So What? How to communicate what really matters to your audience
Mark Magnacca
The people a business tries to communicate with, sell to, or convince don't really care about the business. Nor do they care what it is offering them—until they understand exactly how it will benefit them. In this book, world-renowned sales consultant Magnacca shows explains how to answer the "So What?" question brilliantly, every time. => http://bit.ly/Zxn7TI
Are you a natural gesturer, or do you have to force yourself to gesture?
Or perhaps there is a third question I could ask, and that is ... have your modified your gestures to be more appropriate to your speaking?
I basically think that the more natural a speaker, the better.
And gestures are not absolutely necessary to communicate.
Sometimes I am annoyed at a television presenter or video presenter who makes the same gesture over and over, or who makes gestures at a level that seems inappropriate to the frame in which he is presenting. But then, I also think that those who evaluate or coach speakers can become too focussed on minor details that most people simply don't notice, unless they are judging a speech contest. If gestures are inappropriate it is usually a reflection of a deeper level of communication.
Nevertheless I have always been intrigued by something I read years and years ago, that basically
Gestures above shoulder level support messages about things that are spiritual or uplifting (a church minister will raise his hands in blessing).
Ordinary messages are supported by gestures at the middle level of your body.
Things that are despicable or degrading or debilitating are supported by gestures below the waist.
Do you agree?
And would you coach a speaker to create gestures based on this information?
[Image from Stallonezone]
You can avoid boring your audience by varying the pitch and the volume and pace of your words. Use pause for drama.
Speak quickly to communicate your energy and enthusiasm, and then use a slower rate for emphasis.
You can also deliberately vary the structure of your sentences. A single word can have huge impact used on its own, particularly if it comes after a wordier segment.
All of these are keeping your audience hooked.
I don't think I've mentioned this before. So if you have been hiding under a rock for the last year or so and have missed this - it's a great read - Jobs and Gallo are both speakers we can all model....
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Carmine Gallo
"The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs reveals the operating system behind any great presentation and provides you with a quick-start guide to design your own passionate interfaces with your audiences." Cliff Atkinson, author of Beyond Bullet Points and The Activist Audience => http://bit.ly/14Kp90g
True eloquence consists in saying all that should be said, and that only.
-La Rochefoucauld
The lessons you are about to learn can be applied to all of your presentations, from sales, internal or boardroom presentations right through to your keynote speeches. No matter whether you deliver in PowerPoint, Keynote, Google's presentation app, or any other -- the methods revealed in this show will have you delivering killer presentations.
After watching this show, you'll be armed with eight things that you can do right away to dramatically improve you presentations! => http://bit.ly/11tdh5z
If your body is declaring that you are not sincere in what you are saying then your credibility decreases and there is no way your message will have the impact it should have. So everything that implies relaxed, enthusiastic confidence and sincerity is vital now.
Think about the tone of your message. Is it relaxed, conversational? Then make your body language relaxed. Is it passionate, strong and powerful, then create body language that conveys that power. Is it alert and enthusiastic, then your body language will be upright and reflecting that enthusiasm.
Presentation Skills 201:
How to Take it to the Next Level as a Confident, Engaging Presenter
William R Steele
Included with the tips are scores of real-life examples and stories from the author's over 16 years of helping highly-accomplished presenters find that one more thing that they can do to take it up notch and build their careers by making strong, positive impressions on their presentation audiences. => http://bit.ly/16hissB
A speech is poetry: cadence, rhythm, imagery, sweep! A speech reminds us that words, like children, have the power to make dance the dullest beanbag of a heart.
~Peggy Noonan
