,” or something similar.

    These words serve many purposes. Quite possibly, you are not really thanking anyone. Instead, you are using the words to ease your way into your position as presenter. You say the words mechanically, not really hearing them yourself, as you peer at the crowd (or not) and shuffle your papers.

    Your attempt is to make yourself comfortable by uttering “Thank you.” Meanwhile, your audience has experienced this robotic opening so many times that:

    1. They don’t really hear it.
    2. “Thank you” means nothing.
    3. They start to tune you out-and you haven’t even started!

    You’ve already wasted an opportunity to connect with your audience, just so that YOU could take a stab at feeling more comfortable as you begin to speak. Was it worth it?

    What to Remember
    Your presentation actually begins two minutes before you take the stage. You should have slipped into your “presenter persona” before you are even introduced. This persona is the authentic YOU—but a little more so. You are alive with energy–pumped up, feeling powerful, and ready to go.

    Within just ten seconds after your taking the stage, you should have engaged your audience’s attention and interest. Simply saying “Thank you, etc., etc., ” won’t accomplish that.

    What to Do
    Take the stage. Stand for 1-2 seconds in silence. Stay connected with your body. Be totally present. Feel your feet, quads, spine, and chest. Fill your body with breath and strength. Breathe, smile, and connect with your audience. Look at audience members and “make friends” with them nonverbally.

    THEN open your mouth to speak. Engage your audience with an anecdote, question, or mental exercise. Be sure that this opening leads fluidly into the body of your presentation.

    To ensure that those first precious moments enhance your presentation and credibility, practice the first few minutes of your presentation at least 4-6 times prior to “showtime.” Your practice should take place in front of a mirror. Begin with pretending that you hear yourself being introduced (or get your spouse or friend to introduce you.)

    Make the motions of getting out of a chair and walking to the front of the room. Then take the stage, and follow the instructions above.

    Why?
    By centering yourself before speaking, you don’t need to fall back on clichés. And when you actually do thank your audience and/or hosts at the end of your presentation, your words will be much more heartfelt, authentic, and heard.

    Myth #2: You should move about as you present

    “You’ve got to be kidding!” I can hear some readers saying. “Some of the best presenters I had in college walked as they talked.” Others will say, “Look, I move around when I give a presentation. It keeps the audience awake!”

    What to Remember
    There is conscious, or deliberate, movement—and then there is its opposite. Many speakers (especially males) demonstrate a kind of unfocused, rambling, back-and-forth movement with their feet. This distracts enormously from their message.

    Focused movement has to do with centering yourself as a speaker. When your mind is jumbled and jumping from thought to thought, you are more likely to move about in a jumbled, unfocused way. When you are truly invested in what you are saying, AND connected via eye contact to your audience, your focus is clearer. You are less apt to aimlessly wander.

    Remember, it’s good to gesture with your arms and hands to enhance the meaning of your words. It is not good to wander the stage as you think out loud.

    What to Do
    Become aware of WHY you are moving. Do you want to address another part of the audience? It’s totally acceptable to move from one side of the stage to another, but then you must STOP to make your point. Gesture dramatically with the top half of your body. Use your hands, arms, and torso. But keep your feet still as you make your important points.

    The best suggestion is simply this: Be interested and invested in what you are saying, and say it directly to the audience as if they were a friend. Chances are, you won’t “wiggle around” so much with this mindset.

    Why?
    Aristotle paced the Lyceum when he was teaching, and Kierkegaard was a proponent of walking while he thought aloud. But today’s world, it’s all about connection with the audience. This means that you face your audience directly and securely, no “bobbling” allowed.

    In Conclusion

    The underlying message of both these Myth-Busters is this: Presenters, be Present! Be 100% “there” for your audience, both physically and mentally.

    Remember that your presentation begins minutes before you take the stage. Get centered and focused before you start talking…and beware of your “wandering ways.”

    Boost your Training Skills with a workshop from Guila. We can also help you improve your  Facilitation and Presentation Skills.

    © Guila Muir.

  • So You Want to Do a Seminar!

    Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner? Have you been asked to present at a professional conference? Giving a great seminar can increase your business, your status, and your memorability. Yet most professionals don’t feel 100% comfortable with their ability to develop and deliver an effective seminar.

    Here are 3 tips to ensure your “Seminar Success.”

    1. Choose three points you MUST get across.
    Before developing visuals of any kind, or even an outline of your talk, determine its three most essential points. These points must mean something to your audience, not just be sales incentives. Design your presentation around these points. Stick to them.

    2. Don’t waste time with fluff.
    Grab your audience from the get-go. Don’t bother to tell them how nice it is to be there, or mention the weather. The first three minutes are essential to your success. Make these minutes count by making them meaningful to the audience.

    3. Conclude with a call to action.
    It’s not enough to leave people excited. Challenge them with a concrete action. Also offer a “real” resource (a free consultation, an article, something that will help them–no strings attached.)

    Seminars are a prime marketing tool. Follow the tips above and make the most of this opportunity!

    Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

    © Guila Muir.