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The Might Behind a Presentation is not merely POWERPoint Print E-mail
Written by Bradley Siddell   

Preparing for a seminar or conference as one of their guest speakers should never be treated lightly.  Have you every been introduced in the pre-conference promotional material as the "keynote speaker"? podium 1

What exactly does that mean? My wife's Mother always told me that I was her favorite son-in-law. It didn't take me long to realize that I was her only son-in-law, yet this was a subtle way for her to tell me - I better not screw up! If you are ever introduced as the keynote speaker - the message is the same. 

 

The most important objective during any speaking engagement is not to simply impart knowledge but to implant understanding. Unless you have been asked to provide a report on one of your professional or personal experiences, the majority of organizations who call for presenters are banking on the fact that your message will be educational and riveting. No pressure!

Ensure the host's expectations are communicated to you and that there is no room for disappointment. Research and study the topic whether or not you are familiar with the issue or a subject matter expert. Examine your message from the point of view of the expected audience, their background, experience, interests and present day challenges. Review the local current events, trends, and industry patterns in an effort to incorporate these details into relational teaching points. Then above all else - don't be boring!

Avoid prolonged paragraphs of text in your PowerPoint. Instead, utilize images, graphs, charts, video clips, pop ups, audio (sometimes this can be annoying) everything to alert their senses and maintain their visual and audio connection to your message. People do possess separate learning mechanisms, we all utilize various senses to compile and process the data. Therefore, don't throw in the towel if you don't always have eye contact, but be sensitive to other "tells" in the crowd. Are they responsive with their body language? Are you interacting with them intellectually? Are you drilling into there consciousness and implanting seeds of wisdom or are you causing them to become unconscious?

Unfortunately not everyone is cut out to be a public speaker. You may be the authority in your area of expertise and you may be internationally known as the most wise and venerable custodian of wisdom. However, if not in the form of a written thesis you have no capacity to "convey". Don't be discouraged, you were placed on this Earth for a purpose - it just wasn't to speak in front of a group of people. If you have not grabbed the attention of your audience within the first minute, you have already embarked on a downhill slide to dullness. My advice, leave it to the gifted.