Overview
An intensive, two-day workshop for managers, sales professionals, team leaders, trainers, and others who wish to improve their speaking and presentation skills.

Workshop Objectives
Participants will learn how to:  

• Understand the mindset of your audience
• Build rapport to connect with and engage participants
• Develop a clear, powerful, and persuasive message
• Develop a professional stage presence using your voice, appearance, and nonverbal communication techniques
• Use various media effectively to maximize impact

Methodology

• Presentation/discussion
• Interactive sessions
• Presentations and critiques
• Videos

Workshop Synopsis
In this high-impact, two-day workshop, participants will learn how to size up an audience and answer the question in everyone’s mind: “What’s in it for me?”  They will also learn the secrets of connecting with their audience – developing rapport, managing emotional states, and empathy.  The importance of pre-framing to manage audience expectations and enthusiasm to get points across are essential for gaining buy-in; these too will be addressed.  Participants will have the opportunity to deliver short presentations and develop some “acting” skills.  In addition to delivery style, we will work with various techniques of conveying key points powerfully and persuasively. 

Many presenters use Powerpoint slides as a crutch – with disastrous results!  Slides can be effective for certain purposes, but they are woefully passive and should not be the default mode – there are more powerful media available.  We will learn when and how to use Powerpoint, flip charts, props, and other media to leave a lasting impression on an audience.  We will also look at distracting behaviors to avoid, and learn ways to manage adverse conditions.

Finally, we will introduce a checklist to make certain that key elements are not overlooked and golden opportunities are not missed.

Note:  This is not a typical presentation skills course.  Workshop participants should expect to be challenged and to encounter new ideas.  

Workshop Outline
Developing Your Message

• Knowing your audience
• Identifying your purpose and key objectives
• Logic and emotion

Structuring Your Presentation

• Opening to arouse interest
• Organizing your ideas
• Transitions
• Framing alternatives
• Concluding with a bang

Delivering Your Message: Your Performance

• Overcoming stage fright
• Connecting with your audience
• Your voice
• Nonverbal communication
• Distracting behaviours
• When things go bad…

Language Techniques Of World Class Presenters

• Painting pictures with words
• Telling stories
• Humour
• Metaphors, parallelism, and other literary devices           

Using The Tools Of The Trade

• Graphics and visual aids
• OHP, PowerPoint, and flip chart
• Props
• Your appearance

Course Summary & Conclusion