As a company executive or entrepreneur it is important to have sound speaking abilities. You must be able keep an audience engaged, and to do that you must learn to master the art of public speaking. Knowing everything there is to know about presentation etiquette is crucial to your business’s bottom line. Do you want to give a killer business speech? Here are some dos and don’ts you might want to take into consideration.
Do – begin with the main problem
Start your presentation with an explanation. Address to the audience and explain how your product/service can help them or their businesses. Providing that you can focus on their concerns and offer a valuable solution, you have the best chances of winning customers/investors/suppliers rather than forcing them to identify with an issue they feel they don’t have.
Do – mind the language
When giving a presentation it is fundamental that you mind your language. Don’t go on and on about your company and product; focus more on educating the audience. Offer them enough information to grab their attention and try not to talk solely about your product. Remember that you’re presenting not selling.
Do – reduce word count
If you have decided to present using PowerPoint, you might want to focus on the speech not on the slide. Don’t put a lot of text because nobody will want to read it. The maximum number per slide should be 10 words. Rather than bore the audience with useless text, put up an image and explain it in your own words. Make it seem interesting and your audience will want to know more. Center your presentation on a goal or at least make sure it is aimed at sending the right message.
Do – connect to your audience
One of the easiest ways of connecting to an audience is through personal stories, custom demos and examples. Help the people in front of you relate to the things that you’re saying; and keep in mind that their problem must concern you directly. Don’t shy away and let your audience know that you are there to help them with whatever issues they might have.
Do – rehearse
There’s no way you can win presentations if you don’t rehearse. The key to mastering your speech is to feel comfortable while speaking. But you won’t be able to do that if you’re nervous and anxious. Many people have stage fright or dread speaking in public; however, practice can fix everything. The better you know your subject the higher chances you have to hook the audience and awake their interest.
Don’t – be funny if you don’t have a sense of humor
Not everyone has an acute sense of humor. And yet many people believe they’re so funny when in fact they’re not. Humor may have a positive effect in a public presentation however it should be avoided in meetings with a formal purpose. Rather than attempt to make jokes and fail you should just focus on the core elements of your presentation. There are ways to deliver an impact without struggling to prove that you’re a funny person.
Don’t – adopt a robot-like attitude
It’s great that you know your speech by heart. But this doesn’t mean you should recite it in front of your audience. People want to hear other people speak. They want to relate to them, and for that to happen they must like what they see and hear. A mechanized attitude with no emotion doesn’t make you a good speaker and might even kill your whole presentation. Act natural, use your body language to draw attention, and maintain eye contact. Don’t forget that you’re addressing to actual persons and not a company. This means it’s your job to show them your humane side.
When speakers are not afraid to show their personality the whole presentation seems a lot more interesting and engaging. The audience will start relating to them as persons first and then they’ll begin focusing on what they’re saying. Excellent business skills are attained with hard work and determination; the more you prepare and the harder you practice the better chances you have to win an audience and kill it on stage.
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