Great Speaking Coach

Left Brains Need Their Right Brains

You'll be speaking to an audience of customers who are desperately searching for solutions to solve their difficult problems. Everyone is tense because the need is great. Your company has state-of-the-art technology that can help and you really want to make the sale.

I guarantee that you will go to your computer, start searching for slides you've used before and assemble them into a deck for this audience. Your slides will be dense with bullets describing every feature. You'll have process flow diagrams covering every imaginable decision-point. The visuals you have will show boxes representing the hardware and arrows and clouds showing the communication powered by software.

You'll practice delivering these slides, covering as many details as possible. Your tone of voice will be earnest and business-like. You will be thorough and detail oriented.

You will leave your audience in an eye-glazing stupor.

Technical problems cause emotional reactions--frustration, anger, disappointment, fear, humiliation--you name it, people feel it. These are commonly associated with the right-brain and often disregarded during business presentations. When you describe problems your audience is facing in right-brain terms as well as left brain terms--"technical failures cause frustration and disappointment as well as cost you money"--you help the audience pay attention.

Whey they pay attention, they remember you and your company and you stand out from all the other left-brain-only presenters they hear. You're no longer a commodity they want at the lowest possible price.

Share how you incorporate right-brain elements into your technical presentations through our comment link.

Simple Words Evoke Many Interpretations

What does customer service mean? Or leadership or business process re-engineering? Your definition may barely resemble the way your colleague defines any word.

In recent Presentation Skills workshops I've been leading I ask the group--10 colleagues who've worked together for at least several years--to write down the 10 words that come to mind when they hear a ve simple word--the word 'run'. After 30 seconds they pair up and compare lists. Of the 5 pairs in each group, not one pair had 3 or more matching words. In fact, only one pair had 2 matching words.

For a simple word like 'run' there are so many possibilities! Imagine how broad and varied the lists would be for some of the words and concepts used by speakers to business audiences.

The solution to this problem of likely confusion is to be very descriptive about your important words.

Here's an example: If you're providing supply chain management, don't define this with more jargon. Tell a story, starting with the problem (always missing deadlines and driving up operating costs), the obstacles in the way of improvements (set-in-their ways managers, employees doing 45 hours worth of work in 40 hours, etc). Then describe using adjectives and dramatic flair how your company helped overcome these obstacles and in glowing unmistakable terms the results achieved.

Great business speakers help their audiences feel and experience the problems and the results. How do you reduce misinterpretation when you speak? Share your ideas through our comment link.

Get Close to Your Customers

You're giving a speech or presentation to a roomful of prospects, clients, industry experts, other stakeholders--how can you possibly "get close" to them?

99.5% of the time, someone has asked you to speak. (The other .5% you invite the audience yourself.) First step to getting close to your cusotmers is to have an enlightening conversation with the person asking you to speak. Second step is to call some of the people who will be in the audience. This is all part of your preparation for your appearance. Do not shirk this duty!

What do you ask these people? Three specific questions--asked in a conversational tone--will help you craft your speech or presentation so that you really speak to that audience.

1. Please describe the three biggest challenges that your company/organization/audience is facing right now in reaching its business goals.
2. Please describe the three outcomes you’re most interested in bringing about as a result of your asking me to speak.
3. What do you want to see happening differently in your company/organization/audience six months from now?

Listen to the answers (don't presume you know them). Incorporate the answers to #3 into your Call-to-Action. Make the answers to #2 your key points. Use the answer to #1 to help you select your leading materials.

If you don't know what the Call-to-Action, key points or leading materials are, request a complimentary copy of my Write a Speech Now system.

E-newletters generate results. I've received a dozen calls/emails lately and each person began with "I've been getting your newsletter for years--I need your help now." Keep sharing your best ideas generously and at no cost. You'll reap powerful returns.

Dominate Your Market

Think about companies that dominate their markets. Apple and Microsoft come to mind for products and technology. Financial services, B2B and B2G consulting and services firms dominate the services side. These companies are financially strong and buyers know that. How did they know they could trust these companies? Because their chief executives and leaders were out in public making a powerful case for their companies.

Whether your company plays on a global, national or local field, the company profile will be raised when its leaders are speaking to people who choose: choose to buy, choose to recommend, choose to social network about.

One favorite and effective tool for increasing dominance is to encourage audiences to tweet during a notable speech. When you're captivating the audience with fresh, innovative ideas and an admirable delivery style, those tweets will be enthusiastic and powerful. If you're boring and self-centered, you can't stop them from sharing that message too. Which will it be for you?

Great leaders and market dominance are the result of thoughtful understanding of the buyers you want to attract. It is always all about them. When your public appearances are also all about the audience they will reward your company with greater purchases and more favorable buzz. That's something you can take to the bank.

Share your favorite or least favorite speakers with us through our comment link. You Tube video links would be great!