Seven Vital Activities that Can Boost Evaluation Forms
There's no getting around it
There's no getting around it. No matter where you are in your business and life you are always evaluated -- sometimes daily. This goes for children and spouses, bosses and if you're a speaker, your audience and the feedback they give you on evaluation forms.
I think of evaluation forms as surveys on your expertise. They give necessary feedback to you. They show what everyone else is "getting" from you when you speak -- and you could be missing.
Sure, audience members will place platitudes on your expertise. But even more importantly, they'll point out activities you're NOT doing so well from the platform.
At the beginning of your presentation these evaluation forms should be given out to your attendees. In fact, to get more filled out give an incentive in the form of a raffle. The winner gets a free CD, or some other FREEBIE report.
Remember: The higher the evaluation form feedback, the more chance of getting a cool testimonial letter from the clients and of course, a rebooking or referral!
So how does one improve their skill level and get higher evaluation forms?
Here are seven important activities to embrace (or avoid) that can boost your evaluation forms and have your meeting planner smiling from ear to ear.
1. Get rid of the physical barriers. Many boring speakers rely on a lectern because they have to use notes for their speeches. A great speaker, though, doesn't hide behind this piece of wood. Instead, you need to allow your body language to be seen as you move naturally around the stage so your audience gets your full message. Behind the lectern, you're like a boring high school lecturer. I have found that by moving around the stage, you'll engage your audience much more and on a deeper level.
2. Learn about your audience. One size does NOT fill all. Don't prepare one speech for all your audiences. Instead, customize your typical content based on their background. Your best bet is to get a few people to fill out a pre-program questionnaire about their organization or situation.
Then, you can decide which stories, content, and teaching techniques you'll use. Who do you think is going to get rebooked or get more referrals: The speaker who gives a template, stale-fill-in-the-blank-presentation, or the speaker who really delivers a customized, fresh out-of-the-oven speech for his audience?
3. Personalize it. A great speaker can link opinion and fact through personal experience. Never give a speech unless you can bring your own point of view to it. Telling stories about your personal hardships and struggles will really help an audience connect with you and learn from what you're saying.
4. Use a 40/60 balance. I can't stress this enough: do not just report facts and data. Instead, report some of these things, and then interpret them. Your audience wants to know where you get your information and what you think about it. The best approach is to move between facts and interpretation in a seamless manner. Your metaphors and stories can interpret information and engage your audience even while you teach them the real point of all the data.
5. Hold eye contact for sentences at a time. I know, I know it can be tempting to skim over eye contact from audience members. Don't be afraid of it. Instead, look into people's eyes for a few seconds at a time. This really works for building a connection. Try to get individuals with whom you connect to respond with body language before you move on to another person. Again, don't look above people, or you risk rushing your speech and totally losing them.
6. Go slow. Believe it or not, the majority of speakers, (and I fall victim to this as well) , tend to rush their speeches, thinking they have to constantly be talking to be effective. Guess what? The most effective speakers pause frequently, giving their audience time to react and process. Think of a great meal. You don't gulp it down in one bite, do you? Of course, not. You savor every morsel. Well, it's the same with great speaking.
The Secret to Allowing Your Audience to Digest YOUR Words of Wisdom!
Here's an idea. After delivering an important point in your speech, simply walk across the room in silence. During that time your audience will work on what you said during the silence. And then you can move on after that. Just like in acting -- we take in a lot of what a character says as well as what he or she does NOT say. Slowing down allows you to get more of your point across because it lets the audience process what you're saying as you go.
7. Only use PowerPoint to assist you. Ahhh PowerPoint. Can't live with it and you can't live without it. Yes, PowerPoint slides can be good tools, but remember the audience is there to hear you, not to hear slides read aloud. Instead of shutting off the lights which can signal to the brain that it's time to sleep leave them off and only use a few slides that'll make your speech more powerful. (See the eBook: "Powerful PowerPoint That Doesn't Steal the Spotlight.")
I hope these seven powerful tips will empower you to be the best you can. It's the little things a speaker does, or doesn't do, that can make or break their presentation.
Here's one last point. If you can, always record your presentation. You'll be amazed at what you pick up on camera that can help you improve your performance. You can't deny that you tug at your ear incessantly. It will right there on the tape.
And ALWAYS audio record your speaking event. Here's why: 1) You might improvise a line that gets a huge laugh and now you know it works, and 2) You now have an audio recording that can be used as product to sell at the back of the room at a later date.
Seven Vital Activities that Can Boost Evaluation Forms
By: Peter Fogel
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