Monthly Archives: November 2012

Sitting in the Audience Before You Speak

Posted on by

Recently I spoke to an educator’s conference in Las Vegas. I was the closing speaker of the conference, following lunch. I chose to attend the general session before lunch—lobbyists giving an update on what would be brought to the floor in the next legislative session.

As I sat and listened, I noticed the high interest level of some while others were busy on their iPhones and Androids. Some were taking notes and others were nodding their heads as they listened. As the next speaker, I now knew the context in which I would be speaking. This mix of interest could be how they felt about the topic, or I might need to work harder in my speech to keep their attention.

As I sat down, I met the person next to me. I asked him how he was doing and his answer was “I’m great.” That response was the punch line for a story I was planning to use in my speech about superlatives when someone asks you how you are doing. I think an enthusiastic response is preferable to “I’m OK,” or “I’m fine.” When I started giving the example, I pointed to him and said his name as one who already made use of this technique.

During the session, the panelists mentioned a few people in the audience who had played an important role in the organization’s success. I connected faces with those names as they were asked to raise their hands to be identified.

During the meeting, several proper nouns were mentioned in reference to the association as well as issues important to the group. New information was covered that I had not been given during my preparation for this specific audience.

Attending the session before my own presentation was an excellent way to learn more about my audience. I now knew someone in the audience who was an example of one of my points. I understood better the dynamics of the audience in their ability to pay attention. I knew who some of the “movers an shakers” were who would be in my audience. I was confident in the way to pronounce some of their important terms. I knew to say “Ne-vaaa-da” instead of “Ne-vah-da.”

Getting to your speaking venue early to sit in the same audience you will be speaking to provides invaluable information to make your presentation even more effective.

Listening is More Than Paying Attention

Posted on by

After listening to someone, have you ever thought that you were working hard to pay attention and yet you missed important information? Listening is more than paying attention. Telling yourself that you are listening well is not enough. Thinking you are paying attention is not enough.

Prepare for listening. Anticipate the conversation or meeting where listening will be a major part of your time. Give yourself a pep talk. Affirm silently to yourself that you will listen well, avoid distractions, and concentrate on what the person has to say.

Eliminate objects that might distract you. Keep your iPhone in your pocket or purse. Put away your daily calendar. Have only in front of you what you need to take an occasional note. Adam Hochschild wrote: “Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.” We might change that saying to read, “Listening is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.”

Stop the person if you realize that your mind wandered—be honest. Tell the talker you were not listening and ask that the last point be repeated. Commit to listening better as the person continues talking. If nothing else, embarrassment should keep you more alert.

Keep a good listening posture. Don’t slouch. Sit straight in the chair with your feet on the floor. Lean forward a bit to show nonverbally that you are engaged in the conversation. Nod your head at appropriate times. Look pleasant.

Prepare a question or two as you listen. This will help you process information and draw a conclusion even if you don’t actually ask a question. Just the thought of questioning what is being said will help you focus.

Prepare to listen by being silent when the other person quits talking. He or she expects you to respond. Pause a moment and often you can listen longer because the talker will feel a need to continue speaking. His or her defenses are down and you may obtain more and better information by remaining silent.

Listening effectively should be multi–faceted. As you listen, consider these several self-disciplines which will help you listen at an optimum level.

Is the Cue Card Still Relevant?

Posted on by

You would think that the cue card would be obsolete with all the technology available today. As speakers, announcers, and performers, why should we need notes on cards as we communicate with an audience? According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the cue card is still relevant for certain performers.

“Saturday Night Live” uses the services of Wally Feresten to hold the cue cards they read from. “30 Rock” is another popular program that uses Wally.

Even though the cue card holders cost more than the teleprompter, the personal touch is important. As Katherine Rosman writes, “Attuned to the rhythms of each actor, Mr. Feresten lifts the cards and drops them into the hands of an assistant. He never looks away from the performer.”

He often rehearses extensively with the performers, which helps him anticipate what they will be doing.

Let’s not get so caught up in the technology of communicating that we forget the impact of the personal touch. John Naisbitt in his book Megatrends, as far back as 1982, coined the phrase, “High tech, high touch” to stress that the human element will never be eliminated. You still need the soft skills of people instead of more software to be successful, whether you are giving a presentation or conducting a job interview.

As speakers, we don’t want to rely on PowerPoint as a substitute for the personal touch the speaker gives to content. His or her ability to connect with the audience cannot be replaced by a YouTube clip. Texting or emailing a program chair is certainly helpful in gaining information about the audience. But most of the time you want to follow up before your speech with a phone call or have a conversation over coffee if the venue is local.

Don’t minimize the human part of communication. The competitive edge in the market place may not be the latest in a software program, but rather hearing in person what he or she has to offer or suggest.