Permission is given to reprint the following articles, provided that the following contact information is provided in its entirety. 

© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
Visit  www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com. 

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Use a Seven-Second Rule for Presentations

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

On television, images change approximately every 7 seconds. Yet, in organizational settings and conference presentations, we expect audience members to watch the stationery body of a presenter, speaking from behind a podium, for long periods of time. What an incredible disconnect!

To be effective as a speaker, you have to recognize that our culture is increasing fast-paced and increasingly visual. Here are some tips to build changes into your next presentation:

• Give up the podium. It’s okay to use the podium as a home base. Just don’t plant yourself there! Plan times to move. For example, move away from the podium when you make a key point, or when you ask for audience participation.
• Add vocal and visual changes. Tell a story to illustrate a point. Use photographs and dramatic graphs in your PointPoint. Raise the volume of your voice to emphasize a point. Try a stage whisper to draw the audience into a little-known fact.
• Use natural gestures. Use the gestures that come naturally in conversations. These include suggestive gestures like shaking your head and demonstrative gestures like showing the height of an object.

It’s hard to compete with a change every 7 seconds. Unfortunately, this is what your audience members have come to expect, even if they don’t realize it. Build changes into the content and the delivery of your next presentation. You’ll be rewarded with a more engaged and attentive audience.
 

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2008 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

Imagine yourself in a situation in which one professional shows you how to incorporate the insights of three perspectives into your business communication:  marketing, persuasion, and visual design. 

Imagine an interactive session with an entertaining and inspiring speaker.  Do you like what you see?  You’ve just envisioned working with Bonnie Budzowski, President of inCredible Messages, LP.

Contact Bonnie to learn more about how she can guide you and your team to create compelling business messages or call 412-361-1490. 

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