How can I use charts and graphs more effectively in my presentations?

The key to using charts and tables more effectively is to first zero in on the message you want to get across. Ask yourself what the numbers show and what they mean to your audience. Don't try and put everything on your slides. A good rule of thumb is one idea per slide.

Once you know what you want to communicate, follow these simple Dos and Don'ts.

• Don't make text too small - Use a minimum of 18 point type
• Don't overwhelm with all the data - Highlight key data points
• Do indicate talking points - Use animation to add explanation
• Do make your points visual - Use pictures and graphics

What's the best way to rehearse a talk?

The most important thing you can do is to stand up and verbalize what you will say. Too many people run through their presentations silently in their heads instead of standing up and speaking the words out loud. By making your practice as real as possible you reduce nerves and ensure that what you are saying makes sense. It also gives you an opportunity to practice gestures and vocal variety - two 2very important delivery elements.

How often should I repeat my key message?

To deliver a memorable presentation, you must get clear about what your key message is and then repeat it at least three times during your talk. Think of your key message as a bumper sticker you leave with your audience. It's the one thing that you want them to take away once they leave the presentation. So it's important to state it in your opening, in the body of the presentation, and again when you close.

Is it best not to eat much before giving a speech?

You don't want to give a speech on an empty stomach, but it's generally best to eat lightly before speaking. The wrong food and drink causes two problems for speakers: dry mouth and increased nervousness. So avoid the following:

• Coffee, tea or caffeinated sodas
• Alcoholic drinks
• Milk, ice cream, & any milk-based product
• Salty foods

How can I avoid information overload?

One way to avoid overloading your audience with too much information is to use the CIS formula which stands for concept - illustration - specific.

One way to avoid overloading your audience with too much information is to use the CIS formula which stands for concept - illustration - specific.

Concept: Let's say you're talking about software to help with customer relationship management. You could compare the software to a personal file folder full of information on every client that can be accessed instantly.

Illustration: To illustrate that concept, you could ask your audience to imagine that they needed information on the Green Company. Your software would allow them to do a quick lookup and instantly see all the people listed at the Green Company.

Specific: To make it specific, you could let them know that your unique relational database system allows you to maintain over 30 million pieces of data. Then show them a demonstration of how it works.

If you follow the CIS formula, your audience will not be overwhelmed by information because you will have given them a useful context for what you are presenting.

How do you prepare for a team sales presentation?

When you know you'll be presenting as part of a team, it's important to meet beforehand to work out the dynamics. Here are a few tips to help you succeed.

• Decide how each presenter will introduce the speaker who follows; it helps to memorize these bridging statements
• Switch speakers with enthusiasm
• Assign a team lead to monitor time and answer questions
• Start and end with a key individual who has the message of ownership and passion
• Limit the number of presenters if possible
• Create variety in presentation length
• Plan room layout and seating ahead of time

Of course, you should get together at least once to rehearse your presentation as a team. It's also an excellent idea to set some of this rehearsal time aside to prepare answers to likely questions.

How important is vocal variety in a presentation?

Psychologists have determined we are five times more likely to be influenced by voice than the spoken word. Here are four ways you can use your voice to add color and meaning to what you say.

Pause: allows the audience to take in a key point
Pitch: keeps the audience interested
Pace: helps your audience stay on track
Project: ensures your voice will be heard in the back of the room

Think of your voice as an instrument you can use to keep your delivery interesting. Try changing your pace, pitch, and projection while rehearsing your speech - and don't forget to add pauses. Using them strategically will draw your audience in and keep them waiting for more.

How can I use gestures more effectively?

It's important to plan gestures that emphasize your point because they help the audience "see" what you mean. Here are some words that are commonly used and gestures that bring those words to life:

Remember to practice your gestures when you rehearse your speech. All it takes is a few practice sessions to become more relaxed and comfortable using them when you stand up in front of your audience to present.

How can I create a speech that is relevant to my audience?

The first step in any presentation is to tune into your audience's radio station: WIIFM. What's In It For Me? Start by analyzing their needs as related to your topic. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are their particular challenges?
• What are their interests?
• What point of view will they have about what you're presenting?

The more you can know about your audience and their needs, the better prepared you'll be to focus your presentation around what they need to hear.

Then after you've analyzed your audience, ask yourself: What is the one thing I want them to remember a week later? This one thing is your key message. Make sure it's tuned into your audience's radio station: WIIFM.

How can I get comfortable with my speech?

The more comfortable you are with your speech, the more confident and relaxed you'll be when you deliver it. It pays to practice - out loud. Here are some methods you can use:

• Write out your speech.
• Audiotape and listen to your speech while you're in your car.
• Create a pictorial map of key thought chunks and use it to rehearse.
• Give your talk while walking through your house and change rooms with each new section of the talk. This is what the Romans did - some of the expressions we use today come from that tradition: "In the first place...in the second place..."
• Tell jokes, stories and examples from your speech to friends and associates before your talk.

What does it mean to speak with authenticity?

When you speak with authenticity, you bring yourself into the presentation. You use personal pronouns ("I" "me") and show passion or interest in your subject. One way you can do this is by sharing an anecdote or example from your own experience.

Here are three questions you can ask yourself to test your authenticity:

• Would I speak this way to a friend?
• Could someone else give my talk?
• Am I coming across as a talking head?

When you come across authentically, your audience is more likely to connect with you and trust what you say.

Do you have any advice for how to introduce a speaker?

When you introduce a speaker, your goal is to pique audience interest and establish the speaker’s credibility. The following format can help you structure your remarks.

Start with an engaging opening. You could tell the audience how you came to know the speaker, share a brief anecdote about him or her, or open with a quote from an article relevant to the topic.

Next, explain why the speaker or the topic is of interest to the group and why this speaker is qualified.  If possible, share a brief anecdote about the speaker that reveals his or her qualities.

Last, invite the audience to join you in giving a warm welcome to the speaker.

What can I do to grab the attention of my audience right away?

There are several ways you can gain interest and buy-in from your audience before you go on to deliver the main points in your presentation. Here are a few ideas for grabbing your audience’s attention when you open.

What are some ways to introduce humor into a presentation?

Using humor is a great way to create rapport with your audience by lightening the mood. Try turning your own life experiences into humorous stories. We've all had problems, and telling funny stories about yourself creates an impression that you're secure, confident, and likable.

Here are four great books we recommend which are packed full of ideas for adding more humor to your next presentation.

"Laugh and Get Rich" by Rick Segal and Darren LaCroix
"Start with a Laugh" by Liz Carpenter
"Humor – The Magic of Genie" by Jeanne Robertson
"Using Stories and Humor" by Joanna Slan

What's the most effective way to use handouts when giving a presentation?

First of all, remember that you're in charge of how to convey your information. Think about how your audience will use it. For example, if you're sharing research, you could highlight the key points on a slide and include the rest of the research in a handout. If your audience needs to follow along and take notes during the presentation, give them the handout as you talk through it. Otherwise, you can give them the handout at the end of your presentation.

How do you remember key messages during a Q & A?

I just came back from an industry conference where I was asked a lot of questions by the press regarding our company and new products. I found myself feeling flustered and forgot a lot of what I was planning to say. Do you have any suggestions?

When we are stressed, abstract concepts are difficult to recall, so I recommend you create an acronym that will help you remember the key concepts. For example, if your key message is “We are the industry leader” your three supporting points might be:

1. Technical expertise
2. First to market with new products
3. Twice as much market share as our closest competitor

In this example, you could use "LEFT" as your reminder. This acronym stands for Leader, Expertise, First and Twice.

How much should I rehearse before a presentation?

You should always plan rehearsal time into your timeline so that you have enough time to run through your entire presentation with your visual aids and without.

There's no set number of times you need to rehearse, but the more you do, the more smoothly your presentation will go. A good rule of thumb is to rehearse enough so that your talk is second nature.

Here are some tips for planning your rehearsal time:

• Find someone to listen and give you feedback.
• Rehearse your timing and write down how long each section takes you.
• Practice at least once with your visual aids so you know when you'll use them and what you'll say.
• Prepare for the Q&A by thinking about the questions you might be asked and then rehearsing brief, clear answers.

How should you conclude a speech?

A strong finish is as important as a strong start. Never skip your closing, even if your speech is cut short. This is the time to remind your audience what you want them to do and to get agreement on next steps. Aim for a final  crescendo  and leave your audience in a heightened emotional state and sense of closure. Here are fourteen ideas for an effective close.

1. Summarize major points
2. Tell a story
3. Appeal to a nobler motive
4. Challenge to act or be committed
5. Restate key benefits to audience
6. Give motivating statement
7. Quote
8. Dramatization of big idea
9. Make a direct appeal
10. Look ahead – visualize
11. Ask rhetorical question
12. Refer back to opener
13. Qualities needed to achieve purpose
14. Bonds between
• you and audience
• audience members to each other
• audience to larger entity

How do you create a speech on short notice?

If you have very little time to prepare a speech, spend your time zeroing in on your purpose and your audience. Ask yourself, "What do I want to accomplish? How do I want my audience to be different after they have heard what I have to say?"

Instead of focusing on all the things you could say about your topic, focus on what your audience needs to know for you to get your point across. One helpful way to do this is to write down the questions they are likely to have about your topic and then jot down brief answers. You'll find that you've just generated most of the content you'll need for your speech.

What is the ideal length for a presentation?

If by presentation, you mean a speech (not training or workshop) then the ideal length is between 15 and 20 minutes. In the 1970s the U.S. Navy conducted a study to find out how long people can listen to other people talk.

The Navy wanted to find out how to better use the time of instructors and students in the Navy's education system. What they discovered about the ideal length for a presentation surprised a lot of people. It wasn't an hour -- or even a half hour.

The Navy found an audience's ability to focus on what the speaker is saying and then remember what was said drops off significantly at 18 minutes. They found this to be true across the board -- in classroom, presentation, or lecture environments.