Great Speaking Coach

Quotes in Business Speeches-Do and Don't

Quotes from known figures are appealing to business speakers crafting their own speeches. I recommend using quotes as one element in your high-impact content mix. There are three rules to follow when you use quotes:

1) Give credit to the originator of the idea. I can't stress this too much. Your audience will downgrade their estimation of you if you pass off someone else's idea as your own. So the points you thought you were making by using the clever or memorable words will hurt you badly instead.

2) Tell the audience what this quote means to you. This gives you credibility and helps the concept you're speaking about stick with the audience. While you may admire someone else's ability to frame an idea in a memorable way, you want your audiences to admire you. They will do that when you help them make the idea their own by showing them how you made the idea belong to you.

3) Be absolutely sure the idea reflected by the quote really fits with your call-to-action and your own key points. Test your quotes out with some people who will give you their honest "gut reaction" to the quote. While you may love it, you might find out that no one else does. Time to get rid of it.

What's most important for speakers is to help their audiences learn what to do with the information they hear. Quotes are sound bites of information that can be found online in an instant. When you give the quote meaning in an entirely fresh way, you create tremendous value that is not found online.

People go to speeches and presentations hoping to get inspiration--meaning, direction, a vision of the future--that exceeds the informtation. Using quotes correctly will do that for them and for you.

What's your favorite quote and how do you make it fresh? Post your ideas in our comment box.

What Makes a Rock Star Business Speaker?

What makes a singer a rock star? Out of the hundreds of thousands of people who sing and make music, only a handful achieve the status of Rock Star. What do they do and can you, a business speaker, learn from them?

Rock Stars surprise and delight their audiences. They bring something unique, even if they are in a crowded genre. Is it the words, the music, the musicianship? More likely it is charisma, which is hard to define but is recognizable when we see it. They definitely do not try to be like anyone and everyone else.

Rock stars perform their well-known songs in every concert. Their fans know these songs word for word and beat for beat. Yet in the charged atmosphere of the concert, what is important is familiarity accompanied by the excitement of the moment. Rock stars sing exactly what is expected and yet each concert is unique. If you weren't there, you missed that moment forever.

Perfection and the ability to create the pulsing atmosphere come from hundreds of hours of practice and rehearsals. Rock stars work hard--really hard--behind the scenes, internalizing getting every note just right and every beat exactly when it's supposed to be. They work up a sweat in rehearsal, knowing they will need the same stamina when they're on the stage.

Contrast these behaviors with business speakers:

Business speakers do what everyone else does. There are no surprises.

Business speakers write and read scripts so that they are perfect. They don't internalize their ideas --which is not memorization--and they refuse to create a lively environment or respond to the energy of the audience.

Business speakers rehearse very little. They speak about what they know, they rely on their scripts, and they don't make time for the work it takes to be a presence on the platform.

Which are you going to be? A Rock Star speaker or just a another business talking head?

Outstanding Content First and Foremost

When was the last time you stood up and cheered a speaker because of his posture, her gestures or whether he or she stood to the left of the screen? Without amazing content, your perfect delivery style will be worthless. When your content is great the audience will paint your delivery style with the same enthusiastic brush.

I worked with a team who had to present an proposal orally to the customer. The competition was fierce and this company had the added disadvantage of not being known by the customer through past work. They were adamant about standing to the left of the screen, the so-called "power" position.  And one person insisted upon reading, word for word, her "perfect" content, no matter how many times I coached her not to do this.

They did not win the contract. In the debrief after the fact, the chief acquisition manager told my client that the rigid position on the left of the slide and the reading of perfect--but phony sounding--text was a total turn-off!

Lesson learned? Instead of putting delivery style first and foremost, you must focus on crafting content about solutions that produce exceptional results. Then speak confidently and with passion from your inner knowledge. When you speak naturally, even with a few small conversational bumps, you are believable, and that's what wins.

Work with a speaking coach and then listen to her!

Little Speeches are What Get You to the Big Speeches

What business speakers do you admire? Steve Jobs always comes to mind. And who else? Think about your industry--who is prominent and often speaks at industry events, is a sought after keynoter and may have appeared on TED? Whose videos have you watched and forwarded to your social network?

These business luminaries began back some time ago giving short presentations to small groups. Maybe in conference rooms, perhaps for company meetings, or they were breakout session speakers at conferences. Most likely all of these. They got better and better by taking every small speaking opportunity seriously.

Compare this to your way of thinking (believe me, I know!). "It's just a short presentation to my team. I know what I want to say. I'll throw a few slides together the day before and I'll be fine."

"I'll be fine" is not the same as "The audience deserves the best I can give them. It takes time to select the right content and craft it into a meaningful and concise speech or presentation. Then I have to practice it at least ten times, so I'll be able to tune in to the dynamics of the audience. That way I'll be able to respond to their facial expressions and body language as well as their comments. I want them to take away at least one idea that makes them glad they were there."

Success as a business speaker comes from taking each speaking opportunity seriously and putting everything you've got into it. There will never be a  'big speech' if you don't make the most of the little speeches.

Why Speeches Should Be Like Football Games

Football grabs and keeps us, week after week, season after season. Why is that?

1)    Teams play for the crowd. Every player thinks about the fans and plays hard to please them.

2)    It is exciting and unpredictable. Teams with strong or weak records can upset other teams from time to time--and you never know until the game is over!

3)    No matter how many drills or practices the teams hold during the week, they really never know how their opponent, the weather and the crowd are going to affect them. Each game requires unique applications of well-honed skills and we get to watch.

If you approach your speeches and presentations like football players approach their games you will become a speaking star!

1)    Speak for the audience, not for yourself or your company. The audience wants to feel their time with you was well spent and that they have something to take away with them--excitement, roller-coaster emotions, suspense, relief. The sense that they were someplace that mattered.

2)    Be unpredictable. Tell a story that is relevant but uses entirely different language from what they expect. Don't use slides if they expect them. Ask them tough questions and make them think. Use an unusual analogy or image that isn't typically associated with your topic.

3)    Be so well-prepared that you can immerse yourself in the environment, the audience, the atmosphere--playing off comments from the audience, riffing on other messages you've all heard from other speakers, fearlessly answering question after question. Practices and rehearsals that install and ingrain your content, your movements and your vocal variety deeply allow you to be free to be in the moment, which the audience loves.

Think about your favorite team, player or game and replicate that excitement as you prepare and deliver your speeches and presentations. You may not be eligible for the Super Bowl, but you’ll be a super speaker.

You Can Prepare for Every Possible Speaking Disaster

How much more would your audiences appreciate you if you were so prepared that you could handle every disaster that could possibly happen?

My point is not that disasters will happen many times, but that preparation to that level will make you an amazing speaker. Amazing--more than confident, definitely not memorized or perfect, just really really comfortable in your own skin and therefore in front of the audience.

Comfortable in your own skin and in front of the audience. Your favorite speakers feel this way about themselves and that's why they are your favorites. If you watched 5 of your favorites and you tried to identify the top 5 techniques or style elements or behaviors that all of them show, you wouldn't be able to. They're great because they are unique and they are comfortable in their own skin.

How can you get this way? Practice. rehearse, practice, rehearse, practice, rehearse...you get the idea. Only speaking is speaking. Writing and slides and visuals and re-writing and re-designing--none of these helps like practices and rehearsals.

If you practice one presentation 10 times, you've taught yourself about the possible mistakes, forgetful moments, glitches, stumbles over words, losing track that can happen in 10 times. If you practice 20 times, you've doubled that catalog of possible problems. Ten more times and you've tripled your catalog.

Every time you practice, you add to your knowledge of what could go wrong--and you've learned how to correct yourself and keep going. You cannot have the knowledge after 10 times that you will have after 20 or 30 times.

Is this excessive? It is not if you want to truly be comfortable in your own skin in front of your audience. Being comfortable is about being prepared and confident to handle what doesn't go right. People are attracted to confidence--think about your favorite celebrities, sports figures, writers, and other stars-- so that should be your goal.

You'll never know the difference 10 or 20 or 30 practices will make until you try them. Get booked for a 10 minute speech (or presentation) to your colleagues or at a community event. Then practice  30 times. You'll experience the difference and you'll receive many compliments. Now you've proven to yourself that being prepared for every possible disaster has a huge payoff.

 

 

Don't Make Your Audiences Pay for Your Desire for Immediate Rewards

Will you practice your speech or presentation standing up and out loud or go to another meeting to talk about sales, technology or innovation? About 75% of you will pick the meeting over the practice. This is what behavioral researchers call "hyperbolic discounting" or, for us mortals, preferring immediate rewards over long-term gains. You expect an immediate result from the meeting, while if you spend that time practicing, you'll have to wait until you give the speech to find out if the audience likes it.

A client recenly told me with awe and amazement in his voice that practicing his speech ten times, out loud and standing up, made a huge difference in how he delivered it to his audience. His typical protocol was to read the slides over a couple of times, make a few notes, and then get up and speak. The ten practices (following just a couple of hours of working with me on the slide content and speaking notes) allowed the speech to flow from within. He felt it and the audience responded to it with applause, laughter in the appropriate places, and many congratulations. He accepted the delayed gratification and received abundant reward in return.

1-Make appointments on your calendar for your practices. You won't practice if you hope to squeeze them in during your "free time." No one has free time these days or if you have an opening someone will be sure to request your presence at a meeting or teleconference.

2-Stand up and speak out loud. Your brain registers your oral content differently from the way it registers when you're just thinking it through. You hear your words, the connection between ideas becomes clear and glitches or difficult thoughts become apparent and you can fix them.

3-If you need an immediate reward in order to make the time for practices, give yourself one in the form of a coffee break, a walk, a call to a friend or a creative conversation.

No one takes practicing seriously before they do it the first time. It is hard to imagine an outcome you've never experienced before. So you have to take the risk the first time that practicing will make a difference. After the first speech is received better than any you've ever given before, you'll have a much easier time practicing the next speech or presentation.

Now that you're aware of 'hyperbolic discounting' or the inclination to get immediate rewards instead of delayed rewards, you can overrule your brain! Practice, practice, practice--and reap the rewards from an appreciative audience.

 

 

Overconfidence May Be Making You a Poor Business Speaker

Don't we all wish to be supremely confident? Never worrying about whether we'll remember our speech or presentation, believing that we are just the right weight and wear the very best clothes for us, and knowing we'll make a speech that leaves the audience cheering on their feet?

Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich, authors of the behavioral-economics book "Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes" ask people questions that appear straightforward--but they aren't. They point out that overconfidence makes these people believe they don't need other information, so they don't ask for it. Their answers turn out to be incorrect. This is certainly a problem for investors, and I think it's a problem for business speakers.

When business speakers and presenters have overconfidence in their speaking skills, they end up stuck at their college level speaking skills even as they climb the career ladder. They ask for coaching and then respond "I know that" and proceed to do whatever they were doing before they got the advice. Overconfident speakers believe they can skim their slides or notes a few minutes before going on and they'll be fine. They let other people write their content for them, assuming that a standard message will be meaningful to every audience.

Overconfidence is a reputation-killer! When you're boring, reading your slides or notes, and delivering a message that's all about you and your interests, you're teaching people to stay away from you. When you never make time to practice and rehearse (two different focuses) your audiences know it immediately. When you say "I can speak about anything" your audiences are thinking "yeah, he or she speaks about everything but knows nothing!"

Confidence is helpful to raising the standard of your speaking skills. Confidence in your knowledge, your passion and your authenticity are critical elements. Confidence that you know the audience and will speak about the topic in ways they want to hear is much appreciated. Confidence that your voice will carry, that your gestures will be unobtrusive and your movement around the speaking platform will enhance, not distract, is good.

Overconfidence is when you believe you are bringing all these qualities to your speeches and presentations and you are not! Work with an adviser or a coach--someone who has nothing to lose by telling you the truth--and become confident, while avoiding overconfidence. Your audiences will reward you.

 

Use Loss Aversion Instinct as a Persuasive Speaking Technique

"We feel the pain of losing twice as much as we fell the pleasure of winning" say behavioral economists. This is called "loss aversion" and it influences us greatly when faced with decisions. I think there are several uses of the instinct for loss aversion that business speakers should keep in mind when they're persuading an audience to take action.

1) Compare the impact of potential losses to the impact of potential successes. It's great to talk about the steps to success and as a dyed-in-the-wool optimistic, I like to think, write and speak that way. However, the majority of our audiences will be more likely to take action to avoid loss than they will to gain a success. Losses feel more immediate and concrete while success is ephemeral and may take time to attain.

2) Ask the audience to imagine a scenario that ends badly. Get them to feel the effects physically and emotionally. Invite them to discuss their vision with their neighbor. "Imagine you've lost track of the runway at a strange airport because you were talking to your passenger. Suddenly the end of the runway is there and your airspeed is too fast to stop." Ask "what happens to you, your passenger and your aircraft? What will you do differently next time (if there is a next time)?"

3) Create an image of the city, state, country or the world where you do business. How will inaction hurt each of them personally? (All business outcomes affect individuals.) The highest executives and the most junior personnel have something to lose by: poor customer service, defective products, lagging technology, and other issues. Instead of asking people to DO things, talk about what could happen if they don't do them. Your call-to-action about DOing better will resonate much more strongly.

I urge my clients to read widely--way beyond their own area of expertise, their business or their job title--to learn tips from other industries. That's why I read about behavior in all kinds of settings. In this case it was an article about how people make financial decisions that are antithetical to their own interests. it struck me as I read this article that speakers should be keeping these ideas in mind as they craft their speeches and presentation.

What do you read that has influenced your speaking?

 

 

It's Not Enough to Know...You Must DO!

"I know there are differences between practices and rehearsals but I don't have time to do it" said an attendee at one of my recent workshops "How to Be a Speaker Your Audience Wants to Hear".

How many times have you thought, "yeah, I know that" and then had to admit that you never apply what you know? You typically use one of two excuses: 1) I don't have time or 2) that's not the way we do things around here.

Accumulating knowledge is easy! Look it up online, post a query to your social network or take a class,webinar or teleseminar. Poof! now you KNOW!

Knowledge that is never applied is like paying your gym membership and never going. You know you belong, but you never apply the benefits you've paid for.

I'm always puzzled by the number of people who expect that I'll give them a magic potion they can swallow so they can suddenly be the speaker or presenter they want to be. I give many magic potions--my two foundation principles Put the Audience First and Be Yourself, Polished, plus urging them to budget their time so they spend at least 50% practicing and rehearsing are among them--and they walk away thinking "I know that."

It's not enough to know--you must DO. Apply one tip you learn from me and see what happens. The magic is really internal to you, however it takes deliberate effort to locate it and apply it.

Do you want to be a speaker your audiences rave about and are eager to listen to again and again? Remember this: Only Speaking is Speaking.

This means that talking about speaking, writing about speaking, making slides about speaking and taking workshops about speaking is not speaking. You must speak to get better. Make the time speak and stop saying "thats not the way we do things around here."

Only Speaking is Speaking. When you speak you will become a better speaker. The more you speak, the better you will become. Instead of rejecting an expert's recommendations because you already know them, apply what you know.

You have the magic power within you to become the speaker your audiences want to hear.

Take action: engage me for one-on-one coaching and small group workshops.