Professionally Speaking...

Presentation Tip: Carve Every Word

Speak clearly if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

When making a presentation, the clarity of your diction, or lack of it, affects how you're perceived. Slurred consonants, words tumbling on top of each other and endings dropped off words all compromise your credibility and likely make you difficult to understand.

WHAT IS POOR DICTION?

Poor diction is not enunciating all the appropriate letters in a word [think Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady] or mashing them together in a way that deviates from the proper pronunciation of the word. Examples include:

~~ doin instead of doing

~~ probly instead of probably

~~ gonna instead of going to

~~ wanna instead of want to

~~ shoulda instead of should have

Unfortunately it isn't just the novice or occasional presenter who makes these mistakes. Listen to public figures -- athletes, movie stars, politicians -- and you'll hear many of them make the same errors.

WHAT CAUSES THESE SHORT CUTS IN OUR SPEECH?

Mostly it's laziness and getting into the habit of not being articulate. And then we don't even think about it. Other things that compromise clear diction are speaking fast; the familiarity that comes with giving a presentation or talk over and over [which can cause us to speed up our rate of speech, thus impacting our diction]; and certain regional patterns of speech which tend to be less crisp and more casual.

HOW DO WE CORRECT THIS PROBLEM OF SLOPPY DICTION?

Luckily there are some simple things which can improve enunciation:

• Become aware of how clearly you articulate your words by recording yourself speaking [a regular conversation or reading from a newspaper or practicing a presentation] and then listen objectively for words that are sloppily spoken. Awareness is the most critical step in making a change.
  

• Practice opening your mouth wider as you read something outloud and focus on crisply ending each word [pronouncing the ng or t or d at the end] before beginning the next word. Record yourself and see if you can notice a difference from the first recording. If you are having trouble assessing yourself, ask someone else to listen.

• Try some tongue twisters to loosen up your mouth and jaw. Listen to yourself reciting tongue twisters and it will be very evident if your words are running together.

Hold the image in your mind of carving each word, as if you had a sharp knife, before you let that word fall from your lips. Because if you can't be heard and understood, if your speaking runs together sloppily, you won't be able to communicate your ideas effectively. And isn't that what a presentation is all about?

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/Initials Carved Into a Tree  C.C.2.0

Presentation Tip: Don't Talk So Much

News flash for presenters...during your presentation, you don't have to do all the talking.

Most presenters have a difficult time accepting this concept. There are likely diverse reasons for a presenter's belief that except for a brief Q&A, he must be the one to deliver all the presentation content: it's always been done this way; the audience came to hear my expertise; I won't be able to get back on track if the audience starts talking; I'll lose too much time and won't be able to get through my presentation. But perhaps a paradigm shift might be in order.

In our world of constant and assorted stimuli, audiences often don't have the patience or the motivation to listen to a presenter speak continuously for 30, 45, 60 minutes in the same format. Add to this the increasing desire among audiences for participation and involvement to enhance their engagement and you begin to have a road map for that paradigm shift.

Dialogue and discussion are more beneficial to an audience than listening to a talking head. Structure your next presentation to include opportunities for the audience to share their perspective or discuss an issue or question you pose. This dialogue can be between you and the entire audience or you can have people turn to the person next to them for a brief discussion. Strive to create variety in your presentation by alternating between you talking and the audience participating. The benefit of this approach to you [besides a highly engaged audience] is that you can enlist the audience's assistance in answering questions and sharing their examples which takes some of the pressure off you to be the expert on every aspect of the topic.

Thankfully, this format won't allow for the typical information overload presentation so focus on the couple of key messages that are most relevant to your audience and provide additional material, if necessary, in a handout.

Using this approach will move you from the talking head presenter to a presenter who facilitates discovery and the sharing of ideas. Your presentation will be a richer experience for all concerned.

 

Repetition in Your Presentation

Repetition has long been heralded in advertising, politics and public speaking as a device which can add emphasis and impact to key thoughts and phrases. But too much repetition in a presentation becomes annoying rather than powerful.

I recently attended a webinar given by a well-known author – whose name you would recognize – and he repeated so much of his presentation I felt I was hearing it all twice. In some cases he repeated phrases three times AND the same words were showing on the slide. His presentations to live audiences follow a similar pattern.

What has happened to this author is that repeating much of what he says has become a crutch for him. It's become another form of filler words, similar to ‘um’, ‘you know’, ‘like’, et al. Rather than pausing to gather his thoughts and formulate what he is going to say next, this repetition has become a habit to bridge from one thought to the next. It has become so ingrained, he likely doesn’t even hear himself repeat things two or three times.

For repetition to be effective, it must be intentional. As a speaker you must consciously decide where you can lend more emphasis and importance to a word or phrase by repeating it. You can repeat the word(s) exactly, with a pause before the repetition to give the audience a moment to absorb the impact. Or, you can explore a rhetorical device, such as anaphora, which is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases. Repetition used in this way not only creates emphasis but also moves the thought/message forward.

Take a look at these examples to see how powerful repetition can be when used with intention:

"To raise a happy, healthy, and hopeful child, it takes a family; it takes teachers; it takes clergy; it takes business people; it takes community leaders; it takes those who protect our health and safety. It takes all of us."  [Hillary Clinton, 1996 Democratic National Convention Address]

"What we need in the United States is not division. What we need in the United States is not hatred. What we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness; but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country whether they be white or whether they be black."  [Robert F. Kennedy, On the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.]

Photo Credit:
flickr/Repetition  C.C. 2.0

C-Level Presentation Tip #7: Anticipate Tough Questions

Executive level presentations can strike fear into the hearts of even the most courageous business presenters. The conditions can be stormy and the likelihood of obstacles high.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you can navigate successfully in the C-Suite.

TIP #7: ANTICIPATE TOUGH QUESTIONS

This can be a landmine in senior level presentations because most presenters don't spend adequate time preparing for questions.

When you are preparing your presentation write down every question you can think of that might be asked. Look at your content through the executive's eyes:

• What might not be clear?
• What might she disagree with?
• What are his hot buttons?

Play devil's advocate. What might be the arguments on the other side of the issue? Prepare your responses. Then, when faced with challenging questions or opposing points of view during the presentation you'll be ready.

Techniques that are useful in handling questions include:

• Redirect. It may be perfectly appropriate to ask if someone in the audience would like to comment on or has had experience with what's been asked.

• Rephrase or confirm. Ensure that you have understood the question correctly and are therefore providing the right answer. For example, "So what I hear you asking is..."

• Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." You will get far more respect by admitting you don't know an answer than by trying to bluff your way through. But always follow up with the answer or clarifying details after the presentation.

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #6: Beware of Too Many Slides
C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience
C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

Photo Credit:
flickr/On the Helm  C.C. 2.0

Body Language Practicum II - Hand Gestures

A big challenge for many students in my presentation skills courses is what to do with their hands.

When standing at the front of a room, suffering from nerves, one's hands seem like unwelcome and awkward appendages. To make matters worse, many presenters remember some misguided advice they've heard somewhere along the way -- 'don't talk with your hands.' Thus, hands are frequently found stuffed in pockets, gripping a podium or playing with their owner's hair, glasses or jewelry.

In fact, hand gestures are like punctuation in a sentence. They help clarify what you're saying and add emphasis to your message. They are an expressive complement to your vocal delivery.

And just like you would use commas and exclamation points purposefully to make a sentence clearer, so should you use hand gestures with intention rather than randomly.

Here are some suggestions on how to use your hands for maximum effect:

:: Videotape yourself making a presentation so you can get an accurate assessment of how and how much you gesture.

:: Avoid repetitive gestures [such as stabbing the air with your finger or using air quotes] which distract your audience rather than focus them.

:: Aim for open, expressive gestures where hands are out beyond your chest. Try not to keep your arms tightly pinned to your body.

:: Don't point. Pointing looks too much like scolding and is inappropriate in a business presentation.

:: Intentionally use your hands to illustrate what you're saying -- show how big or vast something is; hold up fingers to represent a number; demonstrate relative sizes or heights or depths.

:: For a comfortable hand position when not gesturing, steeple fingers and turn to point towards audience or grasp hands together lightly [be careful not to grip].

:: Above all be guided by what's comfortable for you. Strive for natural. If you are an enthusiastic speaker who frequently uses your hands for emphasis don't try and subdue them. This will only look inauthentic. Similarly, if you are a more controlled and quiet speaker, be satisfied with minimal gestures but make the ones you do use powerful.

BodyLanguage Practicum I - Power Poses

 

Photo Credit:
flickr/Hands In Pockets  C.C. 2.0

C-Level Presentation Tip #6: Beware of Too Many Slides

Presentations to senior executives can seem a lot like ice climbing -- the terrain is slippery, it's hard to get a solid grip and the drop is a long way down.

This series of tips will help you make a few tweaks to your presentation practices so you won't slide sideways in those executive presentations.

TIP #6: BEWARE OF TOO MANY SLIDES

Just like sliding down a wall of ice can result in physcial disaster, hiding behind a big deck of slides in the C-Suite can result in career disaster.

Slides can seem like a safe haven in an anxiety-laden senior level presentation -- helpful for jogging your memory and good for taking the focus off you. But having the audience focused on you instead of on the screen is exactly what will make the presentation most impactful. The executives want to hear your opinions, analyses and recommendations, not read them on a slide. Only you can communicate your expertise and your passion.

Keep slides to a minimum so the audience can absorb and process your message. Don't overwhelm them with data especially when you want them to make a decision. You can engage an audience more effectively with dialogue than with slides.

Keep slides clean and simple. Use them only where they can add value or further explain what you're saying. Favor charts, graphs and pictures over bullet points.

 

 

C-Level Presentation Tip #5: Analyze Your Audience
C-Level Presentation Tip #4: Beware of Too Much Detail
C-Level Presentation Tip #3: Expect and Be Happy About Interruptions
C-Level Presentation Tip #2: Link to Business Issues
C-Level Presentation Tip #1: Start with Conclusions

Photo Credit:
flickr/Visit Anchorage PR  C.C. 2.0

 

Better Listeners Get Better Speakers

When we think of a presentation -- whether a formal one on a stage with slides and a microphone or an informal one around a boardroom table -- we think of the presenter 'giving' and the audience 'getting'. The presenter gives her wisdom, experience, data, opinions, recommendations and the audience gets precisely those elements.

But savvy audiences know it's not a one-way street.

Presenters feed off the energy and attention of their audience. In fact, in a recent blog post, Seth Godin says, "The listener has almost as big a responsibility as the speaker does..."

If an audience is listening attentively, a presenter becomes a little more precise, adding an extra example or illustration to help the audience see the relevance. If an audience responds when a presenter asks a question, that presenter will ask additional questions, involving the audience more and generating interesting dialogue. If an audience smiles at the presenter when hearing a funny story or amusing anecdote, the presenter will work to incorporate more stories and anecdotes, making the presentation more engaging and memorable. If an audience makes eye contact with a presenter, the presenter will make eye contact back and a connection is forged.

When an audience is actively engaged and connected with the presenter, through facial expressions, body language and verbal responses, the presenter will work harder to please that audience and make sure the content provides value and relevance.

So the next time you're sitting in the audience of a presentation, don't view the situation as a one-way street. Remember...the better you give, the better you get.

Photo Credit:
flickr/e_monk  C.C. 2.0

 

Book Review: Speaking Up Without Freaking Out

:: Grab your audience's attention with a powerful opening.
:: Maintain eye contact.
:: Don't read your PowerPoint slides.
:: Encourage the audience to ask questions throughout your presentation.

These are all great techniques to improve your presentation effectiveness, but all the techniques on the planet aren't much help when you are paralyzed by the fear of presenting. That fear blocks you from being present in the moment, from connecting with your audience and from applying any of the skills you may have learned in a training class.

In his new book, Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, Matt Abrahams provides the nervous presenter 35 easy-to-use techniques for understanding, managing and minimizing fear of speaking in public.

Abrahams' book is a convenient 5" x 7", perfect to fit into a jacket pocket or briefcase for quick reference. Written in a conversational and easy to understand tone, the book is divided into five chapters:

Chapter 1 sets the foundation by exploring what anxiety is, what it looks and feels like and where it comes from.

Chapter 2 covers the five main theories of presentation anxiety and discusses strategies and techniques for managing anxiety and increasing confidence.

Chapter 3 delves into some memory research and offers suggestions for how you can avoid blanking out, how your physical well being affects memory and how to better remember your presentation content.

Chapter 4 identifies procrastination, perfectionism and PowerPoint as three things that worsen presentation anxiety and provides suggestions for minimizing their influence.

Chapter 5 helps you put all the information and techniques to work for you in a personal anxiety management plan.

In addition to the useful content, I really like the frequent "Try this" suggestions which offer specific, actionable activities related to the material just covered.

For anyone struggling with some degree of presentation fear and anxiety, get this book for your bookshelf [or pocket]. It's a great book to read through and then refer to frequently as a trusted resource, full of practical ideas and tips.

 

When NOT To Give Thanks

As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States, we find ourselves giving thanks...for our family, for our good fortune, for our freedom. And that all seems like a good idea.

Where giving thanks isn't such a good idea is when we're giving a presentation.

Too many presentations open with "Thank you for inviting me to speak to you," or "I'm delighted to be here today." Yet these common, socially safe phrases miss the mark on three counts:

• You sound ordinary, boring and perhaps insincere. Do you really think your audience believes that you are thrilled, thankful or delighted to be there?  When Winston Churchill was once asked why he never opened a speech with, "It gives me great pleasure to be here," he said, "There are only a few things in life that give me great pleasure and speaking isn't one of them."

• You've wasted the first few precious moments of being in front of your audience when they are registering their first impression of you and judging whether or not you're worth listening to. They likely don't even hear those overused phrases of thanks. Instead grab them with an opening that motivates them to become engaged and attentive.

• The audience doesn't care that you're happy or thankful to be there. What they really care about is whether their needs will be met and whether you'll provide value.

This may all sound like I'm advocating boorish or rude behavior. I'm not...I'm advocating effective behavior. If you feel it appropriate or necessary to thank an audience for speaking to them, do so; just don't make it the first words out of your mouth. Follow your grabber opening by offering your audience well organized content, vibrant examples and relevant applications presented in an engaging manner.

Then they'll be the ones who are giving thanks.


Photo Credit:
Flickr/The Texas Collection, Baylor University  C.C. 2.0

Body Language Practicum I - Power Poses

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]

In any presentation, body language -- also known as non-verbal communication -- can strengthen your message or undermine it.

Your audience reads clues from a myriad of things about you other than what you say: how you stand; your facial expressions; gestures; eye contact. And if these non-verbals are distracting or conflict with your intended message, the audience will be heavily influenced by what they see rather than what they hear.

When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]

Picture this: let's say you are attempting to persuade an audience to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Your presentation is filled with facts and engaging stories about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, getting exercise and reducing stress. But you don't make eye contact, you stand with your arms crossed in front of your chest and you frown frequently throughout the presentation. Even though your message is strong and flows logically, your body language is telling the audience that you're not confident and enthusiastic about your topic. So why should they be?

POWER POSES

How you stand, hold your body and move around the presentation area can communicate confidence and competence [or the opposite] to your audience. Researchers at Northwestern and Harvard have studied what happens when you place your body in positions that project power -- arms open wide and feet apart. They discovered that these power poses trigger a rise in testosterone, a hormone associated with confident, assertive behavior, and a decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone, when the positions are held for as little as two minutes. Adapting their findings to a presentation, these power positions are:

• standing tall, feet shoulder width apart and chest out
• arms away from your sides and uncrossed, open and expansive
• arms outstretched to the audience at about chest height

So for your next presentation strategically employ body language to show your comfort and self-assurance. Focus on regularly throwing your shoulders back and extending your arms away from your body. Incorporate this stance into your presentation prep, especially if this is not a normal body position for you. By the time you get in front of the audience, the hormone adjustment combined with the rehearsal will have your body language projecting your increased confidence.

For more information on this research, here is an informative and entertaining video presentation from one of the researchers, Amy Cuddy, who believes we can learn a lot from Wonder Woman.

 

 

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flickr/pullip_junk  C.C. 2.0