Presentation Skills - How to Create and Deliver Effective Presentations

Fiverr gigs now live!

2016-03-21T05:06:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

I am pleased to announce I now have Fiverr gigs.

You can check them out by clicking here

Free 67 page Presentation sKills Ebook

2015-11-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

a fantastic free resource for you. A 67 page, 5star reviewed Presentation Skills Ebook.
Please feel free to share.

click here for free ebook

Access over 800 business and personal development books

2015-11-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Please see the link below to access over 800 ebooks covering:

accounting
career management
communication
presentation
IT
engineering
entrepreneurship
strategy
marketing
sales and personal development

click here

97% off 17,000 online courses

2015-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Please find below a link to access over 17,000 courses with up to 97% off.

This is a limited time offer and finishes on Friday 27th November 2015.

click here for up to 97% off

See also our new website to keep up to date with all offers

www.onlinecourses4u.org

Be a phenomenal communicator: The ultimate guide to questions & answers

2015-01-25T04:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone I wanted to let you know about my online course which had just launched with over 400 students in one day!

For my blog friends I have a code which will take this courses from $29 to $9!

In this course you will learn, examine and be able to apply; what questions are, what they can do and why we ask them. As well as examining and practicing active listening and common body language cues. In additional you will be able to recognise and respond to both positive and negative question responses.

This climate guide to questioning and listening will give you all the skills, tools and techniques you need to become a phenomenal interpersonal communicator...today!
Learn what questions are and why we ask them
Appreciate the importance of recognising and responding to what is not said
Understand and practice active listening
Understand and be conscious of body language cues -both yours and the responder(s)
Examine and be able to apply 12 common question types
Appreciate and be able to communicate with people exhibiting a variety of question responses - both positive and negative
Download a series of 'Top Ten Question' lists

There is a reason questions are referred to as 'The Swiss Army Knife of Language' - They have the power to enable you to become an unrivalled communicator.

Content & Overview

Suitable for all levels, this course contains; 21 videos, quizzes, activities and supporting documents.

I will take you through all stages of questioning and responding from the basics of what it is though active listening and body language, the 12 main question types and finally possible responses.

All this will enable you to understand verbal interactions at a higher level, interact better with those around you and become an outstanding interpersonal communicator.

Think about it - how many questions do you ask each day? ....So what could you do if all of those questions were more productive, better constructed and response driven? The possibilities are endless!

This is the code link you will need https://www.udemy.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-questioning-listening/?couponCode=blogger

How to run a flawless Q&A session - Video now available on Youtube

2014-11-14T09:09:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

How to run a flawless Q&A - 6 fundamental principles & 7 scenarios is available now.

Do you have concerns over running a Q&A session? It could be to 5 people or 500 but the same principles are common and key.

This video will look at 6 fundamentals and 7 "what's the worst that could happen" scenarios.I have run this course to hundreds of people and the same concerns are voiced time and time again. By the time you have watched this video you will be more confident and more professional in running an efficient and proficient question & answer session. And will know how to effortlessly through the common "what if" scenarios.

www.dragontoothtraining.org.ukwww.youtube.com/channel/UC0MZoqGaWplJIonckmTGk0Qdragontoothtraining@gmail.com@training_dragon

click here for the video (opens in new window)

Dragontooth Training & Consultancy Facebook page launched

2014-11-13T05:34:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, in order for people to follow me, all my blogs, youtube channel and other updates I have set up a Facebook page which you are more than welcome to join....the more the merrier!
click here to join

2014-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

As promised here is the link to the FREE 67 page ebook 'Presenting at Conferences'

'According to most studies, people's number 1 fear is public speaking. Number 2 is death. Death is number 2. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, your better off in the casket than doing the eulogy' Jerry Seinfeld

http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/career/presenting-at-conferences

Online Course Now Available - Be a Presenter People Want To Listen To

2014-11-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

"A must for all those who are required to stand up & deliver".

This was a quote from one of my students who took this course and sums up how fundamental what you will learn is.

When I ask people what their greatest concern is when speaking in public & presenting, "getting started" or, "the first few minutes" is always top.

The 8 openings we will cover will; reduce your anxiety, establish an audience connection (whether that 5 or 500 people), give the audience a reason to listen to you, establish a professional and knowledgeable tone, set the scene and environment for the rest of your delivery and ensure that you are memorable for all the right reasons!

This course is split into 10 lectures, 8 assignments and 8 mini quizzes. You can expect to complete the lecture videos in 1hour 15mins, but will need an additional 1-2 hours to complete the attached 8 assignments and quizzes (recommended).

There is an information pack which covers everything in the video lectures as well as a written version of my lecture descriptions.

Seinfeld once said "people's number 1 fear is public speaking, number 2 is dying" This course will help to ensure that for you public speaking and presenting is something to be enjoyed and not endured...I promise!

Enrole now to learn the essential secrets and skills that will make you a better presenter today.

Best wishes Sarah

click here for course link

YouTube channel launched

2014-11-12T09:07:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone. I am very pleased to announce our YouTube channel. Please subscribe as more videos are being added almost daily!

YouTube channel link can be found here

Presentation Skills Video

2014-01-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I am pleased to announce that I now have a You Tube Presentation Skills video.

It can be found here.

NEW online University course

2014-01-27T05:15:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

I am very pleased to announce my new online university course

Presentation Skills - 8 Awesome Openings

Available here

Course description

When I ask people what their greatest concern is when speaking in public & presenting, "getting started" or, "the first few minutes" is always top.

There is an information pack which covers everything in the video lectures as well as a written version of my lecture descriptions.

This course is for anyone who has to stand up in front of others. This could be in a small but no less intimidating meeting room up to a large conference hall of hundreds.

Seinfeld once said 'peoples number 1 fear is public speaking, number 2 is dying'! This course will help to ensure that for you public speaking and presenting is something to be enjoyed and not endured!

Best wishes Sarah

VAK / Left and Right Brain Thinking in Presentations

2012-11-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

VAK / right & left brain thinking

In order to produce a presentation that:
Engages
Adds interest
Gets your message across
Doesn't make the audience 'work'

You need to consider VAK and left and right brain thinking.

VAK
Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic elements. We all learn and absorb information differently and in different formats. Therefore by including a mix of these three elements your message is more likely to be taken on board.

Figures quoted vary but according to some visual learners account for 40%, auditory 20-30% and kinaesthetic 30-40%.

If you also consider the limited time you have for most presentations a mix of media gives you greater flexibility and ways of getting information across.

Following on from VAK comes the idea of left and right brain thinking.

Left & Right Brain Thinking
It is believed that the left side of your brain is concern with; logic, facts, order, words and language and the right with; symbols, images and 'the big picture'. If this is the case then if you use slides (power point, Prezi etc), imagery or sound which contain a mixture of left and right brain friendly information you will ensure maximum impact.

So, next time you give a presentation please consider your media mix and use of imagery and auditory elements.
http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/career/presenting-at-conferences

The audience is king!

2012-11-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it ‘to whom it may concern’."
~ Ken Haemer, AT&T

The audience is 'king'.

A presentation can not:

Meet its main aims
Use appropriate visual, auditory and kinaesthetic aids
Be pitched at the right level (knowledge base)
Engage, inspire or call-to-action
Hook the audience

Unless you can answer the following about your audience:

Who are they?
Want do they want from this presentation?
What is their knowledge base?
How many of them are there? - this effects; visual aids, venue arrangement, any handouts or additional information
What is their 'hook' - what is it about your delivery that will make you stand out and give them a reason to listen to you

For more info see my free 67 page book which contains exercises and templates to help you deliver a memorable presentation and increase your professional standing.

http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/career/presenting-at-conferences

Presenting at Conferences

2012-11-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
As promised here is the link to the FREE ebook 'Presenting at Conferences'

It was Jerry Seinfeld who said 'according to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, your better off in the casket than doing the eulogy'

http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/career/presenting-at-conferences

The Styles, Models and Philosophy of Leadership

2012-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Here is a link to my new FREE ebook.

'The Styles, Models and Philosophy of Leadership'
http://bookboon.com/en/business-ebooks/management-ebooks/the-styles-models-philosophy-of-leadership

In the next day or so 'Presenting at Conferences' should be 'live' and this will also be free.

Know Your Audience

2012-05-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

Know your audience. In order for your delivery to have a true impact value and influence your audience there are four questions you must be able to answer: How many people will there be in the audience? What re their expectations and what do they want from my presentation? What is their background and What is their knowledge base. Answering these ensures that your visual aids are appropriate, your room and venue are conducive and that you pitch your delivery at the right level. Too 'High brow' and fill of technical or industry abbreviations will not make you look important and knowledgeable, it will turn the audience off. Conversely pitch your delivery too low and you won't keep the audience interested or engaged.

Flip charts

2012-05-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to share my tips on using flip charts. Many people including myself like technology including iannotate for iPad, smart boards etc. But, the flip chart isn't dead and can be really useful with a smaller audience. My flip chart tips are: Try not to fall over it! - we've all done it and probable more than once If you have writing that slants up or down then draw very faint lines in pencil - no one will see and everything stays horizontal If you know the titles of what you will be discussing you can pre write them neatly in advance. Just make sure the writing doesn't 'bleed through' to the page below. I put piece of card between when I write If you have less than perfect writing it often looks neater if you form each letter with separate lines. For example when writing the letter 'd' do the l first followed by the 'c' My most favourite tip of all is to pre write in faint pencil the points you need to cover or bring out during a discussion along the very top of the paper. This means you don't have to hold notes, or be apprehensive about not covering all the points. The audience will I promise you not be able to see the notes and you look as thought you know your subject matter inside and out Goog luck and remember for more great tips see my $99 cents/ 77p ebook 'How to create and deliver effective presentations' by Sarah Simpson

Presentation quote

2012-05-21T03:15:00.000-07:00

I love this quite by Alain de Botton 'I passionately believe that it's not just what you say that counts, it's also how you say it. The success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it'. We with all have been in the audience and been left feeling that the presenter must have known their stuff but 'could have out it better'. We need to really care how our delivery makes our audience feel. No one wants to feel that they wasted their time coming to one of your presentations. More if my favourite quotes to follow later.....

Fonts, fonts, fonts

2012-05-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so let's talk about fonts. How often have you heard a presenter start a sentence with the words 'for those of you that can't see this slide it says.....! In my opinion this should never happen. He are my rules for slide fonts (power point, Prezi, keynote) Use sans serif fonts (the ones without the 'tails' and 'feet' eg ariel, Tahoma and verdana as opposed to serif fonts such as bookman, palatino and time new roman Avoid stift fonts eg John handy, staccato Title font should be between 36 and 44 points Body font should be between 24 and 32 points Stay away from BOLD as this is considered shouting Underlining now means a hyperlink so again stay away from this Italic and shadow are also hard to read Please, please, please don't have lots of letter and word effects eg flying and disintegrating letters. It's not pleasant for the audience and they will switch off to the message you are delivering. Bullet points - keep them consistent and remember a space between the bullet and the first word http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0081KT2FA Www.dragontoothtraining.co.uk

e book link - the best 99cents (77p) you'll ever spend!

2012-05-16T07:31:00.004-07:00

oops forgot to put the ebook link duh! http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0081KT2FA

How to Create & Deliver Effective Presentations

2012-05-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all, Just wanted to give you all a flavor of my new ebook as well as pass on some invaluable presenting advise

Creating & Delivering an Effective Presentation

Presenting is easy isn't it? You stand up and give a fabulous, witty, engaging delivery which the audience loves and you can’t wait to do again....No?

Everyone at some point will have to prepare and deliver a presentation. This could range from a workplace meeting or demonstration up to an international conference and they can all be just as intimidating. Just as the venue and presentation type changes so do how a person reacts - I have seen everything from 'bring it on' to paralyzing fear.

So, why should you be a great presenter? Surely your material will speak for itself, right?... Wrong. A well planned, practiced and executed presentation will increase the impact of your message, add to your professional reputation and credibility and ensure your key objectives are met.

“I passionately believe that's it's not just what you say that counts, it's also how you say it - that the success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it” (Alain de Botton)

We will all have encountered inspiring, motivational people whose presenting style and message leaves us feeling inspired and enthused. Conversely we will have experienced a lackluster style which is ineffective, de-motivating and sometimes painfully embarrassing. I call these two styles the 'Nails down the Blackboard' and 'Powerful Presenter'.

The Nails down the Blackboard

These will be delivered by presenters who lack confidence and preparation or who don't have the audiences’ interests at the centre. It’s the 'I've got a speech and I'm going to deliver it'. As a result the audience isn't engaged or motivated to listen and this style will often be accompanied by a monotone voice, cluttered or inappropriate visual aids, reading verbatim and a lack of enthusiasm or passion for the subject. Audience phrases will be unforgiving and examples include:

'I need a coffee'

'I didn't think that would ever end'

'Where did they get him/her from?'

'That was painful'

The Powerful Presenter

Unlike the style above these presenters tailor their delivery to the audience. Their visual and auditory aids are appropriate, they know the experience level and needs of the audience and deliver with an engaging, enthusiastic style which flows logically from one point or theme to the next.

Audience comments will be positive and they will appreciate that their time has been well spent in attending your event. Examples of positive audience comments include:

'That was great'

'I didn't know that'

'They really knew their stuff'

'I wonder when their going to do another one?'

Quite clearly we all want to deliver the second style but this doesn't happen by chance. You need to have; great planning, knowledge of your audience and venue, clear key objectives and appropriate visual and auditory aids. This can be challenging especially when you are gripped by shear panic and a desire to lock yourself in the bathroom and not come out!

The ‘Fear Factor'

When you ask people why they are apprehensive you get the same comments regardless of age, gender or industry.

I don't know where to start

I don't like people looking at me

I always loose where I am

My mouth goes dry and my brain goes blank

I can't stop my voice, legs and hands from shaking

They might laugh at me

Someone might ask me something I don't know the answer to

If any of these sound familiar you are certainly not alone and this apprehension comes from a desire to portray yourself, product or organisation in the best way possible.

When people prepare a presentation they often use the title e.g. 'Presentation Skills' as the frame on which to hang their points. However, the two main premises of any delivery is to i) tell the audience something they didn't know or ii) inspire them to take action. Therefore, your presentation should be built around that main objective. In the example above my main objective would be 'How to create and deliver effective presentations'.

In order that your presentation flows and has 'signposts' that the audience can follow its content should be designed around bite-sized chunks or themes. So, in my example my main themes would be; audience, content, presenter and venue. You can now add in the points that come under each theme. These should only be included if they support or add to your main objective, in order words they are essential. It is only if you have the luxury of time, or your presentation length is suddenly increased that you should add in points that are 'nice to have'. Each theme can now have its own introduction, main body and summary. So, that's it? Not quite! Every presentation no matter how small needs a powerful introduction, conclusion, Q&A section and if audience size and situation allows you should include a learning recap which acts as a check to ensure learning transfer.

An introduction; sets the scene, tells the audience why they should listen (what's in it for them) and tells them what your going to tell them. For many it is the initial getting up and introducing themselves that they find difficult. There are two main approaches you can take here. The 'play it safe' method e.g. 'good morning my name is Sarah I'd like to thank you for inviting me here today to talk to you about presentation skills'. Or, there is a 'hook' method 'good morning my name is Sarah and today I'm going to show you how to increase your professional reputation and make presenting an enjoyable experience'.

What about your conclusion? If you used the method above your theme summaries will form your conclusion. This is the 'tell them what you've told them bit'. The conclusion should not contain anything that has not been in the main presentation delivery.

The Q&A section should never be left out even if you find it uncomfortable. There are various methods and techniques for dealing with question concerns and many involve turning the question back to the audience. For example you are asked a question and don't know the answer. Admitting you don’t know the answer (after telling them what a great question they have asked) is always preferable to making something up, only to be found out later. However, another approach might be to ask the audience what they think e.g. 'Catherine has just asked a great question about A,B&C, what does anyone else think?'. This approach engages the audience and encourages participation.

Finally, a word about humour. Some people will feel more comfortable leaving humour and story telling to the stand-up comedian but this isn't to say you can't deliver in a unique way that breaks down barriers and builds rapport. There is a fantastic example of this available online of a lecture on high level physics in which the presenter uses scenes from the children's cartoon My Little Pony. It's captivating, engaging and he gets his key messages across perfectly.

Quite clearly creating and delivering a presentation requires much more than I can cover here. Other considerations include; the use of stories, metaphors and analogy, slide do's and don'ts, PowerPoint, keynote, and Prezi. As well as consideration of visual and auditory aids, contingency planning, tailoring, size considerations and venue and message.

I hope this has inspired you to try something different and start building your presenting reputation and experience. Remember the only ‘bad’ presentation is one you don't learn from and there is always a next time.

Sarah Simpson owns Dragontooth Training and Consultancy and is the author of 'How to Create and Deliver Effective Presentations'.www.dragontoothtraining.org.uk
read my latest eBook at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0081KT2FA