Presentations comprise a small but significant part of our communication.
So, some of you may have and interest in improving your perfomance in a
difficult process to master. See below sigfile.
Rae Gorin Cook has developed an excellent website for practical
communication at
http://www.gorin.com. I am not connected to Gorin
Communications, Inc. in any way except a personal interest in promoting
well-developed communication skills in myself and others.
______________________
Great Optimism,
Dutch Driver
Dept. of Communication
McMurry University
Abilene, TX
ddriver@cs1.mcm.edu
Tips of the Month: [INLINE]
Courtesy of Gorin Communications, Inc.
Enhancing Careers by Refining Communication Skills [INLINE]
TIPS FOR BEING MEMORABLE
1. Talk a little louder
2. Emphasize key words (move your voice up or down)
3. Start to express your opinion using the word "You" (Example: "You
might be wondering why we should make a change.")
4. Wear your listeners ' corporate colors or use them in your
overhead transparencies or slides.
5. Use analogies, especially for difficult and/or technical concepts
("The shape of this parabola is like the surface of a
watermelon.")
6. Use props or other visuals to support what you say (Hold up a
product, show a stack of paper to demonstrate how your approach
will reduce paperwork).
7. Say something personal about the audience. Tour their convention
or location, note materials on the walls, and comment about them.
8. Use humorous pictures and photographs to accompany your talk. Make
sure that they fit your theme. Explain why you have them there.
9. Let the audience DO something: funny exercises, answering
questions, drawing pictures
10. Set up your thoughts and sentences to let your audience anticipate
what you will say next. For example, to make the point about the
importance of communication coaching:
11.. Do you want to make your point and be successful? As you might
imagine, organizing strategies will help. Better voice projection
will help. So if you have a well-organized, clear way of
communicating.... then you will be a success.
12. Surprise your audience: use a funny prop (like a hat) or throw
something into the audience, like candy or relevant props
13. Customize your talk to match their interests or concerns. For
example, at a Secretary's Day speech I gave, I told a story about
the funny requests secretaries get, such as the time I, in my
ancient past as a secretary, was asked to order underpants for my
boss!
14. Provide a lot of examples.
15. Make your descriptions vivid: use interesting "action" words such
as "sculpt" for "make."
16. Create pictures that stimulate all of the senses: tell the
audience what you see, hear, feel, and touch (even taste) to make
examples interesting.
17. Be energetic and enthusiastic: smile, laugh, and stand erect; move
around the stage. Come out from behind the lectern. Your energy
and enthusiasm are contagious.
18. Get "psyched up" before a talk: have a great conversation with
someone interesting just before you speak. If this is not
possible, read or listen to something funny or otherwise
entertaining.
19. Give the audience something to do or think about at the end of
your talk. You can request of them something as simple as "Think
about how this project could affect your group's productivity" to
"Go out there and use these new techniques."
20. Vary the delivery of information in your presentation. For
example, use a formal style for lecture information, switch to an
informal (conversational) style for stories and examples, and
change to louder speaking for key points. When telling a story,
act it out by standing in different spots representing each
"actor" in the story.
For more tips, call Gorin Communications for our seminar schedule at
1-800-510-2122 or send email to us at
info@gorin.com.
Previous tips:
* August 1996
* September 1996
* October 1996
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Last revision: December 15, 1996
? Copyright 1996, Gorin Communications, Inc.
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