. . . and, if they’re responding to you, they’re listening . . . hearing your message.  

And, of course, that’s why you’re talking.  You want them to hear it.

G’day!  Yes, that’s me . . .  Owen Stickels.  Welcome to High Grade Presentations.  I’ve built this website to help you be the best presenter you can be.

I do that by running high grade presentation skills courses, seminars and one-on-one sessions..  Additionally, I offer first rate training in public speaking and communication skills.

That’s it!

A narrow band of offerings, certainly, but it’s better to be an expert in one field than less so over a wider range of skills.  (My clients, happily, appreciate that philosophical approach.)

Re presenting (my focus within that narrow band), let’s look again at ‘. . . readily respond.’ 

If they’re listening, it’s because – all other things being equal – they’ve quickly recognized that you’re a capable presenter . . . someone who is worth spending time with.  They’re going to enjoy the experience.  And they’ll learn, too, because they know that . . .

• you will have researched your audience and have a very good idea about how to pitch your message to that particular group;
• that you’ll grab their interest right from the jump and – best of all – never lose it;
• that your presentation’s structure will be easy to follow and allow them, instead, to focus on the content;
• that you will spend very little time making abstract points, because you’ll be spending most of it bringing those points to life with concrete (read: real) examples (we are hard-wired to hear them);
• that your slides will show drawings and maps and photographs and all other manner of visual things . . . because your audience is not there to read;
• that you’ll be watching your audience the whole time; and
• much, much more.

Get all these things right, and your audiences will be delighted.  In the process, you will have developed terrific confidence in standing up in front of any group and talking. 

Goodbye nerves!  Hello cheerful audiences.

Better than that, hello cheerful and motivated or educated or entertained audiences . . . or, perhaps, all three.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or where you come from, presentation skills are presentation skills are presentation skills.  They fit into the ‘teach a man to fish’ aphorism.

Properly used, they’ll give your leadership style, or your sales figures, or your team’s motivation, or . . . whatever (including your career) . . . a hefty shove along.

Let’s go and see if those fish are biting.