Speak First Newsletter - June 2006
Modelling Great Presenters
People are natural modellers. From the moment we're born we start copying others, developing a multitude of skills and capabilities along the way. Somehow we internalise the rules of grammar and syntax simply by listening to our parents and siblings talk. In the playground and at home we watched others and imitated their behaviours. Even as adults wanting to learn a new skill such as playing a musical instrument, we look carefully at other people and do the same. There is a way of taking this natural ability we all have to model others and using it to develop a new skill or ability in a structured and purposeful way.
If, for instance, you want to become a great public speaker, a structured approach to modelling what they do well can help enormously. Skilled presenters think in a different way from poor presenters. The thoughts they have lead to feelings which generate actions which produce results. If you have the same thoughts and actions as someone who is successful, you'll achieve the same results they do. To be an excellent presenter, therefore, all you have to do is think and act the way excellent presenters do.
The following twelve principles have been distilled from research into the beliefs which experienced and effective presenters have.
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Excellent Presenters
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Poor Presenters
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- Know it's okay to be yourself
- Prepare thoroughly
- Know they don't have to be perfect
- Think the audience is on their side
- Think about body language
- Focus their attention on the audience
- Vary their vocal delivery
- Use Visual Aids to enhance
- Have minimal notes or none at all
- Speak with enthusiasm and passion
- Know what they want to achieve
- Make it interesting and memorable
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- Only do the minimum to get by
- Worry about making mistakes
- Imagine the audience is against them
- Ignore the effect body language has
- Focus on what they're going to say
- Don't use their voice effectively
- Use Visual Aids as a crutch
- Rely on copious notes or worse a script
- Speak as if they don't really care
- Have a vague idea of their objective
- Allow it to be dull and boring
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For more on modelling, and to find out how to do it, click here to read a chapter from Amanda Vickers and Steve Bavister's book Teach Yourself NLP.
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