Editor’s note: This is a preview of Dux’s upcoming SharePoint Conference 2020 session. Register to see the full presentation at the conference later this year!
Hey all! As we’re ramping up for SharePoint Conference later this year, I wanted to highlight just how valuable public speaking skills are no matter the arena you find yourself in. Knowing how to work an audience when giving a presentation is one thing, but mastering public speaking can also help improve training sessions when trying to drive Office 365 adoption. These skills can be used in a variety of ways.
My upcoming session will cover how to command a crowd, get your points across as effectively as possible, what the role of a presenter truly is, and more! Without further ado, here’s a brief sneak peek at two of the five points I’ll be going over. For a deep dive into each, be sure to attend my session at SharePoint Conference 2020!
The first thing you should focus on is, naturally, preparation. Public speaking is 90% preparation, 10% execution. Far before stepping up to that mic, take the time to plan out every aspect of your presentation. This includes developing a catchy abstract and a short, relevant title that immediately communicates what your speech is about. Be as specific as possible with your description.
Next, take the time to construct a strong opening segment. An opening is the only time in your presentation when you will have the most of your audience’s attention. After 30 seconds, that attention span starts to fade. If you only have them for a minute in the very beginning, you need to make the most of it.
There are a few different ways to do this; welcoming guests and engaging the audience with questions is one of my favorites. When you immediately engage in conversation and exercise your role as the host, it helps establish your expertise and set realistic expectations for what your audience can expect going forward.
Want to learn the other steps to becoming a great public speaker? Be sure to watch the full session at SharePoint Conference 2020 and use this code to register: MEETDUX.
