Downloadable and Printable PDF
To Download - right click and select save target
to save in desired location

Colleen Kettenhofen is a Phoenix, Arizona motivational speaker on managing people, effective leadership, dealing with difficult people, and presentation skills. She has spoken in 47 states and six countries for top corporations and associations since 1995. She is contributing author of “The Masters of Success,” featured on NBC’s Today Show and Fox News. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions, training and seminars.

10 Simple Tips to Improving
Your Public Speaking Skills
Written by Colleen Kettenhofen

1. 95% of your success is determined before the presentation. Your audience will know if you didn't rehearse. Rehearsing, or “rehearing” yourself minimizes 75% of your nervousness. Rehearse standing up, or better yet, ask someone to videotape you. The camera will be your most objective ally. The more comfortable you become with your material via rehearsing, the more comfortable you will be with your body language.
    

2. Either memorize or “know cold” your (short!) opener and close. 2 sentences is enough. The most important thing your audience will remember is #1 your close, and #2 your opener. Start with something attention grabbing, like a quote or statistic, that relates to your topic. Never start with, “Good Morning.” It is obvious…and boring.
    

3. 24 hours before

1. Have a quiet dinner with a quiet friend. (This may or may not be your spouse!)

2. The evening before, put your presentation on audiocassette as background noise one hour before retiring. Or, listen to your opener and close before bed as a review.

3. No massive changes 24 hours before. This will only increase nervousness. (Impromptu speeches notwithstanding.)

4. Visualize your presentation going smoothly and successfully. All Olympic athletes use this technique.

5. Review your notes and visual aids the evening before. Your notes should only be “fast food for the eyes” in bullet form, and are never read to the audience.

6. Eat a good high protein breakfast the morning of your presentation. Even if you're not speaking until that evening, feed your mind and body the proper fuel.

4. Before your presentation, check yourself in a full length mirror. A dear friend of mine forgot to do this. During her keynote speech in front of hundreds, someone quietly pointed out that her skirt was tucked into her pantyhose. (This really was not me!)
    

5. When organizing your talk, define your purpose. Why are you there? Why are they there? Is this a sales presentation? A community watch group? If you present technical information, is this an “information/knowledge transfer” or a decision briefing? When presenting technical information make certain not to overload your audience with too much detail, or too much on each slide. Tailor your message. Define your objective.
    

6. Know your audience before designing your opener and close. It is imperative that you “speak the language” of your audience. What are their ages? Percentage male/female? Technical or non-technical? Do they want to be there or is this mandatory? What are their expectations? If you are a scientist or engineer, speak to the “lowest common denominator.” Technical presenters have a propensity to use a lot of technical jargon. Does the person in charge of funding understand the language?
    

7. Avoid “Death by PowerPoint.” Visual aids are wonderful tools as long as they're used to enhance the information. A common mistake is using the visual aids as the presentation. Look at the audience frequently to establish rapport and a connection. In almost every presentation, you are there to “sell” them not simply “tell” them. Do not look at your visual aids other than a quick glance, and never read them. Never turn your back on the audience to read slides. They will not look at your slides. Their minds will start to wander. Remember: you are your own best visual aid. (More on appropriate attire in the future.)
    

8. Be prepared. As the saying goes, prior planning prevents predictably poor performance. Planning and preparation will reduce nervousness 75%. Again, your audience will know if you didn't rehearse. Consider hiring a speech coach. The dollars invested may well be worth their weight in gold.
    

9. The Q & A period and how to handle a hostile audience. The 2nd most frequent comment I hear in my breakout sessions and seminars is “what if they ask a question and I don't know the answer?” Or, “what if someone in the audience is a know-it-all and doesn't like me?” Avoid being argumentative. If you don't know the answer, ask if someone in the audience has the answer, or let me know when you will get back to them. And make certain to get back to them. When you lie you die. It destroys your credibility.
    

10. Variety and venue. Variety serves as a “wake up call” to your audience. Examples of adding variety would be: humor, relevant stories, quotes, voice inflection, paired and group activities, pauses, audience participation in the question and answer period, and slides or other multimedia. Second, are your visual aids appropriate to your size of audience and venue? Will everyone be able to see them?

Lastly, make sure to confirm the time, date, and place with the appropriate contact person. If possible, arrange to see the room ahead of time so you can practice visualizing in the exact location of your presentation. At the very least, arrive at least one hour ahead of time. Nothing minimizes nervousness like being prepared.

January 15, 2005

You are free to reprint or repost this article for use in your newsletters, association publications, or intranet provided Colleen Kettenhofen's contact information (name, website, and email) is included with the article. Colleen Kettenhofen is a Phoenix, Arizona motivational speaker, trainer, & co-author of "The Masters of Success ," featured on NBC's Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For free articles, video clips, and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com. Colleen's area of expertise are leadership, managing people, life balance, difficult people, presentation skills. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.

She can be reached at contact
information listed below

Please let us know how you plan to use this article or send an electronic tear sheet.