Great Speaking Coach

How Will You Respond to Number 1 Complaint about Slides?

One of the most popular speakers about Power Point presentations is Dave Paradi; every two years he surveys business people to find out what annoys them the most about Power Point presentations. The 2011 survey results are in and the number 1 complaint is "The speaker read the slides to us – 73.8% ."

Since it's human nature to think that other people behave badly but we don't, let's pretend for a moment that you aren't guilty of this annoying behavior. Let's just say that you've got a colleague or direct-report who does this and you want to help that person. You can give them these three tips:

1) Use bullets only. No complete sentences; simple; brief. The bullets should work for you as a prompt for your spoken content.

2) Write your own slides. Someone else might prepare a detailed resource document in slide format but you must extract from that document the trigger words. You'll select words that mean something to you and therefore you'll be able to remember what you want to say.

3) Practice and rehearse. Create a presentation prep schedule--let's say 10 hours total for a 30 minute presentation. During the first 4 hours you'll figure out what your audience cares about, decide on your call-to-action, and select and enter the bullets and visuals for your slides. Then spend the remaining 6 hours practicing and rehearsing. Practices are for you to get your thoughts coming out of your mouth coherently; repeating sections where you get stuck; getting the content completely installed (not memorized) in your head. When you've got it installed, then move on to rehearsals-thinking about the audience; visualizing yourself in front of them; practicing your movements and gestures and vocal variety; reinforcing your eye contact skills.

Help your colleague, direct report (or yourself!) by taking these three actions each and every time you prepare for a Power Point presentation and you will never annoy your audiences again.

Let me know how these techniques work for your colleague (or yourself).

Business Speakers Focus on What and Why, Not How

You're an expert who knows how to get the work done, generate results and make a difference to your customers and your colleagues. Naturally you want to share how you do it all. But wait--your audience may not be ready for the 'How'.

Successful persuasion taps into people's emotions and inspires them to imagine a better situation. This is true whether you're marketing IT products, professional services or a cultural shift within your company.To be a persuasive speaker you'll need to lead the audience to an image of perfection--or at least, improvement. Until they see it and feel it, they won't be ready to do it.

In any speaking setting that is not training or a workshop, your presentation must focus on "what" and "why". The "what" is the action(s) they should take to reach their goal. The "why" makes it clear that the "what" will help them reach their goal.

Let's look at an example: You are responsible for leading a major shift of behavior change in your company. You could just lay down the law and threaten punishment for anyone who disobeys. That isn't likely to generate a favorable response. You could bribe people-do this and you'll get a reward. That's also a short-term approach that could lead to offering ever-increasing bribes.

The best approach is to describe the behavioral change, which is the "what." Describe it in many dimensions-how it will affect their daily actions, and also their feelings, expectations and interactions. Then talk about the "why"--why is the new behavior valuable to them as individuals; you might eventually talk about why the change is valuable to the company as a whole, but whatever you do, don't start with that! People always put their self-interest first and foremost.

The "what" and the "why" are more than enough for a one hour speech or presentation. Give your audience of employees or colleagues time to savor the image you've helped them picture. Encourage them to keep thinking about it. Encourage them to add details to the picture; to discuss their visions with their peers; to move from today and tomorrow to 6 months or a year ahead.

People aren't ready to be instructed how to do new behaviors until they've fully internalized and integrated the new vision. It's no different thanthe way you might approach a new sport--if you can't imagine how much you'll enjoy playing golf, you won't learn how to play golf no matter how effective the instructor.

Avoid topics such as "5 Ways to Do X" or "The 7 Factors of Success" or "Three Steps to Learning Y". Instead, speak about benefits to the audience: "Success Comes to Those Who Envision Change" or "You're the Leader, So Lead". "Success" or "Leadership" are the "whats" and the rest of your speech is the"why".

Not sure how to identify the "what" and the "why"? Do you jump right into the "how"? Post questions about your situation in our comment link.

Memorable Speakers May Not Actually Motivate Their Audiences

You're surrounded by hundreds of excited people, the lights are shining and the speaker is powerful. You laugh and you cry; you cheer and hug your neighbor; you leave there feeling emotionally drained. This is a speech you'll remember for a long time. But will it cause you to change the way you live your life, even in a tiny way?

There are many people who've been dealt tough hands by life: accidents that caused paralysis; birth defects that would seem to limit their mobility and achievements; they've been victims of another person's horrible behavior; and many more. These individuals have shown great determination and courage in fighting back to overcome these seeming barriers. They've learned to tell their stories and create an electric atmosphere in an audience.

While their stories are memorable and we must admire them for their courage and determination, often we are not motivated to change our own lives. I've been puzzling over this for years, ever since the time I was in the audience of a young, one-armed man who did amazing things with a basketball, a baseball bat and a golf club. His skill at two-handed athletics was pretty awesome. Yet he didn't motivate the audience to act to overcome whatever limitations were in their own lives.

Now that I've studied "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" by Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini, I understand this. Here's why you can be in the audience of a memorable and uplifting speaker and not make a single change in your own life:

The more similar the social proof is to the target, the more persuasive. These speakers are not like you at all, so they are not persuasive, even if they are memorable and sympathetic. This is not a failing on your part!

Cialdini has researched and concluded that people use 'short-cuts' to help them navigate their own lives. Social proof is one of these short-cuts. When we learn that someone we perceive to be very much like we are has taken some steps or actions, we'll think "if it's good enough for him/her, then it will work for me, because he or she is so much like me."

Audiences love memorable speakers who have huge presence. It's a great way to spend an hour. They love even more the speaker who helps them make some change in their own life. We know that even a small change could lead to a more fulfilling life, so we're searching for the nugget that provides a spark.

Be a persuasive business speaker by truly understanding the power of persuasion through social proof. Facts and 'business speak' may penetrate people's heads but are unlikely to change their behavior. Instead, make sure that every story or example, every key point and every call-to-action reaches into the psychological command center of each audience member. That's persuasion and motivation.

 

To PersuadeTell Stories that are Meaningful to Your Audience

Have you ever climbed a mountain, run a marathon, jumped into a roiling sea or done any other daring, scary activity? Even if you faced your fear and did it anyway, ignored the objections of everyone around you or overcame a physical disability, your story may not be persuasive to your audience. Stories only persuade, inspire or motivate when they have meaning to the listener.

In "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive", Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini explain that the more similar the social proof is to the target audience, the more persuasive it is. You must paint the picture with details that the audience in front of you will relate to.

How do you apply this scientifically proven persuasion technique to your speeches and presentations?

1) Understand the concept of 'social proof'. Researchers in psychology have studied and proven that we look to others to guide our behavior. If someone who is a lot like us does something, then we feel very comfortable doing it also. Cialdini calls this a 'short-cut'. With very busy lives, it's nearly impossible to figure everything out for ourselves, so when we can, we look to others like ourselves to help us decide what to do. The key element is others like ourselves.

2) Know details about your audience. Are they risk-takers who'd appreciate a good story about risk-taking? Are they "better be safe than sorry" types who like stories that reinforce their tendency to be cautious? Do they feel important or do they feel stuck in obscurity?

Demographics (age, educaiton, location, job title) are minimally helpful in selecting your stories. Instead focus on intangibles, such as outlook on life, dreams and desires and personal experiences to help you understand them and select social proof stories that will resonate with this particular group.

3) Turn your story into their story. I've been coaching business speakers to do this for years. All persuasive speakers look at the audience first and craft their stories in such a way that the audience members start to remember their own similar experience and responses. When you reach the resolution of the story the audience should be able to say "Wow! I'll do that myself the next time." This is persuasion.

When did you do something because someone like you did it? When did you hear a memorable story about overcoming great barriers and not be moved to action? Why do you think that is? Post your story about social proof in the comment box.

 

Persuasion Month at Great Speaking Coach

"Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" by Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini has persuaded me to spend the next 40 days or so blogging about how you can increase your ability to persuade through your speeches and presentations.

Imagine you have persuaded one audience member to take one action as a result of your speech. What difference would that one action make to that person? What if dozens of people were persuaded? Wouldn't you feel successful too?

Warning! You will find yourself wondering "Can it be that easy?" to become more persuasive? After all, we pride ourselves on overcoming difficulties and working hard to succeed. That's what is actually most persuasive about this book--these techniques are easy. The authors have done the research and analysis and give us simple descriptions of persuasive techniques and the circumstances in which they work the best.

These techniques are based on Cialdini's 'weapons of persuasion' so fully described in his best-selling book "Influence--the Psychology of Persuasion".

All you have to do is apply them! One at a time, selecting the right technique to reach the one goal. Subscribe to this blog's feed to learn how to incorporate prove persuasion techniques into your speeches and presentations. Or join other business speakers and follow me on Twitter @speakandgrowbiz or become my friend on Facebook.

And feel free to post your thoughts in our comments box.

 

Authenticity Means So Much More Than...

A great concept--authenticity--has been corrupted by everyone from celebrities to business people to leaders and beyond. These people have decided that wearing what's sloppy or outrageous, speaking whatever thoughts pop into their minds regardless of who gets hurt, and other behavior that has a long history of being considered rude and inappropriate for the public space reflects their "authenticity" and therefore it is perfectly fine.

My clients such as executives and business speakers are succeeding because I coached them to speak with passion and authenticity. Is this advice dead? Not at all, as long as you understand what authenticity means in the context of speaking to business audiences of all kinds.

Authenticity in speaking means:

1) Recognizing your own natural speaking habits such as gestures, speed and volume of your conversational speech, and the movements that come to you without thinking. You incorporate these natural speaking habits into your delivery style, polishing only those that may be irritating to the audience.

2) Avoiding speaking and presentation coaches who tell you there is only one place to stand, one way to move your hands and one kind of voice that is appropriate. Robots are no one's idea of an authentic being, so don't become one.

3) Speaking from your inner knowledge. If you don't have meaningful inner knowledge don't speak about the topic. Meaningful inner knowledge includes knowing how the topic has developed over the years, what the acronyms and jargon really mean, and having applied this knowledge to solve problems or generate results. You do not have meaningful inner knowledge when someone tells you to read an article or do some online research and then talk about the topic.

My most successful clients have brought to the speaking platform their best dressed and behaved selves rather than dressing strictly for comfort or in a style best kept to personal time. These successful speakers know that thinking before they speak and hewing to politeness will always help them. They know that if a piece of their authentic self deviates from accepted behavior, the more successful they are, the more free time they will have to enjoy the other side of their authenticity.

What's your understanding of authenticity and how do you bring it to your speeches and presentations? Post your thoughts in our comment box.

 

 

Write for the Platform Not for the Page

Business people who love their work, their customers and clients and the results they produce will bubble over with enthusiasm in a conversation around a conference table. Ask them to speak formally or present and what do they do? They open their computers, start a new slide deck and compose some complex, grammatically correct sentences. All their genuine enthusiam and their natural language disappears. How do you stop yourself from doing this?

Listeners respond to short sentences and rhetorical questions in the active voice. That's because what you say goes by them at a steady state and they can't stop and hear it again. I'm not suggesting that you treat your audiences like first graders. You can communicate complex, sophisticated ideas when speaking. It is how you write for speaking that must be different.

1) Write NOTES for yourself. If you start with full sentences you'll find yourself trying to remember what you wrote instead of speaking from your inner knowledge. NOTES are brief words that trigger your mind to speak about what you know on that topic.

2) Use HANDWRITTEN NOTES rather than bullet points typed into the notes section of a slide deck. The act of handwriting installs the trigger words and associated thoughts in your brain in a way that typing doesn't do. My clients have demonstrated this to me over and over: every one of them who has transitioned from typed notes to handwritten notes has told me how much easier it was to remember what they wanted to say once they had their handwritten notes.

3) WRITE rhetorical questions, exclamation points and vocal cues (loud, soft, fast, slow, pause) into your notes. You would never include these in your written document but you can do this with speaking notes. These cues will help you add vocal variety and physical movement to your spoken content.

When you're writing for the platform, free yourself from your professional writing rules and instead write to mimic your natural conversational language. NOTES are a time-saver and the most effective way to become a confident and polished presenter. You'll then achieve your goal to Be Yourself, Polished.

Use Colors of Real Life in Your Slides

Look around you. What colors do you see during your commute, in your office, at sports and entertainment events, while shopping, or at gatherings of any kind? You see all kinds of colors from primary reds and greens to shades of blues, purples, pinks and yellows. You see colors that shock you and colors that make you feel serene. Some colors seems to spread beyond their boundaries and others are neat and contained.

So why, oh why has the world of presentation slides fallen into the boring monotony of color palettes composed of umpteen shades of blue?

Audiences complain about slides for many reasons that all add up to BORING! The text spells out every step (the agenda, the transition slides, the overview, the summary and "Questions?'); or text is so jammed into the limited space as to be illegible. The speaker reads the bullets or points to each and every box, arrow and outcome. Speakers insist on using laser pointers and circle a detail over and over. Presenters stand in a corner off to the side of the screen and speak in a monotone, emphasizing facts, facts and more facts.

Why do you continue to practice these behaviors when you know you hate them? Whenever I ask a client about their presentation decisions the answer inevitably is "because that's the way we always do it."

Aaargh! Certain habits are great-brushing your teeth every day, getting a good night's sleep, eating well, saving money. Other habits such as these slide and presentation habits should be thrown out for good.

Why not copy the full range of colors and images that people see in their everyday lives? And keep the action going just like very popular videos and video games? The business world is populated by people who live in the outside world as well. We can handle excitement! In fact, we crave it!

Corporate design rules that specify limited and rigid color palettes without any other color or even natural photographs may make the corporate rule makers happy but they sure don't make the audiences happy. I'm sure there are some limitations that are reasonable such as no images of abuse, discrimination, etc; only short video clips; judicious use of music; and careful use of anything that may harm intellectual property; and then let your graphic artists be artists! Give the speaker the freedom to include images that are meaningful to the content.

Boring presentations are a waste of everyone's time and resources: the writers, designers, production staff and the audience. Boring is not memorable, or is memorable for the wrong reason. Free your experts from these rigid and hurtful rules and grab your audiences' interest. They'll remember your company for good reason--because you bring your messages to life.