Ever hear the one about picturing your audience naked to overcome your fear of presenting to them? How about the one about practicing in front of a mirror? Anyone who has ever tried either of those well-meaning tropes knows how futile they are. Deluding ourselves that we can calm fears by laughing at our audience, or that we can convince them of anything by faking authenticity, is worse than a waste of time. It prevents us from using our greatest power as presenters: our true selves. Try ignoring the “worst advice” and substituting powerful communication instead.

Worst Advice:

Memorize Your Presentation

Now this one sounds reasonable enough on the surface. After all, much of our fear about presenting is wrapped up in our fear of looking foolish in front of others. Some of that comes from our fear of drawing a blank when all eyes are on us. If we memorize our presentation, that won’t happen, right? Perhaps, but what will certainly happen is that we’ll be taken out of “the moment” as we put all of our energy and attention on recalling the least significant portion of our presentation: the literal words. Suddenly, we’re not focused on the immediate reaction we’re getting from the audience or on making sure we’re connecting with them. We’re focusing instead on making sure the words keep coming. That sets the bar too low: surviving the presentation until the end isn’t your goal. CONNECTING to your audience is.

Instead: Know Your Presentation

Focus on the essence of what you’re presenting: namely your key messages. This is what’s most important for your audience to understand. If the worst happens and all of your materials and notes disappeared, how would you summarize what you came to say? Put those bigger ideas up front and build your presentation around them. Your audience won’t likely remember all of the supporting details, but they should remember your key points. Worry less about repeating the exact words you intended and more about making sure you’re connecting. If you see heads nodding, react. If you see puzzled looks, don’t just plow through. Stop and make sure you’re not rushing ahead of your audience just to fill space. Slow yourself down and make sure you really see your audience and gauge their reactions. Remember, no one knows what you were supposed to say, so don’t let a pause or different phrasing than you’d planned throw you.

Use a Lot of Bullets

For some reason, lots of presenters think they can take a long, dry presentation and suddenly make it come alive if they can just add enough bullets to the screen. Ever sit through one of those presentations where the bullets don’t in any way indicate an abbreviated point? Heck, they may not even indicate a point! Here’s the thing: TEXT ON A SLIDE IS NOT A VISUAL AID. There is nothing about text that makes it more understandable, or illustrative, than the spoken word, by itself.

Instead: Put the Visual Back in Visual Aid

Are there actual visuals that would help illustrate your points? Can you bring in relevant charts, graphs, photos, illustrations to help your audience “see” your points? If you must use bullets, greatly reduce them and the words you use. Your audience didn’t come to read and they didn’t come to listen to YOU read to them. (Hint: if you use punctuation in your bulleted information, you’re using too many words.)

More is Better

Ever sit through a presentation that’s a product of many hands? More detail, more slides, with the presenter intoning something like… “..and here you can see again… “ or “this is just yet another example of… “ Yes, you want to prove your key points. Data does help you do that. However, information overload may quickly confuse your audience and actually mask your key points.

Instead: Pointed is Powerful

Limit your backup points and secondary data to your “best stuff.” Ask yourself whether any given slide is necessary, why, and what might instead be moved to handout material. Remember, this is ORAL presentation. That means it’s necessary for presenters to pay attention to higher messages, with just enough information to lend strong support. Remember, you are the presentation, so stay center stage.

It can be certainly certain that in each and every sort of company, we will have to make a presentation. Presentations to a couple of individuals and maybe even hundreds. The presentation may take numerous styles.

1 – Information and facts that’ll be provided to a possible customer or client. The customer will likely then take the information and facts away with him or her and examine it. Maybe it’s an approximated quotation or maybe more information on your services and products.

2 – Information and also statistics which will be provided to a company associate and used as a part of a company conference. The important points and statistics could possibly be end of the calendar month economic statistics that will then be filed.

3 – Advertising material regarding your business that’s to be given away at an convention. Just as before prospects can take details away with him or her.

4 – Improvements and guidelines that’ll be provided to workers to take away and accomplish within their divisions.

Your demonstration alone is extremely important and also the initial step to making a great impression is to use unique presentation folders. Consider it. Should you be going to buy from 1 of 2 organizations, 1 business passed you information and facts inside a plastic bag and the other passed you information and facts inside a custom made presentation folder.

Which business will you be far more impressed with? Not surprisingly it will be the business which had the personalized folder. You would probably have noticed they’re far more professional and capable of taking that little step in order to make a very good impression. What exactly makes a great presentation folder?

A tailor made presentation folder has got to carry on your organization theme. When the details that it’s going to include, is generic details provided monthly, then make use of your business colours, logo design as well as style. When the folder is usually to be used in order to pitch a company concept then carry on the company concept to the design of the custom made folders.

Look at the quality of stock utilized to produce the folder. You’ve got previously made a great impression by not utilizing out of the box folders. Do not wreck that by utilizing low quality stock which rips while holding the details. The particular presentation folder will probably be used by a lots of people and continually opened up then closed. The particular folders have to be long lasting as well as robust whilst still looking excellent.

There are numerous businesses on the net that will currently have layouts made-up. Then you’re able to merely place your business logo and name and it’ll be already printed to suit your needs. If you can’t obtain the style that you’re searching for, take a look in your local phone directory for any printing store which will provide you with a quotation. Be aware that often special discounts are provided for large purchases.

Most significant is your personalized folder provides contact details including your web site address, phone numbers as well as current email address. If it doesn’t, make certain a little slit is added so that you can insert your organization card. Creating personalized folders for almost any presentation is a superb method to increase business as well as increase your standing as one of good quality and excellence.

These days, it seems as though grammar, spelling and punctuation have gone the way of the 250 KB computer. With chat and text messaging, there’s hardly a need… right? Wrong!

As business people, it is imperative that you check and double-check ANYTHING you send out to promote your business. I can understand if you are doing a quick chat or text message with a friend. That’s private.

But in business, it’s all about credibility. You may be very good at what you do and you always want to put your best presentation forward. If you don’t take the time to present yourself well, you may leave doubt in the mind of a potential client.

Would you choose to do business with the limo that has a dent in the side and a few scratches? Or the shiny, new-looking one?

If you are looking for a surgeon, would you choose the one who wears an old plaid hunting shirt and dungarees with holes in the knees and has an office with beat-up furniture from the 1960′s? Or one who has clean office with modern furniture, wears dress slacks, a dress shirt and a white coat?

It is no different with your marketing pieces.

A poorly written email could cause the reader to hit the delete key before they are finished. A poorly written sales letter, or brochure, are certainly destined for the trash bin. And, let’s face it, no one has time for a poorly written website.

You can talk about the Law of Attraction all day long, say affirmations, meditate, etc, but if you are not presenting yourself in line with what you want to attract, it’s a bust.

If the technical side of writing is difficult for you, what can you do? It’s all well and good to find a friend to look over your latest writing, and if they are an exceptional writer, that may be sufficient. Otherwise you want to hire a professional editor.

An editor will go through your writing and make sure that you are getting your message across to your audience. They will check your grammar, punctuation and spelling to be sure everything is correct.

With a small item, it won’t cost you much, but will enhance your presentation and probably increase your response rate over time. If you are sending out frequent emails or marketing pieces, you may want to keep an editor on retainer. In other words, you pay them, up front, x amount of dollars for x amount of hours of work. That way they are available when you need them.

The little money you spend will be well worth it. You can feel confident that you are presenting your business, and yourself, in the best light possible and are attracting the quality clientele your seek for your business.