Category Archives: Quick Tips

Stories Produce Feelings

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Krista Ramsey, in a recent Cincinnati Enquirer article, discussed the power of stories as they relate to the Notre Dame star linebacker, Manti Te’o, and his fictional dying girlfriend narrative.

Krista Ramsey

The reason, she said, is not “…to make us believe something. It’s that they make us feel something.” Later she writes, “Facts may convince us; stories make us notice and remember.”

This article expresses a major reason why I write several Speaker Stories a month for speakers. You may have all the facts to convince someone of your position, but making a listener feel something is the trigger that will move him or her to action.

Stories are simply narratives about a connected series of events. Thus they are easier for the speaker to remember and for the listener to pay attention to. If the story is from personal experience you will feel more confident in delivering it.

I’ve often talked to people who were in my audience years ago, and they will mention one of the stories I used in the speech they heard me deliver. They may not remember the point, but the story stuck in their minds.

We can still recall the children’s stories we listened to as preschoolers, and even as adults we love it when a speaker begins her or her version of “Once upon a time….”

Adapting Humor to Make It Your Own

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On the television broadcast of the Macy’s parade on Thanksgiving, one of the performers was pop singer Chris Isaak. He said that he told his mother that he was performing at the Macy’s Parade and her response was, “Do they know that?”

This is a punch line that a speaker could make his or her own. For example, as you begin your speech you could include in your opening remarks, “I told my husband that I was the keynote speaker for [the organization you are speaking to], and his response was ‘Do they know that?’”

This punch line adapted to your situation accomplishes several things. You poke fun at yourself and an audience enjoys that. You creatively name the organization that you are speaking to, and you show your audience they will have some fun even if you have a serious topic.

As speakers, observe others who have content that people enjoy. Think about how you can adapt, not copy, material to your own speaking situation. If you hear a good punch line, think of ways you might make it your own.

Sitting in the Audience Before You Speak

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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.

Is the Cue Card Still Relevant?

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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.

Interviewed in Front of an Audience

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A friend was scheduled to be interviewed in front of an audience of 600. She asked for tips on how best to manage that speaking situation. It is one thing to be interviewed behind closed doors for a job or to review work performance, but having a large live audience is another dynamic. Here are tips I suggested to her.

Only answer the question. Don’t wander into other topics.

Keep your answers concise—not too short or too long. (Under 30 seconds unless you have a story to tell within your answer.)

Don’t qualify your answers with “I think” or “I’m not sure, but…” If you’re saying it, they know you are thinking it. You don’t have to say the obvious.

If possible, obtain a copy of the questions in advance and practice with a friend. Don’t practice more than once or twice because you don’t want your answers to sound rehearsed. In The Camera Never Blinks, Dan Rather writes about President John Kennedy and his skill at press conferences. He said Kennedy’s success was largely due to his habit of meeting with his key advisors on the day of the conference prior to the event. They peppered him with questions they thought he would be asked; he practiced answering so that he could give effective answers to the press with the television cameras rolling.

Unless it is information directed to the audience, look at the person interviewing you. You are having a conversation, not giving a speech. (That’s good news, right?)

Show nonverbally that you are connected with the questioner. Look engaged by smiling, nodding, making eye contact with the speaker, and leaning forward at times. Have a well-modulated voice and overall pleasant demeanor. Look like you are enjoying yourself, even if you are not.

An outstanding interviewer was Art Linkletter. His television show, House Party, was on the air for 25 years and was highlighted by his interviews with children. He once said about interviews: “The two best interview subjects are children under 10 and people over 70 for the same reason. They say the first thing that comes to their minds. The children don’t know what they’re saying and the old folks don’t care.”

His tongue-in-cheek comment will help us remember that we do want to practice, and we do care about what we say in order to have a successful interview. We don’t want to be perceived as being in either of the Linkletter categories!

Five Tips for Great Beginnings and Endings

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If you have a great beginning and powerful ending, you can hide some of the mistakes you make during the bulk of your presentation. Here are five suggestions for always getting off to a great start and concluding on an emotional and mental high.

First, make the opening sentence count. Out of curiosity, if nothing else, your audience will want to check out your appearance and how you deliver the speech. Don’t waste your opening on the weather or what a privilege it is to be there. Begin with a sentence that grabs the attention of the audience.

You can use a quotation that relates to your topic. Sometimes I begin my “Be Present When You Are Present” keynote with “The single greatest secret to success is paying attention.” Who doesn’t want to know the one secret to success?

The opening might be an object that draws attention. My cannibal fork from the Fiji Islands gets quick attention.

Humor might be the attention getting opening that will work best. Whatever you do, make sure the opening relates to your topic. For example, in a speech on listening I might begin “The only reason we listen is because we know we get to talk next.”

Second, preview your presentation. Your audience wants a road map of your speech. Tell the audience your main points and what you hope your audience will do as a result of your speech. “Today, I want to talk about three ideas that will help you pay better attention in your job and with your family members. They are: look for a connection with everyone you meet, embrace the day, and listen to ask questions.”

Mention a name, place, company value, or current event that lets the audience know you have done homework in learning about them and their organization. “I appreciate….” Here you can mention a person who helped you learn about the context of the conference you are keynoting, an ancillary plant you have visited in another state, or even a current news item about the company.

Third, do not spend much time on either the opening or the conclusion. Two to three minutes should be maximum time with each even if your presentation is an hour or more in length. I find that speakers have a hard time concluding. When you say, “In conclusion,” make sure you are near the end of your presentation. Don’t speak another ten minutes. The safest approach is never to say “In conclusion” at all. Just conclude.

Thus the fourth tip is to make it clear to your audience that you are concluding and that should include a summary of your thesis or main ideas. If the presentation is persuasive, then you want to fill in the blank of this sentence, “What I want you to do as a result of my presentation is.…” Use your unique application of this sentence: “I want you to remember that you must be aware of your surroundings to pay careful attention, and connecting, embracing, and questioning will provide the self-discipline to do so.”

Finally, end with an exit line, as I will do with this article. People remember best what you say last. Make that last sentence count.

One of my endings is a reference to the logo of Australia; I show a picture, which has two animals on it—the emu and the kangaroo, indigenous to that country. Then I say, “There is another reason why these two animals are on the logo. They can only move forward. By what we have discussed today, may you always move forward and never backward in your ability to pay attention.”

Five Tips on the Use of Visual Aids

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With the rise of many kinds of software for computer-generated visuals, such as PowerPoint and Keynote, we have additional choices for visuals we use in a presentation. Whiteboard, flip charts, objects, and cutaways are all standard means of visually reinforcing our points in a speech. Whichever type of visual you use, here are five tips on making them more effective.

The visual should be big enough to be seen by everyone. That is the benefit of software-generated visuals; you can adapt the size of the visual to the size of the audience and the room. Although I have seen effective use of poster boards on a tripod on a stage with several hundred people the audience, you should never have to ask, “Can you see this from where you are sitting?” You should know ahead of time because you have personally sat on the back row to see if the visual is readable or understandable.

I typically use 24-point Times Roman font as the minimum size. A way to insure easy visibility is the 6 by 6 rule: no more than six lines on a page and six words on a line.

Talk to the audience, not to the visual aid. You should know what the next slide or page contains; thus looking at your visuals should be unnecessary unless you are working with the visual to demonstrate how something is done. If you need to see the PowerPoint slide as it appears on the screen, make paper copies of the slide and use them as your notes. I find that I can put up to six slides per sheet of paper and the words are large enough for me to see.

Visuals should be simple and easy to explain. Some charts I’ve seen speakers use confuse more than they clarify. A general rule is one idea, one picture, or one chart per slide, page, or poster.

The visual aid should not overshadow the speaker. Each visual should require your explanation or elaboration. If not, then you, the speaker, become unnecessary. Always tell more than you show. If you use video of any kind, the content should require your commentary; introduce the clip to prepare us for something that is about to happen on screen or draw a conclusion at the end of the film.

Finally, practice with your visuals as you practice your presentation. If you don’t work with your visuals until the actual speech, the extra dimension of visuals may complicate your delivery of the presentation. Show the slides as you practice in an empty conference room. Go through the actual demonstration with the cutaway or object.

Visuals add more time to the presentation. The practice session(s) allow you to be more confident with the length of your speech. This practice also helps you identify typos or grammatical errors on your slides. Have someone else proof your slides to avoid the embarrassment of seeing a typo on your slide as you are in the middle of your presentation.

Visuals give us the sixth sense in speaking—the combination of two or more of the five senses. When visuals are an essential part of our speech content, we can give the audience more opportunities to pay attention and understand.

In case you missed the previous Tips articles:
Five Tips for Organizing a Speech
Five Tips for Good Delivery
Five Tips for Controlling Stage Fright

Enthusiasm!

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This statement is one of the best I have found on enthusiasm: “Light yourself with the fire of enthusiasm and people will stand in line to watch you burn.” No matter the topic or activity, the person who shows enthusiasm is irresistible. Always be enthusiastic about what you say in a speech.

As I often say in speeches, the last four letters of the word “enthusiasm” stand for what is important in communicating your passion for your subject: “I am sold myself.”

Most people are enthusiastic about something. One place where I worked made me fear for my safety near the time clock at quitting time—I could get run over as people enthusiastically hurried to punch the clock to leave work.

The key to a successful speech is to be enthusiastic about your content.

Are you enthusiastic about the topics you speak about? Does it show? In Where the Game Matters Most, William Gildea writes about kids’ enthusiasm for basketball in Indiana: “The game is still played in barns. It’s played on driveways, at playgrounds, in alleys. Indiana’s beacon remains the outdoor basketball hoop.”

To get the most out of your next presentation, be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is generated by having ideas and examples in your speech about which you get excited. As the old caution goes, “Be fired with enthusiasm or you’ll be fired with enthusiasm.”

You Receive a Poor Introduction…

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On more than one occasion I have been introduced as a professor at the University of Kentucky instead of Northern Kentucky University. What do I do about that inaccurate information when I get up to speak?

Perhaps an introducer has mispronounced your name (Steve Boyd is hard to mispronounce!) or the city where you are from (Nagadoches, Texas, for example). These errors put the speaker in a difficult position because your opening remarks have a lot to do with your success for the rest of your speech.

The best policy is to ignore the bad or inaccurate introduction and move quickly into your material. If inaccurate information has been presented, make the correction in the content of your material. For example, I might say, “In my 39 years at Northern Kentucky University, I have found.…”

If your name is mispronounced, you could mention your name in connection with a point later in your presentation. For example, at a writer’s conference I attended last week, an author said, “A reader asked me, ‘Ms. Macias, what happens when…?’” Then the audience knew to pronounce her name “muh-SIGH-us,” and not what the introducer had said.

In any of the above situations, here are a few principles that apply no matter what the problem is.

Never make a member of your audience look bad. Don’t insult or point out the mistakes of someone in the audience, including your introducer. Even if it is deserved, you will lose some of your rapport with the audience.

Don’t panic. When something goes wrong in the introduction, or in any other part of your presentation, take a moment before you take action. Just pausing will sometimes calm you and give you time to use good judgment on what action to take.

Learn from your mishaps. Analyze a presentation problem and ask yourself how you might handle it differently next time. Keep track of what you did well in handling that last problem area and remind yourself to do it again next time. (Fortunately or unfortunately, there’s always a next time!)

Introduce yourself to the introducer prior to the beginning of the program. Get to know him or her. If nothing else, getting to know you will often prompt more warmth in the voice when you are introduced. When you tell your name and what you do, you are reminding the person of correct pronunciation and verifying key biographical information.

I assure you that you will receive an occasional bad introduction, but these tips will help you minimize damage.

Preparation Should Be Continuous

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I’m always preparing—well, in a loose sort of way. As I go about my activities during the day, I am always alert for material for a sermon or speech. Any new or unusual object or action I see or any current event or story I read, I evaluate as to whether I might incorporate it in one of my programs.

For example, years ago while on vacation, we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Utah that had hummingbirds feeding in the flower-covered front yard. Their energy and speed and beauty impressed me. I began thinking, “How can I work what I am seeing into one of my presentations?” By simply having this question in my mind, I eventually developed a hummingbird story that I use to end many of my speeches.

When I am preparing a new presentation, I go back to notes I have taken or clippings I have kept that might be appropriate material for an upcoming presentation.

When you regularly speak on your area of expertise, pay attention to the new, the unusual, the historical, or even the hypothetical. Keep notes on each. You never know when you might be preparing a key point in a presentation you have not yet been assigned or agreed to deliver.

To be an effective speaker over a long period of time, your preparation does not begin and end on a certain day or hour. Preparation is a continuous process.