While mentoring some colleagues to help them overcome their fear of public speaking and to improve their presentation skills, I noticed a distinct “fear of the flip chart”. What is it and how does one overcome it?

It can be easy to spot someone with a fear of public speaking because they are glued to the spot where they began their speech and they refuse to move. The idea of using any kind of props (e.g. flip charts, handouts, etc) is terrifying because they would have to move and it might make the experience go on even longer.

However, an important public speaking tip is to use flip charts and other props to support your presentation. The way you use your flip chart is a critical part of public speaking. Here are some important public speaking tips and techniques for using a flip chart effectively:

1. Arrive early and be sure that the flip chart is positioned so that you can get to it easily when you need it.

2. Be sure that it is positioned so that you can stand next to it and write while still facing your audience (ie. Do Not Turn Your Back On Your Audience!)

3. Make sure you have several markers that work and immediately throw away the ones that don’t work. You don’t want to be scrambling to find a good marker during your presentation.

4. Only use blue or black markers please. It is too difficult for those at the back of the room to see other colors. Red is OK to accentuate things already written in blue or black.

5. When writing on the chart, make your letters at least 2-3 inches tall.

6. Draw lines in pencil pages beforehand to help you keep your writing legible.

7. Plan out your pages as you are writing the outline for your presentation. They will be the support for your public speaking presentation.

8. Write notes to yourself, in pencil on the flip chart to help remind yourself of all the important points to be included. I promise your audience won’t see the penciled notes.

9. If you have something that you want to present and then accentuate during the presentation or discussion, write out the flip chart page beforehand so that you can just flip the page to it.

10. If you need to refer to something that you wrote on a page at a later point in your presentation, rip off the page and ask someone to tape it up on the wall – don’t forget to bring big masking tape for this.

Flip charts are a great way to be interactive with your audience and get their inputs to your presentation. People feel important when you write their words and ideas on paper in front of the room.

I hope that this sparks some ideas on using flip charts to strengthen your public speaking and help to overcome any “fear of the flip chart”.

The presentation is starting. A few minutes into the presentation, we often find ourselves either thinking of a million other things, or are bored out of our minds. Why don’t people realize that it doesn’t matter how amazing the information is that they are putting forth, none of it will matter if it does not “engage” and “touch” their audience – leaving them wanting to hear more? Knowing that many of us have had to sit through presentations like this, let’s now turn it around. You find that you are going to be presenting to a group. How can you reach the part of your audience’s “cognitive” thinking to ensure that their minds and “ears” are open?

Here are just a few of my presentation secrets that will keep your audience hanging on every word.

During any presentation – large or small, you need to make sure that you speak like a person – not like a textbook. To begin, you need to not speak to your audience as if you are Sheldon from the “Big Bang Theory”. This is not to in any way imply that your audience is “stupid”, but rather, it’s a reminder that you need to speak to them in “real” terms. Do not try too hard, or use too many irrelevant words of pictures. I often look to Steve Jobs, and how he did his presentations. Standing on that stage, he believed in his product, and spoke to his audience in a simple yet effective manner. His slides were kept to a minimum, but were VERY IMPACTFUL. He knew that he did not need a lot of fancy PowerPoint to impress his audience. When preparing and giving a presentation, keep it simple.

Your first impression could be compared to being your business card, in effect, and it will determine in an instant, whether a person will listen to you, or not.

If you don’t make them want to listen right at the start, they probably won’t. Establish your credibility – gaining their respect early on. It’s been found that most people remember mostly what you say first. State your really important information right at the beginning. Be clear and concise. The rest of your presentation should then explain your reasoning and your key points further.

Your presentation, as well as your initial introduction are extremely important, and should not be taken lightly – EVER!

You are not lecturing students in a classroom. Think back to when you were last sitting in a classroom listening to someone. Did you like those “teachers” who just stood there and spewed out information, or do you remember the ones most who were engaging and included the group in the conversation? Exactly. Aim for that two-way communication in every presentation that you make. Always make an extreme effort to CONNECT with your audience. Once you’ve got them, you’ve got them.

Also try this when preparing your next slide presentation. With regard to what you are showing on each particular slide, image that you are passing this slide as you are driving by quickly. Did it get your attention? Were you able to get it’s message quickly? If you do not understand it, you should probably re-work it.

Standing in one place for the entire presentation is another poison to your presentation. While you shouldn’t be pacing around nervously either, practice being comfortable moving around the stage, or front of a room, knowing when to pause when making an important statement, etc. Practice ahead of time until it becomes second nature.

One of the last secrets I want to mention is: know your audience, and adapt yourself accordingly. Keep them and their interests in mind at all times. If you hone in on what gets them to pay attention, the rest will be a breeze. Don’t ramble on about your accomplishments, or your company’s accomplishments. Make it about them – how you can solve THEIR PROBLEMS.

It’s always gonna be about them – your clients – your audience. Having said this, you do still HAVE THE POWER to control the conversations – to get their attention by paying attention to the points I mentioned above, while making it seem as if it’s all about them. The power comes when you actually “reach” people with your “message”, leaving them wanting more.

There is no excuse for a lousy presentation. Put the time and effort in, and the rewards will easily follow. And, if you find yourself needing help with your presentation endeavors, just ask!

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