Persuasive Presentations Seminar Outline

Course text:  Visual Selling                   Participants: maximum of 8

First Day -- Morning

Delivery Skills

• Seminar introduction
• How listeners will evaluate your presentation skills
• Techniques for a strong beginning
• Project expertise without being too technical
• Overcome the credibility robbers in your speech
• Understanding why pauses are so important
• Channeling nervous energy into supporting your message
• Using body language to command attention

First Day -- Afternoon

Creating and Using Visuals

• Converting words and numbers into visuals that persuade
• How to determine if a visual is too detailed or too technical. Most are.
• Creating visuals that will be remembered longer than your competitors' or peers'

Staging

• Choosing the medium that best fits your presentation style
• Arranging the room to support your message
• How to remain credible when you have made a mistake or a disaster occurs

Organizing

• Learning the structure of a persuasive presentation
• Deciding on the best sequence and presentation length

Overnight assignment: preparing a business (real) presentation using Twain's format

Second Day -- Morning

Formal Presentations

• Delivery of presentations prepared overnight

Media

• Producing handouts that outshine your competitors'
• The overwhelming advantage of "pictorial" visuals over words and numbers

Second Day -- Afternoon

Questions and Answers (Participant practice with questions of increasing difficulty)

• Asking indirectly how "sold" the listeners are
• How to promote questions
• How to disarm tough, touchy, or hostile questions
• Controlling the group challenger or know-it-all

Large Group Presentations

• Presenting without being tied to a written script or the lectern
• Why you shouldn't use a microphone

Program Summary