Archive for the 'You the Presenter' Category

The Five Things I learned from my TEDx Talk – Nerves never go away. Create your own ritual.

Published on in presenter, Resources, speaking with purpose and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: preparation, tedx speaking in shanghai, warwick john fahy.

The Five Things I learned from my TEDx Talk

1. Nerves never go away. Create your own ritual.

2. Improvisation is the mindset for live events. Use the take-it-and-go approach.

3. You have to involve the audience. Plan your interactions.

4. Successful speaking comes in many styles. Find your speaking voice.

5. Timing a talk is the icing on the cake. Rehearsal is the key to perfect timing.

Over the next few blogs, I will share what I learned and how you can apply it to improve your public speaking skills. Here is part one:

1. Nerves never go away. Create your own ritual

I am sure you can relate to that feeling of worry which you feel before or during a public speech. Heart rate going a little faster. Sweat beads appearing on your forehead. But as an experienced speaker I rarely feel nervous. After all this is what I love doing and I really enjoy public speaking and sharing with an audience. So as the time for my TEDx talk came closer I found that I was getting all the symptoms. My mouth was a little dry and I couldn’t sit down without nervous energy building up. Why would this happen? Simply, the stakes were higher. The reputation of giving a TED talk and my own personal expectations to perform at a high level meant that this talk was more critical in my own mind.

So how can you reduce the inevitable nerves?

I have a ritual that I go through for conference speeches where I am faced by hundreds of people or TEDx talks where the potential audience is in the thousands or more. I like to move around while mentally tracing through my talk. I think about how I will open, move from one point to another, how to close and how to interact with the audience. I drink water to hydrate and by moving around I channel my nervous energy into physical energy. An important talk is a performance – a physical performance – so by preparing yourself physically you can start strong and allow your nerves to turn into enthusiasm. Before I go on stage I like to be alone but occasionally will have quick conversations to release more stress. I try to make myself and others laugh. This again puts me in the right frame of mind. I want to have light, engaging energy. I focus about the value and fun I will have with the audience. Once I get on stage and get started, my nerves disappear as I am focused on my audience and presentation delivery.

What is your ritual before your high stakes presentation?

Tick off a checklist to cover:

– Your opening 60 seconds

– How you will close

– Key transitions between slides

– How you will make eye contact with the audience

– Where you will stand

– How you will move around the stage

– Put yourself in a positive frame of mind

– Hydrate and get your physical presence ready

Next time I will have a look at another thing I learned from TEDx.

Warwick John Fahy runs workshops around Asia which help managers and senior managers from technical backgrounds to become more influential in business situations.

Warwick is Asia’s leading business presentation coach working with business leaders who need to influence clients, investors, shareholders and team members. His results-driven approach and deep cross cultural understanding make him a sought after business presentation coach throughout Asia. Download a free report “10 Warning Signs Your Leaders Lack Executive Presence” at http://www.warwickjohnfahy.com/

What five burning questions will your audience ask?

Published on in executive presence, Master the Q&A and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: Always Be Ready, executive presence, warwick john fahy.

One of the most challenging parts of a presentation is the question and answer session (Q&A). Many senior executives get worried and anxious about this inevitable part of the meeting. In fact, I would classify any presentation that did not lead to questions being asked as a complete failure. The main purpose of any communication, especially at the senior level, is to move people to action. This requires a level of engagement from the audience which must include questions that deepen their understanding.

So as it’s an inevitable and desirable aspect to your meeting, why not get ready for it in the best most complete way possible. My mantra is “always be ready”. For those of you who were Scouts, remember the motto of the Scouts? “Be prepared”.

Here is a six step process you can use to always be ready and prepared for your Q&A. Applications include:

Presenting to senior management
Getting ready for a media interview
Participating in a weekly conference call with overseas management
Contributing to a business review meeting
Being on a panel in a shareholder meeting
Keynoting at a town hall meeting

Step 1: The burning five

Write down the five most important questions the audience wants to know on the subject you are going to deliver. Some of these questions will be recurring and easy to answer. But use this time to think about some of the tougher question you have been asked in the past. What questions catch you out? If you wanted to ask the toughest, most difficult question on this topic, what would you ask?

Examples:

Topic: Business review meeting

Burning questions:

How well has the research and development center been integrated into our global product development plans?
What steps are you taking to turnaround a declining gross margin?
How well prepared is the business for a slowing global economy?

Step 2: Trigger your bullet points

For each question, write down your answers quickly using bullet points. Write 4-6 words for each bullet to help you trigger a fuller answer. The skill here comes from not thinking about each question too long. Write down the first five or six bullet points that come to mind.

Example:

Burning questions:

How well has the research and development center been integrated into our global product development plans?

Bullet points:

Quick update on R&D operations
Outcomes from global R&D conference call
Pipeline 2012-2013
Manpower challenges slowing ramp-up
Opportunities we are not taking

Step 3: Make them mobile

Most executives are on the move and you need to be able to capture streams of time to help you get ready. For example, when you are on the road, waiting in the business lounge, taking a flight. These are all opportunities for you to get your Q&A ready.

If you are old-school like me and prefer to think on paper:

Print or write your questions and bullet point answers on some cue cards. Take one cue card for each question. This method works well because you can still work on them when you are taking off and landing. Also, you can move the cards around and see connections between them more clearly than working in digital. Keep blank cue cards handy in your briefcase.

For the people who like to keep everything digital:

Set up a document on your phone or tablet computer that you can come back to and edit. Scan through the questions and rearrange them according to the priorities of the audience you are addressing.

Step 4 : Polish to make them shine

Add, modify and polish your answers. When you have new anecdotes, data or ideas to share add them into the file. If you are using cue cards, you may need to re-print them every now and again. Carry your cue cards around with you in the days before the presentation. Read through them to refresh your answers. You can also keep them close to you in the meeting, especially a conference call and glance at them when a question arises.

Step 5: Flex your Answers

Rehearse so that you can answer each question in a maximum of 2 minutes. Color up your answers with your personal insights, stories and data. Remember most TV media interview expect answers under 60 seconds. Adapt your answers depending on the audience. Senior management prefer concise direct answers. Your company staff in a town hall might like to know more about your personal style or experiences.

Step 6 : Data-bank your Q&As

Overtime, build up a question and answer data-bank Whenever you get a good question, add it to your database. Ask colleagues to suggest questions on the topic you are preparing. If you ever get stuck by a question, add it to your data-bank. You will be surprised at the relatively narrow range of questions you get on any particular topic.

Conclusion

This is how you get and stay ready. As I tell my CEO clients, you need to “always be ready” so you are not surprised by questions. Use this six step process to become bulletproof in any question and answer session.

About the Author

Warwick J Fahy

“I work with senior executives working for multinationals in Greater China who lack the executive presence to effectively influence key stakeholders. While these executives are very smart, very knowledgeable and highly capable, a key piece missing. Their executive communication skills need polishing. I help executives build a strong foundation in executive communication so that they are able to better think, speak and act like a leader to set and implement strategy. Recently, we helped a CEO turn his communication style from being nervous and uninspiring into a more engaging, confident and purposeful executive.” Learn more about who I help here.

Find out whether your executive team is performing to the best of their potential with Warwick’s article “10 Warning Signs Your Leaders Lack Executive Presence”. Email me and I’ll send you a PDF version.

Warwick is the author of “The One Minute Presenter: 8 steps to successful business presentations in a short attention span world”. Warwick is author of the forthcoming book ‘Speak with Executive Presence in China’ . Now available on Amazon.com.

Five ways to know if you are a presentation professional or a presentation amateur

Published on in executive presence, Resources and You the Presenter. 4 Comments Tags: Deliver with Style, executive presence, preparation, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy.

Professional or amateur?

What is a professional? My key words are high standards, excellence, role-modelling, expertise, high status and remuneration.

The original meaning of amateur comes from the Latin root for love {amo} and used to be applied to hobbies and sports eg Olympian athletes had to be amateurs until the 1970s and today all boxers must still be amateurs. While it does have positive meanings, the word tends to be used more with “sub-par” and shoddy performance. Used as an contrast to professional performance.

I am a keen observer of business presentations, and have seen common behaviours that I think are amateur and should not be employed by business professionals, especially the C-level executives that I work with. If you are doing the following five things in your presentations, you might wish to consider the message you are sending your audience, and consider taking a more professional approach:

#1 You hit the microphone before you speak [to test that it is on].

The message you send the audience: “I have not done a sound check before the meeting and I have no concern at all that blowing or hitting the microphone sounds awful and looks worse. “

The Professional’s approach: You arrive early to the venue. You seek out the technical staff. You check the volume and sound quality from all the microphones. You prepare a backup microphone. You make sure that there is no feedback from the microphones when you move around on the stage.

#2 You run your presentation off a USB stick

The message you send the audience: “I didn’t think through the possibility that there would be a problem. Don’t worry, I’ll take a couple of minutes during the presentation to reload my USB and presentation.”

The Professional’s approach: You realise that it’s quite easy for a USB stick to disconnect, and that the most stable solution causes the least problems. You load your presentation onto the computer’s desktop. You test it by running through all your slides. You still plug in your USB stick as a backup. It’s there in the unlikely event that you will need it.

#3 You read from your slides

The message you send the audience: “I have done so little preparation that I don’t know what I really want to say, so I have written my whole script on this slide. And now I am going to read it word by word, even though you can read it much faster than I can say it.”

The Professional’s approach: You understand that text based slides are boring, dull and result in very poor memory retention. You know that the audience switches off when they see such slides. You rehearse thoroughly so that you have a clear message which each slide supports. You make your slides more visual – using pictures, simple charts and tables – rather than dumping data or cramming text. You prepare a handout if you need to pass on technical details or financial information.

#4 You walk across the screen while you are presenting

The message you send the audience: “I am so unaware of how this looks, that I think it’s fine to walk in front of the screen, stretch across the screen to reach the computer to advance the next slide, or even present with the slide projecting onto my face.“

The Professional’s approach: You understand that a presentation is a performance where you are in control of the stage including the technology and lighting. You use a wireless clicker to remotely advance slides. You practice with the clicker so you know how to use it. You are discreet while using it and point it at the computer – not the screen – when advancing slides. You ‘black out’ the screen when you need to walk across the stage so that the slide is not projected onto your face. You are in control of how and when the audience sees the slides. The slides support you and your message, not dominate the whole presentation.

#5 You finish with the Q&A

The message you send the audience: “I don’t mind the presentation finishing with low energy, or the final words being, ‘No more questions? I guess I’m finished then.”

The Professional’s approach: You know that the main purpose of a presentation is for you to deliver a message to your audience that they will remember, take away and possibly act on. You know that question and answer sessions often peeter out and are not a strong way to round off a presentation. You have prepared – and perhaps scripted – your close so that your key messages get reinforced and the audience know exactly the next step they should take upon leaving your presentation. There is a clear and motivating call to action.

About the Author

Warwick J Fahy

Now available on Amazon.com.

What do you do to overcome fear of public speaking?

Published on in fearbuster and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: fear of public speaking, fearbuster, nerves, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy, work your body.

Roger was a successful executive working with an international technology company. Having just completed his MBA, he was promoted to general manager. In his new role, he would have to give more public presentations to his team in China and the head office in California.

Despite a strong technical background and good industry knowledge, Roger was never comfortable before an important presentation. Up to a week before, a general feeling of anxiety came over him which stopped him from sleeping well at night. On the day, and even hours before, he felt sick while his hands were cold and sweaty. As he stepped up to present, his mouth went dry and his heart was pounding. He could feel his throat tighten and his knees felt weak. He took a few rapid breaths and with trembling lips took his first words.

Fearbuster#1: Work your body

The first step in beating nerves, stress or a bad mood is a good physical condition. Water and oxygen are a great way to keep a healthy body. Imagine yourself standing on top of a mountain looking around breathing in fresh clean mountain air and sipping a bottle of cool clean spring water. You get the picture. It’s making me feel more relaxed already. Now you may not have the benefit of a mountain nearby, so what else can you do? Exercise. My business coach picked this out during one of our sessions. He noticed that whenever I was down on life in general, it was usually at the same time as a drop in my exercising. His solution was to swim, run and cycle more. It worked for me as I love triathlon racing. Here’s how it can work for you too:

1. Have a workout during the week of your presentation. Block out the time and spend two hours doing whatever exercise you enjoy most. Go for a swim, take a run or visit a gym. Finish off with a spa or massage if you have time.

2. On the day of your presentation, take a walk to get some air in your lungs, which improves your blood circulation and controls your nerves. See Fearbuster#4 for more on breathing.

3. A few hours before your presentation avoid drinking tea, coffee or caffeine based soft drinks (including colas). These are diuretics which remove water from your body. You should drink plenty of water as this has a calming effect by making your body aerobic.

4. Just before you come on stage, walk out your nerves. Don’t sit down just before coming on stage. Get the blood moving so you’re coming in at a higher energy level. You can also stretch your neck, shoulders, arms and fingers to relax any tense muscles. Meeting and greeting your audience can help you transform nervous energy and start to create a connection.

About the Author

Warwick J Fahy

“Warwick helps C-level executives, working in multinational companies based in Greater China, who struggle to get their point across and influence their key stakeholders. Warwick helps the executive project their message with confidence allowing them to express their opinions powerfully and gain respect from senior managers even when under pressure.” Learn more about who I help here.

Warwick is the author of “The One Minute Presenter: 8 steps to successful business presentations in a short attention span world”.

Now available on Amazon.com.

New: Read “The One Minute Presenter” as an e-book. Available in all maor e-book formats here.

The King-Size Fears of Public Speaking

Published on in Deliver with Style, fearbuster, presenter and You the Presenter. 1 Comment Tags: Deliver with Style, evaluate, rehearsals, the kings speech, The One Minute Presenter, vocal projection, warwick john fahy.

: King David from Crestock Images

Tips to improve your next presentation

Is the fear of public speaking really such a big fear? The uncomfortable moments in the Oscar winning The King’s Speech, probably felt painfully familiar to many who have been under pressure while presenting. It certainly did for me and as someone who went to a speech therapist for elocution lessons as a child it made me think what we can take away from watching a movie about a man learning to manage his stammer. This article will cover some of the good tips and dispel the bizarre.

The King’s Tip: Always stand up to deliver a speech of importance.

An engaging speaking voice is very relevant today, as many business presentations are given through teleconferences. The lack of visual cues makes it harder for listeners to catch the message and tougher for speakers to read the audience. Standing up places you in an assertive posture and allows deeper breathing from your diaphragm which aids better vocal quality projection. Opera singers could deliver with such a wide range while sitting. Strengthening your abdominal muscles enables you to better fill your lungs with air. So you now have another reason to get to the gym. It’s optional whether you would want to have your wife sitting on your stomach.

The King’s Tip: Gradually expand your ability to project your voice.

Adding strength and authority starts with becoming comfortable with the sound of your own voice. Before I became a professional speaker, I was incredibly shy and self-conscious when speaking to groups. Partly this is because I am a natural introvert like many professionals in finance, IT and engineering. This can’t be changed overnight but like any skill can be developed. Practise your presentation out aloud, ideally in a meeting room, and project your voice so that someone at the back of the room would hear. While you don’t need to sing out your windows, find fun excuses to raise your voice, like playing sports or refereeing a football match at your children’s school.

Aside from voice improvements, the movie also highlights the importance of preparation and rehearsal.

The King’s Tip: Great speakers are made, not born.

No infant starts to speak with a stammer and no one starts with a fear of public speaking. Conversely, no one is born a natural public speaker. Circumstances, experiences and environment all play a key part in how people develop. I had a bad experience in a school drama class that put me off public speaking for decades. The good news is that these fears can be overcome. Hard work and determination to improve are the greatest success factors in becoming an effective public speaker. How many presenters could match the King’s dedication when he visited his speech therapist 82 times before a six month world tour? Many presenters do not allocate any time to rehearse their speech. If you have three weeks to prepare a totally new 20 minute presentation allow between 30 minutes and 1 hour a day for preparation and time-block it in your calendar. You wouldn’t expect to become a better swimmer if you never went to the pool, so find the time to practice your speaking skills.

The King’s Tip: Learn to self-evaluate

You don’t learn by doing, you learn by re-doing. Accelerate your learning by listening to your presentation on a video or audio recorder. This highly effective way makes you more aware of the areas you need to focus on – if you can get over the embarrassment of looking or listening to yourself! After watching a recording, take a piece of paper and divide it into two halves. Write down all your strengths on one side and areas that you would like to improve on the other. You will be surprised after this exercise, sometimes you sound better than you imagined. Most audiences don’t judge us as harshly as we critique ourselves.

Tips to avoid

Tips to avoid include relaxing your throat by smoking deeply into your lungs! Voice care is important so drink plenty of water and add lemon or honey. You can also lightly massage your vocal chords before you start presenting. Another piece of bad advice is “always start with a joke”. While humour can connect with your audience, it’s such a high risk approach. You might offend, not deliver it with the best timing or just not tell a funny joke. Not the best way to start your presentation.

In addition to the above tips, The King’s Speech highlights two key lessons. Firstly, only you can change you. If you don’t want to improve or if you don’t think it’s that important then your progress will reflect that. Secondly, being consistent and realistic about changing an engrained behaviour is essential. Put some time aside to rehearse and the improvements will follow.

About the Author

Warwick J Fahy

“I work with high-potential senior executives who need to be more confident and influential with their key stakeholders. I help the executive quickly and powerfully express their opinions into message based presentations – even when under pressure.” Learn more about who I help here.

Warwick is the author of “The One Minute Presenter: 8 steps to successful business presentations in a short attention span world”. Buy or download the book here.

Now available on Amazon.com.

If you have ever sat through a presentation and felt like this picture, then give us a call. We help executives learn how to get to the point and create memorable and persuasive presentations. Call us on +86 21 6101 0486

: “Ever feel like the presenter is making too many points?”

Photo credit: Piotr Bizior

Toastmasters: How to deliver an impromptu speech

Published on in Deliver with Style, eye contact, presenter, produce your message, Resources and You the Presenter. 1 Comment Tags: impromptu speaking, produce your message, The One Minute Presenter, toastmasters, warwick john fahy.

One very important skill to master is to appear certain and confident while you are delivering an unprepared speech. In this training – targeted at Toastmasters – you will learn to

Open with certainty

Structure for clarity

Close with confidence

In this 29 minute training presentation, Warwick John Fahy shares his experience in a high energy, often humourous experience which includes Warwick delivering a 2 minute unprepared speech at the end of the training – combining the lessons he has just delivered. You can download this training here (MP3, 26.6MB)

Warwick John Fahy is a Distinguished Toastmaster with almost 10 years experience as a Toastmaster delivering speeches in both English and Mandarin. Warwick was awarded the Presidential Citation in 2007 for his leadership in doubling the number of clubs in China and helping China move to district status.Warwick is an executive speech coach working with senior executives in multinationals across Greater China to help them become more influential with their key stakeholders.

Other Toastmasters trainings:

What Leslie Nielsen, ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Naked Gun’ star can teach business presenters

Published on in Deliver with Style, presenter and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: connect, Deliver with Style, humour, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy.

No need to be serious

One of the funniest films of the 1980s has to be ‘Airplane’ – a parody of air travel – with Leslie Nielsen playing a deadpan role with a line that he became most known for. Amidst all the chaos going on in the movie, people would frequently say:

“Surely you can’t be serious!”

Nielsen’s character would reply:

“I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.”)

With a career spanning six decades, Nielsen is a good role model for business presenters. Here are a few things we can learn:

Be open to comedy

Nielsen played serious roles for over 30 years before he moved into comedy and parody roles, like the Naked Gun franchise. As business presenters are we open to comedy? I recommend that all presenters follow stand-up comedy as much as possible. There is nothing harder in the world that being in a dark room full of people with a microphone and having to make them laugh for 40 minutes. Watch as much stand up as you can -either live or on video. Buy a book on how to write a joke and bring humour into your business presentations whenever you can. Make sure that you are staying on the right side of good taste as a corporate presentation is not as racy as a comedy club. If you are not sure check with a friend before you deliver.

Be known for something

Nielson was best known for the above catchphrase. What is your catchphrase? What are you known for? I like the phrase “you get what you give” which acts as one of my guides in life. It prompts me to give as much value as I can as freely as I can. You might have a quotation from someone, or advice you received from a teacher. Have a handy catchphrase when you are presenting to your team – it can help them understand what drives you better and also help them catch your point.

Be in it for the long haul

In a world where Facebook keeps people busy and unproductive, the work ethic may be a thing of the past. I hope not. Nielsen worked into his 80s and appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters. Whatever field you are working in make sure that you are in for the long haul. Imagine you are on a 50 year career journey. What do you want to achieve? Putting off writing that book? Why not give yourself two years and set the target of writing 20 words a day. People underestimate what can be achieved through consistent effort and so they keep postponing starting a project.

Take a leaf out of Nielsen’s book and remember to be:

Open to comedy
Known for something
In it for the long haul

And why not take another look at Airplane or Naked Gun and refresh yourself on how funny films really don’t need computer graphics to be funny.

e-book download : A copy of The One Minute Presenter for only Usd10 here.

Why CEOs need to build executive presence among their senior executives

Published on in executive presence, presenter and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: bamboo leader, executive connections, executive credibility, executive presence, personal brand, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy.

One of the biggest problems that multinational companies face is having senior executives who lack executive presence. Productivity, profit and morale are all tied in with this concept. Companies urgently need to address this problem because it can increase efficiency in project execution, distribute key messages properly and improve morale through all levels of management.

Gives a Personal Brand

One of the most important things about executive presence is creating a personal brand. Executives create a message simply by the way people see and hear them, as well as think about them. Having a personal brand gets an executive noticed, which allows them to build a successful career and drive progress in their business. Executive presence and personal brand extend to all stakeholders, like customers. This gives the executive a distinct advantage as they project authority to individuals who they have never met, nor worked with. Many call this the “WOW” factor and people with it get listened to more and are often seen as a centre of influence. A personal brand is ingrained with a person’s executive presence; one cannot exist without the other. An executive with presence has a clearly defined awareness of who they are and the value they can bring their company.

Creates Credibility

If an executive shows up to talk with their team wearing a Hawaiian shirt, with cargo pants and sandals on, the executive team may not see the senior executive as a leader. If the company culture supports suit-wearing , dressing too casually will impact how people judge and respect the executive. This could lead to a lack of credibility and result in the executive being unable to motivate his team. All companies have a template of what a leader should be and successful executives match this image. However, executive presence comes from more that dress sense. Credibility is extremely important and something that comes when the executive is seen a true role model. Executives who cultivate their image as a role model are more highly regarded both inside and outside the firm.

Connecting With the Team

One of the most important aspects of executive presence is that it allows the executive to connect directly with their team. They make that person feel as though they are the most important person in the world. A skill that former President Bill Clinton was famous for displaying. This connection, or charisma, is based on superb listening skills and when carried with sincerity becomes an accelerator that drives the team to achieve outstanding results. While over-use of emails tends to diminish this impact, a high performing executive will use a blended approach. Encouraging team members who are located in different sites, while maximizing face time to ensure the team can see and feel the important the executive places on them. These personal connections result in higher performance and productivity. An executive with presence engages their team and keeps motivation high – through good and bad times.

Conclusion

The greatest business leaders all have executive presence. Richard Branson and Steve Jobs use their executive presence to influence their team members as well as their stakeholders. This results in successful companies with highly committed people and a loyal customer base. Today’s executives need to raise their game to match this high benchmark, as the future of their business growth depend on it.

Resource Box

Warwick John Fahy coaches senior finance executives to influence key stakeholders, like clients, regulators, and investors with the innovative model: “The Bamboo Leader – 8 executive presence competencies for multinationals in Greater China”. To arrange an initial free “Build Executive Presence” consultation (value 200 Euros), call Jeremy Potts today +86 21 6101 0486 or download a free White Paper on Building Executive Presence at http://www.thebambooleader.com

Warwick is the author of the acclaimed book, The One Minute Presenter – 8 steps to successful business presentations in a short attention span world. For free executive speaking tips visit http://www.oneminutepresenter.com/blog

For a media interview call +86 1391 786 7502.

How to handle mobile phones during presentations Part 3 of 3: The Extreme Approach

Published on in Manage all Interruptions and You the Presenter. Closed Tags: distractions, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy.

You can read Part 1 on Ground Rules here and Part 2 on Incentives here.

Extreme Examples to Stop Mobile Phone use
While these suggestions will help most business settings, sometimes a presenter will adopt an extreme position to make their point. These high risk approaches can really make an impact but when done well add to the overall impact of your presentation.

For example, one presenter started a presentation by pulling out a mobile phone, placed the phone into a padded envelope, dropped the envelope to the floor, stomped on it repeatedly, picked the envelope back up, and then threw it to the back of the hall. He smiled politely and asked if anyone in the room had another device he could practice on. If so, all they had to do was let it make any noise during his presentation.
The outcome was that with over 200 people in the room for a two-hour presentation, there was not a single instance of a phone ringing, beeping, or even buzzing. The key to these extreme approaches is a certain sense of humour so choose them with care.

Remember as a presenter you need to keep the audience on your side, so while mobile phones ringing in meetings are an irritation, they are a fact of life. Set ground rules, keep a sense of humour and don’t react to a phone ringing in an angry way.

RESOURCE BOX

Warwick John Fahy is the international executive speech coach for senior executives, business leaders and entrepreneurs who need to influence clients, investors, shareholders and team members. His highly practical approach and deep cross cultural intelligence have made him a sought-after business presentation coach throughout the world.

To arrange presentation skills training or coaching to build your executive presence visit this web site.

For a media interview call +86 1391 786 7502.

Theater Rehearsals: What Executive Presenters Must Know Part 5 of 5: Dress rehearsal

Published on in You the Presenter. Closed Tags: dress rehearsal, rehearsals, The One Minute Presenter, warwick john fahy.

To view the other steps in this series, see Step 1 “Script read through” , Step 2 “Run Through”, Step 3 “Cue to Cue” and Step 4 “Top and Tails”

Step 5: Dress rehearsal
On the day, regardless of what time the presentation is due to start, schedule time for a dress rehearsal. Rehearse in the same room if possible using all the technology planned and microphones needed. This final run through boosts confidence for the live version. The second delivery of the day will be smoother and appear more natural.

Most business presenters skip this step because they start to feel self-conscious of presenting to only a few people, rather than a whole audience. But surely, if you can’t feel comfortable with a small group, how can you scale up to the large one?

Don’t worry about what this small audience are thinking, because chances are they are thinking how professional and thorough you are as a presenter!

iPad product launch: What Makes Steve Jobs a Great Presenter?

RESOURCE BOX

To arrange presentation skills training or coaching to build your executive presence visit this web site.

For a media interview call +86 1391 786 7502.

Archive for the 'You the Presenter' Category

The Five Things I learned from my TEDx Talk – Nerves never go away. Create your own ritual.

What five burning questions will your audience ask?

Five ways to know if you are a presentation professional or a presentation amateur

What do you do to overcome fear of public speaking?

The King-Size Fears of Public Speaking

Tips to improve your next presentation

Toastmasters: How to deliver an impromptu speech

What Leslie Nielsen, ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Naked Gun’ star can teach business presenters

Why CEOs need to build executive presence among their senior executives

How to handle mobile phones during presentations Part 3 of 3: The Extreme Approach

Theater Rehearsals: What Executive Presenters Must Know Part 5 of 5: Dress rehearsal

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