PCCA Journal 3rd Quarter 2013 - page 21

PCCA Journal|3
rd
Quarter 2013
21
your presentation.
3. Incorporate pauses.
The audience needs time to savor
what you have said. You can talk much more quickly
than the listener can digest. Add some breathing space.
4. Enjoy yourself.
I don’t know why a lot of leaders don’t
smile more often. That is puzzling to me. By smiling,
using appropriate humor, and generally enjoying yourself,
you engage the audience in a much more effective way.
5. Manage glossophobia!
That is the ten-dollar word for the
fear of public speaking. If you are like a lot of people, you
become anxious about standing and presenting. Remem-
ber:
a. Preparation and practice are your best offense.
b. The purpose of your presentation—why you are pre-
senting. You are simply sharing a message with people
who need to know what you know.
c. To focus on the audience and their needs and con-
cerns.
d. Perfection is not the goal.
e. You are delivering a message to a group of people, one
person at a time.
f. Breathe!
6. Stickability matters.
Make your message memorable. No
matter how important your message, if it doesn’t stick
the listener would have been better off working on their
“to-do” list or playing golf! Personal stories make the
message stick like duct tape! They draw people into the
moment and start the movies in their heads.
Sharing your message in a positive manner can do more
for getting buy-in than any other tool you have. I do under-
stand that public speaking is difficult for many people and
also know that with the right tools you can use speaking as
an opportunity to increase your effectiveness and influence in
your organization and industry.
Because you have “stuck it out” to the end of this article,
I have a gift for you. If you are interested in a special report
on meeting skills, tips to avoid being power-pointless, or a
worksheet for designing a presentation, just send an e-mail to
. In the meantime, utilize the skills
of public speaking to rally your teams, to bring a vision to
life, and to close more sales!
Shirley Garrett is a presentations skills coach and works with
individuals and groups who want to create and deliver more
compelling messages and close more sales. She can be reached
at (770) 823-8668 or
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