Break A Leg!
4 Keys To A Successful Presentation
1. Oganize Your Thoughts
* Be certain that you fully understand your audience. Do you really have a grasp on the reason each and every attendee is there?
* Remember that your presentation purpose is not only to educate, but to ENGAGE. Your goal must be to generate appointments . . .not solve their problems.
* Make sure your presentation follows a logical sequence and that the only conclusion is that participants must meet with you individually to consider solutions to their specific issues.
2. Connect With Your Audience
* Convey your compelling content with PASSION. It is not enough to be well-versed in the subject of your presentation. Your audience has to believe that you are passionate about the subject. Passion is often the key to seeing you as the expert.
* Plan and control the setting.
* Introduce yourself as the expert.
* Plan your time carefully to complete all material.
* Plan for questions that interrup your flow.
* Determine the best seating arrangement?
* Determine how you will handle a technology failure?
* Open decisively. Shock your audience with a quote, statement or statistic they didn't know.
* Be the expert. I said this earlier, but it is worth repeating. Tell your audience that YOU ARE THE EXPERT and then tell them that they are headed for an appointment with you.
3. Send Powerful Messages
* Free your language of sexism, racism, classism, and any other forms of offense.
* Use language correctly.
* Use FORCEFUL language.
* Speak clearly, distinctly and eloquently.
* Avoid unneccesary utterances like "um" and "uh."
* Vary the tone of your voice.
* Don't be rigid, but harness your body language.
4. Master The Finishing Touches
* Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
* Defeat nervousness. Even though this may be the first time you have delivered the presentation, it is likely that you are more expert on the topic than anyone else in the room. Don't let anyone intimidate you with their questions or demeanor. YOU ARE THE EXPERT!
* Manage your audience. Postpone questions until the end of your presentation.
* Refer to participants by name.
* Ask questions only when you are certain of the answer.
* Close with a bang.
An Interesting Twist
Invite prospective client(s) to your seminar via webinar. (Make www.GoToMeeting.com an integral part of your practice.)
Provide lunch for your participant(s) by sending over a $10 Pizza Hut Pizza.
Present your seminar/webinar with a well-prepared PowerPoint presentation
Tell your participants that you have a book or white paper on _______ and you will deliver it when you get together after the presentation.
Follow up immediately via telephone to schedule one-on-one appointments to answer questions and get feedback.
About Rick Schwartz
- TheWorkshopCoach
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- Over the last 28 years I have worked with business owners who were focused on building their businesses. Some were starting from scratch. Others were a year or two into their existance and looking for ways to move beyond survival mode. Still others had matured, but growth had leveled off. During the past five years I have been heavilly focused on business owners who were beginning to prepare for their ultimate transition from the business. Additionally, I work directly with advisors to business owners who would like to grow their practice. We put systems in place and craft a message that resonates with the business owner. Working with business owners and those that serve them is certainly the most gratifying work I could ask for.
