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Simon Shaw’s tips for presenting

The Online Presenters Course with Simon Shaw took place in April, with the mentor sharing his tips and advice for presenting on stage, at shows and in front of the team.

The two-day session was part of the digital education from Fellowship for British Hairdressing and saw Simon, from Simon Shaw Education, discuss how to overcome nerves, how to plan a presentation and how to deliver it. He also looked at the importance of body language and eye contact when stood in front of an audience.

Simon, who has more than 46 years in the industry and is a former Chair for the Fellowship, said: “Being a good presenter takes practice, the ability to be honest with yourself, finding a mentor that you can trust who will guide and help you. I believe presenting is a skill that can be learnt, just like any other skill.”

Simon gives his top tips on enhancing your presenting skills

1 Expect to be nervous

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between presenting or being caught in an avalanche. Adrenaline will flood your body which will trigger the flight, fight, freeze, response. A lot of the nerves you have are baggage that you are carrying from earlier life. Breathing is absolutely vital and will calm your nerves and give you a focus.

2 Research your audience

Know who you will be presenting to. Make sure your content is relevant to the people who are watching or are tuned in. Look who is in the audience – is it stylists, salon owners, or freelancers? Base what you are talking about around them; remember it’s your audiences interests before your own.

3 Think your messaging

Be clear what you want to say, what are the key messages you want to leave your audience with? Often people will remember what you said last, that is why a recap is so important. Think about the last presentation you heard; research says we generally remember about 10% of what is said, so keep repeating your messages in different ways. Use mood boards and bullet points as opposed to a script. 

4 Make eye contact

Whether you’re on stage or on social media, if you keep looking away it can send a subtle message that you’re distracted or not interested. Imagine doing a consultation with a client, and not making eye contact; it’s the same when you are presenting.

5 Be confident

Confidence comes from two Latin words CON FIDES, which means ‘with faith’ so take a leap of faith into yourself, whatever happens you will survive. 

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