Do you want to be a motivational or inspiration speaker or trainer? Then there is one thing you must avoid – Death by Power Point.
You know the symptoms; you are sitting in a slightly darkened room and the speaker drones on in a montone whilst showing you slide after slide, dot point after dot point, spreadsheets you can’t read and before you know it your eyelids feel heavy and your consciousness floats away.
Power Point is a powerful tool that is often misused and yet with a little preparation can bring your presentation to life and free you to inform and inspire your audience.
I trust you enjoyed the short YouTube video above. For more information about presentation skill training and coaching, visit www.selfleadership.com.sg
In this episode of my video series on presentation skills, we explore how your body language impacts your message.
There are four presentation styles that every speaker should and can easily master. Watch the video and read the descriptions below.
Director Style
This is the presentation body language that commands attention while maintaining dignity and rapport. It offers no immediate opportunity for resistance.You will use it to give clear mobilizing directions.
Instructions: Stand straight, square the shoulders, and maintain eye contact. During instruction, stay as still as possible. After the instruction, freeze for a couple of breaths while slowly scanning room. Use a strong voice. Use visual words and physiology.
Discovery Style
This is the presentation body language used when ‘on stage’ or teaching.You can use it to elicit curiosity, wonder, excitement and discovery. To explore what is possible to know or learn; to build closeness and partnership with the audience.
Intsructions: Stand light on feet, move laterally across stage, Use lots of gestures congruent with content, voices and expressions, and maintain an air of playfulness. Use “Let’s”, “Us”, “We” and phrases such as “Here’s an idea. What do you think or feel about it?” “This is true for me, how about for you?” Move in and out of the audience.
Leadership Style
This is the presentation body language style that inspires and calls people to action. You can use it to unify a group, and get them to move toward commitment and action.
Instructions: Stand straight, breathe fully, and maintain eye contact. Keep one foot in front of the other; slightly turn body to one side of the audience at a time. If in center of audience, slowly rotate and speak to different sections.
Authenticity
This is the presentation body language used for establishing openness and authenticity. You can use it to own up to a mistake or deliver bad news.
Instructions: Use a calm voice. Sit down, open your palms upwards be emotionally vulnerable.
Practice these styles in front of a mirror and incorporate them in your next presentation or contact us for presentation skills coaching
I have posted previously about public and professional speaking and this week I was training a group of young professionals in the art of presentation skills.
During the 2-days training, using video feedback, the participants were transformed from nervous to confident and from unstructured to persuasive presenters. Continue Reading »
Do you spend your week in countless and some pointless meetings?
Would you like your organisation to adopt some guiding principles for meetings?
As I was conducting a leadership retreat last week, one of the participants complained of “meeting madness” and requested that the team adopt a code of conduct for meetings. I think this is a great idea and so I have jotted down some principles that you might adopt for your team or company.
Define the ‘type’ of meeting – is it to brainstorm ideas, evaluate options, make a decision or plan execution?
Specify a start and end time – meetings do not have to go for an hour, you can start a trend by having 15,20 or 30 minute meetings.
Invite only the people who need to be there – nothing is more of a time waster than sitting in a meeting that doesn’t concern you.
Send pre-reading by email – make sure people come prepared and on time and that way meetings are more efficient.
Start all meeting on time - if you wait, you send the message that it’s not important to be on time.
No using phones or laptops – the exception is the laptop for a presentation which should be limited to 10 slides max.
Identify a Chairperson – if the team doesn’t play nice or keep to time it is important that one person has the authority to call the meeting to order.
Send action points by e-mail after the meeting – to make sure what is agreed to gets done.
Avoid Friday – consider making Friday a no meeting day and see if people have time to finish off the weeks work and get some work-life balance.
The thought provoking title “You can’t teach leadership at a seminar” highlights the need for a strategic approach to leadership development. Andrew is guaranteed to give a highly engaging, interactive an memorable presentation – so don’t miss it.
Fear is a part of our every day lives and to achieve Self Leadership we must understand and work with our fears so that they do not prevent us achieving our objectives.
Or as the bard, William Shakespeare, put it, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we might win, by fearing to attempt”. Continue Reading »
Do you want to be a motivational or inspiration speaker or trainer? Then there is one thing you must avoid – Death by Power Point.
Do you spend your week in countless and some pointless meetings?
