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Fun & Effective Presentations That Make You Money

You answer the phone and the friend on the other end basically

says...."Want some free advertising to say 25 - 50 people?"

"Free?", you say. Sounds good, but then this person, who all of

a sudden may be your worst enemy, says, "Yeah, we need someone

to give a speech at our club meeting. You have such a unique

home business that we'd love you to share how and why you

started it and how it's helping our local community."

Bad thoughts flash through your mind. Your hands get cold and

clammy, you start to stammer and say..."Uh.....when...when...is

this talk...uh...um...scheduled." This friend (with friends like

this, who needs enemies) on the other line gives you the time

and date and says, "GREAT, I'll schedule you in."

Oh dear, it's your worst nightmare -- public speaking. The

thought of it makes you want to, how do I say this, puke! Public

speaking can strike fear in even the most confident person. But

don't let this be a reason for NOT undertaking such a project.

Below are 5 ways to make your next presentation fun and

successful.

USE PROPS

Don't hide behind the podium, read your speech and then sit

down. Boring!!!! Get up and move around. Wear a funny hat, throw

things around, make some noise. Get these people's attention.

And get it quickly. It's a fact that you have 90 seconds to

convince the audience that you're worth listening to or not.

TELL STORIES

Facts and figures are nice, but they aren't something that

should rule your presentation. I start, end and sprinkle

throughout my talks -- stories. People can always relate to a

good story.

Take the Bible for example. I use this book because it's a best

seller. People usually have one or more copies of the Bible in

their homes at any given time. Find one of those copies and

you'll see LOTS of stories sprinkled with guidelines.

You might say, "But I don't know any stories." Oh please, how

long have you been living? It doesn't have to be a life changing

story, just one people can relate to. If you are looking for a

life changing story, look to the "Chicken Soup For the Soul"

books -- lots of great stories there!

LOOK IN THEIR EYES

I have a problem with this one, but have been getting better.

When you talk, look into your audience's eyes. Hold that contact

until you get some sort of response like a nod, a smile or

something.

END EARLY

Don't ramble on. You know the saying, "Keep it short, stupid!"

Well, that might not be exactly the way that goes, but you get

the point here. When you see people start to walk out, look at

their watches, drift off to dreamland...your talk has either

been a bore from the start or has gone on way too long. You want

to end so that people are still interested in what you have to

say and wouldn't mind if you kept talking a bit longer.

HAVE A Q&A TIME

After you end -- a little early, ask if anyone has any

questions. Because no matter how prepared you are or how smart

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you are, you still didn't answer all their questions. This is

also a great way to shorten your talk a little. Say you are

slated for a 30-minute talk. You can present for 15 minutes and

have 15 minutes of discussions. People are going to ask

questions you never thought about adding to your speech. This

will make your talk very well rounded.

When using the above 5 ideas, make sure your speech is fun --

fun for you to give and fun to listen to. People will remember

your talk (and your business) much better if it was a

never-to-forget presentation!

* BONUS TIP *

I know I said I'd only give you 5 tips, but I'm in a great mood

and thought I'd share one more way to make your presentation

even more fun for you. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! Find a

family member who will listen to you and can give you some much

needed feedback. The more comfortable you are with your

presentation, the less fear you'll have. Promise!

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About the author:

Liz Folger is the founder of http://www.bizymoms.com.

Bizymoms.com is the leading online resource for work-from-home

ideas. The site offers home-based business start-up kits, online

classes, e-books, chats and enthusiastic support for moms who

want to have it all - a family and a career. Visit

http://www.bizymoms.com for more information.