What’s the difference between being a “public speaker” and a “skillful presenter?”
According to author Lani Aredondo of How to Present Like a Pro, the distinction is subtle but important — the concept of a public speaker is approached from the perspective of the speaker, while a skillful presenter concentrates on meeting the needs of his/her audience.
Think about it: the very definition of the word “present” is “to bring or make a gift to.” The first step to becoming a better presenter is to keep the needs and wants of your audience at the forefront.
Try these three tips to improve your next presentation:
1) Remember that perception is more powerful than fact.
This is a basic principle of marketing and sales, and it certainly holds true for public speaking. If you come across as knowledgeable and confident, your audience will believe it in a heartbeat, even though your knees might be knocking behind the podium.
Unfortunately, presenters who don’t concern themselves with how the audience perceives them risk having little impact on their audience, or influencing them in a way they don’t intend…in a negative way.
2) Effective presentations satisfy four basic criteria:
- Attention-getting
- Meaningful
- Memorable
- Activating
Remember this with the acronym AMMA, as in “AMMA fabulous presenter!”
3) Consider structuring your speech closing as a “to-do” list.
This gives your audience some thoughtful, concrete points they can feel good about and act on right away.
So I invite you to use perception to your advantage, remember AMMA, and closing with a bang by leaving the audience with a to-do list like this one to become a more skilled presenter. Good luck!
