by Beth Levine | May 13, 2013 | smartmouth talks!
Did you know that the Toyota car company was founded by a man with the last name of Toyoda? Why the change? Simplicity. They changed the name because it took fewer brush strokes to render the version that translates to the T.
People like simple things. Colloquialisms not jargon. Short is better than long. Business does better when supply lines are short and simple. Speeches do better when they are easy to understand and to the point.
That’s it, short and to the point.
by Beth Levine | Mar 4, 2013 | smartmouth talks!
You’re thinking, “How could comics teach me anything about making a presentation?”
Well, what are comics? I know, there’s a bit of a stigma attached. Kids’ stuff. Or socially awkward guys crowded into small, obscure shops in desolate strip malls. But there actually is a lot in those thin tomes. Comics are stories. They are images with limited text. And, almost magically, they are exactly what their audience wants.
Stories. People read comics because they tell a story that readers can relate to, laugh at, or just ponder. You can do the same thing by using a story; a short, simple, and to-the-point story speaks volumes. Think about how your story fits in with the bigger point or goal of your talk. Hmmm, sort of how one volume of a comic fits in the scheme of the series.
Images. A picture is worth a thousand words. Comics are full of pictures. The author can say less when you can see more. You can reinforce your message by showing them a picture; hand something out, draw on a white board … PowerPoint if you’re desperate.
Audience. This is the most important one. Some people like Spider-Man and his average Joe roots. Some prefer Batman for fighting on behalf of what he is not: average. There are as many reasons to read comics as there are volumes. But every one of those reasons is ultimately because they relate to their specific audience. Knowing your audience will help you tell the right story.
So maybe it is time to think about comics. How does your story drive the message? How do your visuals make your story come alive? And most importantly, who is your audience and what grabs them?
by Beth Levine | Jan 5, 2013 | smartmouth talks!
Lists. 86 the lists. No one remembers all the items from a list. If I could make one New Year’s resolution for all my clients for 2013, it would be No More Lists!
Allow me to play armchair psychologist for a second … You’re dreading the preparation for your next presentation, aren’t you? Perhaps you’re feeling a bit insecure or defensive, like you need to demonstrate to your audience how knowledgeable or smart you are? Maybe time is running short, you’re in a rush to prepare your presentation, and you need some filler that a list or two would provide? Or, you’re feeling the urge that if only you could tell your audience absolutely everything you know about your topic, they would be more easily persuaded? Any of these sound familiar?
If you find yourself preparing to use lists, consider it a red flag of warning … you may be entering a zone of TMI (too much information!). Check yourself. If it’s absolutely necessary, use a list. If not, then ditch it, or prioritize so that you share only the most important items. Or, even better, think about the importance of your list and speak more fully to its significance, but not to the list itself!
And 2013 will be a happier year for you and your audiences!
by Beth Levine | Nov 5, 2012 | Just Mouthing Off
“Three things matter in a speech: who says it, how he says it, and what he says – and of the three, the last matters least.”
– John Morley, British Politician
by Beth Levine | Oct 15, 2012 | smartmouth talks!
Have you ever run out of time during your portion of a meeting, panel discussion, or during a presentation? And did you stop when your time was up, or did you keep talking because you had just one more really important point to make?
I had the most interesting experience watching more than 25 presentations in a row at a corporate retreat about a week ago. Even though there was a timekeeper, and presenters knew when they had reached their limit, more than a handful busted right through and kept on going. They had just one more point – or in some cases, several more points – to make. They even called themselves out and said, “I’m out of time, but I just need to tell you this one more thing … ”
Ouch. Really? Who is that all about? Is it all about the audience? Or is that all about the speaker? You know the answer.
So, here’s a reminder about Rule #1 … It’s all about them, the Audience! It’s not all about you. You need to respect your audience’s time and attention. You were lucky to have it in the first place, don’t abuse it. If you build your presentation effectively and organize your content so that messages (e.g. summary statements, statements of significance) are well constructed and primary, and then information (e.g. background, supporting detail, data) is dispensable and secondary, you’ll always be able to cut yourself off. Rarely is a speaker that special, or their material that compelling, that time limits don’t matter.
Trust me on this, there are two things about audiences you should keep in mind:
1) when an audience wants to know more, they’ll ask for it; and
2) audiences never complain when a speaker finishes early or on time!
