Ragan Communication is a communication training and communication resource firm that offers a great deal of information on all matter of communication challenges. In their feed this morning there was a post about four crucial mistakes for corporate speech presentations by Angela Definis of Definis Communications. I think you will want to go to the link for the full discussion but her four major areas were:
1 -- Not appearing prepared to speak
2 -- Not keeping listeners' needs in mind (my favorite)
3 -- Not keeping with conventional etiquette
4 -- Not using a "speaker" tone (my least favorite)
Despite how I might feel about any of those blunders, she has extensive experience in coaching presentations and her summary is well written. It would be worth the read.
In all my Coker College communication courses I am afraid I preach Know Your Audience, which is why Number 2 is my favorite. Knowing your audience does not mean saying only what they want to hear -- it means knowing how to put your message into a frame they will understand. Often speakers use their personal perspective and ignore the audience perspective. When that happens it makes the entire presentation not worth the effort, expense and energy.
Showing posts with label public speaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public speaking. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
One difference between acting and presenting
Recently I was reminded about one MAJOR difference between acting and presenting. When you are acting, you are portraying a character who is not you. When you are presenting it is YOU in front of the audience.
During a recent speech by a local politician on our Coker College campus, some of the theater folks were wondering what he was doing out shaking hands with the audience in a a jovial meet & greet posture. They were not sure that was a good strategy. They were certain it was not something they would do prior to going on stage in a role.
Important Distiction
That is an important distinction between a person making a public speech and a person taking on a role. The speech maker is standing before the audience and in that stance is saying, "This is me." When I am talking with people about ways to minimize some of the anxiety, fear or discomfort they feel about giving a speech I often suggest getting to know some of the audience members. When I am fortunate enough to be giving a presentation to a group I try hard to be at the location early enough so that I can say hello, meet some of the people and carry on some short, pleasant conversation. For one thing it helps me get to know who is in the audience and for another thing, it helps the audience get to know a 'me' as me and not as the "speaker."
Actors have the job of creating a character for their audience. Speakers have the job of conveying themselves to the audience. Meeting prior to the presentation is often a good strategy for paving the way for presentation success.
During a recent speech by a local politician on our Coker College campus, some of the theater folks were wondering what he was doing out shaking hands with the audience in a a jovial meet & greet posture. They were not sure that was a good strategy. They were certain it was not something they would do prior to going on stage in a role.
Important Distiction
That is an important distinction between a person making a public speech and a person taking on a role. The speech maker is standing before the audience and in that stance is saying, "This is me." When I am talking with people about ways to minimize some of the anxiety, fear or discomfort they feel about giving a speech I often suggest getting to know some of the audience members. When I am fortunate enough to be giving a presentation to a group I try hard to be at the location early enough so that I can say hello, meet some of the people and carry on some short, pleasant conversation. For one thing it helps me get to know who is in the audience and for another thing, it helps the audience get to know a 'me' as me and not as the "speaker."
Actors have the job of creating a character for their audience. Speakers have the job of conveying themselves to the audience. Meeting prior to the presentation is often a good strategy for paving the way for presentation success.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Author proposed a PUNCH to open speech
In another post I mentioned being able to talk to a couple of classes of seventh graders at Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville, SC about how to produce a dynamic speech introduction. I think they might have liked the advice that a well known presentation guru gives in his newest book, THE NAKED PRESENTER. Garr Reynolds suggests the PUNCH idea for an attention-grabbing speech introduction.
Books and blogs are one way of trying to stay abreast of new information and Reynolds, in addition to this book, maintains a blog called Presentation Zen. If you look at much about presentations in today's search engines, you are bound to find a lot of references to the Reynolds ideas.
What does the acronym P U N C H stand for? Reynolds says you can punch up your introduction if you find a relevant PERSONAL STORY that will get immediate reaction from your audience. He notes that the UNEXPECTED is another great way and his ideas about engaging the audience through challenging their preconceptions is interesting. NOVELTY is also something that can command that attention. Most of us will give a second thought to something we may not have heard previously. If you CHALLENGE an audience in an attempt to move them from their comfort zone it is very likely you will be crafting an attention getting opening. Finally, the H is for HUMOR. Reynolds is quick to caution the potential speaker (presenter) that you are not telling jokes, you are finding humor in situations that related directly and specifically to what you are discussing.
Start your next presentation with a PUNCH and see if you don't get some warmer applause. I am looking forward to fitting in some of Reynolds' ideas into my Coker College speech classes following this semester sabbatical.
Books and blogs are one way of trying to stay abreast of new information and Reynolds, in addition to this book, maintains a blog called Presentation Zen. If you look at much about presentations in today's search engines, you are bound to find a lot of references to the Reynolds ideas.
What does the acronym P U N C H stand for? Reynolds says you can punch up your introduction if you find a relevant PERSONAL STORY that will get immediate reaction from your audience. He notes that the UNEXPECTED is another great way and his ideas about engaging the audience through challenging their preconceptions is interesting. NOVELTY is also something that can command that attention. Most of us will give a second thought to something we may not have heard previously. If you CHALLENGE an audience in an attempt to move them from their comfort zone it is very likely you will be crafting an attention getting opening. Finally, the H is for HUMOR. Reynolds is quick to caution the potential speaker (presenter) that you are not telling jokes, you are finding humor in situations that related directly and specifically to what you are discussing.
Start your next presentation with a PUNCH and see if you don't get some warmer applause. I am looking forward to fitting in some of Reynolds' ideas into my Coker College speech classes following this semester sabbatical.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Interesting article from Marketing Profs
There is an interesting article on the MARKETING PROFS web site that discusses public speaking and presentations. He has eight or nine tips. One of his tips is to minimize technology and the other tips generally talk about what you do with the technology you decide to use in the presentation. I really think he could have reemphasized the idea of leave the technology at home because people are wanting to hear your ideas and generally the technology is going to get in the way.
The best tip he has in the article is No Notes. "It is a little unauthentic...", he says. Really, you should know your content and be organized in MAIN POINT structure and be able to adapt your talk to the audience, the time available and the goal you have for making the presentation. That is all easy to write but not always as easy to implement.
So, I will end with one of my continuing public speaking tips. If it has been awhile since you have been in front of audiences, become a Toastmaster. That group makes a rapid difference in a motivated person's ability to become an effective public speaker. Or, if you are a student at a place like Coker College, make sure you get to the speaking classes and then take every opportunity offered to get in front of audiences.
The best tip he has in the article is No Notes. "It is a little unauthentic...", he says. Really, you should know your content and be organized in MAIN POINT structure and be able to adapt your talk to the audience, the time available and the goal you have for making the presentation. That is all easy to write but not always as easy to implement.
So, I will end with one of my continuing public speaking tips. If it has been awhile since you have been in front of audiences, become a Toastmaster. That group makes a rapid difference in a motivated person's ability to become an effective public speaker. Or, if you are a student at a place like Coker College, make sure you get to the speaking classes and then take every opportunity offered to get in front of audiences.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Books are a great place for "Material"
One of the major challenges for many beginning speakers is figuring out what to talk about. Most of these beginning speakers have a great many things they are doing and hope to do but often do not think about those things as speech material. We do a lot of brainstorming in my Coker College classes to come up with speech ideas. While I hear from many of these student that they don't read I continue to encourage them to look to books for both subjects and for speech-content material.
We are in a season when lots of people are summarizing their reading of the past year and I think some of these lists could be useful for speakers looking for ideas. Tim Elmore, who is a leadership trainer and also a frequent speaker, just posted his 12 top books from 2010. This is a good example of a list that could help others begin to find "material" for their talks -- both in class and in their real lives. This idea is not only good for students but can also work for people who are members of Toastmasters and other speaking groups.
I just finished a book by Steven Johnson about where ideas come from and this book could be good for a year's worth of speech material. In addition, he has a major bibliography in his notes section that is excellent for people who might be thinking, writing and talking on such subjects as innovation and creativity, learning, leadership, etc.
We are in a season when lots of people are summarizing their reading of the past year and I think some of these lists could be useful for speakers looking for ideas. Tim Elmore, who is a leadership trainer and also a frequent speaker, just posted his 12 top books from 2010. This is a good example of a list that could help others begin to find "material" for their talks -- both in class and in their real lives. This idea is not only good for students but can also work for people who are members of Toastmasters and other speaking groups.
I just finished a book by Steven Johnson about where ideas come from and this book could be good for a year's worth of speech material. In addition, he has a major bibliography in his notes section that is excellent for people who might be thinking, writing and talking on such subjects as innovation and creativity, learning, leadership, etc.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Audiences need to know why they should listen
Speakers put themselves through the anguish of preparing a speech because of the importance of the message they need to share. In today's world it is a truly arrogant speaker who believes that just because they have a message to share they are going to have an audience. Speakers must let audiences know "WIIFM" very early in the presentation or their audience will be long gone, even if still in their seats.
Last night I was a conversation that began with the other person remarking, "Why do so many presenters start in the middle?" It really was more a criticism than a question. The presenter started with what was important to the presenter and not what might have been important to the audience. There was not statement of why the change just starting in that the change was happening. If speakers help audiences know why the message may have importance, audiences will help speakers by paying attention.
While I always preach the major rule of communication is to KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE there is no question that in our society the reason for this knowledge is so you can tell them "What is in it for them" to listen to your message.
ALSO TRUE IN MARKETING --
I began to think this needed to be said when reading a blog post by Paul Gillan this morning having to do with business to business marketing. Gillan points out that in today's business climate what suppliers used to keep as proprietary they have to now share because customers need to know. Here is one part of his comment: "Make Marketing a Service to Customers - I didn't write down who said this, but the comment stuck with me long after the conference was over. The traditional role of marketing has been to create an image or deliver a message. Service had little to do with it. But in the new world of tuned-out customers, the only way to get make an impression is to be helpful, entertaining or memorable. This is one reason we’re seeing a race by B2B marketers in particular to give away tactics and information that were once their source of competitive advantage. It’s the only way to get prospects to pay attention. Marketers need to ask themselves a new question: "How can I help?”
So, if your are a speaker or a marketer you need to remember the audience or the customer starts with the question -- Why should I buy from you?
Last night I was a conversation that began with the other person remarking, "Why do so many presenters start in the middle?" It really was more a criticism than a question. The presenter started with what was important to the presenter and not what might have been important to the audience. There was not statement of why the change just starting in that the change was happening. If speakers help audiences know why the message may have importance, audiences will help speakers by paying attention.
While I always preach the major rule of communication is to KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE there is no question that in our society the reason for this knowledge is so you can tell them "What is in it for them" to listen to your message.
ALSO TRUE IN MARKETING --
I began to think this needed to be said when reading a blog post by Paul Gillan this morning having to do with business to business marketing. Gillan points out that in today's business climate what suppliers used to keep as proprietary they have to now share because customers need to know. Here is one part of his comment: "Make Marketing a Service to Customers - I didn't write down who said this, but the comment stuck with me long after the conference was over. The traditional role of marketing has been to create an image or deliver a message. Service had little to do with it. But in the new world of tuned-out customers, the only way to get make an impression is to be helpful, entertaining or memorable. This is one reason we’re seeing a race by B2B marketers in particular to give away tactics and information that were once their source of competitive advantage. It’s the only way to get prospects to pay attention. Marketers need to ask themselves a new question: "How can I help?”
So, if your are a speaker or a marketer you need to remember the audience or the customer starts with the question -- Why should I buy from you?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Relational Presence is an interesting goal for public speakers
Lee Glickstein is a public speaking trainer and author we have discussed previously in this blog and I really enjoy his concept of "Speaking Circles." He is a master in this art and his books and articles are worth spending time with for those who want to communicate messages.
As part of his email marketing campaign, I received a newsletter from Speaking Circles today and I thought the opening article worth sharing. There is no question in my mind that speakers have to GRAB attention in the opening moments of a presentation. Lee Glickstein is a bit less violent than I might be in his description but his ideas about "Opening and Structuring a Masterful Talk" are well crafted.
Here is what he says to open this line of discussion in his newsletter:
Open and Structure a Masterful Talk
by Lee Glickstein, founder, Speaking Circles International
"Once your priority in front of any group is to be with your listeners in Relational Presence, specific content gets much easier to plan. Here's an article about how to open and structure a masterful talk. Below I expand on the all-important first 30 seconds, the ideal opportunity to establish a sustainable relationship with your audience.
After being introduced, the first mistake most speakers make is to start to talk the moment the applause ends. The second mistake is to open with a joke, a provocative statement, or a social nicety.
Establishing a sustainable relationship calls for at least one full breath (no less than 10 seconds) of silence after the applause ends, to honor the moment, the occasion, and your listeners. (Not the technique of a "pregnant pause," but an authentically transparent receptivity that allows everyone in the room to arrive, including you.)
Then, an opening line most likely to bring the room to rapt attention is a sentence that sets up a one-minute story of an "aha!" turning point moment from your life. That sentence wants to be delivered conversationally, clearly, not dramatized, with precisely enough information to allow your listeners to visualize a scene (as in a movie) where the action is just about to start.
Then another full breath (yes, another 10 seconds) that signals everyone (including yourself) to make the pilgrimage to that moment. This 3-part "hello" (breath, sentence, breath) determines your first impression. When you master this 30-second dance, your capacity for what is called "public speaking" will fall into place beyond your wildest dreams.
Do read the article linked above for the rest of the opening sequence and structure of an effective talk. Here is an example of the real world power of such an opening. Twenty-five years ago I was at a networking meeting where the featured 10-minute speaker, a CPA, opened like this:
"[Full breath] When I was a child, most nights I would hear my parents arguing loudly well into the night. [Full breath] I would calm myself by counting sheep, imagining numbers on their sides. The numbers would go into the thousands, so I grew up with a sense of relaxation around large numbers. Eventually I became an accountant, and I love to relax my clients around their numbers."
I was not the only one in the room attracted to work with this man who was far from dynamic, but transparently real. He became my accountant for 15 years, then my financial adviser when he shifted careers.
So what's your story?"
I recommend your reading the entire article that can probably be found at Speaking Circles. The links I copied did not work for this blog today.
As part of his email marketing campaign, I received a newsletter from Speaking Circles today and I thought the opening article worth sharing. There is no question in my mind that speakers have to GRAB attention in the opening moments of a presentation. Lee Glickstein is a bit less violent than I might be in his description but his ideas about "Opening and Structuring a Masterful Talk" are well crafted.
Here is what he says to open this line of discussion in his newsletter:
Open and Structure a Masterful Talk
by Lee Glickstein, founder, Speaking Circles International
"Once your priority in front of any group is to be with your listeners in Relational Presence, specific content gets much easier to plan. Here's an article about how to open and structure a masterful talk. Below I expand on the all-important first 30 seconds, the ideal opportunity to establish a sustainable relationship with your audience.
After being introduced, the first mistake most speakers make is to start to talk the moment the applause ends. The second mistake is to open with a joke, a provocative statement, or a social nicety.
Establishing a sustainable relationship calls for at least one full breath (no less than 10 seconds) of silence after the applause ends, to honor the moment, the occasion, and your listeners. (Not the technique of a "pregnant pause," but an authentically transparent receptivity that allows everyone in the room to arrive, including you.)
Then, an opening line most likely to bring the room to rapt attention is a sentence that sets up a one-minute story of an "aha!" turning point moment from your life. That sentence wants to be delivered conversationally, clearly, not dramatized, with precisely enough information to allow your listeners to visualize a scene (as in a movie) where the action is just about to start.
Then another full breath (yes, another 10 seconds) that signals everyone (including yourself) to make the pilgrimage to that moment. This 3-part "hello" (breath, sentence, breath) determines your first impression. When you master this 30-second dance, your capacity for what is called "public speaking" will fall into place beyond your wildest dreams.
Do read the article linked above for the rest of the opening sequence and structure of an effective talk. Here is an example of the real world power of such an opening. Twenty-five years ago I was at a networking meeting where the featured 10-minute speaker, a CPA, opened like this:
"[Full breath] When I was a child, most nights I would hear my parents arguing loudly well into the night. [Full breath] I would calm myself by counting sheep, imagining numbers on their sides. The numbers would go into the thousands, so I grew up with a sense of relaxation around large numbers. Eventually I became an accountant, and I love to relax my clients around their numbers."
I was not the only one in the room attracted to work with this man who was far from dynamic, but transparently real. He became my accountant for 15 years, then my financial adviser when he shifted careers.
So what's your story?"
I recommend your reading the entire article that can probably be found at Speaking Circles. The links I copied did not work for this blog today.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Glickstein on Leadership Listening - We can HOPE
Lee Glickstein has a method of public speaking that he shares with people that he calls Relational Presence. I think of relational presence of understanding the importance of speaking so much from the need to get a message to listeners that you overcome the reluctance many of us feel about making "presentations." Don't take my idea. Check out his web site, which is included in the comments he makes in this observation about Leadership Listening. Since he and I both support this particular candidate for president, I thought I would share what seem to be on-target observations about the leadership style:
From a RELATIONAL PRESENCE newsletter on 10-31-08
Leadership Listening
by Lee Glickstein, founder, Speaking Circles International
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson in "Self-Reliance," an essay on Barack Obama's favorite reading list.
Chances are that in a few days we will elect a president whose most striking leadership quality appears to be the capacity to listen from a place of independent solitude during times of crisis. When I picture him coming up to a moment of truth when a critical decision needs to be made, a road to take or not take, a button to push or not push, a declaration or commitment to make, it's easy for me to imagine him breathing and listening in expanded neutrality even while surrounded by a whirlwind of details and opinions flying at him.
In these moments of chaos, the enlightened leader drops into a deep stillness at the eye of the storm, to an egoless state of no agenda and often, at first, no clue. A capacity for this expanded state of listening is critical for clear thinking and effective decision-making, and is in rare supply at any level of leadership--from leading a family to leading a nation.
The capacity for expanded listening is of course also crucial in leading one's own life. How do we maintain perspective and stillness at eye of the storm while chaos swirls around us and often within us?
In my life, desperation to conquer severe stage fright provided me a natural arena to work out this challenge. Speaking to a group, or even imagining such scenario, choked me with anxiety and dread. Decades of avoidance, humiliation, and not giving up led me to stumble upon a leadership principle that has allowed me to stand tall and still in the eye of the storm in front of any group: Listen first.
I don't speak until I first listen to my listeners. This takes at least one full breath. I listen while I speak. I listen to my words landing. I listen to the space between sentences, the longer space between paragraphs. I listen with my eyes, with one person at a time. My intention is to always be with one person at any time. This is the practice and priority of Relational Presence that is the basis of my life work.
Stillness is the underlying connective tissue of the group's soul. It's where we all meet. Shared presence becomes more interesting than the anxiety, more powerful than the fear.
Truth, grace, and inspired leadership emerge eloquently from shared presence and expanded listening. I'm looking forward to these qualities playing out on the national and global stage through our new president, should "that one" prevail on Tuesday.
Here are some relevant addresses for Lee: email: inquiry@speakingcircles.com
web: http://www.speakingcircles.com
From a RELATIONAL PRESENCE newsletter on 10-31-08
Leadership Listening
by Lee Glickstein, founder, Speaking Circles International
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson in "Self-Reliance," an essay on Barack Obama's favorite reading list.
Chances are that in a few days we will elect a president whose most striking leadership quality appears to be the capacity to listen from a place of independent solitude during times of crisis. When I picture him coming up to a moment of truth when a critical decision needs to be made, a road to take or not take, a button to push or not push, a declaration or commitment to make, it's easy for me to imagine him breathing and listening in expanded neutrality even while surrounded by a whirlwind of details and opinions flying at him.
In these moments of chaos, the enlightened leader drops into a deep stillness at the eye of the storm, to an egoless state of no agenda and often, at first, no clue. A capacity for this expanded state of listening is critical for clear thinking and effective decision-making, and is in rare supply at any level of leadership--from leading a family to leading a nation.
The capacity for expanded listening is of course also crucial in leading one's own life. How do we maintain perspective and stillness at eye of the storm while chaos swirls around us and often within us?
In my life, desperation to conquer severe stage fright provided me a natural arena to work out this challenge. Speaking to a group, or even imagining such scenario, choked me with anxiety and dread. Decades of avoidance, humiliation, and not giving up led me to stumble upon a leadership principle that has allowed me to stand tall and still in the eye of the storm in front of any group: Listen first.
I don't speak until I first listen to my listeners. This takes at least one full breath. I listen while I speak. I listen to my words landing. I listen to the space between sentences, the longer space between paragraphs. I listen with my eyes, with one person at a time. My intention is to always be with one person at any time. This is the practice and priority of Relational Presence that is the basis of my life work.
Stillness is the underlying connective tissue of the group's soul. It's where we all meet. Shared presence becomes more interesting than the anxiety, more powerful than the fear.
Truth, grace, and inspired leadership emerge eloquently from shared presence and expanded listening. I'm looking forward to these qualities playing out on the national and global stage through our new president, should "that one" prevail on Tuesday.
Here are some relevant addresses for Lee: email: inquiry@speakingcircles.com
web: http://www.speakingcircles.com
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