IdeaHappy New  to you all.  
I was wondering if any of you had applied the principle of setting New Years Resolutions to your Presentation and Public Speaking skills yet.    Here are some suggestions that might get you thinking…

I resolve to learn how to use PowerPoint effectively so that I don’t bore the pants of my audiences as much as I did in 2007!

  • I resolve to “feel the fear and do it anyway” the next time I see an opportunity to present or speak in public because I finally realise the benefits that overcoming my fears can bring.

I resolve to seek help to overcome my presentation skills nerves.

  • I resolve to think about my audience first when preparing my presentations.  I will consider who they are, what their attitude to my topic is and how I can make by content relevant to them in the first 30 seconds of my presentation.
  • I resolve to always establish a clear outcome for my presentation or speech BEFORE I start to write it! Never again will I give a presentation that leaves the audience saying “What was that all about?”
  • I resolve to give my presentations a clear structure with an attention grabbing beginning, a logical and emotional middle and a strong conclusion with a clear call to action.

I’m sure you can think of many others. Please let me know what your suggestions are and I’ll publish them on this blog!

Gavin

Posted in Inspiration, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Uncategorized

4 Comments

  1. TJ Walker tjwalker.com on 07/01/2008 at 05:23

    Great resolutions! People should place as much importance on speaking skills as they do losing 10 pounds.

    Reply
  2. Lisa Braithwaite on 07/01/2008 at 01:05

    Great list of resolutions, Gavin! I wrote an article not about applying new year’s resolutions to my speaking, but applying speaking to new year’s resolutions! Check it out here:
    http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2007/12/6-ways-to-achieve-your-resolutions.html

    And happy new year to you!

    Reply
  3. Gavin Meikle on 06/01/2008 at 18:24

    That sounds like a great idea Jason. What sort of speaking events do you tend to do and on what topics? Do you have a “specialist subject?”

    regards
    Gavin

    Reply
  4. Jason on 05/01/2008 at 18:43

    Hi Gavin,

    I just saw that you were also listed on the Six Minutes blog. I saw your comment about being based in the South of England, which is where I’m originally from!

    Interesting list of New Year’s Resolutions. How about making it a goal to speak for a minimum of x times a month? I was pretty good for the most part last year, but I did taper off slightly towards the end. But I intend to kick it into high gear now.

    Cheers
    Jason

    Reply

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