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9 Presentation Tips to Make You a Star

Written on March 18, 2008 by George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster in Communication, Presentations

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Performing live didn’t bother Dean Martin at all. On the other hand, Frank Sinatra got quite nervous before shows. One night, right before a show, Dean noticed Frank’s anxiety again. Dean said, “Why are you so nervous, Frank? It’s just singing!”

Some people would rather walk on a bed of hot coals than make a public presentation. But it’s just speaking! Getting good at presentations is a sure-fire career builder. Just be prepared going in!

#1 – Define your purpose.
What is the desired outcome of your presentation? Know this before you do anything else. You’ll make a lot of choices as you build a great presentation; know your purpose so you make better decisions.

#2 – Know your audience.
What’s their background? What are their preferences? What has worked well for people who have made presentations to them before? What didn’t work? Design your presentation for their needs and wants.

#3 – Develop the appropriate collateral materials.
With your purpose, audience, and content in mind, develop needed support materials. For example, believe it or not, some people hate PowerPoint presentations. If you know that in advance, you might use flip charts or some other tool instead.

#4 – Develop a back-up plan.
Ask yourself, “What could go wrong?” For example, we’ve all witnessed technical difficulties. Prepare for it in advance. Your show must go on!

#5 – Plan for interaction.
Think about questions and comments that might arise. In some cases, you’ll respond on-the-spot. In others, you may defer to a follow-up discussion. Some questions or comments may not be relevant. In all cases, know how you’ll stay on track.

#6 – Put yourself in the role.
Refer to our blog, The Role of Role Playing. Rehearse by yourself, but also find someone who will listen to your presentation and follow-up with questions.

#7 – Focus on making a connection.
Seek to build trust. Make eye contact. Relax. Just plan on having a conversation so the real you shines through.

#8 – Don’t waste time.
A little small talk goes a long way. Get to your points early. Stay on point. Allow us to elaborate …

Whoops! We just about went against our own advice!

#9 – Call for action.
You started by determining your purpose. Now we’ve come full circle. Fulfill your mission by asking your audience to do what you set out to accomplish.

So keep these points handy. The next time you’re asked to present, review them, apply them, and you’ll be a star!

Our bigg quote today is by Philip Crosby.

“No one can remember more than three points.”

Wow, we just did nine points. Good thing our readers are three times smarter than no one!

Next time, we’ll talk about how to be rich today. Except we guess it will actually be tomorrow! Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

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Tags: anxiety, audience, dean martin, flip charts, frank sinatra, interaction, powerpoint presentations, presenting, public presentation, technical difficulties, tips

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Be Dashing While Dining

Written on January 24, 2008 by admin in Bigg Solutions, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Networking, Presentations

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Bigg Challenge: We recently received an e-mail from one of our newsletter subscribers. Brett is raising money for his business. He’s planned a dinner meeting with some potential investors. He wants our tips to make sure his dinner is a bigg success.

Bigg Advice: Let’s start with two pieces of general advice on how to be dashing while dining.

Do the little things well. Above all else, be yourself. That’s assuming you are respectful and sincere!

Be the leader. You’re the host; they’re the guests. Lead them through the evening.

Now, let’s look at some specifics.

Before dinner
You should choose the restaurant. Try to determine their preferences – favorite restaurant or type of food. But if you can, balance that with your own. If you have a place you know you’ll get great service, go for it!

Get there early. You set the appointment, so don’t be late. If you’re late, you’re saying to your investors that your time is more valuable than theirs.

Arrange to pay the bill away from the table. Yes, you’re paying the bill. After all, you’re the one trying to make the sale!

On the show, George talked about a businessman who wanted to buy a company. The businessman met the seller and they began negotiating. As day turned to night, they reached an impasse. They were $100,000 apart.

They decided to go out for dinner so they could come back fresh.

During dinner, the businessman decided that he would pay the extra $100,000 IF the seller paid for dinner.

You see the businessman had bought breakfast and lunch. He thought it only fair for the seller to buy dinner! The server presented the bill. It sat on the table … and sat … and sat. Finally, the businessman pulled out his credit card.

That dinner cost the seller $100,000, even though he didn’t pay for it!
During dinner
You set the agenda. Start off with some small talk, while you’re all looking at the menu. Once you’ve placed your orders, get down to business. You want time at the end for their questions or to just build your relationships.
After dessert, excuse yourself and take care of the bill.
After dinner
Walk them out. You’ll often find that your best conversations occur once you’re away from the table. There’s pressure to discuss follow-up because the night is drawing to an end. Don’t miss this great opportunity! Make sure that you follow-up. Thank them again for meeting with you. Be positive – reinforce that you look forward to working with them.