Powerful Presentations: How to Write and Deliver a Presentation to Remember

If the mere thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees quiver, you should know that you're not alone. Public speaking is one of the top fears listed by Americans and for good reason- most of us don't do it very often. My personal theory is that the fear stems from the possibility of failure. What if I get up there and can't talk? What if they think I have no idea what I'm talking about? What if I forget my speech?

After spending several years as a technical instructor and in sales, speaking to audiences of 4 to 400+, I've built an arsenal of strategies for presentations. The truth is, even the most seasoned public speakers get at least a little nervous before they step on stage. But the seasoned pros also know the tricks to delivering seamless and engaging presentations.

Keys to Writing a Winning Presentation

oCreate an Outline. You may not think you need to outline your topic, but be assured it will save you time in the long run. Outlining your entire presentation before you set out to write it lets you organize the flow of information and ensure that you have included all of the relevant topics. One great trick for outlining is to write each key topic on a Post-it note and map it out on a large white board. The sticky notes can be moved and reordered until you find a logical progression.

oDetermine the Proper Number of Slides. If you are using PowerPoint, the rule of thumb is that each slide should require 2-3 minutes of discussion. If you are speaking for an hour, 60+ slides will be too many. You know your topic best, but 25-30 slides would probably be appropriate for a one-hour presentation.

oLimit the Amount of Text. Slides that are too wordy will cause your audience to lose interest faster than the freeway fills up at rush hour. Try to keep to no more than five bullet points and whenever possible, show instead of tell. This means that you should illustrate your topic with charts, graphs, graphics or other visual representation instead of words to keep your content engaging.

oMinimize the Bells and Whistles. A lot of activity or noise on your slides is bound to distract your audience. Resist the temptation to pepper your slides with flashy activity or music unless it truly enhances your message.

oProofread and Spell Check- Twice! Nothing kills a presentation faster than grammatical mistakes. You could be the most engaging speaker in the world, but spelling errors and misplaced punctuation can cause your audience to lose focus and question your credibility. I once watched an executive give a presentation with an emphasis on aspirin. He spelled aspirin incorrectly on a series of slides and half the room was talking about it by the time it was over, completely missing a very creative and interesting discussion. If you don't trust your own proofreading ability, have a colleague review your presentation for you.

Keys to Presentation Delivery

oPractice, Practice, Practice. Even if you don't have an audience to test your materials on, lock yourself in an empty conference room and start talking to the chairs. It may seem awkward at first, but it's the best way to calm your nerves and to be as prepared as you can. When show time arrives and stage fright kicks in, if you've practiced to the point of practically memorizing the whole speech, you will go into auto-pilot and deliver a flawless performance- even if your brain checks out.

oPace Yourself. Nervous presenters often talk too fast and rush through the materials. When you practice your speech, time it and give yourself some room for questions or interruptions. To help with pacing, consciously pause between sentences and slides. Two seconds may feel like an eternity to you, but it allows your audience time to absorb what you've just said. Even taking a deep breath between sentences and slides can slow you down with the added advantage of calming your nerves.

oFilm Your Performance. Professional speaking programs use video cameras to show students how to improve their presence on stage. As painful as it may be to watch yourself on film, this is the best way to discover your flaws and nervous ticks. You may find that you sway, play with your pen, jingle the change in your pockets or look like you're dancing because you're moving around so much. Using a video camera to capture your performance lets you identify your nervous habits and break them before you leave the audience talking about how many times you said, "Um."

oUse Note Cards or Cheat Sheets. Even the President gets a teleprompter to give his speeches and you have the right to use notes or 3x5 cards to keep you on track. Just be careful not to read them or rely on them too heavily. Fill them with only short bullets to jog your memory and keep your flow, but avoid writing your entire speech verbatim on the cards.

oWarm Up the Audience. The best way to get the crowd on your side is to open with humor. Start with a joke or quip that is related to your topic. For help with locating material, check out http://www.the-jokes.com or http://www.jokes.com for free access to all kinds of one-liners.

oKeep an Eye on the Clock. Audiences and event organizers appreciate speakers who stick to the timeline. Keep an eye on the time so you can speed it up or slow it down. You can also plant someone in the audience to give you hand signals if necessary.

oTalk to Foreheads. You should be making an effort to speak to the whole audience, which means looking around the room and making each attendee feel as though you are speaking to them directly. If eye contact makes you even more nervous, then talk to foreheads. Nobody will really notice your lack of true connection yet you will still convey your ability to engage the entire room.

oDon't Forget to Smile. Use inflection in your voice and keep a smile on your face. Your audience can mirror your behavior and if you get on stage with a stone face and monotone expression, the whole audience will be depressed (or asleep) by the time you're done. Weave in some humor or anecdotes and let your personality shine through.

Whether you're speaking to a room of six or six hundred, these tips should help you become a more polished presenter. Remember that the number one key to success is to be as prepared as possible. Another great way to learn new techniques is to critique how other presenters perform. Watch presentations on television or at venues in your area. Notice how the speakers engage the audience and watch for tricks that you can incorporate into your own regimen.

For additional speaking experience, consider joining Toastmasters: http://www.toastmasters.org/ where you can network with other presenters and develop your skills. You may never develop affection for speaking in front of a crowd, but that doesn't mean you can't master the challenge. With the right amount of effort, your performance can rank with the pros.

Will Alternative Treatment Methods Relive Osteo-Arthritis?

There are lots of men and women around the globe who have got to withstand the anguish affiliated with joint pain. However, despite the fact that there are lots of over the counter as well as prescription treatments available they could cause uncomfortable side effects in most afflicted individuals. For this reason lots of people are currently deciding to check out utilizing an alternative treatment method with regard to rheumatoid arthritis instead.

Using alternative remedies a man or woman being affected by osteoarthritis finds out the treatment options that will help them to stop utilizing drugs which in turn will not function in conjunction with what they're utilising presently. On the other hand, alternative remedies will help not only to give them pain relief but in addition increase their range of motions.

Yet in addition to this form of therapy pertaining to osteoporosis assisting the sufferer with pain relief it will also help them in different ways. Numerous learn that as time passes that their health and fitness increases overall as well as their well being is actually much better. This is usually due to the therapy concentrating not only around the spot impacted by the osteoporosis but the body in general.

The main reason why so many individuals are actually deciding to test natural methods for eliminating rheumatoid arthritis is really because they still really feel uncertain regarding many of the drugs prescribed by doctors. In actuality there are specific recommended prescription drugs which have been recommended as the solution for your rumatoid arthritis, however in actuality induce a lot more complications. For instance Vioxx is actually one such doctor prescribed medication which might help to ease the pain sensation associated with osteoporosis yet has led to quite a few users experiencing various other health issues among them problems to the heart as well as in some instances individuals enduring strokes.

In terms of the treatment of osteoporosis employing holistic approaches there are plenty of to pick from. However one that's worthwhile considering is Tai Chi. By using this unique physical exercise you have to control the motion of one's body since every thing has to be performed far more gradually. In addition the actual moves which you do necessitate your body to be stretched. Therefore when you perform the actual workout routines related to Tai Chi you're working not merely the actual joints but in addition the muscle groups around them. This with time helps make these locations substantially tougher plus much more mobile.

Pet Emergencies - What are they?

Emergency pet care starts with trying to define what an emergency is in terms of pet health.This can be more difficult than one would expect because what constitutes an emergency is usually defined by the pet owner.

The interpretation of an emergency therefore can vary widely depending on that person's previous experience, there knowledge of what is normal, and the extent of the human- animal bond.

An emergency can usually be divided into 2 broad categories. The first is usually an obvious emergency e.g. Pet is run over by a car or bitten by a known poisonous snake. In these cases the pet has been fine up till the incident that triggers the emergency.

The second broad category is the "end stage" of a medical condition and for most people this is far more difficult to recognise as an emergency. In these cases the pet may not have been 100% healthy for a preceding period of time, but this might not have been evident or the pets altered behaviour was deemed to be of no consequence.

An example here would be a male cat with a blocked bladder. The signs might have been there for a few hours or days (e.g. spending long periods in the litter box) while the condition developed. However, once the urethra becomes totally blocked and the cat cannot pass any urine, the situation rapidly becomes a life threatening one.

There is probably very little you can do from a first aid point of view for the second broad category of emergency. The best thing you can do for a pet in this situation is to get the animal to a vet as fast as you can. Phone ahead if possible to alert the vet to the situation and try to write down as much as you can about the pets behaviour over the past few hours/days/weeks.

For most pet owners, pet emergencies are a traumatic experience usually undertaken in a blur of activity. By writing everything down, you force yourself to slow down and think. Once at the vet the written notes decrease the chance of you forgetting to tell the vet something that might be of importance. Although you might be in an agitated state, remember that the vet will have to ask you a range of questions in order to focus the search for a diagnosis and then institute the appropriate treatment.

Category one emergencies such as wounds, snake bites, heat stroke etc lend themselves more to first aid procedures. This does not mean you should delay getting to a vet as fast as possible as emergency pet care is only a stopgap, albeit a very useful one, that can be applied between the occurrence of the emergency and getting professional help.

What's Hot in the Fashion World?

Daylight savings is definitely here plus its currently safe to mention that autumn has officially landed. However don't allow the chillier weather conditions dampen your own mood because with a brand new season comes a completely new set of fresh new style trends to help you get fired up and your credit card anxious!

This autumn fashion is going unconventionally extravagant - by having an focus on pretty lady-like designs juxtaposed along with conventional man-style cuts and materials. Coats tend to be all over the place this season and therefore are an absolute autumn must-have!

The trench is easily the most common design accessible and it is probably the most glam! When looking for a coat make sure that it's a very good make and cut before you purchase, so that you can be reassured that it's going to last you a number of seasons. When trying on jackets consider the optical one - it ought to be lined, possess lots of pockets, and have a pleasant contoured form which emphasis your figure so that you don't appear to be dressed in a sack!

Red is definitely the colour of love plus it boasts that distinctive X-factor to essentially enhance your attire into a show-stopper! Simply because it's autumn doesn't suggest you need to dress just like the weather in head-to-toe dreary tones of black, brown and grey. Include a little red in your outfit may it be a coat, tights, red lip gloss, or perhaps the most sought after item this year - a pair of patent red-colored pumps.

The preppy appearance is yet another winner this season. For motivation simply cast your mind back again to what Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar wore within the ultimate scene of Cruel Intentions - shorter pleated skirts in wool combinations joined along with sharp white-colored shirts, tartan print sweatshirts and fitted blazers.

In order to top the design off merely include black opaque tights, a headband and T-bar sandals. Stylish! It's correct, the 1980's continue being popular this season and jeans are getting skinny. You may be pleased now you got them in top condition over the summer time for the mini-skirt phenomenon! Levi's recently released their brand new skinny jean selection verifying that this isn't a passing craze. When looking for an ideal set of skinny jeans go for darkish tones and make sure to team them along with high heels to help you elongate the leg and get that svelte sex kitten appearance. 80's fashion will continue to dominate, along with biker jackets, beautiful ra-ra skirts and stockings still making appearances.

Following on from the actual preppy concept, tweed is an additional hot craze that you simply won't be capable of escaping this year. Anything from hats and neckties, to pleated dresses and man-style boxy outdoor jackets and slacks can be found in tweed.

Feature Film Production

This is visual story telling. If you don't have a crew and are doing all the filming yourself keep in mind that good lighting techniques can make a huge difference on the quality. Film making is as much art as painting a picture so a media limitation based on expense should not stop anyone from experimenting with the art of film-making.

The major stages of a major Feature Film production with lots of money are:

1.Development

In the development stage a producer comes up with an idea for which a script is written(and rewritten until it is perfected). A script can also be obtained from many sources as scriptwriters are always attempting to get their scripts purchased.

2. Preproduction

In preproduction the movie is planned and cost is established. Also the producer will hire a crew.

Smart producers know how to maximize the final product by getting the best actors that fit their roles within their budgets.

On large budget films this could be hundreds of crew members but on less expensive films, skeleton crews are established based on the following positions.

a. Director. (Responsible for acting and creative elements) b. Assistant director. (Manages shoot schedule, logistics & more) c. Producer. (finds actors) d. Location manager. (finds film locations) e. Director of photography or cinematographer. (Photography)

f. Art director. (production sets, costumes plus provides makeup & hair styling services) g. Storyboard artist, h. Production sound mixer. i. Composer. (creates music for the film) j. Choreographer.

3. Production

This is when the actual filming takes place based on shooting schedules, locations and film sets. The director can request multiple takes on scenes until he is satisfied that his ideas are expressed.

He will review daily recorded video and determine if scenes have to be re shot. A couple of notes about obtaining pre shot background footage is that royalty free footage is very desirable as there are no delays in negotiating with content providers who are attempting to maximize their profit.

Royalty free footage also means that you buy it only once and use it as many times as you wish.

Always go for the latest format available. If you are buying today then it only makes sense to buy High Definition(HD) footage.

Downgrading HD to lower formats is easy, It is very difficult to make older formats look good in HD.

I recommend you make your movie using 35 mm unless you are using a Red, a Viper or the Sony F23. The 35 mm could then be transferred to digital(preferably HD) using a process called Telecine for cutting and editing.

4. Post Production

Here the editor assembles the footage and formulates a rough cut of the material. Most directors work very close with editors to identify the most important shots to represent their artistic ideas. Some directors rely heavily on their editors judgment and present them with many additional hours of footage, allowing them to decide what gets cut from the film.

Editors are normally very artistically inclined and make tremendous contributions to projects so finding a good one is important. Here is also where special effects and color correction are finalized and implemented. Check the software listing editing software and look at either Adobe After effects or Magicbullet for color correction software.

5. Distribution

Large films funded by the major studios are distributed to theaters they are affiliated with. Lower budget productions can be distributed via DVD, VHS or even Internet. For lower budget features many filmmakers present their works at film festivals in the hope of getting picked up by one of the big studios or their subsidiaries. Ideally Feature film production, at it's best, is about having good actors working on a well written script supported by a good crew and lots of time and money.

This is almost never the case and corners are usually cut everywhere.

Saint George Seniors

Living in Utah is such a great experience. There are so many great things to do and sights to see. The beautiful scenery ranges from the very north cache valley to the desert south of Southern Utah. One of the greatest places to retire is in the southwest corner of the state in a place called Saint George. Just 40 minutes from Mesquite Nevada and just outside of the city resides some of the most beautiful National Parks in the world, Zion National Park. If there is one thing many seniors say when it comes to Saint George is how they "love the way they are treated!"

Saint George has very rich history, settled by pioneers that came from Salt Lake City. The pioneers were sent down by Brigham Young and worked with the local Indians to create peace so they could create a community for more settlers to come help the expansion of the piece of land. The Brigham Young home is currently owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints and holds tours through out the week. Along with the Brigham Young home there is the other homes the Church has obtained and restores such as the Jacob Hamblin home.

Offside these great places there are some amazing businesses in this small community. If you are a senior in the this area then you will be taken care of. These businesses love the senior community and offer amazing discounts to keep you coming back for more. The Senior Saver is the premier discount book that caters to everything a senior would need. There are also great senior communities to make you feel safe and at home. Saint George offers so much its great for when the grand kids come to visit.

Saint George offers some of the greatest golf courses in the United States. The city welcomes golfers from around the globe for tournaments and seniors a like. With over five major courses throughout the city Golfing is nothing new to the senior crowd.

Every year the Huntsman World Senior Games is held with over 20 countries represented each year. Saint George also holds the toughest course for triathletes with the Iron Man competition. This great city is also known as one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and is full of the entrepreneur spirit. If you are looking for a great place to come retire, relax and play some good golf. Saint George is the place for you.