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 You've been assigned a presentation and, as usual, you're too
busy to do it. The easiest thing is to sit down at the computer and open
PowerPoint. The easiest. But not the most productive. If you want to save yourself some time and anxiety, resist the
urge and commit to a few minutes of focusing. Hard as that may
sound in the midst of your busy schedule, you'll be glad you did
and so will your audience. Instead of thinking about what you're going to say, how many
slides you're going to use, where you're going to get the data
you need, and how you're going to keep your job, take a few
minutes to do this: First, identify your audience. Who will you be talking to and
what are their interests, needs, attitudes, and knowledge level? Now, figure out your subject. What are you going to be talking
about? Not what are you going to say, but what is your subject? And third, decide what you want them to do as a result of your
talking to them? (Or what does your boss want as a result?)
Why are you talking to them? That's it. Before you ever do anything about organizing your
ideas, know who you're talking to; what you're talking about;
and why you're talking to them. Just those three things will help you organize more efficiently,
effectively, and in less time. Your talk will be easier to deliver
because you've got a grasp on the big picture, you'll be clearer
on what actually needs (and doesn't need) to be included, and
you have a much sounder basis for choosing slides. Remember Alice in Wonderland? "If you don't know where
you're going, any road will get you there." Katherine Wong, Executive Assistant, Edison International: "Thank you for being our guest speaker today. As usual, your
advice is invaluable. It always opens up new doors or sheds new
lights on the inquiring mind. "As I mentioned, I expanded my public speaking and ventured
into the media world. I became the occasional in-language
(Chinese) spokesperson for our company reaching out to
Chinese customers through radio or TV interviews. Without
attending your 3-day workshop, I would have never thought that
I can be a speaker, let alone a spokesperson. Although still a
novice, I welcome and enjoy the opportunities to speak and, I
think I do better every time." Question: At the end of the presentation, do you suggest asking
for feedback on content, delivery, style? Answer: That depends. If you don't "make the sale," whether
it's the sale of an idea, a product or a service, definitely tell
them you'd appreciate knowing if there's something you could
have done differently that would have helped your cause. In other situations, asking for feedback could be
counterproductive: you could cause them to stop thinking about
your message and start focusing on you. This is a case by case basis. Be open to the idea of asking, be
willing to consider making changes, and then make your
decision with the audience's best interests in mind. Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself. —Michel
de Montaigne The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his
own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is
justly entitled. —Andrew Carnegie A gold medal is a nice thing - but if you're not enough without
it, you'll never be enough with it. —From Cool Runnings If I am not for myself, who will be? —Pirke Avoth Once you become self-conscious, there is no end to it; once you
start to doubt, there is no room for anything else. —Mignon
McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960 What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or
rather indicates his fate. —Henry David Thoreau There are offences given and offences not given but taken. —Izaak Walton Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of
waiting for someone to bring you flowers. —Veronica A.
Shoffstall, "After a While," 1971 It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the
power to obtain by himself. —Epicurus If you must love your neighbor as yourself, it is at least as fair to
love yourself as your neighbor. —Nicholas de Chamfort When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt
you. —African Proverb Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how
we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people. —Andréé Dubus Here are few online resources for quotes you may want to check out: Think gifts. Someone you know is going to be giving more
presentations soon. Give them a practical gift that will make those
presentations easier and more effective. Learn more or
Order Online. Book Audiotape or CD ROM Booklets by Barbara Rocha: Speeches on Tape: Video Learn more **How to Overcome the Stress of Public Speaking We have two public seminars each year: May and October/November. If
you have several people who could use this training, contact us
regarding an in-house seminar. As a refresher, workshop graduates (from any of our 3-day
workshops) may attend for half price at any time. People tell us
they get as much or more out of the workshop the second time
around. Visit our seminars section for details or call (888) 800-2001 For more information, contact: Barbara Rocha and Associates PO Box 60521, Pasadena, California 91116 (626) 792-8075 or toll free at (888) 800-2001 |
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