We love to hear Stories, don’t we!
Everyone remembers sitting and listening intently to a parent, grandparent, or teacher as they told us a great Story.
Stories allow us to use our imagination to “see” what the storyteller is talking about.
Telling Stories is one of the Best Ways to reinforce the Points you make in the Body of your Speech.
Stories illustrate, in the mind’s eye of people seeing and hearing you, the Points of the message you are delivering.
They should be Personal Stories.
Too often, speakers tell stories audiences have already heard. An example, if making a Point about Persistence, is the Story of Thomas Edison’s 10,000 experiments that lead to the invention of the incandescent light bulb. (I once heard back-to-back speakers tell this same story!)
Tell your Story! No one, unless they give you attribution, can tell Your Story!
Great Presenters are Great Storytellers.
Here’s an example of my Personal Story reinforcing a point.
My Point: One of the reasons people have a Fear of Public Speaking is they think they have nothing to talk about that others will find interesting or helpful. Nonsense!
My Story: Let me tell you a Story about what happened in one of the Presentation Skills Classes I was teaching. Read More→
For many at that level, it had been eight hour days, six days a week, working out and practicing their sport – for years!
All serious athletes do the same: Practice – Practice – Practice.
What about serious musicians, singers, and actors? Does anyone think they merely “Show Up” for the big concert, show, or play?
- NO WAY!
If you agree with the above, and I assume you do;
Why would anyone think they can “Show Up” to an event where they’re scheduled to speak, and “Wing It?”
If you’re speaking, you literally have the Platform for promoting Your Platform! All eyes and ears are on you! What a magnificent opportunity to ‘shine in the spotlight.’
There must be a reason you were given the opportunity to present to the audience. Grab that opportunity and make it pay off! Read More→
Audiences have short attention spans. If they’re not paying attention to you, the speaker, they’ll never GET IT!
GETTING IT!, i.e. understanding the message, is the goal of all communication; verbal, written, or visual. It’s your job, as the presenter, to keep their attention, helping insure they’ll GET IT!
Great Content, alone, won’t do it! Your presentation needs to Educate, Entertain, and Explain your Content. If your presentation is poor, you will lose your audience – Period!
Even when the presentation and material is good,
the minds of the audience will wander!
Things that can make paying attention to the speaker, tougher than normal, include:
- Attendees checking email, rustling papers (one of several reasons not to have handouts), and talking to others.
- A presentation room that’s too hot or too cold.
- Poor sound quality.
- Outside noises.
- Poor lighting.
The Solution – Periodically Interact with Your Audience!
- Ask Questions, and raise your hand while doing so. Read More→
Here’s some Bad News for those who want to lessen their Fear of Public Speaking and become a Great Presenter:
There is NO Magic Pill to fix that!
I wish there was!
Perhaps one of the large drug companies has it in Clinical Trials. If so, I haven’t read about it, and don’t advise waiting until it’s developed!
- Think about speaking.
- Read about speaking.
- Watch Videos of others speaking.
- View speakers practicing their craft.
- Listen to speakers delivering their talks.
- Attend classes and lectures about presentations.
“The Learning is in the Doing!”
- If you want to be a writer - Write!
- If you want to be a piano player - Play the Piano!
- If you want to be a Speaker - Speak! – Speak! – Speak!
What’s the worst thing that could happen? Read More→
Depending upon their time slot, speakers at the recent National Political Conventions, were seen and heard by thousands to millions of people.
What an amazing time to showcase themselves and their presentation skills! What a fantastic item to add to their resumes!
My mantra is: “Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities!”
Obviously, another Speaking Opportunity that could be added to that list is Political Opportunities.
To be on a national stage, at an extremely important event, is something most of us only dream of doing.
Consider the tremendous career boost Read More→
What’s your response to the following questions?
- Have you ever had a passion for something and wanted to promote it?
- Has anyone ever asked you
- to explain how to do something?
- your opinion on a political or environmental issue?
- Do you sell products or services?
- Are you the person Customer Service questions are directed to?
- Are you ever asked questions that need a good response?
- Is an Elevator Speech something you’ve been asked to deliver.
- Would you like to Toast someone at a special event?
- Do you ever talk to
- your boss?
- people who report to you?
Each of us give presentations all the time. We answer questions, want to sway people to our way of thinking and converse with family, bosses, co-workers and others. These are not what we normally think of as a “Presentation,” but they are!
Even if it’s not a Full Auditorium, Power-Point, Microphone-in-Hand Presentation – We All deliver Mini-Presentations Regularly.
Those Mini-Presentations have the same Components, Parts, and Elements
the “Big Ones” have. The same “Laws of Presentation” apply: Read More→
A Tag Line is a catchphrase or slogan often used at the end of an advertisement or commercial. They are great for selling products and services because they keep the brand’s name front and center in the minds of customers and prospects.
The Close of a Presentation can also include a Tag Line.
It should grab the attention of the audience and be something memorable that connects directly to you, your company, your products and services. A Tag Line can become part of your Branding. When someone hears it they should think of YOU!
“The Last Thing the audience sees and hears
is the First Thing they remember!”
“This is one of the Laws of Presentation.”
This Law is the reason your presentation should have a Strong Opening and a Strong Closing. The Strong Closing can end with your Tag Line!
Some Familiar Examples of Tag Lines are:
- “If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press.” – NBC’s Meet the Press
- “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” – FedEX, 1978-1983
- “Got Milk?” – California Milk Processor Board, 1993
- “Don’t Leave Home without It.” – American Express, 1975
- Be relevant to your product or service.
- Easy to say.
Many of us are watching the Olympics.
If you’ve paid attention to the commentators and interviews with athletes, the word “Coach” comes up again and again. Many give credit for outstanding performances to the Coaches.
After receiving her Gold Medal, American gymnast Aly Raisman walked straight to her Coach, Mihai Brestyan, and put her medal around his neck. Classy!
More than one competitor left home and moved hundreds, even thousands of miles, to work with the right Trainer. No athlete competing at the Olympics reached this goal by themselves. What they achieved was done as a team – with their Coach!
One dictionary definition of Coach is: A tutor who gives private or specialized teaching.
Speech and Presentation Coaches
fill this role for those serious about becoming Better Speakers and Presenters.
The Coach is the individual who helps someone set and reach their goals. They take their “client” to levels they would not have attained on their own. They see qualities, good and bad, a person often doesn’t know they have. Professional Coaching will better the positive ones and decrease the negatives - maximizing results.
A Great Coach will Instruct, Critique, and Motivate! Read More→
The simple formula for the
Body of a Presentation is:
- Make a Point – Tell a Story.
- Do this with three to five points.
- Make the stories Purposeful and Personal.
You have information you want the audience to take away with them – Correct?
Make your points, and give them a personal story that uses that point “in the real world.”
“We can conclude that Public Speaking
is a skill that can be learned!”
Example: I talk about the fact that Public Speaking is a skill that can be learned. I “prove” the point by telling this story:
“I got a call on day from a doctor in New York who was going to move to my city, St. Louis, the following month. She is an OB GYN and told me she had a terrible Fear of Public Speaking. I could hear it in her voice.
She went on to explain that it was a great concern of her’s because she will be expected to give presentations to colleagues and will also be teaching a class and will have to speak to students. The doctor asked, “Can you help me?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, “Can I ask you a few questions?” Read More→
There’s a word for this Fear: Glossophobia, The Fear of Public Speaking.
Glossa from the Greek language, meaning Tongue.
Phobia from the word, Phobos, meaning Fear or Dread.
The important thing to note is that it is a Word, not a Disease, and it can be lessened!
Many Reasons to Make the Effort to Overcome It!
- We perceive really good speakers as Experts. Perception is reality, and we like to work with people who are Experts in their field.
- When those Experts take and make Speaking Opportunities, they:
- Grow their Businesses.
- Advance their Careers.
- Increase their Leadership Opportunities.
- We expect leaders to be good communicators. Some are; many are not.
- The ability to communicate well will catch the attention of others. It will give that person leadership opportunities they might not have otherwise had.
- When those Experts take and make Speaking Opportunities, they:
- Even if you rarely speak in front of an audience, the ability to do so will Improve Your One-On-One Communication. Read More→