Presenting

You’re a normal human being one moment and next you are standing in front of a crowd of people. Everyone is looking at you. They are waiting to hear you talk. You could be there for any number of reasons:

There are many tales of wonderful presenters and also woeful presenters. I will include some of them in my anecdotes as time goes on. But this page will offer you a few ideas on how to make your appearance to the world more professional.

Double Check

Double check everything. You could have an inexperienced organiser who lets you down. Check timings. I have experienced umpteen disasters in my career and am always prepared. They might give you ridiculous timings on your run sheet. So it is always better to question anything you are unsure of. You’re the one in front of the audience. Be aware then beware.

Training your Voice

It might sound boring but all of us need to learn. You may not have a good sounding voice but at least you can sound good with the right practice. The key being that your audience needs to understand what you are saying. Learn about warm ups before you present – lots of exercises on the net.

Appearance

How do you look? Find out what the occasion is about and dress suitably. An emcee with a t-shirt is a bit rude if the audience is dressed up for the occasion. A presenter with a short skirt might find she is on a high stage with the front row coping an eye full. Dress to feel comfortable – for you and the audience.

Know your Job

If you are the emcee, it is better to be an emcee. Some emcees think they are the ‘show’ and take over the event and bore everyone to death. I see the emcees job as the person who runs the show and keeps it moving. People like to know when an event will finish and don’t take kindly to running overtime.

Precious Guest Speakers

I have emceed a high number of Chambers of Commerce events. Here they have strict timings but how do you stop a guest speaker who is going overtime? I have no hesitation I walk on stage and stand nearby. They get the hint. If they don’t I move closer.

Your microphone

If they are not the guest speaker or presenting at the podium don’t hand over your microphone to anyone. It’s yours for the night. Once the microphone is out of your hand some people want to keep it and never shut up. I keep hold of it and point it to their mouth. If they are important they would have allocated a second microphone for them.

How to get a Emcee/Presenting Gig

Start doing some charity events. Join a Chamber of Commerce. Let people know you are available. Build a website. Hand out business cards. It’s a lot of fun––mostly!