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In Part 1 of this article, I discussed some techniques you can use to enhance your presentations. Now I'll cover more strategies that will help you to make a quantum leap in your speaking skills.

Use stories to illustrate your points - Children love stories and children remember stories years later. Adults are the same way. So, if you want people to pay attention and to remember your presentation, tell stories that support your points. You may think that you can just spout lots of substantive material and facts without using anecdotes. You can - but you won't be as effective.

Where do you get your stories? Your most effective stories come from your own personal experiences. Think about something that happened to you, a co-worker, or a member of your family. Think about funny habits or traits that you have. There's no shortage of material. Of course, your story should be relevant to the point you're making.

For instance, if you're a sales manager and giving a presentation on cold calling, you might include stories of your first few calls (which were very ineffective) and how you changed your strategy to get better results. (By the way, if you are telling a story about someone else, e.g., your spouse or mother-in-law, make sure to get that person's permission beforehand.)

Sprinkle humor throughout your presentation - There's a well-known saying among professional speakers that "you only have to use humor if you want to be paid!" Humor keeps people interested, gets them laughing and builds rapport. Here again, the humor should be relevant to the point you're making.

In my presentations, I talk about the devastating effect of using negative words, such as "I can't" and "That's impossible." I then admit that I often say, "I'm no good at mechanical things." And I follow up with stories of how helpless I am with minor plumbing repairs or with instruction sheets. Everyone can identify with these examples and the audience always laughs.

When using humor, make yourself the target of the humor. Don't embarrass or insult anyone in the audience unless you are certain that the person will not be offended. One final point: stay away from jokes about sex, religion or highly charged political issues. These will backfire on you.

Your opening should grab attention - Most speakers start out by saying, "It's great to be here today." Not very exciting, is it? It's also a mistake to start with a joke, unless you have extraordinary comedic talent and timing. Often, the audience won't laugh. You lose your confidence early and the audience feels they're in for a long day. One effective way to open is by telling a story. Launch right into it.

For example, you might say, "October 23, 1998. It started out like any other day." Then, you tell a story about a significant event that happened to you on that day. People will be immediately captivated by your story and want to hear how it unfolds. You can also start with a surprising or powerful statistic. If you're an expert on back pain, you might begin with this opening: "9 out of 10 people in this room will experience severe back pain by the age of 50. The sad part is that it can easily be prevented." Now, you've got my attention!

Use props and involve the audience - Variety creates interest. Take a break from simply being a "talking head" and introduce a prop or an audience participation exercise now and then. Most speakers think they need to use multi-media graphics or hi-tech gadgets to hold the audience's attention.

Not true. Props and audience exercises can be very simple. During my presentation, when I talk about doing work around the house, I hold up one of those instruction sheets. That prop is just a single piece of paper, but when I hold it up, the audience immediately starts laughing. Everyone can identify with an instruction sheet!

You can bring in your child's toy or a novelty item you picked up on vacation. The possibilities are endless. (Remember, though, the prop should relate to a point you're making!) Another way to involve the audience is to ask a question. If you're talking about networking you might ask, "What groups or organizations have resulted in your best networking leads?" You can follow-up on their comments and then move on to your next point.

Prepare a powerful closing. An effective closing usually has two components - First you briefly summarize the points you made in your presentation. For instance, "This afternoon, we covered three strategies for effective networking." You then quickly state those principles again. Second, you want to leave the audience with a "call to action" - that is, you want to inspire or challenge them to use the material you've just given them.

You might say something like this: "If you use the networking ideas we discussed today, you're going to meet lots of interesting people, make a lot more money and build your business to new heights of success." You can also close with a powerful story or an inspirational quotation.

Avoid "question and answer" sessions, if possible - The Q&A session sounds like a great idea. After all, people can ask questions and you can expand on what you said in your talk. The reality is quite different. Some people raise their hands and just want to talk. A few people will ask questions that are only of interest to them. As you answer the question, everyone else tunes out. Unless you're speaking for a group that insists on including Q&A at the end of your talk, don't even think about it!

Finally, please don't worry about whether these techniques will work for you. The truth is, they work for everyone. Put in the effort to apply these principles in your next presentation and I promise you that you're going to get an audience response like none you've ever gotten before!

You Can Be An Effective Public Speaker - Part 1