Have you ever seen a speaker run out of time because he or she spent too much time answering very basic or very advanced questions that were irrelevant to most of the audience?
For example, a few years ago, I attended a presentation on using LinkedIn. The program description promised an overview plus a few specific steps to improve success using LinkedIn. The speaker got about ten minutes into her presentation to an audience of more than one hundred, when she was interrupted by a few people who asked very specific questions.
She answered each question thoroughly, but the problem was that most of the questions were either irrelevant to the rest of the audience (for example, “what do I do when I get this error when I try to log into my account?”) or too advanced (“can you walk us through the specific steps to create and moderate groups?”) or took up too much time.
With less than ten minutes to go before the end of her time limit, she had only made it through one third of her presentation and handouts. I spoke with many people afterwards who were frustrated and disappointed by how she had let the presentation get out of control without delivering on what she had promised.
While questions usually signal that the questioner is interested in what you have to say, you also have an obligation to cover the material that the audience expected, based on the description of your presentation or how it was advertised. And especially with a large audience, not all questions are relevant enough to everyone else to make it worthwhile for you to spend time away from your planned presentation.
Here are five strategies to ensure that those very specific or largely irrelevant questions don’t take up all of your presentation time:
1. In the description about your presentation, set the expectations as to the level that you will focus on – beginner, intermediate, advanced – and then stick to it. Remember that you are in control of the presentation and timing and it usually can’t get out of control without your involvement.
2. At the start of the presentation, let the audience know if, how and when you will handle questions.
3. If the situation allows, ask people to write their questions on index cards or sticky notes during your presentation, then collect and review them and choose some that are most relevant to answer.
4. When someone asks a question, request that they save it to ask again near the end of your presentation, if you haven’t answered it in the course of your regular material.
5. Don’t be afraid to NOT answer the question – explain that your answer might be too specific or not applicable to enough other people in the audience and request that the person take the question “off-line,” by asking you one-on-one during a break or after your presentation.
While it’s good to be responsive to questions, you also have to avoid letting them derail you from covering your message within the time limit.
To get more tips you can use immediately to improve your presentation skills, sign up for Gilda Bonanno’s free twice-monthly e-newsletter by visiting http://gildabonanno.com/newsletter.aspx and entering your email address.
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Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people from all walks of life improve their communication and presentation skills. Copyright (c) 2011
The will to win is important. But the will to prepare is vital.
— Joe Paterno
I saw this quote somewhere else and thought it was good. I’m not American or into sport here in my own country, let alone in other countries, so didn’t realise who I was quoting. Thanks for the comment, Richard. In no way do I support Joe, the man, but I have to leave the quote there because it is so true. As I said … “And sometimes, in public speaking, (as, no doubt, in sport, we need to be reminded of the vital connection!!)”
Presenting data is a very difficult challenge. It may be important that you be seen as the expert, but you are faced with the challenge of presenting this sometimes overwhelming mass of data so that an audience can understand and appreciate it. In Part One we acknowledged that, as for any presentation, the first step has got to be articulating for yourself what you want from the presentation, and that outcome needs to drive all that you say and all that you do with your presentation. In Part Two, we looked at visuals as a powerful support in this process and how to maximise their impact. Today, let’s look at the presentation skills needed to present data most effectively.
The first is to simplify the material as much as you can. Leave out some of the detail, if necessary, no matter how interesting it may be, so that you can keep your presentation focussed. And use language that will ensure the audience understands exactly what you want to communicate. Use plain English. Avoid jargon. If you must use acronyms explain them. Never take for granted that your audience is as familiar with your terminology as you are. Anything that will ensure there is no confusion, and that every detail of the presentation is understood.
Engage your audience. Data threatens to be boring. So add our own passion to the presentation. Make the delivery energetic and enthusiastic. You must be authentic. So inject your own personality and use your specific speaking strengths. If you are naturally funny, use that humour. If you are a natural storyteller, harness that. Enthusiasm is contagious!
Another way to engage your audience will also make the data more relevant and impactful. Use visuals, as we mentioned in Part Two. Draw on a whiteboard, or use photographs or images on your PowerPoint slides. Add a visual that makes the data real. Give it a human face. If you can, add a video of a person that represents the population in the data. Add emotion by telling a story about that person or the data represented, or use an analogy, and you will multiply the impact.
Finally, interact with the audience. This builds engagement. It will also give you the chance to make sure that everyone understands you and that you are getting the message across. Let them ask questions. Ask questions of them. Get them to agree or disagree with you so that they take ownership of the presentation and of the data and its relevance.
Keep your audience engaged and entertained. Keep them and yourself focused on your message and you will have a successful data presentation.
What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson (bio)
They allow you to provide more detailed information than you would put on a slide. They give your audience something to take away from your presentation, to review later. They are one more way for your listeners to be reminded of you and your key messages.
Handouts are especially useful if your presentation is highly technical or complex. They can further explain important information. For example, you may want to include in your handout supporting data that you chose not to include in your presentation, such as contact information, case studies, references, marketing literature, or other collateral materials.
Your handout also can serve as a summary of your key points. In any case, your handout can include more detailed information than you may have had time to cover in your presentation, or which — for your own good reasons — you’ve chosen not to include in your presentation.
Before or after? => http://bit.ly/rCqnC9
The best speeches don’t sound like speeches, and the best speakers make listeners feel as though they are being addressed directly. The trick is to make every presentation as natural and direct as a one-on-one conversation.
Presenting data is a very difficult challenge. The first step is engaging the audience with a strong emphasis on why it is important for them to understand what is being presented. Nevertheless they do need to understand the data you present. While ensuring its relevance is understood is vital, so is it vital that your audience understand each and every piece of data that you present, or they will just as surely switch off, and your outcome is lost.
Visuals are very useful here. Use pie graphs and bar charts; insert them into your slides if you are using slides. If you are using a whiteboard, draw as you tell the story or make the point. If you are using PREZi you can let the audience look at the data from different angles. The visual representation will reinforce your explanation and the point you are making.
If it is necessary to use graphs, diagrams and charts, make sure they are as simple as possible. While you probably want to impress with your understanding of complicated data, being able to simplify it will have far more of an impact, particularly in terms of getting your message across.
And make sure that everything about them is clear. Sometimes it’s necessary to explain so that all the implications are clear as well. There may have been a very good reason for choosing the axes in the graph. There may have been a very good reason for choosing the increments that are used. While it may seem obvious to you, it may not be to the audience, and it may make the data relationships clearer.
You can also add to the impact of the visuals. There may be a story behind the points on a graph. It is the intersection of two values and maybe the relationship is reasonably clear. But if you can give the reason why this relationship exists or maybe the history behind it, then it will be so much clearer. And if you can put a human face on it, with a human story then the relationship and the point you are using it for will have so much more impact. If wages are going down and costs of living rising, for example, then a story about a family forced to live in a car will make the impact so much more real. Another way to add a human face, or a realistic face, is to use a graphic representing the actual item being quantified. This can be particularly useful in a bar graph. If the bar consists of pictures of dollar coins to represent money, or of groups of people to represent populations or groups, for example, again the impact is multiplied.
In the midst of all this, it is important to remember, still, that you are presenting points towards a persuasion of some kind. It can be useful to have the point you are making as the heading for the slide that contains the visuals. And while the visuals should be as detailed as is necessary to make them understandable, too much detail will overwhelm. Remember the visuals only need to make a point, not necessarily present all the data. If all the data is necessary for later inspection and verification, put it in a handout, and leave the slides as simple as they can be.
Visuals are your greatest ally in presenting data. They can add impact and keep your audience engaged with the thread of your message. Your simplification and design of the material to support that message and the thoughtful explanation you add to it, will support the success of your data presentation.
I have always loved this quote … I like the thought of words taking on their own energy.
Sometimes I feel they do, and that is when they truly can engage an audience … or assault the unthinking.
Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.
John Maynard Keynes
Many of us either speak professionally as an added component of our value to clients, or speak because we must in order to market our services to wider audiences. Whether we mount the platform with relish to gain additional revenues, or ascend with trepidation to try to convert a few more hearts and souls, we should beware of the myths surrounding professional speaking. As someone with a foot in both consulting and professional speaking camps, I thought I’d provide this public service. => http://bit.ly/vtPQBZ
Storytelling is the most underrated thing when it comes to business, it is everything when trying to convey emotion and attachment to your brand and in today’s world a Press Release is JUST not gonna CUT IT!
Presenting data is a very difficult challenge. You are presenting as the expert. You have worked hard to collect the data and/or to synthesize it for presentation. It may be important that you be seen as the expert, but you are faced with the challenge of presenting this sometimes overwhelming mass of data so that an audience can understand and appreciate it. What is the best way to do that?
Usually the first step is to design the visuals. What can we present this data – graphs, pie charts, lists ….?
While that is certainly a valid part of the process, it should not be the first step.
As with any presentation, the first step has got to be acknowledging what you want from the presentation. You probably already know what that is. It may be that you want to persuade someone to take action – to donate to your cause, to fund your research, to hire you, or to change company policy. It may be that you want to persuade people to believe your theory about something. And underlying those outcomes may also be a desire to be seen as the expert, to be seen as relevant to the audience in some way, to be seen as credible. So if you need to, define it first, but certainly acknowledge it, and then use it in choosing how the presentation will proceed.
In choosing the direction of the presentation, the first aim is to engage your audience. Give them a reason to listen and not to switch off. Make it clear why this presentation will be relevant to them, why it will be worth their while to listen. And make it clear just what they can expect to get out of it if they listen. Just because you are presenting data, does not mean you should stop making “you” a prominent word in your speech. So start with the end objective. Present it up front. Explain why it is important for your audience to understand the data. Put the big picture first. Use stories, examples, anecdotes and analogies, not just the facts.
Your audience is used to dealing with the flood of information that each of us faces every day. They know that unless they have a reason to focus on, or to engage with, a particular piece of that information, they have to tune it out. So let them know your particular pieces of information are relevant to them. The use of stories, personal examples, analogies, even metaphors will personalise the data and engage your audience with it.
So keep that WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) aspect always present in the presentation, and you will engage your audience – the first step to having them think, act or feel the way you want them to.
Business speakers are speakers whose target audience is business professionals. Their primary role is to motivate and inform people in business. The demand for business speakers is high. Corporations are always looking for ways to train and motivate their employees. Even with the high demand for business speakers, this is a role not just any speaker can fill. A business speaker must have experience and solid expertise in the field. However, experience and expertise are not enough. There are certain qualities that a speaker must possess in order to succeed in the field.
What are the qualities of a good Business Speaker?
1. Credibility: To earn credibility, business speakers must establish a reputation for excellence and integrity. Their track record in their own business affairs must be beyond reproach. As a speaker, you can’t motivate others if your background in business is sketchy or questionable.
2. Optimism and Confidence: There will always be problems in the business world. The solutions are not always obvious. That is where a good business speaker comes in. The speaker’s job is to show their audience that for every problem, there is a corresponding solution. It is particularly helpful if the speaker has direct experience with finding solutions to difficult situations. To convince an audience that there are always solutions an optimistic outlook and demeanor must be evident in the speaker. Confidence plays an important role in this as well. A confident and optimistic speaker will be far more likely to motivate others to believe that difficult situations can be overcome.
3. Sincerity: Keep it real and be yourself in your talks. Your audience will be able to relate to you on a much deeper level if they see you as someone who has “walked a mile in their shoes” in the real world of business. Let them know you feel their pain, and have solutions to offer.
4. Passion: In order to capture the attention of your audience you must demonstrate that you are passionate about your topic. Your passion will translate into a talk that is entertaining, engaging and inspiring. If you don’t believe in your message, you won’t convince anyone else, especially a group of savvy business professionals.
5. Knowledgeable: A business speaker has to have a high level of knowledge in their particular niche, and they must bring something new to the table. The speaker must be prepared to answer questions; a surface level understanding of the topic will not suffice.
6. Leadership: A huge part of being successful in business is having strong leadership skills. This is true for the business speaker as well. A big part of that skill set is excellent communication. The speaker has to be able to communicate their message effectively to a wide variety of personality types in order to lead them to new knowledge and solutions.
To become a top business speaker, look closely at your own strengths and weaknesses. Focus on developing and strengthening these qualities. If you can cultivate these qualities, and accompany them with a good sense of humor, you will have the makings of a great business speaker.
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For over 25 years Dr. Arnold has been CEO of Windhorse Corp., where he assists the nation’s top speakers, coaches, authors, entertainers, business owners and sales executives. His mission is single focused: to help his clients learn the insider secrets how the Top 1% of Speakers earn massive amounts of money with their speaking career in the most direct and easiest way possible.
To get more tips you can use immediately to improve monetizing your speaking, presentation, and coaching skills, sign up for Dr. Gary Arnold’s monthly e-newsletter by visiting http://www.6figureSpeakers.com and entering your email address. http://www.windhorse.org
In the speaking world, the media stars are the keynote speakers. A lot of seminar leaders and trainers ask me how they can adapt their material to this intense, high-profile, and often lucrative specialty.
* “The keynote speech comes from the discipline of show business. The seminar comes from the discipline of teaching.” Bill Gove, first president of the National Speakers Association.
* “With a keynote speech, the presenter is the star. With seminars, the leader needs to make the audience members the star.” Don Thoren, past president National Speakers Association and long-time seminar leader.
To understand the big difference between keynotes and seminars, start by appreciating the unique characteristics of each.
… read more => http://bit.ly/rpSMIw
Natalie Rogers
The New TalkPower is a mind-body system that integrates neurobiology, behavior modification, performance techniques, speech crafting and leadership skills to help you master every aspect of public speaking — from gracious toasts to great speeches.
You’ve got great ideas trapped in you. You know the importance of public speaking and you want to use your speaking skills to make your audience’s lives better. The problem is that if you aren’t careful, what you say during your speech will just go in one ear and out the next. How can you make your next speech more “sticky”?
Can You Say That Again & Again?
I must confess that I’m a bit torn when it comes to recommending this particular technique for getting your audience to remember what you’ve told them. For you see, it goes against one of my most cherished beliefs about how to be a successful public speaker.
I’m willing to break my long held belief because of the importance of public speaking – if it’s important than you’ve got to find a way to get your audience to remember what you tell them. One powerful way to do this (I can’t believe that I’m actually recommending this) is to repeat yourself.
I’m sure that we’ve all heard the saying “When giving a speech, you want to tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them again.” I hate this saying. In today’s environment, audience’s won’t pay attention to you if they think that you are just saying the same things over and over again.
All that being said, it turns out that repetition works. All you have to do is think about some of the TV commercials that we’ve all be exposed to over the years and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can remember a jingle or a silly catch phrase.
In conclusion, I believe that repetition has its place. You probably don’t want to over use it and you certainly don’t want to end up repeating your entire speech; however, picking the key points that you want your audience to remember and taking the time to repeat them can have a powerful impact.
Don’t Just Say It, Trigger It!
No matter how good of a speaker you are, there’s a really good chance that your audience won’t remember what you’ve told them. What this means for you is that you’ve got to come up with a way for the key points that you made to be recalled by your audience – this is one of the benefits of public speaking.
Clever public speakers use what are called “triggers” to make this happen. A trigger is an association that you plant in your audience’s minds that will cause them to remember the point that you were trying to make. An example of this would be if you were trying to motivate an audience and you wanted them to realize that they had an unlimited potential. You could tell them that the green light on a traffic light represented their unlimited potential and that every time they see a green traffic light they should remember what you told them.
The great thing about triggers is that they can last long after your speech is over. A well done trigger will continue to remind your audience about what you’ve told them for a very long time.
What All Of This Means For You
As a speaker you have two main goals: to provide your audience with clear direction on how to solve problems and to provide them with ways to remember what you’ve told them.
There are many different ways to go about doing this. One such way is simply to repeat your key points more than once. The power of repetition is that it will cause what you’ve told your audience to firmly stick in their minds. Another way to make this happen is to create triggers. Triggers will be associated with your key points and will cause your audience to remember what you said when they encounter the triggers in their everyday lives.
Making and communicating powerful information is what public speakers do. All of the presentation tips in the world won’t help your audience remember what you’ve told them. Even if your audience has the best listening skills in the world, they’ll quickly forget what you’ve told them without some help. Use the two techniques that we’ve discussed and they’ll be able to remember what you’ve told them and, more importantly, apply what you’ve told them in their lives…
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Dr. Jim Anderson
Your Source For Real World Public Speaking Skills?
Do you give speeches today, but want to learn how be more effective? Dr. Jim Anderson believes that great business skills are no substitute for poor presentation skills. Dr. Anderson will share with you the knowledge that he has gained while working to improve the speaking ability of both individuals and teams of speakers for over 20 years. Learn the secrets of effective speakers and really connect with your audience during your next speech.
If you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at:
Tweets by drjimanderson
Preparation is one of the most powerful drivers of success in public speaking.
Some people will tell you they don’t prepare. They may be lying. It was Mark Twain who said “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”. Or they may be like world champion, Craig Valentine, whose mantra is “Don’t get ready to speak, stay ready to speak.” It may also be that they are preparing mostly in their heads, visualising trying out new word combinations and structures for their speeches, rather than a more formal preparation, say, sitting at a desk and writing.
So don’t leave your speeches to chance. Preparation is the key to success. Here are nine ways you can make preparation work for you.
The first step is to define what you want to achieve with the speech. What is its purpose? It is vital to be very clear on this purpose, so spend time preparing a statement of purpose that will drive everything that you do and say when you present.
The second step, then, is to thoroughly prepare your content. Research it, think about it, talk about it, play with the themes that emerge. Confidence will come when you are deeply familiar with your material. Create visuals if you are using them, to enhance your speech and build engagement with the audience.
Once you are familiar with your material and the structure of your speech, you will be far more fluent in your delivery and you will lose the need to rely on notes. Rehearse out loud to reassure yourself you will not forget the main points of your speech.
The third step is to prepare what people will see. Dress professionally and/or in a way that supports your message and image. Prepare how you will move, use the stage and gesture.
The fourth path to success is to plan how you will use this speech, especially if you are marketing yourself, your product or service. Plan the stories you will tell in your speech. Plan how you will look and speak. And plan how you will structure your speech to support your message or promote your product. Plan also the logistics of back-of-room sales, or for getting sign-ups for your emails. Make sure you have all the materials you will need for this aspect of success.
The fifth step is to prepare yourself. If you have a problem with confidence, for whatever reason, use the strategies that work for you, to translate your nerves into passion for what you are about to do. Use mental strategies like compartmentalising the nervousness and accepting it is there, reminding yourself that it is really excitement and passion for your subject and your audience that is making you feel that way. Use physical strategies like being aware of other parts of your body, breathing exercises, and a warm-up routine.
The sixth preparation tool is to practice. Your speech will improve by 80 percent just from one rehearsal – out loud. Use the rehearsal to develop confidence in your memory. Use it also to make sure you are using your voice to its best potential – supporting the meaning of your points, and creating variety in the listening experience. This time can also prepare you for your “conversation” with the audience. You can develop language that works best in spoken rather than written communication. You can visualise your audience and how they will react to what you say and how you say it, and edit your material and your presentation style accordingly.
It will be this rehearsal that allows people to think that speaking comes naturally to you, and that you did not rehearse. But the famous South African golfer Gary Player said, ‘The harder I practice, the luckier I get!’
Try, if possible to have a warm-up before your speech. This seventh activity can include vocal exercise so that your voice is prepared. It can include tongue-twisters to make sure your brain is communicating well with your mouth. And it can include some physical exercise to decrease nerves and to ensure oxygen is flowing to your brain.
And though I mentioned logistics earlier, this deserves its own preparation success category, the eighth. The more you are prepared for every aspect of your presentation the better you will be able to deal with whatever arises. So make yourself familiar with the room and its setup. Adjust it if possible and necessary. Familiarise yourself, too, with the equipment – laptop/projector, microphone, lectern, whiteboard– whatever it is you are using. Be comfortable with using them and how you will use them within the space. Make sure you have handouts ready for when you need them and any other prizes or presents you intend to give out.
And finally, be prepared to be flexible! None of what we just mentioned in the eight strategies is set in stone, particularly if you want to be credible, confident and engaging. So have a Plan B (and C and D) for if the technology fails. Be prepared to change your stage use if the stage is different from what you expected. And be constantly on the alert to changes in the audience so that you can adapt your material to suit their response to you. And in the end, be prepared to admit to a problem. Your authenticity will endear you to your audience.
You really cannot leave any of this to chance (or to luck!) Being prepared to give an excellent speech, being prepared so that it flows smoothly and being prepared for the majority of eventualities will lead you to a successful presentation – achieving the outcomes you intended and getting you repeat bookings. And as for those who say they did not prepare, and are not lying …. It shows!!
Self-expression must pass into communication for its fulfillment.
Pearl S. Buck
… and of course every speech or presentation is communication – hopefully even a conversation.
… but does self-expression need to turn into communication to be fulfilled? Can one express oneself just for the sake of creating something, for learning mastery? What about the value of a journal that no-one ever reads but that is so cathartic, and supportive of personal growth?
Am I missing something?
Used wisely, PowerPoint® and similar programs can be an effective tool to help audiences remember your message, while allowing you to prove, reinforce, and support your claims.
Used unwisely, PowerPoint becomes a distraction that upstages the presenter and buries the message. With its tumbling, whooshing, flying, singing and screeching graphics, PowerPoint can take on a life of its own.
All these bells and whistles can disconnect the slides from the presenter and destroy the reason for using them in the first place–to provide an audience with at-a-glance comprehension to support the presentation.
PowerPoint can represent essential data to support points in a way that boosts clarity, credibility, and retention. PowerPoint incorporates a wide variety of tools for selecting colors, fonts, formats and styles.
You can import content from word processing programs or charts from spreadsheet applications.
PowerPoint also lets you create your own graphics and tailor the data to meet your own special needs.
PowerPoint has a range and flexibility that allow you to quickly pull together some great visuals or to invest hours simmering a cauldron of confusion stew. The key is to know how to use it wisely. => http://bit.ly/nNv8as
Just magic!! What an inspiring speech this was! Even if you watch only the beginning, you can learn from her technique. She had them laughing with her from the start.
Public speaking is all about getting a message across … speaking.
OK, that being said, let’s step back and away from that for a moment and think about it differently. Think about it as you would a television show or movie with the sound off. What do you see? What does your audience see when you are speaking (with the sound off)?
Look at your clothes. What do they say about you? Yes I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we do. Everyone does. Audiences do. So what do your clothes say about you? Is that the message you wanted them to convey? The message the audience gets from your clothes needs to support the impact you want to make.
On the other hand, are your clothes making their own statement? Do they stand out so much that they are more interesting than your words or message?
What the audience sees needs to reinforce your message and both need to work together to create the impact you decided you wanted. You did choose an impact, didn’t you? You didn’t want to just leave it to chance, did you?
So when you are rehearsing and preparing your speech or presentation by visualising the whole process being a success … include in the picture what you will look like. Imagine what the audience response is to what you look like. Run a mind movie of what you look like when you walk onto the stage or to the front of the room. What are they expecting to be in the book that is you when they see its cover? What are they thinking. Look into their minds. Read their faces. Is that what you wanted? If it’s not, then adapt the picture accordingly. Change the mind movie until you know that the way you look is going to get the response from the audience that you want. Then you will be thoroughly prepared to create the impact of your choice.
Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.
Maya Angelou
Some speakers say, “I could never use humour in my speech; I just don’t feel comfortable with it.” I believe that anyone can use humour and that it is a valuable tool in speaking. Appropriate humour relaxes an audience and makes it feel more comfortable with you as the speaker; humour can bring attention to the point you are making; and humour will help the audience better remember your point. It can break down barriers so that the audience is more receptive to your ideas. First, let me make it easy for you to use humour. http://bit.ly/oAKOwt
Speak to Win: How to Present with Power in Any Situation
Brian Tracy
EAN:978-0814401576
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Amacom
Published in: United States
Published: January 2008
There’s nothing worse than sitting in the audience while an inept speaker stumbles through an ill-conceived business presentation– unless, of course, you’re the one floundering in the spotlight. In 101 Ways to Captivate a Business Audience, Sue Gaulke, founder of the Speaker’s Training Camp, strips the mysteries from the process by showing how to prepare and present an effective address that will successfully involve your audience and deliver your message.
“The foundation of confidence in virtually every field is preparation.” —Brian Tracy
You’ve got great ideas trapped in you. You know the importance of public speaking and you want to use your speaking skills to make your audience’s lives better. The problem is that if you aren’t careful, what you say during your speech will just go in one ear and out the next. How can you make your next speech more “sticky”?
Everyone Loves A Good Picture
Considering how hard we speakers work to get our words right, you’d think that our audiences would have the common courtesy to develop the listening skills that will allow them to remember what we tell them, right?
Unfortunately, remembering words that we’ve been told is very hard for any audience to do. In fact, trying to remember a particular set of words when we’ve been hit with a bunch of different ideas during a speech can almost be impossible.
The good news here is that there is something else that works: pictures. Call it a fluke of evolution or whatever, but we humans do a much better job of remembering images than we do words. What this means for us as speakers is that we need to get better at creating mental images in our audience’s minds.
You might be thinking that all you have to do is to find the right image to put on a PowerPoint slide and then you’d be home free. Well yes and no. Doing this can certainly help make your message more memorable; however, it’s not where the real power comes from.
Instead, it’s the images that your audience create in their own minds that will stick for the longest time. These are the images that they build upon hearing the words that you say. What this means for you is that you need to start to use words that will describe the image that you want your audience to be imagining. Talk about how things look, what they would feel like if you could touch them, what color they are, how big they are, and of course what makes them unique or memorable when you look at them.
If You Can Tell A Story, You Can Make An Idea Stick
Painting images in your audience’s mind is a great way to start to make what you are telling them stick. However, you can take this one step further if you are willing to tell stories.
This is one area where you do need to be careful. Just telling any old story isn’t going to be enough. Instead, you need to tell stories that are going to connect with your audience and you need to make sure that those stories relate to the points that you are trying to make in your speech.
The stories that you tell need to be memorable. In order for this to happen, you need to make them be both emotional and unexpected.
The reason that you want to make your stories emotional is because if you can appeal to your audience’s emotions, then you will have found a way to make your story “sticky”. Long after you are done telling your story, your audience will remember what you said.
The worst kind of story that you can tell is a boring story. This means that you need to make sure that your story contains unexpected elements. By doing this you don’t allow your audience to become complacent and start to think that they know how your story is going to turn out. Keep showing them that they haven’t heard this story before!
What All Of This Means For You
All too often when we give a speech, our speeches which appear to us to be fantastic are loaded with too much information for our audiences to absorb. What we say goes in one ear and out the other. Clearly something has to change here.
As speakers, we are always looking for presentation tips that will allow us to share the benefits of public speaking. Getting our ideas to stick requires us to use two presentation tips: creating mental images and telling stories. The images that we can build in our audience’s minds are what will cause our key points to stick. We can enhance the “stickiness” of our message by adding stories to our speech. Long after the speech is over, the stories will be remembered and retold by our audience.
In today’s busy, busy world, it is no longer enough for us to give a good speech. We need to take the time to add presentation tips such as mental image building and the telling of stories to our speeches in order to make them stick. Doing so will transform your next speech from forgettable to life changing!
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Dr. Jim Anderson
http://www.blueelephantconsulting.com/
Your Source For Real World Public Speaking Skills?
Do you give speeches today, but want to learn how be more effective? Dr. Jim Anderson believes that great business skills are no substitute for poor presentation skills. Dr. Anderson will share with you the knowledge that he has gained while working to improve the speaking ability of both individuals and teams of speakers for over 20 years. Learn the secrets of effective speakers and really connect with your audience during your next speech.
If you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at:
http://twitter.com/drjimanderson
Speaking to a trade or professional group-or to a client’s employees-is really quite simple. If you’re not a professional speaker and want to become one, or are one and want to do it better, here are some shortcuts in one concise article. (And these rules apply to managers at meetings, executives at conferences, presenters at board meetings, and anyone else seeking to influence an audience.)
Does being afraid that you cannot effectively field questions by the audience keep you from accepting opportunities for public speaking? You are not alone; believing you will look like a dummy and lose your credibility (or the sale) for not knowing an answer can be overwhelming.
Growing beyond this concern starts with a look at this possibility from your audience’s perspective. The audience has arrived because it has all ready been determined that you are credible and know what you are taking about. Agree with the person who gave you the nod to speak to this group.
Agreement is powerful and a two-edged sword. Two or more people who believe presenter may get themselves in trouble must be avoided at all costs so tell those close to you who are concerned to hush. Remember the audience is not thinking in this vein. These opposing actions can create a perfect storm. Did you see the movie? This is not a good thing.
Managing the, “I don’t know” scenario is the same on and off the platform. You have a few ways to handle this.
1. Get Real and Plan: While planning the presentation play devil’s advocate by intentionally trying to stump yourself. Looking at the presentation in an attempt to pick it apart is a best practice and is a terrific way to ward off a potentially uncomfortable scenario. If while asking tough questions about your material you may discover a key point that needs to be added to the body of the presentation. If so, add it.
If what you discover is important and should be the pivotal point of the presentation, then rewrite the introduction and work it into the body and the conclusion. Your opening statements should be statement with a promise of sorts to prove your statement and therefore must be within the body and the conclusion of the presentation.
By the way, the trick of speaking well into the Q&A session to avoid questions is not unprofessional nor does it work.
2. Be Real and Fess Up: It is going to happen you know – getting stumped. If you are not Elvis and have, “left the building” someone, at some point, will approach and leave you speechless. Whether this happens from the platform or one-on-one after the presentation – your answer can be the same, “Good Question. And, (pause) I do not know. I will, however, quickly research that answer after we are finished here or if you would prefer, leave your contact information (eMail) with ____________ (name your host) I will get back with you before day’s end.” If you are stumped during the presentation you may also add, “Is anyone in the audience know the answer or this question?” As always be sure all members of the audience can hear the question and the answer to every question.
Warning: Not following up with an answer will cost your credibility, the sale, or both.
3. Be Professional and Network: As an ongoing practice, surround yourself with people who know more than you so you may call upon to help you with the answer (and more). Dr. Ted Becker, one of two people in history who have a PhD in human performance said, “It is important to be the dummy of the group. The only way there is up.” Surprisingly, knowledgeable people often cannot find a person in to mentor. Recently, Karen Timmons with Dell, Inc. said, “It is not a crime to not know the answer. It is, however, a crime to not know who does.”
Consider this incident:
Lat week I was in the exam room with my doctor when he took his cell phone from his pocket and searched for the answer to my question. This was blatant evidence that my doctor doesn’t know all things medical. This came as no surprise to me as even the best cannot answer all things. Nor is it reasonable to think so. (Your audience knows this.) In my mind my doctor’s credibility actually increased as it appeared that my question and I were important to him.
Get Real. Be Real. Be a Professional.
Be Not Afraid.
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Kathryn is owner of Write Speak Transcribe Business Services
Kathryn has been a freelance writer for fifteen years and a Food Service Management Specialist for eighteen years.
She is a dynamic speaker who provides her client’s end users with a presentation that yields responses like, “Thanks for telling me that!” and “Where do I sign?” She specializes in providing her client’s an opportunity to contribute to their customer’s knowledge base in a particular area — a customer enlightenment that oft times is not sales related yet produces an increase in the bottom line of those who utilize her.
Timely and accurate transcription services are managed by Kathryn’s mother, Onita Walker. Onita types 120 words a minute with accurate spelling and punctuation and has 40 years experience transcribing confidential conversations in the field of law.
Words are powerful and words are our passion.
Kathryn
Cell (928) 713-1812
Web: http://www.writespeaktranscribe.com
Email: kathryncrew@cableone.net
Email: Onita@cableone.net
Enthralling speakers interweave captivating stories into their key points.
What are the nuances that distinguish an entrancing story from a boring one?
How can you craft your stories to make your points — and you — more memorable?
Three master storytellers tell their secrets to ensuring stories are memorable and engaging. Each has a different slant on the topic so hear their ideas and adapt them to your style.
These questions and many more will be answered in this trio of teleseminar recordings.
• “Digging for the Treasures in Your Stories” with Emory Austin, CSP, CPAE
• “Add Oomph to Your Stories by Bringing the Characters Alive” with Jon Schwartz, a.k.a. Vinny Verelli
• “Creating Emotional Triggers to Make Your Stories Memorable” with Doug Stevenson
Special price! Get all three programs, in MP3 format, for only $34. Order now.
“Words have incredible power.
They can make people’s hearts soar,
or they can make people’s hearts sore.”
–Dr. Mardy Grothe
Giving presentations can be a complete and utter thrill. Too bad attending them can be a complete and utter bore. If you are on the giving side, I want to offer you up a collection of my best presentation tricks to date.
So what do you think is the biggest mistake in sales presentations?
* Selling features instead of benefits?
* Talking too much and not listening?
* Not knowing the product?
In a recent presentation, Ron Karr, of Karr Associates, Inc. and author of Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way,asked the audience, “What are you selling?” People responded by calling out their products and services. Ron went on to say that one of the biggest mistakes in sales is selling the “how” instead of the “what.”
“You’re selling outcomes!,” declared Ron. He challenged the audience to get clear about the outcomes their audience or clients receive from them. The outcome he presents to his audience is to “sell more in less time.” He went on to explain, “Most poeple spend 70% of their time talking about what they do when they should be spending 60% of their time in first impressions and qualifying.
As with all presentations, it first begins with mindset. How do you think of yourself in relation to your audience? Are you an expert? A peer? A trusted advisor? Ron recommended that people begin to position themselves as a resource. Selling is self-focused but a resource is customer-focused. Too often, sales professionals forget this valuable concept. People don’t buy unless they have a need or desire. Your job is to develop trust and solve their problems.
Whether you’re selling a product, or giving a status update, good presenters live by WIIFM-What’s in it for me? They know that the audience cares only about one thing-their own self interests. In other words, it’s all about outcomes.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diane DiResta is a speaking strategist and president of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy serving business leaders who want to communicate with greater impact – whether face-to-face, in front of a crowd or from an electronic platform. DiResta is the author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category best-seller and widely-used text in college business communication courses. Blog: businesspresentations.blogspot.com
For a free newsletter and audio course visit http://www.diresta.com
The greatest asset any speaker can have is ENERGY. Energy comes in many colours and hues, from a whisper to a shout. Some will define energy as passion, enthusiasm or “fire in the belly.” With this fire, even a trivial message becomes compelling; without it, the most powerful message will fall unheard. We say “fire your purpose with passion. Run it through your principle-filter. Prepare. Practice. Then, present. The result will be enormous POWER.” => http://bit.ly/oh5lpD
In making a speech, it is vital that the speaker gets the message across clearly to his listeners. The audience should get what it is exactly that you want them to know. The length of the speech is irrelevant as long as it fits the time frame you have been given and covers all the bases. These bases are the issue, the facts concerning it, the options they have and the proposal that you and your organization wants to bring up.
You’re already on the speaker’s circuit, using concurrent session programs at industry events as marketing opportunities. Each year, you get return invitations, rave reviews, and high evaluations. Perhaps it’s time to quit giving away your expertise and get paid. Makes sense doesn’t it?
The transition from speaking for visibility to paid speaking is like jumping off a cliff: if you survive that first leap, the rest will seem easy. Here are four big changes you must make if you want to succeed.
1. Go Where the Gigs Are
The first change you have to make is where you speak. The easiest way to get paid is not with associations; there are too many speakers in those venues willing to speak for free. Instead, you need to compete in another arena – corporate special events.
The good news is that many professional services firms already have established relationships with corporate decision makers, so you have the ear (and respect) of the buyers. You don’t have to go through the usual gatekeepers. But familiarity can also be an obstacle if your clients see you as a teacher or trainer.
What they want: These buyers are looking for something more than their association colleagues. Corporate folks want to know the outcomes of your presentation. They are looking to change current behavior. So, have a compelling answer at the ready.
What to do next: To prevent being pigeonholed, invite the prospect to preview your speaking outside of the consulting environment. Show your client that you are the riveting speaker they need to rally their troops.
If you still want association gigs, ditch the concurrent sessions and go for the keynote slots with state and regional associations. National associations with bigger budgets usually use more high-profile personality keynoters, so pitch for the general session, where lesser-known experts are used. More motivational topics are usually given in the wind-down speaker slot.
Another way to work with associations is to participate in pre- and post-convention workshops. Associations are also open to creating new venues for speakers who will provide a draw (and high registration fees). Experts can get paid for these presentations if they are willing to take a percentage of the fees.
2. Ditch the Data, Add Stories
Buyers and audiences alike have very different expectations of keynoters. If you want to get paid $4,500 or more, it is assumed that you have more than just great presentation skills. Audiences at that level have been exposed to masterful speakers, so make sure your skills can compare favorably.
The flow of your speaking must be very smooth and transitions seamless. Storytelling takes the place of diagrams. Humor takes the place of case study exercises.
What they want: Keynoter programs also require major content changes. National associations request general topics that discuss trends or allow their members to feel good about their roles. Remember, technical content is more appropriate for the concurrent sessions.
What to do next: Go through your programs with a fine-tooth comb. Take out all the exercises and replace them with compelling stories. No more data dumping and PowerPoint slides with 10 lines of text.
3. Expand Your Media Campaign
Established committees that focus on expertise and content usually choose free speakers for concurrent sessions. Selecting paid speakers is made at the very top levels, and the decision is far more subjective. These buyers are more concerned with the speakers’ brand and how their message fits the strategic objectives of the meeting than with the PowerPoint presentation.
Because the decision is more subjective, indirect marketing approaches work best. Focus on recommendations from advocates and showcasing. Leverage is king, and paid speaking engagements can beget more of the same.
While speaker bureaus play a bigger role, don’t depend on them to be your marketing department. Speaker bureaus work with speakers like banks loan money: they only want those who get plenty of bookings on their own.
What they want: In the corporate markets, content is king. Your message has to be a conduit for attendees’ strategic objectives. Again, what behavior will you change? What are the outcomes they can expect? In the association market, buyers want someone with enough visibility to create excitement for the conference.
What to do next: Pump up your prominence in the right places. Experts who have focused on building their business with trade journal articles will need to expand their media campaign. It’s time to be quoted in widely read publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, etc. Make sure that book you’ve written will get you into these respected outlets.
4. Create Speaking-Specific Promotional Materials
Again, the decision is more subjective, so speaking-specific promotional materials take the place of requests for proposals. Professionalism is the key here — good graphic design and copy are essential. The focus is on message and approach, not specific content. No one will read pages of topic descriptions.
Many buyers check out speakers online, so websites have become the centerpiece of a speaker’s promotional materials. They won’t search your site for your topics; have a designated section just for your speaking.
What they want: While many experts have a speaking section on their site that mentions key notes, these sections are not effective if the homepage focuses only on professional services. Buyers are looking for experts who both speak and provide related services, not advisors who speak as a sideline. This subtle difference is critical.
Another way to show your stuff is via video. Buyers not only preview footage for speaking skills, but they also use them to determine if the message is on target. They examine the audience as well to determine similarities between your previous engagements and their own.
What to do next: Smart experts refocus their site towards the positioning and expertise rather than the roles they play, such as speaker, consultant, author, etc. If that’s not possible, consider a separate speaking website that touts your background, expertise, and approach. And get crackin’ on that video footage. It should be less than a year old. The fancy graphics that many speakers include are not necessary; it’s more important to be certain you are presenting your best speech material. Put it on the homepage as well as the speaking sections.
Written materials are still needed, especially when working with speaker bureaus. Plan on creating what speakers call “one-sheets” that feature your photo, list of speaking engagements, testimonials from speaking clients, your background/approach, and topics. Even beginning speakers have this material professionally produced.
A Different World
The transition into the world of professional speaking doesn’t happen with your current tools and marketing efforts. Be prepared to revamp your positioning — to brand your approach to different buyers with different expectations. Invest time, energy, and money just as you have in your professional service firm. And like any other business venture, professional help in speaking skills, marketing, and promotional material production can speed up the process.
Good luck, and I’ll see you on the circuit!
Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, Inc., is internationally recognized as the top market strategist for experts who want strong brands with high-fee buyers. Since 1987, she has worked with thousands of experts in a wide variety of industries to launch their big-fee speaking, professional service, and book/product empires in highly lucrative markets. Vickie speaks and consults with clients throughout the world about selection trends in high-fee segments and strategies that position experts for those opportunities. Vickie’s perspective has been published in USAToday magazine, Fortune.com, The New York Times, and Investor’s Business Daily. Her market intelligence updates are distributed throughout the US as well as 17 other countries. Sign up to receive Vickie’s market intelligence by visiting http://www.sullivanspeaker.com or contact Vickie by emailing info@sullivanspeaker.com.
How to Make a Fortune from Public Speaking
Robert Anthony
EAN:978-0425113271
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Berkley (MM)
Published: December 1988
Multimillion-copy bestselling author and prominent psychologist Dr. Robert Anthony offers the secrets to breaking into this lucrative field–and guides readers to a career that can bring them national acclaim and astounding wealth! At the price it is a real bargain–despite its age.
1. Sell your knowledge
This is my overriding principle that came from years of hard knocks trying to get people to hire me to speak. I get more speaking engagements than I ever had before when I quit trying to sell them and began selling my knowledge in as many different formats as possible. The idea is that infinitely more people can buy what you know through books, tapes, CDs, Ebooks and videos than could ever hire you to speak. Your name recognition because of your knowledge distribution makes speaking engagements much easier to come by because the people that could hire you have already heard you and your message on your knowledge based products. In the mean time, the money from the product sales keeps your business thriving. >>> more
You vividly remember that special speaker’s message and stories years—or decades—after hearing the talk. It had a huge impact on your life. You want your presentations to be that magical and memorable. You’re a good speaker—perhaps very good—but know you could be even more unforgettable.
Why do some speeches stay in our minds long after the speaker has left the stage? How can you integrate some new elements of outstanding orators?
This session will look at the key elements that create a memorable and repeatable experience for listeners.
You will hear:
• How to “yank ’em in and throw ’em out”—creating that exceptional opening that pulls the audience right up on the stage with you. . .and closing in a way that makes them beg for more.
• Structure—it doesn’t “freeze” you, it “frees” you—why an audience loves transparent structure even when they don’t consciously recognize it.
• Being the story, not telling the story—right, you’ve heard this before, but we’ll tell you exactly how it’s done. . .on Broadway, in novels, and in your presentations.
• Truly speaking to “an audience of one”—what are those magical little phrases and transitions that make each audience member feel you are speaking only to them. . .and in an almost intimate way at that?.
• Voice as a finely tuned instrument—ironically, one of the most ignored assets by many speakers. We’ll show you the way to use your voice like Yo Yo Ma uses the cello.
Get all the details here => http://bit.ly/nrIRd8
I recently attended a terrific, high-powered panel presentation that unfortunately became hijacked by what I’ll call “a Q&A hog.” You’ve probably witnessed a Q&A hog in action at a conference or presentation.
Q&A Hog, defined: an annoying creature that rambles incoherently during the Question and Answer period of a presentation. The hog typically takes up to 5 minutes to ask the presenter a very specific or off-topic question that no one in the audience has any interest in discussing. Q&A hogs usually have some personal agenda or simply love to hear the sound of their own voices.
The panel presentation I witnessed? The Q&A hog actually grabbed the floor mike and took over. It was a bad scene, man.
The hog held the entire audience hostage with non-stop rambling. The panelists and audience members started shuffling and checking their smart phones. The moderator looked wild-eyed around the room, vainly searching for armed gunmen with tranquilizers to shoot the beast down.
Boors don’t pick up on obvious visual cues of disinterest. It’s not in their nature. They’re going to keep talking — until you shut them down. Mere body language and facial gestures won’t do the trick.
Any man who makes a speech more than six times a year is bound to repeat himself, not because he has little to say, but because he wants applause and the old stuff gets it – William Feather
Tired of chasing the latest technology-dependent business model? Exhausted at the idea of having to post another tweet, blog, Facebook or LinkedIn update? Want a dependable income model that allows you to speak in your home town (if you want)—and get paid really well to do it?
During four decades, Ed has perfected this model. He’ll share how he fills his 3-day programs by selling dozens of seats to the same handful of companies over and over and over again. His 80-person courses are full far in advance without any ongoing marketing, giving him time to speak more—if he wants—or go on a motorcycle trip. And he never has the stress of updating his PowerPoints or having his technology fail—he doesn’t use any!
This 77-year-young speaker has lots to share with other, less experienced speakers. Learn to adapt his ideas to your market and life preferences and you’ll be as energetic as he is!
You will learn how to:
• identify and approach companies you want to work with
• sell the program once and have a steady stream of participants that lasts for years, if not decades
• use this model when a traditional approach for public workshops doesn’t
• capitalize on why companies value this approach better than having a speaker/trainer conduct in-house workshops
• double your participants and increase their take-away value with one easy suggestion
• maintain this model, even with diminishing education budgets
With the information age upon us, and immense knowledge being constantly shared, people are being asked more frequently to address public audiences. The need to define study tips on public speaking is rapidly growing. More and more people are standing in front of their audiences with nothing to say, or it seems that way. These following tips on public speaking will show you why it is important to target you message to an audience that will enjoy it. => http://bit.ly/jscZjQ
In an arena where there is a surfeit of presenters you need to hone your skills and develop techniques that will take you into the realm of presenter extraordinaire. To break into that rare sphere where the population of speakers, seminar leaders, teleseminar and webinar presenters have their audiences figuratively eating out of the palms of their hands, hanging onto their every word, and wanting more; you have to ramp up your game. You have to muster all the skills at your disposal and then some. If you have been yearning to raise the ante and deliver speeches or seminars that resonate with your audiences; get top billing and higher fees; you need to put more punch into your presentations.
Here are some suggestions that will help you to present with greater panache –
Do your homework. Research your audience, find out what they need to hear, what they need to know, what pushes their buttons then offer information that is pertinent, current and specific to the particular group of people with whom you will be interacting.
Learn all you can about the venue, visit it if possible. Find out the numbers expected, the seating arrangement, the type of microphone available; what type the audio visuals will be at your disposal; whether copies of your handout will be made ahead of time or if you have to bring those yourself.
Understand why you were hired. Be clear about the objectives and the reason you were hired; possibly are you were hired to educate, motivate, sell to, solve problems and possibly all of the above. Craft your message to address the issue or issues as they were laid out to you.
Know your Key Message and stay with the theme of your message, do not wander off topic; you are there for a purpose, understand the purpose and speak to the purpose.
Customize your presentation to each and every audience; one speech does not fit every audience. Always remember that each audience is different, as is the venue, caliber and expectation of those in attendance.
Bond with your audience, the earlier you do that the more successful you will be. One way of doing that is arriving before your scheduled time and talking with some of the participants, that way you get a feel of the audience and they feel comfortable with you and your style.
Treat your audience with respect, they are not infants; do not treat them as such. Interact with them, involve them. You may disagree with someone’s point of view, but do not argue with anyone. Respect their point and say so.
Add humor where appropriate and present with passion. Speak in language that they understand, if they do not understand what you are saying you will lose them.
Get your facts straight; do not depend on hearsay or old stats. Be willing to listen, you may learn something new. Answer questions to the best of your ability, and if you do not know the answer, be honest about it. You will score high points if you sent the answer to the question asked, within twenty four hours of making your presentation.
Dress appropriately. They hired a professional and expect to see and hear a professional. Dress and behave like one.
A smooth, professional presentation that offers solutions and answers the questions implied and those directly asked; that is delivered with passion and honesty will assist in propelling you into that category of extraordinary presenter.
Joanna Parris is a leading expert when it comes to good manners and proper etiquette. She is a speaker, an author and offers training programs and interactive workshops for anyone needing to enhance their image and etiquette. Joanna can be reached at joanna@bossselfpro.com
I’ve been an emcee for a few gigs — and being a female doesn’t always put me as a first choice in the stereotyping! I do wear a black tuxedo (women’s style — classy) with red bow tie and cummerbund, with heels.
Tips:
Look the part to begin with! (whether male or female) — it ADDS to the show ambiance.
Interview people in the audience about this event — that night — they are already there — dressed up and ready to have fun! I did this at a large retirement roast for the big wig. During the happy hour, I walked around and interviewed his friends and colleagues, asking: “If you could describe Greg in one word, what would it be?” People loved it — got them in the mood for the event — and were thrilled how those words (quoting the individuals) were used throughout the presentation and introductions.
What doesn’t work? Like ANY presentation, to show up unprepared — either by not knowing your subject (or roastee), your audience, or not knowing your material!
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I speak on humor and I often do “master of ceremony-ing”. I have found several things that work well:
Research all of the people/programs you will introduce. Find out anything you can so that your introduction is not canned but sounds more like you know the people well.
Plan to use humor and interesting comments as segues from one person/program to the next. I have a database of jokes/stories/quotes and I find the ones that fit with the topic or person that I am introducing and then use it as a segue.
Comment on what just happened. Nothing is worse than for something to happen on stage and the emcee goes right on with the next introduction as if he/she missed the point. I make it a rule to find something humorous or meaningful about the previous person/event when I come back on stage and I use that to begin my transition to the next introduction.
Keep it short. If the emcee takes too much time, it takes the focus away from the event. That doesn’t mean that the emcee can’t be funny and meaningful but it should always support the main event.
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Most speakers’ calendars are pretty empty around the holidays while mine is fully booked because I emcee corporate holiday parties earning as much or more than I usually earn for a keynote speech.
I believe that the job of the emcee is to be “invisible.” We should make everyone else the “stars,” make the event fun and keep the program on schedule. Know your audience and be as helpful as possible to the company you are working for.
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Probably the biggest tip for emcees is to tell the client that as emcee, during the event, you will only answer to one person and you will only make changes in the program if that one person approves. This reduces confusion and makes life a lot easier for the emcee. Every single emcee program I have done has gone smoothly as a result.
These tips and many others are included in the booklet “How to Be a Great Emcee,” available for download for only $4.95.
These tips have been collected from top professional speakers who know how to run a meeting successfully.
This article is aimed at people working with children, but would be just as effective for a group of adults. Storytelling is such an important skill for the public speaker, that any of these ideas could stimulate an improvement
Oral storytelling is one of mankind’s oldest traditions. It’s probably the origin of teaching too. Storytelling skills are excellent ones for children to learn, and attending storytelling sessions given by an adult will pay dividends. Kids learn to improvise, gain an understanding of basic story structure, sequence a story correctly, speak with confidence and engage an audience.
Planning on giving a talk?
If you’re a nervous speaker, you might be tempted to write your speech and then read it. Don’t!
Here are 5 reasons why reading a speech is an invitation to disaster.
The Magic of Three
The number three is a magical number in the English language. We see it in movie titles as in “The Three Stooges, The Three Musketeers and The Three Amigos,” we see it as far back as being the most famous phrase in the Unites States declaration of independence – “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, and we see it by speakers and comedians all across America.
I don’t know why this is so. We can theorize the reason for this phenomenon from today till tomorrow, and in fact some people have, but my philosophy is, “if something works – just go with it!” Why spend your energy trying to figure out the “why” of it when you can just be in the “now” and just go with it. If it is good for our founding forefathers, if it is good for Hollywood, then it is good for me – You see, there is the rule of three in action!
In speaking, the “rule of three” is mostly used to create humor. When comedians create their humor, they use what is called the “set up – punch”. Comedians use this set up-punch formula to get every one of their laughs. Comedians don’t always need to use the rule of three, they are so good at creating humor that they don’t always need to rely it, but for the rest of us speakers, using the rule of three is a technique that we should always use, and that if done right, can almost guarantee a laugh from the audience.
The psychology of the Set up-Punch Formula
What is the comedian’s secret to getting a laugh from the audience? Comedians are not psychologists, but they know how the human minds works – at least when it comes to getting a laugh. Comedians know three things about the human mind very well when it comes to humor.
1. That a “Spontaneous shift” is the key.
2. That proper timing is crucial
3. That the content must be appropriate for the audience
Spontaneous shift
So what is a spontaneous shift? A spontaneous shift is when the speaker puts the audience on one track. The speaker fills up the mind of their audience with a vivid picture of one particular thought or idea and just at the point when the audience is expecting to continue on that track, the speaker suddenly puts them on a totally different track and Walla a laugh occurs!
The key here is spontaneous. From the speakers perspective, it may not seem spontaneous, because the speakers is prepared and knows what he or she is planning to say. However, from the perspective of the audience it definitely comes across as spontaneous. How many times have you had conversations with friends or family and laughs seemed to easily flow. If you think about it, you will probably realize that the instant the laugh occurred, someone said something spontaneous and which also put everyone else’s thoughts on another track.
Proper Timing
Putting your audience on another thought track is not enough. You also need to have your timing down in order to make an impact and receive a laugh. Your punch line needs to come immediately after the set up. If you wait too long, you will lose the impact potential of your punch line.
When using the rule of three, you are essentially doing the same thing as what comedians do with their set-punch in their comedy routines, but your set up will be a bit longer.
The rule of Three in Action
A friend of mine and fellow speaker, Marry Cheyne, had used the rule of three extremely well when she delivered her speech “Nelly” at the Toastmasters 2009 international convention. She gave some background about how challenging and uncomfortable it was for her to come to Australia as a 7 year old Chinese. She then said, “I was so uncomfortable that I felt like a fish out of water, like a bird out of its nest, like a “guest (pause) at a toastmasters meeting.” The last line, “like a guest at a toastmasters meeting” was the punch line. The other two lines were the set up for her punch line.
The background story gave the audience the “thought track” of her being uncomfortable, The first two lines went along that track – uncomfortable like a fish out of water, uncomfortable like a bird out of its nest and then she throws the twist – Like a guest (she pauses) and then says “at a toastmasters meeting”. The audience was expecting her to stay serious, but she doesn’t. She spontaneously puts their thought on another track and walla she gets a laugh!
The Rule of Three must be Adaptable to Your Audience
When coming up with the right content for the rule of three, make sure your content is applicable to your audience. When Marry came up with her content, she knew who her audience was. It was a room full of fellow toastmasters. So everyone in her audience knew how uncomfortable a guest at a toastmasters club meeting feels, because at one time or another everyone was a guest before they became a member. That is why it was funny to that audience. Her line would not have been funny to a group of people no affiliated with toastmasters and surely she would not have used it. So always make sure that your content is appropriate to your audience. Enjoy tinkering with “the rule of three” for your next speech!
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Lewis Roth helps speakers build a presentation that is memorable and keeps their audience members on the edge of their seats. Lewis is an award winning speaker, certified world class speech coach, keynote speaker and presentation skills trainer. To receive his free audio download, please visit http://www.hightouchspeaking.com
