Professionally Speaking...

5 Steps to a Brilliant Keynote Presentation

It is a rare occasion where, when a presenter asks for feedback on a presentation, I have no constructive suggestions to offer. In fact, I don't think that has ever happened. I am usually full of ideas to tweak and massage a presentation to make it more logical, more engaging, more memorable.

But I recently heard a conference keynote where, if I had been asked, I would have had no improvements to suggest. This unusual situation occurred at the American Society for Training & Development's International Conference and Expo in Orlando last week. Marcus Buckingham, the leader of the "Strengths" movement, was the opening keynote and he delivered an absolutely stunning presentation.*

Yes, he's very well known, comfortable speaking in front of an audience of 8,000, speaks frequently and probably has had coaching. And you may not be able to identify with any of those things. But as I split my focus between listening to his message and dissecting his technique, I concluded that his behaviors are ones we can all easily embrace to improve our presentations.

Let's take a closer look at those behaviors.

• Buckingham was incredibly passionate about his message. He was talking about his life's work and his expertise and enthusiasm showed clearly. When the speaker is authentically excited about his message, it is almost impossible for the audience not to be caught up in that passion.
  WHAT YOU CAN DO: Record yourself speaking passionately. Play it back to see if you would actually be enthused if you were sitting in the audience. Look for aspects or sections of your message that you can speak enthusiastically about and practice those.

• Buckingham brought an appropriate level of "theatre" to his presentation -- his pacing, tonality and facial expressions were all completely congruent with what he was saying at any given moment, much like an actor's. Clearly he had practiced this presentation and internalized it so he could focus on these nuances.
  WHAT YOU CAN DO: While you may not think "theatre" is appropriate in your boardroom or staff meeting presentations, maximizing how you come across to your audience always pays dividends. It helps you look more polished and makes you easier to listen to. Watch stage plays, movies and excellent presenters and incorporate relevant techniques, personalized so they are authentic, into your presentations.

• Buckingham was very energetic and used his space confidently, which in this case was a huge stage with two screens on either side where he was being projected. He took advantage of the size of the stage by moving around the middle two-thirds and coming to the front when he was making a key point or letting the [8,000 person] audience in on a secret. He exaggerated any gestures so they were appropriate to the space.
  WHAT YOU CAN DO: While you may not be speaking to 8,000 people anytime soon, being conscious of your space and using it to your advantage helps the audience see you as credible and comfortable. Don't present from behind a podium; move around purposefully in your space; move closer to the audience when you are making a key point.

• Buckingham's presentation was filled with wonderful stories and personal examples, all crafted to underscore his key messages and engage the audience. Not only were the stories sharply illustrative but they were delivered with exquisite timing.
  WHAT YOU CAN DO: Develop and practice stories that will help the audience better understand and "see" what you're saying. If storytelling doesn't come naturally to you, start with one story in one presentation and hone it to perfection by practicing it over and over. Have colleagues critique your timing -- are you building tension, are you delivering credible dialogue, are you pausing for audience reaction.

• Buckingham clearly enjoyed himself throughout his presentation. He was connecting with the audience, feeding off their laughter, laughing at his own jokes and smiling. Sitting in the audience, it would have been hard not to be engaged when the presenter was so engaged himself.
  WHAT YOU CAN DO: Be well enough prepared and rehearsed that you can enjoy yourself once you start to speak. Finish off slides before the last minute, allocate enough time for verbal rehearsal and arrive at the presentation location early so you can check the equipment and room set up.

You may never inhabit the world of famous speakers and huge audiences [and you may be deliriously happy about that!]. But these techniques will help you to engage and enchant any audience and make you a brilliant presenter in your own world.

 

* This is not the 2011 ASTD presentation but it gives you an equally good example of Buckingham's skill.

 

Presentation Tip: Reaching Hearts

In most business presentations, the focus is on data, logic and proof. And while these elements are definitely important, the savvy presenter knows that reaching the hearts of the audience will be a more effective way to create buy-in and action.

Every presentation we give asks an audience to change in some way. It may be embracing the new information you're providing; it may be doing something differently as a result of your presentation; or it may be adopting a new perspective/attitude. As Chip and Dan Heath state in their book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, people generally don't refuse to change because of lack of information but rather because of lack of motivation. Motivation provides the energy to act. Simply knowing something is not enough to create change; you must feel something.

So touching the hearts or emotions of your audience is a much surer and more lasting way to engage their minds. [This wonderful quote -- Touch the Heart to Teach the Mind -- is attributed to Jeff Swanagan, the former executive director of the Columbus Zoo.] Here are some presentation behaviors that speak to the emotions of your audience:

• Connect with your audience on a human level. Think of them as fellow human beings, not just as one-dimensional business colleagues or nameless strangers. Be genuine and sincere. As the speaker, assume the role of host at your own party, working to make your guests comfortable. Smile.

• Tell stories. Stories engage the audience and move them to relate to the subject matter on an emotional level. A well placed and well told story can also make the subject more memorable and understandable by creating context and helping the audience discover relevancy.

• Engage your audience by understanding what's important to them and weaving relevant references, anecdotes and examples into your presentation. Do your homework to find out how they feel about your topic and what bothers them. To make people care, you've got to tap into the things they care about.

• Closely related to the above point, understand and clearly communicate the WIIFM -- the "what's in it for me" -- for your audience. What about your presentation will make their life better? Don't assume the benefits of what you're speaking about are crystal clear to the audience and their situation. Spell it out. Use powerful language, stories, examples and analogies that leave no doubt about how they will benefit.

Incorporating these behaviors into your presentations will set you apart in the world of impersonal, fact-laden presentations which appeal only to an audience's intellect. For more lasting impact, reach their hearts.

Photo Credit:
Flickr/427's photostream  C.C. 2.0

Review of Nancy Duarte's New Book: resonate

Like a great presentation, Nancy Duarte's new book, resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences is engaging, relevant and passionate. It is physically gorgeous with an appealing layout, evocative photographs and, no surprise, lots of visuals...diagrams, sketches, charts, graphs...that explain and clarify the content. But don't be misled into thinking that this is just another outlet for one of those creative types to show off her design skills. Even without the visuals, Duarte's content can transform the world of business presentations.

The book is fundamentally about how to use story to create presentations that produce an emotional impact on the audience. As Nancy says in the introduction, "This book is simultaneously an explanation, a how-to guide, and a business justification for story-based messaging." Using examples and lessons from the worlds of mythology, literature and cinema, she demonstrates how to incorporate dramatic elements into presentations which invite the audience to become more involved, more interested and more invested.

Learning how to do this effectively and consistently would be reason enough to buy this book. But Duarte offers many more applicable lessons such as how to plan the audience's journey, how to create meaningful content, how contrast creates interest, how to recall stories, how to turn information into stories and how to move from data to meaning. These topics, rich with case studies of people and companies you'll recognize, cover easily usable techniques that will improve any presenter, regardless of experience or job level.

One of the things I love most about this book is its focus on the audience. The clear truth that the audience is the raison d'etre for any presentation is proclaimed loudly and often. Contrary to what we experience in so many presentations, Duarte says,

"The audience does not need to tune themselves to you -- you need to tune your message to them. Skilled presenting requires you to understand their hearts and minds and create a message to resonate with what's already there. Your audience will be significantly moved if you send a message that is tuned to their needs and desires."

resonate is being called groundbreaking and magnificent. I don't think that's hyperbole. Presentations shape every aspect of our business lives and they have enormous power, much of which we don't leverage. If you have any interest in becoming a more compelling presenter and transforming your audiences...and who wouldn't consider that a worthy goal...rush out and buy resonate. It belongs on your bookshelf, to be consulted frequently.

Then you'll be much better equipped to accept Nancy's presentation challenge: be bold, stand out and go change your world.

 

Presentation Tip: How To Tell A Story

Everyone has heard the advice about incorporating stories into a presentation to make your message more "sticky" and easier to understand. So we're all on board there. But if you're not a natural story teller [and I count myself firmly in this camp]...you know, the person who always has an anecdote, a colorful example or a yarn to spin...then how exactly do you go about telling a story?

Think back to some of the stories you heard as a child or perhaps read to your own child. A story has a recognizable beginning and end. A story has engaging characters. A story has action. A story has conflict...a problem, dilemma or challenge that needs to be solved. These same elements are what you have to work with in your business stories. 

The story you create should underscore and amplify the business message you're communicating. Including a story that seems to have no relevance to the content and message of your presentation is just confusing for the audience. Make sure you know and the audience knows why you told the story.

WHERE WILL I FIND A STORY?

Fodder for stories is everywhere...newspaper articles, TV shows and newscasts, your colleagues, your family, famous people and of course, yourself. Personal stories are always intriguing and can lend authenticity to your message. If you don't have any personal experiences that will work, another option is to interview other people and tell their story.

WHAT DETAILS SHOULD I INCLUDE?

The amount of detail in a story should be just enough to make it vivid but not enough to make it rambling. Remember, this is a story within your presentation, not a stand-alone tale you're telling around the camp fire.

Ditch the backstory unless it's relevant to the audience's understanding...you don't need to say that Sydney, the hero of your story, backpacked through South America before he came to work at XYZ, Inc. if his travels have nothing to do with your point.

CREATE CHARACTERS THAT COME ALIVE

It's the characters -- what they do and what that means -- that form the heart of your story. Give them life, give them color, give them dialogue.

"He was an inch, perhaps two, under six feet, powerfully built, and he advanced straight at you with a slight stoop of the shoulders..."  [Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim]

HOW LONG SHOULD THE STORY BE?

Each story within your presentation should be only long enough to make your point. Strive for around 2 minutes, with an absolute maximum of 3 minutes. Anything longer likely includes extraneous details or side issues that don't move the story ahead. Aim for a crisp rendition, leaving the audience so engaged that they want more. 

DELIVERY TECHNIQUES

Pacing and tone are the keys to grabbing and keeping the audience's attention. Vary sentence lengths to create anticipation -- short, staccato sentences suggest action. Know when to pause...for effect and to let the audience absorb what you've said. Slow down your speech and clearly articulate each word when you want to add a bit of drama.

"It was a dark [pause] [lower voice slightly] and stormy night." [E.G. Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford]

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE...AND THEN DO IT AGAIN

Rehearse your story until you have the language and pacing perfect. Say it out loud, tell it to a colleague, record yourself and really listen to what you sound like. Your goal is to have your story crisp, relevant to your overall message and engaging enough that the audience feels like they were there.

As a way of further honing your story telling skills, read some of the classic stories for insight and inspiration. Read Grimm's Fairy Tales, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and learn from the masters.

Here are some other posts on various aspects of stories in presentations:

Using Story To Strengthen Your Message

Are Our Brains Wired To Enjoy Stories?

A Lasting Impression: A Lesson Once Again on the Power of Stories

Storytelling for Sales Professionals

USING STORY TO STRENGTHEN YOUR MESSAGE

An article in this morning's Washington Post shows us again how powerful and sticky a story can be. [Read my earlier post on The Stickiness of Stories]

Post writer Anne Kornblut describes the story, which Senator Hillary Clinton told in a Cleveland campaign speech, about a young woman from a small Ohio town who worked in a pizza parlor. The young woman got pregnant, started having problems, went to the hospital but couldn't get treatment because she didn't have the $100 the hospital demanded before they would see her. Next time she went to the hospital she was in an ambulance. After losing the baby, the young woman was airlifted to a larger hospital where she died. As Clinton finished the story, according to Kornblut, "the audience, as always, gasped."

Clinton then segued into her proposal to fix the health care system, using this dramatic story to support her message that it's badly broken.

What a perfect example of using a story to illustrate a point more powerfully than hard facts and statistics could. Kornblut goes on to say that,

"Presidential candidates across the decades, from Ronald Regan to Bill Clinton to George W. Bush, have honed the art of picking out stories to bolster a policy position in particularly human terms."

Why? Because it works.

This story accomplishes the following:

• it brings the message alive and puts a human face on a complicated issue (health care)
• it makes the point (that the health care system doesn't work as it should) much more memorable, personal and impactful
• it allows Clinton to show that she can relate to ordinary people's problems
• it may predispose the audience to listen to her solution to the problem

WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

The major take-away is that we should use stories frequently to engage our audiences. In doing this:

• look hard to find an appropriate, compelling story that will strengthen your message
• it's OK not to have a happy ending

THE STICKINESS OF STORIES

According to Chip and Dan Heath in Made To Stick (which I highly recommend), stories are one of the ways to make an idea "stickier" -- that is, more memorable. I couldn't agree more.

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A STORY?

Stories are human. They resonate with us in a way statistics and factual data can't. And for this very reason, they bring alive your message and make it stand out from all the other information your audience receives.

Stories call an audience to action and inspire change. They embolden people to take on challenges and solve problems.

Stories create context and can provide more impactful instruction than a list of how tos. According to Robert McKee, award-winning writer, director and screenwriting coach,

"In a story, you not only weave a lot of information into the telling but you also arouse your listener's emotions and energy." (Read Harvard Business School's interview with McKee here)

Ira Glass, veteran radioman of  NPR's This Amercian Life, provides insight on what makes for a good story (thanks to Garr Reynolds at Presentation Zen): suspense, a destination and a clear articulation of the meaning.

INCORPORATING STORIES INTO YOUR PRESENTATIONS

Consciously craft your stories, keeping these guidelines in mind:

• the story should clearly support your objective/point/message
• don't just ramble through a series of incidents...have a clear destination in mind
• before you tell a story to your audience, do try it out a few times to get the pacing and language just right
• help your audience see the relevance of your story by clearly communicating the meaning