Presentation Skills AFGE Communications Department

10 Tips to Remember Know your material Know your material Practice. Practice. Practice! Practice. Practice. Practice! Know the audience Know the audience Be familiar with the meeting space Be familiar with the meeting space Relax Relax Visualize success Realize that people want you to succeed Don’t apologize Message over medium Claim your victory

Know Your Material Do your homework. Do your homework. Give your message context with background information. Give your message context with background information. Know more about the subject than you will mention in your presentation. Know more about the subject than you will mention in your presentation. Know more than just your side of the issue. Know more than just your side of the issue.

Practice. Practice. Practice! The only way to get to the championship is to practice, practice, practice. The only way to get to the championship is to practice, practice, practice. Don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to prepare and practice. Don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to prepare and practice. Give yourself at least a week to prepare. Give yourself at least a week to prepare. Practice the presentation at least once in front of another person. Practice the presentation at least once in front of another person.

Know Your Audience Tailor your message to the needs of your audience. Tailor your message to the needs of your audience. Speak to your audience as if they are intelligent, but uninformed. Speak to your audience as if they are intelligent, but uninformed. Talk TO your audience – Not AT your audience Talk TO your audience – Not AT your audience Involve your audience in the discussion…Ask questions. Involve your audience in the discussion…Ask questions.

Be Familiar with the Meeting Space Arrive early Arrive early Walk around the meeting space before people arrive Walk around the meeting space before people arrive Test out the audio and visual equipment Test out the audio and visual equipment Use the space to establish a personal connection Use the space to establish a personal connection

Relax Pause, smile, and count to three before saying anything. Pause, smile, and count to three before saying anything. Greet the audience as they enter the room…It’s easier to talk to a group friends than strangers. Greet the audience as they enter the room…It’s easier to talk to a group friends than strangers. Remember your audience wants you to succeed Remember your audience wants you to succeed Address your audience before you begin. Address your audience before you begin.

Visualize Success Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and confident. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and confident. Visualize the audience responding positively. Visualize the audience responding positively.

People Want You to Succeed A captive audience wants to know what you have to say. A captive audience wants to know what you have to say. Everyone recognizes public speaking is difficult. Everyone recognizes public speaking is difficult. People will respond well to your own self-confidence. People will respond well to your own self-confidence. Failure is a waste of everyone’s time, so people want you to do well. Failure is a waste of everyone’s time, so people want you to do well.

Don’t Apologize If you make a mistake or something goes wrong, correct it and move on. If you make a mistake or something goes wrong, correct it and move on. Being nervous is natural…Don’t worry about it. Being nervous is natural…Don’t worry about it. Don’t sweat the small stuff…The audience probably never noticed it. Don’t sweat the small stuff…The audience probably never noticed it. Prepare so mistakes are minimal. Prepare so mistakes are minimal.

Message Over Medium Keep your visual aids simple. Keep your visual aids simple. Avoid jargon, initials, and acronyms. Avoid jargon, initials, and acronyms. Have a good attitude. Be polite. Be patient Have a good attitude. Be polite. Be patient Don’t confuse style with substance. Don’t confuse style with substance. Appeal to the audience’s self-interest. Appeal to the audience’s self-interest.

Claim Your Victory The 1 st step in achieving any success is believing in yourself. The 1 st step in achieving any success is believing in yourself. Say out loud that you will succeed. Say out loud that you will succeed. Be the center of attention…It’s your show. Be the center of attention…It’s your show. Recognize your own value and expertise. Recognize your own value and expertise.