"Speaking in front of others is most people's greatest fear, says communications coach Don Wright. "In other words, we'd rather die than deliver the eulogy at the funeral."

If you're like most people, the thought of standing up and speaking before a group probably fills you with dread. But the ability to effectively and persuasively present your ideas to others is critical to success in business, and in life.

Whether you're delivering a report in a meeting, pitching your boss on a new idea, or giving a talk to an audience, the core skills of speaking with power remain the same. Master these skills, and you will no longer fear the words: "Our next speaker is. . . ."

PREPARING YOUR PRESENTATION

Do your homework. "Do you know more about the topic than your audience?" asks Don Wright. "If you do, you can be confident standing there. If you don't, you better go do some homework."

Know Your Audience

As you're preparing your speech, ask yourself, "So what?" Because that's what the audience may be thinking.

"People don't care about what you want to say - - they want to know how it affects them," explains communications coach Don Wright, a long time radio broadcaster in Portland who's spent the past 15 years teaching others to be effective speakers.

Questions to ask yourself are: Do people want to be there or is the meeting mandatory? What do you have to offer them? What are their concerns? Figure out the answers to these questions before you arrive.

Practice Out Loud

When Wright trains speakers, they're often mortified when he pulls out his video camera, tapes them and asks them to watch themselves. Yet this is what it takes to get better.

"Many times, someone will practice in their head what they're going to say, and believe they've practiced their presentation," say Wright. "But they'll be performing, not just reading."

Wright recommends rehearsing in front of a mirror. Even better, videotape yourself. If that's too hard - and for many it is - he encourages presenters to a least tape record themselves to they can listen to how their presentation sounds.

SPEAKING WITH POWER

You've done your homework and know your audience. You've practiced your presentation. Now, it's time to deliver your talk. These tips will help you engage and hold your audience's attention.

Answer: "What's in it for ME?"

Corporate bosses may think it's not their responsiblity to get the message across, it's the employee's job to hear it. "Bull," say Wright. "No matter who you are, in the first two minutes of any presentation you have to answer the question: 'What's in it for me?' The audience's body might be there but you want their mind."

Point, Story, Point

The best way to organize what you have to say is to decide clearly on each of your main points, then find a story you can tell that illustrates the point.

"We remember stories because they have an emotional, personal impact on us," explains Wright. End each story by re-stating the point it illustrates, then move on to your next main point. This point-story-point format is used by almost all effective speakers.

Be Yourself

Why are we so fearful of standing up in front of others? Partly because when we stand up, we change the way we see ourselves, creating expectations that now we must be a 'speaker'.

"You want to be yourself, not present yourself," urges Don Wright.

Involve the Audience

"Great speakers carry on a conversation with their audience, rather than talking at them," observes Wright. Don't hide behind the podium, or stare at the overhead display. To connect with the audience, look at them!

Invoke the Power of the Pause

"A pause, like a period in a sentence, helps emphasize a point," explains Wright. A common mistake presenters make is speaking too quickly. "When you pause, you give people a chance to think. Remember, they are hearing this for the first time."

Punctuate Your Points With Movement

"Pacing back and forth gives the imperssion you don't know what you're talking about," warns Wright. "But purposeful movement can be used to punctuate an important point."

Likewise, waving your hands around will only distract the audience. But gestures and facial expressions that are congruent with your message can help emphasize key points

"When you're talking, what story is your face telling?" Wright likes to ask, noting that a plastered-on smile comes across as insincere.

ENDING STRONG

Less Is More

When it comes to wrapping up your talk, consider the old saying: 'Know your stuff, know whom you're stuffing, know when they're stuffed.' Part of the art of powerful speaking is know when to stop.

"We think that if we give them more information, they'll be impressed," says Wright. "They won't. They'll be confused."

Stop On Time

Don Wright urges speakers to always end on time. "If you say the meeting is twenty minutes long, you lose credibility if you go over."

End Where You Began

Use the final minutes to reinforce and summarize your main points. This is your chance to influence what the audience takes away from the talk. If you told them what you were going to tell them, then you told them, now's the time to remind them what you told them.

Don Wright