Tag Archives: speaker

The Power of Story

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We all have expertise to share. Story can enhance the power of that expertise. I find some speakers just don’t want to include story in their speeches/presentations or they don’t know how to incorporate story.

If you are on the fence about including story I encourage you to rethink your position. As humans we have shared story since we graced this planet. We used story to share myth, teach survival skills and parables, to share our history and cautionary tales.

Individuals will remember a good, emotional story before they remember facts. They will share that story before they share facts. It is just the way humans’ function.

Here is an example of the power of story. I gave a speech this morning, 5 Tips for a Successful Presentation. I started with a story about my first public speaking experience. The experience was horrible and started me on my path as a public speaking coach.

When we got to the questions many of them were about the story- how would I have done things differently, what were the details of what I did, how did people react.  The audience wanted to learn more and was relating their learning to the story. There were some questions related directly to the content but the questions were split about 50/50, content/story.

I did not expect the story to affect the audience so deeply. It illustrates the importance of story, the impact a story can have. If your audience can relate to the story and if it tugs on their emotions (fear, joy, frustration) story can add a level of intimacy and rapport it is difficult to duplicate.

If you don’t use story try it, if you don’t know how to use story work with a public speaking coach to learn.

What do You Think?

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I launched a survey today. I talk about knowing your audience and this is one of the ways you can do just that.

I want to learn what it is YOU want, what you need to be a more successful speaker or presenter.

This is your opportunity to let me know what kind of content will help you. Complete the survey and you could win a FREE hour of consultation with me. You choose the topic, come prepared with questions and I’ll share everything I know.

The last day to complete the survey is Oct. 25.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Your Speech needs a Strong Opening

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I booked 2 speeches today! Whew! Now, I have to write the speech. Everyone has a different ‘method’ they use to write a speech. Whether you think it through while staring out the window, put fingers to keyboard and write train of thought or draft a detailed outline you have to include a strong opening.

With a strong opening you will

  • Grab the audience’s
  • Set the stage for where you are going
  • Create greater interest (the audience is there so I presume they are already a bit interested!)

There are a few things you can do to help ensure a strong opening.

  • Don’t start with an introduction of who you are- while it is important to your credibility it can be a snore. Unless, you can start with a story that relates to your credibility, for instance, for this speech I think I will talk about the experience that led me to become a professional speaker. The entire experience was a horror show.  I will use vivid words and common experience to make it relatable and the story usually has everyone squirming at just how awful the situation was.  And it leads directly to the beginning of my training which ties directly to credibility.
  • Start with a story
  • Ask questions to get them thinking. Help the audience identify areas where they have a knowledge gap. Stir curiosity- How would you…. What if …..
  • Start with a controversial or startling statement.

Now sure if your opening is strong? Try it out on a few people, if their eyes glaze over in boredom you should start over.

Speakers have Flipper arms- Flipper would be proud of us!

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I see it all of the time, I even find myself doing it! Flipper arms when I am speaking.  Public speakers know some things are just super irritating. Jingling change in a pocket, a bracelet that rattles, a heavy breather on a microphone are all annoying.

The one we forget about is ‘flipper’ arms. You have seen it- the speaker has their arms at a 90-degree angle and there hands are constantly moving for no apparent reason. Back and forth, from side to side, over and over and over again. Every once in a while they will wring their hands or make an expansive gesture that looks like it is meant to encompass the whole room.

I’m not suggesting speakers stand perfectly still but a little stillness would be nice. Think about it like this, if you want to use gestures to illustrate a point make them BIG. If your arms and hands have been relatively still for the majority of a speech those gestures have even more impact. If you have had ‘flipper’ arms the entire time the BIG gestures simply seem like an addition to your already squirming body.

Not sure if you do the ‘flipper’ thing? Videotape a speech. Then actually watch it- looking for ‘flipper’ arms. When it happens you will notice.  You will probably see some other things you would like to change about your speaking too.

If you don’t have access to a video camera stand in front of a mirror and give your speech. Keep giving it until you relax enough to act normally.

Now that you have seen your version of ‘flipper’ arms you need to stop it. The simplest thing to do is let your arms hang naturally at your side. It might not feel comfortable but from an observers perspective it looks natural and confident. When you feel your hands start to creep up put them back at your side. Now, when you gesture BIG it looks BIG! And makes a point.

This will take some practice but the more you do it the better you will get at it. Happy speaking!

I don’t want to walk out on your speech!

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I did it today. I walked out on a speech. I left before the end because I just could not stand it anymore.

Two women were presenting. I think their slides were nicely done. I say I think because at times I am not certain what the actual point of their rambling was supposed to be. The advertised topic was fairly broad and rather than choosing a specific area to drill in to they touched briefly on multiple areas. A fine tactic if you execute well.

They had not practiced exactly what they were going to say. They stumbled over their words, threw in lots of ah’s and um’s, and used stories that illustrated a point only if you were creative.

This is a learning opportunity for all of us.

No, they were not professional speakers and I would bet they do not regularly do presentations. At a minimum, someone should be able to easily follow your speech and draw a parallel between the story you are telling and the point you are addressing.

Non-words can be forgiven; we have all been there. My point is even if you are not a professional speaker you need to approach any speech/presentation as a professional opportunity.  Use the opportunity. If nothing else you may just find a customer among all of the prospects sitting in the room.  If you are uncomfortable or unsure about how to write or deliver a speech or how to create slides ask someone for help and then practice. Attend a class like Delivery Skills that Sell.

A professional speaker will tell you the moment you relax, the moment you stop asking for help or think you don’t need to practice is the moment you deliver a mediocre speech. I know you don’t want to do that.

Public Speakers- Practice, Practice, Practice

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To this day I bristle when I hear the words practice- or think about practicing. When I was in high school I played 3 instruments. Every day I practiced 3 instruments. By the time I got to university I never wanted to ‘practice’ again.

Now, I find myself practicing! Not only do I practice but also I preach it to my clients. Ask someone doing public speaking if they have practiced- most of them will waffle a bit and admit they have not. Ask them what they think would make them more comfortable and, after waffling a bit, they will say practice.

There truly is something to this idea of practice. Any elite athlete will tell you practice is crucial- Lance Armstrong, Abby Wambach, Michael Phelps ratchets up his practice as the Olympics approach. You may have natural talent and practice will move you to the next level.

Practice is the piece that allows you to sail through a speech when everything that can go wrong does. You may have forgotten your outline, the PowerPoint is down, only two lights in the room work and 75 people are crammed into a room built for 50 and if you have practiced that speech you will pull off the greatest speech ever! If you haven’t practiced, you may limp along with something that is, let’s say, less than stellar.

Practice will give you confidence, will allow you to ad lib when it is needed, and will keep you going when you feel like everything else is falling apart.

What happens to my clients that practice? All of a sudden they have a sense of confidence they have never had before, I see it and the audience sees it. Everyone practices- don’t kid yourself into thinking the greatest speakers out there don’t have their own way of practicing. They do.

You could be a brilliant speaker too. It is all up to you.

Sure Fire way for a Speaker to Turn Off an Audience

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Sometimes you hear a story and you just cannot help but pass it along.  My network knows I am a public speaking coach so I get to hear about great and awful speakers they have heard.

Just yesterday I heard a story about a speaker who was billed as ‘inspirational, motivational’ doing an event with two other speakers. The inspirational, motivational speaker spoke first. Apparently the speech went something like this…

“You think you have problems…. Let me tell you about my divorce. Let me tell you about my kids. Let me tell you about…. “

She spent the entire 30 minutes telling stories about her awful her without any value add information. No ideas on handling situations, no motivational or inspirational thoughts or advice, just story after story about her hideous life.

The person who told me about this actually left the seminar. With two other speakers to go and 20 minutes left for the first speaker she could not handle it anymore. She paid for the event and left anyway.

What went wrong? The speaker was focused solely on herself. Stories are great- if they are told to illustrate or lead the audience to a point, to elicit an emotion that moves the topic forward, or to jump-start a speech.

You must provide value. Be motivational if that is the topic of the speech; explain how to build a jet engine if that is the topic. Know how to use your story to add value; don’t just toss stories into the mix because ‘you should have stories in your speech’.

Talking about yourself without a real point in sight is a sure way to turn off your audience.

With Victory comes a little Planning

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I got some great news yesterday! The seminar I have been working on for trial attorneys was granted continuing legal education credits by the NC Bar association this week.

This is a huge step for the seminar and opens up an entire world of possibility. My biggest problem is deciding where to start. Which brings me back to a topic that seems to keep coming up in recent blogs- planning.

There are about 5 different directions I could go. If I ran off in all 5 directions at once I would end up with a train wreck at the end of the day and a seminar that was a huge bomb. If you are in that place pick a direction lay out the steps for completion, pick the next then do the same.

Next decide which direction you are either most passionate about or will bring revenue in first. Hopefully those two areas intersect. If not, decide revenue or passion- it is your business you need to decide what is best for the business.

Once you have decided go down that path. Of course, you can work two paths at one time as long as you remain focused on a primary direction and work the other when you have the time.

Doesn’t sound like fun? Well, I would call results fun- but that is just me. I have my plan, I am working it, and I am looking forward to the results.

Embarrassed or Motivated by the Mess

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Friday morning I went to my networking meeting thinking how great everything was going. I had not yet realized that my phone was still at the office and that I would not be anywhere near the office for another eight hours.

Then, in the middle of the meeting, I dropped the card box. Doesn’t seem like a huge deal, right? Let me describe the box. There are 45 members in the group, broken into 4 different sub-groups. Each sub-group is in alphabetical order and each member has between 10 – 30 cards in the box. We had 5 guests whose cards were also in the box.

Now- all of that mess was all over the floor and table.

The entire group heard the commotion and was staring and waiting for my reaction. I could either turn bright red in embarrassment or I could turn this into a non-event. I said simply ‘I’ll get that.” Just that fast the meeting was back on track; the focus where it needed to be and I could clean up in peace.

This is like any messy situation in your business. You can choose to just clear it up and move along or you can turn it into a big production that disrupts everyone.

You have to ask yourself which is more production? Which one allows you to salvage your dignity, maybe get a few kudos for how you handled the situation and to move forward in a positive manner?

I do not know about you, but I would rather use my energy to make positive steps forward. Less drama in my life is always better.

You have a choice: You can clean up the messes in your business with an eye on the future and a minimum of fussing or you can disrupt everyone around you, create lots of negativity and maybe get the issue cleaned up. Choose.

It was about this time that I realized my phone was still at the office. Time to make lemonade out of lemons!

 

Is Your workday full of Effort or Flow?

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How much effort do you put into what you do everyday? Not into the administrative tasks but in to the actual core of your work?

For me that core is business consulting and speaking. When I am working with a client the ‘work’ seems effortless. I love watching a client take a new idea and turn it into something even bigger and more successful. The time seems to fly by.

The same hold true with speaking, whether I am writing a new speech or delivering one I have done 30 times, there is a beautiful energy that flows with the process. I want to spend time on it. It doesn’t feel like an effort, or work.

If someone were to ask me how much effort I spend on my business consulting and speaking I would have to answer- not much. That is when you know you are doing something you love.  It doesn’t feel like work or effort. It just flows.

That is the work you want to do; the thing that flows for you, that comes naturally and beautifully through you.  Have other people do everything else, the administrative tasks, and the tasks that just don’t seem to flow for you.

Focusing on what flows for you opens doors in ways you cannot even imagine.