Be flexible is Michele's top tip no.3 and we couldn't agree more!! Although it is important for presentations to be planned and structured it is also a really good idea to build in a bit of breathing space with timings, so if you need to be flexible you can.
TIP 3: BE FLEXIBLE
Michele says: 'You can plan to be flexible.
But why do you need to be flexible? Can’t you just deliver that well-honed, densely-typed script you prepared? Wouldn’t it be best to just get it over and done with, and get off the stage?'
We think NO. Most of us can't predict the future and will not be able to tell if our audience will be a bit sleepy after lunch, if there will be an impatient individual in our midst's or a million other if's!! It is always best if we are prepared to be flexible in both our timing and delivery style to more effectively hold the attention of our audience. As trained coach's our facilitators have a great perception of emotional state and often react to this and make adjustments in their delivery style and content to deal with shifts in emotional states. Michele points out in her article 'Designing flexibility into your behavior is absolutely key'.
Equally important to flexibility she say's is keeping your eyes and ears open and this is something we talk about in our presentations skills workshops. As Michele says 'You don’t know to be flexible if you don’t know what’s going on with your audience. Sensory acuity is one of the most important things you will need as a speaker and / or communicator in any context. You need to learn to look for the tell-tale signs. Is your audience glazed over? Are they looking nervy? distracted? Texting on their mobiles?
Building flexible strategies for each of these, and other scenarios, will give you mastery of the room!'
If you attend our Delivering Impressive Presentations study day at Saint Francis Hospice we will give you essential skills in preparing, presenting and perfecting you presentations and teach you way's to keep your audience captivated.
Remember we will be sharing the rest of Michele's top tips with you over the next 4 days and if it sparks some interest or you would like to find out more about our workshop you can take a look on Saint Francis Hospice website or email us on sfh@positivechangeconsultancy.com.
Look out for Tip Four - Use Engaging Language tomorrow!! If you would like a copy of the article please contact us and we will be happy to send it to you.
If you have missed any of the tips you can find them here:
Tip 1: Getting In Control of Your Emotional State
Tip 2: Set Your Goals Clearly
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