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20 Video Lessons from World Class Presenters

This presentation tip is in the category:  Killer Presentation Tips Videos

1) Top Presentation Tips (from Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters International Champion 2001)

Darren LaCroix is the World Champion of Toastmasters International in 2001.  Out of 25,000 contestants from 14 countries, Darren LaCroix was able to demonstrate his strengths in public speaking and became the World Champion. 

In this video, Darren LaCroix has shared some of his secrets and tricks to become the World Champion of Toastmasters International.

Here is a list of things I have learnt from this video in order to become a good presenter:

  1. Preparation and practice - Darren LaCroix has studied over 10 years contest videos for his preparation for the contest.
  2. Prepare your audience to listen - This is a phenomenal technique.  Make sure your audience want to know your points before you give them out.
  3. Get a coach - Learn from the best people.  The key point is to remember not to simply seek for validation of your work.  Seek for their honest advice.

2) Anyone Can Do This (from Darren LaCroix, Toastmasters International Champion 2001)

In this video, you not only can enjoy Darren’s fantastic presentation, you will also be able to know how Darren started out in 1992 and finally made it in 2001.

Here are the three key things I have learnt from this video:

  1. Visualize what you want to be.  Act as if you can never fail to get to that goal.
  2. Know the steps to get you to your ending goal.  Ask for advice and learn from the experts or the people who have already made it.

Every time you present, forget all your failures but reproduce what you have done well.

3) Enhancing Your Presentation Skills by J. Douglas Jeffreys, MCP

J. Douglas Jeffreys has shared with us some wonderful presentation tips in this video.  Here is a list of key points I jogged down from this video:

  1. Speaking to a group has been proved to be one of human’s top fears
  2. Why do presentations fail? Majority of the time, this is because the presenters send their audience to what we called “journey of self-discovery”.
  3. Proper eye contact with your audience helps you to establish trust
  4. Pause at the right moments to let your audience take in what you are saying and what you have to say.
  5. Do not put your hands in the pockets when presenting
  6. Empty your pockets.  Do not put coins in them.
Make sure your content is effective.  Eliminate all the slides that do not add values to your audience

4) Top Presentation Tips from Motivational Keynote Speaker, Jim Cathcart

Jim Cathecart is a motivational Keynote speaker.  In this video, Jim will share with you some great tips to become a great speaker.

Here is a list of things I have learnt in this video in order to improve my presentation skills:

  1. If you want to improve your public speaking skills, engage in as many public speaking opportunities as possible.  Get out there and start speaking.
  2. Develop your own message.  Get real life examples from your own life, experience and current events.  Make sure you share things that could benefit others. 
  3. Identify your market.  Know the people who would be interested in your speech.
  4. Get some mileage.  Absorb experience in unfavourable speaking situations.

5) Guy Kawasaki 10-20-30 Presentation Rule

I always follow Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rules for my presentation.  In this video, he will explain to you how the 10-20-30 presentation rule works.

Here is a summary of the materials presented in the video:

If you are doing a sales or investor presentation, you should no more than the following 10 Slides:

  1. Title
  2. Problem
  3. Solution
  4. Business model
  5. Underlying magic
  6. Marketing and sales
  7. Competition
  8. Team
  9. Projections
  10. Status and timeline

The entire presentation should not exceed 20 minutes.

The smallest font you should use is 30.  If this sounds too big for you, use a font that is larger than half the age of the oldest person in the room.

6) Presentation Skills Training (from World Champion of Public Speaking Craig Valentine)

Very energetic presentation delivered by Craig Valentine in this video. The number one tips I have learnt in this video is that there should be a take-away message for your audience. And, you should use a so-called "foundation phrase" to carry out your take-away message. The "foundation phrase" should be less than 10 words and whatever stories or examples you give should be related to this "foundation phrase".

7) Rhett Laubach from "Your Next Speaker" Offers Expert Tips to American Beauty Contestants

This is an interesting video with Rhett Laubach giving expert tips to American Beauty Contestants.  Here are five key public speaking tips shared in the video:

  1. Index your information with keywords
  2. Prepare, but don’t over-prepare.  Do not over-prepare to say the exact words and hand motions
  3. Make direct eye contacts with audience
  4. Be authentic.  Be yourself
  5. Conversational speaking style.  Imagine as if you are speaking one-on-one with a friend.

8) Public Speaking Tips from Joel Hochberger, Founder of Effective Presentations Inc.

Learn from Joel Hochberger in this video about the best presentation skills.  Here are a few key points I have learnt to improve my presentation skills in this video:

  1. Both the content and delivery are important.  "What do you say" is the content.  "How do you say it" is the delivery.  You want your audience to enjoy your presentation and at the same time understand your ideas and do something.
  2. Do not move around without a purpose.  That distracts your audience.
  3. Remember that no one would hear your nervousness in your voice.
Eliminate the meaningless words like "uh", "you know" and "umm".

9) Public Speaking Tips from Joel Hochberger: Pausing & Pace

Learn from Joel Hochberger in this video about the best presentation skills.  Here are a few key points I have learnt to improve my presentation skills in this video:

- Pausing helps you establish two purposes. 
i. Allow your audience to digest your materials and evaluate your content
ii. Give you the opportunity to think about what you are going to say next
- If you do not want your audience to rethink what you have just presented, do not pause.
- You should speak at your normal pace.
- If you speak too quickly, the audience could not hear
- If you speak too slowly, the audience would fall asleep
- Try to speak as if you are speaking to an audience in an one-on-one basis

10) How to Effectively Use PowerPoint Slides to Enhance Your Presentation - shared by Terri Sjodin

Terri Sjodin stresses the point that a lot of people misunderstand the purpose of using PowerPoint slides.  Ask yourself the following two questions to assess whether you should include or not include a specific slide:

- Is this slide for me to get through my presentation?
- Is this slide for my audience?

If your slide package simply includes slides that are for you to get through the presentation, delete them.  Your slides should only be there to assist your audience and give them a better experience.  There shouldn’t be bullet points simply for you to write them out loud but pictures and visuals that would help your audience to better understand your ideas.

11) Public Speaking Skills Keynote with Robert Graham

This video contains a list of things you can do to improve your presentation skills.  Here is a list of key points I found useful for public speaking from this video:

1. When presenting, try to do a bunch of one-on-one conversation with the audience.  This makes the entire public speaking experience much easier for us.  We do one-on-one conversation everyday!  Furthermore, we will be able to gradually connect with everybody in the room.
2. Try to videotape yourself and watch it.  You can really learn how to improve yourself.
3. Don’t simply walk around for the sake for walking around.  There should be a purpose for your movements.
4. Eliminate all the useless phrases such as “basically”, “uh” and “umm”
5. A story, joke or a question for the audience are good openings for presenations.

12) Excellent Tips for the Proper Dress, Personal Hygiene and Image for Presentation - from The Aziz Corporation

The Aziz Corporation has shared some great tips about proper dress, personal hygiene and image for presentation in this video.

Follow the guidelines shared in the video and you shall take no risk in blaming yourself in front of the audience in these areas.

13) Excellent Exercise to Do Right Before You Go on Stage - from The Aziz Corporation

The Aziz Corporation has shared with us some excellent exercise to do right before going on stage.  Do try these exercises together with the tricks I have learnt from professional musicans at http://www.presentationhelpdesk.com/presenter-musican-before-stage.html.

14. Doug Stevenson’s Three Great Tips for Leadership Presentation Skills

This video shares with you Doug Stevenson’s three great tips for leadership presentation skills:

- Activate the imagination of your audience
- Brand your message
- Cheer - Lead

15) Storytelling Technique Shared by Doug Stevenson

In this video, Doug Stevenson will share with you the technique to use storytelling to deliver important messages in your presentation.

- Engage your audience first.  Then, deliver your messages
- Trigger your audience’s emotional attachment
- Each story serves one point.

16) Knockout Presentation Skills Shared by Diane DiResta

In this video, Diana DiResta will share with us some of her excellent presentation tips.  I have summarized some key points I have learnt from this video:

- Appear as friendliness, approachable and engaging
- The key visual aid should be you and not your PowerPoint
- Your audience discount what they hear with what they see
- As a public speaker, you should be listener-centered rather than speaker-centered
- Speak louder with energy
- Be passionate about your topic

17) Learn from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for the Top Three Important Elements for Presentation

In this video, Gihan Perea has used Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to demonstrate the three important elements for making a first-class presentation:

- The credibility of the speaker
- The message
- The delivery

18) Body Language: Critical Do’s and Don’ts for Leaders

This is an excellent video with Anne Warfield analyzing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s body languages during the election debates.

19. Techniques for Using Eye Contact and Hand Gestures in Public Speaking - from Expert Village

Excellent presentation tips about eye contact and hand gestures shared by experts from Expert Village.  Here is a list of key points I have learnt in this video:

- Make eye contact with both the audience at the front and the back of the room.
- Hand gesture should be natural
- Hand gesture is impactful and could strengthen your message
- Make sure there is a balance for using the two hands.  People tend to move their right hand more often if they are right-handed.

20) Techniques to Deal with Interruptions in Public Speaking Share by Experts from Expert Village

There are often cases where you audience interrupt you while you are presenting.  Here is a list of key things I have learnt from this video to deal with talkative audience.

- Understand that not everybody is interested in your topic
- Try to bring the disengaged and talkative audience into your speech
- Let the talkative audience know that they are being talkative and loud.  
- Let the talkative audience know that you are going to be done in a few minutes.
- Do not embarrass this group of talkative audience