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My years of doing training and coaching in presentation skills has demonstrated to me that it’s not just about “stand up skills.” The remarkable thing about having powerful presentation skills is that they “trickle down” to all of your interpersonal communications, whether in meetings, interviews, or even phone calls. So mastering the tough skills of standing up and standing out in front of a crowd also means you’ll have the ability to stand out in all your interactions.

Over the years, I’ve been able to identify a handful of qualities that consistently do give you stand out status. Doesn’t matter how smart you are or talented or attractive — universally, these attributes can make you the kind of person that other people want to know, work with and do business with.

Here are my Top Ten Stand Out Tips:

1. LOOK ‘EM IN THE EYE.

In our culture, eye communication is correlated with trust and credibility. The ability to look someone in the eye — whether you’re talking or listening — conveys an interest in the other party, which makes that person feel appreciated and listened to. Remember, “eye communication” insures you’re not having “I communication.”

2. ASK, DON’T TELL.

Keep this amazing irony in mind. People will like you more, think you’re smarter, savvier, nicer and more interesting if you show interest in them. The ability to show interest — a sort of wide-eyed wonder in others — is the kind of skill that will make people think positively about you.

3. LISTEN ACTIVELY.

Active listening is a very intentional, strategic skill where you’re able to fulfill two very basic human needs — to be heard and to be understood. It involves three steps, which I like to capture with the acronym EAR:

Engage the speaker – look like you’re listening. 

Actually hear the message – pay attention.

Respond appropriately – let your speaker know you really heard and understood. Responding can take three forms:

   -Paraphrase: repeat the gist of the message. 

   -Probe: instead of launching into your rebuttal, probe further with questions.

   -Reflect back feelings: let the speaker know you understand his/her feelings.

4. PROJECT, UM, VOCAL POWER

Ironically, this is one of those strategies that’s not so “stand out” in and of itself as it is glaringly detracting if you don’t practice it. The most glaring vocal detractors are:

- Use of fillers – words like uh, um, like, really…

- Speaking in a monotone

- Mumbling

5. ATTITUDE = ALTITUDE

The better your attitude the higher you’ll soar. Positive people are better liked, more listened to, more appreciated, and more successful influencers and persuaders. Think positive, find the good, behave as if you love life, and people will be drawn to you like magnets.

6. WATCH YOUR POSTURE

How you sit and stand conveys volumes about you. And the rules are different for each posture. When you’re standing, balanced, symmetrical posture conveys more presence than slouched, leaning (on one leg) posture. But when you’re seated, recognize that asymmetrical posture, such as with legs crossed or hands somewhat off-balance, projects more confidence and poise.  

7. SHOW ENTHUSIASM

Ancient indigenous people believed that you exhibit presence by “choosing to be present and visible, showing up energetically.” Energy, or enthusiasm, is a powerful stand out attribute. By conveying a conviction and passion for what you do, your presence is powerful – it adds value.

8. BE PURPOSEFUL

This is a particularly powerful presentation strategy. When you’re purposeful — when you have something deliberate and intentional to do, such as using a prop or referring to a visual or walking deliberately across the stage, even having a logical organization to your thoughts — then this focus is going to help you be less attuned to yourself and your anxiety. And it gives you a put-together air of confidence and ease.

9. SMILE.

A smile is one of the simplest nonverbal expressions we can make, yet it can pay enormous dividends. A pleasant facial expression is like a magnet — it draws people to you and makes them feel positively about you. It’s such an important first impression because it sets the tone for your interactions.

10. SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF.

Okay, I’m not talking about the little irritations and minor vexations of life. Rephrased, consider that “little things mean a lot.” Whether it’s writing a note or remembering someone’s birthday or doing what you say you’re going to do, these little acts of kindness and courtesy can make a big impression — and will make you stand out.

There is more to a presentation than words, and the nonverbal content needs as much consideration as the verbal. The right presentation music can create an atmosphere for your piece that helps convey your message. Deciding which music to use is one of the most important decisions facing a presentation producer. Some production designers choose their music in an almost offhand manner. This is usually a mistake. The same designer would never choose presentation graphics at random; the visual elements of a project as carefully selected to enhance and elaborate on the message of each slide and of the work as a whole. Slapping a random track onto the result of weeks of design is risky and unprofessional at best and self-defeating at worst. Music, like every other part of the endeavour, should be chosen as part of the overall effect.

One important thing to consider in presentation music selection is the responsiveness of the target audience. You do not want your audience to think that your project was done poorly. Work targeted at specific religious or academic venues do not mix well with anything that refers to rap or rock music. A funeral home salesman would never use upbeat music to sell his products. Just as images must be selected well so as to not offend anyone, music should be treated in the same respect. People respond to various types of music in different manners. Ensure that the music selected will have a desirable effect. If the plan is to attract people to a booth at a trade show, the style should be attractive and cheerful. It shouldn’t force viewers to want to go somewhere else or not even notice the booth. This defeats the entire purpose. There is a lot more to giving a presentation than simply words. Verbal and nonverbal content both need to have an equal balance. The proper presentation music can provide an atmosphere for your creation that helps to express your message. Choosing the right music is an important decision that every presentation producer faces.

The search for the right music should start immediately whatever loop types you may select. It takes quite a bit of time to find the correct track and to get the rights for it, will take even longer. In certain cases it will be better to utilize specially recorded music for the specific work like in a church or school setting, and proficient musicians can contribute their talents for a reasonable price. Always avoid using material which is copyrighted while recording presentation music. The copyrights extend to tunes and lyrics and not just to the record’s use. Special circumstances may demand the use of such music but all fees should be paid. Producers should find the original music and should also make sure that the copyright on the chosen tune has not expired. It is possible to sidestep issues about copyrights when you purchase original pre-recorded performances which were made specifically as presentation music.

This is by far the safest route as far as the law goes. If pre-recorded tracks are used for a presentation, the next question is where to get them. Commercial music is likely way beyond the budget, and amateur work probably will not achieve any desirable effect. Appropriate affordable music is widely available for download from specialty websites. The free stuff may be of questionable quality, but the many composers working in the field can supply anything from a single loop to an entire CD or music to dovetail precisely with your needs. Ideally every presentation should have its own soundtrack, composed to emphasize the points it makes and evoke the mood its designers envision. While commissioned music is not practical for most applications, the use of carefully selected tracks can provide a very close substitute. This sort of presentation music makes for great impact without breaking the budget. For great music loop go to: http://www.musicalvibe.net.

A good public speaker always knows his material while giving a speech. The speaker must always have a complete knowledge of the subject he is speaking on. After all, a mechanic cannot speak on the right way to cook a steak.

The speaker should be an expert in the subject he is going to deliver a speech on. This is really important as the audience must feel like that the speaker is well informed. If a speaker wants to be seen as a great public speaker, then he must know his craft well enough.

The following are three steps which will help you in learn your material to speak in an oral presentation or public address:

1. Make an outline.

Any oral presentation or public is like a battle for the speaker and it is foolish to fight a battle without any preparation. In order to make your presentation interesting and informative, you should arrange all the required equipments much before the day of the presentation. Research and accumulate all the material you want to study to make your presentation. Read all the material and take out important points which may be useful in your presentation.

Then you can read those points by don’t memorize them as if you forget something during the presentation, then your whole speech will get ruined. While preparing a speech being spontaneous is the best choice. But you must also sound knowledgeable while talking because you may have to answer few questions about your presentation and you should sound confident while answering them. You may look anxious, if you don’t know the topic well.

2. Review the outcome of the actual speech.

Once the speech is prepared, you must review your entire presentation once more. Make sure whether you have covered all the important points in your speech or not. For example, suppose you have to deliver a speech on the Hybrid Technology, now even though may have discussed all the technical terms and other aspects of the technology but have forgotten to give any examples of this technology. Such type of omissions should be rectified.

It is very important to pay due attention to every aspect of the subject you are going to speak on as you may be asked about some topic you forgot to mention from your audience.

3. Rehearse and master your final material.

While given the responsibility of any presentation, you will be told about how long the presentation will run. Hence you must rehearse the entire presentation beforehand to make sure that it runs for the required time only. If your presentation is long then you can shorten it or add some points if it is too short.

Rehearsing also helps us gain our confidence as by hearing ourselves giving the speech we get an idea about the actual presentation and we can also improve any glitches in our speech.