How To Handle Tough Presentation Questions

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Workbook 3:: How To Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts In The Line Of Fire

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Why? Why? Why Do People Ask Challenging Questions? Questions Can Questions Impact Change Leadership Why do people in organisations ask challenging/difficult/awkward/tough questions? It does not matter what you call it them. Is it because they are mean by nature? That is a possibility. Is itt because they want to test your knowledge, skills and behaviour? There is a chance. It is more likely to be because when you are presenting you are asking your target audience to change in one way, shape or form. And people do not always embrace change as readily as you might and many resistant any form of change. People’s Reactions To Challenging Questions: Defensive, Evasive, Contentious? Different people react differently to challenging questions. While some become defensive (which we have seen all in business, media and politics),, others become evasive. No matter what you ask them, they will not answer the question you asked. That is even if you repeat and repeat the same question over and over again. And then there are those that are contentious –those those that attempt to tend to want to cause an argument and like to be controversial in what they say and ask, especially in presentation, meeting and conference-size conference settings. Question Dynamics In Groups Usually, if positioned correctly at the beginning of the presentation, the audience usually hold their questions for the end. Ask them to take down questions throughout the presentation (even by distributing post-it post it Notes to each audience member) if this is the case so a question does not get forgotten about (and also for the audience to be happy if their question does not need an answer by the end of your presentation story. The presenter gets to deliver the whole of their presentation uninterrupted. This is OK in larger groups. In smaller group settings, settings, the opposite is often true; because of the informality and immediacy, the audience members (even if they are instructed otherwise) freely ask questions at any time during the presentation, which usually turns the presentation into discussion. However, However, regardless of the setting, the presenter must always be in control whenever a question is asked or raised.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #1 Dealing effective with questions involve a deep understanding of the types of people you have in the meeting. Not throughout the meeting, but when it comes to what do you think in the questions session, three adjectives spring into action: defensive, evasive evas and contentious. Questions are often based on a what’s really in it for me, and the WIIFY you wanted to give them is challenged to enhance change resistance.

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

You ‘Spin’ Me Round:: The Q&A Cycle At the end of a presentation, the presenter opens the floor floor questions and then proceeds to step tep through the following stages: Stage Stage Stage Stage Stage

1: 2: 3: 4: 5:

Open the floor Recognise the questioner Defer to the floor Retake the floor Provide an answer

After the answer, the cycle starts again and contuse on to another member of the audience, and then another, in recurrent clockwise cycles until all questions have been answered or time has run out (which it should not have if you have planned correctly).

Open Floor

Recognise Questioner

Provide Answer

Defer To Floor Retake Floor

Each step in the cycle provides the presenter with an opportunity to exercise control, and control measures that are applicable to both large and small groups.

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

The Q&A Cycle: Stages 1&2 Open The Floor:: Control The Time & The Traffic When the presentation is done and you open the floor to questions, say “I’ve got to catch a plane and do not have enough time for any questions”, “We have time for only a few questions”, “We will take all questions in the breakout session” or “I’ll be here for the rest of the afternoon to answer any question you might have.” It does not matter what you say. It matters that you say it up front and set expectations. Apply time management as well as you know how long you’ve got left – when presenting it’s your space and your time. As you get closer to the end of your Q&A session, start to count down: “Three more questions,” “Two more,” “Last question. This controls the flow of traffic as well i.e. when the green lights are moving back to red. Recognise The Questioner When you ask if there are any questions at the end of your presentation, look out for non-verbal verbal cues to see where the questioners are in the audience. You get to choose which one to recognise first. Use an open hand and do not point. Watch out with names. For example, if you know John but not the woman sitting next to him. You recognise John first and call him by name. Then you recognise the woman beside John and call her “Madam”. The second person will feel like an outsider. This is the same as doing it in the reverse order too.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #2 If you know the name of every person in the room, call everyone by their name. If you do not know the name of every person in the room, call no one by name. Use your open hand to recognise them and the question they have – do not point. If you call the name of only selected people, you run the risk of implying favouritism.

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

The Q&A Cycle: Stage 3 Defer To The Floor You have recognised someone at the back of the room, and you now defer control to the floor. This is a very big moment. Up until this point you have been delivering your presentation and now it’s over to them to ask a question. But most people do not apply ap the ABC Principle (Accurate, Brief, Clear) when asking their questions. Some people do ramble, waffle, however you want to ‘label’ them. Generally, however, their questions are not ABC because they have just taken in a lot of information (especially iff you have provided a “Data Dump”)) and they are still processing the information and usually it is new to them. And you’ve also made that audience member the centre of attention. What may result is that individual asks an unclear question that prompts other her questions (from both you and the other audience members). You are running out time. So, how do you defer to the floor and manage this effectively. Step 1 is to listen effectively. If you don’t do this, then you cannot move into Stage 4: Retake The Floor F or Stage 5: Provide The Answer. Answer Active Listening: Stop Rehearsing The Answer & Listen For The Key issue When listening to a question, empty your mind of all your thoughts so you can hear every word that the questioner is saying – listen for both facts and emotion. In other words, concentrate. Step on the brakes when listening and avoid the “Ready, Fire, Aim!” trap.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #3 Resist the temptation to think of the answer and instead listen for the key issue – facts and especially emotions. Listen for the one or two words that identify the essence of the question: the heart of the matter.

Listen carefully to your audience and evoke your own equivalent equivalent of the verbal appreciation that you are listening e.g. “Mmm”, “Interesting”, “Uh-Huh”, “Uh Huh”, “I See”. The list goes on – make it sound like you are listening and make it look like you’re interesting. Look at the person in both eyes and maintain eye contact. contact.

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Simple Methods To Enable Active Listening Sub-Vocalisation Sub-Vocalisation is speaking to yourself under your breath. Silently saying the words that are most important in the question, like the following examples: “He’s asking about competition”. “She’s concerned about the cost”. “He wants to know about the timing”. Listen carefully to the words and sub-vocalise sub vocalise to help formulate it. Think of the one or two nouns or verbs central to the questioner’s issue, hear them in your mind, but do not answer. Visual Listening Show your audience the physical expression of your attentiveness towards their “interesting” question. Keep all the elements of your outward appearance focused on the person asking the question as your focus on processing his or her words on the inside. Here’s how to do it: Balanced stance. Distribute your weight evenly on both your feet. Eye Connect.. Lock your eyes on the questioner as if you are a laser beam. Voice assent.. Utter a few “uh-huhs” “uh or “Mm-hmms”. Steady fingers.. Do not let your fingers fidget fid or be distracting.. If they do, do simply squeeze the tips of your fingers in a short burst burst of pressure. This will drain the tension out of your hands. Head nods.. Show you are receiving their question. But what happens when you have sub-vocalised sub vocalised and visually listened, and you still do not understand the question?

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #4 # In order to receive a question and understand it, you need to both sub-vocalise sub internally and show that you are listening visually. Sub-vocalise vocalise by concentrating on the key nouns (factual and emotional) and visually listen using Eye Connect, Connect Head Nods, Steady Fingers, Voice Affirmations and by keeping a Balanced Stance. Stance

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

...You Still Don’t Understand?!? When some presenters do not understand the question, they make the mistake of trying to interpret what the person is saying. They say things like, “Let me see if I have this right...” which gives the questioner the opportunity to say, “No, you don’t have it right!” The message is, “You You were not listening!” listening! Some presenters also make another mistake. They hear the question. Everyone else in the room hears the question, but the presenter, in an innocent tone of voice says “Could you repeat the question please?” This pretence is very transparent. transparent And other presenters go all the way to the end of their answer to the end of their answer to a question that they did not understand in the first place, and observe the questioner looking puzzled and staring back at them. If the presenter, as far too many presenters do, then says, “Does that answer your question?” or “Is “Is that what you are asking?” the questioner has the opportunity to say, “No.” The message here is, you were not listening. Therefore you need to remove the following statements from your vocabulary: “Let me see if I have this right...” “Does that answer er your question?” “Is what you are asking...” “Is that what you were asking?” “Could you repeat the question please?” If you do not completely understand the question 100% , then picture a bold red line between you and your audience. Do not cross the line. Do not retake the floor. Do not answer. Do not interpret. interpret Do not speculate. Instead, return the question to the sender. Do not retake the floor, leave the questioner with the floor by saying something like, “I’m sorry, I did not follow, follow, would you mind restating the question?” By doing this, you take the responsibility for not understanding, rather than pointing out that the questioner asked an unclear question. The questioner will rethink the question and then restate it in simpler terms. ter And you are then “off the hook”.. This is the foundation of active listing. Do not answer until you fully comprehend.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #5 If you do not understand then do not retake the floor. Ask the questioner to restate, rethink or reframe the question. Do not retake the floor until you fully comprehend.

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Retake The Floor – Do Not Repeat – I Repeat – Do Not Repeat When you have finished deferring to the floor and you shift the dynamics of the Q&A Cycle back to you retaking the floor, floor, this presents an excellent opportunity for you to exercise control. It shifts the energy exchange away from the questioner and the rest of the floor and back to you. When faced with a challenging question, followed by a potentially controversial response, do not answer and do not repeat; paraphrase instead. Paraphrasing The dictionary defines “paraphrase” as a restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning. meaning Therefore, your intention is to use the paraphrase during your Q&A session to state the challenging question in another form. This will deflect the challenge and to control the meaning. This is distinctly different from restating restating or rephrasing because the prefix “re” means “again”. “Again” implies repetition, and repetition implies carrying forward the negative parts of the challenging question. This negative statement will create a negative perception, which will spread to the rest of the audience and not just the original questioner. To create a paraphrase of the original question, begin with an interrogative word such as: “What...?” “Why...?” “How...?” “Does...?” “Can...?” “Is...?” The paraphrase is only a reconfiguration reconfigurat of the original question and not a question about the original question. Asking a question about a question is a tactic doomed to fail. It is perceived as evasive and produced nothing but frustration and irritation in the asker. Inevitably, irritation on in the audience produces failure for the presenter. A good paraphrase simply incorporates the key words of the original question but differs from a question in that the voice should drop at the end of the sentence, as opposed to a question in which the voice rises due to inquisitiveness.

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Paraphrase Some More... Just like martial arts, you should become one with your opponent in the paraphrase in order to create a level playing field. When you paraphrase in the Q&A session of your presentation, you can proceed to answer the question without having to deal with any hidden (or transparent) hostility. Your questioner cannot help but agree that you have identified the issue and key words, and therefore that person will not say something like, “What I’m really asking...” That person will nod in agreement, releasing you to move ahead and provide your answer. If the paraphrase is wrong, there is no nod. To the contrary, there is often a frown or a shake of the head. When the paraphrase is correct and appropriate, the nod always happens, even if it is just to acknowledge that you have heard them correctly in their t words, tone and even how they delivered it (their body language). If your question is “hostile”, “hostile”, use as few words as possible in your paraphrase. Less is more. Mirror your opponent and neutralise the hostile question. The answer a that follows a paraphrase should contain an active verb. Paraphrasing positions you right in the middle of the cooling down zone, zone ready to move forward positively. This is a very powerful technique to control the other types of challenging and difficult questions.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Success Key Message #6 Use the paraphrase during your Q&A session to state the challenging question in another form. This will deflect the challenge and to control the meaning. The paraphrase is only a reconfiguration of the original origi question and not a question about the original question. Ensure that you level the playing field with the paraphrase. Finally, use as few words as possible in your paraphrase.

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Taking The Challenge Out Of Challenging Questions Type 1: Negative & Negativity Questions “Everyone in our sector is merging with another company. Banks, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and other major companies are joining forces. Instead of staying independent, why don’t you seriously consider merging or partnering with one of the larger companies?” Whoa! What’s with all the negativity? Why don’t you calm down? You are verbally attacking me? This is some of the automatic negative self-talk self talk that we can have internally when faced with a negative question question packed to the brim with negativity. The underlying message in this question was: why don’t you do what the questioner thinks you should do instead of what you just got finished spending your entire presentation telling the audience what you are going going to do, which is independence and being able to fulfil the long term strategy of the company as the organisation is in a stable financial position. If you, as a presenter, spend any time dealing directly with “Why don’t you?” questions, you will only invite te more negative questions. Instead, turn the negative into a positive by addressing only why you are doing what you said you will be doing in the presentation. The most effective paraphrase to the question (dealing with the words and the underlying message) age) is “Why are we remaining independent?” Type 2: Irrelevant relevant & “Stupid” Questions Firstly, let’s get one thing straight – there is no such thing as a stupid question. There are only stupid answers. If someone was to ask an irrelevant question like, “How “Ho come your logo does not have a space between the two words?” the response is usually a smile, a snigger or a frown from the presenter, each of which represents disdain to the questioner. When you are presenting, there is no such thing as an irrelevant question. question. Every question from every audience member is relevant and appropriate. If they ask it, you must answer it. Watch your body language and inhibit the snigger or frown with a paraphrase. For the example given above, this would be “What are the reasons reasons for our logo design?” or “Why the logo style?”

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #7 There is no such thing as an irrelevant question. If they ask it, you must answer it.

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Taking The Challenge Out Of Challenging Questions Type 3: Multiple Questions Multiple questions can be a nightmare for you as a presenter, especially if they are not linked together i.e. are disparate. disparate Multiple questions that are related are easier to handle as they have a logic, flow and connection. The difficulty culty is when one comes from one topic, the second another and the third one that has no link to your presentation at all (which may be perceived by you or the other audience members to be irrelevant). What most presenters do is dive into an answer for one of them and lose track of the rest. And then often turns to the questioner (or the other audience members) and asks, “What was your other question(s)?” The audience’s perception is then, “you were not listening!” What to do is pick only one of the questions. questions. It could be the easiest, the hardest, the last, the first, the one that surprised you, or the one that you were expecting. Paraphrase the question, answer it, and then turn back to the person who asked and, in an assertive statement say, “You had another question!” That person will then either repeat the other question, and you can respond with a clear mind. Or the questioner might say, “It’s OK, you have covered it.” This is common in Q&A sessions because most people cannot remember their own multiple multiple questions, in some cases even when they have written it down”.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #8 When dealing with multiple questions, the most effective thing to do is pick only one of the questions. It could be the easiest, the hardest, the last, the first, the one that surprised you, or the one that you were expecting. Paraphrase the question, answer it, and then turn back to the person who asked and, in an assertive statement say, “You had another question!”

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Taking The Challenge Out Of Challenging Questions Type 4: Questions About Your Presented Material A presenter delivers a well planned and delivered presentation, only to have a person in the audience ask a question about something that was already discussed. In internal company meetings, this usually results in audible groans from the rest of the audience. At an external meeting, other audience members, stifle their groans and only think them internally. You, as a presenter should do this this too, but don’t answer by saying, “As I said..” This simple phrase implies impatience with the questioner and even belittling, such as “If you had listened to what I said...” You should move directly forward into the answer as if you have never covered the subject. You are then free to recap the main points you were trying to take. Resist the temptation to repeat the material in the same level of detail that you did in the presentation. This is called a back reference. Be concise. Avoiding these back references produces three major benefits: Reinforcement of your main point – the Point B. Validation,, rather than invalidation for the questioner. Positive Perception.. As your audience has heard you cover the material in question and they see you react react positively and patiently, they perceive you as an individual in control. The Q&A session is the only point of your presentation lifecycle where telling a story with back references is not effective. Therefore, use only forward references.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #9 You should move directly forward into the answer as if you have never covered the subject. You are then free to recap the main points you were trying to take. Resist the temptation to repeat the material in the same level of detail that you did in the presentation. esentation. This is called a back reference. Be concise.

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Taking The Challenge Out Of Challenging Questions Solution/Technique #1: The Buffer By reframing the inbound energy of challenging questions, the paraphrase acts as an effective buffer or shock absorber by deflecting the negativity. Then, after the buffer discharges the negative energy, the presenter regains balance and moves ahead. The buffer will enable you to: Neutralise hostile questions. Turn negative questions positive. Manage multiple questions efficiently. Handle questions about your presented material with grace and control. Treat irrelevant questions the same as any other type. Convert charged statements and opinions into questions. Given all these valuable benefits, you should buffer all questions, even those that are not challenging. Solution/Technique #2: Buffering With Key Words Where the questions are not challenging direct questions you can shift to a shorter buffer, using the Key Word or Words from the question and put them into your answer. However, you can also use the Key Words Buffer for challenging questions too. Solution/Technique #3: Buffering The Power Of “You” Insert a “you” in your buffer before your paraphrase: “You’re asking...” “Your question is...” “You’d like to know...” Remember the power of “you”. “you” It establishes a direct interpersonal connection between you and your questions. Remember and use Eye Connect.

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Taking The Challenge Out Of Challenging Questions Solution/Technique #4: The Triple Fail-Safe Fail Fail-Safe 1. Retake the floor only after you have a complete grasp of the key word(s) in the sentence. Until then, do not move forward. Return the message to the sender (the questioner) by taking responsibility and saying, “I’m “I’m sorry. I did not get that fully; would you mind restating the question?” Fail-Safe 2. If you are certain you have grasped the key word, use them in your buffer. During your buffer, make Eye Connect with the questioner until il you see the person’s head nod, indicating that you have identified the key word(s) correctly. Move forward into the answer only after you see the head nod. Fail-Safe 3. If, despite your best efforts, you get a frown instead of a head nod, do not move forward into the answer. Return it to the sender by saying, “I’m “I’m sorry. I still don’t follow, would you mind restating the question?” These three fail-safes will keep you from rushing into the wrong answer. You will also avoid the dreaded, “You’re not listening!” perception, as well as the “That’s not what I asked!” and “What I’m really asking...”

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #10 Only after you get the head nod are you free to begin your answer.

Notes/Ideas

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Provide The Answer You MUST Answer, And With HONESTY The most appropriate way to answer any question is to have in your mindset, “If they ask it, you must under it”. Your obligation is to respond. Other than questions that you to which you do not know the th answer, you must reply to any question from any audience member. You must interpret the key word(s) in their question correctly. Any attempts to duck the issue in the answer will appear to be defensive or evasive. Remember the absolute requirement for truth too. Every answer you give to every question you get must always be honest and straightforward. straightforward

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #11 Every answer you give to every question you get must always be honest and straightforward. You must answer tough questions directly.

You Are The Manager Of The Answer Answer the questions you were asked in the context that you should resist the common temptation to introduce new, tangential information during your Q&A Q&A session. Far too many presenters go off on a tangent into another presentation after their presentation. You must remember the purpose of opening the floor to questions was to clarify the material within your presentation. The Q&A period is a courtesy to the audience to provide elaboration for them upon request. Keep all your answers concise. A simple rule for most questions in most settings is to keep your answers to a maximum of 60 seconds. Anticipate In advance of your presentation, compile a list of of the most challenging questions you might be asked. Compile all the questions and not the answers. Seek input on your list from as many resources as possible (colleagues, peers, manager, consultants etc.) These are your red flag issues i.e. the challenging nging questions you have prepared. When you have identified these, develop a position statement for each of them. Write them as if you were writing a press release for the media. When you get to the Q&A session, it is a simple case aligning the variation variation of the position statement with the variation of the issue in the challenging questions. Remember and do this during your preparation and not your presentation. presentation. Do all your thinking offline and not on your feet.

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Provide The Answer How To Handle “Special” l” Questions There are some “special” types of question that require “special” handling. Tangential. Those questions that are off on a tangent (and not directly related to your presentation) does (however tangential) deserve an answer. You need to use a buffer to keep from sniggering or frowning at the questioner first, and then either answer it directly or take it offline. Unknown. No reasonable audience member can expect you to have answer to everything. They are just curious to know a particular answer answer to a particular question. So, if you do not know the answer to a question, particularly if it is about some minute detail, admit it to your questioner, but promise to get an answer to the later. If the question is spot on to a central issue within your your presentation, you must respond respon directly or you will appear to be evasive. Tough Questions. You must answer tough questions directly. You can do it lightly, with self-deprecating deprecating humour, be frank and confess when you do not know the answer, or stand yourr ground. But you must address the issue that are prominent in the minds of your audience. Confidential. If you get a question about “classified” or “restricted” material and you say, “I’m not at liberty to reveal that,” you will sound evasive. You will sound even more so if you say, “If I told you I would have to kill you”. you”. Instead, provide a reason for your confidentiality. Attribute it to company policy, security, legislation, competitive data or privacy, and do it positively rather than negatively. Speculative. If you get a question that requires a forward looking statement, such as, “When will we be profitable again?” Don’t Don’ forecast and attribute your restraint to company policy. Guilty As Charged. Suppose you were were to receive a question concerning an issue about which you or your company are guilty as charged. In each case, the underlying issue is that the question is true. However, you do not need to plead guilty to the charge and surrender, the “don’t shoot the t messenger” effect.

Your Payback For Presentation Success: Key Message #12 With all these types of questions, all your audience is looking for is whether the presenter has thought about the question, been candid, thorough and direct.

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

What Can a Presentation Do For You? Firstly it puts you on display. Your colleagues, staff, management, customers etc, need to see evidence of decisive planning, leadership, idea generation etc‌ They need to be motivated and inspired to undertake tasks, challenges or just to get the job done. Secondly, presentations allow you to ask questions and initiate discussions. While you may not have the chance to do this during the actual presentation it will allow you to raise the issue, or present the problem. Finally, presentations ntations can be FUN. They are your chance to speak your mind, to strut your stuff and to tell people what the world is really like. While you hold the stage, the audience is, usually, bound by good manners to sit still and watch/listen to the performance.

Useful Websites: www.xrefer.com With xrefer, you can cross-reference reference across dictionaries and books of quotations, to find the perfect comment.

www.skillsformedia.com Just as it says, lots of information on careers, support and services.

www.powerpointcentral.com Provides tips on PowerPoint features and links to other sites.

www.presentersuniversity.com Great site lots of tips, tools and techniques and related links.

www.powerpointers.com Another excellent site with lots of articles and tips on presenting and using PowerPoint.

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Checklists Use checklists for help with preparation, confidence, delivery and for future development.

Preparation:

Yes/No Have I researched my subject? Have I a Mindmap)

system

for

collating

ideas?

(i.e.

What is the desired reaction? Do I have a logical sequence? Are my speaking aids/notes well thought out? Have I checked the venue? Have I checked the equipment? Who will be speaking before/after me? How will I be introduced? Are questions/answers prepared? Can my visuals be seen and understood? Can I be seen and heard? Have I prepared my pauses/intonation? I have practiced at least twice?

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Content

Yes/No My opening words are attention getters I have one or more people stories Have I found/created audience acceptance? I have checked the length of my presentation Will my content be clearly understood? I am sure points/issues

I

am

not

covering

too

many

Have I avoided too many detailed facts/figures? I have an effective memorable close

Presenter

Yes/No Am I feeling confident? Do I feel enthusiastic? Do I see in my mind a successful result? I have discarded all negative thoughts I am going to smile Remember I know my subject

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Evaluation

Yes/No I had a good strong start I was enthusiastic My posture was good I gestured as appropriate I used facial expression I had good voice control (pace/tone/volume) I painted some pictures I included some people stories The content was pitched just right I sold it/achieved outcomes My finish was positive and strong

Finally you may want to ask yourself some questions to help you keep focusing on continuous improvements: What do I enjoy most about making a presentation? What do I enjoy least about making presentations? What do I do best when making presentations? What skills do I admire in others when I see them making a presentation? Which skills do I need to develop further in order to make more persuasive presentations? How will I develop these skills? s

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Confident Presentations Packed With A Punch

Some Final Thoughts Remember To: Practice, Practice and Practice again! Be Clear. Be Quick. Be Gone! Repetition is good. Repeat yourself it works. Repetition gets the point across. Paraphrase and pause for effect. Start with a WOW factor by using one of your opening ‘hooks’, ‘hooks’, capturing your audience IMMEDIATELY and finish with a BANG!

Course Manual & Workbook 3 – In The Line Of Fire

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