Category: Advertising & PR

 

 

 

How to Get Found … and Heard

Your competition knows how to rise to the top. Here’s a quick guide to getting the attention of the search engines and your target customer who is searching online. According to PRWeb.com, if you follow these tips you’ll have a professional, concise and powerful news release.

Headline

Get your readers’ attention here. Provide information but don’t use more than 60 characters. Most importantly, use your best keywords in the headline. Write your headline and summary last to be sure you include the most important keywords and information captured from the release.

Summary

Your job in the summary is to entice your reader to want to know more. Give a synopsis of the contents and a brief description of your business and the information you’re sharing. Use keywords! Make sure you announce your company’s name within the headline, summary or first few paragraphs so you immediately link the information with your organization.

Dateline & Lead Paragraph

FORMAT: City, State & Day, Month, Year PLUS the most important information you want to announce. Grab your reader’s attention here by simply stating the news you have to announce. Ideally, keep it down to 25 words or less. Best practices are to keep the lead paragraph compelling and simple, and remember to use a keyword.

The lead and first paragraph of a press release announces what you have to say, providing answers to as many of the critical “who, what, when, where, why (your reader should care) and how” questions that are relevant to your story.

Body

Now’s your chance to tell your story. And, like any news story, the purpose is to provide your reader with information. Remember to keep your tone neutral and objective—like a newscaster, NOT an advertisement. In 300-800 words, elaborate on who, what, when, where, why and how (include keywords!) The media typically lifts this information if they pick up or reference your release.

Add details to your story that support your claim, add interest, or reinforce what you are trying to say. These can include quotes from key staff, customers or subject matter experts, statistics, charts, etc.

Boilerplate Statement

In the press release world, this is typically your “About the Company” sentence. Be sure to use hyperlinks to your website.

Contact Info

Contact information provides the media and everyone else interested in what you have to say a way to reach you. It should include your company name, telephone number, website, and an email address.

The Finish

When you’ve finished writing, proofread for typos and do a final check to make sure it’s clear, timely and free of advertising hype, direct marketing and spam. Do this a few times and it becomes second nature.

For these pointers, we thank PRWeb.com, an online news release distribution service.

For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Marketing and Social Media.

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ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide is now available at:

· Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/AmazonTheWebPoweredEntrepreneur

· Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/BNTheWebPoweredEntrepreneur

Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

So much has been written about how to craft a speech or presentation, and much of it is conflicting. Do you need a separate opening, in addition to your key message? Do you start with your key message, or end with it? It is a seven-part process, or a three part process? Do you need to write everything down, or can you create an outline? What about a sketch or a mind map? No wonder so many people get frustrated and basically give up on creating compelling content. It is so much easier to create a handful (or more) of slides and then follow them.

All that may be true, but if you simply follow your slides, there is a very good chance you will read from them. There is also a good chance you will fail to ace two of the key parts of your talk—the opening and the closing. These are the areas of the presentation that engage and persuade the audience. And the parts that drive home your most essential message. If you skip them and jump right into the content—which so many speakers do—you may very well lose the chance to connect your audience with the content and convince them of your message.

So let’s take a look at the separate parts of the presentation, and be sure we understand exactly why they are needed, and how we might put them together for a terrific presentation or speech. Please note that even the most informal talks do better when you follow this format. With a little planning and practice it will become your “go to” structure.

Opening and key message

Why?

• A strong start with a key message provide context, a reason for listening.
• A strong start builds your confidence, even as it captures and directs your audience’s attention.
• A strong start connects you with your audience, and them to your message.

How?

• Start with a one-sentence overview. This is your key message. It should be short enough to say in one breath. It should be the one thing you want your audience to take away. If you could only say one sentence, this would be it.
• Write it down. Say it out loud. If it is just “in your head” it could be very vague or “slippery.” If you can write it down or say it out loud, then you know it is a message, not just a thought.

Content or Body of Presentation

Why?

• The message needs the evidence or proof that only the body of the presentation can provide. As a standalone, it may be intriguing, but it probably lacks substance.
• The body must be organized and clear. This is where you lay out your case, and you want to follow a logical structure.
• The body should strike a balance between being too detailed and too broad. Be sure you think through your time frame, your audience, and the nature of this content. How detailed does it need to be? How simple can it be? If it is too detailed, the audience may fade. If it is too broad, they will get bored and possibly insulted.
• The body should strike a balance between facts and feelings. Depending again on content and the makeup of the audience members, you will want to include not just facts, but some kind of emotional appeal. If you tend to lean on emotional appeal, be sure to balance that with solid facts and figures.

How?

• Include pertinent, updated facts and findings. I recently found a great statistic I wanted to use, until I discovered the research was over ten years old. No good. Also consider the sources of the statistics you use; will they be credible with your audience?
• Include humor, stories, examples, case studies, and discussion questions. Get your audience talking with each other to whatever degree seems appropriate. Get them to do something with you or each other, even if it is as simple as answering your “quiz” questions or raising a hand.
• Humor is great but don’t feel you must tell a joke. Instead, use a personal anecdote or reaction. Blend it into your content; don’t make a big issue of it.

Closing/repeat of key message/call to action

Why?

• A great closing builds your confidence and lets you end with power and punch, not a whimper.
• A great closing drives the main message home. We need to hear things more than once, especially the things that it is important to remember.
• A great closing creates a satisfying sense of closure. Imagine going to a concert or a play and wondering “is it over?” Great experiences come with a resounding close.
• A great closing includes a reminder of where you started, which improves recall of your key message, and a call to action can take advantage of an emotional high at the end.

How?

• Repeat or rephrase your key message one last time. Make it be the first and the last thing your audience hears.
• If you have a call to action, state it here and say it strong. “Call today. Get started now. Remember to sign up.” These are clear calls to action.
• Plan and rehearse your closing. Don’t leave it to chance. At the end of your presentation you will feel a strong sense of relief. Don’t just end abruptly, but leave enough time to wrap up properly.

So even if time is short, the presentation is informal, or you just don’t know how to get started, make sure these three elements of your talk are well planned and that you deliver them with aplomb. Without these essentials, it might be just a bunch of words. With them, you have a compelling talk.

 

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I would love to hear from you. How do you structure your presentations for best results?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

You are gathering notes at a meeting for a group of documents that need to be produced. Are you listening to the individuals as they speak? Are you really hearing what they are saying? Not only that, are you writing down what they are saying? What is the meaning behind what they are saying? Are they being specific or general?

You will be the author of many documents and have to handle many different scenarios and have to be able to transcribe what you hear.

• If someone is speaking on subjects that are scientific, technical, or analytical in nature, then describing what is being verbalized, is probably straight forward to follow. (That is, if you are familiar with the subject and are able to ask questions later on functionality, expertise, and quality of what is being shared.)
• If someone is speaking about businesses and what they want developed, can you read between the lines and understand them even when they cannot verbalize what they truly want? If you cannot, then you will have to try to find answers from an assistant, a subject matter expert, from researching online, or from someone else that is familiar with that person or business.
• If there is a conflict and you have more than one person yelling about a process or topic, then it’s more about who is being the loudest in the room. At this point, they just want everyone to focus on them; to be the main speaker. Then what do you write?

As a writer, you have to listen to what is spoken, and most importantly, what they are not saying and then translate that onto paper for verification.

This brings me to semantics. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as ‘the study of the meanings of words and phrases in language and the meanings of words and phrases in a particular context’.

You’ve heard the saying ’it’s all semantics’. The phrase usually means its words referring to the same meaning. But do people really mean what the words portray?

How you phrase words or use terminology is very important when it comes to technical writing and communicating. Defining technical terms is like defining mathematical values. If I say I am displaying ‘2’ icons on a screen, then I mean, I am only displaying ‘2’ icons on the screen, and not ‘1’ nor more than ‘2’. There is only one number and one way to state it.

When you are told (or instructions have been written) to cancel a script, do they want you to stop it and dismiss it for now or terminate it permanently? If the verbal (or written) instructions say to cancel and delete, the operator would know to stop and remove it.

Instructions are not like semantics. Instructions must have very distinct meanings. So be careful when you are communicating. Be as precise as possible, and if need be, use pictures to help describe what you mean.

Once the context is fully written, described, communicated, and confirmed then it will be complete and accurate.

If you have ever run into situations describing terms with double meanings, please leave a comment. Also how did you rectify the situation? Thank you.

 

As speakers we always want to come across as confident, knowledgeable, and well…powerful. But as we all know, too much of a good thing can be a problem. I think absolute power in speaking can be very intimidating. If we intimidate, we don’t influence people to do anything except fear us. On the other hand, too much warmth or niceness can project weakness. The audience may like us but not respect us enough to take action on our suggestions.

So what is just right? I think an appropriate balance of power and warmth can be our most successful combination. We want to be strong enough to command attention, but open enough to connect and inspire our audiences. Here are some ways you can find your power, and express it in a warm, connected way.

Breathe to release tension and to relax your voice. This is one place your stress or nerves could show up, so do all you can to relax into your voice. Open your chest, stand tall, open your mouth wide when you speak, and keep breathing.

Plant your feet in a wider, stronger stance. Train yourself to not cross your feet. Plant them firmly wherever you are in the room. Stand still much of the time, and move only from point A to point B, rather than pacing or wandering around. Use a powerful stance to feel strong from the inside out.

Keep your hands out in front, and use a few large gestures rather than lots of small ones. Get your elbows away from your waist when you gesture. Use a neutral position such as a relaxed steeple whenever you are not gesturing. But don’t gesture all the time; cultivate some powerful “quiet” or neutral body language as well.

Slow down your eye contact slightly. Be deliberate and calm as you send your energy outward to each member of your audience. If you are ever uncomfortable looking right into their eyes, be sure to look at their faces, specifically at their eyebrows. And don’t rush from one person to the next or you can look anxious.

Beef up your content by using solid structure. What is your message? Distill it into a crisp targeted message. What three questions or statements will capture and direct your attention to this message? What will be your memorable close and tie together with your message? Hone and refine these until you could say them in your sleep. Then create just a few slides or use flip charts for a “chalk talk” to drive that message home. Keep slides and visuals simple so that the focus remains on your message and the conversation around it.

Finding the right balance between power and warmth is not easy. You might need to experiment, get some feedback, read some blogs and books on speaking, or even hire a coach to help you figure it out. But when you think about all that is at stake; your great idea, the sale, the promotion, the respect of your audience, it seems well worth the price. In order to be a successful speaker you will need to find the right balance of warmth and power.

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I would love to hear from you. How do you balance power and warmth in speaking?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

You are at a meeting to help set up a project plan for a new undertaking. You have been asked to estimate the time needed for your documentation role in this particular project. How will you know how long it will take to complete the writing project? You could have researched before the meeting and studied previous project timelines, reviewed them, and then apply the same length of time (or you can adjust the timeline accordingly). If you were really organized, you could have created your own timetable and therefore be able to give a more accurate account when replying.

To create your own timetable:

• Make sure you have kept a schedule of events and tasks and how long it took to complete previous projects; include benchmarks or target points as check points to see if you are on schedule.
• Be sure to also indicate any resources that aided in the development.
• Note any interruptions such as changes, updates, deadline movements, etc. that would affect deliverables.
• Check availability of subject experts to gather information from.
• Ensure the right tools are available to you.
• Verify certain key dates with team members; such as when requirements, technical, training, etc. documents have to be done.

Also ask the following questions before replying as the responses might affect your schedule:

• What is the purpose of the documents you are creating?
• What types of documents are needed?
• Has a pre-arranged date been set already? – Or do they just need a date from you.
• Who are the stakeholders and will they need to approve the final documents?
• Will any previous training be required?
• Will translation be needed if this will also be a global document?
• Who is your audience?
• What format is required or can the standard organization style guide be used?
• Will images, videos, etc. – any medium other than text be required for the project?

Creating a set timeline is not an easy task. Too many factors can affect the final deliverable date. So what should you do to try to avoid a missed date? Ask others at the meeting their opinion; what do they think of the timeline? Do they see anything that might affect what has been determined? Even though you are experienced, there may be other events in the works that you are not aware of and that might affect your outcome. So ask.

Also, as a final statement, create contingency plans. Even though you may have all your key elements in order and approved, you never know what else might pop up to interfere with your schedule. So make fall back plans for those ‘what if’ cases. Oh and one more item. Stay focused and monitor the workload and schedule. If either of them are out of line, then be prepared for unforeseen events to occur.

Good Luck on pin-pointing your project date.

If you have had problems setting project dates and keeping to them, please leave a comment.

You are in the middle of a client meeting, presenting information that your client has asked for. As you progress through the material, she periodically stops you to ask for clarification or more details. You respond and move on to the next point. It’s going pretty well. Then, suddenly you notice the time. Yikes! It looks like you are about to run out of time. Quick: what do you do?

If you have a little time left:

• Summarize a few of the less-pertinent items, saving time and helping you get back on track.
• Take a quick time out to let the client know what is happening. Ask if she is willing to run over by a few minutes, or if not, how to proceed.

If you are completely out of time:

Don’t just keep going. Note the situation and ask your client what she would like to do. Offer options such as these:

1. Is there some information that can be skipped over?
2. Is there some information that can be reviewed after the presentation?
3. Could we schedule a follow up meeting, or perhaps a phone meeting to cover the last few items?

Next time:

• Be sure you have scheduled a reasonable amount of time for the content. If not, let the client know what to expect and tailor your content accordingly. For example, you may need to limit the number of topics discussed, or the level of detail, or both.
• During the planning stage, estimate how much time each segment will take. Be realistic; we so often think we can do more than we really can. Build in a little wiggle room for questions.
• Put important items up front so you are sure to get to them. Think about which items will be most important to your client.
• Prepare detailed documents that can be left behind if needed; this will be really useful with clients who want to see all the details.
• Decide ahead of time what items can be ditched if needed. These are often “nice to know” items that can be included in leave-behind materials or in another meeting. Since you already know which ones might have to be discarded, it shouldn’t distract you too much to do so.
• Check time throughout your presentation so you know if you are on track. If you have the habit of checking in at the midway point and then again at about 75% of your time frame, you should be able to finish right on time.

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They say timing is everything. By planning ahead and staying alert, you should be able to stick within your time frame, projecting a highly professional image to your clients.

I would love to hear from you. How do you manage your time in informal or formal situations?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

What do you do when you are working in a chaotic organization and there are no guidelines and no procedures nor processes to follow, and you have been assigned to create documents. What is the first thing that you do?

Research, research, research….find out:

• if any coherent software development life cycle exists; what is the current procedure or routine
• all the information you can about what documents currently exist and ask questions as to who, when, and how the documents were created. Note – when reviewing pre-existing documents try to find out all you can about the previous writer – it could be that it was created by a developer, analyst, or manager; whom may have more valuable and detailed information for you.
• who’s in charge and how do they keep track of events, the project goal, or changes and updates
• how things are currently done; that is, who does what,
• who makes the call for changes and how are they directed to the right resources and is there any existing documentation of changes and what the changes affect

Tips on trying to get organized:

• If there are no preexisting models, flowcharts, nor processes, create one by first interviewing the project lead.
• Attend all the meetings that you can and also hold your own meetings and find your subject matter experts. Make sure you are on the list of attendees for all meetings. Also make sure you are invited to every brain storming meeting for new projects.
• Maintain communication between the team leaders or members.
• Get assistance in creating a notification program or system routine so that when a change occurs, you are also notified. If an internal program cannot be created, ask to purchase a tracking system.
• Create a guide for yourself and for those following you. Include all that you have learned to make it easier for you and for anyone following you.
• Make note of everything you have discovered and keep yourself organized even if the company is not.
• Use your left brain and be methodical when creating folders and sub folders of projects and related documents.
• Create your own project plans and add it to any existing plan.

To help stay organized, begin your necessary documents as soon as you can to stay ahead. Plan ahead and create contingent plans for any unexpected delays and bottlenecks, and ensure that all problems are resolved. When planning out documentation projects, besides analyzing project requirements, identifying types of documents required, selecting resources for writing and gathering data, and setting milestones, also make sure you have the right tools available and the budget required to complete the project.

Once you are satisfied and have analyzed the project requirements, set milestones indicating critical dates, estimated the budget that is required to complete the project, identified the types of documents (as well as format) required for the project, selected the appropriate resources (in source, outsource) to gather data, you can create the content. Ensure that the right tools are available. If you are a lead technical writer, determine whether or not any assistant writers require training or need to be re-trained.

You are in essence at this point acting as the Technical Writer Project Manager and you should be congratulated for that.

Maybe you have always dreaded public speaking. Maybe you have convinced yourself you are no good at it, and never will be. Maybe you have resigned yourself to suffering through a series of painful speaking experiences.

Let’s stop right there. Because it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get better, maybe much better. And you can eliminate a lot of the pain. Stop feeling bad about it and start today to build skills and confidence for once and for all. How? Read on.

1. Stop the self-talk. Listen to that tiny (but oh-so-powerful) voice inside your head. It says things like “I am no good at public speaking. I know I am going to be nervous. I will probably blow it.” Refuse to listen. Talk back. Substitute thoughts like these: “This is going to be great. I have good information to share. I am well prepared and everything is going to be just fine.” It sounds too simple to be helpful, yet it is. The only way to know is to listen for that voice and then replace it with more powerful messages.

2. Learn from observation. Watch for mistakes others make, and resolve not to make the same ones. If you see a speaker turn away from the audience and talk to the slides, resolve not to do that yourself. Likewise, if you hear a speaker connect warmly with the audience, or use a good metaphor, or gesture effectively, see if you can incorporate those techniques in your own presentations. If you have never seen a TED talk, go to TED.com and watch a few presentations. I am sure you will come away inspired and armed with new ideas.

3. Be willing to try. If you do the same-old-same-old, you won’t grow. Nor will you stand out in a crowd. If all the slides in your organization are content-heavy and bullet-laden, dare to be the person who streamlines the visuals, cuts through the clutter, and speaks more compellingly as a result. If your voice has always been soft, be brave and speak up. If you learn a new skill, use it. Try it. Otherwise you’ll never know how good you could be.

4. Get with a group. You might take a class with others who want to build their skills. Or join Toastmasters for skills and support. You might find 2-3 individuals who are interested in building the same skills. If you can learn with a group, you will have an automatic audience, a cheering section, and a wealth of good ideas you can all share. Maybe each time you meet you share articles, blogs or books you have read, and teach them to each other. There truly is strength in numbers.

5. Hire a coach. If you have tried repeatedly to improve your skills and confidence but don’t feel you are making much progress, a coach may help you jump to the next level. A professional coach has a wealth of ideas and experience, and should help you select exactly which skills, tools and techniques will make the most difference for you. An experienced coach will help you continue to move forward, through and past the discomfort of learning. A good coach will push you gently, encourage you, and celebrate with you.

Remember the old adage, insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. All that gets you is a self-defeating downward spiral. Don’t go there. Do better. I know you can. And please, let me know what works for you along the way to great public speaking.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

Your knowledge stars or SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) are your most important assets when it comes to getting the information you need to fulfill your requirements documents or any other documents that are being written. They will supply you with all the information needed to understand the product or processes, and teach you to be knowledgeable about everything from its functions to its drawbacks so that you may be able to write and convey its benefits, values, requirements, constraints, limitations, etc.

A good Technical Communicator /Writer is able to interact with and question the SME’s involved and will always take the initiative to perform some research as well to seek out more knowledge about the items that were discussed at meetings and to ensure validity and execution.

But where do you find your SMEs?

• For resources – ask at the meetings. Ask specifically who will be the Developers, DBAs, Testers, Lead Project Manager, Sub-Contractors, etc. Also double check the requirements. If incorrect requirements exist, then the wrong resources may be selected
• For product information – you can begin to investigate on your own about the product and when asking questions, you will find more knowledge stars to assist you.
• For timelines – seek out all stakeholders to find out specific dates and confirm that each stakeholder is aware of what the dates are; coordinate with them to ensure accuracy of timelines.
• For the scope of the project and the path that it will take to be completed; ask and confirm this in writing to all stakeholders; specifically managers, and clients. They will notify you with any inaccuracies.
• For maintaining accuracy – the Technical Communicator has to be flexible enough to stay on top of all changes. Set up a system to track changes. Changes include and are not limited to updates to the application/product, The Technical Communicator also has to stay close to and be aware of changes regarding SMEs, management, resources, timelines, etc.
• For security issues – check with your managers and IT personnel and question them about confidentiality, maintenance, issues, protocols, archives, contingency plans, etc.
• For marketing – seek out all marketing stakeholders and ask about any training or documentation (user’s guide, training manuals, advertising material) needed or previously used.
• For Policies and Procedures – seek out your HR personnel and also include these as questions when gathering your information from other employees involved in ensuring control over processes, giving directions, setting standards and following them. In other words, maintaining compliance or preserving requirements. Make sure all the rules or guidelines are uniform and consistent. Also check the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) guide. It’s possible that what you seek has already been written in an existing document.
• For day-to-day information – a really good resource is your Customer service personnel. They are directly involved with the customer and have dealt with problems and resolutions. A lot can be learned from them.

The approach I like best is to create your own brain-storming sessions. How have you been able to seek out your knowledge holders? Please leave a comment.

How are your presentations looking these days? Even the informal, across the table presentations can have an impact on how you are perceived and how well you are able to influence others. Here is a brush-up you can use to be sure your presentations are “in the pink.” Check to be sure you and your presentations are:

Presentable. How do you look? I recently presented to a potential client wearing a jacket that rode up in back and gapped in the front. Thank goodness I had worn a layer under the jacket, but even so, I was distracted and probably not all that presentable. Always wear clothes that fit and hang well, don’t wrinkle or gap, and are clean. Take time to check your teeth and hair in the mirror before you speak. And then forget about how you look or are coming across. Focus on the audience and your message.

Present. One of the biggest challenges we have in public speaking, formal or informal, is staying in the present moment. When we let our minds wander, we often lose our train of thought and end up with “ums” and “ahs” and a very unsettling feeling. We often allow distracting thoughts or worry that something is going to go wrong, or that the audience won’t like us, or that they aren’t reacting the way we expected. Any extraneous thoughts pull you out of the moment, and you lose focus and then your communication suffers. Stay focused, stay present.

Peer tested. Sometimes we get so attached to our subject matter that we have blind spots. We lose objectivity. When that happens we need a second set of eyes on our presentations. What do peers think about your premise, your conclusions, your call to action? What about your slides? Do they shed light, add meaning, or just muddy the water? How about anticipating questions? Ask a colleague to help you anticipate objections and questions ahead of time so you can be ready for them. Be sure to ask someone who really will give you honest feedback.

Prepared. Sometimes it’s a last-minute or fill-in-for-your-boss presentation and you don’t have time for thorough preparation. But whenever you can, however you can, try to find at least a little prep time. If you are caught in a time crunch, instead of scrambling to build slides, take a few minutes to think through the big picture: what is your purpose in presenting? What is your point of view or message? What are 3-5 key key facts or points that will make your point? What are one or two illustrations or anecdotes that would illuminate your point of view in a memorable way? If needed, use a single sheet of paper or a note card or two so you don’t forget those key points.

Following these 4 P’s can definitely make your presentations more pertinent, more persuasive and more professional. What other words come to mind to help you make an effective presentation?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc