I believe we should do everything in our power to break down walls, build trust, and humanize ourselves to our audience.
So, if we have an opportunity to build that trust BEFORE a presentation even starts, let's do that!
Why not? It will put you and the audience at more ease -- and the result is that they'll be more inclined to listen and be engaged with your presentation. Why? Because that initial trust/connection is already there!
Make eye contact with your audience
Look at people when you’re speaking to them. Let them know that they’re also a part of the conversation or presentation.
If I’m not making any eye contact with a portion of my audience, then they may feel like I’m neglecting them, or they may not feel as inclined to pay attention.
You want people engaged, and eye contact lets people know that you’re paying attention to them.
What makes a presenter great?
I hit the streets of Toronto to find out what people thought make a good presenter.
Check out the video below.
Should you move around when presenting?
To move or not to move...
I say, do what you can do engage your audience. And slow, deliberate movement can be a good thing to keep people more engaged.
Just make sure you’re not sprinting 🏃♀️ around the stage 🙂
The Helping Mindset: Nerves to Excitement
Adopting a helping mindset can be a powerful speaking tool.
I’ve realized that when we take the focus/thoughts off of ourselves, and direct that focus on how we can help our audience, we start getting excited to speak our message.
As a result, our message is received so much better. When people sense that you’re there to help them, they are usually much more inclined to listen.
So, adopt the helping mindset. Figure out and focus on how your message is helping the people in your audience, and you’ll start getting more excited to speak!
Two easy ways to calm presentation nerves
From the research that I’ve gathered, public speaking is the #1 most common fear amongst people. Not necessarily the biggest, but the most common of fears.
So, how can we overcome this fear?
What’s worked really well for me is remembering this: focus = feelings.
If I can take the focus/thoughts off myself, and put that focus directly on my audience, then it’s hard to be nervous.
Check out 2 quick tips in the clip below.
Be Relevant!
When I’m speaking to people, particularly an audience, I try to keep two questions in mind:
1. Could what I’m saying be helpful or important to them?
2. Could what I’m saying be interesting to them?
If the answer is NO to both, then I just don't say it.
Here’s the deal: we want to connect with people. We want to break down barriers between us and our audience.
The more relevant we can be, the stronger chance we have of building that connection.
Giving an Exciting & Conversational Presentation
A note on presentation skills (and TV shows).
Use the same tone and excitement giving a presentation just as you would telling your friend about your new favourite TV show.
The way we talk about our favourite TV show (or movie, restaurant, book, etc.) is usually conversational and exciting.
And guess what... that’s what people listen to!
Top 6 Presentation Reminders
Below are my top 6 reminders to help you feel more confident going into your next presentation.
1. Mindset. When we focus on how we’re helping our audience, we start feeling confident and excited about our presentation.
2. Non-Verbal Communication. The more we use non-verbal communication to engage our audience & reinforce our message, the more our audience will absorb what we’re saying.
3. Conversational Delivery. Presentations are not solo performances – they’re authentic conversations between the speaker and the audience.
4. Simplicity. If you confuse people, you lose people.
5. Relevance. If your message isn’t helpful or interesting to your audience, they have no reason to listen.
6. Answering Questions. People will remember how you answered more than what you answered, which means, stay calm and always appreciate the question.
What selling film, volunteering and ceiling fans have in common.
I’ve sold film to TV buyers. I’ve sold volunteering to big banks. I’ve sold ceiling fans to architects and building owners.
Throughout the thousands of people that I’ve met — their jobs, goals, interests and needs have often been different.
Here’s the beauty of it though. They still all have goals. They all have interests. They all have needs.
Once I recognized that — I realized that the fundamentals of selling, presenting — they’re the same. I learned that it’s about connecting with your specific audience, building trust with them and getting excited about what you do.
How do you do that? It starts with relevance. When someone feels that you’re speaking to them, that you understand them, that you care about them — that’s when trust is built. And when trust is built, that’s when people listen.
I knew that the TV buyer wanted the content that would boost her ratings, that the big bank had a corporate social responsibility to uphold, and that the architect wanted his building to be energy-efficient, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.
Yes, your audience will often be different - but remember - they ALL have goals. They all have interests. And they all have needs. So, learn them.
Once you understand how you and your message are relevant to them, then you’re ready to sell fans, film or anything else!