You're an Expert But Can You Speak?

Has this happened to you? I attended a teleseminar the other day. The guest speaker was touted as a real expert in his field. Based on his background this was true.
The teleseminar was given in two parts with each part being one hour.
Although I took notes, I can't tell you much of what I learned in two hours.
The reason was because I tuned out. When the interviewer asked him a question he would respond like this: "Well, um ah yeah the the answer to that well is you know the way I think of that is..." SPIT IT OUT!

A teleseminar is still a presentation.
It was so frustrating to listen to someone who couldn't answer with a clear, to-the- point message. The two hour content could have been delivered in one hour.
It would have helped to have a handout. Although I remember a few tips, it could have been delivered just as easily with a few written bullet points.
So here is the lesson: As I say in my book, Knockout Presentations, your success depends on the quality of your presentation. This applies to everybody but celebrities. Why?
Because people want to been seen with a famous speaker or want to learn from the top experts. So unless you're a celebrity invest in your presentation skills.
Luckily this teleseminar was free.

Thirty Seconds to Win or Lose

It takes 30 seconds or less for an audience to decide to listen or tune out.


Your opening must grab and focus attention.
Most people I coach have difficulty getting started. People are most nervous at the beginning of a speech. Even when their speech is well organized they hem and haw during their opening.
It's like revving up a car on a cold, winter day. It takes time to get the motor running.
They may start with "So...I want to tell you about..." or "Good morning, um, I think my idea is, I feel this is a good idea.."


This scattered approach will set you up for failure. Your opening must be crisp and focused. The way to achieve that is to write your opening line and memorize it.
Recently, I worked with someone who had a technology product that would benefit the audience. But it took the speaker too long to get to the point.

We worked on refining the opening: "I'm going to show you a way to make your life easier. It will enable you to pull the data faster."
The speaker captured their attention, focused the presentation, and sounded more confident.
The presentation was a success.

When it comes to opening statements-less is more.

Are You an All Star Speaker?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see the All Star parade in New York City. The great players of baseball waved to the crowds from their floats-Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and others. The night before I watched Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs at the Home Run Derby. Amazing!
He was so natural and made it seem effortless as he hit the ball out of the park.

I started to think about what makes a player great. And it's the same thing that makes speakers great.
First, they look natural. They make speaking look easy. You would never know how many months and years they studied and practiced. That grace and ease takes discipline. Greatness in sports and in speaking takes hard work and focus.

In baseball, it's about the numbers, the stats. In speaking it's about the results. What is the audience outcome? Do they leave with infomation they can use or do they wonder where the value went? Great speakers provide practical tips and current information. Great speakers make an impact on the audience.

In any sporting event, the fans go on a roller coaster ride of emotions from passion, to anger, to suspense, to triumph. Great speakers know it's not enough to deliver information. Audiences want an experience. They want to be entertained. For that reason great speakers are master storytellers. They paint pictures with their words and take the listeners on an emotional journey.

Finally, great players are risk takers. They see an opportunity to score points by stealing bases. Great speakers steal moments. They're not afraid to be spontaneous, improvise, and take the speech in another direction if something unexpected happens.

You don't have to be in the Hall of Fame to be an All Star Speaker. Work on your craft, focus on results, give the audience a valuable experience, and take risks. And you'll be the star of your own speech.

Top 5 Issues Meeting Planners Face

If you're a speaker who presents at conferences and conventions or if you're planning a meeting you need to know what factors will impact the success of your meetings.

According to MiForum, here are the top 5 issues meeting planners face:

1: Fuel prices and their impact on travel, prices of everything (including
the food served everywhere) and the surcharges we see now on some services
and those we will see, and on staffing since many minimum wage staff can no longer
afford to work because of high transportation costs.

2: Airline schedule restructuring which is leaving many markets without service at all or with such limited service that it makes it tough to travel.

3: The economy - in the US and abroad: not only are homeowners losing homes,renters are losing the homes that the owners are losing; jobs are being cut; banks are being taken over, and on and on.

4: Govt. regs: Mostly about pharma meetings (see today's NYTimes re the
American Psychiatric Assn. -

(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/washington/12psych.html?_r=1&ref=to
We're gonna see more of that and more industries and organizations, not just in the medical field, are going to come under scrutiny. The fall out for just APA could be a massive hit on the convention business.

5: Meeting outsourcing: It is becoming more difficult in many markets for
meeting planners to find jobs.

Even Kids Need Presentation Skills

A mother called me to coach her son. He was a recent college graduate and she didn't think he was maximizing his interviews. He was interviewing for prospective graduate programs in the medical field.
His mother confided that he left home as a sparkling conversationalist and after living with four geeks he became one himself.

Initially, he spoke rapidly and sounded nervous. He wasn't aware that he needed to stop and breathe after a sentence.
But he also didn't have prepared message points which was the reason he would ramble on. We started with the basic questions-"Tell me about yourself", "What are your strengths?", "What are your weaknesses?"

But his toughest question was "What is your major?" Why? Because he was applying to a medical program. Although he had the necessary 96 pre-med credits, his degree was in English. (Not your typical biology applicant).
He'd respond defensively trying to justify his English degree. He didn't know how to turn a perceived negative into a positive.

After the coaching here's how he responded to "What is your major?"

"I have 96 pre med credits, I picked up 30 credits and a degree in English, and I'm two courses shy of a degree in psychology which I'll probably go back and complete."

So your degree is in English?

"Yes, and I'm proud of that. People tell me it's refreshing to meet somebody who is wholebrained. My English degree provided me with good writing skills and will help me communicate with patients. I think it makes me unique."

He now not only knows what to say but he thinks differently about his background.
This student has confidence from the inside out.