At the 2nd session of Outstanding Presentations Workshop, Cliff Atkinson presented on “Speaking from Presence: How to let go of notes and speak from the heart.”

Some of the points he made:

• Research shows that people make decisions emotionally and back them up with data
• Emotion isn’t on the slide; it’s in your heart
• To help you from being so nervous when you present, focus on your breathing to settle down and shift from your mind to your body
• Be yourself and express your experience, even if it is “I am so nervous!” This relieves some of the stress.
• Storytelling involves expressing content in the form of your own experience.
• Have your most important point identified, then your 3 most important points.

Cliff intrigued everyone by using a tablet PC and writing on the screen with the PC’s stylus as he spoke. This made the presentation feel very interactive and impromptu. Here’s an example:

 

If you haven’t signed up yet, you’re missing a lot! The next sessions will be on Wednesday, September 28th. You can sign up at www.outstandingpresentationsworkshop.com.