The end result is a spoken presentation.
Spoken language is very different from the written. Writing tends to use far longer, more convoluted sentences, which often use voices that we would not use in speech. Try reading out the sentence you just read and see how awkward it sounds when it is spoken.
Again, it is a case of speaking to the audience in their language – the language they expect to hear spoken.
So if you need to write your presentation first, take the time to read it out loud, and then say those same ideas as if you were telling someone face to face. If you absolutely have to have a written draft, then re-write using what you said aloud. Make sure, though, that you can make eye contact.

with Josh Shipp
What can a 29-year-old who specializes in speaking to teens teach corporate speakers and consultants? How about how to create an empire grossing over $1.5 million a year, a six-figure book deal, television show, and multi-million dollar product deal. He’ll share what he’s learned and how you can adapt it to your business.
Paid speaking engagements are only the beginning of your impact and income. Learn from Inc. magazine award-winning entrepreneur Josh Shipp how he leveraged his red-hot speaking career into an empire.
You will learn:
• A step-by-step formula for getting a major book deal
• How to leverage your speaking gigs for mass impact and income
• Secrets for communicating what you do to the media for exposure and bookings
• The system for packaging your current content and selling it on multiple platforms
• The five things I wish someone had told me when I started this business
More information => http://bit.ly/axbJXx

When you stand up to speak, you have no guarantees that your audience will listen intently to your every word. We all know that behind those “I’m-all-ears” looks, your listeners’ minds can wander. Think about how much your mind has wandered during other people’s presentations!
You can’t gain support, sell ideas, or push a new initiative if people aren’t listening. So, it’s your job to shatter that fixed facade, grab your listeners’ attention, and hold on tight. You have to earn their attention right from the beginning of your talk. Here’s how:

Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate and Inspire  
C. Atkinson

Atkinson shares his innovative three-step system for increasing the impact of your communications with Microsoft PowerPoint. He guides you, step by step, as you discover how to combine the tenets of classic storytelling with the power of the projected media to create a rich, engaging experience. He walks you through his easy-to-use templates, plus 50 advanced tips, to help build your confidence and effectiveness—and quickly bring your ideas to life!
FOCUS
Learn how to distill your best ideas into a crisp and compelling narrative.
CLARIFY
Use a storyboard to clarify and visualize your ideas, creating the right blend of message and media.
ENGAGE
Move from merely reading your slides to creating a rich, connected experience with your audience—and increase your impact!

Beyond Bullet Points takes a new approach based on telling a story with structure. But it also learns from other media – Newspapers – make your headlines meaningful. Movies, use a storyboard to plan your story before you think about visuals.

The book is available from Amazon

Enthusiasm is a necessary qualification for effective speaking. When you show enthusiasm it is contagious. The enjoyment and knowledge that is demonstrated for your subject will result in increased listener enjoyment and your speech being more convincing.
For public speaking, the enthusiasm required, as described by Coleman Cox, “is inspired by reason, controlled by caution, sound in theory, and practical in application, reflects confidence, spreads good cheer, raises morale, inspires associates, arouses loyalty and laughs at adversity.”
Enthusiasm in public speaking is about being passionate about the subject of your speech and being able to convey it to others. The enthusiasm must be demonstrated in your tome of voice, body language, gestures and facial expressions to transfer it to your audience. The feeling of excitement must come through as you deliver.
Some people are naturally enthusiastic and they are that way because they have developed the necessary habits. You must want to be enthusiastic to become enthusiastic.
Frank Bettger author of “How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling” attributes his success to enthusiasm. His advice is “act enthusiastically and you’ll be enthusiastic.” By acting on his own advice he put his “heart” into selling and went from failure to the top of his field for several years.
If you are not naturally enthusiastic, it can be created as a result of your attitude and enjoyment of the topic or by believing in a cause. By taking the time to apply the following it is possible to develop enthusiasm:
1. Choosing a positive optimistic nature and attitude
2. By putting your whole heart and soul into every you do
3. Do not let criticism put you off your stride
4. Develop a burning desire in your subject by thinking about it and living it everyday.
5. Have an active interest in people
6. Spend your time with people who are genuinely enthusiastic. Their positive emotions will “rub off” onto you.
Unless you want to be enthusiastic you will never be enthusiastic. If you are ashamed of the topic, or dislike it you will not be able to develop enthusiasm for it. Genuine enthusiasm only comes from something you believe in or enjoy.
One of the factors that contributed to the late John F. Kennedy’s speaking success was the enthusiasm he displayed when delivering his speech. Sure, he had good speechwriters but without his enthusiasm the speeches would not have been nearly as effective. A person conveying their speech in a monotone voice, boring and steady manner will not be as effective at getting their message across.
An enthusiastic delivery can overcome other shortcomings in your presentation. Where you are not naturally enthusiastic it can be developed provide you choose to be. By being genuinely enthusiastic and combined with preparation and knowledge your public speaking will be more confident and effective.

Be more effective in your public speaking and conversation with “The Art of Great Conversation.” To claim your free preview visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com

Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs. –Pearl Strachan


Consider your audience when you are choosing your language.
Speak to them in a language they understand.
Look at your technical terms, and any jargon that they may not understand.
Use examples, stories, quotes and other support material that has relevance to their lives and their interests.
You will keep their attention and their interest.

Speakers can use numbers to support key points. But too often, speakers use their data in place of key points, piling on number after number and, in the end, driving their audience to despair. Here are a few tips on how to use numbers to good effect.

When making a presentation, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of relying on your PowerPoint slides to help get your message across. Although PowerPoint may be a great tool to help you present your information in a creative and interesting way, it’s dangerous to rely on it fully as this will just turn your audience off from what you’re saying.

Here are 5 tips to help make your presentation stand out from the crowd.
1. Be Compelling
PowerPoint is a great tool to put together eye-catching presentations, but remember that your audience has come to hear you, not look at a slide. So by all means make your PowerPoint presentation look professional and engaging but don’t forget that your speech needs to be compelling too. Remember, your slides are there to support your spoken presentation, not the other way round!
2. Keep it simple
Don’t overwhelm your audience with a mass of data, graphics and animations. The most effective PowerPoint presentations are simple – charts that are easy to understand, and graphics that reflect what the speaker is saying. It’s been suggested that there should be no more than five words per line and no more than five lines per individual slide. Any images, graphs and animations need to back up the information, not confuse the audience.
3. Be Engaging
Many of us have sat through a presentation where we have spent the whole time looking at the back of the speaker’s head! They have spent so much time reading off the slides, they don’t engage with the audience. PowerPoint works best with a speech that augments what’s on the screen rather than just reading off the slide. Remember, you need to interact with the audience in order for them to engage and listen to you.
4. Don’t use PowerPoint!
There’s a time and place for PowerPoint. It should only be used as an accompaniment to the presenter’s script so let the screen go blank if you need to. This gives your audience a break, but also helps to focus their attention on what the presenter is saying, especially during the question and answer session.
5. Rehearse and edit
Once you’ve drafted your speech and slides then rehearse your presentation. Do this preferably in front of someone else to ensure that what you are saying and presenting can be easily understood. If something comes across as distracting or confusing then get rid of it. Remember to keep the needs of the audience in your mind at all times as they are the ones who will be the ultimate judge of how successful your presentation has been.

Valerie Eaton is the owner of Smart VA Ltd, providers of virtual assistant support to small businesses and self-employed professionals. They specialise in providing a wide range of general administration support, as well as email marketing, website updates, document and presentation design and event administration. Find more information about our services on our website http://www.smartva.co.uk, and if you want to discover some great tips for small businesses then check out our free guides on the Free Resources page.

I spend a lot of time playing devil’s advocate, so this article appealed immediately.
Mike Smith writes

We’ve all heard how frightened nearly everyone is of public speaking. Maybe that’s understandable, but it creates the potential for lots of misinformed conventional wisdom spread by people who have to make presentations but haven’t had the opportunity to learn what really works.
To help correct some misperceptions about what creates better presenters and presentations, here are eleven public speaking paradoxes for reluctant presenters to accept, embrace, and follow:

and the first heading had me hooked …
1. Minimize your public speaking nerves by looking for as big an audience as possible.
Catch up with the whole article here http://bit.ly/95tLwd