Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/506691
April 27 - May 18, 2015 19 Working World l WorkingWorld.com CAREER TRAINING In the early stages of becoming more intentional about the structure of your presentations, you may have concerns that you will become bored with structured presentations. When this oc- curs, remind yourself that your presentation is not about you or for your entertainment and enjoyment; it is about the people you are talking to, their needs, and helping them move forward. SPEED You have prepared and practiced your presentation and now it's time to talk to a customer or present to a group. During any form of presentation it is important to use vocal variety (tone, volume, and speed) to help keep your audience engaged and to create emphasis on critical points. Sami, a computer consultant and project manager believed that she was a dynamic presenter but could not understand why the members of her project team did not respond the way she expected. After listening to a recording of herself presenting in a meeting she was embarrassed and explained: "I sound so boring! I don't even sound like I care about the project. All I do is move step by step through all of the points I wanted to cover in the meeting." What Sami realized is that what she thought she was presenting, and what others were hearing were two very different things. There are a few steps that will help you be more intentional about using speed to create greater impact: • Record yourself speaking normally to determine your baseline speed, tone, and volume • Highlight points that you are excited about and practice saying those at a faster rate and slightly higher tone of voice to con- vey excitement • Highlight important points, and practice slowing down and lowering your tone to convey importance • Practice using pauses to allow your listener to connect to your points, and think about their impact. Initially, the changes to your speaking patterns will feel awk- ward and uncomfortable. Continue practicing and recording your presentation. As you listen to the recording consider the power of the message your audience will hear. You will begin to realize that the improved vocal variety is improving your message. Effective communication is an intentional and practiced pro- cess. Through your increased focus on Substance, Simplicity, Structure, and Speed, your presentations to your customers or audience will become more consistent, powerful, and most im- portantly, more effective. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark A. Vickers is a Certified Professional Coach, a Gitomer Cer- tified Advisor, and Certified World Class Speaking Coach. Mark is a communications consultant focused on helping you and your organization achieve Excellence through improved communica- tion and speaking skills. He is known for creating and delivering specialized and innovative programs to help his clients. For more information about Mark and his workshops, consulting, certifica- tion programs, please visit: http://speakingisselling.com/. The Paralegal Training Program will prepare you for success in this growing career fi eld. You'll learn about the American legal system, how to conduct legal research and legal interviews, how to perform legal analyses, and more. Your training will prepare you to become a fi rst rate paralegal. Only $294/mo. PROFESSIONAL PARALEGAL ACADEMY Classes start very soon and seating is extremely limited. Please Call Today. This is a 'Premier Program' Change your life in only 11 Months! Monday/Wednesday nights & most Saturday mornings. CLASSES ARE FILLING UP! CALL TODAY 310-434-3410 REGISTER ONLINE 24/7 legalfi eldcareers.com You can NOW transfer credits towards an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree at selected colleges STUDIES SHOW THAT WITH THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM STUDENTS WILL EARN MORE THAN COLLEGE GRADS! PARALEGAL TRAINING