Ed. note: this is Part Two of invaluable advice if you've been asked to lead a training session or conference for church office professionals. For Part One, CLICK HERE. There is one more part coming.
Those important first words
If you are leading a small group, your first responsibility may be to introduce yourself. Have your first few minutes down pat. Tell your name and a few of the relevant facts of your background in order to establish your credentials.
Sally is into her two minutes of decision making here. Your introductory remarks need to be interesting and to the point. A personal tie in with the conference itself, perhaps your experience when you first attended, is a good opener.
If you do have someone to introduce you, he or she will give your name and something of your background. Be gracious in acknowledging your introduction. Thank the person by name when you come to the platform. Then move directly to that relevant anecdote that leads into your presentation.
Novice speakers are generally advised not to use humor in their introductions, but if that’s you and you are comfortable with it, by all means feel free to give it a try. I find humor a marvelous teacher and use it often in seminars and presentations. But don’t wing it. Prepare. Be sure the humor is relevant to your topic. Your primary purpose is to train, not to entertain.
What not to say
Your introductory remarks should get you off to a positive start. Toward that end, here are some things to avoid.
• Excuses. For anything. Especially for your nervousness or for your inexperience. You may want to offer an apology if your voice is bad that day or the printed materials ran short or whatever. But if an apology—not an excuse—is necessary, offer it once and move on.
• “Out the back door and ...” Few things are more of a downer to Sally—who has come to the conference to learn skills—than being greeted with directions to the restrooms. There are better ways of letting people know than giving the directions from the platform. Signs work. Realistically, most will have already have found the facilities or will simply ask someone. In my experience, attendees are sometimes welcomed by a pastor and then he gives this vital information. It is not a pretty sight!
• Things over which you have no control. Don’t ask about heating, cooling, noise, or uncomfortable chairs unless you can do something about those things. If there is an obvious problem, at an appropriate time let someone who can take some action know. Otherwise, why make a distraction even more noticeable?
• Irrelevant personal experiences. Being able to tell what you know firsthand is always a plus, but as a speaker you want to be sure not to overdo it. Present a good deal of your information without the prefix “I know that I ...” Especially in an informal conference situation, it is easy for the leader to simply chat and to get wrapped up in talking about her own situation. Scrutinize what you have to say to make sure it applies—that it will indeed be helpful to Sally.
• “Can you get the light switch?” Personally involving the audience in the presentation is a good technique, but stay in control. Know beforehand what you can reasonably ask others to handle well. Distributing printed materials and collecting papers are things you may want to delegate. Asking someone who just happens to be sitting near the light panel to dim the lights for your film is courting disaster. Arrange these kinds of things ahead of time.
Using nervousness to your advantage
Having butterflies is both natural and positive. Nearly all effective communicators you see on television and the stage admit to being nervous before a presentation, but these professionals never let the audience know they are nervous. Instead, they use their nervous energy to enhance their work.
You can use the same tried and true techniques professionals use to turn nervousness to your advantage.
• Admit your nervousness—to yourself. Recognize your personal symptoms, see them as positives, and keep them to yourself. Don’t fight the feelings. Channel them into constructive actions to make your presentation more animated and energetic.
• Do something physical. Move as much as you can before your presentation. Circulate through the room; shake hands with those in the group. If circumstances allow, take a walk during the hour before your presentation. Even a walk through a building is beneficial.
• Have a warm up routine. Just as dancers or athletes warm up, effective communicators warm up. Retreat to a private place—an unused room is good. Your routine might include shaking out your arms and fingers to release tension, facial exercises to loosen the jaw, rotating the shoulders, and deep breathing.
• Be in your action mode. While you are waiting to come to the platform, sit erect with both feet on the floor. Whisper a prayer. Give yourself a pep talk: I’m glad I’m here; I’m glad Sally is here; I care about her; I am prepared; let's do it.
• Move with authority. Walk to the front with purpose and energy. Stand with your feet firmly placed ten to twelve inches apart. Change positions during your presentation, but be aware that excessive pacing or fidgeting signals your nervousness and makes the audience nervous in turn.
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For the entire series, click on the link that follows:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Please share your thoughts, comments, questions!