Do Your Presentations
Affect Your Business?
Presentation Mastery is an undiscovered secret to success
by Sara Bowling
Tony Jeary says, “You bet! Presentations
are crucial to your business.”As a small business owner,
you present all the time ... in one-on-one meetings, in front
of or as part of a small group, to your staff, and to your customers.
You present in person, on the phone (or via voice mail), and
even through e-mail. We all know that your presentation effectiveness
is critical to your business success. Tony’s new book,
Life is a Series of Presentations, discusses 8 Simple Presentation
Practicesthat can accelerate both your personal and professional
(your small business) success.
Involve Your Audience: When presenting
to medium-sized or larger groups, make sure you involve and
engage them. Ask questions. Have them write something down.
Have them talk to each other. Engagement elevates retention.
Prepare Your Audience: Remember:
most audiences spend the first three minutes of the presentation
sizing up the presenter. A basic and often overlooked element
of working with groups is simply connecting with your audience
before your presentation begins. Warm a few people up and warm
yourself up, too.
Research Your Presentation Arsenal:
Build and utilize a Presentation Arsenal. Your arsenal should
include: quotes, stories, samples, examples, and even statistics.
Save them mentally, in hard copy form, or on your computer.
Explain the “Why” ATTENTION
SALES FOLKS - The single most powerful thing you can
do to convince your audience of something is to provide a convincing
reason why they should do what you suggest (or believe what
you say).
State Management: The mental
state of the successful presenter absolutely must be congruent
with the message being delivered. All the techniques you use
to get yourself in the proper state of mind can also be used
to influence your audience’s state of mind.
Eliminate Unknowns and Turn Them Into
Knowns: The more you investigate all components (such
as the room set up, how the audience will react, who will do
what and when, etc.), the more confident you will be. Strong
preparation takes the unknowns to knowns, and reduces nervousness.
Know Your Audience: Before your
presentation, research your audience and plan to address their
needs.
Tailor Your Presentation for the Audience:
Your focus must always be on the audience, not only on your
agenda. Be flexible and ready to adjust to your audience so
they really hear your message.
