One of the most common mistakes we make as presenters is forgetting what we’re trying to do.  The purpose of business presentations is to help the audience make a decision or a prediction.

In order to help our listeners do this, we must put aside our need to impress, keep in mind their need for fair balance, and give equal weight to reason and emotion.

Consistently enabling the success of others can ultimately lead to our own.  Don’t forget: you speak in service to your audience.

Sims Wyeth & Co. provides public speaking courses, executive speech coaching, presentation skills training, voice and speech training, speech writing, and courses that address stage fright, body language, presentation strategy, and effective use of PowerPoint, all of which contribute to greater executive presence and personal impact.  Sign up for our presentation tips and learn more about us at http://www.simswyeth.com/.

In kindergarten, my teacher had an incubator with some eggs inside.  When the baby chicks began to peck and claw their way out of their eggshells, I was enthralled.

I see speakers who are like chicks in an egg.  Curled up, contracted, squeezed into a psycho-physical space that limits their potential, they appear to be fearful of the expanse around them, reluctant to spread their arms, make a joyful noise in the world, and assert their opinions with the force of belief.

But when they begin to scratch and claw their way out of their shells, I experience the same thrill I did in kindergarten. New life!  Amazing!

Sims Wyeth & Co. provides public speaking courses, executive speech coaching, presentation skills training, voice and speech training, speech writing, and courses that address stage fright, body language, presentation strategy, and effective use of PowerPoint, all of which contribute to greater executive presence and personal impact.  Sign up for our presentation tips and learn more about us at http://www.simswyeth.com/.

Consider this question:  which is worse, either a presentation that is accurate and complete at the expense of accessibility, or a presentation that is accessible at the expense of accuracy and completeness?

In many circumstances, this is a false choice for one compelling reason:  if a message can’t be understood as the basis for making a prediction or a decision, it is without value, no matter how accurate or comprehensive it is.

Above all, make your message accessible.

Sims Wyeth & Co. provides public speaking courses, executive speech coaching, presentation skills training, voice and speech training, speech writing, and courses that address stage fright, body language, presentation strategy, and effective use of PowerPoint, all of which contribute to greater executive presence and personal impact.  Sign up for our presentation tips and learn more about us at http://www.simswyeth.com/.