Build your confidence with The Confidence Course!

Starting in September, I will be running a six-week class in Santa Barbara with local vocal coach and opera singer Carol Ann Manzi that will cover all aspects of presenting yourself effectively, whether in interviews, public speaking engagements, networking events or other one-on-one or group presentation opportunities.

The program is called The Confidence Course and you can learn more here. Class size is limited to 15, so if you're in Santa Barbara, get registered asap!

A PowerPoint fairy tale

I don't think I've ever posted Rowan Manahan's famous (or soon-to-be-famous) PowerPoint version of Cinderella, and I apologize, because it's beyond clever.

What's missing here is the actual presenter telling the bedtime story, but you'll get the gist. Here's the original accompanying post for a little more on what's behind this presentation.

In a nutshell, "PowerPoint is not always the answer, even if it will communicate 'the basic facts' to your audience." Enjoy!

Power Point 20th Anniversary Cinderella

View more presentations from Rowan Manahan.

Seven ways to kickstart the creative process

"Thanks for inviting me to the meeting on Saturday. It was lots of fun and I am motivated to learn and grow more in this creative endeavor of presenting.

Unfortunately not enough people see it as a creative process and that is where most presenters are stuck."

I received this e-mail from a client recently, and I honestly have to say that it filled me with joy. I wish more people approached presenting as the creative (and fun) process it can be rather than the boring, rule-laden chore they make it.

Here are some ideas for facing your next presentation with an open, creative thought process:

1. Try on a new perspective and be willing to brainstorm and try new ideas.

2. Ask yourself, "Why have we always done it this way? What would be the benefit to my audience of offering something new?"

3. Put yourself in the audience's shoes: "What would I like to see and hear if I were an audience member?"

4. Ask yourself, "What do I REALLY want to say?" Take the risk of being honest and authentic.

5. Let yourself feel uncomfortable as you entertain these new ideas and challenges. You don't have to keep every idea, but brainstorm enough that you have some to throw away and some to keep.

6. If you normally start creating your presentation in PowerPoint, try creating an outline in Word. If you normally start in Word, try handwriting some ideas. If you normally write, try storyboarding.

7. Stop worrying about being seen as "different" and let yourself be unique.

There are so many more ways to open your mind to the creative process. Please share in the comments some ideas for getting out of your comfort zone when creating a presentation.

20 years later...

Today I'll be off with Bub, doing this...















and this...














Because 20 years ago today, we were doing this...



















and this...




















See you soon!

Stumbles, fumbles and mumbles

When Rachel Maddow takes a vacation or is out sick from The Rachel Maddow Show, Alison Stewart usually fills in as guest host. I don't know if it's a case of not enough prep time or just not being very good at reading the teleprompter, but she seems to have a lot of trouble getting her words out.

She trips over her tongue about once per paragraph, her stumble sometimes only slightly noticeable ("ot" for "not") and sometimes unmistakable ("If your conspiracy theater...theory...spidey sense is going off right now...").

On last night's show she acknowledged her awkwardness mid-sentence:

"But you won't spit your lime thirky lick...(laughs) oh, boy. You won't spit your lime rickey through your nose in surprise...."

News readers and talk show hosts will not usually acknowledge a mistake; there's just no time to keep backing up and saying, "Excuse me..." in the middle of a sentence. They just keep plowing through their script, hoping for the best.

We all make these little stumbles from time to time, and inexperienced speakers who are trying to be perfect can find them embarrassing and feel a need to acknowledge or apologize.

Let me suggest that you follow the news readers' cue and let these stumbles just roll on by. If you ignore them, the audience will, too. In the case of Alison Stewart, it's hard to ignore as it's a regular occurrence. But for most of us, who aren't filling in at the last minute for a talk show host and reading from a teleprompter, it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

In the case of a "lime thirky licky rickey" type of moment, I think a little humor is called for. I have tripped over my tongue like this in presentations, and it's pretty funny. So go with it. Have a laugh, say "oops" and move on.

As with most minor mistakes, we're all human and your audience appreciates that about you!

Self-serving introductions and butt-kissing thank yous

I downloaded an e-book the other day that went like this:

Title page
Second title page
Copyright page
Publisher page
About the authors (2 pages)
Contents
Foreword (5 pages)
Introduction by one of the authors (2 pages)
Chapter 1

I was fifteen pages into the e-book before the actual content began.

If you were to approach an audience like this, the room would be empty by the time you started your actual presentation.

The e-book is 44 pages long. The introductory pages make up 1/3 of the whole book. Imagine taking 20 minutes out of your hour-long presentation to talk about yourself and your history and the background of your presentation.

This was a free e-book, which makes me think that the authors were trying to get all their marketing information up front. But guess what: I don't care about all of that! I can wait till the end to read about the authors and their credentials and their accolades. What I want is content. Information. Value.

If you do nothing else in your presentation, don't waste the audience's time. Respect your audience by giving them what they've come for. Don't make them wait through your self-serving introduction and butt-kissing thank yous.

Get right down to business. It's the least you can do.

Loading...loading...loading...

I attended a meeting last week where one of the speakers was going to talk about and demonstrate her VOIP product. Shortly before she was to start her ten-minute presentation, her assistant hooked up the phone equipment and it began to boot up.

She had planned on calling a colleague to demonstrate the phone's video capability and had scheduled the call for a certain time. As she went through her presentation, the phone continued to boot. She paused... she hesitated. The phone was still booting. She came to the end of her ten minutes and was still unable to make the call.

The meeting continued on with other speakers and other business and, in the end, she had to wait until the meeting was over to show the phone to anyone who could stay behind.

The unfortunate results were that:

1) She was unable to present to the whole group

2) The phone ended up looking like a troublesome product

3) She ended up looking like she didn't know her product very well

This could all have been avoided with proper preparation. Instead of booting up the equipment right before the presentation, she could have hooked it all up right when she arrived to make sure it was working properly.

Planning and preparation are not the most glamorous aspects of presenting, but without them, you are taking a big risk with your presentation.

Is social media a fad?

For many of my coaching clients, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and sometimes even websites are as foreign to them as the moon. I have spent a lot of time educating them about the importance in 2009 of creating a presence not just on stage, but on the social media stage. And it's working! My clients are starting blogs, joining social networking sites, and getting their names, products and services out there.

How about you? Are you still resisting? Watch this video. I hope it changes your mind. (Thanks to Chris Spagnuolo at EdgeHopper for the heads up on this video.)

The endless pause

On last week's episode of Monk, I watched as the characters sat through one of the most delicious and awkward pauses I've ever seen.

Monk and Samuel are tied up in the back of a delivery truck, being driven to a remote location by a killer. Samuel turns to Monk and says:

"I have an idea... I have an idea. Can you reach into my pants?"

They look at each other.

Pause.

Pause.

Pause.

Pause.

Pause.

"Yesss...?"

"My cigarette lighter."

They burn the ropes and escape.

Ten seconds! It was brilliant. It was funny. It was dramatic. It was unexpected. It made the scene.

Want to add some drama to your presentation? Add an extra-long pause!

Research help: Imagine the audience naked?

I received an e-mail today from Scott Berkun, who's researching a public speaking book and is stumped on one piece of speaking lore:

"I'm a fan of your blog and an author finishing up a book on public speaking called Confessions of a Public Speaker (O'Reilly Media, 2009).

I'm stuck on a research matter and hoped you and your blog readers could help.

Perhaps the oldest advice in the world on public speaking is to imagine the audience naked, but no one seems to know what the source of this (bad) advice is.

One reader of my blog dug up some mentions of Churchill, but they're from books with no references.

I've asked a few university professors and they didn't know.

Hope you can help - I'd be grateful.

Cheers,

-Scott"

So, readers, can anyone help out? Read Scott's post to see where he's already looked. And as he mentions above, the Churchill suggestions seem to have no references, so if you know where this is cited, let us know!

And I'd like to acknowledge Scott for his thorough research. How many times have you read books or listened to speakers who repeat stale statistics that are not -- and may never have been -- supported? Sounds like Scott is having none of that. Already makes me want to read the book!

Make your audience feel special

We saw a lesser-known local band perform recently at a community event. Bub was intrigued, and stopped by their table to buy their self-produced CD (with a hand-drawn cover) for $5.

As we were standing at the table buying the CD, the band's singer came over and introduced himself. He thanked us for buying his CD, and engaged us in conversation. We learned a little more about the band and had a nice chat.

The members of the band are high school and college students; they've only been together for a little over a year. Yet they've already learned one important thing about performing: You have to make the audience feel special.

Without an audience, a performer doesn't exist. The audience deserves our appreciation, our acknowledgement, our thanks.

Spend some time before your presentation talking with audience members. Instead of running off to your next appointment afterward, stick around and build some relationships.

Bub is going to be more inclined to seek out this band's performances, now that he has a personal connection, and he's already planning on buying their new CD when it comes out.

No matter how small a group, no matter how small a purchase, the connection you make with your audience members is infinitely valuable and critical to your growth and success as a speaker. Make sure they know it.

$100 off PowerPoint design service -- two weeks left!

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Thinking through the details

TV Guide: The glove, the white socks, the red leather jacket - who came up with those things?

Michael Jackson: The glove was just - I thought one was cooler than two. I love to accent movement. The eye goes to where the white is - you know, the glove. And the feet, if you're dancing, you can put an exclamation point on your movement if it has a bit of light on it. So I wore the white socks. And for the design of the jacket, I would sit with the people who made the clothes and tell them where I wanted a button or a buckle or a design.

---

Nothing Michael Jackson did in his performances was arbitrary; every step was mapped out and rehearsed in advance, every visual and sound was considered, right down to the buckle on a jacket.

This is not to say that your presentation should be over-rehearsed to the point of machine-like precision, but have you thought through the details?

Have you considered how the room looks and feels to the audience? Have you considered which props and visuals will be most effective? Have you listened for outside noise or noticed if there's a glare through the window? Have you paid attention to how sound bounces off the walls and floors and whether or not you'll need a microphone?

Preparation is not just writing your presentation, practicing it a few times, then showing up on the day to deliver it. Make sure you understand how every aspect of your presentation will affect the audience, from your words to your appearance to the room itself.

A room that's too hot or too cold will make your audience uncomfortable. Is there a post blocking people's view? Rearrange the room to make it less distracting. Are you dressed appropriately for the crowd? If not, you might alienate part of the group the minute you walk in.

Pay attention to how the audience will be affected by all aspects of the presentation.

How can you enhance your presentation and make it more successful by paying attention to the details?

Avoiding public speaking intensifies your fear

I've written before about my own experiences with panic attacks, about thought traps that mistake emotions for reality, dealing with setbacks, and letting go of the negative.

All of those articles include helpful tips for dealing with anxiety, but here's the most valuable of all: Avoiding the thing that triggers your anxiety is the best way to keep it hanging over your head and controlling you. And the longer you avoid the scary thing, the bigger and scarier it gets.

From the book, "Overcoming Panic, Anxiety and Phobias:"

"When you experience anxiety or panic, you may adopt a variety of strategies in order to avert disaster. You may attempt to avoid the situation; you may focus extensively on it; or you may try to distract yourself. We call these maneuvers 'security moves.' Although they make you feel temporarily safe, you need to let go of these security moves as you learn to face the situations you fear.

Some of these security moves can be very subtle, so much a part of your reaction that you're not even aware you're making them. But when you use one of these strategies and the danger you had predicted doesn't occur, you have the feeling, often without being aware of having it, that your security move saved you. This encourages you to practice the same strategy again. Unfortunately, it does not free you from fear.

The role of avoidance -- a type of security move -- is complex. It is responsible for perpetuating your fear of certain places because the longer you avoid a place, the more likely it is that you will begin to believe that avoidance is what's keeping your fears under control. So the longer you avoid a place, the harder it becomes to go there again.

By avoiding specific places you are attempting to avoid the frightening sensations and thoughts you predict you will experience. By trying to eliminate the sensations of anxiety or panic at all costs, your fear of having these feelings ultimately intensifies."

For me, the strongest tool against panic attacks has been not to avoid the things that trigger them! If I have to sit in the middle seat at a concert, so be it. If I have to ride in a packed elevator, oh well.

The strategy of facing the scary thing served me well and helped me overcome the worst of my anxiety. Of course, I also have the tools of relaxation, breathing, calming myself, and other tools that help me face the anxiety if it does rise up. (For severe anxiety, I recommend the book above for more helpful tools.)

I have a client who has avoided public speaking for more than 20 years. Because of this, he has developed no skills, no tools for dealing with his anxiety, and no experience. He is literally starting from scratch, having to learn the basics of public speaking while also facing his fear. But he's doing it!

He's taken the first step to facing his anxiety, by setting himself up to be in a position to speak in front of a group. This might be his biggest fear, but he knows he can't get over it without doing it, without developing tools and strategies to then practice in a speaking situation.

It takes a lot of courage, and willingness to put yourself in an uncomfortable and scary situation -- to say the least.

But people do it. And so can you.

Cliff Atkinson on getting your book published

Cliff Atkinson, author of "Beyond Bullet Points," (my favorite book on using slides/PowerPoint) facilitates a discussion at PresentationCampLA on traditional nonfiction publishing, based on his experience and with some good additional comments by other participants. There is another session going on next door, so there is some background noise.

Cliff Atkinson on getting published from Lisa Braithwaite on Vimeo.

Public speaking practice for the self-employed

You might have seen this post or this handout on seven ways to practice public speaking at work.

But what if you're self-employed and your office is ten feet from your bed? We don't all have regular office meetings and reports to give when we work for ourselves, so how can we take those baby steps to get started in public speaking?

Here are some of the opportunities my entrepreneurial clients have shared for practicing their public speaking. Add yours in the comments!

1. Church -- Offer to do readings, speak up more at Bible study, help teach a class.

2. Networking organizations -- Practice your elevator speech and introducing yourself to people. Some organizations even go around the room giving each person a chance to talk for up to 30 seconds or a minute.

3. Events -- Offer to introduce another speaker who's giving a presentation.

4. Toastmasters -- Even if you don't want to become a permanent member or get involved in competitions, try out the first ten speeches. You have a built-in supportive audience, short speeches and guidelines for what to talk about.

5. Volunteer and service organizations -- Join volunteer organizations (PTA, Rotary Club, Soroptimist, Newcomers; the list goes on!) where you can practice either a leadership role or just raising your hand in public!

You can also offer your speaking services without joining. Contact the organization and ask if they can use your expertise.

6. Your child's school -- Join a committee. There are fundraisers to put on, athletic events to organize, field trips to coordinate... Lead meetings or give reports; there are lots of ways to contribute.

7. Take a class -- Get used to asking and answering questions in a group setting. Everyone's there to learn, so raising your hand is less intimidating.

The more the merrier: Add your suggestions in the comments!

Fun Friday: Public speaking nightmare - The best man speech

Tricked you! Obviously not someone who considered this speech a nightmare: for a fun Friday video, have a laugh at this best man's speech by former Great Britain & Ireland Toastmasters Champion Simon Bucknall. And while you're at it, read Jason Peck's review of the speech.



Here's my comment in response to the video and Jason's analysis. Enjoy!

What if no one participates?

One of the concerns I hear from speakers is "What if I ask a question and no one responds?" A related concern, "What if no one asks questions during Q & A?" This just happened to me today during a teleseminar, so it seemed like an opportune time to address it.

1. Don't take it personally.

A lot of people feel uncomfortable raising their hand to respond to or ask a question in a crowd. It's a form of public speaking, actually, and we all know how people feel about public speaking. Especially when we're not prepared and don't know exactly how we want to say something. The people who ask questions or speak in a crowd are the brave ones!

2. Be prepared.

If you ask a question and no one responds, be prepared with your desired answers. Give them a couple of moments to answer and be aware that the first person may not jump right in. But once you determine that no one will respond to the question, be ready to give your own answers.

3. Don't belittle the audience for not participating.

If it's early in the morning, I might say something like, "I understand, you're not full awake yet -- I'll come back to you a little later." But I won't dwell on it or put them down for not participating. I know it's hard for them to speak up and I don't want to make them feel bad on top of their anxiety.

I've seen speakers refuse to give up, "Come on, SOMEONE must have experienced this before. NO ONE wants to share?" And so forth. Bullying the audience just makes things worse. Leave them alone! Understand that there are a million reasons why they don't want to speak up and leave it at that.

4. Come back later!

Give them another chance. Have several opportunities for participation, in groups, in pairs, etc. Find ways for them to participate that are more comfortable. After this, they will likely be more willing to raise their hands and speak up.

Be open, be gentle, be nonjudgmental. They'll come around.

Article: How to Handle Audience Q&A

Payment vs. exposure, part 2

Following up on Nick R. Thomas' post on when to turn down a speaking engagement, in which he references my post on pro bono speaking (whew!), I'd like to add a little more to the discussion.

Nick gives examples of some unpleasant people you would never want to work for, for various reasons. My post focused on some of the reasons I have done pro bono speaking engagements, mostly for nonprofits.

Now I'd like to talk about one of the most typical requests that speakers get. The one from the conference/association meeting where you are offered the "opportunity" to be in front of the exact audience who needs your service or product.

You can promote your business! You can build your mailing list! Oh yeah, but we won't pay you. Oh, and we want you to pay your own way to the conference and pay for registration, too. Or... we don't pay the speakers, but the audience pays hundreds of dollars to hear you speak.

I'll tell you why this doesn't sound good to me.

Regardless of the organizer's confidence about the attendees, there is no guarantee that any business will result from this event. There is no guarantee that the audience is actually my target market or that as many people will show up as promised. And there is no guarantee that anyone will even sign up on my mailing list. And when it's a new conference, there's no history to back up any organizer claims.

Of course, there's never a guarantee on these things, but if you're a professional speaker you can at least count on a check at the end.

Note: Sometimes you're invited to bring products to sell, and if you have a book or other items, this might be a way to generate income aside from revenue. And don't forget, from my other post, that there are many options for creative compensation and other sources of income and exposure.

I'm not saying I would turn down every such speaking engagement. But I want to know the history, the demographics of the audience, the number of people who come, if my registration fee is waived, and I want to know if there are creative ways to be compensated if there's no actual cash involved.

Businesses do "pro bono" product placement all the time donating water, coffee, prize giveaways, etc.; it's called sponsorship. And for their donations, they get their logos splashed all over the program, their banners hung from the ceiling and other visible promotional opportunities.

Why should professional speakers get any less for helping to "sponsor" a conference by speaking for free? It's a business, not a hobby. Speakers are trying to make a living, too.

Make sure you're getting something in return for providing your services, especially when the organization is making money on your appearance.

August Special: $100 off PowerPoint design service

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