Posts tagged as:

rehearsal

8 presentation tips to make your eye contact more powerful

December 2, 2009

Even a newbie at public speaking knows they should make eye contact. But the term eye contact is rather vague. It can infer just making fleeting “contact” with a person then moving on. Don’t make eye contact – make “eye connection”. Eye connection means spending time with each person so that person feels like you’re [...]

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How to use your fear of public speaking to be a better speaker

August 2, 2009

It’s normal to get nervous about public speaking. When you stand up in front of people and open your mouth, you’re making yourself vulnerable. Public speaking involves risk. So aiming for zero fear is unrealistic. I still get nervous when I have to present in unfamiliar situations. I’m very used to presenting to small groups [...]

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What you need to know before your first presentation

July 9, 2009

Giving your first presentation or speech is daunting. I’ve worked with many new presenters and here’s the advice that has made the most difference to them. 1. Content is king Your audience is there for what you are going to say. Not how you say it. This is good news for you as a new [...]

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How to prevent and recover from mind blanks

May 7, 2009

Are you concerned that you might suffer a mind blank during a presentation? The fear of a mind blank can be a large part of the fear of public speaking for many people. It happened to Sally Field in her Emmy Acceptance speech in 2007: How can you avoid this happening to you? How to [...]

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15 ways to improve your presentations in 2009

December 31, 2008

This is a big meaty post with 15 ways to improve your presentations. These ideas are designed to challenge you to stretch yourself. With each idea I’ve pointed you to further resources from fellow presentation bloggers or from my own archives. Choose one or two to work on at a time. Bookmark this post, so [...]

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Review of the top 10 methods to overcome fear of public speaking #1

November 4, 2008

There’s a ton of internet advice on how to overcome the fear of public speaking. Much of the advice is of the “what worked for me” kind. Or the advice is the first stage of trying to sell you a a hypnosis CD. So how do you decide what advice to follow? In this post [...]

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I wish I’d spoken at my father’s funeral

October 26, 2008

Being able to express yourself publicly at important ceremonies and celebrations – funerals, weddings, christenings and birthdays – is one of the greatest gifts. My father died 10 years ago. I was going to speak at his funeral. But when we arrived at the church all I could see were the distinguished, CEO-looking men in [...]

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How to go from good presenter to great presenter

October 21, 2008

There is one thing that will take you from being a good presenter to becoming a great presenter. I’ve recently returned from 5 weeks travelling overseas. The first week back in New Zealand we ran a one-day presentation skills course. This is routine stuff for me. I’ve delivered the same material two to three times [...]