Public Speaking – Preparing for a Technical Presentation
In today’s video I discuss what it takes to make a great technical presentation. Below is a brief summary – watch the video for more detail!
I recently ran a workshop for business owners on how to get better at presenting.
At the workshop, one of the attendees was a chiropractor who wanted to help people know more about their bodies and how to avoid common problems that arise from poor posture, unnatural walking stances and the like.
He clearly knew his stuff, but struggled to share it in a clear and concise way. Understandably so, because it was complicated information.
Winning your audience’s confidence during complex talks while public speaking
But the thing is, if you slip up and trip over yourself when you’re sharing technical information, it’ll be difficult for your audience to have confidence that you won’t do the same when you’re treating them in your office!
As someone who studied the sciences (many moons ago I got a degree in Natural Sciences and then a Masters in Neuropharmacology – most of it long forgotten I must admit!) I understand how tough it is to get the explanation of complex subject matter right.
When people in the audience are confused they switch off, and rarely switch back on again. So you’ve got to achieve the right balance of clarity without dumbing it down so much that what you’re saying isn’t accurate.
Practise your explanations
When you’re rehearsing, you need to spend extra time getting your explanations just right. Work out what you want to say and then practise in front of a friend who knows very little about your topic. See if they understand or look puzzled.
If the explanation doesn’t hit the mark then try again! Keep going until you’re super confident of what you’re saying and your tester audiences switch on like a light bulb when you explain your stuff.
Use analogies when public speaking
Take the time to work out some analogies to make your topic easier to understand. They don’t need to be your own…it’s fine to quote other experts’ analogies – and you can credit them during your talk. But whether you create your own or you use commonly accepted ones from your industry peers, you want to keep your audience’s attention.
Confused people don’t buy.
Explain things simply when public speaking
A quote from Albert Einstein is ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough’.
This is a great place to come from when you’re speaking to an audience. Put the work in beforehand so you can make it simple when you’re on the stage.
It’s not the easiest thing to do but I have confidence in you! Good luck.
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P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you improve your speaking or grow your business:
1 – Get my free guide – 27 places to find speaking opportunities.
Find out where your next speaking opportunity might come from – whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or experienced speaker.
2 – Join my Facebook Group – Public Speaking for Female Coaches and Entrepreneurs.
Join us for tips, discussions and community!
3 – Are you an ambitious coach, consultant or small business owner? If you’d like to wow your audiences and find more speaking opportunities, then watch the FREE on-demand training video here: https://sholakaye.com/masterclass
4 – Find out about my VIP Days and private coaching.
Book me for a VIP half or full-day session if you want to make some serious progress! We could help you create a business networking strategy and perfect your pitch. Or we could work on your signature talk so that audience members or hungry to work with you. Or we could explore frameworks and strategies to help give you confidence whether you’re speaking at conferences, in meetings or at other events. Or more!!