tbr presentation session 5.28.14 v3

For internal TBR use only. E Lefebvre1

The Art of Selling

Session 5

Presentation


Getting started…• Intro’s – please share something about yourself the group doesn’t

know. Something not on Linkedin.• Share your formal sales education background & any key take-a-ways

from that sales training that has stayed w/you and is now a part of your SDNA.

• Your are encouraged to aggressively participate & contribute. • Passive involvement during this session is unacceptable.• Trainer will control all conversations…. Ask me how?• Since we can learn from each others experiences …please allow a

speaker to finish their comment. • I need a session scribe/note taker .... volunteer? FYI $$ position• End of session – paper ballot for the individual who you feel

contributed the most helpful info. FYI - $$$ Scribe..shall we keep score?

• There are no bad questions, ask away as this is not long lecture…more of a conversation.


Getting StartedAt the knowledge transfer day, we will have five presentations lasting about 1:15 minutes per.

Each presentation will consist of a trainer lead preso re: the ‘Art of Selling’ theory.

Completing this exchange of information will be a panel, made up of all of you.

For 5 to 10 min each you will share what you learned, why it caught you attentions, and why it’s different than what you do today.

May I suggest that during our conversations today, that you take notes so that your presentation in front off the entire TBR sales team is made simpler and more impactful.

Also of note, when we split and teams for the role play, each team will be made-up of a least one topic matter expert.

So… be alert as we intend to have you practicing what you will learn.


Housekeeping

No cell phones or computer use. Turn them off please.

We will take short breaks … pay attention to time allotted… door will close and to re-enter … a fine is levied @ a $1.00 per minute.

If you are late a second time…the door is locked…thanks for attending the shortened session. We will miss your contributions.


Goals - Knowledge Share Re: Presentations

Goals for this session:

Train on theory -if new or refresh, and practice selling skills –

Focus is on –Presentations

Develop a TBR common sales language – base on theory, shaped by TBR messaging, and customized by session attendees.

Prepare material and a PowerPoint to preso to use at the knowledge share session. Any volunteer as team leader?


Session Topics Definition

Benchmark – What’s the current thinking about existing TBR formal presentations?How are they used? How do you overcome fear of public speaking?What is your process for constructing a presentation?

Facts and some humor

Developing a presentation outline

Tips on how to improve Presentation Skills

Sales theory on Constructing a Presentation

Presentations Focus on

WIIFTC Less Is more

Don’t be boring

Style that fits

ROI

Close strong


PreparationIs it different for existing customers or new prospecting? penetration vs. retention/build trust

Interest Creating RemarkFirst impression time – you never get a chance to make a second first impression

Important to intro yourself and company?

Third party value statements

Thanks for taking my call…I need just a few moments,,, please help help me to understand what my research has uncovered about the impact your competition is having on field sales teams and forecasting results.

Fact-finding (ONIB)

All about a conversation while gathering/confirming important need(s) &/or pain points

You have two ears…actively listen twice as much as you speak.

You can emphasize an important finding by confirming …. Three levels of why

Three M’s

The Art of Selling - Basics


The Art of Selling Basics continued

PresentationDeliver client-centered solutions

Demonstrate – Transfer – Objectives – prove benefits & eliminate fears

Stress client gain – what’s in it for the client

Transfer ownership – let the client drive

Summarize and connect as you demonstrate value

Five values– ROI, Time, Risk, Motivation, Brand

Handling/overcoming objectionsRe-confirm the objection and ask if other concerns exist….

Restate clients objection and support this by value statements

Focus on previously agreed upon benefits

Closing


The Problem with SalesCompanies are investing more than ever in sales training, but performance isn't improving. Just 9% of sales meetings end in a sale, and only one out of 250 salespeople exceed their targets. What's wrong?


Definitions of - Presentation

How to define a business presentation?

In the broadest sense, it’s every encounter you have with every person you ever meet.

A presentation doesn’t necessarily mean standing in front of a crowd with a PP & a projector. It could be when you sit squirming in a chair trying to be eloquent and asked: why should I buy from you /TBR?

Whenever you are asked to appear in front of one or more people for the purpose of explaining, educating, convincing, or otherwise conveying information to them, you have a presentation.Research –

What buyers think about.Why change?

Why change now?Why change w/you?


What is glossophobia?

“Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance” Stephen Keague, The Little Red Handbook of Public Speaking and Presenting

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548612.Stephen_Keague

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548612.Stephen_Keague

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/21858642

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/21858642


Presentation Outline Tips

Successful Business Presentation Skills

Theory says that there are three cornerstone skills for developing and making effective business presentations.

The key to successful business presentations is preparation. The first step in preparation is to understand your audience and what will be of interest and this will help you form the basic presentation outline. This gives you a solid foundation upon which you can build. Skill one: Know you audience!



KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPIC

Knowledge of the presentation topic is also critical; if you don't know the topic well, you face two realities: an increase in spent in preparation: and a like increase in the amount of stress you experience.

A client presentation on his/her discovered needs is made simpler, if you have done two things well: your collection of information at fact-finding uncovering,, and yout TBR value proposition and deliverables vision matches the clients pain.

Using a TBR capabilities preso, will require you to have insights into the audience… so that you can align what TBR offers and deliver only WIIFTC information.

Skill two: Knowledge of the topic!



A straight-forward business presentation of dry, factual information can make your audience's eyes and ears glaze over. In addition to the facts, your knowledge, and your research for your business presentation, you need to spice up the material.

Skill three: spice up the material



The Importance of Think Time Before a Business Presentation:

The most important preparation for your business presentation is often not the obvious. It's the thought time and research time you spend for weeks in advance of the meeting once you understand your audience's needs.

When you finally prepare your presentation, you are:

- clear on the concepts you want to present,

- the needs of the audience, and

- the value you can add to the occasion.

The think time allows you to zero in on the audience and its needs.



Limit the Content and the Goals of Your Business Presentation: No matter how much time you have allotted for your business presentation, you don't have time to tell the audience everything you know. For speakers with years of experience, the temptation to overwhelm the audience with everything you know must be avoided. You'll bore them, annoy them, and fail to earn fans.

The good news is that all of your "think time" and knowledge of your audience allows you to zero in on the most important concepts in the topic for your business presentation. In a 30-90 minute presentation, you have time to make 4-6 key points. You really don't have time for much more if you are illustrating your points and providing examples.



Begin Your Business Presentation in an Attention Gaining Manner: Start your business presentation with a startling fact, a question, a revelation, or a pertinent story. Once you have gained the audience's attention, tell them what you will talk about during your business presentation. Make your core or thesis point, then build your business presentation around the 4-6 key points referenced. Finish by summarizing what you told them.

You basically tell them what you will tell them, tell them, and then, tell them what you told them, to achieve maximum impact.



Limit the Use of Visuals and Power Point in Your Business Presentation: Unless you need to illustrate key points, the use of visuals and power point presentations that provide bullet points of your spoken words is boring and redundant. A prop or slide is helpful only when it is needed to illustrate a key point.

Your attendees would much rather that you prepared detailed handouts that they can take back to work. Another plus? If the audience members are not taking notes and not reading a screen, they are much more likely to listen to you. And, you are the value add - right?

http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryv/g/value_add.htm



Conquer Your Fear of Business Presentations With a Mind Adjustment: In my early days of doing business presentations, I got so many butterflies in my stomach that I chugged pepto-bismal before every presentation. But, once upon a time, I was able to make a mind adjustment. I realized that speaking was not about me; it was about my audience. And, I truly had value to offer them. Once my speaking became not about me, I came to truly love speaking. This is my primary recommendation for people who are fearful about giving business presentations: it's not about you.



Focus on the Value You Bring Your Audience in Your Business Presentation: Love your audience and know and believe that you are bringing them information they need and will value. Respect them by being yourself. It's not about you; it's about them. Speak from your heart and your most deeply held beliefs.

If you speak or make business presentations, you'll eventually have your own two minutes as a rock star. Cool. Then, you'll go back to writing, Human Resources, management, or whatever it is that you do at work.

But, you'll be better for the interaction, the feedback, the experience, and the fact that you added some value to multiple lives. Can life get any better than that?


Presentation Basics

Compressed to its essence, a presentation consists of four basic elements:

You

Your audience

Your message

Your tools.

In this session, we’ll look at each one, starting off with planning for your visuals and support materials..


Presentation BasicsVisual Presentations – General Guidelines (Your Tools)

Meetings which might normally be considered dull/boring, are transformed into exciting productions that grab the audience attention.

This type of presentation maximizes audience retention of the subject matter.

The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” has existed since the New York Post discovered the value of visuals in the news business. This remains true.


Presentation Basics

Visual Presentations – General Guidelines (Your Tools)

Simple, clear, concise visual images, and sprinkled with attention-grabbing graphics will support your spoken words. This leaves your audience with a positive attitude toward you and your service /proposal.

Visuals are used in support of the spoken or written word, and not in lieu of it. A well-developed concept and effective script are the essential elements of any presentation.

When the concept begins to take final form, the visuals are developed around it.


Presentation BasicsVisual Presentations – General Guidelines (Your Tools)

The central purpose of any presentation, written, oral or visual, is communication.

To communicate effectively, you must state your facts in a simple, concise and interesting manner.

Research supports that the people learn and retain more information when learning is reinforced by visualization.

You can entertain, inform, excite and even shock an audience by the proper integration of visual images into virtually any exchange of information.


Presentation Basics

Visual Presentations – General Guidelines (Your Tools)

Hastily designed and produced visuals can doom a presentation & presenter.

You can communicate concepts that are difficult to grasp through the intelligent use of visuals.

Finally, your presentation should be both educational, informative, and entertaining. Just be sure it’s not boring.


Presentation BasicsThe Key Steps - 1. KNOW YOUR SUBJECT MATTER

Research every nuance of your subject and know it.

Read reports and look up information about the subject with the specific purpose of writing a presentation script. When examined in this light, new ideas and alternative ways of thinking often develop.

The ability to present a subject with confidence directly affects your audience’s impression and will help keep their attention.

This is especially important when giving a proposal since you are in effect selling” your ideas to the audience.


Presentation BasicsThe Key Steps - 2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

A small amount of research into the makeup of your audience will reap large benefits.

You might want to have have a couple of versions.

Before you ‘re-purpose’ your TBR message, think about what if anything would interest the client.

If a small amount of research will help you, imagine what a moderate amount will do!


Presentation Basics

The Key Steps 3. KNOW YOURSELF (and your limits)

We all must push our limits and willingly bite off more than we may be comfortable with… this is how we learn and grow. Just know your limits and you might avert a disaster.

Know your ‘limits’ for just where you may or may not tread, depending on the makeup of your audience and your relationship with them.

Be careful with jokes, quotes, etc.. Remember, you are not birds of a feather w/the likes of George Carlin, Tom Peters, Billy Graham, or Al Sharpton…etc.


Presentation Basics

The Key Steps – 4. DEVELOP A THEME

All presentations, regardless of their complexity, are designed with a single purpose.

Whether that purpose is to sell, educate, or for pure entertainment, state that purpose to yourself at the beginning of the development process.

Keep this purpose in mind … always.


Presentation Basics

The Key Steps –5. PREPARE YOUR SCRIPT

The script does not necessarily have to be a work of literary excellence some simple notes on 3 x 5 file cards might be sufficient. Solicit help. Just don’t skip this step

The exact form of the script depends on the formality of the presentation, the size and demographics of the audience and of course, the presenter.

Any presentation script, regardless of complexity, shares the four basic parts; opening, body, summary and closing.


Presentation Basics


Four basic parts of other business correspondence, opening, body, summary and closing.

OPENINGThe opening of the presentation sets the stage for what is to follow. Participants are introduced. The purpose of the presentation is stated. Include a VERY BRIEF summary or outline of the points to be covered. This helps keep your audience oriented properly within the framework of your script


Presentation BasicsThe Key Steps –5. PREPARE YOUR SCRIPT


BODYThe part of the script in which the bulk of the subject matter is presented. The body of a long presentation should be separated into smaller, easily assimilated modules. Each module or sub-section should make a single point or convey one idea. These sub-sections should each have their own simple opening, body and summary.


Presentation Basics

The Key Steps –5. PREPARE YOUR SCRIPTFour basic parts of other business correspondence, opening, body, summary and closing.

SUMMARYThis portion should be very brief and simple. Reinforce the central theme and purpose of your presentation. Briefly emphasize the key points and main ideas of your script in this section. There is an old axiom that says … “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.”

Encourage questions from the audience if time or format permits, but be prepared to answer them. Don’ fake answers. Make a note and follow up. When you do, this makes an excellent door opener for follow up calls.


Presentation Basics



CLOSINGIn a well structured closing, points raised during the question and answer session (if any) are summarized.

If you have handout material emphasizing key points and ideas enables your audience to review the subject, and assures that your words will remain fresh in their minds…give it to the attendees.

Handout material should not be distributed before a presentation unless it is critical to the theme since it invariably leads to audience distraction.


Presentation Basics6. SELECT THE PROPER VISUAL AIDS

With the script developed and the audience research completed, a five minute presentation to a three person audience is probably best made with handout material.

While most customers you visit have some form of presentation equipment, have a back plan … portable projectors. That said, always check w/your client prior to a presentation.

Tablet Computers are popular presentation tools for small groups, informal meetings and remote learning. Something to watch for…attendees tend to develop tunnel vision. Your vocal inflections and body language, may end up outside of their sensory sphere.


Presentation Basics

7. PREPARE A STORY BOARD

This step is often taken by firms when they work with a design team and have a formal corporate slide presentations.

If you plan to integrate your needs assessment, fact-finding information and your solution into a professionally developed TBR PowerPoint … consider what to include. If it doesn’t integrate smoothly, may look like an afterthought.


Presentation Basics8. PRODUCE THE VISUALS

With careful, timely planning, the only task remaining is mechanical process of production. The complete and accurate planning that you have done to this point assures a smooth production cycle without the need for unnecessary last minute changes.

Today’s presentation software allow last minute changes and additions that could not be accomplished using any other method of production. While last minute changes are possible, avoiding them can still help cut the cost of your presentation by eliminating revision and rush fees.


Presentation Basics

9. REHEARSE–REHEARSE–REHEARSE

Your final script and outline will permit you to rehearse your presentation even before the visuals are completed. This assures that when your final images are prepared and ready, you will be as well.

If you’d like to really test your mettle, drag out the camcorder and tape your rehearsal.

How many of you you have ever done this?


Presentation Basics

10. PRESENTATION DAY

On the day of the presentation, arrive and set up early. You have visuals, are well rehearsed, the room is set up and the participants are ready to sold.

Speak clearly and with authority. A little humor if tastefully added can help break the tension of the moment. There should be no surprises.

Make certain that the audience questions have been addressed, and of course, thank everyone for attending.


Presentation Basics

11. FOLLOW UP

Circle back with the attendants and participants to assure that your presentation goals were met.

Ever think about a questionnaire distributed at the end of your presentation? Can be a source of critical information for follow up calls or future presentations.

Encourage the attendants to call or write with any questions that they did not get answered during the presentation.


5 Steps To Become A Better Presenter

Understand your audience:

For every presentation, your topic and discussion points must be relevant for the audience.

Ask yourself:

Who is my audience?

Why are they here?

What do they already know about my topic?

What are the attendees’ goals and objectives?

How many people will be there?



Know your objectives and your material:

Is the objective of your presentation to educate or persuade your audience?

Make sure you can answer these questions:

o What do I want my audience to know at the end of my presentation?

o What key points do I need to communicate?

o What actions do I want the audience to take when they leave?



Tell your “story” with flair:

One of your presentation goals should be to inspire enthusiasm for your topic. To do this, be creative and think about ways you can involve the audience, such as through stories, humor, examples/statistics, and eye-catching visual aids. Many great presenters today have stopped using text heavy PowerPoint presentations and have adopted a style that includes lots of images for visual appeal.



Test the logistics:

Go see the room where you’ll present. Ensure everything works: Microphones, computer, projector(s), screen, etc.

o Is the seating adequate and appropriately set up? Will those sitting in the back be able to see you when you present?

o If needed, are flip charts or white boards and pens ready?

o If handing out documents, are they ready?

Preparing for the worst is the best way to ensure your presentation will run smoothly.



Practice, practice, practice:

Wowing the audience (and management) is a great way to get yourself noticed as you climb the proverbial career ladder. Take time to ensure you’ll do a great job by practicing.

The more time you spend preparing for presentations the better the results will be. Practice and preparation may not make your presentations perfect, but it will definitely get you noticed – in a good way!


Combine a persuasive, logical narrative with engaging delivery to create an effective business presentation

Identify and focus your message

Support it with tight, succinct writing and appropriate graphics

Involve the audience and motivate them to take action


WIIFTA - Audience

How much they already know about this subject or issue

What else they need or want to know about it

Why they should care

How receptive or resistant they will be to your message

What are their objections, concerns, and interests

What you want them to do when they leave the presentation


Solid ideas make good messages-

ask yourself confirmations questionsWhy am I talking about this—what is the

problem or issue to be addressed?

What am I adding to the discussion—is it new or illuminating or provocative?

What does it mean in the end—what value will people walk away with?

So what—does your message create a sense of urgency, importance, involvement, excitement?


Constructing the Actual Presentation

Start as an outline…. As this format transfer into points vey well.

The short school believes headers, subheads, and bullets should be brief, bordering on cryptic, and relies on the presenter to fill in the details. This works very well as long as a capable presenter always accompanies the presentation. But very often business presentations have a life that goes beyond the actual presentation. (I encourage my clients to plan and prepare for this extended life.) They may be used as a leave-behind or may make their ways into the hands of customers, prospects, reporters, government regulators, or anyone else. A presentation consisting of cryptic headers and bullets will not communicate effectively without the presenter.


Constructing the Actual Presentation

The long school insists that headers, subheads, and bullets be long enough to convey a complete thought. That means a full sentence, sometimes longer. In this way each screen can deliver a complete message even without the presenter. Someone can, in effect, view the presentation as a document that stands on its own and come away with the core message. The role of the presenter is to elaborate on the core message and entertain and engage the initial audience.


Model Presentation Outline

Part I: Introduction

What this presentation is about

Why it's important

Presentation agenda

What you are going to tell them

What they will get out of it

Your credentials for talking about this

[engage the audience, pose a provocative question]



Part II: Background

Review the issue

Why we are talking about this now

Introduce references, citations for validation, substantiation

Reference appropriate research

[invite audience discussion]

Part III: the Main Point

Introduce your main point in a series of screens and bullets

Add supporting material to back up your point

[add anecdotes, examples, demonstrations]

Invite questions



Parts IV, V, and Beyond

Introduce subsequent points in order of importance

Relate the discussion to your main point and primary message

Add appropriate supporting material for each point

Invite questions following each point

Conclusion

Summarize your main message and key points

[pose a provocative question, invite discussion]

Take any remaining questions

Direct audience members on their next move

Thank the audience

Obviously, the specific topic, material


1. Start with a Solid Foundation

There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Thousands of professionally designed presentation templates are waiting for you on the web. The trick to picking the right one is to dive a little deeper. Presentation programs like Keynote and PowerPoint offer stock templates straight out of the box. Do not use these.

Don’t overload the foundation. It is tempting to slap your logo, name and contact information on every single slide. Resist. Good design will provide that common thread and you have surely shared your card and contact information in plenty of other places including on the first and last slides


2. Start with a pain point

The product you are promoting was designed to solve a problem. Start there. Make it personal. You should know enough about the people you are pitching to tell the story of the problem they are facing and the pain point your product is going to solve. Tell it at the beginning of your presentation. A short paragraph or even a few lines is sufficient.

This approach captures your prospect’s attention and demonstrates your expertise. It shows that you are aware of their current situation and causes them to sit up and take notice.


3. Skip the corporate spiel

You sound insecure when you continue to hit the same hammer over the head. To set the mood, many sales people spend far too much time talking about their company. They have been coached into believing this approach builds brand trust. It doesn’t. Highlight your expertise in the very narrow subject matter that is relevant to this pitch and flash a single “jewel” slide that boast familiar brand logos of companies that have invested in your product.

Your prospects want to know how you can help them solve their particular problem. Tell the parallel story of how you’ve done something similar to for someone else they like, know and trust and move on.


4. Be solution-oriented

No one wants to feel like a failure. While you need to start with a pain point to remind everyone why you are there, you don’t need to harp on it.

Highlight your prospect’s successes and tell them why your product will help them experience more of the good stuff. Be specific as you describe the wins they’ll achieve and make it personal. Name-dropping the people in the room in middle of a story about success gives them a confidence boost in themselves and by extension, you.


5. Everyone is counting on the ROI

A business investment that doesn’t generate sales above and beyond its cost to procure just doesn’t pencil out. Go into your presentation crystal clear on how your potential client will see a return on their investment in the short and long term. ROI is about more than the dollar. Be prepared to talk about how the company will increase sales, reduce costs, make more money, gain more market share, or improve productivity.

You need to spell out exactly how these results will be achieved. And, you need to be able to do it quickly and clearly.


6. Rehearse

This is obvious and shouldn’t be overlooked. Unfortunately it often is. No matter how well you know your prospect and your product you simply cannot expect to wing-it. The business climate is far too competitive for that type of approach.

Bonus tip: Leave a little time for Q&A. Even a thorough presentation will call to mind questions. Make sure you finish with sufficient time for additional discussion.


Summary


Closing



The Best and the RestRyals and Davies identified seven behaviors, of which only four were actually related to sales success. By mapping how salespeople relied on each behavior, they discovered eight types of salespeople. But only three were consistently effective, and they only made up 37% of the sample. The remaining five types of sales people — the other 63% — fell short.


The Effective MinorityHere's a visualization of the skill-sets of the three effective types of salespeople — Experts, Closers, and Consultants. The closer each corner of the polygon is to the edge of the circle, the more effective the salesperson is at the corresponding behavior. Experts (9% of salespeople) are good at all seven skills; Consultants (15%) listen well and are good problem solvers; and Closers (13%) can pull off big product sales, but their smooth-talking style doesn't work as well for selling services.


The Effective MinorityHere's a visualization of the skill-sets of the three effective types of salespeople — Experts, Closers, and Consultants. The closer each corner of the polygon is to the edge of the circle, the more effective the salesperson is at the corresponding behavior. Experts (9% of salespeople) are good at all seven skills; Consultants (15%) listen well and are good problem solvers; and Closers (13%) can pull off big product sales, but their smooth-talking style doesn't work as well for selling services.

Ineffective Salesperson #1: The SocializerDespite the reputation most salespeople have of being socially gifted, it turns out that Socializers are the worst-performing when it comes to making the sale. Notice how small their polygon is compared to the dotted line, which shows the average skill set of all salespeople. Socializers tend to chit-chat at the expense of actually making the sales pitch.

Ineffective Salesperson #2: The StorytellerStorytellers also talk a lot, but at least their gab focuses on how other clients used the product or solved the problem. Ryals and Davies found that some storytelling could improve sales performance, but that too little or too much is counterproductive and turns customers off. The danger for storytellers is that pay too much attention to these past customers, and not enough on those sitting in front of them.


Ineffective Salesperson #2: The StorytellerStorytellers also talk a lot, but at least their gab focuses on how other clients used the product or solved the problem. Ryals and Davies found that some storytelling could improve sales performance, but that too little or too much is counterproductive and turns customers off. The danger for storytellers is that pay too much attention to these past customers, and not enough on those sitting in front of them.

Ineffective Salesperson #1: The SocializerDespite the reputation most salespeople have of being socially gifted, it turns out that Socializers are the worst-performing when it comes to making the sale. Notice how small their polygon is compared to the dotted line, which shows the average skill set of all salespeople. Socializers tend to chit-chat at the expense of actually making the sales pitch.


Ineffective Salesperson #3: The NarratorNarrators hew too closely to their prepared marketing materials and their rehearsed sales pitch. If the client throws a curveball, they stick to their script and their marketing collateral instead of responding artfully.Ineffective Salesperson #4: The FocuserFocusers, like Narrators, desperately cleave to their pre-meeting prep and to conveying all of the technical aspects of their offering. They often insist on detailing every product feature, and may not hear customers' needs.Ineffective Salesperson #5: The AggressorAggressors can be effective in the right setting. They approach every sales meeting as a pure negotiation on price. While some customers dislike this combative approach, and while aggressors aren't very successful overall, every now and then they can score big wins. And they rarely concede too much.


Toastmaster Tips on Public Speaking10 Tips for Public Speaking

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations: 1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.

tbr presentation session 5.28.14 v3

Education