In an arena where there is a surfeit of presenters you need to hone your skills and develop techniques that will take you into the realm of presenter extraordinaire. To break into that rare sphere where the population of speakers, seminar leaders, teleseminar and webinar presenters have their audiences figuratively eating out of the palms of their hands, hanging onto their every word, and wanting more; you have to ramp up your game. You have to muster all the skills at your disposal and then some. If you have been yearning to raise the ante and deliver speeches or seminars that resonate with your audiences; get top billing and higher fees; you need to put more punch into your presentations.
Here are some suggestions that will help you to present with greater panache -
- Do your homework. Research your audience, find out what they need to hear, what they need to know, what pushes their buttons then offer information that is pertinent, current and specific to the particular group of people with whom you will be interacting.
- Learn all you can about the venue, visit it if possible. Find out the numbers expected, the seating arrangement, the type of microphone available; what type the audio visuals will be at your disposal; whether copies of your handout will be made ahead of time or if you have to bring those yourself.
- Understand why you were hired. Be clear about the objectives and the reason you were hired; possibly are you were hired to educate, motivate, sell to, solve problems and possibly all of the above. Craft your message to address the issue or issues as they were laid out to you.
- Know your Key Message and stay with the theme of your message, do not wander off topic; you are there for a purpose, understand the purpose and speak to the purpose.
- Customize your presentation to each and every audience; one speech does not fit every audience. Always remember that each audience is different, as is the venue, caliber and expectation of those in attendance.
- Bond with your audience, the earlier you do that the more successful you will be. One way of doing that is arriving before your scheduled time and talking with some of the participants, that way you get a feel of the audience and they feel comfortable with you and your style.
- Treat your audience with respect, they are not infants; do not treat them as such. Interact with them, involve them. You may disagree with someone’s point of view, but do not argue with anyone. Respect their point and say so.
- Add humor where appropriate and present with passion. Speak in language that they understand, if they do not understand what you are saying you will lose them.
- Get your facts straight; do not depend on hearsay or old stats. Be willing to listen, you may learn something new. Answer questions to the best of your ability, and if you do not know the answer, be honest about it. You will score high points if you sent the answer to the question asked, within twenty four hours of making your presentation.
- Dress appropriately. They hired a professional and expect to see and hear a professional. Dress and behave like one.
A smooth, professional presentation that offers solutions and answers the questions implied and those directly asked; that is delivered with passion and honesty will assist in propelling you into that category of extraordinary presenter.