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Making Your First Presentation Is Like Going On Your First Date

- Joel Heffner

There’s too much talk about the fear of public speaking. It’s not that bad. It can be best compared to a first date.

You get nervous. You’re afraid of what the date (audience) will think of you. You want to make a good impression. What do you do?

You try to find out about the person (or the audience). The more you know the better your date (presentation) will be.

You prepare what you want to say…especially in the first minute so you don’t appear tongue tied. Think about things you want to say…a few important things is all you need. Dates and audiences really don’t want you to fail. It makes them uncomfortable. They want you to succeed.

Dress nicely. Dates and audiences make quick judgements on your appearance. If you look bad, they assume that they are in for a long evening (presentation).

Get there on time…early if possible.

Take a deep breath.

Ring the bell…start talking.

The chances are you will forget some of the things you wanted to mention. The good part is that your date (members of the audience) don’t know what you had in mind to say. Unless you tell them, they’ll never know.

The chances are your date (presentation) will be at least fine. If you get another opportunity for a date (presentation), it will be that much easier.

No kidding. Speaking is as easy as your first date.

3 Reasons to use your own photos when you speak…

- Joel Heffner

I hate to see questions on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn asking for the best places to buy photos for a presentation. The obvious, at least to me, answer is to look through your own photos. Here are 3 reasons:

  1. You should be the expert at what you are talking about. If you can find photos online, maybe you are not the one who should be speaking about a topic. I guess I can speak about vacationing in Rome…even though I’ve never been there…just by getting a bunch of photos that others have taken! I don’t do that. I only speak about topics I really know about based upon first hand experience.
  2. It’s also silly to project an image that others may have seen before. Smiling faces around a office table look phony and usually silly. How many meeting have you ever attended where everybody is good looking, smiling, and seem to be intense…at the same time?
  3. Assuming you are not a professional photographer, the audience does not expect perfect pictures. They come to hear you, not necessarily admire your photographic skill.

Take pictures whenever you can, you never know when you can use them for an upcoming speech.
Incidentally, I took the photo of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden several years ago. I was in the perfect place at the perfect time. So when I speak about garden photography I know that nobody has has this shot exactly the way I got it. It isn’t the best photo ever taken at the BBG, but it’s pretty good. 🙂

They asked you to speak…now what?

- Joel Heffner

If you are asked to speak at a club, organization, or conference you should say YES. Speaking is not something to be afraid of doing. It’s fun! Here are 10 tips to help you.

Make sure you know the basics. How much time will you have? How big is the audience? Exactly what is the topic you will speak about? What is the room like – rows of chairs, round tables, etc.?

 Jot down notes about your topic. Put as much as you have on paper. Eliminate everything that isn’t on topic!

 What stories can you tell that illustrate your main points? People like stories much more than they like facts!

 If you are familiar with using PowerPoint consider using it. Slides with the fewest number of words are best. Never read what is written on the slide to the audience. If you are not familiar with it, this is NOT the time to learn. You want to be comfortable when you speak, you don’t want to be concerned with your tech. [Lincoln didn’t have PowerPoint for the Gettysburg Address. He did very well.]

 Plan what you want to say. Write it out if you like…but don’t even consider reading it or trying to memorize it. Practice your talk. The more you practice the more comfortable you will be.

 Good news! If you forget to say something…ONLY YOU WILL KNOW. Don’t worry about it.

 Prepare a handout to give out AFTER you finish that summarizes your main points. Don’t give out your PowerPoint slides. Without you describing the slide, they shouldn’t make any sense. If it does, they audience didn’t need you to speak. 

Arrive early. Test the microphone if there is one.

 Remember…the audience wants you to do a good job. Nobody wants to see a speaker fail. They are on your side. Smile…and go out and speak!