"Why Public Speaking Is Good for Your Brand"

Click here to read "Why Public Speaking Is Good for Your Brand" - it's a worthwhile and succinct article -- with good comments from readers.

Happy New Year!

Presentation Challenges - Helpful Links ~
These are the links I e-mailed to our team on 12/18/09, right after our session in the Red Rose Cafe. Just wanted to post them here as well!

Public Speaking and Panic Attacks
A few quotes from this article:
"It is often observed that many people’s top ranking fear is not death but having to speak in public..." ;-)
"I won’t be able to handle this in front of these people."
"Danger–I’m going to have an episode of anxiety here and I really can’t afford that to happen."

"Public Speaking: What if My Mind Goes Blank?"
This excellent and practical article also covers looking for your place in your notes. It develops these three points:
Point 1: Bring your notes
Point 2: Acknowledge that you've lost your train of thought
Point 3: Move on and forget about it
Note: I found this unique tip in an otherwise unmemorable NYU newsletter on presenting: "Practice losing your place in your script or notes – and finding it again."

Fear of Public Speaking: Click the link – then type "fear" into the search site box at upper right.
You will get a dozen or more articles on the Olivia Mitchell site – different approaches and angles on the fear of public speaking. (The site won’t save the "fear" search URL, but it’s easy for you to do.)

Assignment with Details - updated 11/6/09

Your Assignment
Write and present a 3-minute speech on one of the following topics:
1. favorite person (friend, family, or public figure you admire)
2. favorite memory of an event
3. favorite activity
4. work-related topic

Think about how you want to improve as a presenter and focus on those elements in particular. These elements could include: content, organization, body language, vocal variety (rather than monotone), eye contact, pacing, comfort, and confidence.

Your Audience
Your audience will be AG associates, both known and unknown to you, whose goal is to help you develop your presentation skills.

Your Resources
For brainstorming, outlining, gathering ideas:
SUCCESs - the "Made to Stick" Way

Practical tips for getting organized:
Our "Lucky 13" ~ Quick Tips from Pro Presenter Olivia Mitchell

Practicing your presentation
"OPEN UP!" presentation acronym
Team Picks for Exceptional Presenters - YouTube
Bad presenters, distractions, and energizing
Games Checklist - 5 affirmations for presenting

Our Schedule
Actual dates are to be determined; these are estimates:

1. Informal work session (team) - early to mid-December

2. Dress rehearsal (team) - early to mid-January

3. Command performance (team plus audience) - early February. This will be a fun event!

SUCCESs - the "Made to Stick" Way

Here's an another approach you can use when preparing your presentation: the SUCCESs acronym from Made to Stick by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. A very special shout-out to Kelle Schwab, who told me about this book!

The Six Principles of Sticky Ideas:
How to tailor your ideas in a way that makes them more creative and more effective with your audience

SUCCESs =
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credentialed
Emotional
Stories

Click here to get the full excerpt with examples and details about all six principles.

"OPEN UP!" presentation acronym

OPEN UP!

O for Organized
P for Passionate
E for Engaged
N for Natural

U for Understand your audience
P for Practice!

This is another handy checklist in acronym form. Remember to consider what each of the words/phrases means to you — how you “do” each one in your unique way.

You can use the checklist as you prepare, and just before presenting to help you relax and focus.

The "OPEN UP!" presentation acronym was created by Tim Koegel, author of the book The Exceptional Presenter. I use this book and recommend it highly if you want to go deeper with your presentation skills development.

Our "Lucky 13" ~ Quick Tips from Pro Presenter Olivia Mitchell

These quick tips from Olivia Mitchell are a handy resource: she packs maximum info into minimum word count! You can use "Our Lucky 13" to prep for a specific presentation, or read them in your rare quiet moments when you want to review.

QUICK TIP #1: Find time to prepare

QUICK TIP #2: Opening your presentation

QUICK TIP #3: Preparing effective notes

QUICK TIP #4: Relevant content

QUICK TIP #5: Your key message

QUICK TIP #6: Include "evidence"

QUICK TIP #7: "Signposting"

QUICK TIP #8: Limit what you say

QUICK TIP #9: Using jargon

QUICK TIP #10: Avoid "minimizing" language

QUICK TIP #11: Avoid "waffling"

QUICK TIP #12: Taking questions

QUICK TIP #13: Closing your presentation

Team Discussion: Exceptional Presenters

Click here to get the notes from our team discussion about exceptional presenters: who they are and why we feel they're exceptional.