When you’re presenting at a meeting, have you ever liked that your team isn’t engaged, that they’re physically there, but their minds are elsewhere? If so, you are not alone. As a speech coach, I know many professionals who feel the same way.
Recently, I met with Carol. She had just been promoted to assistant vice president at her corporation and one of her new responsibilities was causing her distress.
When he contacted me, I asked, “What made you pick up the phone and call me?”
She replied, “Peter, one of my new responsibilities is speaking at a monthly meeting and it’s not going well. At first I’m very nervous and then to make matters worse I feel like no one is listening to me.” me, which makes me more nervous. At this point, I wish I hadn’t accepted the promotion.”
I told Carol that as they worked together, she would learn how to create and deliver engaging presentations. But it was when I explained how the 5 R’s of presentation preparation would help turn her nervousness into positive energy that she seemed most intrigued.
In this article, you’ll learn about the 5 R’s of presentation preparation and how they can help you control your nervousness and engage your listeners.
Once you create a presentation, you need to rehearse it! Yes, rehearse. I know… you don’t want to rehearse. In fact, you have at least three valid reasons why rehearsing won’t work for you. It can be, but if you want to be calm and transmit a message that others hear and benefit from, you must rehearse.
Think about it…professionals rehearse, including singers, musicians, firefighters, soldiers, athletes, crews, dancers, comedians, magicians, politicians and many others. Some of these professions refer to rehearsal as practice or training, but they do so because they understand that repetition almost guarantees a positive result.
The best tool of all
You already own the best tool built to help both veteran and emerging public speakers. And unlike some technologies that can be confusing, this one is easy to implement.
Before this technology was available, generations before us rehearsed in front of mirrors. And while mirrors provide an accurate reflection of what you’re doing, looking at one while practicing results in you trying to think, speak, criticize, and correct all at the same time. There is too much going on for this to be really useful.
Then came the video cameras. They were a great leap forward. But let’s face it, even with all their advancements, video cameras can be cumbersome.
But now we have the best tool yet… a phone, more specifically, the video recorder on your phone. It is easy to use and you can record anytime, anywhere. You can play it anytime you want: at home, on a plane, in a restaurant. Anywhere!
You have this little miracle of technology in your hands every day, so there’s no reason not to use it unless you’re afraid you won’t like what you see, afraid you’ll find out what no one would tell you.
Well, you may not like what you see, but isn’t that the point? To become a more effective speaker, you need to know how others see you. Only then will he be able to play to his strengths and minimize his distractions.
How to use it
This is how I suggest you use your phone video to help you become the dynamic public speaker you want to be. Record yourself giving your presentation. Do it as if you were in front of your audience. Include all the gestures, inflections, pauses, and movements that you would normally use.
Then listen to your presentation without looking at it. How did she sound? Would your opening grab the audience’s attention? How was the rhythm? your inflections? Did you emphasize the words you wanted? Did you hear opportunities for triads or alliterations? Did you end on a powerful note? Take notes while you listen.
Then, with the sound off, review the video and take notes along the way. What did you see? What did she like or dislike about his body language and other non-verbal communication? Did you gesticulate enough? Too? Did you convey confidence? did you pass Were you stuck in a place like a tree? How did your face look? were you smiling? Front?
Next, watch and listen to the video, again making notes about what you like and what you want to change. Then start the process again.
Yes, it’s time consuming, but as Carol learned, it’s worth it. Now, she is relaxed about making her presentation, knowing that she is as prepared as possible.
If you really want to keep your cool when speaking in front of others, engage your audience, and get people to take action, take advantage of this valuable and easy-to-use technology.
Remember…rehearse, record, review, review and repeat!
