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Issue 7            Linda K. Liebold           www.CoachToSuccess.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Presenting with Confidence and Impact Part I:  Overcoming Fear and Presenting Professionally Do you know what people fear the most?  It’s not snakes.  It’s not flying.  It’s public speaking.   Why are people so afraid of public speaking?  My clients say they have a… Fear of looking stupid or foolish. Fear of forgetting what to say. Fear of doing something embarrassing. Fear that the audience will not respond. Fear of rejection. Fear that someone will ask a question they can’t answer. Even the most accomplished speakers experience some fear before making a presentation. To calm your nerves before a presentation, try the following: Go to the room where your presentation will take place prior to attendee arrival.  Get to know the room; walk around it; stand at the podium; become comfortable with the space.   As the audience arrives, meet and greet them. Doing this reminds you that they’re just people – not piranhas.   Just prior to your presentation, go to an inconspicuous spot and take a few deep breaths, letting the air out slowly. Stand up tall, roll your shoulders, stretch your neck, tighten your face, arms, stomach and leg muscles and then relax them. Think about how successful and smart you are. Think about the specific things you do well.  Think about a time when you spoke before a group and felt good about it.   Visualize the audience being positive and responsive to your presentation. Below are additional tips to help you be more confident and successful when speaking before groups. Dress appropriately for your audience. Dress like they do – or a little bit dressier.  You want to be respected but you don’t want to seem stand-offish.  Your clothes are one of the first things the audience sees.  Remember that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!   Stand tall, shoulders back.  Don’t slouch or lean.  But don’t be stiff, either.  Be flexible.  Be as natural as possible.  Present yourself with energy and confidence.   Smile, not a fake smile, but a natural smile. Try to have a pleasant face at all times.    Keep your hands at your sides.  You can move your arms and hands appropriately to make a point, but don’t put your hands in your pockets, don’t twirl your hair, don’t do anything annoying.  (The best way to check for bad habits is to videotape yourself, identify those bad habits and then practice presenting without those habits.)   Look at your audience.  Eye communication is one of the most important presentation skills.  It makes you look confident.  By using eye contact, you can also read the audience.  If there is a large audience, periodically look at different people in different places in the room.  If you don’t like looking people in the eye, look at their forehead (they will never know the difference).   Be dramatic (but not overly dramatic!). Move forward, backward, sideways, quickly and slowly.  But don’t overdo the motion.   Use visual aids when appropriate. Find or create visuals that are easy to see (even from the back of the room) and that enhance your presentation.   Involve the audience.  Ask the audience questions to engage them.  Consider using volunteers from the audience.   Be human and be yourself.  Don't be too formal. Speak like you are having a conversation with the audience. Don’t tell jokes – leave those for professional comedians. Poke fun at yourself or the audience…gently and appropriately. Tell funny stories – if the stories enhance your message.   Keep your presentation simple. Focus on three main points. Your audience has a short attention span.  By keeping to three main points, your message will be remembered and have much more impact. New Tele-Class Coming this Fall!  Presenting with Confidence and Impact This three-part series of one-hour tele-classes will help you:  Overcome the fear of public speaking; Speak with more confidence and impact; and Handle questions, comments and objections with more ease.  The tele-classes will be highly interactive.  Some fieldwork will be assigned between calls. The classes will meet: Wednesday, September 10, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm EDT   Wednesday, September 17, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm EDT Wednesday, September 24, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm EDT  The cost is $49.95 for all three classes, payable in advance of the first class. To register, click here.   Want a customized program for your organization?  Are you interested in learning more about this topic and others like it?  l will be happy to talk with you about creating custom on-site workshops and tele-classes for you and your group.  Contact me at Linda@CoachToSuccess.com       Open the Door to Extraordinary Organizational Growth and Success -- with SmartMatch Alliances™.  Would you like to discover… a smart and fun way to grow your business or organization? a way to partner and learn from like-minded people in your profession, industry, niches, and specialties?  a method of establishing a strong, memorable brand for yourself, your organization, your products, and your services?    You can, with SmartMatch Alliances™.   Contact Linda  for more information about creating a powerful marketing strategy and growing your business or organization. If you are interested in participating in SmartMatch Alliance tele-classes, click here. Coming Next Month…  The next issue of Leadership & Life Tips will feature Part II of Presenting with Confidence and Impact.  The article will feature tips on how to improve your presentations and how to handle audience objections, questions and comments. Free Coaching Session If you would like a complimentary, 30-minute, no obligation coaching telephone session, send an email to Linda@CoachToSuccess.com. Share Your Tips If you would like to share your own tips and recommended resources, please send them to: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and they will be included in an upcoming issue of Leadership & Life Tips. About the Author Linda Liebold, M. A., is a business, career and life coach. She is founder of Coach To Success, whose mission is to motivate and empower people to be successful both personally and professionally. Linda has 25 years of experience as a coach, consultant, manager, trainer, speaker, and facilitator.  Since 1984, she has headed Liebold & Associates, Inc., a strategic planning, marketing and communications consulting company. She has worked with hundreds of individuals in over 60 organizations nationwide. She is affiliated with Coach U, Coachville and the International Coach Federation. She is certified in administering the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and other personality, management, team, and individual assessments. For more information click here. ------------------------------------------------------------- © 2008 Linda Liebold All rights reserved. Feel free to forward this e-zine to others. Reproduction for publication is approved, provided the copyright information is included along with the following attribution: From CoachToSuccess.com, an e-zine by Linda K. Liebold, M.A., 410-544-3655 , Email: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and website: www.CoachToSuccess.com   ------------------------------------------------------------- Leadership & Life Tips is a monthly e-zine featuring professional and personal strategies for success.  Each issue offers thought-provoking and practical tips, tactics, and resources to motivate and empower you to  be the best that you can be in your career and in your life. If you wish to subscribe please send an email to subscribe@CoachToSuccess.com, or to unsubscribe please send an email to unsubscribe@CoachToSuccess.com.