The answer to this question is…. you say, “YES,” you thank them for the privilege, and then you prepare like you have never prepared before.

This was my third middle school career day keynote event, and I still remember the first one I delivered in 2009 to over 1000 students. I smile, recalling the comment I received from a National Speakers Association (NSA) member when I told her of that upcoming event. “Good luck with that!” she declared jovially.

Prior to that first middle school career day keynote, I worked hard to develop material that would resonate with the students. I spent weeks talking to my middle school son to find out what was on students’ minds, what their concerns were, what they were talking about at school, what career aspirations they were discussing. I then started thinking back to when I was 12 years old and what was happening in my life in small town Ireland. Once I jotted this information on a mind map sketch, I recalled a personal story of crashing my homemade box-cart that I could use as a metaphor in my keynote speech.

This article discusses the uses of metaphors in presentations. A metaphor is a comparison between two dissimilar things, and the comparison is implied rather than expressed.  The purpose of the metaphor is to clarify your ideas, to illuminate your points, and to make them memorable.

Success strategies for using metaphors in presentations:

• Make sure the audience can relate to the metaphor
• The audience should immediately grasp that the metaphor relates to your points
• The metaphor should be apparent and help clarify the information
• The optimal metaphor is one that weaves its way through your presentation from start to finish, illuminated with visual details.

The metaphor I used related to when I was 12 years old sitting in my homemade go-cart on top of a steep hill. I was getting ready to embark on a journey which would have challenges. I wanted the students to relate the go-cart adventure to the journey from middle school to college and on to the workplace. I took them on a career journey embedded with stories that related the trials and tribulations I experienced along the way. The career journey included signposts that would give them direction and sharp bends where bad things can happen.

The following video on YouTube shows the correlation between the box-cart metaphor and my school/college/career successes and challenges: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ndfvTLoMjo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The storyline included:

• Young Dave failing his subjects when he was 12 years old
• Making a decision not to follow my parents’ advice on career choice
• Making stink bombs and an electric shocking machine
• Changing my study habits so I could increase my grades & get a full scholarship
• Nearly getting thrown out of college for an irresponsible incident
• Becoming a successful engineer
• Making mistakes as an engineer
• Changing careers to follow my passion

How to make metaphors work for your presentations:

1. List the core concepts you are presenting (e.g. managing an unpopular change, overcoming obstacles, highlighting a technology breakthrough, using a new workplace tool, learning from mistakes).
2. Taking the first example – managing a specific unpopular change, we can now look at the list of metaphors linked below to see if anything strikes us as being relatable to the details of the presentation and is applicable to the audience.

If the audience was in the medical field, I could illuminate the content of my presentation by comparing the unpopular change to a foul tasting medicine:

• Some medicines leave a bad taste in the mouth but are proven to have long lasting beneficial effects (supporting the change with credible statistics)
• Change can be difficult to swallow (normal human resistance to change)
• Taking the medicine sip by sip (implementing the change in small steps)
• The change will improve ongoing health of the organization (identifying the financial benefit of the change).

Resources:

Metaphor List – http://www.metaphorlist.net/

Metaphor examples – http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metaphorterm.htm

Humaphors: The Top 10 Metaphors of Stephen Colbert – http://grammar.about.com/od/rhetoricstyle/a/ColbertMetaphors.htm

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking.

Dave Hill - Presentation skills Excellence

One of the most unusual stories I have heard regarding Leading With Humor was at a technology exchange conference. A senior executive did the opening keynote. During his speech he emphasized the need to take risks, to push the barriers of technology, and to make the incredible credible. He stated that this will unfortunately result in some mishaps. He went on to say that for any leading edge technology firm to excel, risks must be taken, and mistakes need to be tolerated.

He then told three anecdotes that depicted some of the errors he had made during his career. At the end of each vignette he took a raw egg out of his pocket, put it on the palm of his hand, and smashed it on his forehead to symbolize “egg on his face”.

Presentation skills excellence in the business world includes delivering information in a format that will convince people to agree and act. What sometimes gets forgotten is the need to incorporate a tone in the room that will enhance your ability to succeed. The following are two examples where executives capitalized on the utilization of levity:

1) An acquaintance was asked to travel to the corporate office to present to senior executives. They wanted him to explain why he needed to spend $75 million on specific equipment upgrades. His allotted presentation time was to be about 1 hour. He told me that he spent a lot of time on the presentation and initially developed over 100 PowerPoint slides! After coaching he understood what the content of his presentation should contain and that all he needed was about 10 slides (some other slides would be available as back-up slides if they needed additional details).

I met my acquaintance the evening after his presentation and he was glowing with success. His presentation went extremely well and he was successful in convincing them of the need to upgrade the aging equipment.

He confessed that about 15 minutes before his presentation, he became very nervous. He stated that he only relaxed when one of the executives started off the conversation with some witty remarks.

This example of an executive literally leading with lighthearted humor, led to a more relaxed and open communication.

2) Another example of an executive using lighthearted humor to set the stage for cordial communication was at a technical engineering meeting that I attended. Highly technical and opinionated engineers had flown in from all around the world to decide what research programs would be funded the next year. There was nearly $1 million available for the research; however it would only be enough to fund a few of the projects. There would be presentations outlining the benefits of each of the research programs. Following the presentations, the technical experts would be wheeling and dealing to make sure funding votes went towards programs that would benefit their specific needs.

Before the meeting started, the president of the research company asked the 50 + attendees to introduce themselves, and also had an unusual request. He asked that everyone disclose what their first ever job was. As people introduced themselves, they talked about being dish washers in restaurants, farm hands, landscapers, and there was also a notable trend that the Irish worked in pubs before going to college! The atmosphere in the room became somewhat lighthearted, and this simple icebreaker exercise identified common and humble grounding amongst the group.

If you are presenting or if someone is presenting to you, think about the things you can do to relax the atmosphere and encourage cordial interaction amongst the participants.

• What icebreaker activities would be appropriate for your audience?
• Could you open up the meeting with an amusing story that somehow relates to the content of the meeting and that the audience can relate to?
• Can you poke fun at yourself or a situation?

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking.

Dave Hill Presentation Skills Article

Imagine you are flying to Brazil for a few weeks. The business trip involves a 20 minute introductory speech to inform the audience about the scope of the visit. There will be over 100 people in the audience. The people you visit will be a bit nervous since you are visiting from the corporate office. You want to make a big impression but the primary hurdle is that you do not speak Portuguese and they speak broken English.

You are enthusiastic and creative. You decide that with the limited time available to learn the basics of the language, you will rely on Google Translator to convert the English words on your slides to Portuguese. Your accompanying speech will involve using the audio tool in Google Translator to try and get the pronunciation, intonation, and accent correct. 

At this point, I should ask you to reflect on the nuances and problems that Microsoft applications have provided us over the years. Could this translation tact have even a remote chance of success? How this presentation played out is a great lesson to any presenter seeking excellence.

 I was part of the group of people visiting Brazil and when he told me what he was going to do, the words that came to my mind included “interesting”, “risky”, and “different”.

 The conference room was filled to capacity, the speaker was introduced, and he began his presentation. Each slide had been translated, and he elaborated on the content of the slides. He used note cards to help him remember the Portuguese words and the pronunciation. Every now and again he looked up from his notes to make eye contact with the audience and nervously smile at them. Out of the corner of my eye, I observed the audience; the smiles, raised eyebrows, and glances gave an indication that foreign language translations and audio pronunciations may not be Microsoft’s strong point.

 Later on, the presenter asked his host for feedback on his presentation. The host smiled and diplomatically said, “We have had lots of visitors coming here over the years, you are the first person to make an effort to speak our language and we all really appreciated it.”

 The reason I tell you this is to not only recognize the presenter for his enthusiasm and efforts, but to remind fellow presenters of the importance of using different techniques to set the stage for success and form a bond with the audience as quickly as possible. Here are some other opening techniques that I have seen used successfully in recent years: 

Initial Interactions – Success Strategies for Presentations and Meetings:

1. Earlier on this year, I attended a presentation by Ed Tufte. He was teaching different visual methods of presenting information and data. About half an hour prior to his presentation, he had a visual slideshow with embedded music that related to information he would be presenting. The slideshow was set up to automatically transition from slide to slide with enough intervals to absorb the content of the individual slides. The pictures on the slides were mind catching, and the accompanying music was soothing. If you are conducting a training session, think about the things you could do to set the mood for the occasion. 
2. Recently I was receiving some online training via webinar. I linked to the webinar about 15 minutes ahead of time to make sure I could access it. The webinar had some music in the background and a slide that gave the following information:

• The title of the presentation (to make sure people were connected to the correct webinar)
• A statement: “You should now hear music from your computer speakers” and also gave instructions on what to do if you could not hear anything
• A countdown clock showing the amount of time remaining before the webinar would start 

3. I attended an engineering awards ceremony dinner event in 2011 to watch a friend deliver his humorous keynote speech and to videotape it for him. He was scheduled to speak after the awards ceremony. As the awards were being presented, I watched him write down a few notes including the awardees names. At the beginning of his keynote, he incorporated a brief section where he paid homage to the elderly award recipients. It was very tactful and the audience appreciated the customization.
4. Before I deliver speeches or presentations, I like to stand near the entrance and greet people as they enter. I also like to have some lighthearted conversations with audience members and build rapport. This interaction has many benefits:

• Reduces my anxiety
• Gives me an opportunity to build likeability with audience members
• Provides an opportunity to learn a few audience members’ names. If I am using an audience interaction technique I can make it more personal e.g. “John, have you ever envisioned that you would be able to get promoted because of your exceptional presentation skills?”
• You might stumble on great stories or examples that relate to some points in your presentation

Closing Comments:

My acquaintance’s opening presentation in Portuguese using online translator tools seemed interesting, risky, and different to me. The thought to keep in mind is that creativity, risk taking, and a passion to stand out from the norm is what will drive your success. The atmosphere you create before your presentation and the ensuing bond you form with your audience can significantly enhance your presentation experience, your likeability, and your ability to convince audiences to agree with your concepts and take action.

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

Imagine you are speaking at a National Speakers Association (NSA) convention where there are over 2000 people in the audience. A few minutes into your dynamic presentation, your mind goes blank. You go into panic mode standing there, looking at the audience. Your breathing gets heavy, your face shows trauma and you make a few apologetic words and walk to a table where you have some notes. By this time, your brain is in meltdown mode, and even with the notes, your flow of thoughts does not come back. The polite, respectful audience rises and applauds with cheers of encouragement, but the meltdown continues. You stumble through sentences that are embedded with apologies and once you are finished you walk off the stage. How do you feel?

I witnessed this event at an NSA Convention. I felt a knot in my stomach as I recalled an occasion when I had experienced a momentary mind blank in years gone by when I was delivering a keynote speech to over 1000 youth at a middle school career day. I remember the anxiety I felt as my brain searched for the flow of words. I recall being frustrated afterwards as I had practiced my presentation so that it would be flawless.

Why do speakers get mind blanks?

Under stressful conditions, the brain can occasionally become unreliable due to the inherent “fight or flight” human survival mechanism. Panic can induce chemical reactions in the brain that can result in short mind blanks. The following are some circumstances where a presenter could encounter a mind blank:

1. The structure of the presentation is not road-mapped in a logical, easy to remember way.
2. There wasn’t enough practice and/or not practicing out loud.
3. Memorizing the presentation word for word rather than learning the structure and order of the key points and stories. If you miss a key word, a level of panic can creep in as you search for the continuation of the memorized sentence.
4. There are stress drivers such as:
• You were rushing to put together last minute details before your presentation and did not get time to meditate.
• You were stressed out because of audio visual problems.
• The meeting planner tells you at the last minute that you need to cut your keynote from 45 minutes to 20 minutes.
• There are defined speech time limitations and you focus on the clock rather than your presentation content.
• There is a sudden noise in the room such as a waiter dropping plates or there is loud noise from the adjacent room.
• You are concerned that you may get questions that you cannot answer.
• You are not sure if your content is on target for your specific audience.
5. The momentary split second silence associated with mind blanks can seem like minutes to a speaker and can cause escalating panic, with the immediate need to fill the silence. Silence to a speaker can be unnerving.      

       Success strategies to reduce the possibility of a mind blank:

1. Visualize yourself being successful; do not allow negative thoughts to cloud your mind.
2. Structure your presentation so it flows in a logical path and is easy to remember
3. Prepare, prepare, prepare, and practice aloud. If there are certain words or sentences you keep stumbling on or forgetting, make changes until you find wording that is easy to recall.
4. Practice to the point that you are not stumbling and your stories come across as spontaneous rather than memorized word for word
5. Meditate, listen to music, or find a quiet place to gather your thoughts

Success strategies if you should experience a mind blank:

1. Pause – mentally revisit your previous words or point to see if you can get back on track. The audience may not even recognize that you have had a mind blank.
2. Acknowledge that you have lost your place, make eye contact with someone close to you in the audience and ask them in a jokingly manner with a retort such as, “I have just lost my train of thought, what was that last memorable point I was making!”
3. Develop a list of lighthearted statements that you could use and practice using them. Make fun of the situation:
• “OK, I have just had a complete brain wipeout….my brain is recalibrating”
• “Wow, my brain has gone blank. I turned 50 recently….I never imagined my brain would be the first thing to fail me”
4. Do not dwell on the mind blank and/or apologize to the audience. You are human and the audience is over it before you know it.

Considerations for using emergency notes:

The goal should be to minimize the use of notes, as they can distract and diminish the level of eye contact and engagement with the audience.  When you are using notes at a lectern, you are also anchoring yourself and preventing the use of purposeful movement that could enhance your presentation.  It can be very distracting when a speaker has to walk back and forth to a lectern or table solely for the purpose of reading notes.   

1. Occasionally I carry a note-card in my pocket which contains a few bullet points to prompt me should I lose my way in a presentation.  I keep this in a consistent place (such as my right hand inner jacket pocket), so I am not distracting the audience by having to search for it. I practice retrieving it.
2. Keep the information on the stiff card paper to key words, brief sentences, or bullet points and use a large enough font size so a mere glance will put you back on track
3. Try and keep to one card if possible but if you need several, number the cards in case you drop them and need to assemble them in a hurry.  Practice using these cards to make sure they contain adequate bullet points and are effective in getting you back on track.
4. Another approach would be to mind-map your presentation on an index card so that you have a quick visual. Again, use a large enough font size so a mere glance will put you back on track
5. To keep the notes less obvious, do not staple them together or print double-sided (so that you do not have to visibly manipulate them).
6. Put a glass of water near your notes so you can walk towards the water (walking gives you time to get your thought pattern back). If the notes are beside the water you can now glance at them while you take a sip of water if you still have not gotten back on track.
7. Some presenters and trainers use handouts or worksheets with “fill in the blanks”.  These handouts can help you stay on track (the handout is used as a step-by-step guide).

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Excellence - Speaking with an Accent

It was August 1987, and I was working on a sail training ship called Zebu. It had 7 crewmembers and 15 young sail trainees from all over the world.  The trainees would rotate at three-month intervals. The ship could hold 13 sails, and there were approximately 150 lines (ropes) controlling the sails and yardarms (the horizontal wooden poles holding the square sails). 

It was on a four-year, round- the- world expedition as part of Operation Raleigh, and I was on board for 12 months traveling fromAustraliato the Caribbean viaAfrica.  I was the engineer and electrician, and also assisted in sail training.

When I first joined the ship, I met one of the sail trainees who happened to be deaf. She lip read and spoke with a very nasal tone, the same kind of tone and intonation I had heard other deaf people speak with. She said something to me but my ears and brain could not decipher her meaning. I asked her to repeat herself, she obliged… but I still could not understand her. After asking her to repeat herself three times, I could see she was getting frustrated and she angrily shouted at me, “What’s wrong with you…..are you f%*#@$g deaf?!” I completely understood!

While on this magnificent sailing ship, all the sail trainees had the opportunity of being certified as a sailing ship “Competent Crew” and “Watch Leader.” It took 2 to 3 months for them to learn the 150 lines, to be able to shout out detailed sailing orders to the people on deck, up in the rigging, and also to navigate using compass, sextant, and navigation charts.

The various nationalities on board for the 12 months I was on this sailing ship included Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Canada, British Guiana, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and America. With this multi-cultural group of people, we all had to learn to tune our ears to the different accents. Even more important, we had to learn to try to moderate our accents, sharpen our pronunciations, and reduce any country specific slang. This was to make sure the sailing orders we were shouting out to each other were crystal clear. To put this into perspective, this ship had 13 sails and people were climbing 80 feet up into the rigging. High in the rigging, we stood on ropes adjacent to the horizontal yardarms while furling and battling the billowing sails. This was even done while the ship was rolling in bad weather and being 80 feet in the air was like being on an out of control roller coaster ride. Misinterpretation of a sail order could easily have resulted in someone getting seriously hurt.

It did not take long for people to acclimatize to each other’s accents, but not before we had some funny moments that had us looking at each other. One of the most memorable ones was a sail order shouted out by a Japanese youth, “Whore on the harriard” (haul on the halyard)!

The photo above was taken after the sail trainees had been on board three months and they had become expert sailors. The ship was under full sail and the fluid movement of the sails being maneuvered was testimony to the level of competency they had achieved. The communication amongst the sail trainees was fluent and flawless.

Fast forward over 20 years and communication with people with foreign or distinct accents is still an important part of my life. While conducting my workshops on “Presentation Skills for Technical People”, I have been blessed to have participants from all over the world including Canada, USA, Ethiopia, China, India, Pakistan, Hungary, Congo, Mexico, Scotland, and England to name a few. A common question I get asked by people with strong accents is, “Does my accent put me at a disadvantage when I am presenting?” The answer is yes and no. It really comes down to whether your audience can clearly hear you and comprehend what you are saying.

If you are having a hard time getting your message across in presentations and in meetings due to a strong or distinct accent, what can you do? Before I provide some advice, let me state that I love great speakers, particularly ones that have a rich distinguished accent that illuminates their content. The important thing to remember is that the audience needs to be able to hear you clearly and they need to be able to understand what you are saying. In my opinion, if you strive for presentation skills excellence and you also have those attributes, then an accent can be a benefit- it gives you uniqueness.

What is amusing for me is when you have people who learned English in their home countries from an English-speaking teacher and they have picked up some of the teacher’s accent and even slang.

Presentation skills excellence – benefits of honing your accent to make it more understandable

1. Build more confidence and reduce anxiety (Nervousness can result in you speeding up your speech rate and making your accent more pronounced)
2. Increased audience engagement because they clearly understand what you are saying
3. Increased ability to get people to buy into the concepts you are presenting

Methods of making yourself more understandable

1. Slow down your rate of speaking and use purposeful pauses. Give the audience’s brains a chance to catch up and piece the sentence together. If you have a strong or distinct accent they may not understand some words you say, but the words they do understand will help them figure out what you mean.
2. Project your voice so that everyone in the room can clearly hear your voice.
3. When you give a presentation, have someone in the room taking notes to give you feedback on any mispronunciations. This little-steps approach will help hone your skills. This can also be done in your day to day workplace activities. Tell coworkers what you are trying to achieve and solicit feedback from them. Develop a list of words you have trouble pronouncing and focus on rectifying them.
4. Read aloud to practice your pronunciations and the rhythm in the sentences.
5. Determine what your specific needs are beyond the aforementioned items.
• Consonant and vowel pronunciation help
• Removing extreme elements of an accent
• Accent reduction

Final Note: I consider myself to have a very mild Irish accent; however inTexas, when I introduce myself as “Dave Hill”, nine out of ten times they ask me to either repeat my last name or spell it out. This has been happening for 14 years. I happened to mention this to a university teacher last year and she smiled. She said, “If you want them to understand your last name, you need to tell them your name is Dave Heeeeel! I was skeptical about the advice she gave; however, once I tried it out, it worked 100% of the time. Who would have thought!

Video of S.V. Zebu at her home port of Liverpool, England.

Imagine you are delivering a presentation and after a while you notice a few people peeking below the table top, covertly checking and answering e-mail, or texting. To make it even worse, you get a question from one of the Crackberry Addicts which causes the other audience members to scowl, groan, and then sarcastically laugh because you had discussed that specific issue a few minutes earlier.

1) How do you feel?

2) Have you ever thought why they do this?

3) What can you do to minimize this behavior?

It is very unfortunate that the high tech world can also bring about this type of conduct. Imagine what a waste of a company’s resources this can represent, whether it is a training session, a meeting, or some other information exchange forum where some people are not actively engaged and participating. As a presenter, this scenario would increase my anxiety level and make me wonder if my content is off target.

Minimizing the Crackberry Effect: The Basics

1. At the beginning of your presentation, ask people to refrain from using laptops, Blackberries, etc.  Remind attendees of the importance of the presentation, and indicate when there will be breaks to receive and send e-mails and phone calls.  Some options for handling this request tactfully are:

• Make the suggestion with humor – for example, if you have a multi-cultural group, you could lightheartedly suggest that anyone caught e-mailing, texting, or Tweeting will be invited to sing their national anthem to the group!
• Be different – tell them to keep their phones and other devices on. An acquaintance in the National Speakers Association (NSA) laughs and tells his audiences that he is text-ually active. He shows his audience that his phone is on vibrate, gives out his phone number, and encourages them to text questions to him at any time during his presentation. The added benefit of this is that it gives shy or hesitant people a means of asking a question confidentially.
• Be respectful of people’s abnormal circumstances and do not humiliate them with sarcasm. Imagine if someone has a family issue or work emergency going on and they need to be able to monitor e-mails or take calls. As a presenter, you may want to ask people to turn their devices off unless they have a valid reason to have immediate notification. Request that all devices be on vibrate to limit distractions and to take any calls outside the room.

Minimizing the Crackberry Effect: Other Considerations

1. When developing your presentation, relate to the audience’s needs and experiences and provide value. Analyze your audience: if you were them, what would be on your mind? What information would you benefit from, and what are your concerns? Customize your material and aim for excellence.
2. What’s in it for them? You should ask yourself this question after developing each section of your presentation. Ask yourself, “Why is this piece of information or story important to them?” Where possible, change the wording from “I” to “you”; e.g. instead of saying, “I have a concern that communication amongst our project groups is lacking,” you could rephrase it to, “Imagine how you would feel when you reach a critical point in your project, only to discover at the last minute that you are at a complete standstill because the deliverable from another group is running late.”
3. When audience members are entering the room, welcome them, talk with them, and build rapport. They are more likely to listen to you if they like you.
4. Open with impact – this is your first big opportunity to draw the audience into your presentation. When you open your presentation, use rhetorical questions, quotations, shock statements, questions, and stories that relate to your presentation and points. Get them engaged from the start. You have less than a minute to show them that this is not just another bland presentation, lecture, or meeting.
5. Conduct a question and answer session to engage the audience. Call out individuals’ names to obtain answers to a question. This will encourage them to maintain attention as many people would be embarrassed to ask the presenter to repeat the question. 
6. Incorporate exercises that involve individual problem solving.
7. Put humor and other entertainment in your presentation; participants will not want to miss the punch line if you have great stories or jokes that illuminate your points.
8. Use humor that is appropriate to the occasion and to the audience.
9. Walk into the audience to engage them, ask them questions, and get their point of view. 
10. Tell the audience that there are going to be quizzes during and after the presentation.  This will help people focus and retain information.
11. Use simple handouts that require them to fill in missing words in short sentences. When people write down information, it keeps them engaged and has the added benefit of helping them remember the information.
12. Give out prizes to people who give terrific answers and get the room in competition mode.  Remember, people at all levels of an organization love to win. Maximize the energy and interaction level with positive feedback.
13. Use relevant stories, anecdotes, and vignettes frequently to bring your information into perspective.
14. Get audience members to share their personal experiences. I recently conducted a workshop on presentation skills, and someone shared that he had recently experienced a heart attack. His experience of needing to communicate with the doctor fitted perfectly into the discussions on the importance of exceptional communication skills. 
15. Keep the presentation conversational. Design it so that you are frequently asking for perspectives.
16. Be personable and energetic.
17. Maximize your eye contact with your audience.
18. Use vocal variety and project your voice to the level that everyone in the room can clearly hear your voice. If someone asks a question, repeat it back to the audience if the voice is not audible to the whole group.
19. Use gestures and purposeful movement to illuminate your points and stories.
20. Use first names as much as possible (use tent cards or other types of name tags if you cannot remember the names).  

Final note: In 2009, I was a Master of Ceremonies (MC) at a speech competition where it was critical that no cell phones would ring and distract the competitors when they were speaking. A three minute video of me telling a humorous anecdote followed by an entertaining briefing regarding the need to turn off cell phones can be viewed onYouTube:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

He helps technical people develop presentation skills excellence. Picture engineers, computer programmers and project managers delivering clear concise information, with flair and energy, illuminated with stories and even humor. 

He is the author of the book “Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“. It can be purchased at: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/  

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Book: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/
Articles: http://ardmoremedia.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
Dave’s humor on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

Picture yourself as a speaker who is standing in front of an audience of 100 people and getting a loud and energetic standing ovation. The incredible thing is that you have not spoken a word yet. What has just happened?

I witnessed this scenario in May of 2011 at a National Speakers Association North Texas (NSANT) monthly meeting. The speaker, Tim Durkin (http://www.timdurkin.com), had crafted an introduction that would work well with this specific audience. He wrote it out, honed it, and gave it to Susan Gatton (http://www.scgatton.com) a few days before the event. Susan had been selected to introduce him. She had practiced the introduction so that it would flow well, and the result was illuminating. It is exhilarating to see a masterpiece introduction. It did not just get the audience energized and curious about what the speaker was going to bring to the podium, it let the audience know that the speaker has a sense of humor.

Success strategies for this introduction:

• The speaker spent the time developing and honing an introduction taking into consideration who would be in the audience.
• The introducer was given adequate time to review the introduction and practice it.
• The sentence structure, intonation, vocal variety and purposeful pauses enhanced it. 
• Susan made strong eye contact with the audience members and engaged them. She was not reading word for word from notes.
• The introduction incorporated self-deprecitating humor and let the audience know that they would get great content with a level of entertainment.
• The introduction ended clearly and concisely so that the audience knew when to clap.

To see a 4 minute video of Susan and Tim in action, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN9bFii3_oY.

 For more information on successful introductions, please see an article I wrote in 2009 at: http://davehillspeaks.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/attention-grabbing-presentation-skills-%e2%80%93-your-speech-introduction-%e2%80%93-%e2%80%9cturning-up-to-play-with-the-wolves/.

 The text of the introduction is as follows:

 How would you like to have the opportunity to introduce a speaker who has, among other accomplishments?

 Spoken on every continent except Antarctica.

 Had dinner with four presidents and has met a host of world leaders including, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

 Who is a scratch golfer, a gourmet cook, and raced an Indy car at speeds in excess of 225 MPH?

 Who was drafted by the Boston Bruins National Hockey League team at the age of 14 and also was part of the Detroit Tigers organization in 1968, the year they won the World Series?

Who graduated near the top of his class from Stanford and turned down a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford in order to start his first of eleven successful companies.

 Who has successfully brought down four of Africa’s Big Five game animals in only two safaris.

Who went out with the lovely Vanna White on two dates and then never called her again.

Well I’d be honored to introduce someone like that…but today I have to introduce Tim Durkin instead.

Tim is not a doctor, MD or PhD, not an attorney, not a CPA, CPAE or MBA.  He is however a Notary Public and he just found out this week that he is a finalist for this year’s Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes!

He went to and graduated from a large midwestern, state, university where he graduated in that half of the class that made the top half possible.

He hasn’t dated any model or traveled all that much, but recently subscribed to both National Geographic and Playboy magazine’s so he could at least see pictures of places he has no hope of visiting in person.

He has also seen pictures of not only the last four presidents but every one of them…as well as pictures of Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama.

Ladies and gentleman, I am pleased to introduce the “the most average man in the world”  Tim Durkin!

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

He helps technical people develop presentation skills excellence. Picture engineers, computer programmers and project managers delivering clear concise information, with flair and energy, illuminated with stories and even humor. 

He is the author of the book “Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“. It can be purchased at: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/ 

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Book: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/
Articles: http://ardmoremedia.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
Dave’s humor on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Dave’s 2011 Dallas Forth Worth Full-Day Presentation Skills Workshop Dates:

May 27^th – http://www.davehill05272011.eventbrite.com 

September 22^nd – http://www.davehill09222011.eventbrite.com 

November 10^th – http://www.davehill11102011.eventbrite.com

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

Billionaire Warren Buffet says good communication skills can increase your earnings by 50 percent over your lifetime.  “Unless you really think you are good at this now, go out and improve your communication skills,” he recommends.

When striving for excellence in presentation skills, “winging it” does not work. A systematic approach using knowledge, practice, and constructive feedback paves the path to distinction. An evaluation of your presentation and presentation skills content by a knowledgeable presenter using a well-structured feedback form can point you in the right direction.

The following are the fundamental considerations for constructive feedback and some example forms that can capture the quality of your presentation content and your delivery of the information.

WHAT TO CONSIDER

1.    Determine your options for getting effective feedback:

• One of the simplest ways may be to practice in front of your peers or get them to sit in on your presentation and use your feedback form. If I am putting together an important business presentation, I will try to find the time to deliver it to people who are proficient in the subject to make sure my tact is correct and that I will successfully convey my message and gain consensus.
• Do some research and find a public speaking club that is known to have seasoned, exceptional evaluators. Joining a weekly Toastmasters club is a cost-effective way to receive feedback. Locate a club in your area at www.toastmasters.org. Prepare a feedback form ahead of time. Hone it to your specific speech or presentation needs.

2.      It is important to remember that not all feedback is good.  It can be effective for you to get your mastermind group, mentor, or another skilled speaker to evaluate the feedback forms and determine what advice is correct and appropriate.

3.      Ask for honest, brutal feedback. There are always opportunities for improvement.

PRESENTATION EVALUATION FORM – STRUCTURE

Presenter: _____________ Evaluator: ___________ Date: _________________

Presentation Title: _________________________________________________

OPENING

Grab attention (use an anecdote, quotation, rhetorical question, shock statement, etc.).

□       Was it effective?

□       Was it short?

□       Was it related to the topic?

□       Was it missing?

Describe why the information is important to the audience – provide a value statement   

□       Were the benefits described?

□       Was it effective?

□       Was it short?

□       Was it related to the topic?

□       Was it missing?

Briefly review the points you will cover.

□       Was the description brief?

□       Was it missing?

Describe the rules for the question & answer session (anytime or near the end etc.)

□       Was the description brief?

□       Was it missing?  

BODY

Describe the main points.

□       Were the pros/cons described for each point?

□       Were the points supported with information (such as statistics)?

□       Were the transitions between points and anecdotes clear and smooth?

□       Were the transitions missing?

Reemphasize the purpose or benefits to the audience (use an anecdote, quotation, rhetorical question, etc.).

□       Did the reemphasis tie back to the initial attention grabber or benefit statement?

□       Was it missing?

□       Was it unrelated to the presentation content?

Briefly summarize the points

□       Was the summary of key points missing?

□       Was there a reemphasis of the benefits, importance, and recommendations?

CLOSING

Question-and-answer time.

□       Were the questions summarized back to the questioner so that the audience could hear the question?

□       Was the question and answer session missing?

□       Did the presenter answer the questions well?

Call to action.

□       Did the presentation include a call to action?

□       Did the conclusion end with energy?

□       Was the conclusion missing?

PRESENTATION EVALUATION FORM – DELIVERY

Presenter: _____________ Evaluator: ___________ Date: _________________

Presentation Title: _________________________________________________

BODY LANGUAGE

Eye contact

□       Was the eye contact long enough to be engaging?

□       Did the speaker include all quadrants of the audience?

□       Was eye contact hasty and uneasy?

Facial Expressions   

□       Were the facial expressions varied?

□       Did the facial expressions enhance the presentation content?

□       Did the speaker smile?

□       Were the facial expressions natural looking?

Gestures

□       Were the gestures natural?

□       Were the gestures over practiced to where they were out of sync with the words?

□       Did the speaker exhibit nervous gestures (fiddling with hair or rings, hands clasped in front of or behind the body)?

□       Were the gestures large enough to effectively provide emphasis?

Purposeful movement and body posture

□       Did the physical body movement provide suitable emphasis to the content?

□       Was the body posture professional looking (upright stance, not leaning on a table or lectern)? 

□       Did the speaker wander or roam without purpose?

Voice

□       Was the voice volume adequate to project to all people in the room?

□       Was the voice forced or too loud?

□       Was vocal variety utilized?

□       Was the voice monotone?

□       Did the speaker sound sincere?

□       Was the speaking pace appropriate?

□       Was the voice confident?

□       Were filler words being used (AH’s, UM’s, SO’s)?

□       Were purposeful pauses being utilized?

WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION EVALUATION FEEDBACK FORM

Presenter: _________________ Evaluator: ____________________ Date: __________

Presentation Title: _________________________________________________

Please turn in this form

FEED BACK IS VITAL! Please circle one number for each category.

                                                                                Low                                                 High

Value of this information to you              1              2              3              4              5

Organization of the presentation             1              2              3              4              5

Effectiveness of the presenter                  1              2              3              4              5

Evaluation of hand-out materials             1              2              3              4              5

Overall rating of the presentation           1              2              3              4              5

1. What ideas/topics were most valuable?
2. What did you like best about the presentation?
3. What would you like to see included in this presentation?
4. How can the presentation be improved?
5. What was the quality/usefulness of the handouts?
6. What is one thing will you do differently as a result of this training?
7. Other comments or suggestions

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

He helps technical people develop presentation skills excellence. Picture engineers, computer programmers and project managers delivering clear concise information, with flair and energy, illuminated with stories and even humor. 

He is the author of the book “Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“. It can be purchased at: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/ 

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Book: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/
Articles: http://ardmoremedia.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
Dave’s humor on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Dave’s 2011 Dallas Forth Worth Full-Day Presentation Skills Workshop Dates:

May 27^th – http://www.davehill05272011.eventbrite.com 

September 22^nd – http://www.davehill09222011.eventbrite.com 

November 10^th – http://www.davehill11102011.eventbrite.com

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

I

I asked Michael Kerr, award-winning Hall of Fame speaker, author, and the North American expert on humor in the workplace to put together some detailed guidance on this subject. The following are his words of wisdom:

How to Use Humor with Managers – Without Getting Fired!

People often ask me if it’s appropriate to use humor in business presentations, to which my response is always, “Only if you want to be effective and successful.”

When used appropriately, incorporating humor in any presentation helps you keep the audience not just awake (always a good thing), but fully engaged.

Humor can help you come across as more authentic, which in turn helps the audience like and trust you more. Remember, if the audience is going to buy your message, they have to first buy you. (There’s a reason, after all, that Jon Stewart of The Daily Show tops polls as “the most trustworthy journalist.”)

Because humor creates an emotional response, chances are your audience will retain the information longer. It increases the likelihood that people will act on the information you deliver. Humor can also be an amazing reframing tool, helping both you and your audience to see old ideas in new ways.

Finally, humor is one of the best ways to manage your nerves. Sharing a little humor is one of the best ways to beat the butterflies, boost your confidence, and keep you relaxed, spontaneous and in the moment. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed and receptive the audience will be. 

“But what about using humor when my boss is in the audience? And my boss’s boss? And the entire head honcho team from corporate office? Isn’t there a chance I’ll come across as not taking the talk seriously?”

When people ask me this question I always remind them that, chances are, their senior management team is comprised of real human beings. In other words, all the benefits of using humor apply regardless of who’s in the audience. In fact, using smart, effective humor could make you stand out and shine in front of your boss. And if senior managers realize how effective your approach is with the entire audience, they might just be persuaded to practice a little less déjà moo (“the feeling you’ve heard this bull before”) and lighten up themselves the next time they have to present. 

And I’m not suggesting for a moment you take either the audience or the topic lightly – it’s largely about taking yourself lightly in order to take your audience and talk seriously.

Now, having said that, here are three R’s to keep in mind when you flex your funny bone in the presence of your managers: 

Respect Your Audience. Important in any talk, this is doubly important when senior managers are present. Which means when it comes to humor, stay even further away than you normally would from any off-color jokes. So no racist, sexist, ethnic, religious, sarcastic, or political humor.

Rule number one with any presentation is “know thy audience.” So know that senior managers tend to be extra sensitive about inappropriate use of humor. The good news is that when I’m talking about using humor in your presentation, I’m not suggesting you turn your talk into a night club act and start cracking jokes. There is an entire universe of funny research stats, hilarious quotes, funny anecdotes, funny cartoons, or even funny props that involve safe, clean, harmless humor.

Also be respectful of your boss’s position, especially when their boss is also present. Maybe you have the kind of relationship where you are comfortable kidding around with your boss when it’s just you and her, but others in the room may not know that and an offhand comment taken in the spirit of fun by your boss might be viewed as suspect by others in the room.

Be Real. Ninety percent of the battle when it comes to public speaking is simply being comfortable in your own skin. You’re not giving a performance; in fact, it might help to remind yourself that you’re not even giving a speech. All you’re doing is having a conversation with a roomful of folks.

 Whenever I’ve coached senior leaders, it amazes me to see the difference in their posture, tone of voice and entire demeanor when they slip up and laugh at themselves. Humor, as one of the most human characteristics of all, helps us come across as more authentic. And if you come across more real in the presence of managers, you’ll also come across as more confident and competent.

 Now, making jokes about a core competency related to your position on the topic at hand might just make you come across as insecure or incompetent, not always the best career move when speaking in front of your senior managers. However, laughing at your receding hairline or cracking a joke when you lose your place in your talk can help you come across as humble and honest.  

Be Relevant. You are there to deliver a message that is relevant to the particular audience in front of you, not to entertain them. Humor is simply one of the delivery vehicles you’re using to make sure the relevant information gets imparted effectively.

You’ll score big points with senior managers when you take the time to understand their concerns and deliver a talk that is targeted specifically to them. So always plan your presentation around what your key messages are, and then look for ways to enhance it by incorporating relevant humor. 

Several studies suggest that when presenters use humor even with dry subject matter such as university level statistic courses, audiences rate speakers’ credibility higher when the humor they used was relevant to the topic. Using relevant humor shows that you understand the subject matter so well that you can play with it to find the humor buried inside it. 

The bonus of using relevant humor effectively is that by getting your audience to laugh and think at the same time, you are effectively killing two birds with one rubber chicken. So even if the humor doesn’t produce the laugh you were hoping for, it doesn’t matter because you’ve still delivered your point if you focus first and foremost on the message you’re trying to deliver. The humor is simply the icing on the cake. 

If done right, relevant humor will also get you the biggest laughs in your talk. I constantly see “Bob from accounting” get huge laughs at conferences I am speaking at because Bob has referred to some inside joke that only the people in that room understand. So doing a little research and finding some insider humor that will resonate with the managers in the audience will pay off in spades.

And if you do dig up some insider humor that involves one of your managers but you’re not entirely sure if it falls under the category of “safe humor,” then err on the side of caution by asking permission before hand. Most managers see the benefit of being included in the humor because, like politicians who scramble to appear on late night comedy shows, they recognize that it helps humanize them in front of all the employees.

If you’re serious about being a more polished and persuasive presenter and want to incorporate more relevant humor in your talks, then start a few humor files related to the different topics you speak on. Collect funny newspaper articles, magazine clippings, weird trivia, or amazing stats related to the different topics. Once you start a few humor files, selective perception kicks in and you’ll start seeing more humor everywhere in your day to day life.

Michael Kerr is an award-winning Hall of Fame speaker and the author of “Putting Humor to Work.”  For more resources and articles, cruise on over to www.humoratwork.com or contact Michael directly at mike@mikekerr.com

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

He helps technical people develop presentation skills excellence. Picture engineers, computer programmers and project managers delivering clear concise information, with flair and energy, illuminated with stories and even humor. 

He is the author of the book “Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“. It can be purchased at: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/ 

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Book: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/
Articles: http://ardmoremedia.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
Dave’s humor on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Dave’s 2011 Dallas Forth Worth Full-Day Presentation Skills Workshop Dates:

May 27^th – http://www.davehill05272011.eventbrite.com 

September 22^nd – http://www.davehill09222011.eventbrite.com 

November 10^th – http://www.davehill11102011.eventbrite.com

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

My family was sitting in the vacation trailer overlooking a scenic Irish beach and the Atlantic Ocean, with mountains in the distance.  It was July 1971, and I was 11.  Looking back at that eventful time in my life, I recognize that I had the early traits and signs of becoming an engineer:  I enjoyed finding solutions to problems. 

My parents were chain smokers, and I grew up with long Sunday drives in our Ford “ashtray on wheels” with the windows cracked open to provide just enough air for children and the family dog.   

During that fateful July morning, I formulated a brilliant plan to get my mother to stop smoking.  I removed most of the tobacco from a cigarette in her pack and replaced it with match heads from a box of safety matches.  A bit of tobacco at the outer end disguised my plan. I put the doctored cigarette on top of the others in the pack and stuck it out a bit so it would be the next choice.  With my foot nervously tapping in anticipation, I knew this was going to be successful: the match heads would ignite causing a blinding flash, which would scare my mother into giving up smoking!!  At least, that was the plan. 

I watched nervously as my mother reached for her cigarettes. She put the re-engineered one firmly between her lips with that look of focus that smokers have when they need that nicotine fix.  She struck the match on the matchbox and brought the steady flame to the end of the cigarette, sucking on the cigarette, making the tobacco at the end glow red. 

A microsecond later, all hell broke loose — literally. The hidden match heads provided the blinding light (mission accomplished), my mother was scared (mission accomplished); however, the still-burning match heads continued to fall, burning their way through my mother’s polyester dress and laying to rest on her chest. There was a scream, a quick removal of clothes, and water was poured on my mother’s chest. I watched in silence in the corner of the trailer with an ever-reddening face, contemplating that I was soon to experience “death by wooden-spoon beatings.” 

My dad closely examined the other cigarettes in the pack, even removing the tobacco to see what could have happened.  At some stage he glanced at me, scowled, and asked, “Are you responsible for this?” A sense of uneasiness prevented me from making eye contact. I stared at my shoes and my nervous response went something like this:

“OK…I… AH…was…UM…playing with the matches, and I…AH…decided to help Mum give up smoking…SO…I…UM…put match heads in one of her cigarettes. I…AH…thought she would be frightened into…UM…giving up smoking. BUT…YOU KNOW…I was…LIKE…not thinking clearly…OK.”

The fact that I am telling this story reveals that I did in fact survive the wooden-spoon beating, although, more than 40 years later, I believe I still have splinters in my rear end.

Poor eye contact and the use of filler words did not end in the trailer; they followed me for many years. They were the traits I had to focus on first when I took on my quest for public speaking excellence.

AVOID FILLER WORDS AND RUN-ON SENTENCES

Filler words make you seem nervous, unsure and unprepared and can erode your credibility. We use them because we become uncomfortable with the silence of pauses. Listening to someone who uses filler words can be frustrating and annoying. Eliminating filler words may seem a daunting task, but here are some easy ways to make quick progress:

1. Join a public-speaking club such as Toastmasters, where you can practice getting rid of filler words in a supportive environment (in many Toastmasters clubs someone called an “ah counter” is assigned to listen for filler words and give an indication when one has been used).
2. Practice with a short speech or presentation (just a few minutes of material) that you know well. Practice it out loud while listening for filler words. Stop every time you hear a filler word, then start over from the beginning. Keep practicing until it is flawless.
3. If the occasion allows it, have someone listen for the use of filler words and activate a device that will immediately let you know that you have just used one (bell, hand signal, etc.). This is quite annoying at first, but it works extremely well in training your brain to provide a pause (thinking moment) rather than a filler word.
4. Use a video or audio recording device to allow you to review your speech and identify progress and further opportunities for improvement.
5. Write down a list of filler words and ask someone to listen to your presentation and count them.
6. Mentally focus on using pauses instead of filler words. Get comfortable utilizing pauses. Use the moment to gather your thoughts before starting the next sentence.

 CONNECT THROUGH EYE CONTACT

One of the most common signs of nervousness for public speakers is the inability to hold eye contact with their audience. Eyes dart from person to person, or they focus on something other than the audience (visualize the PowerPoint presenter who looks at the screen and reads the presentation word for word). The audience usually interprets this in a negative way and may think you are untrustworthy or unprepared.  The good news is that you can develop eye contact relatively quickly.

1. Before your presentation, get an understanding of the room layout so you can envision how you will maximize audience eye contact.
2. Use a video recording device to allow you to review your speech and analyze the quality of your eye contact.
3. Mentally focus on using longer eye contact even though your brain is telling you to do otherwise.
4. When telling a story, your eye contact is an essential component for effectiveness — particularly when you are conveying emotional material
5. A success strategy for delivering humor is to continuously observe your audience to determine who will most likely laugh out loud at a funny remark or punch line. I call these people my “humor friends.” When I am landing my punch line, I make sure to make powerful eye contact with them, as their spontaneous laughter will encourage others to join in.

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. 

He helps technical people develop presentation skills excellence. Picture engineers, computer programmers and project managers delivering clear concise information, with flair and energy, illuminated with stories and even humor. 

He is the author of the book “Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“. It can be purchased at: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/ 

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Book: http://ardmoremedia.com/applause-accolades-book/
Articles: http://ardmoremedia.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
Dave’s humor on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Dave’s 2011 Dallas Forth Worth Full-Day Presentation Skills Workshop Dates:

May 27^th – http://www.davehill05272011.eventbrite.com 

September 22^nd – http://www.davehill09222011.eventbrite.com 

November 10^th – http://www.davehill11102011.eventbrite.com

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.