TWO DAYS TO STRENGTHEN SKILLS THAT WILL BOOST YOUR CAREER
Day One
Today, through targeted exercises, videotape of you in action, to-the-point lectures, and participant role-plays, you'll build new skills and make your strengths work harder for you!
Introduction: The Three "Nots"
There are three things that will not happen to you at Executive Presentations. You will not be humiliated. You will not be force-fit into a stereotyped mold of a "good presenter". And, after the program, you will not be left stranded to continue your communications development on your own.
Here's what will happen at Executive Presentations. You'll focus on your own unique strengths...as a person and as a professional. In our supportive environment, we'll expertly coach you to cash in on your strengths. Through individualized exercises, videotaped role-plays, and step-by-step guidance from your own personal trainer, you'll make your strengths work harder for you at the program and beyond!
How to Define Your Best Natural Stylesm
All of us have a special style that is distinctly our own. You need to learn how to automatically tap into this style when you're under pressure so you come across as comfortable, natural, and real in front of your listeners. We'll help you concretely define your style and show you how and when to use it. Here are some of the exercises, lectures, and videotaped activities you'll participate in as you learn to capitalize on your best natural style:
Benchmark Taping: What personal communications issues do you want to tackle at Executive Presentations?
Conquering Stagefright: What are the three tip-offs that you're letting your nerves get the better of you? How can you short-circuit that mounting panic and calm the "butterflies in your stomach?" How can you use pre-presentation jitters to actually make your performance more charismatic and hard-hitting?
Personal Assets Buildersm: Which points of your personality shine through? Which should you promote as your communication strengths?
The Five Key Qualities of Effective Communicators: What skills do the leading communicators have that you want? What qualities do you already share with top-notch speakers and presenters?
Video Playback and Critique: Your personal trainer will tell you what to watch for on your videotape.
How to Develop Winning Delivery Skills
By developing winning delivery skills, you'll be one step ahead in the fierce battle to capture...and keep...your listener's undivided attention. Through hands-on exercises, lectures, and videotaped role-plays, you'll master powerful techniques that will eliminate distracting habits and build your effective, focused presence.
Words, Voice, Body: What do they reveal about your communication effectiveness? How can you put these influential tools to work for you? See and hear a remarkable change in yourself as you harness their power and take control of a room!
Eye Focus: Why is it your strongest ally? How can it help you come across as penetrating, intelligent, and authoritative?
Develop Vocal Power and Variety: What are the traps that many speakers fall into when they stand up to present? How can you prepare ahead of time to make sure your ideas sound intriguing, credible, and creative?
Use Better Body Language: Where should you stand when you're in front of the room...especially if you're using visuals? What should you do with your hands? Is your current style too wooden, too "all over the place", or just right?
Video Playback and Critique: Your personal trainer will help you see what you did well and determine your key focus areas for development.
PREP Process ModelsmPlanning for Success, Structuring Content, and Using Visuals to Get Results
Even the best presenter cannot overcome poor planning and inadequate preparation. With our exclusive planning tools, you'll have at your fingertips the right questions to ask yourself about your audience, your message, and your objective. Armed with this information and the expert advice of your personal trainer, you'll practice pulling together logical, convincing presentations that are "on the mark" for any size or type audience. You'll also learn the secrets of creating and using visual aids that get you heard, believed, and remembered.
Introducing the PREP Process Modelsm: Are your current presentations strategically designed? How can you get more out of the days and hours leading up to your presentation?
Using the T-Barsm on the fly: Don't sacrifice clarity and cogency because you're pressed for time. Learn how to quickly apply the basics to come up with a targeted message in minutes.
Five Critical Factors for Visual Aids: How can you ensure your visual aids are actually helping you and not hurting you? What should you always include? What can you confidently leave out? Learn to cast a discriminating eye on the design of your visuals.
Ready, Aim, Fire Techniquesm: Should you read visuals word for word? Should you use them as a "crutch" in case you get lost? Shatter the myths surrounding presenting with visual aids with our simple-but-effective approach.
Video Playback and Critique: Your personal trainer will help you see what you did well, and determine your key focus areas for development.
Day Two
Today, you'll take all the skills you learned yesterday and make them your own. You'll prepare a "real-life" presentation, we'll videotape it, and review the results. Then you'll be able to define your plan (with our help!) for your continuing development after the program.
Introduction to Q&A
You will be introduced to the critical sequence of Focus, Listen, Pause. Respond to enable you to maintain control during Q&A. This segment is intended as an introduction to these complex interactive techniques. If Q&A is an important part of your job, we recommend you attend our advanced follow-up program, Executive Persuasion, where you will receive in-depth coaching in this area to boost your ability to face hostile or difficult questions...and audiences.
PREParation
Now you'll put the PREP Process Modelsm into practice. Using your T-Bar, you'll fine tune the flow of your presentation, develop visual aids, rehearse, and edit.
Plan: Working in small teams, you'll review your T-Bar and get feedback from your teammates. You may need to make some revisions.
Visuals: Once you've refined your plan, you can create some simple visual aids. Your goal is to apply the principles you learned on Day One for the design of effective visual aids. You will get help from your teammates and your instructors.
Rehearse and Edit: You will practice your new delivery techniques with your team and get their feedback before moving on to videotaping. Throughout, your personal trainer will be on hand to discuss special issues or concerns.
Delivering Your Presentation and Planning Your Development
You're on! Bring your skills to life before the group and the camera.
Review: Review your videotape with your teammates and your personal trainer. Recognize your growth and improvements. Identify the remaining areas for development.
Revamp: Based on your videotape and your feedback, modify your content and delivery before your final presentation
Your Personal Development Plansm. This tool will enable you to pinpoint the areas for further development for today and in the coming weeks and months. It will help you focus on the one or two critical skills you'll need to practice to achieve maximum impact. It will also establish the sequence of skills you will develop over time.
One more Time! Based on your Personal Development Plan, you will deliver the presentation for a final videotaping. You will focus on those critical one or two skills that you identified on your Plan and get immediate feedback from your teammates and your personal trainer. We'll capture the presentation and the feedback on your personal videotape.
Wrap-up: Along with your videotape with all your accomplishments, you will take home your Personal Development Plan and our commitment to help you achieve the goals you've defined. Take advantage of our free voice and fax help lines as you continue your development.
