The beginning of the presentation is your prime real estate. It’s when your audience decides if you are worth paying attention to or not. In my workshops, I call this the HOOK. You can do this by either asking a question, making a bold statement or telling a story that relates to your topic.
We hear so much about the importance of having a personal brand, but what does that really mean? Put simply, your brand is your reputation, which is the culmination of almost everything you have ever done and said. As Amazon’s Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
The reality is, you already have a reputation and you are being “branded”
Talking about first impressions. Have you ever watched two young children meet each other for the first time? They are usually introduced, look each other warily up and down for a few seconds and then one says something like, “Do you want to go and play on the trampoline?” Sometimes, prompted or not, it is off they go. Give them exactly three minutes and they are chatting and playing away,
It’s easy to understand why so many of us feel self-conscious at times. We’re concerned about making a good impression, and we want others to see us in a positive light, so we experience a heightened awareness of how we look, what we say, and what our body language is expressing. While it’s important to be mindful of the way you present yourself and the message it sends, being overly self-conscious can actually sabotage your efforts to make a strong impression,
When giving a presentation, one of the most important factors of success is the ability to make your audience feel like you’re genuinely connecting with them and interested in their needs. If they don’t feel like the information you’re giving them has been personalized – if it feels like a memorized speech – you’re likely to lose their interest. Instead, try to make them feel like you genuinely want your presentation to connect with them.
Nadia is so grateful to have had the opportunity to host SOS Children’s Villages’ global event. It is a wonderful organization. Enjoy some of the great photos from her trip. And feel free to view part 1 of her album here.
