How to keep them awake!

[spooks]

I have been asked to do a 20 min presentation at a franchise conference

I have attended many of these but never spoken.

The presentation is early afternoon, just after lunch!! - experience tells me most people are falling asleep at this time!!

Never having done this before, any tips or guidance on how you keep people interested would be appreciated

Is it only me that has sleepless nights at the thought of speaking in front of a room full of people?

 

[willh]

When you attend, what keeps you interested?

Using powerpoint or similar will help guide you through your topic and give your audience some visual stimulation (see http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html for a good article about powerpoint presentations).

The worst thing you can do is read from a script... practice at least two or three times to get it right.

I love giving presentations... all those people giving you their attention!! My wife is the same... it can be hard to get a word in edgeways at our dinner table...!

 

[Phil_@_MPP]

There are some general tips and hints you can find online, but I have always found the best speakers are the ones who do something different and interesting.

Find a way to make yourself stand out from the crowd and people will want to listen to you. Maybe be telling credible jokes or by using stories to back up your statements.

P.

 

[spooks]

Thanks for the replies, the presentation isn't on anything technical or on any product, they ant me to talk about me!!

They want me to talk about how I have done what I have, where I want to go with my business and how I want to get there.

How would you suggest I structure this on a powerpoint presentation, I could talk technical all day long, seems strange to talk about yourself!

 

[DanMartin]

Presentation tips for first time speakers may be useful.

 

I've always found that if you just talk AT them for 20 minutes, they will have switched off long before you are finished.

Think of it in 4 x 5 minute blocks, and have something which stimulates interaction, or at least stops them falling asleep at the end of each block.

 

[JohnG]

Thanks for the replies, the presentation isn't on anything technical or on any product, they ant me to talk about me!!

They want me to talk about how I have done what I have, where I want to go with my business and how I want to get there.

How would you suggest I structure this on a powerpoint presentation, I could talk technical all day long, seems strange to talk about yourself!

In that case tell them a story. Make sure it's interesting, relevant to them and keep them guessing about the ending.

Don't make it Death by Powerpoint. Have your laptop in front of you so you can see what's on the screen (ie the slide they're seeing) and don't turn and face the big screen at all. Make sure the text on your slides can easily be read at the back of the room and that there's not much of it. Use the slides to reinforce what you are saying rather than them being the entire message - ie don't just read from the slides.

Hope that helps.

 

[Melonline]

Personally I would avoid powerpoint, especially as you are talking about yourself. Keep it simple, give yourself bullet points and expand on them as you speak. Change the pitch and tone of your voice to maintain interest.

 

[bandaid]

Best lecture session I had after a lunch, was when the instructor killed a rabbit, bit the skin through at the back of the neck, whipped the skin off , diembowled it and threw the goo over the front 2 rows.

An attention getter, without doubt, but maybe you could tone it down a smidge for your audience?

total agreement with DbP tho' its terrible and implies to me that the presenter doesnt know the subject, I'm sure you do, but it was guearanteed to send me off and I was the instructor.

 

[SenditOver]

bring a large and powerfull PA system... put in a pre-prepared CD that randomly plays loud bangs every so often.

i gaurentee there will be nobody asleep.

 

[SRooke]

Hi, as an NLP Trainer and Coach yours is a familiar story. A tip that I can offer you is to prepare using 4 simple questions.
1. Why should they be interested, WIIFM.
2. What information, details or stuff do you want them to know.
4. What if

 

[creospace]

Narrative is very important to a presentation - get the listeners engaged and involved in what you are saying.

Remember:

What I hear, I forget
What I see, I remember
What I do, I understand

 

[Stephen Berry]

lots of good posts so far .... loads of brilliant advice.
For the record - putting a first time speaker on after lunch is a bit unfair - the just before lunch is the traditional spot for the newcomers.

remember - you are the worlds expert on your subject - you !

Variation - pitch, tone, volume and pace - keep all 4 changing. Practice, practice, practice - record yourself and listen to the recording (listen for annoying habbits ... 'um', 'you see' (I'm trying to currently cut out my tendency to say 'you know' such that it sounds like 'yaaawl').
Practice in front of the mirror and see if you have annoying habits (juggling whatever is in your pocket, scratching your nose etc).

AND - biggest of them all - ENJOY it - if you are having fun and enjoying what you are doing - there's a fair chance they will be too.

Listen to others and hear what makes them interesting - here's a link to a really dull guy http://www.strategiesoftheserengeti.com/audio_clips.php

Humour - you can be mildly self depreciating if the subject is you - the opposite of "the ego has landed".
If you want to record an MP3 version and send it to me I'll make comment if taht would help.
Good luck.

 

[SillyJokes]

Take an inflatable beach ball and toss it out into the audience, that'll wake 'em up.

 

[MikeH]

There is certainly no harm introducing a bit of lighthearted fun to a presentation as long as it is suitable. Asking the audience questions can help to keep them awake. If direct questions seem a bit too much try 'show of hands' type enquiries. If using a powerpoint presentation you could introduce a random humourous slide (again dependent on circumstances.

 

[spooks]

Thanks all for your replies , some more interesting than others, liked the one about the rabbit in particular!!

Presentation is this weekend, so running out of time as usual, fingers crossed, hope all goes well, my mrs reckons 20 minutes wont be the problem - its getting me to shut up after that!! Don't know what she means!!


Thanks again for all your advice, I'll try to remember it all

 

[zaccampbell81]

Each Time you notice the Attention dwindling, Scream- SEX!!!! That'll bring em back.

PS: Tried it once in a school debate, got expelled for a week.

 

[An Oasis]

Using PP is fine, the back lash against it is because so many people who are crap at doing presentations use it!!!!

You are on the graveyard shift, which makes it doubly hard for you...they've had 2 pints and could just curl up for a quick power nap. But...get them involved, once they are physically and/or verbally involved you will be fine.

Passion for your subject will shine through every time. Work the audience, make eye contact with everyone of them, ignore or pick on the die hard cynical ******* - depends upon your approach.

If you get a chance attend a Johnny Apples presentation, for me it's the way forward, he is taking things to an extreme and lots of boring-stuck-in-the-mud-old-school-time-served-uninventive-old-school- self-regurgitating-twaddle-talking-dinosaurs will hate it but...I loved his approach. In 3 years you will see a change.

 

[vinvin]

steve berry has so far been given the right advice...........pitch and tone

I have been to so many seminars........and the last one was in london for a property it exbo.........

some of the speakers were histerical..........she said she was a trainer....god know in what........she was the most unprepared individual i know......

so preparation and practice ............at delivery........if you have ever heard a comedian.............once or twice or three times...............its always the same...........

My advice is if you have got to chat about yourself...................tell it like it is ....................something they will relate too..............you know the type of thing.....................toothpaste on your tie............you forgot to zip up..........we have well most i guess been there..............they will relate to the good as well as bad.......................take your jacket of as you start ................and MOVE ABOUT..................NOTHING WORSE THAN A STATUE SPEAKING..............

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

Start the presentation with a lively catchy song, that will wake everyone up and put a bit of energy in the room;

I'm using this in a presentation tomorro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vncoh-yJ9nw
- i love this songs momentum!! I challenge anyone to be asleep after this.

 

[Boris]

I have been asked to do a 20 min presentation at a franchise conference

I have attended many of these but never spoken.

The presentation is early afternoon, just after lunch!! - experience tells me most people are falling asleep at this time!!

Never having done this before, any tips or guidance on how you keep people interested would be appreciated

Is it only me that has sleepless nights at the thought of speaking in front of a room full of people?

take a big drum wih you my friend, if you see anyone not paying attention bang it 3 times very very hard

here to help

 

[INDIZINE]

One good way is to think of something you can get them to phyisically take part in for the first 5 minutes. That gives you time to familiarise yourself with the audience and them to be distracted enough from a post-luncheon nap to look interested. You could try heads and tails on a relative subject matter. Have a small prize awaiting the winner if only a box of choccies!

 

[simonr]

You rang? All I do, every week is train people like you!

Three things which might help
My presentation skills blog;
http://www.curved-vision.co.uk/top_ten_presentation_tips.pdf
www.curved-vision.co.uk/things_not_to_get_wrong.pdf

PM or call me if you want to get the serious stuff! Perhaps more importantly, be re-assured that it's normal to be scared And also remember that people WANT you to do well: part of that is just that people are nice (usually) but also because if you're rubbish they've wasted their time! That means they're willing you to do well and will forgive you a lot.

In any case, one of the fear hormones (Cortisol) will have an interesting effect on the way your brain works, so that what feels like an extreme mistake to you won't even be noticed by your audience: essentially Cortisol makes your brain hyped up in the same was as adrenaline hypes up your body (I don't mean that literally, just as an analogy)... so that you notice every little thing. As your audience aren't hyped, they don't notice most mistakes until you apologise for them!

And if all else fails and it's horrible, just remember that worse things happen at sea!

S

 

[spooks]

Just to let you all know, presentation went well, they laughed at my jokes, joined in when supposed to and applauded at the end, can't think why I was so worried about it!!

Thanks for all help and advice received, it certainly helped me alot

To top off the weekend, we were awarded franchisee of the year!! , and Scotland won a rugby match - not sure which I enjoyed more!!

 

[creospace]

Excellent - well done

Gary

 

[DanMartin]

Congratulations on all counts! (even the rugby! )