TEDx Silicon Alley Tells Public Speakers to Keep it Simple

TED.com stands for technology, education, and design. Some of the top and most innovative public speakers can be seen on youtube giving an 18 minute presentation on new and creative topics. It's very competitive to get a speaking slot at a TED.com event, so many presenters are opting to organize and speak at local events called TEDx. I recently attended the TEDx Silicon Alley event in New York City. The theme was "Rise of the Machines," but what stood out to me was the connection between technology and human presentation. One of the presenters, Ken Segall, represented the agency that worked with Apple. He was the man credited for naming the iphone and ipad. He spoke about Steve Jobs and his focus on the simplicity principle. The presenter showed an effective ad for McDonalds coffee. It stated: Any size for only $1.00. It was elegant in it's simplicity.  Da Vinci said, "Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication."

I continue to focus on the K.I.S.S. principle when I speak to audiences. Whether you say Keep it simple stupid, or Keep it super simple, it's not easy to do. When I coach public speakers I tell them to create a short and long version of their presentation. They discover that's it's easier to create a longer presentation. As Ken explained, "Simple can be harder than complex".

My clients realize they have to work harder to get the message clear enough to be simple. They quickly learn that I act as "the lowest common denominator". These presenters must be able to speak so that I understand the message without being an expert in their industry. One presenter told me that when he worked in a law firm they would give a memo or letter to the assistant to read. If she didn't understand it, they rewrote the letter until it was clear.

The more complex the idea, the crisper the message needs to be. This is especially critical when speaking to the media. Professional speakers have a harder time with media training. Motivational speakers are master storytellers so they must make a shift in their presentation. I show them how to speak in sound bites. The average sound bite is about 10 seconds. If it's not short and simple, it won't land and the audience will check out.

Many of the TEDx Silicon Alley speakers focused on technology, from text to speech to algorithms to flying robots. Whether it's face-to-face or virtual, we can't get away from the need for good presentation. How do you tie these two worlds together? The thread that runs through both is simplicity. Steve Jobs said it best when he said about simplicity: "it's worth it in the end because you can move mountains."

Why the Early Bird Speaker Catches the Worm

When I first started out in my speaking business, I was hired by American Management Association to give public seminars in public speaking and presentation skills. One day, the program director sent around a memo stating that all AMA presenters were expected to arrive early to the class. It was not acceptable to show up at 9:00 a.m. What? Who would do that? I always arrived an hour early.

To be a good public speaker or presenter, you need time to set up the room.

When the curtain rises on a Broadway show, all actors are in place. But they don't show up 5 minutes before curtain call. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of any performance. In addition to getting into costumes and makeup, actors warm up their voices and review their lines and staging to make sure they get it right onstage. The same is true for public speakers.

As a keynote speaker, facilitator, or trainer, you are giving a performance. What happens before the presentation is as important as the live presentation delivery. Master public speakers know that successful speaking is 90 percent preparation and 10 percent delivery.

So the next time you give a speech or presentation, arrive early. Practice the presentation in the empty room. There's something about getting the feel of the room that can boost your performance. Use the time to do some deep breathing and to visualize a positive outcome. And then get ready to greet every person who enters the room. This will create a positive tone and talking to people before your speech will reduce nervousness. It will also help the audience feel comfortable with you. Next time you're tempted to breeze in at the last minute, don't!

For a free checklist on what to do before, during and after a presentation, our facebook page.

The Power of One Voice

Josephine "Jody" Prestovino single-handedly brought missing federal supplies to Staten Island, New York by using her voice. Jody lost her home during hurricane Sandy and spoke on behalf of her own community with no media training. She looked directly at the camera and said, "Obama promised to cut through the red tape, but we've seen nothing. Nobody is here." It's because she spoke with conviction and passion that she had an impact.

Because she spoke out, supplies started coming in. Janet Napolitano wanted to speak with her personally. My husband and I ran into her in a local coffee shop in Staten Island and congratulated her on her leadership and presentation. Everyone is a leader, everyone is a public speaker - when you speak from conviction and passion. When you do a good job as a public speaker or presenter, you'll be invited back. Such was the case for Jody. You'll see in this video the reporter asks her opinion. Her emotion and passion are still evident.

Where do you feel great passion? That's where your power lies. Speak from that place and you'll move mountains. It only takes the power of one voice.

Here's a link to her interview on NBC: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NYC-Marathon-Post-Storm-Resources-Mayor-Bloomberg-Defends-Decision-177019721.html

So You Want to Give a TED Talk

TED talks are going viral and they're raising the bar on public speaking. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design. These videos feature some of the best public speakers who are spreading the most compelling content and ideas. It's tough to be selected as a TED speaker. So on a community level, presenters are forming local events called TEDx. Jeremy Donovan, the speaking sherpa, organized his own local TEDx event and shared his experience and secrets to being a TEDx presenter. Anybody can organize a local event. The caveat is that an organizer cannot be a speaker for the same event.

Donovan, who's been a TEDx organizer and speaker told the audience that speaking at TED is all about the story. Not every TEDx presenter is a top speaker but the one thing they all have in common is an inspiring story. He shared his formula for creating stories. Citing the movie Star Wars, Donovan deconstructed the hero's journey as a typical structure for inspirational stories. The two most important elements that are consistent in the highest rated TED presentations are storytelling and humor. He advised using humor within the first two minutes of your presentation.

While all TED talks are timed for 18 minutes, a TEDx talk can be 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or 18 minutes. Donovan gave one speaker a 5 minute slot because he wanted the audience to hear his story while protecting him from a lack of platform experience.

A big mistake first time motivational speakers make is to extol their own virtues. He warned that the audience must be able to relate and that being humble goes a long way.

How do you get selected for a TEDx talk? As in life, networking is the best way to make contact with an organizer. The interview process may require a video of your presentation as well as a marketing platform. When Donovan was an organizer, he expected presenters to have at least 500 linkedin contacts. As in publishing, the TEDx organizer needs help in promoting the event.

Can anybody be a TEDx speaker? Probably not-unless they have an inspirational idea worth spreading.

What's Your Speaking EQ?

Most discussions about emotional intelligence talk about communication and controlling emotions in the workplace. But rarely, do I hear about public speaking in regard to emotional intelligence. Yet, public speakers who present with high EQ tend to be more successful and are more engaging to the audience. Here's a simple tip from Jeanne Sullivan. In every presentation Jeanne aims to "tell them something they don't know and to make them laugh." This is a good public speaking goal for any presenter at any level. When you make an audience laugh you are tapping into your EQ skills because laughter accesses the emotions. Watch this video to learn about your public speaking EQ.  

Obama Needs to Fire His Debate Coach

The first presidential debate on October 3, 2012  belongs to Mitt Romney. It was a clear win in terms of content and delivery. Both candidates began cordially and gracefully. The President acknowledged his wife on the evening of their 20th anniversary. Mitt Romney also congratulated him and quipped about how Obama probably didn't want to spend a romantic evening on stage with him. Both candidates are skilled public speakers. They each looked presidential but Romney owned the room with his rapid fire responses, his knowledge of the facts, and his aggressive approach. He seemed more relaxed and natural and was finally able to humanize his image by talking about people he had met on the campaign trail and correcting any inaccuracies about his policies. What was especially effective was his ability to speak crisply as he quickly enumerated three to four points he wanted to make. He made direct eye contact with Obama and his passion was evident. Gone was his robotic delivery.

What was missing last night was President Obama's trademark confidence. He looked downward as Romney was speaking. His body language was weaker than expected and he would have been better served by standing with his shoulders back and making direct eye contact. He still needs to speak more crisply to be more impactful.

The real loser in this debate was Jim Lehrer, an accomplished journalist and moderator who seemed to be off his game. He acknowledged they had gone over their time and Romney seemed to take advantage of Lehrer's loose time-keeping.

As in any speech, or media presentation, public speaking skills are very important. But visual images can send a strong message. At the end of the debate, Michele stepped on stage to greet her husband. At the same time, Romney's wife and five sons joined him on stage for a victory hug creating an image of strong support.

Romney won the first debate on domestic policy. Will he be able to keep the momentum in the second debate? Will Obama rise to the challenge? What do you think?

Adrian Miller Speaks About Growing Your Business

Adrian Miller rocked the audience this morning when she gave a knockout presentation entitled 4 1/2 Ways To Grow Your Business. As a public speaker Adrian was dynamic, pragmatic, and drove home her message with humor. Her tips for increasing sales were appropriate for public speaking and giving presentations. Her 4 1/2 tips included:

1. Be Different 2. Stay on the Grid 3.Qualify 4.Probe 4 1/2. Quantify everything

So how does this relate to presentations? Speakers who are different are memorable. But being memorable isn't enough. You must stay on the grid. Speakers can stay front of mind by sharing ideas and information that add value to their customers and audience. It's important to qualify the audience by conducting a listener profile. The more you know about the audience the more effective the presentation will be. This involves the use of probing skills prior to the presentation. But masterful presenters probe the audience during the presentation by taking a quick poll to create engagement. Finally, be sure to survey the audience so you can quantify results. You may have a good feeling about your speech but don't rely on gut feelings. To measure your speaking performance it's better to compile audience comments and a numerical rating scale.That kind of process will give any public speaker real time data that can be quantified.

So why did Adrian give 4 /12 tips? To be different! Weren't you curious about the 1/2 tip? What have you done as a presenter to differentiate yourself from other public speakers?

Your Message Has Value But Does It Have Impact?

  On Friday, Ford Saeks spoke to the New York City Chapter of National Speakers Association. He presented marketing tips and presentation tips for delivering a knockout elevator speech to an eager audience. He then asked for a volunteer and demonstrated how to create an elevator speech that has impact. The difference was dramatic. Public speakers and networkers get bogged down explaining the details of their services.

He cautioned, "It's not what you do it's what you offer." Ford, a business growth specialist and professional speaker, advised the audience of speakers to "Give away the WHY and sell the HOW TO." He believed that all marketing techniques work if you do it right.

One of the reasons a presentation doesn't have impact is because the writing isn't emotionally authentic. He reminded speakers to sell value. Ford's presentation was full of valuable tips. He held a contrarian view of marketing success. "You don't need money to make money," he countered. "Ideas make money. You need value to make money."

When writing presentation copy, Ford told speakers to list all the problems they solve and then write content related to problems they solve for their clients. The goal in presentations is to speak from the listener's point of reference. Then the message will not only have value but it will have impact.

Networking Presentations Are Not Just for Speaking

Speaking is the new competitive advantage. I wrote two blog posts about the importance of good public speaking skills when giving an elevator speech and talked about keeping it concise and compelling. I belong to two networking groups - Gotham Networking and Adrian's Virtual Network. Both groups have a listserv which I use often. Once a week, a member can promote their business by sending a written elevator speech to the listserv. Most of these presentation showcases get lost because they are:

• too long
• too confusing
• too cluttered

Here's a recent written elevator speech by Michael Spadaro that is simple to understand and well formatted. Notice the use of numbers, bold, spacing, hyperlinks, and contact information.

How hard is it for growing businesses to find an IT partner that is not only competent, but also trustworthy, responsive, and a pleasure to work with?  It's hard- really hard.  Unless you're reading this e-mail.

In the interest of brevity, here's what we do:

1. We help business make smart IT decisions

2. We act FAST to solve day-to-day IT problems

3. We keep IT running smoothly ("like buttah")

Our clients are businesses (typically 5-50 employees) that:

1. Are Growing

2. Are Efficient

3. Value their Time

Our creds:

1. We've been doing this for 5 years, which means we've been doing it long enough to master our craft, but not so long that we're in danger of being out of touch.

2. Our customer service has been recognized by many as being among the best in the industry.

3. We've got an army of enthusiastic clients who are willing to speak on our behalf

Check out our website at http://www.helpwithasmile.com for more information including a rundown of our entire service offering, as well as case studies, staff bios, and more.

Michael Spadaro

Congratulations, Michael. You proved that good presentation skills are not just about speaking.

Why Romney's Presentation Failed And What He Can Do About It

The political stage is a fascinating study of the power of the presentation. When it comes to public speaking and media training, Romney has two areas to address. Unless he can improve these two areas, he will plummet in the polls.

The first area is language.

Romney's recent remarks which were secretly recorded have been replayed continuously in the media. He stated, "There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what." If Romney had made that one statement his presentation and media image may have been salvaged.

His presentation derailed with this next statement.  "There are 47% who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing."

His first statement that 47% will vote for the president is a marketing decision. He's saying that's not his target market. In any campaign, the candidate or marketer will focus time, effort, and money where there will be the greatest return. In other words, he knows they're not his fans.

The second statement felt like an attack and many people reacted negatively. Given that part of the 47% are elderly it sounded callous although that was not the intent.  A good media trainer would advise him to quickly apologize for misspeaking and to reword his statement. The challenge for all politicians and any public speaker in the limelight is that the media can take one soundbite and kill your reputation. Persons in the eye of the media must remember that they are always being recorded and that even speaking one-to-one is public speaking.

Remember when Jessie Jackson was a presidential candidate and made a religious slur in New York City? He was talking to an individual and someone in the crowd overheard him and reported it. Although he wasn't recorded, it had the same effect on his presentation and reputation.

For the non-famous public speakers, once you leave the stage, you're forgotten. But if you're a politician the media will replay and spin your presentation into the stratosphere.

The second area is delivery.

Romney looks and speaks like an executive. But like Al Gore, he appears stiff. When he says he cares about the poor and middle class the message lands as facts rather than warmth. Yet, when he's on a talk show he's more relaxed and his personality comes through. As a public speaker he needs to enhance his presentation with more self disclosure, personal stories, and more effective language. When he speaks with passion and can convey caring he'll increase his ability to connect.

These comments are non-partisan and related to the presentation of the candidate and not policies. What do you think Romney needs to do to improve his presentation in the media?

When Celebrity Speakers Fail to Deliver

Last night I was a guest speaker for ABWA. My presentation was Speak Powerfully Sell More: Speak Your Way to More Business. One woman in the audience asked a question about how to handle a celebrity who is hired to speak and doesn't deliver. This woman went on a rant about how many of these celebrities are not good speakers and yet meeting planners continue to hire them. I explained that the reason for that was event planners want to sell tickets. An event will sell out when the keynote speaker is a celebrity.

This made me reflect on my own experience at conferences and I had to agree. I recall one convention where I signed up for the lunch event  for an additional charge. The guest speaker was a well known television personality. And he was late! We had already been served the main course before he cavalierly sauntered on stage in his jeans and pec-enhanced tee shirt. I enjoyed his stories but I couldn't get past his lateness. He never made mention of it. The woman sitting next to me had booked celebrity speakers in a past job and told me that they don't care if they're late. They expect everybody to wait for them.

It seems that some celebrities don't prepare or don't know the audience. One woman media personality gave a presentation about herself and her career path. Who cares? Can you spell BORING? Some celebrity speakers trade on their name and expect to be paid just for showing up.

A number of years ago, I was hired by the National Basketball Association when they launched the NBDL (minor league team). My job was to media train the team presidents and media relations people of these newly formed teams. The media training was well-received. One woman thanked me and said that she had recently been part of the Olympic committee. The committee brought in the "big gun" media trainers who were television anchors. She confided to me that these anchors "Just showed us videos and told us stories. But you showed us how to do it."

Once again, it's all about perceived value. I'm sure I made a fraction of what they paid these anchors. But because of their celebrity status, they were considered excellent media trainers.

So what is the solution? How can meeting planners and speakers bureaus ensure that the celebrity speakers can deliver? They can't.  Some guest speakers have a good reputation for consistently delivering a great keynote speech. Hire them. But let's say you want a particular celebrity for your meeting because you'll sell out your event, but you know the speaker doesn't have very good platform skills?

Don't give the celebrity the keynote speech. Instead, feature them as the main event for an interview on stage. Conduct the interview "Charlie Rose" style. Then hire a professional speaker who can wow the crowd or has strong content. The audience will get exposure to the celebrity or guest, the celebrity's ego will be intact as the main act, and you won't lose your reputation as an event planner.

When it comes to meetings and events, public speaking skills matter. The event is only as good as the speakers. The audience will pay to hear a celebrity, but if he doesn't deliver, they may not come back the next time.

If you book celebrity speakers, I'd love to hear how you ensure that they will deliver on the platform. And what do you do when they disappoint the audience? Would you hire a celebrity speaker the next time? Or would you try a less known presenter or entertainer?

New York Author Says "Speaking is the New Competitive Advantage

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Diane DiResta

Phone: 212.481-8484 x 312 Web: www.diresta.com Blog: www.diresta.com/blog

September 12, 2012

New York, NY -Diane DiResta  will present " Speak Powerfully Sell More: Speak to Grow Your Business" at the New York Chapter of the American Business Women's Association tonight at 6:00 p.m.

Recognized for her public speaking and media training expertise, Diane DiResta, author of Knockout Presentations and President of DiResta Communications, Inc, was invited to speak at the ABWA.  The event, held on Wednesday, September 12th  at Phillips Nizer  666 5th Avenue, targets business owners and professional business women seeking new strategies to enhance their visibility and image from proven industry experts like DiResta.

The audience will learn how to leverage the power of the spoken word:

• Why speaking is the new competitive advantage for entrepreneurs and business professionals
• How to develop message points and target the audience
• Mistakes speakers make and how to avoid them
• How to project confidence on the platform

"Businesses can no longer avoid public speaking," warns DiResta. "Clients and prospects want to hear from you. You are the brand."

Professionals are not exempt from speaking skills. It's easy for women to become invisible in organizations. Public speaking levels the playing field. One executive woman was being overlooked when DiResta first began coaching her. Today that executive  has increased her profile by speaking internally and externally, and was recently on the cover of a prestigious industry trade publication. "Speaking is a leadership skill,"  explains DiResta.

DiResta, who is both a professional keynote speaker and executive speech coach, believes anybody can be effective in delivering a message.  An advocate of speakmarketing, she will share with the audience her experience and success leveraging public speaking as a marketing tool. Her own speaking strategies have resulted in paid speaking and consulting assignments in places such as Tanzania and Egypt.

About DiResta Communications, Inc.

Diane DiResta is president of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy serving business leaders who want to communicate with greater impact — whether face-to-face, in front of a crowd or from an electronic platform.  DiResta is the author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, an Amazon.com category best-seller and widely-used text in college business communication courses. www.DiResta.com

911 for Presentations and Public Speakers

Today marks the eleven year anniversary of 911. I remember it like yesterday. It was the nicest day of the year. There was a noticeable stillness in the air. I headed off to JP Morgan where I was speaking to a group of relationship managers in the private bank. The seminar was on sales presentation skills. We began at 8:00 a.m. A participant arrived late and told me the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. Thinking this was a fabrication for his lateness I was a bit skeptical. When someone else confirmed his story, I called a break and we all marched out to the lobby in search of a television. For the next few minutes we sat in stunned silence as we watched the towers collapse. I asked the manager if she wanted me to continue the seminar and she said no. We cancelled the seminar and I left to find a hotel since certain areas were on lock down and traveling home was probably not an option.

While this is an extreme case of speaking disasters, public speakers need to be prepared for the worst. The best advice for any public speaker is to have a recovery strategy. You never know when your presentation will be impacted by an unforeseen event.

Take the case of the man who was giving a motivational keynote speech to a large audience and suddenly there was a fire in the hotel. The hotel was evacuated and all the audience members were herded into the parking lot. Did that end the speech? Oh, no. This savvy professional speaker jumped on top of a car and continued to give his keynote speech in the parking lot. He believed the show must go on.

I remember when I attended a National Speakers Association conference. There were 2000 people listening to the keynote speaker on the big stage. All of a sudden, an audience member had an epileptic seizure. The audience was now riveted on the disturbance and she realized she had lost their attention. There is always that moment when you question what is the right protocol. She called out and said "Should I stop?" She paused for a bit and when they removed the man she continued her speech. Again, these are extreme examples but they do happen to public speakers.

It's more likely that when you give a presentation you'll encounter less dramatic mishaps. The most common speaking disaster is when technology fails. The recovery strategy for technology failure is to have a back-up. Put your PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive, send an email copy to the meeting planner, and print a hard copy.

What if it's an embarrassing speaking situation? One woman was giving a speech on a stage behind a podium. The elastic band on her half slip (undergarment) snapped and her slip fell to her ankles. She calmly stepped out of the slip and continued her presentation. This would have been a good moment for some humor.

Which brings us to the best public speaking recovery strategy. Take a line from Rod Stewart's song "Her ad lib lines were well rehearsed." In other words, plan some extender lines. Let's say the lights go off. You could say, "Next time I'll pay my electric bill." But what if they continue to flicker and go off again? If you have a few lines you can extend the humor by adding a new "ad lib." One professional speaker had a technology meltdown. He had five extender lines which he used. He later confessed that he was glad that the problem was fixed after the fifth attempt because he had no more humorous one-liners.

Anticipate what could go wrong in your every day presentations. I've spilled coffee, knocked over a flip chart, and hit the wrong button on the video playback. I even lost my train-of-thought when presenting on a panel. I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't retrieve the word. My brain froze. So I simply asked the audience, "What is the word I'm looking for?" They gave it to me and that was the end of it.  When it comes to public speaking or any kind of presentation, the audience will not fault you for flubbing if you recover with grace.

Back in 2001 when my seminar was cancelled, we did recover with grace. We rescheduled the presentation a month later and the attendees performed well. They recovered emotionally and that was the best recovery strategy.

What were your worst public speaking disasters and how did you recover? What advice do you have for other public speakers and presenters?

Gifted Speakers are Born, Effective Speakers are Made and Bill Clinton is.....

Bill Clinton is a rock star on the speaking platform and the ultimate spin meister. I tell my audiences that gifted speakers are born. Most public speakers will never reach the level of a Martin Luther King. Not even most professional speakers achieve that height. Some speakers have a special gift-an ability to move the masses, entertain the crowd, speak off the cuff, and sway an audience. And last night at the Democratic Convention, Clinton demonstrated all of it and then some. As I anticipated his speech, I wondered how he was going to excite the crowds when the facts pointed to high unemployment, lower wages, and a general discontent with the economy. Well, it didn't take him long to put a position spin on the situation. How did he do it?

Purpose: Clinton stated clearly and succinctly his intention. "Now, Mr. Mayor, fellow Democrats, we are here to nominate a president... and I’ve got one in mind."

Positioning: He introduced  the President by highlighting his background of triumph over tragedy and quickly spoke of  the challenging economy he inherited. Right up front he presented the elephant in the room and established an expectation of a long road toward recovery. He quickly addressed the questions or objections in the minds of the audience.

"I want to nominate a man whose own life has known its fair share of adversity and uncertainty. I want to nominate a man who ran for president to change the course of an already weak economy and then, just six weeks before his election, saw it suffer the biggest collapse since the Great Depression, a man who stopped the slide into depression and put us on the long road to recovery, knowing all the while that no matter -- no matter how many jobs that he saved or created, there’d still be millions more waiting, worried about feeding their own kids, trying to keep their hopes alive."

Personalization: Clinton acknowledged Mrs. Obama by saying "And by the way, after last night, I want a man who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama."

Pandering: He acknowledged the Vice-President and the President but gets his plug in for Hillary.

"Joe Biden did a great job with both. Now -- now, he -- President Obama -- President Obama appointed several members of his cabinet, even though they supported Hillary in the primary. Heck, he even appointed Hillary. Now, wait a minute. I am -- I am very proud of her. I am proud of the job she and the national security team have done for America."

 Provoking: As expected he took shots at the opposition, but here he provoked emotion. "I often disagree with Republicans, I actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate our president and a lot of other Democrats."

Passion: True to form, nobody can accuse Bill Clinton of low affect. From his broad, sweeping gestures to his finger pointing, from his direct sustained eye contact, to his powerful and emotional voice, passion is his middle name. It doesn't matter whether the facts are on his side or whether he omits information. People believe him because he's able to stir their emotions and whip up excitement with his strong conviction and confident delivery. He's a natural off the cuff speaker which gives him that folksy speaking quality. This is a public speaker who is never at a loss for words and always goes over his time limit.  (I must confess, I went to bed before the end of his speech).

A true public speaking master, Bill Clinton used all the rhetorical devices without making them sound like techniques. Like him or not, call him a snake oil salesman if you will, Clinton is the poster boy for persuasive presentations.

Michelle Obama's Speech: Poise, Passion, Presence

This post originally appeared on September 5, 2012.

Michelle Obama gave a knockout presentation. Her speech last night at the convention wowed the crowds and she was the epitome of confidence. It began with her entrance on stage. She smiled warmly as she waved to the crowd and waited for the applause to die down. Her voice was passionate and she radiated an energy that communicated she was happy to be here. She has mastered public speaking.

Throughout her presentation, Mrs.Obama connected with the audience. She sustained eye contact throughout her speech and it was not evident that there was a teleprompter.   Too often, public speakers look nervous because of wavering eye contact or lose credibility because they look like they're reading. Strong eye contact combined with her warm smile endeared Mrs. Obama to the audience. They experienced her words as heartfelt as she described the modern day heroes she encountered in her travels.

She also leveraged the power of story and was at her best when she talked about her early life with the president and her personal concerns about giving her girls a normal life in the White House. Her shared experience of growing up with similar values like her husband's and working their way out of poverty was the classic rags to riches story that every person can relate to. It's the classic American Dream.

The speech was skillfully crafted to build from the struggles of her parents and in-laws to the current challenges and policies facing the nation. It was a subtle way of addressing issues without being dogmatic. As a parent, Mrs. Obama painted a picture of a strong family who is grappling with the same challenges that all families face.

She spoke sincerely and her challenge was non-confrontational "…we must work like never before…and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward…my husband, our President, President Barack Obama."

Mrs. Obama understood that the purpose of the presentation was not to be a politician but to show the personal side of the president and gain the public's confidence in his leadership. She maintained that balance of confident public speaking with a personal passion and warmth.

The lessons for public speakers? Prepare and practice so that your presentation looks seamless. Connect with your eyes and let your warmth come through. Speak from the heart and tell your story. The rest is just technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUpN6klYP9o

Don't Sweat Your Speech-Take a Second Look

Today is Take a Second Look Day. That means it's a day to repurpose, reuse, or redistribute your content. It can apply to anything in your life. Since many public speakers freeze when they have to prepare a speech or presentation, I thought it would be valuable to apply this "Take a Second Look" concept to preparing a presentation. Panel Presentations Let's say you're asked to speak on a panel or to give a stand-up presentation on your topic of expertise. You're staring at a blank piece of paper and wondering how to begin. Who says you have to start from scratch? Use what you already have done. Take a look at past presentations, documents, proposals, blogs, and articles you're written. What is the main topic or theme? How can you repackage it?

If you wrote an article or white paper on Leadership Trends, you can easily turn that into a five or ten minute panel presentation. Identify the main trends, and give a short example for each idea.

Keynote Speech Next, create a keynote from the same article. Instead of listing 10 or 15 trends, take the three most important ideas and flesh them out with stories, humor, and statistics. As you present them to the audience, contrast and compare those trends to the past and present happenings. End with a call to action.

Seminars and Workshops For a seminar or workshop, the emphasis is on skills-building not ideas. Begin the first part of the workshop by introducing the top trends just as you did in your original article. Interaction and engagement are especially crucial to your speaking success when delivering a seminar. So, you can build in a quiz or matching game to test their knowledge of the trends. Once they know the trends, you'll need to speak about the skills to master those trends. After the audience learns about the trends and skills, they 'll need to practice them. The remainder of the workshop or seminar could be skills practice through videos, demonstrations, role plays, case studies, or presentations.

But it doesn't have to end there. You can further repurpose your content by recording a one to two minute podcast or video and post it to youtube.

Proposals What if you're asked to present a proposal? No sweat. Create a blank template from a past proposal. Fill in the blank sections with your ideas and data. Reusing a past proposal will cut down on preparation time. My clients tell me that using my speech writing template helps them to more easily create presentations.

Public speaking is going to continue to be a skill that is in demand. You can no longer avoid giving presentations. But it doesn't have to be difficult. The next time you have to create a speech or presentation, don't sweat it. Simply take a second look.

Public Speaking and Politics: It’s All About the Story

Last night at the Republican convention, we witnessed public speakers who nailed their presentations. What do Paul Ryan, Condolezza Rice, and Susana Martinez have in common as public speakers? Each and everyone of them shared a personal story. Susana began by telling the story of her immigrant parents.

“Growing up I never imagined a little girl from a bordertown could one day become a governor.  But this is America…My parents taught me to never give up and to always believe that my future could be whatever I dreamt it to be.

We grew up on the border and truly lived paycheck to paycheck. My dad was a golden gloves boxer in the Marine Corps, then a deputy sheriff.  My mom worked as an office assistant. One day they decided to start a security guard business.  I thought they were absolutely crazy.  We literally had no savings.  But they always believed in the American dream.”

By the reaction of the audience, it was evident that they could relate to the governor's rags to riches story.

Condolezza told of her upbringing as a Black child in the South.

“And on a personal note, a little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham - the segregated city of the south where her parents cannot take her to a movie theater or to restaurants - but they have convinced her that even if she cannot have a hamburger at Woolworths, she can be the president of the United States if she wanted to be, and she becomes the secretary of state.”

Finally, Paul Ryan started to tear up as he spoke about his mother.

“My Mom started a small business, and I've seen what it takes. Mom was 50 when my Dad died.  She got on a bus every weekday for years, and rode 40 miles each morning to Madison. She earned a new degree and learned new skills to start her small business.  It wasn't just a new livelihood.  It was a new life.  And it transformed my Mom from a widow in grief to a small businesswoman whose happiness wasn't just in the past. Her work gave her hope.  It made our family proud.  And to this day, my Mom is my role model.”

Paul Ryan, along with the other speakers injected humor and poked fun at Mitt Romney. When acknowledging the generational difference between Romney and himself, he stated,

“There are the songs in his Ipod, which I have heard on the campaign bus.... and I have heard it on many hotel elevators.  He actually urged me to play some of these songs at campaign rallies.  I said, ``Look, I hope it is not a deal breaker Mitt, but my playlist starts with AC/DC and it ends with Zeppelin.” Ryan ended the speech by bringing his family on stage.

There were many effective public speaking techniques that the speakers used during their presentation-humor, passion, and repetition. But by far, the one skill that connects with an audience is the personal touch. Every audience wants to know three things: Who are you? Who are you to tell me? What’s in it for me? It’s not the facts that move an audience, it’s emotions that get them on their feet.

The audience got a look into the lives of these three presenters and got to know them on a personal level. This will be a challenge tonight for Mitt Romney who tends to be more mechanical and reserved in his presentation. He may be on top of his facts, he may have a plan for turning around the country.  But most Americans are thinking, "Who is he?" In order to connect with his constituents, he will need to connect on an emotional level. And nothing is more emotionally powerful than a personal story.

Don't Ask Me to Speak for Free!

  A couple of years ago I spoke to an organization of business owners. Their policy was that you had to give two free  three hour presentations before you could have the honor of being paid to speak. It didn't matter if you had 20 years experience, testimonials, and a good track record. The person who recommended me to speak to her group paid for my presentation out of her budget. I was not going to invest three hours of valuable content plus preparation time for free.

After a couple of years passed, I tried to log into their internet site to read some of the articles. It locked me out. So, I called them to verify my login information. They acknowledged that I had the wrong information. But I was not expecting what came next. The person on the phone informed me that because I hadn't given a presentation for them in a couple of years, I would have to start over and give two free presentations in order to gain access to their site. What? Speak for free? After I've already been paid as a speaker? I already proved myself. This was beyond nervy. It was downright offensive.

Can you imagine saying that to a plumber or electrician? They charge you a set fee just to walk in the door. And everybody pays them. Newsflash: Speakers earn their living by speaking. It's not an avocation. It's a business.That's why it's  called professional speaking.

A few years earlier I was the keynote speaker at a women's conference. A man approached me and told me he liked my presentation. He asked me if I gave this talk  for companies. They had some issues and he was interested in having me speak at a monthly meeting. He said he would check with his boss and get back to me. The next day I received his email inquiry.  He asked, "By way of clarification, is there a charge for this?"  Excuse me? I think the question is , "What is your fee for this?" Does his boss expect him to show up for free? Needless to say, my friends and I had a good laugh and I turned them down.

A speaker provides as much value as any other professional. Imagine asking an employee to give up a week's salary because they took time off? It's as if there's a testing period for a speaker. Come and speak for free and if we like you, the next time we'll pay you.

This happened to a friend of mine. She did a pro bono one hour workshop for a professional services firm. When she prospected for more business they told her that they weren't going to spend any more of their training budget this year. Why should they? They just got it for free. Now that they have her valuable tips there's no reason to hire her. This woman was a thirty year veteran who provides business strategies that result in growth.

I took her aside and told her that she was not to speak for free for any firm or business ever again  that had the means to pay and could be a client.

A few years ago I learned of a women's initiative program at a multi-national corporation. Their name is recognizable world-wide. On the one hand, they wanted to develop their women with these diversity programs but on the other hand, they didn't want to pay speakers to come in to train their people. What is the company communicating? (We have a program to develop women but it's just lip service). If a company won't invest financially, they just don't value you or their employees.

However, there may be circumstances when you'll waive your fee.

When should you speak for free or make a complimentary offer?

1. Skills Development You're just starting out and you want to get experience as a speaker. You need to develop your platform skills. Join toastmasters and speak for free for non-profits.
2. Back-of-the-Room Sales You want to upsell products or other services and speaking is simply the medium you 'll use to promote. You know you'll make a killing on back-of-the-room sales so speaking is secondary.
3. Thank You You've been a trusted advisor to a client for years and you want to give a free presentation to their customers as a thank you.
4. Charity/Community Service You're volunteering for a cause. For the past two years I've done pro bono coaching for a couple of student winners of the Financial Women's Association mentoring programs to help them with their acceptance speech.
5. Marketing You're in front of a non-profit or trade organization and could be hired by the audience members. When I spoke for free at a national conference I was later hired to work with a company in Egypt for two weeks. That's a marketing pay off.

Never speak for free for your target client or customer. The goal of speaking for free at local associations is to showcase your services to potential clients in the audience. Public speakers speak for free. Professional speakers speak for a fee. If professional speakers don't value what they have to deliver, the market won't either.

No Boring Topics-Only Boring Speakers

It was Day One of my presentation skills seminar. I asked the participants to talk about their passion. The presenters spoke about a vacation, a hobby, a sport, an event. It was evident that their presentations improved when they spoke with passion. Next up was Elliot. I asked, "What's your topic?" He replied, "Inventory control." A bit confused, I said, "No, Elliot, It should be something you feel passionate about. What excites you?" "Inventory control," he countered. I could tell that this was going to be a LONG day. Subscribing to the philosophy, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I acquiesced. After all, some people just have to learn the hard way. I hit the record button on the video camera, as I anticipated his painfully boring presentation.

Well, all of a sudden I snapped to attention. Elliot was so excited about his job in inventory control. As he described what he did, Elliot was animated, passionate, and truly enjoying himself. No nervous public speaker was he. As a public speaker, he came alive and was bursting with energy as he relived all his contributions and what he loved about his job. And in that moment I had an epiphany...

There are no boring topics. There are only boring speakers.

How often do we hear people in financial services or technology use their so called "dry topic" as an excuse to be boring?  I remember coaching a manager in a large financial services company. He had to deliver numbers during his monthly reports. He would drone on and deliver digits like he was reading a death decree. The audience would fight to keep their eyes open. Yet, people who knew him socially would call him a "good time Charlie". After work, he was funny and animated but somehow he'd lost himself during financial presentations. So we used his natural humor and applied it to his presentation. In the next meeting he started with a quiz.

He wrote a very large number on the board. Suddenly people were looking up at him with curiosity. "This number," he said, "is a) the national deficit, b) my wife's credit card bill, c) the current lotto winnings, d) our projected revenues. His peers started laughing. Soon, people looked forward to his attention grabbing openings. He realized that there are no boring topics, only boring speakers.

Fast forward to today. In New York City, during my morning commute, I see free local newspapers handed out. Some of the workers simply push a paper in front of a commuter, hoping they'll take one. They think of their jobs as pushing paper.

But there was one man who caught my attention as I was going into the subway. He positioned himself at the entrance so people would pass him on the stairs. He'd move around and start chanting, "Get you A.M. paper." "Get it here." He'd bounce along as he connected with the crowd. This man was having fun. He took what could be a boring job and used his creativity to connect with the morning crowd. He brought a smile to my face. Here's someone who knows instinctively that even delivering newspapers is a presentation. Watch him and you'll know you never have to be boring again:

AM New York

Bill of Rights for Public Speakers

July seems to signify freedom. July 1st is Canadian Independence Day, on July 4th  the U.S. celebrates its birth as a nation, and on July 14th, the French celebrate Bastille Day. I started thinking about the freedoms we enjoy-freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of speech.

We have this great gift of expression, the freedom to speak our minds. Yet some public speakers are anything but free. They approach the podium as if they're walking their last mile. Their bodies stiffen, their faces freeze,and their words trip over their tongues. These speakers are imprisoned by their own negative beliefs and shrink before an imagined enemy-the audience.  Well, it's time for all public speakers to assert their rights.

Public Speaking Bill of Rights

1.  I have the right to be my authentic self.
2. I have the right to be relaxed and in control.
3. I have the right to smile and enjoy myself.
4. I have the right to engage the audience.
5. I have the right to not know all the answers.
6. I have the right to make mistakes and recover with grace.
7. I have the right to walk in like I own the room.
8. I have the right to reference the slide without reading it.
9. I have the right to own my power and not give it all to the audience.
10. I have the right to establish eye contact and not get flustered if they don't smile.
11. I have the right to speak with conviction.
12. I have the right to enjoy my standing ovation!