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March 2, 2016
Five Ways to be Sure Your Audience Remembers You

by Mary Cantando, Founder of The Woman’s Advantage, Guest Contributor

It’s one thing to be a speaker and another to be a speaker who makes a difference in the businesses and lives of her audience.

Here are five ways to be a memorable speaker who truly makes a difference.

Five Ways to be Sure Your Audience Remembers You

1. Before you speak, meet as many individuals as possible. 

I like to walk from table to table individually introducing myself to attendees to make them feel special.

2. Be clear on the key idea you want to present and focus on it. 

Drill down on that one concept and keep coming back to it.

3. Have a solid, memorable opening. 

I like to use a powerful statistic.

4. Don’t do or say things that you’ve seen others do or say. 

Be original.

5. Ask for questions first, then close. 

Save your closing statement for after questions. That way the audience will remember it.

 

March 24, 2015
Five Ways to Add Value When Speaking to an Audience

by Mary Cantando, Founder of The Woman’s Advantage, Guest Contributor

I hope you’re not one of those women who thinks she adds value simply by talking longer. In fact, just the opposite is true. If you make your point with fewer words, in a shorter length of time, you are actually a much more effective speaker.

The key is to present your information in as efficient and memorable a style as possible. Here are five ways to do that.

Five Ways to Add Value When Speaking to an Audience

1. Speak with individual members of your audience before you present.

I go through audience and individually introduce myself to people to tell them I’m happy to be there and thank them for having me.

2. Decide on ONE big idea and focus your entire presentation on that.

Be clear on your single idea and drill down to get your point across.

3. Have a strong, impactful opening and move quickly to your big idea.

4. Edit your presentation down to remove any fluff.

And after you’ve done that, edit it down again. Wouldn’t you rather have a speaker present 10 minutes of solid content than 20 minutes of fluff? Why would your audience be any different?

5. Before you close, ask for questions.

Then be prepared for several seconds of silence. Know that this silence will occur and be comfortable with it, rather than rushing past it to close. You’ll be rewarded with powerful questions as a result of waiting.

March 17, 2015
Five Steps to Deliver a Great Presentation

by Mary Cantando, Founder of The Woman’s Advantage, Guest Contributor

I’ve delivered speeches to groups of women as large as 7,000 and as small as three. But regardless of the audience size, I’ve learned some key tips over the years that allow me to deliver a great presentation.

So, whether you—like me—love getting up in front of a crowd, or are a nervous wreck when you have to do it, here are five things you can do to deliver a great presentation.

Five Steps to Deliver a Great Presentation 

1. Remember that a presentation is just a conversation.

If you make a mistake just move along. Remember that the audience doesn’t have your notes or know what you had planned to say next.

2. Never tell the audience that you are nervous

or that this is your first time in front of a group this large.

3. Always pause after laughter.

Know when to anticipate laughter, and pause when your audience laughs rather than talking over it.

4. NEVER look back at the screen.

Always have your computer screen positioned in front of you so you can glance down at it, rather than looking back at the screen.

5. Be enthusiastic.

You engage your audience more by your energy and conviction than by anything else.

March 10, 2015
Five Steps to Create a Great Presentation

by Mary Cantando, Founder of The Woman’s Advantage, Guest Contributor

I’m excited about delivering the keynote to 700 women at the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s Top Women in Business Awards luncheon in a few weeks. If you attend that event, please come up and introduce yourself to me.

Here are some key considerations when creating a great presentation.

Five Steps to Create a Great Presentation

1. Keep the audience in mind.

Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them. Understand the background of your audience and use relevant examples and stories.

2. Use current examples.

Keep up on the news and update your speech every time you deliver it.

3. Build stories, examples, and audience interaction in at five-minute intervals.

Don’t just lecture, but develop a personal relationship with your audience.

4. Consider creating a handout.

Don’t provide handouts just for the sake of having handouts, but if there is a handout that will add value for the audience make it available to them.

5. Know your allotted time and stick to it.

If possible, plan to finish a few minutes early to allow for issues outside of your control.

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