Apple has trademarked the slogan, “there’s an app for that,” which is why I used the trademark symbol in the title of this post. But this post is not just a cheesy “there’s an app for that” joke. Communispond really does offer a smartphone app for practicing your presentation skills.
“Practice makes perfect” is a cliché. But it is also true, with a reservation. That reservation is that if you’re not doing your task properly, practice is simply going to make you excel at doing it improperly. Ideally, you want to practice under the supervision of someone who recognizes perfection in the execution of your task and can guide you toward making improvements in your performance.
If you enroll in our Executive Presentation Skills® or our instructor-led online version, EPS Anywhere™, you will get the opportunity to practice your skills in the areas of voice, energy, and stance under the guidance of an instructor. Once the course is over, however, you still need to practice, and you still need guidance in your practice.
That’s why we created our smartphone app, ProSpeak®. There are versions for Apple™ and Android™ devices (the links are for download pages). The app presents tips for creating effective presentations, but what makes it unique is its ability to coach you in those critical areas of voice, energy, and stance
The Vocal Coach feature of the app provides you with instant feedback on vocal energy. Most people, when rehearsing a presentation, will speak through it quietly or even mutter it. Practicing your muttering does not do much to help you when it’s time to project the presentation to an audience. Practice with the Vocal Coach. Just tap on it, and it will instruct you to place your phone a few feet in front of you and hit “Start.” As you practice your presentation, the phone will flash green if your volume level and inflection are good, blue if they’re too low/weak, and red if they’re too loud/strong.
The Energy Coach feature of the app gives you instant feedback on presentation energy. Tap the Energy Coach, then hold the phone in your hand while practicing the presentation. The app will tell you if you are using too much, too little, or just the right amount of movement and energy.
The Visual Coach feature of the app gives you feedback on posture and body language. Tap it, and it presents you with silhouettes of inappropriate stances. Find the image that most resembles your own stance, select it, and press and hold the image to see the proper stance.
The app also contains slides of tips on how to prepare presentations, deliver them with impact, and how to properly present them when using visuals. It will also teach you about proper eye contact with Eye-Brain Control™ and the importance of projecting strong physical & vocal energy.
For more about ProSpeak®, check out our short video here or click on the button below:
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Then download the app! It’s the next best thing to practicing your presentation under the gaze of an expert coach who recognizes effective presentation skills.