Presenting Yourself

In a recent survey some people voted fear of public speaking a more terrifying prospect than the fear of dying. Such is our terror of opening our mouths and sharing our message that we'd sooner die than commit social suicide.

Being able to present yourself confidently is important whether you are speaking to an audience of two hundred people or during a one to one meeting and most organisations expect to employ someone who can speak effectively.

Anyone who presents professionally will tell you it is practice and preparation that makes perfect. Few of us can afford to rehearse in public! So how can we get from enthusiastic amateur to engaging orator? The secret is in being authentic.

• You will find yourself out of your depth if you try to be someone you are not. Your audience will see through you immediately and will feel uncomfortable.
• Identify what works best for you and focus on that i.e. if you find telling funny anecdotes is second nature to you then build it into your presentation. If facts and figures are your forte quote interesting statistics and if you work well with visual aids equip yourself with those. Do what feels effortless.
• Speak with passion - when we speak about somthing we know a lot about and are enthusiastic about we sound passionate and excited and people want to hear more. Be sure to build in items that fire you up and make your heart beat faster. A model railway enthusiast or an expert in bio physics can be enthralling if they speak with passion.
• Be excited - it's OK to let your audience know you're enthusiastic, so be animated and expressive and let it come from the heart. People will sit up and listen.
• Visualise yourself succeeding. Take time out before your presentation to visualize it being a success. See the audience smiling and nodding, see yourself powerful and speaking with conviction, looking good and being successful and hear the applause.
• Share something of yourself. Tell a story about your experiences, what you want from the event, how you've been feeling, how you work - it personalizes the material and connects people to you.
• Remember being authentic is often more powerful than being slick. Style tips and presentation skills usually fall into place after practice, but being true to yourself and being "real" is a far more effective tool for communication than a faultless but formulaic delivery.
• Always keep in mind the desired outcome of the presentation. Is it to inspire, inform, motivate, educate, raise awareness, increase sales, entertain? Ask yourself how you will know when you have achieved this goal.

If you would like support in getting ahead in your career, contact CareerInsights at info@careerinsights.co.uk
tel: 020 8841 5407 or 07958 636291

See our website at: www.careerinsights.co.uk