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Don't Panic Just Speak - Drew's Successful Presentation Techniques

There is only one way to ensure your message is heard and accepted by an audience and that is effective delivery. Your message must be articulate and have a path for a carefully crafted message.

Audience Knowledge - Become acquainted with your audience by conducting due diligence. Determine their wants and needs so that you hone into their thoughts. Understanding needs ensures the tenor of your message is congruent with what they want to hear. Use surveys and questionnaires if possible.

Rehearse - Nothing quells fear than familiarity. Never memorize but know your content and your delivery. Having 80% ensures success.

Over Preparation - Under preparation is poor, yet over preparation is the kiss of death. Know your content yet refrain from repeating stilted words and phrases.

Difficult People - True, they exist, however no audience wants you to fail. Be concerned with those that are attend to hear your message and desire information.

PowerPoint - Microsoft's powerful product is meant as a tool to enhance performance not a replacement. Use only when necessary to exemplify required information.

Audience Engagement - Research with over 3000 individuals suggests that adults abhor show and tell and desire participation. Questions, exercises, skill practice, and other tools to engage and offer audience stimuli help to engage and add to presentation success.

Filed under: Communication , Public Speaking

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About Drew Stevens

Drew Stevens knows how to get you results! He is a career sales and customer service professional with over 25 years of experience. His consulting firm, Getting to the Finish Line, has attracted clients such American International Group, Hilton Hotels, AT&T, The Federal Reserve Bank, Reliv International, The New York Times, Mercy Health Plans Quicken Loans and over 500 other leading organizations.

Drew serves on the boards of directors of eMed International and St. Louis chapters of Meeting Professional International and American Society of Training and Development. He holds the designation of Certified Sales Professional with the National Association of Selling Professionals and founding member of the St. Louis Sales Professionals Association.

His speaking and consulting enables him to travel over 50 days per year to clients and conferences around the globe. In the last several years Drew has provided advice to well over 60,000 selling professionals. Drew is an adjunct instructor with several universities in the St. Louis area teaching graduate students in the field of entrepreneurialism and international business marketing and strategy. He is an instructor with Webster University and Maryville University's Graduate School of Business and holds frequent marketing and selling seminars with Webster University's Center for Professional Development. He holds a Ph.D. in Organization and Management with an emphasis in personnel development and work performance.

Drew's prolific publishing includes over 150 articles on sales and selling strategy and four books including Split Second Selling, Spilt Second Customer Service and Little Book of Hope. Some of his works appear in Chinese and Hindi.

He is interviewed and quoted frequently in the media, with prestigious periodicals such as Personal Selling Power and Sales and Marketing Management. Drew's career has taken him around the globe to places such as Singapore, Johannesburg, South Africa and New York City.

Drew lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wonderful wife and soul mate Christine and his two children Ashley and Andrew, (affectionately known as "I Want" and "Get Me").