These presentation articles have been collated for

your benefit.

Some were written by me, some taken from

courses I have attended over the years and a few
taken from various websites.

Hope you find them powerful and useful on your

journey of becoming a world class presenter

With compliments
Taher Hussain Khan

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 Topics
Page
10 beauties before you present 3

Do you know your audience? 5

Breathing techniques to handle nerves 6

Opening with a Bang 7

Closing with a purpose 10

Body Language 11

Vocal Power 13

Do you ‘err’, ‘umm’? 15

Where do you stand? 16

Mastering question and answer session 17

Humour when presenting 19

Passion 21

Presenting to Executives 23

Power of 3 25

Using Repetition 26

Effective Transitions 27

Final Words 28

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 10 Beauties to get you ready for
your Important Presentation
It is always shocking when I ask people have you done your prep and they turn around and say – no
worries, I can wing it, I will manage, etc. Oh dear, oh dear!

With all due respect these presenters are living in cloud cuckoo land. During my Present with Impact
workshops, interestingly enough, many delegates who delivered poor final presentations, admitted they
didn’t prepare well enough. Enough said!

I urge you all – do not try to "wing" it. If you have some time to prepare, any time to rehearse, I strongly
encourage you do so. Those who insist they do better without rehearsing typically don't know how to
rehearse effectively.

Think about it...Would you pay good money to attend a workshop if you knew the trainer was going to
"wing it"? Below are 10 steps which will help you in your preparation:

1...Prepare useful notes that are large, easy-to-read, and well-organised with keywords and symbols. It's
usually best not to write down every word or you will sound like a robot.

2…Mentally rehearse all aspects of your presentation. Picture your entire presentation from open to
close. What do you like? What might you change?

3…Practice out loud in front of a mirror or video camera, noting things you do well and areas for
improvement.

4…."Over-rehearse" your opening and closing. Both these times it is best not to refer to your notes.

5…Rehearse in the actual meeting room, if possible. Otherwise, arrange the furniture in your rehearsal
room to simulate the meeting room configuration as much as possible.

6…Use all your visual aids and deliver your presentation idea-for-idea, not word-for-word.

7…Minimize your use of notes, and maximize eye contact with your audience. Pause and glance at your
notes to see your next idea, then look up and speak. Avoid speaking when looking down at your notes.

8… Ask your friends, family or colleagues to critique your practice sessions.

9…Practice with the presentation in its final form, noting any time constraints.

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10…Get a good night sleep, and arrive early at least an hour before the presentation so you can deliver it
again before others arrive and also give you chance to relax.

Do these approaches sound too much?

Well I can tell you for free, these approaches are what virtually every professional/good presenter uses.
If you want to deliver first class presentations, you must rehearse like first class presenters do.

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 Do you know your Audience?
I would be the first to admit, certainly in my earlier presentations, there was a clear lack of connection
with the audience. It is a sinking deep feeling. Well good news, this can be overcome quite easily long
before the presentation even starts.

Before you can sell to Ahmad Khan you must see through Ahmed Khan’s eyes. Before the day arrives
answer the following key questions about your audience.

I strongly suggest, contact the person who invited you to speak or some members of the group and ask
some of the following. Feel free to add more of your own.

 What is important to this group?

 What are their wants and needs?
 What are some of their biggest challenges and problems?
 What successes have they had that you can comment on?
 What is special about this group?
 What will turn them on or off?
 What is their listening and learning style?
 What are their feelings about me and my topic?
 What examples will they appreciate?
 What will inspire them to take action?
 What do they have in common with me?
 Have they been out the night before?
 Is their attendance voluntary or mandatory?
 What do they expect from my presentation?
 How can I exceed their expectations?

Keep these questions handy and use the answers to develop your presentations. I promise that you will
building instant rapport, increase interest and keep audience engaged from start to finish in every single
presentation!

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 Breathing Techniques to Overcome
Presentation Nerves
Almost everybody starting out in presenting- whether it be at school, university or work feels to some
degree will feel nervous. I know I did. A few just get on with it and slowly build up their confidence and
ability through hard experience.

Below are some classic comments, which many people have shared with me during my Present with
Impact workshops worldwide, both experienced and inexperienced presenters:

“My legs start shaking” “I’m very nervous”

“I feel like I am going to faint” “I start to sweat and go red in the face”

“My heart rate goes really fast” “I’m embarrassed in front of my boss”

“My mind just goes blank” “I just don’t want to be here”

Ring a bell to you - now or in the past?

You are not alone!

Most people don’t realise that it’s very common to absolutely hate having to present.

It’s very common to be afraid at the prospect of having to stand up in front of an audience and speak.
Most people feel that way because of nerves and the potential for failure in front of colleagues or higher
management because of bad past experiences.

However, feeling nervous is natural in a situation like that.

And the good news is … there are some simple strategies you can apply before you start to speak to
help control the nerves and make you feel more relaxed.

Using breathing techniques to reduce nerves

Relaxation breathing techniques date back thousands of years. You’ve probably already heard of the
term ‘meditation’. But did you also know that breathing is central to meditation?

Did you know that controlled breathing can reduce your blood pressure as well as anxiety levels?

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Some simple research on the net about breathing exercises will demonstrate that it is actually a very
powerful and yet very simple tool that you can apply to reduce stress and become more in control.

Have a go and feel the difference

Practice taking in a few slow, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.

When you breathe out, try counting up to 10 out aloud. 1 .. 2..3 ..4.. 5.. 6.. 7.. 8.. etc

Breathe out as long as you can but don’t force it. Then just let your in-breath happen naturally.

Try that a few times … increasing things as you go on … but don’t do it too often initially or you might
start to feel a bit dizzy!

Just a couple of deep breaths can make a difference.

Let me finish off with a real story. Back in March 2009 in Dubai, whilst I was training a group of country
heads of 10 nationalities, my laptop suddenly decided it didn’t want to come on. Already feeling nervous
due the challenge of the diverse senior audience, my heart rate shot up and internally I started to panic.

As I was waiting for some technical help, everybody was staring at me. In that split second, I just sat on a
chair and followed the above advice. Lo and behold after about 20-30 seconds my breathing slowed
down and I felt 200% better. The laptop got sorted in 5 minutes and yes you guessed right, this
workshop ended up being one of my best to date!

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 Open with a BANG

‘Thank you for coming today. It’s really nice to be with you…etc etc etc blah blah blah…’

How many times have you sat in a presentation and you have fell asleep in the first minute?

In today's modern times, audiences are often preoccupied by other thoughts - BB messenger, whatsapp,
text messages, emails, etc. As a presenter, you must find creative ways to get people to focus on you
and your message.

Below is a list of no nonsense, tried and tested ways many professionals including myself use when
opening a presentation.

It is vital that you do your homework when choosing how to open. How do you want your audience to
react? What emotion are you trying to ignite? You want them to be serious, excited, shocked, alert,
happy, worried? Ask yourself - what?

Research shows that a well thought our opening statement increases the impact of your message by at
least 18-20%

Shocking/Strong Statistic

‘1 out of 3 of you in this room will be diagnosed with Hepatitis C if …‘

‘70% of children will die before they reach the age of 6 months due to malnutrition…’

Then lead into the topic…

Ask an intriguing question

Questions are one of the simplest and most effective ways to gain attention. Here are a few examples:

"We surveyed 300 of our sales executives. What do you think they told us was their number one...?"

"What do you need from us to help you reduce wastage by 50% this year...?"

"What impact is Face book usage having on your work time?"

"What do you think your boss told me when I showed him the reports you all sent me yesterday?"

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Survey the room

This is a great way to energise the audience and get them focused.

Here's an example. Say something like, "Which is a better motivator -- money or job satisfaction?

If you feel the answer is money, please give me a wave'. Thank you. If you feel the answer is job
satisfaction, please give me a victory sign'.

Now lead into your discussion about employee morale.

Open with a relevant story

There is nothing better than telling a well-told relevant story. You could try something like this:

"At the beginning of the year I experienced something I thought would never happen in my life..."

"Whilst travelling from London to Islamabad on PIA last week, a young boy said something to me which
made me look at travelling in a different perspective..."

Remember, if you don't have their attention from the beginning, it's an uphill battle. Open strong and
set yourself apart from the crowd.

Plan your opening carefully with real purpose and see the notable difference of interest from the very
beginning.

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 Close with Purpose
How do you finish your presentation? As an observer of many presentations it never ceases to amaze
me how people just finish all of a sudden and leave me thinking – well what was that all about?

So let’s make sure you are not getting that same hidden response. Below are some tried and tested
ways of closing.

First of all, remember your closing should be in line with what you are actually trying to achieve,
therefore some homework before you present is a must, just like it is for opening. There are many
different ways of closing. To get you all thinking and for your benefit, I have listed out five ways to close
your presentation with IMPACT:

A Challenge

‘I challenge each of you to surpass last year's...’

A Recommendation:

‘I recommend that we implement this plan...’

A Quotation:

‘Our CEO has often said without customers there would be no pay day. Thus we need to make some
serious effort in retaining the ones we have. Let us discuss how...’

A Big Message:

‘If you remember just one key thing from my presentation, remember this..."

An Inspiring Story:

‘Just before we end this talk, allow me to leave you with this thought provoking story...’

Plan your closing carefully with a meaning thus leaving your audience a clear purpose, something to
think about or wanting an action there and then or when they leave.

So start now - no excuses – start closing with IMPACT!

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 Body Language with ‘PEOPLE’
It is a well known fact and countless studies have shown that the major impact to a listener when a one
is talking is through non verbal behavior (body language). Different percentages are often quoted,
ranging from 55-65%.

Remember the ‘PEOPLE’ model and ask yourself – are you following best practices when delivering a
presentation?

Posture/Gestures

Keep your posture strong but relaxed when presenting. This will show that you are confident, controlled
and approachable. If you are standing then keep your weight evenly balanced on both feet (shoulder
width apart) so that your stance is strong. Keep to your hands to your side and out of your pockets!

How do you keep a good strong posture? Follow these simple rules:

a. unlock knees
b. level the pelvis
c. tuck tummy
d. raise rib cage
e. shoulders back and down
f. head up and back

If sitting, keep your back straight and lean slightly forward as this is a clear indicator you are listening
and engaged in the conversation.

Keep your gestures calm and controlled. Avoid rapid or nervous gestures. Try not to touch other parts of
your body when speaking, e.g. the face, hair, nose as this can indicate some negative perceptions such
as your nervous, hesitant or in denial.

When sitting in a presentation it is important to use your upper body to help engage the listeners. Keep
your hands visible – try not to fidget with objects such as pens on the table as they will become a
distraction. Use strong controlled gestures to maintain your energy level and the motivation of your
listeners.

Follow these basic steps and you won’t go wrong.

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Eye Contact

Engage and keep your audience awake through appropriate amounts of eye contact. It is commonly
agreed that one should give on average 2-5 seconds eye contact per person. If you are presenting to
large numbers, then you should split your eye contact evenly in chunks (left, middle and right).

Orientation

When you speak, your head and body should be in line with each other. This gives the feeling of 1-1
communication and a sign of respect.

Proximity/Pace

How close do you sit/stand to the audience? Too far and you may not be heard, too close and it may feel
invasive and feel uncomfortable?

Use your space and show confidence by moving around in a controlled manner with purpose. Do this
well and you will engage your audience for longer periods whilst presenting.

Another top tip on pace is to try to move after you have finished the sentence as this will allow listeners
to fully absorb your message.

Looks

Are you dressed for the occasion? I am not referring to branded clothing but on cleanliness. Show you
are professional and alert. Is your hair combed? Are your trousers clean and pressed? Do you smell
good? Have you put on the appropriate amount of make up? Have you polished your shoes? I think you
get the picture.

Emotions

Be very careful. As the saying goes – your face says it all. How many times have you seen people they
are fine when there face looks down and out? You will be found out in seconds.

Use appropriate facial expressions. Naturally when giving or receiving happy news, smile. When
something is serious, look concerned and so on.

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 Vocal Power with ‘PAMPERS’
Well first thing is first – E-N-T-H-U-S-I-A-S-M - YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

If you’re not enthusiastic about your subject/product, how can you expect the listeners to be!

COMMAND WITH YOUR VOICE

Most people rarely use the voice to its full potential as a means of communication. When they start to
make more use of their voice, they are surprised at how empowering this feels in helping them to
influence and engage with their audience.

The starting point for anyone working on their voice is to create a relaxed physical state, since any
tension in the body hinders vocal power. Before starting your presentation, take a couple of deep
breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. As you breathe out, think of releasing tensions
with the breath. This simple breathing technique will also encourage you to slow down – which is very
helpful at the start of a presentation, when your nerves can easily make you go too fast.

Your voice should command your audience as soon as you say the first words.

Remember PAMPERS to keep your voice focused:

Projection

Speak loud enough so the back of the room can hear you. A good litmus test is if you can be heard from
the back of the room.

Articulation

Use your best choice of words. This shows professionalism and draws positive attention. Avoid slang
words which you might use with your friends.

Modulation

Remember to vary your pitch and tone and watch the engagement and interest increase. Speak
monotone - then expect your audience to fall asleep of boredom.

Pronunciation

Open your mouth and speak clearly or your audience will not understand you.

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Emphasis

Over emphasise key words and numbers. This will leaving a lasting impact and will more than likely stay
in the memory of the listener.

Repetition

Repetition is one big key to retention. Phrases like ‘This is so important, let me say it again . . .’ are much
appreciated, especially when introducing complicated ideas and statistics. Since many people are poor
listeners, it will be the first time many hear your point. When repeating a statistic, say it differently the
second time. For example, the first time you might say, ‘Seventy-five percent…’ and the second time,
you might say, ‘Let me say that again. Three out of four…’ Repeat key phrases with different vocal
emphasis.

Speed

Use speed to create emotions in the audience; fast delivery to excite and stimulate; slow delivery to
emphasise, dramatise and control. If you speak too fast then learn to pause in your speech and
pronounce words with more clarity.

After you make a point or explain a slide, pause while silently counting “one-two.” This gives listeners
time to digest your idea, possibly repeat it to themselves, and ready themselves for your next idea. Note
that the pause will seem much longer to you than to your listeners.

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 Do you Urr….Umm when you
Present?
Below are 5 proven ways to get rid of those annoying "filler" words:

1. Practice your presentations out loud.

The more familiar you are with the thoughts you wish to express, the less likely you will need to search
for the "right" words when you are up before a group.

2. Record your practice and real presentations.

Many people are unaware how often they use these annoying fillers. You may be surprised.

3. Pause.

Try to catch the start of ‘um’ and ‘ah’ (you can feel when you are about to do it), then replace it with a
pause. Count silently ‘one, two’ while saying nothing to your audience. This takes practice, but will be
much appreciated by listeners.

4. Drink.

Keep a glass of water handy so you can sip it in between key ideas. This will force you to pause and not
utter a filler word. Also if your mouth becomes dry, have some dry lemon with you and drop it into your
water. Lemon has natural extracts, which keep the mouth moist. Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised.
For those of you in Pakistan/India drink some Shikanjabeen and in Iran you can have Sharbath Limon.

5. Increase your eye contact.

Most "ums" and "ahs" come when we are looking away from people. Practice looking into people's eyes
more directly and you'll find it difficult to utter those filler word. Experts suggest 2-5 seconds is enough
before you break eye contact.

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 Where Do You Stand when
presenting?
Yesterday I was the guest speaker at a client's meeting. When I was finished, I listened to two of the
company's internal speakers to learn more about their business.

Each speaker had approximately the same level of presentation skills and subject knowledge and equally
bad PowerPoint. Yet, the first presenter was significantly better received judging by the audience's
attentiveness and applause. So what made the difference?

Well, it was clear - The first speaker started his presentation standing "center stage" and delivered his
opening remarks without any PowerPoint slides. He continued his presentation from that stage position,
and whenever he needed to show a slide on the screen, which was also center stage, he moved just
slightly out of the way. Like the most important actor or actress in a play, he took and held the most
powerful position, where all eyes could easily focus.

The second presenter started his presentation by standing about a dozen feet to the right of the screen
and continued his presentation from that location until the very end. The audience was forced to make a
decision where to look -- at the screen or at the speaker. The majority chose to look at the screen. It was
like listening to a disembodied voice and eventually many listeners began to lose interest and started to
play with their mobile phones.

Written by David Green

My comments on the above

I generally talk about position of standing when I am training this skill but honestly speaking never gave
too much thought. Saying that, I often stand in the middle and tend to get a good response when I am
presenting. After doing some further research in to this, I also noticed all the good presenters also
follow this principle, which is to take control of the stage by standing in the middle, normally at the
beginning, the middle and when they finish.

You are the largest visual aid (for those who know me, large being the operative word ). Act like you
own the room and you will command the attention (and the retention) you desire.

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 Mastering the question – answer
session
While waiting to speak after lunch at a client's conference, I sat through numerous presentations
delivered by their top executives. One by one, they each ended their presentations in exactly the same
manner: "Do you have any questions?"

And each time the audience was dead silent. The presenters then ended with "Well then, that's it."

Was it possible that the audience really didn't have any questions? Very doubtful. Too many
presentations fall flat when it comes time for the Q&A and the audience still has many unanswered
questions, leading to misunderstandings and worse. Here are six proven tools for conducting a powerful
Q&A session and ensuring clearer communication:

1. Make it safe.

Keep in mind that the number one fear of many people is speaking before a group. When you ask for
questions, you are basically saying, ‘Who wants to be the next speaker?’ because all eyes will be on the
person asking the question. Consider starting your Q&A with a phrase such as ‘We've covered a lot of
new material today and I expect that you have questions. No question is unimportant and chances are
that others have the same questions you do..."

2. Summarise what you've covered before your Q&A.

Especially in longer presentations, this will refresh listeners' memories and prompt questions. Use a
phrase like ‘Let me summarize what we've covered and then we'll open it up for questions...’

3. Plant a few questions.

One reason that so many Q&A sessions fall flat is that very few people want to ask the first question.
Arrive early and ask a couple people to ask a specific question. When you start your Q&A session, they'll
be the first to raise their hands. After they get things rolling, odds are that others in the group will
follow.

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4. Ask your own questions.

If you are not comfortable with planting questions or feel it is not appropriate or even in addition to
that, include a couple questions that you think the audience might be thinking about. Use words like,
‘Here's a question which many people have asked me before...’ Again, after you get things rolling with
this technique, odds are that others in the group will follow.

5. Shared pairs.

Here's a technique that works wonders. Say this: ‘Everyone turn to a person sitting next to you and
make a list of at least three questions that you'd like me to answer.’ Then ask each partnership to share
one of their questions. You'll be amazed by the number of questions you get.

6. Don't wait till the end.

Often people are tired by the end of a presentation. Instead of conducting your Q&A at the end, hold
shorter Q&A sessions a few times during the body of your presentation. People will be more energetic
and you'll know exactly what's on their minds before you get to end of your time. If you use this
method, be certain to control the group so that you have time to complete your presentation.

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 Humour when Presenting
‘I used some light humour and thankfully people started to laugh... phew!’ I am sure we have been there
some time or another!

Listeners can only take so much ‘intensity’ without requiring a release -- a chance to catch their breath.
As a presenter, if you don't provide this release, listeners will often stop listening. They may look like
they're listening, but we've become great actors and actresses.

Audiences typically enjoy a presentation more when it includes at least some humour, and one of the
best times to deliver a serious point is often right after people laugh.

Here are five simple ways to incorporate humour into your presentations.

Tip 1. Forget about the joke books – share real life experiences.

Your listeners want to know about you. This builds rapport. Consider humorous incidents from your own
life. Perhaps they were not funny when they occurred, but you can laugh at them now. If you can laugh
at it, chances are your audience will, too. To generate some ideas, finish this sentence: ‘One of the most
embarrassing things that has ever happened to me when presenting is...’ or ‘One of the silliest things I
did recently was...’

Incidentally in one of my first ever training sessions, I fell over the extension lead. Very embarrassing at
the time but I often share this with fellow presenters as things to watch out for when presenting. Hasten
to add, this has often brings out a few smiles and some laughter.

Tip 2. Maintain a Humour/Story File.

It can be difficult to think of funny stories under the pressure of a presentation deadline, so start a
Humour/Story File’ now and start noting your daily life experiences. Don't worry about what point an
experience might make or if you'll ever share it. You never know when an item will fit perfectly into a
future presentation. If something causes you to laugh, even in retrospect, write it down and add it to
your file.

Tip 3. Have a point.

I have witnessed many presenters starting their presentations with a joke or funny story, receive a good
laugh, and then leave the audience wondering the purpose of telling the story. Remember that your

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goal is not to be the next Laurel and Hardy, but to increase the impact of your message. Link your funny
story to a point. Here's an example using a classic story:

Sohail desperately wanted to win a car. Every week Sohail would make dua (supplicate), ‘Lord, please let
me win a car.’ Every Sunday evening at 6 o'clock Sohail would listen to the radio for the winning
number, but no luck. His dua continued for weeks, but still no luck. In desperation, Sohail asked, ‘Lord,
why won't you let me win just once?’ The heavens roared and a mighty voice replied, ‘Sohail, meet me
halfway - buy a ticket!’

This story will typically get a good laugh, and when it does, it's time to link it to your more serious point.
You might say something like, ‘Just like Sohail, if you want to increase your bottom line, you must take
action and increase the number of prospects that you call on every day.’

Tip 4. Practice your delivery.

Tell your story several times until you tell it the best way possible. Sneak stories into conversations and
note how people react. Transition into your story with a phrase such as, ‘That reminds me of the time . .
.’ or ‘Let me share a story . . .’ Don't start with, ‘Tell me if you think this is funny...’ or ‘Here's a joke...’

Tip 5. You have heard the saying - If in doubt, leave it out.

Your humour should never be at the expense of others. End of story.

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 How to present with Passion
I am sure many of you have seen many presenters. Whether you saw them in Pakistan, UK, Dubai, USA,
Finland or China, you will have noticed one particular trait, which set them apart from all the others -
Yes – you got it . . . Passion!

When you have passion, one feels compelled to listen. Through passion it is clear when a person is
delivering a message, s/he is concerned, excited, intrigued and so on. You can hear it in the voice, the
movement, the gesturing, facial expressions, etc.

So how about you?

When you speak, do your listeners sense how strongly you believe in what you're saying? It doesn't
matter if you're talking about the latest broadband technology, welfare of the poor, or the latest
financial report. If you want people to give you their undivided attention and feel compelled to heed
your advice, they must hear and see in you an unwavering commitment to your message.

Below are 4 tips to let your passion show and increase the impact of your message:

 Believe in the importance of your subject.

It all starts inside. You must believe in what you have to offer, that what you have to say is important,
and that it's imperative for your listeners to ‘get it.’ If you don't feel that way, stop now - you'll never
convince anyone to buy from you.

 Realise that the facts don't always speak for themselves.

If they speak for themselves, then just email the facts. Otherwise, help the facts come to life by
personalising them. Explain to listeners why this information is so important to you, and more
importantly, explain why it is so important for them. Use a phrase such as ‘The reason this is so
important is...’

 Move!

How about some motion to create some emotion? It's hard to feel compelled to listen or take action
when listening to a monotone speaker who never moves.

I always stress heavily on body language and vocal power during my Presentation Skills sessions. It is a
MUST. Even if you have a monotone voice, don’t worry - just add some purposeful body movements and
you will find your voice will automatically move with the movements. For practice, read the following
sentence three times, using different gestures and emphasising a different word each time:

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‘Would you like to eat chicken tikka?’

Review your presentations and mark the words that deserve special emphasis.

 Share stories that paint vivid pictures.

One of the best ways to connect with an audience is by using stories. Are you using your personal stories
to connect with your listeners? Story telling is one of the most effective means of creating trust and
confidence with your audience. Of course the stories must be relevant to your message.

So remember – PASSION all the way and leave your audience wanting more!

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 Presenting to Executives/Seniors
1. Start with the End.

Most execs just want the bottom line. Engro Polymer and Chemicals is no different! Sometimes the
bottom line is a number and sometimes it's your conclusion. Start there. For example, if your
presentation would normally conclude, ‘As you can see, we need to engage an executive coach to
improve our presentations,’ open with ‘We need to engage an executive coach to improve our
presentations.’

If your presentation would normally lead to the conclusion, ‘So as you have seen, implementing the new
sales initiatives has increased polymer sales this quarter by 10%, Rs,40m’ open with ‘Let me start with
the bottom-line, we implemented the new sales initiatives which resulted in sales this quarter going
up by 10%, Rs.40 million.’

2. Skip the Details, Unless You Are Asked.

Rather than going into details that support your conclusion, the conclusion may be all you need to state.
Then entertain questions (executives often prefer asking questions than listening to a ‘lecture’). You
might say something like, ‘I have provided an Executive Summary with the research that supports this
conclusion. Rather than go into the details here today, I'd like to answer any question you may have.’

3. Need to Know or Nice to Know?

Of course, sometimes you do need to provide detailed information during your presentation. When
deciding what information to convey, put yourself in the executives' shoes and ask yourself whether the
information you are considering sharing is something that they absolutely need to know or just nice to
know. If it's just nice to know, skip it.

4. Get an Advocate.

If you are seeking approval of a recommendation, try to meet with at least one member of the executive
team before your presentation and ask for his or her support. If appropriate, ask this person to
introduce you and your topic to the group, stating his or her positive opinion for your recommendation.
It might sound something like, ‘Muneeza Kassim is going to talk to us next about the importance of
having an internal audit now than later. I believe it's a necessity for our company's future and I urge
you to listen carefully to Muneeza’s reasons.’ It can also be very helpful to solicit this person's advice
on what to include and exclude from your presentation.

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5. Keep it Brief.

Use the 70% rule. Practice speaking for 70% of the time you've been allotted. People will appreciate that
you respect their time and you'll be looked upon as someone who can get to the point quickly and
effectively.

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 The Power of THREE
How much do people really remember from your presentations? Did you know that the brain recalls
better in groups of 3? This is something which I often talking about during my workshop and encourage
all delegates to practice.

For example, some popular phrases with three in the UK include: ‘Healthy, wealthy, and wise’, ‘Tall,
dark, and handsome’ and so on.

And for any Pakistanis reading this, we have – ‘Roti, Kapra, and Maqaan’, ‘Unity, Faith, and Discipline.’

If you can limit your presentation to only three points, you're all set.

But what do you do when you have ten or more points? The solution is to learn from the phone
company! In the UK, when we tell someone our phone number, we say the first four digits (the area
code), we pause slightly, say the next three digits, pause slightly, and say the final four digits. This helps
listeners remember the entire phone number. When we write our 11-digit phone numbers, we typically
write them in this format: 0208-904-6268, separating groups of digits with hyphens. Even though there
are no hyphens on the phone keypad, it helps make the 11-digit phone number easier to remember.

To help listeners remember your entire message, group your main points in groups of three. Provide a
roadmap in the beginning of your presentation such as:

‘First, I'll cover (issue1, issue 2, issue 3); next, we'll take a look at (issue 4, issue 5, issue 6); and finally
we'll explore (issue 7, issue 8, issue 9).’ In the body of your presentation, after you've covered a section,
summarise what you covered before moving to the next section and consider entertaining questions
from your listeners.

Don’t be one of those presenters who summarise only at the end of the presentation (which the
majority do) because I can tell you now, there is a big chance the audience, may already be lost or are
snoring away. Remember, the power of three.

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You have heard of the saying ‘If something is worth saying, it's worth saying a thousand times.’ In fact,
one of the most effective tools for improving retention is repetition.

Let me say that again. One of the most effective tools for improving retention is repetition. Get the
point?

Let listeners know that some points are indeed more important than others by using one or more of the
following tools:

1. Use the phrases like, ‘Let me say that again’ or ‘This is worth repeating.’ These phrases are great ‘ear-
perkers’ and let people know to pay close attention to what follows.

2. When using statistics, say them two different ways. For example, you might say ‘Twenty percent of
the people in this room will not be here next year.’ Then say, ‘Let me put that a little differently. One out
of every five people here will not be here next year.’

3. Ask your audience to repeat your words. If you say it, there's a chance people will forget. If your
listeners say it, there's a much greater chance that they will remember it. It's much like why we forget
someone's name seconds after the introduction. It's because you did not say the person's name!

With this in mind, you might say something like this during your presentation, ‘I want to make sure that
you remember this idea, so please repeat after me, 'If I want to remember something, I need to say it
three times.’

Remember - one of the best keys to retention is repetition. Find ways to restate your most important
points and your message can and will last.

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 Effective Transitions
It is clearly frustrating from an audience point of view when a presenter takes you from one topic to the
next without ensuring that you are following him or her.

Too often, I've heard/seen audience members turn to one another in frustration and say, ‘What is s/he
waffling on about?’

So what should you do?

Divide your bigger topics into ‘digestible chunks’ that are easy to digest and help your audiences move
with you from idea to idea. Make the audience come along with you by using phrases such as:

‘Now that we understand the importance of [first main point], let's turn our attention to [next main
point].’

‘Now that I've discussed [first main point], I want to consider [next main point].’

To ensure that everyone is truly following you, before you move on to your next point, you may wish to
include in your transition a brief summary or reinforce the most important things to remember:

Say something like, ‘Before I go on to our next point, the most important thing to remember from what
we've just covered is...’

Depending on who is in your audience, you might ask the group to tell you what they think are the most
important things to remember:

Say something like, ‘Before we move on to how to close a presentation, please tell me what you believe
to be the most important things to remember about opening a presentation.’

During my training sessions, I practice this quite often just to make sure the delegates have understood
the topic/slide. Below is what I normally say:

‘Ok before we move on to meeting and greeting a candidate when interviewing, is everyone clear on the
costs of poor selection which we just discussed. Some people say yes and some do not reply. I then go on,
‘Jahangir Sahib, you said yes, please can you quickly give us 3-5 costs discussed.’

If he is clear then great. If he is not, others often jump in or I summarise again. This way I am as sure as I
can be, that all the delegates have understood before I move on to next slide/topic. In summary, don't
assume that everyone is keeping up with you and following easily. Make it easy and check-in with your
audience.

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… Final words
I hope you found these gems useful for today and for years to come.

Let me share an interesting fact about when I first started giving presentations. I was all over the place. I
was terrified. I would try to hide behind others. My breathing would become shallow. My face would go
red in seconds. Yes, that was me!

How did I overcome this fear and am now able to deliver to any size crowd, anywhere in the world?

The answer is simple.

Ask any coach/trainer in the world about how does one enhance one’s Presentation Skills and you will
find the answer. These 3 famous words will ring from their mouths:

‘Practice’, ‘Practice’ and yes ‘Practice’

And that’s exactly what I did.

Happy Presenting!

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