As a business owner you will probably need to make a presentation at some point. Whether for a business meeting, an opportunity to speak at an event or (most often) at a WIBN networking meeting, that time will come when you need to stand up in front of a roomful of people and express yourself for 10, 15 or 20 minutes.

It is said that more people have a fear of public speaking than death – though I’m not sure when that research was done or how valid it is now. Whether true or apocryphal, knowing what to say and how to say it is one area where there is no reason to worry.

Here are my top tips for presentations from a content perspective:

Prepare your presentation in advance

As soon as you know you have a presentation coming up, set aside the time to prepare it. Nothing is likely to make you more anxious when facing the prospect of a presentation where you know it isn’t ready, or you haven’t given yourself enough time to get comfortable with the content.

Even if you are planning to repeat a presentation you’ve done before, this time it will be different.  There will be a different audience, and things may have changed for you, for them, and for the wider world. You may have more or less time, so you’ll need to adapt to fit the new timings.

If you are giving a new presentation it can help to create a level map of key points, even starting by just brainstorming all the possible ideas you could include before winnowing them down. Only then do you go into more detail (you can even write a script if you like) and finally you can consider what props, aids, and tools you might want.

Know your Audience and outcome

This is the key factor as you are planning your presentation.

Who is in the room? Why are they there? What is the idea or concept you most want them to grasp?

I find the easiest way to get clear on this is to ask myself one simple question: “If my audience only walk away with one thing from my presentation, what is it?”

That helps me discard a lot of the ideas and possible topics I’d originally thought I’d include (and thus means I won’t waffle).

You know your stuff, they don’t!

In knowing your audience, it will help you pitch your presentation to the right level.

Think about what they already know and understand (which is often less than you might like to imagine) so you can be sure your content makes sense.

In preparing, this can sometimes mean you need to take the time to explain things which are obvious to you. As an example, I heard a builder recently explaining that DPC these days doesn’t need to be as deep as it used to be. Those who work in the construction industry were all nodding wisely, fascinated by what they were hearing. I felt lost! (It means ‘Damp Proof Course’ by the way).

Is your audience knowledgeable in your field?

Do you have a room full of novices?

Is it a mixture?

It is usually best to cut out any jargon, spell out acronyms, and assume at least one person in the room needs you to explain what you are talking about.

Also plan to go more slowly when presenting your material. You audience needs to digest your content, which means you need to give them more time and avoid trying to cram too much in. It comes back to that “one thing” question. If all you achieve is they understand the main point, you’ve done a good job. Some will take away more – and that’s a bonus. But the last thing you want is for people to walk away feeling they didn’t understand a thing!

Slides aid the audience (not you)

In your planning you may have written out a script to help you prepare. If you then decide to use slides to aide your presentation (and they are not obligatory, by the way) please do not transfer that script to the slides.

I see this all too often. A deck of slides goes up with a lot of bullet points, stuffed with words. Then the presenter simply reads them.

It’s deadly! Its boring! It keeps you locked to the slides with your back to the audience. And most people read faster than they listen, so they are already at the bottom of the slide before you are halfway through and now want you to get on with the next one.

Worse still, something packed with text comes up and the presenter says, “I don’t expect you to read this” (and then goes on to read it to you instead!).

Slides are only there to illustrate what you are saying, so use pictures and diagrams as much as possible and if you do need to use text limit it to one or two words for each idea.

I often use slide builds – one line or image at a time to build up the idea – but only do this if you have access to a remote control (aka ‘clicker’) to move the slides along and feel comfortable with the multitasking involved. And do please avoid getting over excited with slide animations. Words and images leaping out from the sides and bounding across the screen can be really distracting.

Rehearse till you are sick of it

You know what you are going to say and have materials assembled. Job done?

Not by a long chalk…

Now you need to practice. Even if you’ve presented this material before, and even if you are certain, you’ve got everything right, start running through the presentation.

It allows you to gauge for time, so you know you won’t get caught by a two-minute warning with 70% of the presentation still to go.

It means you can test that everything flows as you want it to, and you know how you will transition from one idea to the next.

It means you know the materials well enough that you don’t need to stay glued to your notes and can make eye contact with your audience.

Run it through a few times on your own and then, if you can, get a friend, colleague, or mentor to be a test audience for you too.

The more you practice, the less you will be worried about the content and that really brings down the nerves on the day.

Be ready for all the tech to fail

Have you asked yourself what you are going to do if your slides aren’t there for any reason. This usually comes down to a projector not being compatible with your laptop or the bulb going, but I’ve known for presentations to be scuppered by power cuts, a change of venue (so no one knew where anything was) and a previous tech delay resulting in the presentation time being halved at the last minute.

So, what is your backup plan?

Although I use my own PC when I can, I always also email my slides to the host and bring them on a USB drive. Plus, I know how I could manage if I had no slides at all. I also know someone who has a pocket projector which he can use if the in-house one fails for any reason.

If I’m reliant on images or diagrams for any reason, I have printed versions ready to pass round the room (not enough for one per person but enough that everyone can see in good time).

Technology will fail – so be ready for that to happen.

Don’t just read the script….

Remember what I said about reading your script from slides being boring?

The same applies to reading your script from a piece of paper when you come to present. Avoid it if at all possible.

If you’ve done enough rehearsal, you are going to know the overall shape and flow of what you plan to say, so you don’t need a script. Those who have the gift of a great memory can do without anything but their slides as a prompt (lucky them) but if not, create a list of the key points, to remind you what comes in what order.

I use small cards for this, with one or two points on each card and my logo on the back (looks really smart!), but one sheet of paper, a notebook, or even writing on your hand (if it will fit) will all work.

Then, most of your eye contact will be spent on the audience, not on the words on a page.

Breathe

Another advantage of index cards, is that at the bottom of each one, I write the word “Breathe!”

Presenting, even if you are experienced and enjoy it, generally leads to nerves. When we’re nervous, our breathing gets shallow, or we forget to breathe at all – and that tells your body there is danger around and it increases the fear response.

So, remember to take a few breaths, and pace yourself. Those short silences, which might feel like an eternity to you, will be comfortable to the audience. It gives them thinking time and time to process what you’ve already said, ready for the next point. And it can really add impact to a presentation as it can build suspense and make sure you have everyone’s attention.

Don’t forget a call to action

This is so important!

You’ve done the hard work in winning the audience, in sharing your story, getting your points across, building rapport…

So, now what? What’s the next step for them and for you?

This could be as simple as having a slide with your contact details at the end of the presentation so people can follow up but, the clever presenter has an offer ready.

You can give people discounted access to a course or a free taster session or assessment.  You can tell them where you’re speaking next, so they can book in. You can even invite them to come and speak with you afterwards for more information.

But don’t miss this opportunity to take the audience beyond the presentation.

If you would like help creating the content for a presentation or would like to book Cate to speak on content, get in touch today.

A couple of weeks ago, it was my birthday and my daughter kindly informed me that this year, I get to stay 38 forever. I’ll take that while I can (maybe?) still (kind of) get away with it (?!). But in all seriousness, I turned 42! So in honour of the occasion, I wanted to share something a little different with you.

42 tips on how to organise your business (and yourself!).

I am always telling my business coaching clients how important this is and so today, I wanted to share some of that knowledge with you. Thanks also to those clients and contacts who contributed too!

So here we go… 42 tips on how to organise your business. And remember – focus on the ones that work for you and suit your goals and ways of working.

1. Do client work for the time of the day when you are most productive. Save the more mundane things when you’re not. (Thank you Helen from HK Graphics)
2. Block out time in your diary for when you know you need to complete certain tasks.
3. Automate what you can.
4. Set aside money for tax every month so you don’t get to the end of the year and panic!
5. Work out your work flows and stick to them – processes save you time and effort
6. Use colour to differentiate between different tasks, appointments, events or areas of life so that you can immediately see whether you have enough balance in what you’re doing. (Thank you Liz from Bizzie PA)
7. Use the Cloud to store your work so that you can work from anywhere.
8. Work in a way that works for you – we are unique, and trying to copy what others do takes time and energy (and isn’t necessarily going to be successful!)
9. Schedule your emails – clients don’t need to know what you’re doing and when (Thanks again Helen!)
10. Learn to say no – if it doesn’t float your boat or contribute to what you’re trying to achieve, don’t do it and waste your energy
11. Build systems that talk to each other – all of your tools and systems need to work together to help you to achieve your goals, so integrate them wherever you can
12. Take breaks – better to hit the pause button and recharge rather than allow yourself to burn out!
13. Default diary – consider creating a ‘default’ structure for your week. Obviously it will be subject to change, but this is a great way of making sure you have everything covered.
14. Pomodoro Technique – Break your day down into period of 25 minutes focus, followed by a 5 minute break.
15. Build in times to plan and review – think of these as milestones on your journey, keeping you on track.
16. Don’t be seduced by the shiny things – these can easily lead to distraction. Instead, have a way of reviewing opportunities as they come by, and consider whether they are actually worth chasing.
17. Non-negotiables first – our businesses need to work for us, not the other way around. So schedule in time for things like exercise and relaxation.
18. Clean up and declutter – a tidy environment and a tidy mind is a productive one!
19. Accountability check ins – when we have a planned meeting at which we will be held accountable, our chances of completing a task or goal increase by up to 95%!
20. Schedule your social media – No more scrabbling around for something to post each day
21. Track your time – this can be a great way to understand how you are spending your day. I’m a big fan of Toggl for this.
22. Our natural instinct is to get the easy stuff done first, but this just means we’re putting off the tricky things. So do the hard things first!
23. Understand your data – from data we create information. And we can use information to make sensible, well thought out (and most likely more effective!) decisions.
24. Don’t over-complicate – sometimes, the simplest things are the most effective.
25. Don’t have meetings for meetings’ sake – while it’s great to meet with actual people, it’s not always a good use of time.
26. Manage your contacts well – we should know our clients and contacts well, so create a system to help you to do this (and integrate it with other systems as per #11!)
27. Set aside time for emails – if you get distracted every time a new message pops into your inbox, set aside specific times for emails, and stick to them.
28. Get your ideas out of your head – we need time for ideas and time for action, so capture your ideas in a book or similar to keep your head clear.
29. Set up a dedicated workspace – this is so important to separate work and life if you work from home. You need to be able to ‘shut the door’ on your business at the end of the working day.
30. Set up a kanban board to let you see the status of any piece of work at a given time. Trello is one of the most popular tools for this.
31. Set deadlines – and stick to them. Reward yourself when you achieve them too!
32. Understand your ROI – before you say yes to something, think about why you’re doing it, and think about when you’re likely to see a return on what you’re doing. If it’s aaaaages away, maybe do it another time.
33. Let clients book their own meetings with you using something like Calendly – that way you don’t have to waste time to-ing and fro-ing on email trying to find a date that suits
34. Repurpose your content – content is so important, so if you’ve got something great, repurpose it! Eg. break a blog down into a series of social media posts (Thank you Sophie from Rimu Marketing)
35. Break down larger tasks into smaller ones – if you write things on your To Do List like ‘sort the website’, it’s probably never going to happen
36. Take breaks from your phone – it’s easy to feel like we’re always connected and therefore always available. So turn off your phone and take some time for yourself
37. Embed good habits – good habits lead to achievement, so create ones that work for you and lead you to whatever you’re trying to create.
38. Learn to prioritise – we can’t be everything to everyone, all of the time. So learn to prioritise and stick to it. This includes being selfish, sometimes!
39. Be kind to yourself – none of us can do things perfectly, all of the time.
40. Outsource where you need to – if you’re struggling with something, or you just don’t have the time, outsource where you can. That way, you can concentrate on your strengths
41. Get SMART with your goals – Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound
42. Be prepared to invest in your business – spending money on the right things, at the right time, leads to nothing but reward.

You might already implement some of these in your business, and some of them might be new to you. But dive in. Try something new, and let me know how you get on. And don’t forget, if you want to talk things through, or you need my help to get started, book a 30 minute consultation with me and let’s chat.

Does it sound weird if I suggest that you should build your list before you decide exactly what to sell? It's a little counter intuitive isn't it?

So here's what I'm saying. If you're a coach or a yoga teacher you know what your passion is and you know roughly what you're going to teach. So before you start paying deposits on venues or buying lights for your course or online studio (even if that's your front room) build your network. And it doesn't have to be a stadium! Twenty, thirty, fifty people who are really engaged in exactly what you do is great.

Why?

Have you ever put your heart and soul into a project, spent hours on getting it just right and then tried to sell it but no one buys? I have. What I learned is that posting a couple of posts in local groups about your upcoming event or posting on social media a few times is not enough. You need to have a group of people who are really interested in you. Who know, like and trust you.

How?

Figure out what you want to teach.

What general style?

Decide who you will offer it to.

Create something that you can share with them in exchange for contact details.

Talk to them about the kind of course or classes that you want to share, how you will help them to feel in their body and mind as a result of your classes.

Imagine how it would feel if you had customers ready to buy your course, your membership, your coaching.

Think about how powerful it would be to ask a group of people who are already interested in what you share for feedback on something that you're thinking of offering.

Remember people want to help others so ASK

• Look around on social media, It's full of people helping each other, connecting, sharing, laughing, crying, buying.
• Reach out to friends and family, even former colleagues and ask them to share your lead magnet.

The worse thing that can happen is that they say NO. Everyone appreciates being heard so LISTEN

• Go to the hashtags that you use to post and share to try to reach your ideal clients. And see what they are posting and talk to them. Like their posts. Share their posts.
• Help them to succeed. Make insightful comments. And do it consistently.

Set notifications up for when your prospective clients post. On Instagram and LinkedIn you can do this using the bell feature beside the account name.

Get the balance right use SELF AWARENESS

• Have you ever heard that phrase that you shouldn't go back to the same well too many times.
• This expression is a modern version of an ancient proverb, appearing in various ways and numerous languages from the fourteenth century on. Thomas Fuller (Gnomologia, 1732), “The pitcher that often goes to the well comes home broken at last.”

But some people think asking their family to help them once is too much.

Others go back and back and back and ask for help until no one wants to talk to them anymore.

Self awareness is so important. It's ok to ask for help. Maybe not 10 times from the exact same people. But certainly more than a couple of times is ok.

Do you have a system for Building your Network?

On the 11th January I am going to run a Paid Workshop to show you how you can Grow a List with Ease. It's going to include:

• A live Workshop at 1pm Ireland and UK time on Zoom to show you to Grow your List with Ease when you use the right tools to attract the right people.
• A follow up Personal Recorded Video Feedback session within the Private Facebook Group.
• A 40 Lead Magnet Ideas Workbook PDF
• A recorded tutorial on How to host your Lead Magnet
• A recorded tutorial How to Create an Automated Email Welcome Series.
• 5 different Lead Magnet Canva Templates to customise and use as your own with Accompanying Canva Training Tutorial on how to use the templates.
• Private Facebook Group to receive peer to peer support and further resource on how to Attract your Ideal Clients.

AND There's an early bird 30% discount for WIBN members if you book by the 21st December Here's the link: https://www.elainewalshmcgrath.com/offers/PFzLgey4?coupon_code=WIBN30OFFNOW

Photocredit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath in Canva