The American author Mark Twain once said “there are two types of public speakers in life – those that get nervous and the liars!” If this is to be believed, why do some people deliver great presentations despite their nerves, whilst most crumble at the knees at the very thought?

 

Elysium Magazine sought some expertise from Peter Lewis, a fantastic presenter with over twenty years experience in the field. In the current economic climate, it pays to focus on your presentation skills. Even from a social perspective – you never know when you will be expected to stand in front of a few hundred guests and spill the beans with a best man’s speech.

 

Peter believes that the best presenters focus on a very simple 3-step process which if you follow, will help you on your way to becoming the speaker that you have the potential to be.

 

 

The first thing is to ‘focus on the public, of public speaking’.  This simply means that in order to give of your best, remember that you are there to add value to your audience.  Focus on their needs and wants.  What questions do they need answering?  What concerns do they have? What would make their time with you worthwhile?  Apply this simple idea to both your planning and delivery and you will find magical things happen.  First, you stop worrying about yourself because you are focused on them.  Second, you will find yourself speaking to them rather than at them!

 

Second, ‘always be your authentic self’. Stop trying to be someone you’re not and always be prepared to speak from the heart.  Remind yourself that an audience doesn’t want to sit through a long string of platitudes that they could read on the web or in the company report.  They have come to listen to you because you have something to say on the matter.  They have come to learn from your knowledge, your expertise and experience.  But most of all, they will appreciate your take on things.

 

Finally, ‘harness the power of stories’.  No great presentation is memorable because of the PowerPoint slides or the handout.  The best are delivered with passion, enthusiasm and are littered with stories, anecdotes and metaphors.  Stories engage us all.  They provide a means of demonstrating a point, of bringing numbers to life and connect us to reality.  Stories stick in the mind, bullet point facts don’t.

 

 

 

So it doesn’t matter if you are presenting to the boardroom, the wedding party or to the community meeting.  You have it within you to deliver a great presentation.  Remember Mark Twain and be comfortable that we are all in the same boat when it comes to speaking – but some of us have the secret ingredient!

 

Try these these handy tips for your next presentation and see the audience cling to your every word! Contact Elysium Magazine and let us know what you think of Peter’s tips via Twitter.

 

About the author

 

Peter Lewis is a trainer, speaker and coach with over twenty years of presentation delivery and coaching experience.  He specializes in teaching people how to deliver great presentations and to Think on Your Feet®.  To find out more go to www.peterlewis.tv