You can connect to this article “A manner of speaking” on the Global Times web site here.
Tag Archive for 'The One Minute Presenter'
As we approach the end of the year, I would like to share seven of our most popular lessons on becoming a great business presenter. Feel free to forward this article or bookmark it as there are some practical tips that you need to know.
Here are the seven articles:
Are your presentations interactive enough?
Executive Presence for CFOs in China Part 1 of 3 : Executive Credibility
Executive Presence: Memorize your content with taglines
Ever feel like you are presenting to goldfish and puppies?
Rapport Tip: The eyes have it! Keep your audience’s attention with your eyes!
Theater Rehearsals: What Executive Presenters Must Know Part 1 of 5: Script Read Through
iPad product launch: What Makes Steve Jobs a Great Presenter?
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”.
Sign up to “52 Tips to more confident public speaking” newsletter at www.warwickjohnfahy.com
Technology when used well can enhance your message and credentials, but the problem is that most presenters are lazy and make the technology the message. Technology, while a great tool, does not necessarily lead to better presentations.
A bad movie is a bad movie whether it’s played on DVD, HDTV or 3D. If you cannot deliver an effective presentation by simply standing up and speaking to an audience, then using a slide-deck, playing a video or using an iPad is not going to make you a better presenter. In fact, it is more likely to either confuse your audience or make the technology the centre of the presentation.
The main purpose of any presentation – whether in a face-to-face meeting or on a conference call is twofold.
Firstly, there is the communication aspect, like informing the team of a new procedure, persuading your manager that you need a new resource or influencing a existing client to expand their business with you. It’s a good idea to write down what you wish to achieve before you start to prepare your main message or slides. This will give you a focus and something to check against as you develop your presentation.
The second purpose is to enhance the credibility of the presenter in the eyes of the audience. Think about the best speakers you know in your company, they tend to be regarded with a golden halo because they have good speaking skills. When you get to a senior level in an organisation the person who gets promoted to the executive level is likely to have the better soft skills, which means highly effective speaking and presenting skills. Have you asked whether your last presentation enhanced or detracted from your credibility. Many business presenters brush over the importance of their weekly ‘routine’ presentations which they make to their teams or line managers. But over time these interactions have a significant impact on how you are regarded inside your company.
So, in 2011, make a commitment to use technology less and bolster your presentation skills more. Attend a workshop, get a coach, or simply grab a book and rehearse the tips that are in the book. Record yourself, playback, critique and go again. Give yourself the edge when it comes to taking the next opportunity in your business and personal life. Have a great 2011! Whatever you do and wherever you are, I sincerely wish that your life improves and you take great strides forward in reaching your dreams!
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”.
Sign up to “52 Tips to more confident public speaking” newsletter at www.warwickjohnfahy.com
It is really great to hear back from people who have enjoyed The One Minute Presenter, it’s even better when these kind people leave a review on Amazon. I am open to feedback - good and bad - as it helps me improve and get better. Here is a review from Dr. Hamdy El-Rayes:
As a professional, your ability to give an effective presentation and deliver your message to the audience is one of the most important skills you need.
In The One Minute Presenter, Warwick John Fahy offers simple, easy to follow eight steps to become an excellent presenter. He addressed all aspects of a presentation, and difficulties a presenter may face. He offers a scientific explanation for the reason these difficulties happen, followed with powerful tips and proven techniques needed to enhance your delivery. Following his eight steps, you will be able to deliver effective messages especially to those busy professionals in a world of information overload.
The One Minute Presenter is excellent for the novice and a refresher for seasoned presenters on what it takes to get your message across. It is organized in a unique way that enable you to pick topics of interest with ease. For a seasoned presenter, this book increases your understanding of today’s tech savvy, easily distracted audiences, and how to engage them in your presentation and reach them with your message. It also helps you speak with clarity, teaches you how to overcome tension associated with public speaking, and enhances your ability to answer audience questions, overcome presentation interruptions, and get your important message through to your audience.
An added bonus is the resources Warwick cited in his book. These resources can help you expand on what he offers to enrich your experience.
All communication involves two parties. Today, hotels are having to adapt with increasingly web savvy guests who review sites like Tripadvisor.com before they book. Customer reviews are an important part of these sites. Are you listening to your guests? And how are you engaging with them?
All successful presenters have highly honed listening skills which they use to adapt and tailor their message for the audience that they wish to reach. For example, a salesperson hears an off-hand comment from a potential corporate client in the small talk before a meeting about how they were disappointed with another property’s responsiveness to minor changes in the build up to an important event. The salesperson - when talking about their service - could use this as an anecdote. For example, highlighting that they offer their corporate clients a dedicated hotel representative who promises same day response to all changes or questions in the weeks leading up to an event. This brings out the disappointment which the client had previously and solves it with a clear promise and commitment. The sales person could then go further and introduce their service team to the client, again emphasising their service promise.
The more frequently a presenter can match their strengths to specific questions or problems that the client wishes to solve, the more likely they are to engage and keep the audience’s attention throughout the presentation. Importantly in a sales pitch this will increase the chance of a sale.
Similarly, in the online world, it is important for hotels to engage with their guest’s feedback - both good and bad. A potential guest is more likely to forgive a poor review if the hotel comes back with a reasonable explanation about how they have improved or solved that problem - while avoiding the trap of making excuses or blaming some policy or procedure or third party.
How are you engaging with your online guests? To read an excllent article, click here to read Daniel Craig’s interview with Jean-Luc Chrétien, Executive VP Marketing & Distribution, Accor.
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”.
Sign up to “52 Tips to more confident public speaking” newsletter at www.warwickjohnfahy.com
It is really great to hear back from people who have enjoyed The One Minute Presenter, it’s even better when these kind people leave a review on Amazon. I am open to feedback - good and bad - as it helps me improve and get better. Here is a review from Victoria Powell, a nurse consultant:
As a nurse consultant and presenter at numerous health education and business related conferences, I was anxious to get my hands on this book. I was not disappointed!
The One Minute Presenter is written for the same audience that sits for these presentations…folks with short attention spans. I love how the book uses the very tips the author suggests for presentations, in his writing style. Each chapter begins with bullet points on what to expect in the chapter, what points the reader is to gain from the chapter and the process of incorporating the information learned into a presentation. The book is laid out in a journey of sorts with each of the eight chapters as a “station” on your trip. It is conducive to jumping around to read the portions that you struggle with the most and each contains a case study for reference throughout that particular chapter. Each chapter also includes side bar information for quick tips and other pearls of information.
It is all here. Information on body language, use of flip charts, voice speed and volume, working with projectors, how to handle interruptions, and so much more. If you are required to present even once, this book is worth the sales price to save you the headaches from a poor performance.
“The One Minute Presenter” is yet another book on the subject of effective presentations and it stands out as one of the best. Not only does author, Warwick John Fahy know his topic, but he also knows how to communicate it in a way that engages the reader.
The book is well written and cleverly structured. Like a good presenter should, Fahy grabs your attention from the outset by relating the dropping (and smashing) of a large watermelon from a tall building, to our average attention span - both are a mess! After that start, it’s two short chapters to pose the question “Nobody’s listening” and provide the solution “Help is here”, before introducing the road map of “Your journey”.
“Your Journey” is in fact the eight stations along the road map to an effective presentation. Fahy very cleverly suggests that you should tick the stations you want to stop at, depending on your need. He also provides suggestions on how to get the best out of the book depending on your speed of reading - Step by Step, Jump Around, or Jet Ski.
Each chapter starts with an overview of Content, One Minute Learning, and the Process. Each of these is in bullet form and gives the reader a very clear idea of what’s in store at this stop.
Chapters (stations) often have side-bars with personal stories or expert’s tips. This enables the reader to follow the flow of the chapter and refer to the side-bar as and when ready. Each of the eight stops commences with a short case study of someone experiencing difficulty with this aspect of presenting. Fahy then shows how this difficulty can be overcome. I found two of the chapters, “Manage all interruptions” and “Master the Q&A”, to be particularly useful as “How to’s” explaining how to expertly manage a range of situations.
“The One Minute Presenter” is highly recommended for anyone who wants to improve their presentations, be they brand new or very experienced presenters.
Bob Selden, author What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
You can see more five star reviews on Amazon.
For more tips on business presenting, visit the web site of The One Minute Presenter.
Leadership is an elusive skill. Libraries and MBA programs are crammed full of leadership and management theories, that are difficult to apply in your day job. Young leaders today are facing a dual challenge. Firstly, after scrambling through a competitive education system to reach the workplace they are faced with the demoralising thought that much of their formal education is ill-suited to the rigours of company life. Secondly, in a swirling competitive global market they need to upgrade their soft skills - including leadership - so that they are ready to capture the opportunities that are available for people with a keen sense of learning and getting ahead.
- White belt: The first six months
- Yellow belt: Six months to One year
- Orange belt : After one year
In this 21 minute presentation, Warwick John Fahy shares his experience on how to grow your skills as a leader within the context of a Toastmasters club. You can download this training here (MP3, 19.1MB)
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:
- Isolated from Crestock Images
Building a personal brand is important for us all today as we strive for meaning and purpose in today’s busy world. As a Toastmaster club leader, it is also important to have a clear message for you to attract new members to your club and express how you are different from all the other similar clubs out there. This presentation is arranged into three sections:
- Show up: Plant your Flag, create your audio logo
- Step up: Walk your Talk
- Give back: Recycle your learning through the four seasons of learning
In this 17 minute training presentation, Warwick John Fahy shares his experience in an informative introduction to branding yourself and your club. You can download this training here (MP3, 15.6MB)
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:
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:
