My friend and colleague, LeeAundra Temescu, is an award-winning executive communications coach. Her excellence lies not just in her experience training her clients in public speaking, but in her strategy helping them understand their goals, their next choices, and how to achieve them through positioning and presentation in public. She offers us this advice. Find her at http://www.thecontrarypublicspeaker.com .
Most people do it for the first time in college. Some in high school. But you? You have remained sheltered and untouched. Until now.
If you are an entrepreneur and haven’t done it already, I can guarantee that you will at some time in the very near future have to make a presentation. In fact, you will probably have to make lots of them to investors, prospects, at conferences, for the media. If you are an entrepreneur, you must sell two things, an idea and yourself. Both of these cannot be sold without doing it, without speaking in public with confidence, authority, poise and passion.
I know you’re nervous. It’s only natural your first time. Public speaking is still peoples’ number one fear and if you haven’t done it before, the adrenaline can be paralyzing. But there are some very simple guidelines you can follow to make sure your first time is memorable.
Be Prepared
If you commit yourself to preparing your presentation, you will perform as well as most people who have been doing it for years. Take the time to really think about the following:
* What is my message? What do I want the audience to do and why should they do it?
* Who is my audience? What do they think of my message, what do they think of me, what is their state of mind?
* How do I want to structure my presentation?
* How do I want to deliver it?
*Do I need visual aids? What types of visuals will add real value to the presentation and not distract from me or my message?
* What types of questions will be asked? Do I have good answers?
A couple of hours spent developing a message, analyzing your audience, writing a well-organized speech, creating appropriate and well-designed visuals and brainstorming potential questions will add immeasurably to your chances of success. Just as important, it will take away a lot of the uncertainty that is the core fear of speaking in public.
Practice
This is a prerequisite for every speaker but it holds especially true for the first time. Practice your presentation as much as you can. By that I literally mean, give your presentation over and over again to a mirror, to your staff, to your spouse or your dog. Practice in front of a video camera. Get feedback from others, watch yourself on videotape and ask:
* Is my message clear, focused, and compelling?
* Is my case persuasive?
* Am I credible and enthusiastic?
Be honest with yourself and constantly refine your presentation until you can answer yes to all of them.
Manage Your Expectations
The first time is rarely “like the movies.” Good speakers get that way by doing it over and over again and even then they still make mistakes. For your first time, be prepared for gaffes and be easy on yourself. It’s okay to make a mistake if you handle it with grace and a sense of humor. No one expects you to be a brilliant orator; they simply want to hear a message that will hopefully inspire them to act.
More Tips for First-timers
* Don’t stress yourself by preparing a long presentation. Good presentations are no more than 20 minutes. Great presentations are no more than ten. Leave plenty of time for questions (and make sure you prepare for them).
* Go easy on the visuals, especially if they rely on technology such as PowerPoint slides. You’re going to be nervous enough without worrying about technical glitches.
* SLOW DOWN! Most people speak too quickly when they are nervous. If you make a conscious effort to slow down, you help your body relax and ensure that your audience understands you.
If you follow these simple guidelines, no one will ever guess it’s your first time.
