Great Speaking Coach

When Speaking of Numbers Make Them Meaningful

How negatively impactful is $506 million to the American taxpayer? Given that we hear numbers such as $1.2 trillion bandied about as Congress looks for an approach to trim the deficit, $506 million is clearly a drop in the bucket.

Is this a lot of money that will have a negative impact on our country? Maybe not: $506 million is 1/100th of 1 percent of the federal budget. It averages out to $1.35 per U.S. citizen per year. You can barely buy a cup of coffee or a fountain drink for $1.35.

My point is that big and huge numbers are hard for your audiences to fathom. They can be scary or seem preposterous -- anything except real. So people tune them out.

As a business speaker you may have to make some points about very large numbers, however you must make those numbers understandable to your listeners. So instead of saying that $506 million is the barest fraction of the federal budget, the writer took it to the individual level--$1.35 per U.S. Citizen. That puts the expenditure into a context that's meaningful for the audience.

A recent client wanted to talk about 53,000,000 surface operations at airports annually. He wanted to make the point that every pilot needs to be more safety conscious than ever. A better way to make that point is to break the total number down to something meaningful to each individual pilot at the time he or she is taking off or landing. What does that mean to each specific pilot? It turns out that there are 100 surface operations every minute. Now each pilot has a context into which to put his or her actions during take off and landing.

When you speak about numbers be sure that every audience member will be able to understand them. Big numbers may make people's head swivel, but will they stick? Go ahead and say the big number, then break it down to a size and context everyone can take to heart for the long term.

Help Your Audiences Feel Special with Customized Presentations

My blood boils to this day...

The scene: 14 CEOs and Key Executives; large conference table; I'm ready to give them three (only three!) tips about increasing the positive responses from their presentationsto clients and prospects.

The Pop Quiz: For each client you should A) write a fresh presentation; B) pull slides from your old files; C) deliver your one approved presentation?

Ten of the 14 chose B or C. I was appalled but they argued strenuously with me. Why?

1) Don't have time to write a fresh presentation for each new client or prospect.

2) Want the message to be exactly the same each time.

If you were one of the clients or prospects on the receiving end of this attitude, how would you feel?

You would not feel special or important. You would feel that the speaker thinks so little of you that he or she did not make the time and invest the effort needed to customize a presentation that focused on your needs. You would think "why should I do business with this company when they don't value me at all?"

Look at the two excuses given:

1) No time. You will make time for the work you believe is important. I can't think of any use of your time that's more valuable than being face-to-face with clients and prospects. It's a precious opportunity to demonstrate that you care about them--at that moment they are the single most important people in your company's life! If clients or prospects are not important enough, don't waste their time with your generic presentation. They won't buy anyway.

2) The same message. This is your hang-up and you need to get over it. Spend time with your staff so they understand and buy in to the values of your company and can speak knowledgeably about your products and services as they apply to a range of clients. It's your job to educate and inspire your people. Then encourage them to put the customer first--what do they need and why?--and apply your company's offerings to those needs.

Facebook, Google and Amazon are generating huge revenue from advertisements because they send customized ads to each user based on what they know about each and every customer. They invest their funds and time to get better and better at this. When you customize your company's presentations for each unique audience, you send a message about value that no generic presentation can communicate.

Inspiration Can Be Activated

Isn't this a fascinating idea "inspiration can be activated"? Thus writes Scott Barry Kaufman in the Harvard Business Review blog on Nov. 8, 2011 in his article Why Inspiration Matters.

I'm known for my tag line "Inspire Them First...Inform Them Later" and for the coaching I do to encourage business speakers across the board to focus on inspiration rather than information in their speeches and presentations. My belief in this is based on the fact that information is everywhere, easily accessible and cheap if not free. So why would anyone come to listen to a speaker just for information?

Instead, speakers must focus on the call-to-action they'll encourage their audience to take. The call-to-action isn't a command, however, it is a suggestion or recommendation that the audience should be eager to adopt because your speech has been so compelling. The most powerful calls-to-action are transcendent--that is, they help the listener experience clarity and the awareness of possibilities.

Here's a brief synopsis of what it takes to create an environment that prompts inspiration:

• Exposure to inspiring managers, role models and heroes
• Openness to experiences and positive affect
• Savoring small intermediate accomplishments
• Encouraging work mastery without encouraging competition

Learn more about "Inspire Them First...Inform Them Later"

How have you been inspired? Share your thoughts in our comment box.

You Need New Speaking Skills to Meet Career Goals

What do you think when you read "what got you here won't get you there?" This is the title of a popular book by Marshall Goldsmith that aims to shake business people out of their narrow focus and into the mindset that you always have to add new skills and knowledge in order to move up your career ladder.

How about your speaking and presentation skills? You've gotten a graduate degree, you've become certified in ways that are appropriate for your industry, you attend professional development seminars but you're still using the speaking skills you learned in college!

The easiest way to demonstrate your suitability for promotions and new titles is to speak and present. Notice I wrote 'demonstrate'--not talk about, not put them on a resume or on a business card--demonstrate. There is always the factor of "show me" when it comes to promotions and recognition. You can impress a lot of people and impact their evaluation of you with excellent polished speeches and presentations.

So what are you waiting for?

1) Make time at least once a week to craft great speaking content. Craft--that means it's an art form, not a writing or slide development exercise. Craft a paragraph or two about something you'd like to speak about even if you don't have a speech or presentation assignment coming up. You're growing your skill.

2) Put an appointment with yourself on your calendar for some speaking coaching. Something as simple as speaking to your coach by phone once a week will add up to real improvement when it comes time to speak to an audience.

3)Seek speaking opportunities. Start with a group within your organization. Speak to a community group. Volunteer to deliver a short breakout session at a company-wide conference. Get out from behind your desk and in front of people.

Perfection isn't the goal--success is! Demonstrate your critical thinking, your creativity and your leadership qualities through your speaking. That promotion opportunity may be right around the corner and you want to be ready for it.

 

Make your speeches interesting to the whole brain. Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist: "It's not simply "emotion on the right, reason on the left," but something far more complex and interesting."

Make your speeches interesting to the whole brain. Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist: "It's not simply "emotion on the right, reason on the left," but something far more complex and interesting."

When you need to persuade via a speech, show the audience immediately that you're thinking about them. Include the word "you" in your first sentence.