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1. Keep the goal in mind – Have a very clear idea of a problem to be solved, an issue to be resolved. Know from the start what your call to action will be. Everything you do from beginning to end will support that goal. Don’t ramble or include irrelevant material Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. The best speakers have always stayed on point and used plain language to support their point.

2. Outline – Tried and true The old tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, then tell ‘em what you told ‘em. It really works. Instead of copious notes that you’re tempted to rely on, index cards with your heading and subheadings or a single page with your outline on the lectern or podium will keep you on track. If you’re using a PowerPoint presentation, use the screen that faces you as your notes.

3. Open with an attention getter – Whether it’s a startling statistic, a question for them to respond to, getting them all out of their seats for an exercise, or a humorous anecdote, you want to get their attention. You want them to sit forward in their seats, raise their eyebrows, show signs of life, even if it’s right after lunch. Once you have their attention, your job is to keep it.

4. Use three points to make your main point – Make the structure solid. Don’t bounce back and forth from one supporting topic to another. Have your three points and keep them clearly differentiated. If you have a handout, nothing is more distracting than having the audience flip back and forth through the pages. Keep the structure in place so people don’t have to work to follow your logic.

5. Keep them awake – Surprise them with an unexpected action or loud statement. Darren LaCroix, the 2001 International Champion for Toastmasters and successful professional speaker and coach, fell on his face to show the audience that falling on your face isn’t as bad as we think and kept talking. If you don’t know how to do something safely, don’t do it but do surprise them.

6. Keep the visuals simple – Nothing pops less than a presenter who reads lengthy notes or PowerPoint slides to the audience. You might as well offer pillows and blankets to the audience as they file into the room. Use your outline headings on your visuals, not paragraphs. Use graphics and photographs. It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Before and after pictures side by side can tell your story.

7. Have a closing that sticks with them – Tie your conclusion back to your opening, reiterate your three main supporting points, and say how your approach is going to solve the problem or resolve the issue. Give your audience a call to action, a specific step that will make a difference. If there is a physical or internet address they need, give them the address in your handout or on a card. Invite them to follow up with you.

We’ve all been exposed to a terrible presenter or instructor. The minutes drag by while the presenter seems oblivious to the reactions and needs of the audience. As an educator I know that there are several elements that are essential in creating a successful presentation. One of the most important is pacing. You should strive for a pace that moves quickly enough to maintain interest but allows enough processing time for the audience to comprehend the information. Processing time is the secret that will set your presentation apart from most of your competition.

Let’s use a 50 minute presentation as an example. Unless you’ve been hired as a keynote speaker you never want to spend the entire 50 minutes talking non-stop. Your presentation needs to be broken up into segments. This helps your listeners retain much more information than they would otherwise.

All parts of your presentation are not equal in terms of audience attention and retention. There is a natural ebb and flow to how we listen. We tend to remember best what we hear first, second best what we hear at the end and remember least what comes just past the middle. This is not news. We’ve known this for over 100 years, but like with many things, just because we know the right thing to do that doesn’t mean that we do it!

Talking to a group for 50 minutes or longer is common practice in school and business settings. We know better, yet we continue to do it. There is a better way and one that makes you an in-demand, effective presenter.

When you start preparing your presentation think in terms of dividing it into 3 segments. In a 50 minute presentation there will be two segments of optimal learning and a time when learning is lowest. These are referred to as Prime Time 1, Prime Time 2 and Down-Time.

The first segment is Prime Time 1 when retention is highest. Present new, important information here when your audience is fresh and most receptive. Don’t waste a lot of time talking about the weather, telling jokes or warming up the audience. You do need to create rapport but you can do this within the context of your material. Seminar presenter Fred Gleeck, says he always gives his most important piece of information in the first few minutes of a seminar. After about 12 minutes, retention starts diminishing. At 20 minutes it’s time for something else.

We now move into the second phase: Down-Time. The brain gets full of the new information and the mind starts to wander. Now is the time to have participants put their new knowledge to use. Set up a quick activity that allows participants to process the material in some way- talking to a partner or a small group or journaling. This gives the audience a break from new material, a chance to talk with others and hopefully move around a bit. It also lets your previous information “sink in” so it will be remembered. This activity will last roughly 8-10 minutes.

Now you are ready for Prime Time 2. This is the second best time for learning and retaining material. Use the last several minutes for review and closure.

If you follow this method your audiences will remain interested, retain more information and rave about your effective presentation skills. If you don’t give your audience time to process you will waste their time and your time.

Negotiations do vary. But whatever the technique, there is the risk of getting off track. That is why it’s important to arm yourself with the basic skills for negotiation – to prevent communication breakdown.

Learn To Communicate

Being clear on what you want to communicate is the first step in any successful negotiation. Having a strong idea to communicate what you want to say and what the other party wants to know is a good starting point.

Get Your Facts Right

Do your research and collect all the relevant facts. It’s vital that you prepare and rehearse all the details of the negotiations. Such details include issues such as your start date, salary and benefits, and how you will end the meeting.

After establishing these factors, you should strive to figure out what the other party wants in a calm and straightforward manner. You should always make sure that you are listening to the other party – it is a sign of respect, and your opinions will be better appreciated.

You can achieve this by repeating the points that the other party makes and by using positive language and feedback.

Avoid Arguments

While negotiating, you should never forget that it is all about finding a win-win solution. Arguments are the last resort and should be avoided at all costs. If you need to convey that you feel that the other party is wrong, do it in a nice way – this avoids creating bad blood and sending the negotiations south.

Of course, disagreements are bound to arise, as everyone thinks differently. If you have to differ on a certain point, do it in a way that does not demean the person you are negotiating with.

You should always remain emotionally calm, no matter how much you are provoked. You should be prepared to compromise and also try to convince the other party to make compromises. This is best accomplished by being prepared to adjust your expectations in order to meet the needs of the other party. Often it’s good to ask, “Does that sound OK to you?”

Whenever a negotiation involves money, it is wise to let the employer put the figure on the table first. This eliminates the possibility of you quoting a figure that might be either too high or too low.

At the same time, it’s also good to aim high, so that you won’t be exploited. Nothing beats confidence at the negotiating table, and that comes from understanding of what wining the negotiation means to you and your future career prospects.

Flexibility – The Key

You should always remain flexible throughout the negotiations. This is important, just in case the other party decides to change the terms of the deal. Your preparation will help you immensely, as you may need to change your negotiation approach without putting your objectives in jeopardy.

Showing signs of desperation may also prove expensive in some negotiations. It’s better if you indicate that you really want the deal to come through – but not at the price of saying yes to every issue.

How you close the negotiation is important. That means making sure that there are no loose ends left to tie up.

When it comes to your career, negotiation is necessary. Follow the tips above, and you will probably be successful.