Business IN English

E-zine for SMART people ???????

8 January 2004???Issue # 1???????

Если Вы хотите получать наш бесплатный электронный журнал, введите адрес Вашей электронной почты и нажмите ОК.

Рассылки Subscribe.Ru

Business IN English

Business IN English

Issue #1
Presentations (Part 1)

Getting Over Speech Anxiety

?

Have to Make a Presentation?

Make the Most of It!

?

На всякий случай http://dictionary.cambridge.org

At some point in your career you may have to attend a business conference or do a presentation of a new project or product for your boss, customers or colleagues. While these are a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues, present your ideas or find new customers, they are also pretty stressful.

Why? It’s the fear of making a fool of oneself in front of a crowd while giving a presentation. So, how can you do your part to make sure all participants enjoy your presentation?

?

Here are some tips to help you make the most of these activities and relieve some of the stress.

?

TIP #1 Getting Over Speech Anxiety

?

Fortunately, it is easy to control and, in many cases, to overcome. There are several simple steps which can be taken to lessen the effects of Speech Anxiety.

?

Before giving any type of presentation, be sure to:

?

1. ANALYZE THE AUDIENCE

?

Find out about how many people will be in the audience and some general information on the audience (age, sex, occupation, income level, needs, etc.). This will help you gear your speech toward your audience and their needs.

?

2. GET PREPARED

?

·???????? Research the subject of the presentation.

·???????? Outline the speech:
- sort out and lay out what you want to say and when you want to say it,
- remember what you are going to say,
- make sense to the audience (e. g. avoid special jargon).

·???????? Prepare informative, professional handouts and presentation materials.

·???????? Polish up public speaking skills (voice, body language, etc.).

·???????? Practice, practice, practice.
- in front of a mirror
- in front of your dog/cat/stuffed animals
- in front of a live person(s)
- in the setting where you will give the actual speech (if possible)

?

3. ON THE DAY OF YOUR PRESENTATION

?

·???????? Watch what you eat. There are several types of foods that will coat your throat, create stomach acid or other physical ailments that will make it more difficult to control anxiety.

·???????? Arrive early
- arrive at least 1/2 hour earlier?
- being late will only make you feel more frantic
- check the facilities (sound system, size of room, visual aid equipment, etc.)
- check to make sure you have your visual aids ready and in correct order1
- place speech outline close enough to be seen from where you stand to present
- always type the outline in a large font size to make it easier to read

·???????????????????? Relax
- Realize : The audience is not "out to get you" and they want you to do well.
- Think : What is the worst thing that could happen? Will forgetting your speech ruin your life? Probably not. So why get yourself so upset over it?
- Remember : You have outlined your speech well, you practiced in front of others, and you know what your are talking about so you are prepared and qualified to give this presentation. What do you have to worry about?
- Know: If something goes wrong (ex. the microphone stand falls, or your visual aids slip out of place, or you skip a point) the audience is very forgiving and understands that not everything works perfectly. Laugh it off and continue.

·???????? Give a lively, interesting talk.

·???????? Answer questions from attendees.

·???????? Be flexible in the presentation.

?

·???????? Ask participants for their comments and criticisms and use them to improve future presentations.

·???????? Follow-up on any questions that you were unable to answer immediately.

?

*************

A change is as good as a rest. Besides, as you know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So, enjoy!

A MINOR SHREDDING MISHAP

The new office boy stood before the paper shredder looking confused.

"Need some help?" a secretary walking by asked.

"Yes," he replied "how do you work this thing?"

"Simple," she said quickly taking the fat report from his hand and feeding it to the shredder.

"Thanks," he said as he watched the report disappear, "But where do the copies come out?

********************

Hope, it's not about you