www.staceyhanke.com

Author and speaker Stacey Hanke shares her top tips for speaking in public and no, we don’t have to imagine everyone in the audience is naked.

1. Focus on your listeners expectations. When you design your presentation to meet your listeners needs and expectations you increase the likelihood of influencing them to act on what you have to say. The acronym K.N.O.W. is an immediate, easy and effective way to do this.

o What do your listeners Know about your topic?

o What do they Need to know in the time frame you have to take the action you want them to take?

o What is their Opinion about your topic?

o Who are they?

2. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare…Practice, Practice, Practice. If your communication is not top notch in your day-to-day interactions, it certainly will not be powerful during your presentations. To be an effective, memorable and persuasive presenter you must first polish your day-to-day communication; face-to-face conversations, meetings, phone calls, etc. Then and only then will you be a presenter whose message gets heard.

3. Less is more! Stop rambling and start engaging. Pause is a powerful skill few people know how to use or are willing to use. You need to pause to think on your feet, change your message on the fly and give your listener an opportunity to hear and understand your message. Without the pause you will ramble, forget what to say and communicate more than your listeners want to hear. As a result, your listeners begin to question your intent. When you begin placing pauses at the end of your sentences, in between your thoughts and points, you immediately begin to engage your listeners and reach a call to action.

Stacey Hanke helps individuals change their communication behavior to maximize performance, boost profits and build relationships to win business. Her book “Yes You Can! Everything You Need From A to Z To Influence Others To Take Action”shares practical and immediate skills and techniques to change the way we communicate. Website: www.staceyhanke.com.