Communicate clearly

Additional reminders for an effective presentation

by

Follow these suggestions to help you deliver an effective presentation

A conference I attended recently included six very informative presentations. Overall, the quality of the material was very good. However, I witnessed a number of common presentation gaffes. Keep these tips in mind the next time you step in front of an audience.
 

1. Test the microphone. Make sure you know the microphone’s working range. Speak louder, and/or stay close to the microphone. Use a lapel mic if you can. They’re closer to your face naturally, and allow you to move around. (And for handheld units, keep the mic close to your mouth. Don’t worry: it won’t bite you.)
Make sure your audience can hear you well before you begin. It’s better to be too loud than too soft.
 
2. Repeat questions posed by audience members. This is especially true if speaking in a large room. People in the back can’t hear the question that’s posed by someone up front. Just say, “The question is,….”, then answer it.

5 Common presentation mistakes to avoid

by

I attended a seminar recently, and noticed several mistakes by the presenters. These are fairly common presentation mistakes, so perhaps you’ll recognize some or all. Even if you don’t usually make these mistakes, it’s good to be reminded of them.

1. Stay within your allotted time. Running long disrupts the rest of the program.

Read more

Reply to all legitimate messages, and do so thoroughly

by

  Ideally, respond the same day to your messages. If not, at least within one business day. Meantime, you can let the person know you received the message and are working on it. Read each message thoroughly before responding. This may require two or three readings. Take your time to formulate your response, and make … Read more

How to conduct a webinar with problems

by

It can happen to the best. I sat in on a webinar today hosted by a veteran professional speaker. For the first 10 minutes there was no sound. (Actually, there was some odd background noise, including a cell phone ringing.) Eventually the presenter realized he had a problem (perhaps from the person calling), corrected the … Read more

How to leave a good phone message in 3 easy steps

by

How to leave a good phone message 1. Give important information, like your phone number, at least two times, especially if you are calling from a cell phone. Signals do occasionally break up, and the person may not have caller ID. 2. Speak slowly and clearly. Don’t force the recipient to play back your message … Read more