Master the Message :
Stand Up and Deliver

There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.                                                                 Mark Twain

In Steve Jobs biography (written by Walter Isaacson, the CEO of the Aspen Institute, has been chairman of CNN and the managing editor of Time magazine) it is apparent he had a lot of trouble with face-to-face communication. But, when he was front and center, he was masterful. He knew you could have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can't communicate your ideas to get people on board, it doesn't matter. Jobs was the king of corporate story telling. His passion and charisma ignited employees, customers and the world!

Here are some tips for your next presentation:

Do Your Homework
People are very astute observers when you are making a presentation. They sense when you are going by the seat of your pants. Preparing increases your self-confidence, and that will ooze out of every pore in your body. Your goal is to have them saying, "Wow! You really know your stuff." Also know your audience's predisposition toward the topic. Are they neutral, favorable, or hostile?

Design a PowerPoint
A PowerPoint presentation not only helps the audience, but also helps you present a clear message and keep organized. Use bullets and speak from them.

Never, Ever Read Your Presentation
 Never, ever bring a script to read. If you have the jitters about speaking in front of the group, you can use other techniques. You are allowed only one page, with bullet points in large print. Familiarize yourself with these "talking point" bullets. They serve as a trigger so that you can glance at them and already know what you want to say about each. Extemporaneous speaking is a hundred times better than script reading. Talk to the audience like you would have a conversation with a coworker in the break room. Public speaking is not some formalized ritual.

Use a story to educate and entertain your audience on the subject.
People love stories. Real life stories. It engages them. Stories can come from your own experience or from a story you read. One day while shopping a woman came up to me and said, "Audrey, I heard you speak twenty years ago and I remember a story you told about your son starting first grade. I have never forgotten it. " It was a story about the content and emotional dimension of messages and how differently men and women listen to them. She never forgot.

The Gender Communication Handbook –
Conquering Conversational Collisions Between Men and Women

The Gender Communication Handbook is for anyone who works with the opposite sex. If you are a part of a management team, in HR, or develop corporate training, this book is a comprehensive guide filled with smart advice, extensive research, self-assessments, and compelling true-to-life case studies. More

Code Switching –
How to Talk so Men will Listen

Code Switching  is a hands-on tool for everyday use at the office. It is a practical resource with how-to steps to help businesswomen conquer the communication nuances between men and women in the workplace. This book explores the gender impact on business talk. - More

You Don’t Say – Navigating Nonverbal Communication Between the Sexes

You Don't Say is the first book to explore the misunderstandings that often arise between the sexes due to nonverbal communication — and to show readers how to say what they mean and get what they want. More than words, it's nonverbal cues that have the power to improve — or impair — our interactions with the opposite sex at home and in the workplace.