Presentation Skills
Articles for Speakers
This article is an excerpt from Wake 'em Up Business Presentations by Tom
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Learn Material Easily Using Bits
(AKA Chunks or Series)
Tom Antion
Washington, D.C.
A bit is a section of material that is so related that it makes
it easy for you to memorize. Each point flows naturally from one
to the next so you can deliver the information without notes (if
you know your material).
Until I learned about bits, I never thought I could be a
professional presenter because I'm not great at memorizing long
talks. I discovered that no one memorizes long talks. They have a
mental or written outline consisting of key words that trigger
the individual bit in their minds. Pros use this concept to be
able to deliver long presentations without the use of notes.
Becoming less dependent on notes has several advantages. When you
stand before a group and deliver information without using notes
your credibility automatically rises. The audience thinks, "Wow!
This person really knows the material." Since you won't be tied
to a lectern or forced to hold notes, you can get physically
closer to the audience, or actually enter the audience on
occasion. The closer you are to them, the better you will
connect. When you leave the script at home you can talk naturally
to the audience rather than read to them. You will also be more
confident because you no longer have to worry about your notes
getting lost.
Using bits has another big advantage. We are busy people. It's
tough to find a spare hour or day to practice a full
presentation. Bits can be practiced when you have a few minutes
here and there. You will be more likely to practice your material
(and we all need practice) if you can practice a three or five-minute chunk rather than
the whole
presentation.
Next issue learn how to get the audience ready to laugh.
"Tom's materials will cut five years of a speaker's learning
curve."
Cavett Robert, Founder and Chairman Emeritus,
National Speakers Association
Note: This article is part of an eleven part series excerpted from
Tom Antion's new book, Wake em Up: How to Use Humor and Other
Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business
Presentations. Anchor Publishing, 336 page softcover, $24.95 +
$4.00 S&H, (800) 448-6280 x 1 or FAX to (757) 431-2050 To
Order
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