This Month's Public Speaking Tip: 6 Parts Become 4

“If you know what you want, you can have it.”
~RH Jarrett

While we have been through the six parts (not steps) to presentation prowess and public speaking success, those six are about to become four!

The parts for which we have been covering to prepare your talk, training, or pitch include the following:

1. Open-getting attention with facts/story

2. Preview-time, agenda, purpose

3. Body-sharing the information through agenda items

4. Interaction-eye contact & audience engagement

5. Summary-check purpose, agenda & do Q&A

6. Close

So, since the Close is the restating of the Open, and the Summary is the reverse order of the Preview, your four aspects to sharing information and ideas are:

1. Open/Close-Wowing and ending with facts/story

2. Preview/Summary-time, agenda, purpose to guide and review

3. Body-sharing the information through agenda items

4. Interaction-eye contact & audience engagement

Even though you may have wished your public speaking could be as easy as 1, 2, 3, it is instead as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4!!!

Avoiding Defensiveness When Being Dismissed or Played

"No matter how beautiful the theory, one irritating fact can dismiss the entire formulism, so it has to be proven." 

~ Michio Kaku

The other day on the golf course, a male golfer who we were playing with said to me "What you need to understand is..." at that moment, as I realized what was, unfortunately, happening, my husband, Michael, put his hand gently on my arm as if to say 'I see you, even if he does not'.

I felt myself tense as the words and attitude of the speaker brought a directness that was overbearing and dismissive all at the same time.

Sure, I wanted to scream or snap back, and yet that would not have been my best moment or choice. I was not going to be played. What did I do? The same thing I encourage you to do when you are dismissed or felt like an approach someone takes with you is insulting:

1) Be thankful that person showed themselves to you, and say something like "Thanks for letting me know how you feel about that."

2) Repeat back what you heard with words like "Sounds like you believe..."

3) Bring a calm perspective with verbiage such as "Here's something to please consider..."

4) End the discussion when you want with "Let's please leave it here with this..." or "Let's please respectfully close on this..."

To follow my example, I said "Thanks for sharing your view. It sounds like you believe XYZ, and while your view is yours, please consider that it may not be that of others. Let's please leave this at being respectful of each of us having the right to believe what we believe and forcing a view, or assuming you can force a view, isn't appropriate. Thank you." We hit our balls. I was sincere in my compliments of his good shots. We had a good round. If I hadn't stood up for myself, the round would have been a waste.

So, don't be dismissed, be direct. Don't be played, be powerful. When you are grateful, confirm what you heard, stay centered, and own the end of the experience, you may have felt dismissed at first and you will likely feel empowered last! 

#DoYourBest #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #KIND  #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #PerformanceCoaching #Growth

Public Speaking Tip: How to SUMmarize Your Talk Well

 A good headline is far more than a summary. It has to characterize, in a few brief words, the most important themes and news items of the article it accompanies. 
~ Parker Conrad

Have you ever been in a presentation and wondered what was covered when you were nearly at the end of the talk?

It's likely because of a few reasons, and one of the most common misses is that a speaker, a presenter, does not summarize what was covered to bring the information together before closing the engagement.

The parts for which to prepare your talk, training, or pitch include the following and this month, the focus is on the 5th:

1. Open

2. Preview

3. Body

4. Interaction

5. Summary

6. Close

The last months covered the OPEN, the PREVIEW,  the BODY, and the INTERACTION, so the SUMMARY is where the SUM of the experience allows for everyone to come together through:

S - Stating what was covered by reviewing the agenda items and the purpose/goal/objective to make certain that was all accomplished

U - Unlock the audience's ability to talk by addressing questions and confirming you provided what was being sought

M - Move through to the close gracefully and energetically

When you SUM up the presentation with an effective summary, you get yourself ready for a powerful close (which we will cover next month)!

#publicspeaking #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #KIND

Public Speaking Tip - InterACTion

 A good teacher, like a good entertainer, first must hold his audience's attention, then he can teach his lesson. 

~ John Henrik Clarke

Have you ever felt like someone was talking over you in a presentation, looking past you or above your head? Some public speaking tips encourage that, and it seems nuts, as we, the audience members, can tell when a speaker is not engaged with the audience at all, so don't be that public speaker.

The parts for which to prepare your talk, training, or pitch include the following, and this month, the focus is on the 4th:

1. Open

2. Preview

3. Body

4. Interaction

5. Summary

6. Close

The last months covered the OPEN, the PREVIEW, and the BODY , yet the INTERACTION is where true connection happens, and that is done through ACTing in these ways:

A - Asking questions of the audience, listening to replies, and not making anyone feel they failed. If you ask a question, be prepared to rephrase it in three ways before you answer it yourself. Do not be impatient, or it will seem like you are stressed or uncomfortable. You have thought of things and the audience is just joining in, so give them time to engage.

C - Creating various tones and timing in order to engage the interests of the audience since we follow sound and motion. Speaking in louder or hushed tones to tell a story or to emphasize information gets people intrigued by your thoughtful creativity.

T - Talking with, and throughout the entire room, meaning walk around, stop, sit, and ensure people know you are available and will be near them in some way throughout the talk. If you are using projection, black the screen at times to refocus the group, for if there is nothing on the screen, they are only interacting with you, and that creates a connection.

By the way, the interaction starts long before you begin talking. Meet people, shake their hands, and be available while sincerely interested. People who meet you and connect want you to succeed, whereas, sadly, those who see you as a stranger often look for your errors or missteps. You want the audience to gain from your being there, so give to them before, during, and after your public speaking opportunity!

#publicspeaking #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #KIND

Public Speaking: Owning YOUR Introduction

My mother took great relish in introducing me as 'This is my son - he's a doctor but not the kind that helps people.'
~ Randy Pausch

Introductions should be brief. If you are a presenter, or you are introducing a speaker, please do not read the person’s biography. Refuse to do it. Embrace simplicity or abandon the formal introduction fully. 

Believe it or not, an engaging introduction can be an important part of a powerful presentation. And, a bad introduction is often a sad start for a presenter who has to first recover from the introduction and second has to attempt to engage an audience after that recovery. 

An effective introduction should be REAL, meaning the introducer simply, and only covers the: 

~Reason for the talk/presentation/training. Welcome people, and let them know what the topic is. 

~Examples of the importance of the topic. State 2-4 reasons someone will want to listen to the presentation. 

~Acknowledgement of the speaker’s credentials and name. Share 2-4 relevant facts about the speaker that will enhance the presenter’s credibility and pique the audience’s interest. Clearly and confidently state the name of the speaker/presenter last, with a pause between the last comment and the first name and a quick pause between the presenter’s first and last name. 

~Leading the applause. As soon as you finish the presenter’s name to the audience (which is done while facing the audience. 

You then turn to face the presenter as you start to applaud loudly and rapidly to indicate others can follow (and they will!). 

An example of “keeping it REAL” for an effective introduction is: 

Welcome to the Presenting Powerfully workshop (R)! 

It is important we learn to present confidently and professionally, gain tips and tools for connecting with the audience, and that we get our messages across effectively (E). 

Our speaker comes to us as an 11-time published author, performance coach, etiquette columnist for Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine, and a member of the National Speakers Association. Please welcome your expert on presentation prowess, Debbie Lundberg (A). 

Applaud immediately (L)

Public Speaking Prowess Mindset

 "Fear paralyzes you - fear of flying, fear of the future, fear of leaving a rubbish marriage, fear of public speaking, or whatever it is."

~ Annie Lennox

One of the most important things in life, relationships, toasts, and in any industry is to remind yourself that your mindset in public speaking, as in every area of accomplishment, matters.

Keep in mind, front and center, that you’re speaking publicly often, and that it is not about a "speech" or something contrived, rather it is about communicating to connect, and ultimately demonstrate expertise and confidence through the spoken word. 

When you know this, and believe it, as it is developing relationships, it tends to alleviate a lot of that classroom perspective of “oh my gosh, I have to give a speech now” that unfortunately lingers with a lot of people when they aren’t familiar with how often public speaking, and even simple, effective communication, is a part of their daily successful exchanges.

For a Public Speaking Prowess mindset, think connection, not speech-giving, engaging, not overwhelming, and audience, not you, and your mind will guide your heart, and therefore, your effectiveness in front of a group of 1, 10, hundreds or more!

#PublicSpeaking #presenting #PresentingIdeas

Personal Pep Talk

People often ask about mantras or words of encouragement, and a personal pep talk can be invaluable for small and large opportunities!

How the personal pep talk works is by saying to yourself:

"I want. 

I want.

I will.

I am."

And then following each line with:

Your goal.

Your action. 

Your character word(s).

For example, if you are challenged to get an assignment completed, consider something like "I want to successfully complete the assignment. I want to successfully complete the assignment. I will schedule time each day to make progress on the work...because I am a dedicated, competent Project Manager."

You state your want (the goal) twice to capture the focus and align yourself with it, followed by something specific (your action to get yourself on the path to accomplishment), and support both by your character words to remind yourself of your positive approach and value. This quick pep talk is effective for getting through a workout, presenting something effectively, completing a project, attempting something new, getting through a difficult situation, and more! Give yourself a pep talk, and get yourself going!

Tampa Bay Business Journal Recognition Appreciation!

Your votes counted!

It's an honor to be on the Top 10 list the 5th year in a row, shown here in the Top 5, 

for the Best in the Biz Reader's Choice Awards for 

Favorite Business-Oriented Speaker!

Thank you!

 

Congratulations to Tampa Mayor, Bob Buckhorn, Former Tampa Mayor, Pam Iorio, and Tampa Business and Community Superstars, Jeff Vinik and Richard Gonzmart! 

It is an honor to be listed among you!

Public Speaking Power

Public Speaking Power

It is consistently noted that public speaking is the top fear for Americans. And yet you may want to successfully speak in public personally and/or professionally. For such formal requests for public speaking, there are four types of engagements:

Speech - written ahead of time and read/delivered at a podium or in one location.

Presentation - prepared ahead of time with some slides to support the messages for the audience's benefit.

Talk - bullet points prepared and ready to share with a lot of audience interaction and/or buy-in.

Conversation - Leading a discussion with expertise for the audience and expert to learn.

 

When you are asked to participate, ask:

• The amount of time allowed for you
• The likely size of the audience
• The demographics of the audience
• The goal of the engagement
• The types preferred (Speech, Presentation, Talk, Conversation)

Regardless of which type you are delivering, the three things to ensure for success are:

1) Be the expert

2) Get out of your own way (it's not about you or your day, rather it is about #3)

3) Put the audience first

With these quick tips in mind, you'll have fun, and importantly, your audience will be better for learning with/from you in the way that is best for the opportunity...without fear on your part or theirs!