October 2010 Newsletter
Use Numbers Effectively During a Presentation.
Whenever I’m asked how to best give presentations involving numbers, I think of an old joke.
What do you get when you cross a Mafia Godfather with an economist?
Someone who will make you an offer that you can’t understand.
Indeed one of the biggest challenges in business communication is speaking speak simply about data and financial information. Most listeners have a hard time processing numbers.But following a few principles can make it easy on your audience.
Principle 1: Question whether to give the presentation.
Some financial presentations just need to be taken out back and shot.
I worked with a manager that wanted to spice up her monthly financial results meeting. “The information is stuff that we already know,” she told me. “It takes two hours. Everyone hates the meeting.”
“Why bother having the meeting?”
“It’s expected,” she said.
Many meetings are held because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” But life is short. If all you’re doing is distributing information that everyone could review on their own, send a memo.
Want New eBook on "Rifle-Shot" Presentations Aims To Make the Business World a Better Place.
The business world would be a better place if all presentations were shorter. With that in mind, Speechworks has published a new eBook entitled "How to Create a Seven Minute Rifle Shot Presentation."
To Overcome Stage-Fright, Eat Yogurt and Nuts . . . And Don't Forget to Rehearse Like Crazy!
Yogurt and nuts can reduce anxiety during your next presentation, according to a new study.
Scientists in Slovakia gave either amino-acid supplements or a placebo to a group of men and asked them to give a speech.
The men who had taken the supplements experienced half as much anxiety according measurements of stress hormones in their bloodstream.
Want to Know How to Best Use a Quotation?
Just say it. Don't put it on your Slide.
A client recently sent over a deck of slides for a big presentation on leadership. The first slide was a quotation from Jack Welch, the former GE Chairman.
“My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.”
What a great quote!
But what value do you add to the audience by putting it on the slide? We think none at all. That’s why we advise our clients never to put quotes on slides.
Remember that the speaker is the most important visual; far more important than any slide. You’re there as a leader to influence your audience with your ideas and your intensity.
Public Speaking Tip from John Wayne
"Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.”
Those are the words of John Wayne. And, when it comes to giving presentations, they’re good words to keep in mind.
The fact is that anxiety is an inevitable part of presenting. And there is a good chance that you’re going to be scared. But if you’ve prepared your message properly and rehearse, then you should still be able to “climb up on that horse.”
At Speechworks, we give our clients the tools they need to saddle up and move an audience. We teach our clients to connect with audiences by focusing our programs on two areas: