Finish with a flourish

I recommend that speakers write their concluding paragraph first. This consists of the main point that you want the audience to remember from your presentation. Perhaps it is a restatement of your main theme, perhaps it is a call to action, perhaps a story of the benefits gained from applying your message.

I never finish with a questions from the floor session. If questions from the floor are necessary - and often they are, I insert that portion about 70% of the way through my presentation. I explain that I will take question for the next ten minutes and then will have some concluding remarks.

I have already mentioned that I prepare a briefing note for the person who is going to thank me for the presentation. Unlike my introduction, it is not scripted, but it does ask the host to mention one or two salient points, so that the individuals in the audience are hearing my message restated by a person with local influence.
Use your final remarks to create a lasting impression.
To help them remember:

• Summarise your message into a brief, memorable sentence;
• Explain what can be done to make it come true;
• Show how it is relevant to your audience;
• Explain how it will benefit your audience.

Provide takeaways

I was once told that the hallmark of a great seminar is a good lunch and an impressive manual. I didn't believe it then or now, although there is a smidgin of truth in it.
How many manuals have you collected and stored in a bookshelf somewhere, never to be consulted again? I am certain that some participants expect that the information contained in them will somehow penetrate our consciousness through osmosis - provided, of course, that they are stored exactly the right distance from our head.

On the other hand, a well designed handout can serve as a valuable prompt to help participants take the message home.

I generally use interactive handouts - ones which the participants complete during the presentation. This has the additional advantage of involving the sense of touch during the seminar or speech.

Ways that handouts can be made interactive include:

• Providing outlines of diagrams used in slide presentations - leave in the graphics, but leave out the words;

• Printing the first letters of an acronym which is the framework on the presentation;

• Using a 'Good Ideas Doggy Bag." This is a handout that I have developed which I ask participants to write out the one idea from the presentation that they intend to use first. I ask them to seal it in an envelope that I provide and then I promise to send it to them one month later.

The advantage of this process is that when they do return home, other more pressing issues may dilute the impact of the seminar.

By delivering a reminder, in their own words and hand-writing, when their recollection may be faltering, I reinforce the commitment that they made to themselves.

· Another form of takeaway is a prompt that can be displayed on their desk. I use index card size summaries that fold into a tent. I also give away good quality pens with my name and contact details on them. I find a far better call back rate from these than from business cards.

Fridge magnets are not a good idea, as if these are brought into contact with recording media, such as tapes or computer disks, including the hard drive on a computer, the information on the tape or disc is erased.

Never distribute copies of your speech to be read by the audience as you deliver it. Do you really want them to get ahead of you? Do you really want them to know that you skipped a paragraph because of time constraints? The only person in the room who should know what you are going to say next is you.

Some conferences ask for a paper to be submitted in advance and this is then circulated to the participants. Fine. What I say in the paper is consistent with what I say from the platform, but I speak to the paper, rather than read it.

I have three speeches on any subject: The one I intend to give - which is printed in the papers, the one I do give, which is often available on cassette and the one I wish I had given, which is available to those who ring me afterwards to discuss a point that I made.

As a handout, I prefer to give an outline of the main points, and often include some of the anecdotes under the heading "Tales Trainers Tell."

At other times I restrict handouts to a single point, and give them out one page at a time. This has increased flexibility if the level of knowledge is not what I had expected. I can withhold some notes, and give out others to suit the reaction that I am getting.

The quality of the handouts is important. Clear photocopies are no more expensive than shoddy ones. Plenty of white space improves readability immensely. I always have contact details on each page so that people can follow through if they wish to.

Build Your Knowledge

• What statistics support your message?

•  What anecdotes can you use to add to what you have to say?
•  How can you represent your message visually?
•  Ask questions

Gather resources
Apart from your own personal experiences, there is a great deal of material available to provide support. For the computer literate, the internet is a marvellous resource.
There are a large number of sites dedicated to jokes, clip art, statistics and quotations. It is impractical to provide addresses here, as the net changes so rapidly that by the time you finish reading this chapter the list will have changed.
Be warned: when you use a search engine for quotations, you will find what you are looking for mixed in with thousands of other references for investment strategies, second hand cars and home improvements. By looking for "quote" and "speak" and "research" and "health" and "life expectancy" you greatly reduce the number of alternatives. Read through the search engine tips for advice on how to combine several queries into one.
If the last paragraph is apparently in some foreign language, then I have some good news and some bad news: the good news is that the internet is very easy to use, and with libraries, cafes and kiosks offering cheap short term internet access is easy to access without investing in your own computer. The bad news is that if you are not internet literate, then a large part of your audience will attribute a lack of intelligence to your efforts. Perhaps that is unfair, but that does not make it untrue.
Please look at the copyright conditions associated with the material that you use. Most sites permit their material to be used, provided that acknowledgment is given. Others ask that you seek permission or provide feedback. While the chances of prosecution may be slight, some sites do aggressively protect their copyright, and so they should. The best reason for complying with the conditions that they impose on your using their material is simply that it demonstrates your integrity. Add to that the impact on your credibility: When you trot out your statistic, some in the audience will challenge (hopefully silently) its accuracy. If you are able to report that it came from the latest census, via the government statistics web site, you are demonstrating that you point is supported, and that you have done your homework.


Build a database
The acquisition and selection of material is essential for the preparation of a great presentation.
I still find Readers Digest a great source. Aside from jokes, there are personal experience, quotes and examples of "picturesque speech" throughout every issue. Most of the material is timeless, so while the current issue may contain material that is currently doing the rounds of bistros, bars and bus stops, past issues contain a great deal of material that is still quite useful.
Television shows, comedy stand up routines and comic strips in daily newspapers are further examples of places to look for a humorous view of life.
The Internet is a mine of jokes, it is simply a matter of knowing where to look. Because the world wide web is developing at such a rapid pace it is impractical to give addresses in a book like this, but search engines and links are two terms that any good speaker has to become familiar with in today's world. Ask any computer literate colleague to explain them to you, or preferably show you how they work.
The greatest source of material, however is your daily life. If you look for examples, you will find them. The challenge is to look.
Having found the material, it is time to store it.
I use a computer data base file now, but for many years relied on the low tech equivalent, index cards. I still carry a supply of blank cards with me. To record incidents as they happen, but as soon as possible I transfer it to my data base.
Rather than just cross reference a page and issue of Readers Digest or a joke book I always rewrite the material to suit my style. I am not in the habit of copying other people's material word for word, but rather emulating the way that they provide the surprise twist.
By personalising it, I find it easier to remember, too.
By and large, preparation is largely about collecting, sorting and deciding on application. Then it is time to practice your material.

Don't compete with your visual support

I don't believe in giving out a copy of my speech before the presentation so that people can follow it as I read it. As you might have guessed, I do not read my speeches.

Some conferences ask for a paper to be submitted in advance and this is then circulated to the participants. Fine. What I say in the paper is consistent with what I say from the platform, but I speak to the paper, rather than read it.

I have three speeches on any subject: The one I intend to give - which is printed in the papers, the one I do give, which is often available as a recording and the one I wish I had given, which is available to those who ring me afterwards to discuss a point that I made.

As a handout, I prefer to give an outline of the main points, and often include some of the anecdotes under the heading "Tales Trainers Tell."

At other times I restrict handouts to a single point, and give them out one page at a time. This has increased flexibility if the level of knowledge is not what I had expected. I can withhold some notes, and give out others to suit the reaction that I am getting.

Frequently, I give out copies of diagrams that I use in my slides, but with the words left off. This saves time if the participants are taking notes. The lack of words lets me use the same diagram in a number of different ways, again according to the level of response that I get from the audience.
The quality of the handouts is important. Clear photocopies are no more expensive than shoddy ones. Plenty of white space improves readability immensely. I always have contact details on each page so that people can follow through if they wish to.

Develop a style for your presentations and maintain it.
Adopt a consistent layout and style. Landscape is preferred if the whole slide is to be introduced at one time. Portrait may be acceptable if you have a list that will be progressively exposed.
Use a simple font. Ornate characters detract from the message and project badly. Fine lines in diagrams also project poorly.
Use upper and lower case letters. ALL CAPS ARE MUCH HARDER TO READ;
Never overload the image.
One point per slide is ideal. A maximum of seven lines of seven words each is a good rule of thumb for landscape (longer side parallel to the base) slides.

Choose colours which provide high contrast between the background and the featured text or pictures. For example blue and gold offer contrast (as in dark and light), but red and orange probably would be quite difficult to see;

Avoid red, green, pink and yellow features. These colours do not project well. Limit your colour choice to two or three feature colours per slide (unless you are including colour photographs.

Check that every word or feature is clearly visible from the back of the room. As a rule of thumb, the height of the projected image needs to be about one sixth of the viewing distance. In a room where people will be thirty metres away from the screen, the image width needs to be at least 5 metres.

Check that the view of the projected image is not interrupted by furniture or fittings. In larger rooms you may have to work around pillars. If you have the choice, avoid rooms where there are mirrors. This provide a competing visual image.
Make sure the projection screen is large enough for the size of audience, generally the distance between the audience and the screen should be less than six times the width of the projected image (for example, if the projected image is 2 metres wide the audience should be within 12 metres of the screen).

Focus the projector on the screen before participants arrive. A key placed in the centre of an overhead projector plate used to be a good way for focussing those antiques. With PowerPoint projection, develop aslide using all of the font sizes that are in your presentation and use iot to focus the machine while you are setting up.

A projected image will keystone if you have the screen higher than the projector. A keystone image is one where the top of the picture is wider than the bottom. This is caused where the screen is not parallel to the lens on the projector.

Many portable screens have a fitting at the top to reduce keystoning. The top of the screen is closer to the audience (and projector) than the bottom. You can also reduce the problem by inclining the projector. Good quality projectors also have a keystoning adjustment. Set it up to suit your projecvtor location relative to the screen - to the side or below, as appropriate.

The quality of your support affects your credibility
In the same way that the quality of your physical appearance will influence the perception of the credibility of your message, the quality of your support materials will enhance or detract from your message.

Using pauses and vocal variation

Notice the difference that these two presentations of the same words make:

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be forever happy—will you let me be yours?

Trish

Or to put it another way:

Dear John.

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,

Trish

Punctuation is important to the spoken word, too.
When I learned to read in primary school, Sister Mary Brutus taught me to count 1 at a comma and three at a full stop. She also taught me to raise my voice at a comma and lower it at the end of a sentence.

These habits have stayed with me and I now follow them intuitively when I speak.

From discussions with people educated more recently than I was, it appears that this has disappeared from the curriculum. It is a shame, at least if no alternative has replaced them.

I also recommend that you write your speeches out with a natural break at the end of each line.

Keep it to about six words per line.

Tape yourself reading this next paragraph:

I don't read my speeches. If I did, however, I would set them out in lines of six words or less in a large type with one phrase or idea per line.
I would place a double space between sentences and never carry a sentence over the page.

This is how I advise those who need to read to speeches to set out their script:

I don't read my speeches.

If I did,

however,

I would set them out

in lines of six words or less

in a large type

with one phrase or idea per line.

I would place a double space

between sentences

and never carry a sentence

over the page.

Now retape yourself reading the larger text, and see how it affects the way that you sound.

Setting Up the Room

The amount of influence that you will have on the set up of the room will vary according to the role that you are playing. But familiarity and satisfaction with the room layout as far as possible in advance make it possible to concentrate on your speech while you are giving it. A rush from the airport to the microphone just in time to be introduced will detract from your speech - no matter how good a speaker you are, because I have yet to find a room set up to my total satisfaction.

If you are not satisfied with the room, then that will be on your mind while you are speaking, not allowing you to give your total attention to your speech and the audience.

Certainly, like anything this can be delegated. If you do delegate it, however, make sure it is to someone whose priority is to ensure your satisfaction and not someone whose main interest is filling seats or paring overheads - both noble objectives, up to a point.

At a wedding reception, you may have a low priority, but you are also doing the other speakers a favour if you make sure that the room is speaker friendly.

At a conference where you are one of several speakers, you will have to co-operate with the other speakers to ensure that they have their needs met too, but don't assume that everything will be all right on the night.

If you are a later speaker, watch some of the earlier ones to see how they have coped with the set up, and base any requests for alterations on their difficulties.

Certainly, no one likes a Prima Donna who makes unreasonable demands, however a good room set up benefits everybody - the conference organiser, the audience, the other speakers and you.

If you are a manager speaking to employees, your credibility will be destroyed if you are not able to ensure that you are heard and seen by the audience.

Use this checklist to inspect the room well in advance of your presentation, considering which points apply to the setting in which you will speak.

Will everyone be able to see me?

Do you need to be on a raised platform? Yes if the furthest person is behind more than four other people. The platform should be at least 500 mm high for each eight rows of the audience, if the floor of the room is level.

How will the room be lit? Will you be under a spotlight, with the audience in semi-darkness? Hopefully not. It is almost impossible to maintain eye contact, and therefore obtain feedback in these circumstances. Ask for the lights to be raised so that you can recognise people at least five rows back in a large room.

Where are the people facing? If they are seated at round tables for a meal, ask that one out of every four chairs (and the associated place settings) be removed - the ones with the backs to the stage, that is.

Are there any barriers? Pillars, mirrors and partitions are among the barriers you may have to contend with in many rooms where you will be speaking after a meal. Position yourself so that the whole audience will be able to see you, and ask that any tables that have to be moved are.

Is a video system in place? When speaking to a large gathering - more than twenty rows in the audience - video screens should be used to convey the image of the speaker to the audience. This is a setting that requires on-site rehearsal, no matter how familiar you are with speaking or being televised. There needs to be a clear understanding between you and the individual camera operators, probably through the floor manager so that your speaking style will be covered. Professional speakers who do a lot of video work prefer sports camera operators - they can keep up with the play.

Will everyone be able to see my visual support material?
I will dedicate a series of posts to the design of visual support material, yet it is all wasted unless the audience can see it.

There are three major concerns: lighting, size and line of sight.
For lighting, there is a need to balance your desire to see the audience and your desire to have he audience see the projected materials. Fortunately with modern technology that is not a difficult task.
Projectors work well in daylight conditions, provided there is good contrast between the background and highlight colours.

Modern computer projectors also work well in subdued lighting, well above the darkness levels required for 35 mm slides or movie projection.

For smaller audiences, flip charts and whiteboards work well in daylight conditions, in fact they require them.

Both will be overpowered by an audience at a resort complex looking out over the ocean, yet I have walked into rooms that were set up in exactly that way. Either close the curtains or turn the seats around.

For size: there are a number of rules of thumb, my two favourites are:

Don't put anything on a slide that you can't read unprojected from two metres away. In the days of overhead prohjectors, the simple test was drop your slide to the floor and you should be able to read it;
In the days of PowerPoint projection:
For every ten metres from the audience to the screen, the projected image needs to be one metre high.

For line of sight: Consider the same things that were included in the checklist above, and add distractions. Posters on the walls, mirrors, and beaches visible through windows will all compete with your visual. A thorough inspection of the room before your presentation is the best way to check this out.

Will everyone be able to hear me?

If there is any doubt that every person in the room will be able to hear you clearly, use a microphone. Consider background noise, sound from adjacent rooms - which may be different at the time you inspect the room to when you speak.. Always check what time the disco and the bingo start.

10 tips for using a microphone
1. Rehearse using the system in place before the audience arrives. Please don't start your speech by blowing into the microphone or tapping on it. There is a very sensitive diaphragm in most microphones and this can be damaged by these habits. Even with a microphone that does not have a diaphragm, it looks as though you have never handled a microphone before and therefore detracts from your credibility. Counting is just as bad.

2. When rehearsing, remember that the volume in an empty room will be substantially higher than in a full room.

3. Learn to use it, then forget it's there.

4. Use wireless or lapel microphones as required.

5. Make sure you are plugged into the correct sockets.

6. Check that sound from systems in other rooms will not come over your speakers.

7. Have microphones available for questions/contributions.
8. Keep the recommended distance away from the microphone. For a speaker's microphone this is usually about 150 mm. Any closer and your ps will pop.

9. Avoid feedback, which is caused by the sound from the speakers being picked up by the microphone. Stay away from the front of the speakers, and don't walk under any overhead speakers.

10. Adjust your voice volume to suit the microphone.

Speaking to a pootentially hostile audience

Confront opposition early

If you expect that portion of your audience will oppose your position, then you need to display empathy for their position.

Empathy does not imply agreement with it - merely that you understand how they feel.

Your first role as a speaker in this situation is to diffuse hostility. When the ill feelings that people brought into the session have been eliminated then you can move on.

In reality this may take more than a single speech. Your credibility will be based on your reputation. If people have been told that they have to come and listen to "Max the Axe" speak then you are in for a torrid time. If the source of your influence is hierarchical or coercive, you may win this time. Eventually, however, you will have a demotivated audience if not a rebellious one.

My early jobs were in the coal industry. The culture at the time was confrontational and suspicious of anything that management did. I did not change the culture of the coal mining industry - just the attitude of a particular group of employees towards a particular group of managers. Others were working in the same direction at the same time. Some with more spectacular results, others were less successful. Some were from management, others represented the workforce. It was the efforts of those who saw the need for change that created a substantial change in the culture of the industry. I cringe periodically when I read reports of industrial confrontation in that industry. It seems that for some pockets, noting has changed since the nineteen sixties. On the other hand there are significant areas where the culture has changed.

The key to eliminating confrontation is not sudden change. It is a progressive march towards a specific destination, that needs to be visualised and described.

Encouraging others to head in that direction will follow from a clearly articulated vision, and a practical set of steps. The change agent needs to demonstrate commitment, honesty and sincerity. Progressively others will follow.

First come the early adapters. They may be more able to see the potential future. They may have less attachment to the discredited past. I think of these as the key influencers. The followers come next after these early adapting scouts have shown that they were not destroyed by their courageous first steps. Some will never follow. They have such an attachment to the past that they will never leave it. Good leaders understand that you don't have to have everyone on side, just a critical mass.

How does this affect your speech?

Depending on where you are in a change cycle, the audience that you may need to address will vary. In the early stages, you need to articulate the vision. Later you need to demonstrate that commitments that you have made have been honoured. After the change, you need to focus on the successes to isolate the remaining critics and cynics.

In 1998, a friend of mine went as a volunteer to help in a disaster relief project in New Guinea after the tsunami, the tidal wave which destroyed coastal villages. He is an ambulance driver over here, so they put him in the medical corps over there. Even though he had seen a lot of blood on the roadside, nothing could have prepared him for what he encountered.

He said the thing that saved him was a doctor that he described as more like Hawkeye, the doctor in MASH, than Hawkeye was.

He said that this Hawkeye look alike told him to divide the patients into three categories: Those that no-one could do anything for; those that would get better on their own without any medical intervention, and those whose future would improve with the resources that they had available."

In the same way, some people will accept change intuitively. Some will never be able to accept the demands that change places on them. Our role as motivators is to take middle group - the ones who can only advance with guidance and help and make it possible for them to perform at their best as part of a team.


Move beyond not against

No-one ever won an argument. People have, however been persuaded.

Persuasion requires listening to the other party, while arguing implies shouting them down.

Listening means more than waiting for a break in their tirade, or trying to find a point to refute. It means being prepared to understand the other party's position.

Before you say anything in a confrontational situation, check that it is going to take the matter closer to resolution. To do this, enter with a clear vision of the minimum outcome that you are able to accept. Keep this picture of the "must have" at the forefront of your mind. Add to it the desirable extras that you would like to achieve. Certainly, endeavour to achieve these "likes," but don't let them detract from the "musts."

I have witnessed many industrial disputes where both sides seemed more determined to destroy the other than to achieve a workable solution. They failed to recognise that destruction of either party - the workforce or the company - would not benefit anybody in the medium term. The only result of such a tactic is to prolong the dispute. When the disputes were finally resolved, the main protagonists were quietly removed the pride of place that they had held and replaced by more moderate and constructive people.

In a confrontational situation, I can see little value in playing the man instead of the ball, to use a football analogy.

What happens, though if the other party is determined to attack you personally. Here I believe you will have a great strategic advantage if you focus on resolving the dispute, rather than retaliation. The truly wise person is one can think of something very witty to say in a tense situation, and doesn't say it.

Look for possible attractive transactions, those which have high value to the other party at low cost to you. This is possible where there is some common ground. It means that you must consider the lifelong value of the relationship. Ego gratification is a bad negotiation tactic.

Recognise that the alternative to agreement is termination. There are some situations where this is the only possible strategy. In this case, conflict is generated by a desire to oppress the other party into subservience. This may make you feel good for a while, but even if it is achieved then the best that you can hope for is to keep the conflict simmering below the surface.

Often we see the solution to conflict as convincing the other party of our case. This can only work if you are willing to see their case, too.

Build on the known

Your audience comes into your presentation with a certain amount of knowledge. I have dealt with the need to find out their base level in the introductory step.

You also need to consider any knowledge they already have that is inaccurate or inconsistent with your message. Common misconceptions that you have discovered in other audiences need to be incorporated here. Perhaps they are widely held beliefs that your research has shown to be accurate.

Before you can move on, you need to address these perceptions.

Use these questions to assess the current knowledge level of your audience:

• How much of your message is likely to be already understood by the audience?
• What preconceptions are they likely to hold, which may be inconsistent with your message?
• How can you present your message so that the audience believes that you are speaking to them on a personal basis?

The answers to these three questions will influence the starting point of your presentation.

To Build On What They Already Know:

• Create a vision of the current situation;
• Analyse the make up of the current situation;
• Suggest adjustments to the current;
• Create a vision of the possible.

Using on line translation services

If you need to give information to someone who speaks another language, will the on line translators do an adequate job? I tested Yahoo and Google's free services and this is what I found:

The original paragraph

I translated this paragraph into Chinese using Google translate. I then converted it back from Chinese to English using another free web translation service - babelfish.
The first paragraph is the original paragraph, the second, the translation into Chinese (simplified), while the third paragraph is the retranslation into English. the question is, "Is this good enough for your needs?"

The Simplified Chinese output from Google:

我翻译成中文本款使用谷歌翻译。然后我回转换为英语的？何使用其他免费的网络翻译服务- Babelfish平台。
第一段是原段中，第二，成中文（简体翻译），而第三段是重新翻译成英文。问题是，“这是您的需求不够好？”

The translation of the Google output back into English from Yahoo:

I translate the Chinese text funds use google to translate. Then I return transform into English? What uses other free networks to translate the service - Babelfish platform. The first section is in the original section, second, becomes Chinese (simplified translation), but the third section translates English. The question is, “this is your demand is not very good?”

I then tried with a series of bullet points on a PowerPoint slide. I figured that there could be no greater show of respect than to take the trouble to produce my PowerPoint slides in their language. I chose one which listed the Major Hazard Management Plans that must be in place in underground coal mines in Queensland. My Chinese visitors were interested in this, even if you are not.

My original English slide

Major Hazard Management Plans

Spontaneous combustion
Gas management
Ventilation
Emergency response
Strata control


The output from Google in Simplified Chinese

重大危险管理计划

自燃
燃气管理
通风
应急响应
岩层控制

Yahoo's retranslation

Significant danger management plan The spontaneous combustion fuel gas management ventilates the emergency response rock layer control

It was almost good enough. My main concern was "strata control" becoming "rock layer control. So I changed it to: "Roof support"

I translated and retranslated and it came back as roof support.

So, are the free translation services good enough?

For me, yes - if I am using keywords on PowerPoint slides, and provided I check through retranslation.

Toastmasters - A great place to practice speaking

Whenever I am asked about the best way to practice public speaking I inevitably suggest join a Toastmasters club. Go to the Toastmasters International website to find a club near you.

But how well does the confidence gained in Toastmasters translate into confidence speaking before other groups. Toastmasters speak before (mostly) the same people every week and you know everyone is there to help you along.

To answer this question let’s look at how we learn something new. Before we learn we are often an Unconscious Incompetent (we don't know that we don't know how to do it).

For some reason or other we become aware that we could learn. Maybe it's an invitation to speak at a friend’s wedding, maybe it is recognizing that the people who can speak well are advancing faster at work. There are a thousand ways that we may become aware, everyone's story is different.

Even though we are aware, we may not choose to do anything about it - or we may even choose not to do anything. Nevertheless, we are now a Conscious Incompetent. We know that we do not know.

If we make a decision to do something, the first few times we try may be quite uncomfortable. But we stay focussed and we concentrate and we get by. This is the phase of Conscious Competence. We are able to do it, but we have to concentrate.
With practice, and some motivation and support, with knowledge gained from the program we will gradually feel more comfortable, and eventually we will wonder what all the fuss was about. We will become Unconscious Competents. We do it out of habit.

Let me take an extreme example - if you pull your left ear when you are nervous, you may not know it. Someone may draw it to your attention - hopefully quietly and sensitively - and you will become aware. Now you are more likely to notice yourself doing it. Someone may suggest a positive alternative behaviour to help you avoid it - always keep your hands in your pockets. Doesn't look good, I know, but much better than the ear pulling. When you feel yourself about to reach for your ear, whamm hand into pocket. A conscious act. Eventually the habit will disappear and be replaced by another annoying one - hands in pockets - but this is less distracting and easier to change to meaningful gestures.

So back to your original question: the habits that you develop in front of your comfortable group will stay with you. The habit of making eye contact, the importance of a catchy opening, always leaving with a memorable close - they are readily translated.

The other side - being uncomfortable in front of a group of strangers will partly disappear, because you have more confidence as a result of your catchy opening, your eye contact and the fact that your hands are in your pockets, not pulling your ear. But the self belief that this group of people are interested in what you have to say may only come from speaking to several different groups and Toastmasters offers that opportunity, too with over 10,000 clubs in almost 100 countries.
Here is a story that I often use to make this point:

I recently had a conversation with the leader of a band who practices in a garage not very far from my place. Suspecting that he couldn't afford a watch I rang him and told him what time it was. To extend the conversation I politely, although politeness at 3 am is not the same as politeness at midday, asked him "WHY ARE YOU PLAYING THAT MUSIC IN THAT GARAGE ANYWAY?"

He explained to me that they would not let him play at the Sydney Opera House until he got it right. In the garage he could practice the same song over and over in the hope that the nuances that he applied to the music would meld.

He also explained that he received some interesting feedback from my neighbors that was enabling him to adjust the material to suit a wider audience.
He admitted that some of the feedback was not useful (some was physically very difficult) but every now and then he obtained some evaluation that he could use.
Grateful that I had been able to add to his total knowledge, rather than going to sleep (an impossibility, anyway) I compared his method to my participation in Toastmasters.

The Toastmasters club is like a garage. I can try new things before an audience that will give me valuable feedback. Some I choose to ignore, some I modify before include it, some I accept totally.

In return I am asked to provide applause and feedback to my fellow members.
When I get it right in this low risk setting then I will be ready to take it to the real world.

Understand the Technology

My wife recently attended a seminar on a subject of interest to both of us. When she came home, I asked her how it went. She replied: "They couldn't get the video to work."

There was a time when technology in a presentation meant chalk and a blackboard.

Then it became 35 mm slide projection, overhead projection or videos. Today it can mean almost anything. I will not attempt to list the available multi media technology, because by the time that I finish writing it, it will be superseded.

In the old days, making sure that you had erasable markers was the advice to a speaker using a whiteboard. Today the advice is even more simple: Unless you are thoroughly familiar with the equipment, don't use it. Unless there is someone on immediate call who can change a globe, avoid it.

How many seminar participants does it take to change a blown globe? 95 to give unsolicited advice and one to go get another projector.

There is no question that correct use of modern equipment can enhance a presentation. Equally there is no question that poor use of equipment can destroy a presentation. You don't want to be remembered as the person who gave the seminar where the video didn't work.

Listen to the radio news. Even in the best of stations, with high quality equipment and professional operators from time to time the wrong sound bite will be put to air. The announcer will apologise then read a script which contains the information that was lost.

As a presenter you also need to be prepared for technical failure. Know the contents of the video that you are going to show; have reproductions of slides available so that handouts can be generated on site; have an alternative or back up equipment available.