8 Big Mistakes You Can Make in a High-Stakes Presentation Click here to begin

1. To shine when all eyes are on you, avoid the 8biggest mistakes you can make when you’re making a high-stakes presentation. • Let’s start with the big idea: • YOU’RE THERE TO TELL, NOT TO SELL! 8 Big Mistakes You Can Make in a High-Stakes Presentation Click here to begin Sims Wyeth & C0.

2. 1st Big Mistake • Telling is informing, and information is a commodity: it needs to be presented as evidence for your point of view. • Language only works when it works to persuade. Put your words to work. • Sell yourself, sway their emotions, and advance your argument. • Your job isn’t to provide material. During a presentation, your job is to bring it to life. Telling, not Selling

3. 2nd Big Mistake • The #1 mistake of most people = they talk too much. Selling ≠ talking! • Be concise. Be mindful of their eyes. When you see them glaze over, you know they’re cooked. • Keep in mind Mrs. Humphrey’s advice to her husband Hubert: “For a speech to be immortal, it need not be interminable. Talking too much

4. 3rd Big Mistake • During your talk, reveal an interest in their problems. • Show that you’ve done your homework. • Be consultative—after you’ve discussed the problems, offer how you’ll help to them solve them. Not doing your homework

5. 4th Big Mistake Signal that you are listening. Engage people. Nod. Lean forward. Listening is vastly underrated by people giving presentations Not listening to your listeners Be involved with your listeners. But don’t fake it. It has to be real. They’re nervous, and have trouble focusing on what’s being said. Listen to all of what your audience says— tone, expression, breathing, body & eye movements. Be a detective. If appropriate, ask questions. Repeat what you’ve heard them answer—this affirms that you “get them.”

6. 5th Big Mistake • Tell stories about yourself. They have drama, dialogue, obstacles, and struggle—people will see you in another light. • Stories are far more memorable than data and facts. They have emotional impact, and that’s as important as logical appeal. • Story telling is as important to human survival as opposable thumbs. Without stories, we can’t make sense of the world. • Find your stories. Tell them well—rehearse them, just like an actor. Not telling stories

7. 6th Big Mistake • No actor, musician, dancer, athlete, or speaker should go on stage without preparing. • Prepare your content and say it—aloud—to another person. It can only help you get better. • The way to peak performance is to rehearse under performance-like pressure. • Bill Bradley said, “When you are not practicing, somewhere out there your competitor is, and when you meet him, you will lose.” Not rehearsing

8. 7th Big Mistake • No matter how much older, richer, or smarter you think you are, don’t play the HIGH STATUS card. • And no matter how much younger, poorer, or dumber you think you are, don’t play the LOW STATUS game. • Meet your audience as an EQUAL. It’s the best way to build a connection. Not assuming equal status

9. 8th Big Mistake Look them in the eye. Do I have to tell you to dress the part? Your voice is the primary means of communicating emotion, and emotion is contagious…make it worth catching. Look confident. Sound confident. Not looking good or sounding good Smile now and then. Enjoy yourself. Remember, people like people who like them. So show that you like the other person.

10. In summary, to be a success • Bring your past into the present • Bring your best relaxed self into the present • Bring their needs into the present • Bring your solutions into the present • Bring a better future into the present