by Beth Levine | Jan 7, 2015 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking, smartmouth talks!
We have become a society that values harsh truths and authenticity over comforting appearances. The opportunities created by the Internet and digital media have given us windows onto people and organizations that we did before. These windows make it easier to access and scrutinize all kinds of information. People can now find, opine about, or even fabricate “truths” online. More importantly, average people—your customers, employees, and peers—are always on the lookout for truth and authenticity, and, whether consciously or not, they’re running your words and your conduct through those filters.
There are two kinds of transparency: One deals with being open, honest, and forthright with information; the other means being open, honest, and forthright with feelings or reactions. Transparency calls for truth and authenticity in both cases.
When you speak publicly, transparency applies to both your content and your delivery. Are you transparent in words and emotion? Do they match? What does your demeanor suggest about how authentic and trustworthy you are? Are you trying to spin the situation, are you holding back, or are you spilling it all out? And are you acknowledging your feelings? For example, would you say something like, “This situation is emotional for me, so bear with me while I get it all out” or “I wish I could say more, but I can’t at this time” or “I have tough news to share, but I’m going to try and put the best possible light on it so you see the bright side”?
You should. A show of transparency and authenticity builds credibility and trust in ways that are immeasurable.
[Excerpted from Jock Talk: 5 Communication Principles for Leaders as Exemplified by Legends of the Sports World, http://amzn.to/1vkcx]
by Beth Levine | Nov 18, 2014 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
When you get up to talk or take the microphone at an event, it is not, and should not, be all about you—not if you want to be effective, impressive, and memorable, that is. There is an unwritten, unspoken contract with your audience that you, the speaker, will entertain, enlighten, or energize them. Personal stories need to support a point. The time you take needs to be used to deliver something of value. An audience waits for something new, useful, beneficial, or fun. Audiences like to be acknowledged somehow. In order to deliver on any or all of this, you must prepare your remarks with your audience’s experience in mind. That is the essence of being audience-centric.
Audiences all have biases, self-interests, and expectations. They have a very basic “what’s in it for me?” thread running through their subconscious. They want something in exchange for their time and attention. As if that weren’t enough, they also don’t want to work hard. Unless you guide them and tell them where you’re taking them, they won’t make the connections and get there on their own. To make matters slightly more challenging, competition for people’s attention is tougher, and their devices—cell phones, laptops, tablets—are ubiquitous (although the presence of devices can also be a good thing, as increasingly people use them to take notes).
Finally, an audience sizes you up immediately and, within seconds, decides if you are worth their attention and engagement. There are studies showing that this happens in the first eight seconds. Think about that: In the first eight seconds, people decide whether to listen to you or not. This certainly puts some weight on how you open your talk.
All of this adds up to a tall order. It demands that you, the speaker, think about your audience more than just superficially. Your topic and your time allotment may be fixed, but your audience is a variable, and that should guide you in preparing what you deliver and how. The experience you give them will stay with them longer than any words or data you share.
by Beth Levine | Sep 2, 2014 | Just Mouthing Off, preparing for a presentation, public speaking
Get personal, be vulnerable, share.
Tell a personal story that reveals who you are – and not just the glowing parts.
Open up. Be real. Dig deep.
You will be rewarded with your audience’s attention and admiration.
by Beth Levine | Aug 19, 2014 | preparing for a presentation, quote
“Vision trumps all other senses.”
Those are the words of Dr. John Medina, a renowned molecular biologist. I have become fascinated by his book, “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.”
According to Medina’s work, we remember pictures. He claims that if we hear a piece of information without a picture as visual support, then three days later we’ll remember only 10% of it. However, if we hear a piece of information with a picture to support it, then three days later we’ll remember 65%.
Medina also asserts that we remember pictures much better than we remember text, because our brains see words as lots of little pictures, making the reading part less efficient than simply looking at a picture.
The implication for business presentations? Images beat words. Those dense text slides you’re using or seeing might not be providing the “visual support” benefit you were hoping they would have.
Try images – pictures, simple graphics, or even one-word slides. It takes some forethought and advance planning, but your audience will better remember what you were trying to impart to them. And if you spare them the multi-bullet-pointed slides that have become ubiquitous, they are likely thank you!
by Beth Levine | Jun 17, 2014 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
Why not wing it?
You know your stuff, right? You don’t really need to prepare, you’ll be fine. Or not.
Winging it is common, but it’s risky. Unfortunately, most of us have had an experience or two when we have winged it and won. I say ‘unfortunately’ because those little successes give us false confidence to take the risk of winging it again and again.
Some of the risks of winging it are:
- talking for way too long;
- delivering a series of disjointed thoughts that are hard to follow;
- never getting to your point or being off point;
- leaving your audience with the impression that you didn’t care enough to prepare.
Some really quick and easy ways to prepare are:
- ask yourself what you want your audience to take away, and then focus only on that;
- get in touch with what your audience really and truly cares about and address it;
- think of a relevant story or anecdote that supports the point or purpose for your talk;
- identify a call to action, if you have one, and use that as your foundation.
These quick and easy tips are the kind of preparation you can do in your head just minutes before you get up to speak, and they are sure to help minimize your risk!
Consider Yogi Berra’s advice:
“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”
by Beth Levine | Jun 3, 2014 | preparing for a presentation, public speaking
I stand corrected. And I now stand with the screen to my left when I present using slides as a visual.
Because audiences in western cultures read from left to right, it’s more natural for their eye movement. So, if you place yourself with the screen to your left as you’re facing the audience, all eyes can roll smoothly from you to the screen each time you bring up a new slide.
Easy enough, now just be sure to keep your body and eyes pointed toward your audience!
