Riskier (and More Rewarding) Ways to Start Your Presentation

Now that you know a few of the best (and safe) ways to start your presentation right, let's get spicier. No memorable speech you've ever sat through took no risks. The bare minimum a speech can be to not be bad is inoffensive. All the introductions I gave you last week are enough to make sure you don't have an embarrassingly awful first impression but they're not enough to make an amazing first impression. That's what this week is for.So if you're ready to learn how to make a statement from the first few seconds of your presentation, stick around and find out how!Show Notes: 7 Dynamic Ways to Start a Presentation [With Examples](https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-start-a-presentation/)

The opening is really the most important part of your presentation. You want to make a good first impression. In addition, you also want the audience to see as a subject matter expert.Of course, we’ve all been there as a speaker. First, we design a powerful presentation. Then, we nervously walk out onto a stage or into the front of the room. The audience stares with skepticism written all over their faces. This stoic crowd has no patience for speakers who waste their time. And their demeanor is showing that fact right now. In a timid voice, we start with a simple, “Good morning.” We get no response from the audience — no warm welcome at all. As a result, our nervousness increases dramatically.The good news is that your speech doesn’t have to start this way. Your first words will create first impressions. Today I'll be going over just that. How to make that first impression a good one and ensure your presentation kicks off exactly how it should!Show Notes: 7 Dynamic Ways to Start a Presentation [With Examples](https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-start-a-presentation/)

So you did it! You graduated at the top of your class. You’ve proved you are the apex of knowledge, skill, and potential within your school, and now you get to prove it with a beautiful Valedictorian Speech. Just one problem, since this is the first (and only) time you will ever do it, you don’t know how to write a valedictorian speech. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Just about every Valedictorian or Salutatorian has gone through this. You work so hard to get to the top, sacrifice time year after year, and now you have five minutes to educate, entertain, and inspire your classmates. And, of course, the task is so much easier because your classmates are so accepting and non-judgmental. (Yeah, right!)Stick around and learn just how to write a speech that both entertains and educates your antsy peers.Show Notes: How to Write a Valedictorian Speech(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/valedictorian-speech-how-to-write-a-valedictorian-speech/)

Most of the time, if you're good at writing one style of speech, you're good at writing all of them. Speech writing is a very transferable skill no matter if it's for a keynote, a lecture, a sales pitch, or pretty much anything else. But there are some exceptions. Commencement speeches draw a weird, wobbly fine line between being casual, inspirational, funny, and reflective. You can't talk about yourself too much or it'll sound self indulgent. You can't talk about the grads too much cause that just feels like pandering. Can't be so silly you sound immature but can't be so serious you sound pretentious. But there is a way to walk that fine line. In today's episode we go over the 5 simple parts that structure an excellent commencement speech every single time. And if you're younger trying to find how to write the other type of graduation speech (valedictorian or salutatorian speeches) stick around till next week where we go over just that! Show Notes: How to Write a Graduation Speech(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-write-a-graduation-speech-graduation-speech-examples/)

Want to calm down before a presentation? Even if you don’t regularly experience the fear of public speaking, just before you start a speech, it is easy to feel anxious. This initial nervous energy can cause a speaker to have a shaky voice, dry mouth, or sweaty palms just before a presentation. The good news is that this experience is very common. Most of the time, if you start your presentation well, the level of nervousness will drop very quickly.However, sometimes when people feel that stage fright, they panic. When you panic in front of an audience, you will most likely experience even more nervous feelings. So stick around and listen to a few ways that are tried and tested to calm people down before speeches!Show Notes: How to Calm Down Before a Presentation | 5 Simple Ways to Calm Your Nerves(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/how-to-calm-down-before-a-presentation-5-simple-ways-to-calm-your-nerves)

Picture this: You arrive at a concert venue to see your favorite artist. The lights dim, the crowd buzzes, anticipation builds. They finally step on stage and perform the entire set with their hands stuck in their pockets. No gestures. No movement. No visible energy. Even if the music sounds incredible, something feels off. You’re listening, but you’re not fully feeling it. The performance lacks presence, connection, and impact. You leave entertained (maybe), but not moved.Whether or not you use your hands as a tool to command a room can be the difference between an impactful presentation and a forgettable one. Talking with your hands is a form of nonverbal communication that won’t replace your words, but can determine how your words are received.This week, Roma steps in for Doug to share everything she knows about presenting physically and using the full range of you to give a presentation. Learn what to do with what body parts when and why!Show Notes: Talking With Your Hands: How Positive Gestures Instantly Improve Your Presence on Stage(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/talking-with-your-hands-how-positive-gestures-instantly-improve-your-presence-on-stage/)

The quickest way to make people not believe you're qualified is to not believe it yourself. Saying that confidence is important certainly isn't the most groundbreaking thing to hear but knowing exactly WHY it's so important is what really gives people the push to develop it. After last week's episode discussing why you need to have more self-confidence in what you already know, this week we're going to talk about displaying that confidence. Believing yourself good enough is completely different than showing that you're good enough and both parts are required to give the idea that you are credible. So stick around and learn just how important displaying confidence is and some tips on how to go about doing it. Show Notes: People Judge Your COMPETENCE by the CONFIDENCE That You Show(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/people-judge-your-competence-by-confidence-that-you-show/)

Every speaker wants to become a subject matter expert on the topic they present, but here's the truth these people aren't realizing:Regardless of what industry you are in or what expertise you have, you are the expert. The knowledge that you have on a specific topic is valuable to somebody, and that's really all that matters.Becoming an expert on a subject doesn't come with some magical recognition of feeling worthy, an expert is just a person knowledgeable enough about something to speak and teach it. Many of us think just because we have more to learn that the knowledge we already possess is useless.In today's episode, I'll be going over how to grow confidence in the knowledge you have, permeate that confidence so people trust you, and navigate situations where you don't know something and still want to maintain credibility. Show Notes: How to Prove You’re an Expert (Even If You’re Not)(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/you-are-the-undisputed-expert-so-now-prove-it/)

What are the most important qualities of a good public speaker? What makes a great presenter? Just what are the fundamentals of a good public speaker that allow one orator to get up in front of an audience and mesmerize the crowd while another fails?When I first started teaching the Fearless Presentations ® classes, I did so because I knew from my own experience that the more self-confident a presenter appears to an audience, the more respect that the audience will have for that presenter. In addition, chapter one of my first book on public speaking was about enthusiasm, because I knew that out of all of the qualities of a good public speaker, enthusiasm was the absolute, most important.Over the years, though, our instructors have worked with over 20,000 presenters. Some had a natural presence in front of groups. Others, however, had to develop presentation skills in order to be perceived as being a great public speaker.Find out what what qualities every great presenter from those 20,000 had in common and how you can start incorporating them into your own life!Show Notes: 7 Qualities of a Good Public Speaker Every Presenter Needs(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/7-qualities-of-a-good-public-speaker-that-every-presenter-should-know-and-emulate/)

In the past few weeks we've covered a couple of the best entry points into public speaking from wherever you're starting at, but what do you do if you're starting with nothing at all. If you're not already in an industry that is looking for more speakers and you've tried to apply to some public speaking companies to no avail, it can start to feel hopeless. Luckily, so many of the best speakers out there started exactly from where you are right now. Stick around to hear exactly how those same great speakers got out of the rut of beginning!Show Notes: Start Your Own Public Speaking Company from Scratch(https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/start-your-own-public-speaking-company-from-scratch/)