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The next time you’re asked to speak in front of a crowd, try these smart tips for a stronger, more memorable presentation

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If you’ve been asked to speak at an upcoming conference, meeting or

seminar—whether you’re the keynote speaker or the event organizer simply

charged with introducing featured speakers and events—you’ll want to make sure

you’re ready to present your best. After all, people don’t attend professional

conferences just to learn the latest technical data, industry practices or standards

and regulations. It’s all about the human experience. A good presentation can

motivate, teach and inspire far more effectively than a static document, Website

or book. When you bring the human experience to the communication of

information, it makes the message far more memorable.

Structuring and delivering an effective talk requires a few key steps. First, ask yourself: If there’s one thing I want the audience to remember from my presenta-tion, what is it? Whatever your primary focus, make certain that you state it clearly and succinctly near the beginning of your talk. You probably have more than one point, but be clear about your most important message. The other points you make should support that message. Speeches work well in threes, so, you may want to think to include three main points.

After you’ve organized your points, consider illustrating them with stories and examples. It’s the stories that your audi-ence will remember after your speech is over. Of course, not all stories work; there are some necessary ingredients to make a great story. Most importantly, your story has to make a point. You’ve probably heard some speakers start with a story or a joke

that has absolutely nothing to do with their material. You might enjoy it, but afterward you think, “Why the heck did he tell us that?” It can be a waste of time—and the last thing you want to do is waste your audience’s time. An effective structure is to state your point, tell the story and restate the point.

In telling your story, dialogue is crucial. It automatically gives an immediacy and poignancy to the scene. Relive your story as you tell it—if you can, become the characters, use their voice and stand in their postures.

Finally, keep your stories concise. Present enough detail to bring your story to life, but don’t tell everything that occurred. Relate just the high-impact part of the story. A story can be two sentences, a short conversation or 10 minutes.

Once you have your content together, the next step is to work on your delivery. In

meetings07 by Jean Hamilton

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our highly visual culture, you may underes-timate the power of your voice. When used well, your voice is your most effective tool. It will either draw people toward you or repel them. Your voice is a strong motivat-ing factor in helping people decide whether or not to trust and respect you.

Just as you can change the shape and tone of your body through exercise, you can also work to uncover your most authentic, relaxed and resonant voice. Unappealing voices are the result of years of bad speaking habits. A shaky or weak voice usually means that you’re not getting enough oxygen and are holding too much tension in your throat. Vocal exercises used by actors can transform your voice. Get some vocal coaching; take a voice class; or at least buy a book on voice and do the exercises.

A common problem among speakers is the tendency to speak in a monotone. When you want to persuade or inspire your audience, you have to use a voice that perks up the ears. The key ingredient is variation. You have the ability to say the same word many different ways.

Just as speaking in a monotone can cause your audience to tune out, so can speaking too quickly. Rapid delivery can bring energy and momentum to your speech, but if you don’t vary your speed, your audience will stop listening. They’ll just get too tired to keep up. Let your words resonate in the air. Let important thoughts linger, let emotional moments land. And don’t forget to pause. Pausing is an incredibly valuable tool. If you tend to use fi llers (ums, ahs), use silence instead. When you become comfortable with silence, you communicate much more confi dence.

Body language is another important element in giving a presentation. Make sure your body is congruent with your message. If your body is saying one thing and your words are saying something else, people will believe your body. There is a primitive part of your brain that decides whether or not to trust others by reading nonverbal cues. Signals such as eye contact, posture and tone of voice are key.

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So how do you improve your body language? First, remember to breathe. Shallow breathing—something we all do when we’re nervous—triggers the “fi ght or fl ight” response; deep breathing encour-ages you to relax. (For more tips on handling public-speaking jitters, see “Calm those Nerves” on page M16.) You commu-nicate confi dence when you’re comfortable with yourself. When you relax, your audience relaxes with you. And best of all, full breathing will also help you to remember things. Think of breath as opening the doors to your intelligence, your wit and your sense of humor.

Another important component of body language is posture. Your posture shows people how you feel about yourself, how you feel about them and how you feel about your material. Just a slight collapse in the chest or a droop in the shoulders will communicate a sense of apathy, tiredness or weakness. You might not be feeling any of those things, but that’s what your body is communicating. Good alignment is not a rigid, static position. You want to stand tall, but with a sense of ease.

The right gestures can also be a critical aspect of positive body language. Many people have the tendency to clasp their hands tightly behind or in front of their body. You can express yourself better if you allow for some movement. Not a lot of quick, jerky, nervous movements, but some fl ow that can illustrate an extension of your thoughts. Move your elbows away from your body, allow your palms to face forward and allow some slow movements along with some stillness. The key is to develop gestures that are natural, expres-sive and purposeful, which will ultimately give more meaning to your content.

The fi nal ingredient of solid body language is eye contact. Many people will merely glance at their audience. Brief, choppy eye contact may communicate distrust or anxiety. An open face, a genuine smile and a sparkle in the eyes will immediately open the doors to greater rapport with your audience. You might not feel like smiling when giving a presenta-

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tion, but, when appropriate, do it anyway. You’ll look younger, more vital and more interested in your material. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve worked with who were reluctant to smile—until they saw themselves on videotape. Rather than looking professional, as they imagined, they looked lethargic or bored. With a smile, their whole face and presentation had a sense of levity.

And that levity can really add to the quality of your speech. After all, joy sells. It’s a great motivator. So, above all, in preparing for and delivering your presenta-tion, have fun.

Jean Hamilton is the founder of Speaking Results, a presentation-coaching fi rm based in Seattle.

C a l m t h o s e N e r v e s

Over the years, as I’ve coached

executives on their public-speaking

skills, I’ve discovered that many

successful business leaders harbor a

secret: They routinely tremble—though

usually unnoticed by their audience—

during the fi rst fi ve minutes of a public

presentation. And even after their fear

subsides, the notion of it can linger in

the backs of their minds as a nagging

worry that dampens the delivery of

their entire address.

Sound familiar? Take comfort in the fact

that you’re not alone. But don’t stop

there. There are things you can do to

conquer your fear.

Step 1: Be prepared. Think you’re too

busy? Think again. If you haven’t

prepared for your presentation, you

should be nervous. Some executives

believe they can “wing it,” and

sometimes they can. But unless you’re a

skilled improviser, you’ll tend to ramble

and veer off course—and waste your

audience’s time.

Step 2: Visualize success. Borrow from

successful athletes who have visualized

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their way to victory. Get clear on what

needs to happen during the presenta-

tion. Next, imagine how you look, feel

and sound when the presentation is

going well. And think positively.

Whatever you focus on expands, so

focus on what you want to happen.

Step 3: Warm up. Actors, dancers and

athletes do this before any perfor-

mance. They know a warmed-up body

will be at its peak when required. Just as

you wouldn’t think of running a race

right after you got out of bed, you don’t

want to start a speech “cold.” Do some

simple vocal exercises, go for a quick

walk and/or practice your speech aloud.

Loosen up and get your body moving. A

presentation is a mental, emotional and

physical activity.

Step 4: Remember: It’s not about you.

Nervous feelings may mean you’re

thinking too much about yourself and

whether the audience likes you.

Instead, put your focus on meeting the

needs of your audience. What do you

want to convey to them? How does

your message help them? What do you

want to make sure they remember?

When you think about meeting these

objectives, rather than worrying about

their opinion of you, your fear settles

down.

Step 5: Breathe. Shallow breathing,

something we all do when afraid, can

trigger the fi ght-or-fl ight response. It’s

impossible to feel and look confi dent

when you’re holding your breath. As

you breathe deeply into the belly, you

communicate confi dence and a more

commanding presence.

Step 6: Connect with your audience.

Rather than feeling separate and

removed, allow your eyes to focus on

people and make a real connection.

Spend time completely present with

your audience and feel a sense of

gratitude for the opportunity to

present. —J.H.

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