DEVELOPMENT
They are all part of learning new skillsets,
abilities or processes but for every presentation I
believe there are the following essential steps:
Consider the objectives for the meeting
Put yourself inside the minds of the people you
will be addressing
w Know your audience and how they think/feel
w Know the culture of the organisation
w Ask yourself what information would help
them and how you can deliver it
w Find stories and exercises that will illustrate
your points
w Make sure you know your content before
you are on stage and then let go of it from the
minute you walk on stage and focus on the group
engagement and enjoyment
w
w
How to influence
others and be a
potent speaker
In the second part of her article series, Amanda
Gore outlines her five remaining steps on how
to pull off a memorable presentation
THE EXPERT
Amanda Gore is the CEO
of the joy project,
working with small and
large organisations to
help them create cultures
of joy, engagement and
to bring the humanity
back. She is an author,
speaker, Huffington Post
columnist and business
woman. Amanda has
been speaking for 30
years and is one of four
Australians inducted into
the USA Speaker Hall
of Fame.
Tell stories to deliver your messages
Tell stories to illustrate all your main points, or
give people an experience around them. Create
characters and act out skits on the stage to make
a point or tell a story. Use symbols to help people
remember—tie the symbol to the point.
Dale Carnegie in How to Win Friends and
Influence People taught us to make a point, tell a
story to illustrate the point and then share with
the audience how that point relates to their lives.
It keeps them engaged.
Internalize your message
I have heard so many young speakers talking
about rehearsing their keynote in front of the
mirror or other people. While this may be
something useful to do a couple of times, it is not
the best way to be a great speaker.
My mentor told me to ‘internalize’ my
messages—to find a way to have the concept
resonate within me. Then I could deliver it to
others without notes and with heart.
Preparation does not equal rehearsal
Rehearsing in front of a mirror or others, crafting
the perfectly worded presentation or attending
a course on speaking does not constitute
preparation for a specific event.
Room preparation
Consider the room layout if you have a choice.
Where you can, have people sitting theatre style
– it makes them connect much more. If you
sit people at round tables, you split them into
clumps or separate groups of eight or ten and the
dynamics are very different.
Always have bright music playing fairly loudly
as they walk in—if you play relaxing soothing
music they will be in a daze before you start. The
lighting is critical as well —the brighter the lights
the more they connect. Make sure you are well lit
on the stage, it’s very difficult to watch and listen
to someone who is in the dark.
Always start with an activity, icebreaker or
question
I think the most boring way to start a presentation
is to say ‘thank you’ or ‘I am excited to be here’
or ‘it’s great to be here’. Instead change the
energy of the group from the minute you start by
engaging them.
Ask them a question, or better still, 3 questions
(the third one something that makes them laugh).
Perhaps you can start by asking them to turn to
the person next to them and introduce themselves
or tell each other one thing they learned from the
last presentation.
Last Reminders
w Remember it is never about you
w It is always about them and how they are
responding to you
w Be sincere in your desire to help them in some
way
w Make sure that you dress appropriately as
people will judge your appearance in the first 30
seconds
w Remember, above all, have respectful fun—
even with serious subjects S
www.amandagore.com
Issue 2 2019 | Chief of Staff 63