• apologizing
• not rehearsing
• being unprepared
• being late
• being unfamiliar with equipment
• forgetting the audience exists
• viewing questions as a hostile act
• acting terrified or nervous

ORGANIZATIONAL FLUBS

• not having firm openings or closing
• not announcing your agenda at start
• burying critical elements in middle
• not saying when questions will be taken
• not giving internal summaries as you speak
• not having clear signposts as you progress

TIMING PROBLEMS

• talking before you get audience’s attention
• using visuals before/after you need them
• putting the wrong visual on display
• not summing up after questions & answers
• not sticking to your organizational plan
• walking off the stage before finished

VISUAL ASSAULTS

• wearing inappropriate clothes or jewelry
• wearing outfits for first time
• turning your back to audience
• talking to screen, not audience
• looking in only one direction
• not looking at audience
• not making any gestures
• being a talking head only
• being stiff

BODY LANGUAGE TICS

• playing with jewelry or clothing or pointer
• death-gripping the podium
• jangling the coins in your pockets
• having your arms folded
• standing at parade rest
• standing in fig leaf stance
• standing in cowpoke stance
• pacing or rocking back and forth
• drumming your fingers
• tapping the microphone

VERBAL BLUNDERS

• reading a presentation
• speaking too low or too loud
• speaking in a monotone
• not using pausing for emphasis
• not varying the pace
• repeating words like “ah,” “uh,” “you know”

• With a live audience if possible
• In front of mirror
• On an audiotape or video
• With sound system, if not done it before

Avoid problems and surprises

Arrive early

• Be familiar with equipment
• No “oops, just a minute!”
• Expect nervousness
• Loosen up beforehand (breathe, stretch, yoga, hum, play games like “name states, fruits”)

• First, know what you want as desired result
• What do you want audience to learn, do, or believe?

Learn, do, believe

• I want you to believe that you can be a powerful presenter even if you are nervous
• I want you to learn tricks that you may add to your toolbox

Know Your Audience

• Ask general questions: each group is different
• Larger the group, the harder to present
• What do they expect or want when they show up?
• What is the context of the presentation?
• What is their position on subject you are talking about?
• What is their level of knowledge about specific subject?

How You Look To Audience: Image/Rapport

You are the biggest visual. You are projecting an image.

• Try to look confident
• Whistle a happy tune
• Wear appropriate business clothes
• No tight clothes
• No dangling jewelry
• No outfits for the first time

Avoid talking head syndrome

• Move around
• Make presence dynamic
• Use gestures

Don’t over rely on podium

• Gripping podium
• No body movement
• No facial expression
• The frozen face
• Try a smile

Avoid verbal and body language tics

• Verbal (uh, ah, like, etc.
• Visual:  can be anything
• AUDIENCE WILL SPOT IT

Watch your body language

• Posture
• Sit on your jacket on a seated panel
• Your body speaks too
• Use hands to show transition
• Lean forward to show intimacy, etc.

How You Look At Audience

• Use blind spot (dead spot) to your advantage and put a supporter in that spot
• Don’t stare at anyone
• Keep eyes moving - not a tennis match, though
• Don’t look in just one direction

How You Sound To Audience

• Use pauses to get and hold attention
• Vary inflection
• Vary speed
• Watch out for speaking too fast
• Vary volume
• Vary tone, speed, volume
• Loud but don’t shout
• Be aware of talking from throat—too shrill

• Be aware of speed of listening - you speak at 100 words per minute
• People comprehend at 400 to 1000 words per minute
• Minds wander – count on it
• Be aware of response curve - attentive at start, space out in middle, attentive at end
• Put no critical elements in middle, always bury the weakest

Audience needs to know where they’re going and where they are

Effective opening

• Grabs attention (story, skit, visual, question, warm-up activity)
• Says you’re in control and that this is the ride they are taking
• Be yourself (memorize vs. not)

Give preview

• People like maps
• Best to tell main point (rec., outline, or conclusion) first
• Without maps, audience goes elsewhere, you lose control

Tell main point first then…

• Examples tell points you’ll cover, problem you’ll remedy, major objectives
• Limit the number of points
• Don’t overload
• Less is better
• Use explicit transitions & summaries that repeat points
• Keep audience’s place for them, help them tune in and tune out

 Summarize at end

• Repeat major points
• Don’t close with a question and answer w/o bringing it back to you
• Bring it home to mama
• And don’t walk off stage
• Use a pause to get attention
• Do your close

• Plan, organize, draft, & revise
• Write on- demand for tests
• Increase writing speed
• Improve editing skills

Reading Speed & Skills

• Overview
• Skim
• Use context
• New vocabulary
• Figures of speech
• Timed reading

Literature & Literary Terms

• Read daily
• Characters, conflict, plot, setting, methods of development

Grammar & Usage

• Parts of speech
• Subject-verb agreement
• Clauses, phrases, prep phrases
• Pronoun choices
• Common errors

Punctuation

• Apostrophes, end-marks, commas, semi-colons, quote marks
• Accuracy

Test Strategies

• Practice AP & SAT tests
• Practice essay exams
• Time & choices

Study Skills

• Methods to improve academic performance & memory

Variety of strategies to study and learn and perform

• Example of dance steps
• Finding the right way to keep track of tasks (Variety of methods; constant refining, tossing)

Encourage scientific experimentation w/ different techniques

• Track results
• Go with what works
• Make it a game