Whether you are brand new to speaking or you have been presenting for years, you will want to look confident when you stand up to speak. This can be a challenge though if you are really nervous. We are always afraid that the nervousness that we feel will be obvious to the audience. So, how do you look poised and confident in front of a group, even if you don’t actually feel confident yet?

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/presentation-gestures-and-movement/

It happens to all of us sooner or later. We prepare well. We practice over and over. But then, something happens that is totally out of our control, and we bomb. So, how do you recover after giving a terrible speech and bombing on stage? Whether the challenge occurs as a result of nervousness or presentation anxiety, or if nuclear reaction came from improper preparation, it happens. Even public speaking pros can bomb a speech every now and then. These are a few things that you can do to recover.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-recover-from-a-terrible-speech-bombing-on-stage/

I like to think of myself as a pretty good speaker and writer. I always hated English class in high school and college, though. So, I always got confused between what was a metaphor, what was a simile, and what was an analogy. To me, these parts of speech were so similar, that I didn’t really see a lot of difference in them. (Still don’t, by the way.) However, these often confusing parts of speech are the special sauce to really great presentation burgers. If you use them just right, these items will be like adding the perfect piece of jewelry to a formal dress. They will take a speech that is already pretty good, and make it exceptional.

Five Ways to Use Similes, Metaphors, and Analogies to Add Flavor to Your Presentations.

1) Attention-Getting Titles (and Bullets).
2) Add Humor to Dry Presentations.
3) A Single Comparison Developed Throughout the Presentation.
4) Use them with Other Evidence to Clarify Content.
5) Make Technical Content More Easily Understood.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/metaphors-similes-and-analogies-the-special-sauce-for-your-presentation-masterpiece/

So you have written a great presentation, but now you want to make it phenomenal. These 9 stellar presentation enhancers will add impact to any speech. In this series of podcasts, Doug Staneart breaks down his public speaking “Impact Ideas” that can be inserted into any speech to really make them come alive. Below is a list of all nine items. Each item links to more details below as well! Anecdotes: A funny story or a story that makes a point is often more memorable than just a bullet point. Demonstration: When you show your audience what you are trying to tell them, they will often have more clarity. Quote: A testimonial from an expert or client at the right time can add credibility. Sample: Something that your audience can see, touch, and feel have more impact than just a description of the item. Name Drop: If you don’t have a quote, you can name drop others who agree with you. Non-PowerPoint Visual Aid: A spontaneous flip-chart drawing, a poster, or board will often have a greater impact on the audience than an image on a slideshow that is more temporary. Showmanship: Never underestimate the entertainment value of your presentation.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/7-stellar-presentation-enhancers-that-add-impact-to-any-speech/

Audience Participation is one of the most effective ways to make a good presentation into a stellar presentation. However, it also has a lot of danger. A good, thought-provoking, open-ended question to the audience can help you persuade even the toughest audience. However, if the audience believes that your question is being used to manipulate them they may respond negatively or shut down entirely.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/9-reliable-ways-to-add-audience-participation-to-your-presentation/

The Importance of Self-Confidence People will judge our COMPETENCE by the CONFIDENCE that we show. For example, let’s say that you are going in for surgery, and just before you go under, the surgeon walks into your room. His posture is slouching, as he speaks, he stumbles over his words somewhat, and when you look at his hands, they are trembling a little. Now, it doesn’t matter how good of a surgeon he is, you’ll probably want a second opinion (maybe even a third opinion) — Fast! Well, it’s the same in just about any industry. People judge how good we are at what we do by how confident we are when we communicate with them. If we speak with poise and confidence, they will automatically make the assumption that we are competent at what we do until we prove ourselves otherwise. The opposite is true as well. When we speak with nervousness or fear, the audience will automatically assume that we don’t know what we are doing until we prove ourselves otherwise.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/people-judge-your-competence-by-confidence-that-you-show/

The word complacent may just be the biggest enemy of success. In fact, I’ve noticed that, if you look at history as well as the current business climate, you’ll find that past success almost always limit future successes. That is unless you are constantly looking for new ways to improve yourself and your organization. I have to admit, I have been both the beneficiary of capitalizing on others' complacency as well as being the dupe who became complacent and missed out on opportunities. Perhaps you’ll be able to learn from both my successes and failures so that you can identify the opportunities in your own industry.