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| PACE Yourself Before Your Presentation |
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Before you walk into a presentation, there are probably hundreds of things running through your mind. You’re thinking about all the points you need to make, wondering if you’ll get the sale, hoping you look okay, mentally rehearsing your opening story, and so on. It’s natural that your mind gets cluttered with all these things before an important performance – but it’s also counterproductive. Instead, concentrate on setting the PACE, says Omar Periu, a trainer, speaker, and author of Investigative Selling: How to Master the Art, Science & Skills of Professional Selling (Square One, 2005).
Periu’s PACE system concentrates your pre-presentation thoughts into four areas:
P = Poise. Think about the way you carry and present yourself at all times. This is true not only during the presentation, but in all aspects of your professional life. Any lapse in poise, he cautions, could dim even the most persuasive presentation. Periu tells the story of a friend who once gave such a thorough and compelling presentation, the prospect made a verbal commitment for a $500,000 deal right on the spot. In fact, the prospect was so impressed; she walked the salesperson to his car to continue the conversation. There, the deal fell apart. The rep’s car was so messy, she explained later, that she didn’t trust him to deliver what he had promised – a system that would organize her company and track their accounts. The bottom line: the presentation doesn’t end at the last slide. You need to keep poise in mind at all times.
A = Articulation. This isn’t about speaking as eloquently as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That’s too much pressure. It’s more about keeping your mind on what you’re saying, and focusing not just on the words but also on how you’re saying them. Keep your tone positive. Speak from the diaphragm to give your voice more power. “Adopt a straightforward, clear pattern of speech peppered with frequent changes of pitch and tone” to connect with and hold the attention of your audience, says Periu.
C = Count Two. In other words, practice counting for two seconds – one 1,000, two 1,000. This trick has many uses. When you find yourself getting too excited and realize you’re starting to ramble, stop and count two. It will calm you and slow you down. Or if a customer asks you a question you’re not sure how to answer, count two. “It allows you to step back, relax, and think,” says Periu. “Don’t worry that your customer will wonder about your mental state; they’ll probably appreciate your thoughtful silence.” Counting two also works well when you’ve just made an important point you want your audience to digest. The two-second pause not only calls attention to the point, it gives your audience time to think about it.
E = Eye Contact. This one is straight from Presentations 101, but it’s so important – and so easy to forget under pressure – that Periu adds it to his mental checklist to keep it front of mind. Remember that where your eyes look, the audience will look. If you want to call attention to an important visual, look at it briefly. Their eyes will naturally go there. For the majority of the presentation, however, your eyes should be making contact with individual audience members. They’ll return the look and connect with you.
For more ideas, visit www.omarperiu.com.
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