Petr Ruzicka from Cisco spoke at Communication Wednesday last night. It's not very often that I have the chance to see such an outstanding speaker so I'd like to share the experience.
What did he do that was so exceptional? I could list a lot of things that he did right but I want to highlight the one that I think can make a big difference to speakers who are already sure of their content.
He OWNED the room while he was speaking. I've seen very few presenters that can pull this off naturally, but Petr knew exactly what he was doing and it really made an impression on the audience.
I recommend doing this, but only if you've earned the right to own the room. What does this mean? Petr knew his content inside and out, he was absolutely sure that this was the right presentation for this particular audience and he was passionate about his company and his topic. After you've mastered these challenges, try this opening gesture. The power you get from it will amaze you and the audience will be yours!
Thanks, Petr, for demonstrating a powerful way to give presentations and showing us how it should be done every time we present!
© 2011 Jeanne Trojan. All rights reserved
What did he do that was so exceptional? I could list a lot of things that he did right but I want to highlight the one that I think can make a big difference to speakers who are already sure of their content.
He OWNED the room while he was speaking. I've seen very few presenters that can pull this off naturally, but Petr knew exactly what he was doing and it really made an impression on the audience.
Here's how he did it:
When it was his turn to speak, he came up to the middle of the speaking area, stood tall, looked at everyone in the audience and didn't say a word. In the few seconds that he did this, the message was clear - this room was unquestionably HIS for the next twenty minutes! This simple act makes the audience alert and maybe even a little uncomfortable - that's ok - it means they are listening and they don't know what to expect, but they know that he is in control of the situation. And, he maintained this control throughout his talk. I recommend doing this, but only if you've earned the right to own the room. What does this mean? Petr knew his content inside and out, he was absolutely sure that this was the right presentation for this particular audience and he was passionate about his company and his topic. After you've mastered these challenges, try this opening gesture. The power you get from it will amaze you and the audience will be yours!
Thanks, Petr, for demonstrating a powerful way to give presentations and showing us how it should be done every time we present!
© 2011 Jeanne Trojan. All rights reserved
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