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Know Your Audience Is Important for Your Presentation

October 31, 2018 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

Audience is the people who will listen your presentation. In other words, your presentation is made to be presented in front of your audience. Here, you need to make them happy with your presentation. If it’s boring, then your audience will be busy with themselves, maybe with their gadget or whatsoever.

So, you need to deal with your audience. How? By knowing them, understanding them. If you do, then they will listen to you. It’s very important to adjust your presentation with your audience. Not only in constructing content, but also with the slides, the entire design of the presentation itself.

It’s Very Important to Recognizing Your Audience

The key to create and deliver a great presentation is understanding your audience. You cannot offer something interesting to your audience unless you know who they are. You have to know what they need and want from your presentation.

It’s not easy to expect an effective communication process if you don’t know their point of view when they are listening to you. As a presenter, if you will find it difficult to relate yourself with them, then your audience will also have difficulties to understand you.

It can create a situation that will leads to frustration: You are frustrated because you can not make them understand, and they are frustrated because it is difficult to understand you.

The only way is you have to know your audience well. Your job will be easier, because you know exactly what they want. You can choose which information should get across and which one is not necessary. By knowing your audience, you will convincing them easier, too because you understand what factors that influences them to take action.

Knowing or recognizing your audience means you know their name, their position, their interests, their group of society, what decision they make, what they need from your presentation, and why they come to listen to you.

Of course, it’s hard to remember each name of your audience. But, you can use the nametag. Ask them to write down their name on it.

The most important thing to do is to identifying your audience. Use the valuable information to design a relevant and effective presentation. Every communication or every presentation is unique. If you design your presentation just for your unique audience, then your presentation will be more effective.

Who Is Your Audience?

Find out about who will attend your presentation before preparing it. Every information about your audience will help your readiness to act on stage. Like Sun Tzu said, “He who knows his enemy and himself well will not be defeated in a hundred battles. He who doesn’t know himself and his enemy is bound to suffer defeat in all battles.”

Your presentation is your battle, your battlefield of communication. You want them to accept and understand your message as good as possible.

So, once again, you have to know your audience. How are you supposed to do that? By gathering all information about your audience, such as:

Who will present to your presentation?
What is their position in the organization?
What is their educational background, or their job?
What is their level of knowledge about the topic you will deliver?
What is their learning style?
What they like to hear and what they don’t?
What is their purpose in listening to your presentation?
Why they need to listen to you?

By knowing those information, you can prepare or create a right presentation for them. By knowing your audience, it will help you a lot in creating content and designing the most appropriate communication for them.

An Excellent Presentation’s Closing

October 17, 2018 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

Almost every people only concern about the opening of their presentation. But, not everybody remember that the presentation’s closing is as important as the opening.

So, how to close your presentation properly?

1. Summarizing the main message

This is the easiest add fastest way to close your presentation.

Each presentation must have a main message. In this way, you summarize the main points of your presentation you have delivered. “As a closing, I want you to have the main skill a manager should have.

First, communication. As a manager, you will be judged by how you communicate. Make sure you communicate coherently and clearly so that people understand what you deliver.

Second, motivation. A good manager needs to master motivation techniques. If your employee is well motivated, it is easy to direct each employee to the common goal.

Third, delegation. Remember! A manager is not a superman. You need to learn to delegate task to the most proper person. By that way, the result will be multiply.

A good manager can create a better leader. Teach your team, know the their talents and weaknesses and help them to progress well.

If you master those four skills, I am sure you will be a great manager who can direct a great team.”

2. Using statements or quotations

A statement or a quotation is very good to use for closing your presentation. Arrange a good statement which fits to the main idea of your presentation. You can also quote sentences from the famous figure who is well known to your audiences.

In a presentation in TEDx Jakarta with topic “How to Read 52 Books in a Year” I used the quotation technique to close my presentation.

Here is the closing sentences.

“And if you are a learner in life, fast reading will help you to love reading activities. It will help you learn so many new skills and you will finally become a excellent person.

By that way, you will become a person who will develop our beloved Indonesia now and in the future.

Therefore, if one day there is someone asks you how man books you read in a year, you will proudly answer, ‘I read 52 books in a year because I am a fast reader.’”

3. Using call to action

Call to action is an invitation to command an act.

Remember, the audiences don’t always understand what you expect from them. That is why in call to action, you deliver what action the audiences need to take.

Call to action is very important especially for the persuasive presentation where you want to sell some products, services, or in order your idea be approved and affirmed by the audiences.

This is the examples:

“You all know that family cars are diverse. But, only few cars can answer all your questions. Family car must be comfortable and fit to be used by all family members. That car must be economical so that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to refill the gas. And lastly, the price of your car must be fit with the benefits you will get from the car you buy. And that car is now right in front of you.

I invite you all to register and do the test drive.

Don’t miss it! Because the test drive activity is held only today. Feel the greatness and the comfort of this car and be clever Indonesian family who buy the right family car.”

Those are 3 ways to close a presentation properly.

If you use one of them well, the audiences will remember your main idea. Besides, they will probably take an action as you expect they to do.

Therefore, you will be successful delivering an effective and impressive presentation.

5 Things That Can Ruin Your Presentation

September 19, 2018 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

Not everyone can deliver an amazing presentation with a single try. It takes practice and experiences to be able to do that, like the world class presenters. The great presenters also started with a few mistakes and of course, nervousness.

But, everyone definitely doesn’t want to look bad when delivering a presentation. The worst thing during a presentation is when the audience looks unenthusiastic and bored. They’re yawning, back and forth, or busy looking at their clock, playing their gadget, or even asleep. It’s not their fault. It’s yours, as the presenter. It’s your responsibility. It also means, your presentation is bad and boring.

Well, there are 5 things that you may not realize, but you do it when presenting. These 5 things could ruin your presentation, make it look bad and boring. So, you better avoid doing those things when you have to deliver your presentation on the stage.

1. Make yourself look small

For example, you said ‘I don’t really master at this thing’, ‘I don’t know what to say’, or ‘Hopefully this presentation won’t bore you’.

Those things could make the audience feel bored immediately. When you say that you don’t master about something or don’t know what you are going to say, then the audience will think ‘then why I am here and should listen to you?’

Maybe the presenter said those things because they don’t feel confident. This lack of confidence can affect the audience, whether they will continue to listen to your presentation, or decide to get busy with themselves.

So, whatever you feel, try to look confident. If you’re nervous, take a deep breath. The most important thing to do is to prepare your presentation as good as possible.

2. Not making an eye contact

Making eye contact with the audience means you respect your audience. You also make contact and communication with them. With an eye contact, you show them that you will give something to them through your presentation.

If you don’t make an eye contact with your audience, it means that you are talking to yourself. You’re not trying to involve them in your presentation. If the audience doesn’t feel involved, they will think, “Why am I here?”

So, never forget to make an eye contact with the audience. No need to look at the audience one by one. Just select a point in each of your points of view, which you think can represent each group to your audience.

3. Not checking the equipment for your presentation

Before you walk to the stage to deliver your presentation, make sure that the equipment, like the computer, projector, or pointer, are functioning properly. If there’s an equipment that suddenly get stuck during your presentation, it will make it look bad.

Waiting is boring. So, the audience will boring if they have to wait while the projector suddenly fails. Moreover, if there are some important materials that they must read or see from it.

Yes, the equipment damage can occur suddenly. But, we can minimized it by checking and rechecking the equipment, at least half an hour before you deliver your presentation.

4. Alienated your audience

It mean is there some of your audience that actually not your choice. Maybe you say that your presentation is not for them. For example, you said, “Maybe some of you ever went to Japan. If there is, than you don’t need to listen to this presentation.”

Then, maybe half of your audience will immediately leave the room because they have been to Japan.

If you say something like that, it means you don’t know your audience. If you know that, then you will only say things that suit them.

So, it’s very important to know your audience. Learn about their backgrounds, so you can be in touch with them. By getting know them, they will enthusiastically to your whole presentation.

5. Extend the presentation time

Sometimes, a presenter feels that his or her presentation is interesting to their audience, so they add more time. This is very unnecessary to do because maybe the audience has other interest.

Even though the audience looks very enthusiastic about your presentation, make sure that the presentation goes according to the time set or planned.

Delivering a presentation is not just making a good material and conveying it to the audience. There are special arts and tactics, so that the material can be prepared and made, and delivered interestingly to your audience.

Successful Public Speaking Tips from the Top CEOs

September 5, 2018 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

Public speakers are not only required to master speaking techniques, but also must be able to convey the substance. It’s like, if you’re a CEO, then you have to look and sound like a leader.

The substance has to be your main focus. Your main concern is “what”, then later on “how” you can convey it clearly and convincingly.

The top CEOs give secrets about how to give a strong message. The message is the foundation. Without it, yo’re only a speaker, not a leader.

Secret #1: Talk about the Great Ideas

Every speech, presentation, or other form of communication requires one big idea that is most attached to people’s minds. A big idea is able to stand on its own, not requiring prolonged or passionate speeches. The idea is great because of its power, not the length.

The 16th United States President Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” speech consisted of only 271 words and was delivered in just 3 minutes, but the speech became one of the best and most frequently cited in American history. In November 19, 1863, the people was actually came to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery not to listen to the president’s speech, but to listen to the most famous orator in the country, Edward Everett.

Everett made a 2-hour speech, but it was Lincoln’s short speech that inspired the American people who were there. In his speech, Lincoln talked only about one idea: to convince Americans to continue struggling. It was indeed the Civil War at that time and Lincoln’s speech was delivered about four and a half months after the Union army defeated the confederation in the Battle of Gettysburg.

No one likes long speeches. Short speeches plus big ideas, that’s the secret. Another example is President Kennedy’s speech in 1961 which inspired the United States to send people to the moon. Kennedy said confidently that America would go to the moon and it turns out they did successfully before 1960s ended.

Secret #2: Talk about Present, not Past or Future

Honestly, no one likes written speech, which has been prepared. It’s boring. You should talk about what happened at that time right away. In public speaking, your message must be about your audience and about what is happening at that time. In that way, you will be able to reach an audience who didn’t even believe you would listen.

When the Sovereign Bank in America, which is now changing its name to Santander Bank, opened its branch offices in New England, many people doubted if the company could compete with other banks in the region.

The chairman and CEO of the bank, John Hamill, decided to hold a meeting and invite 500 of his employees to remove the doubts. Hamill thought that the only thing he could do was to deal with the doubt directly.

According to Hamill, the meeting had to solve what was raging in the minds of the employees, immediately, so he talked about the reason why he joined the Sovereign and why he was sure they would succeed.

When you are able to connect with what your audience is thinking or feeling, you can prepare them to listen to the important messages in your speech or conversation.

Secret #3: Make It Simple

The biggest problem in public speaking is too much thing to convey. In fact, in good public speaking, a message must be simple and easy to remember.

Roger Marino, founder of the high-tech EMC, grew up in a working class environment on the north coast of Boston. He obtained his electronic engineering degree from Northeastern University, however, Marino was actually a seller.

EMC sells the least sexy products of its services at the time, that is a storage system for computer information. But Marino and his two partners were able to sell it and from there they could build a company that eventually dominated the information technology industry.

What’s the secret about it? Marino learned about the importance of communication in business — especially when it comes to making things simple. When he was in college, he was disturbed by the professors who were unable to make him understand what they were teaching on campus.

For Marino, a brilliant professor is one who can communicate ideas in ways that are understood by common people, as simple as possible. Then, Marino made this as his strength in doing business, keeping things simple.

You can learn those secrets to make your presentation even more amazing. If you still want to deepen your ability to deliver presentations, you can take part in the Amazing Presentation and Effective Communication training with Presenta Edu.

How to be a Confident and Attractive Presenter

August 8, 2018 by Muhammad Noer Leave a Comment

A goal to be a fascinating speaker are highly require a good public speaking capability. This specific capability will makes you up to be an outstanding and motivated speaker. A good public speaking capability is also beneficial in your daily basis, particularly when your have to deliver an idea in an office meeting or when you want to convince an important client.

Obviously everyone has a public speaking capability, in contrary most of us do not think so. We usually blame a lack of talent in speaking and a minimal scale of confidence in our personality. In fact, with a good training, all of us can be a good public speaker. A fortitude to learn and practice was a requirement to be a good and fascinating public speaker.

How to be a better Public Speaker

A basic requirement for a proper public speaking is a good confidence. A basic level of confidence will help you to avoid some troubles. Getting stuck in a phrase or continuously trembling during your speaking session result a terrible presentation.

Contrasting a low level of confidence is an over confidence. When you feel you are so fascinating, you start to fail to notice your audience. The result is clear enough, an over confidence speaker will perform a terrible presentation as well.

For most people, delivering a presentation were a daily business, even so they didn’t get their most favorable performance yet. Then, a goal to be a better speaker is going to a constant effort.

There are some guidelines for you in order to be a more interesting and effective speaker:

1. Arrange a Clear Plan

A good presentation contain a clear and understandable objective. If your objective is become a better speaker or better presenter, you have to arrange a plan to help you get an excellent performance.

Initially you have to organize a bunch of presentation materials in accordance with your specific theme and audience.

Once you organize the presentation materials, a detailed delivery plan is a basic requirement. With a comprehensive plan, the way you deliver you presentation will be clear enough for yourself and reach the audience flawlessly.

2. Practice

Practice makes perfect. Your regular practice will help you to deliver your arranged presentation in a better way. Afterward the practice will improve your confidence gradually. The better technique to deliver a presentation and a higher level of confidence will help you improve your presentation quality.

You can organize your practice in two ways. First of all try to practice your speaking skill individually by speak up your idea in front of a mirror. Your reflection in the mirror can be act as an impersonation of your audience. Examine the way you speak. Whether it is interesting or boring, your examination will be a good way to improve your skill.

On the other hand, you can try practice your speaking skill with closest people around you. Your family or friends at your office can act as your audience. They can help you with their honest examination. Base on their review, you will improve your skill by avoiding many mistakes or irrelevant gestures in real event.

3. Stay Close with your Audience

The ideal way to be close to the audience is to be familiar with them. Once you have a strong connection, you will obtain a best way to communicate with your audience.

There are many ways to familiar to the audience. It will be much easier if your just have small number of audience. When they are about 15 people you can examine their profile personally.

Sometimes a personal profile examination was impossible. A wide range approach still a basic must. You have to know their educational and occupational background or whether they belong to a similar or random community. A basic knowledge of the audience profile provides you many material to arrange your communication plan.

A presentation that emerging from the audience profile create a strong connection. The speaker gives the impression of being familiar with audience for his/her idea share a similar concern with the audience.

Once a speaker and the audience get along in a familiar atmosphere it means you are successful enough to be named as a good and interesting speaker.

4. Apply a Proper Body Language

A number of speakers didn’t realize that body language shape the way people communicate. Sometimes a speaker feel he was ready enough when his presentation material was well arranged and was close to his audience.

However a speaker can ruins his presentation when he didn’t coordinate a proper gesture or body language. Inappropriate body languages generate an awkward moments and produce a meaningless presentation.

Sometimes an appropriate body language simply originates from a natural performance. You just have to carefully orchestrate how to walk properly on stage, decide a specific moment to go closer or make a short distance from your audience, set up a modest eye contact with the audience, or strengthening a statement with a hand gesture.

Some speaker consider to deliver their presentation on a platform. The decision seems more comfortably since they didn’t have to perform such body language. The speaker will simply stand on a best position on stage while speaking and sometimes illustrate the presentation with a video or slide show on screen.

There’s nothing wrong with the technique, the audience still love your presentation, anyway. Especially if you are a famous figure and you have a great idea in your presentation. However, you will bring your presentation to a next level if you dare to leave the platform (it is not a UN general assembly then). Audience will love you more when you walk on stage, come closer to them, or use a modest hand and facial expression.

Performing a proper body language while you speaking is a indication of a good confidence. The more confident a speaker is, the more interesting his presentation.

All these guidelines and steps give you an idea that to be a confident and attractive speaker/presenter is a possibility, depend on your constant practice.

Sometimes it seems that learn it all alone was the way too difficult. That’s why we’re here to give you a hand. We’re happy to support you to be a confident and attractive speaker with a great skill to deliver a fascinating presentation.

If you want to join us and learn it all together you can get the information here.