Many of our clients have to speak at conferences.  Stepping away from your desk, and delivering an effective presentation can be a difficult thing to do.  And for most of our clients they fall into the trap of writing a speech that is void of their own personality, that has too much corporate jargon and won't create the desired impact.

So when you are presenting at a conference think of these following steps:  

WRITE A SCRIPT:  Write your script as you would speak to a friend - make it conversational and personal to you.  

EMBRACE STRUCTURE:  When you are writing your script make sure you embrace structure - make sure you write a really strong intro.  You want to capture your audience from the off - so how you start, and how you set up your speech can be really important. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:  Practice your script out aloud as much as you can.  You want to know that script as best you can, so on the day you feel comfortable and can concentrate on enjoying the opportunity to speak to people, rather than just getting through it.  

KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT:  Make sure you know the space you are going to present in - if you there is a lecturn, what sort of mic is it etc.  

NERVES:  We all get nervous.  And being honest about how you are feeling can make you more personable and relatable, so don't be afraid to share how you are feeling.  But a good trick just before you go on is to take just one deep breath in and out, and make sure it goes fully out.  That final breath will make you match ready!  

ENJOY IT:  And enjoy it.  Think of this as an amazing opportunity to share your message with others.  Be passionate.  Smile.  And connect with what you are saying!