The foundation of an effective presentation training program are the three pillars of Substance (the knowledge the speaker holds on the issue), Structure (the logical means by which this knowledge is presented to the audience, and Style (the use of rhetorical devices, the arrangement and choice of words, vocal quality, facial expression, gestures and other non-verbal communication.) These pillars support a Pyramid of Planning, Practicing, and Presenting, the development of which constitutes the heart of the workshop. The key elements of this Pyramid are the following:

PLANNING

Developing a presentation that adds value to your audience/customers; Defining your presentation's objective - what you want the audience to do in terms of its self-interest; Shaping your presentation for this audience at this time on this subject; How to gain "intelligence" on the audience so you can mesh your objective with the needs and concerns of the audience; Overcoming the inherent limitations in oral presentations of retention and audience attention-span; Exploiting the "Recency-and-Primacy Effect" to drive home key points.

PRACTICING

Achieving focus and thematic unity with the "3-1-2 Method;" Developing attention-getting openers and reinforcing closes; Constructing the logical scaffolding; Finding disarming and reinforcing quotations; Selecting language that appeals to the ears and the hearts of the particular audience to which you are speaking; Mastering certain "shortcuts to eloquence"--the "Rhythmic triple, strategic pauses, and rhetorical questions -- to appear a more experienced and polished speaker than may be the case.

Learning to practice "smart;" Anticipating, through the "Murder Board" --a rigorous simulation with colleagues role-playing the actual audience to be addressed--likely objections and questions so you can (1) preempt them in the presentation or (2) develop "zingers" to hold in reserve. When to use and when not to use visuals; How to design visuals so they reinforce, not distract from, your message; The benefits and pitfalls of Power Point; Avoiding "Murphy's law" with visuals.

PRESENTING

Channeling nervousness so it works for you; Why "how you look and how you sound" has such great impact on getting your message across; The lasting first impression; Demonstrating sincerity, clarity and conviction; Maintaining focus and thematic unity; The need for congruence between non-verbals and words; Learning how to "read" your audience while you are speaking; Eliminating "uh," "y'know" and other annoying fillers through the "Greek Chorus." How to recover gracefully from memory lapses while speaking; Making the "Q & A session your finest moment; Mastering the "bridging technique" in answering questions; Learning to avoid the annoying sound caused by "popping your Ps" when using the microphone; Turning audience "Cognitive Dissonance" to your advantage; How to win (or appear to not have lost) every debate and panel appearance; Getting in the last word with the audience to facilitate retention of your main argument.

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