Here's a short and sweet video by Dan Meyer, sharing his process of evolving from a lecture-based educator to an interactive facilitator. His use of images and graphics is creative and fun. Don't you wish you had had Dan for your high school math teacher? I know I could have benefited from his teaching philosophy!
The client I wrote about in this networking post has some new networking opportunities coming up and is still finding her way around these events.
Her concern this week is about joining conversations already in progress, especially at an event where she will know very few people.
Why does it seem rude to break into a conversation at a networking event, when we are clearly all there to meet people?
We've all been taught that it's rude to interrupt, and it's a hard rule to break. It just feels wrong. However, at a networking event, it's perfectly acceptable -- even desirable -- to break into conversation groups. If meeting people is your goal, you're going to have to force yourself to break the "interrupting rule."
Here are a couple of quick tips to make breaking into a conversation a little less painful.
1. Watch their body language
Scope out a few small groups before you decide where to jump in. The group you don't want to join is the one where people are in deep or heated conversation. You can tell this by how close together they are standing and how tightly knit the group (that is, they are all facing each other both with feet and faces, and there's very little space to break in).
The group you do want to join is the group where there's a lot of open space, where it's clear people are not intensely involved. People may be facing slightly away from each other or there may be a couple who who are less engaged in the conversation. This is a group that is more casually engaged, and your joining them will not feel invasive.
2. Look for someone you know
When choosing a group to join, the best group is the one where you know someone! Walk up to the person, make yourself known by gently touching the person on the arm or shoulder, and slip into the group alongside her or him. The person you know will generally introduce you to other group members, so this situation is like gold, baby!
3. Listen
Take a few minutes to just listen to the conversation. It's okay to introduce yourself when you join the group; say something like "Hi, I'm Martina Navratilova, tennis champion. Please continue... I don't want to interrupt." And then listen to see what's being discussed and where you might be able to jump into the conversation -- with helpful resources, of course.
Be patient. Networking will pay off in the long run. Take the time to build relationships and you'll see the benefits of dealing with the short-term pain of introducing yourself to strangers!
This is a four-minute clip of British chef Jamie Oliver meeting with hospital administrators, during the filming of his Food Revolution project and TV show in Huntington, West Virginia.
The administrators are so concerned with their public image and the "what ifs," they can't see what needs to happen right now to take action and help lead the healthy food revolution in their community. (Sorry about the ad at the beginning.)
It reminds me of speakers I see who are so concerned with what the audience is thinking about them, that they aren't thinking about the audience. What is best for the audience? What will benefit the audience? How can I connect with the audience?
When speakers stop worrying about their image and start being in the moment with the audience, all kinds of great things happen.
They relax.
They smile.
They move and gesture naturally.
They connect with audience members.
They show their passion.
They laugh.
They become animated.
They sparkle (not like the vampires in the Twilight movies)!
And the audience begins to relate. The audience becomes intrigued. The audience wants more. The audience smiles, laughs and participates.
The speaker and audience collaborate on a joint experience that benefits both parties, creates energy, excitement and ideally, action or some other tangible result.
As Jamie says at the end of the clip, "At some point, you've got to stop being worried about 'what might' and and be part of 'what is.'"
I introduced Kip Fulbeck in my post on TEDxSB the other day by referring to all the other speakers who didn't want to go after him.
Have you ever said this? "I don't want to go after THAT GUY." Ever felt concerned that, by comparison with the previous speaker, you would come off lacking?
I'm not going to try to make you feel better here and say, "Oh, you were probably fine. Everyone's forgotten about THAT GUY already."
No you weren't, and no they haven't. You really did come off lacking. So did I. And so did everyone else who ever spoke after THAT GUY.
We've all been in that position, feeling intimidated because we don't think we can possibly live up to the audience's standards of great presenting after THAT GUY speaks.
You have some options.
1. Feel embarrassed because you're not as good as THAT GUY. Slink up to the stage, hanging your head and apologize in advance for not living up to his excellence. And then watch the energy in the room dissipate as you contritely begin your presentation like you've been reprimanded. Give up on yourself.
2. Be proud of who you are and what you bring to the event. You wouldn't have been invited if there weren't something special about you or or content. Hold your head high, do NOT apologize that you can't possible follow THAT GUY. Just get on stage and do your thing, with confidence, authority and enthusiasm.
3. Take #2 a step farther.BE THAT GUY! Be the one that no one wants to speak after.
How do you do that?
Believe in yourself
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Make your content relevant
Use emotion: humor, shock, anger, surprise... get the audience emotionally involved
Build a relationship with the audience by understanding them, their needs and their wants
Practice, practice, practice
Care about your topic
Care about your audience
Be accessible and understandable
Find your passion Hire a coach!
Videotape yourself and learn from your mistakes
Bring something fresh to every audience
Be real
Love and appreciate your audience
Have a conversation, not a lecture
Come early and stay late
Take risks
Develop your own style
Be your best self
Stop complaining that you can never be as good as THAT GUY. Stop whining that you don't want to speak after THAT GUY. Stop worrying about what someone else is doing and do what you need to do to become the best YOU you can be.
Never give up. Never stop trying. Never stop learning. BE THAT GUY.
Now for the fun stuff! There were several speakers at TEDxSB who knocked my socks off, and I want to talk about what made them effective and successful at rousing the crowd. Read here for part 1 and part 2 of my TEDxSB experience.
In order of appearance, let's begin with Santa Barbara's Poet Laureate David Starkey.
I'm not a big fan of poetry. Most of the time, poetry is too abstract or esoteric for me. And hearing poetry is even harder. If I'm going to read it, at least I'm at my leisure to pore over the words and take my time deducing meanings.
So imagine my surprise when David Starkey began to speak, and I began to enjoy myself!
First of all, his performance was a respite from the visuals of the previous presenters. No slides, no video. Just a guy standing at a lectern, reading some poetry.
He was not dramatic or flamboyant, but rather a soothing and calming presence. He brought a sense of stillness that I appreciated.
He had a dry sense of humor, and in between poems made comments like, "Poets, as you know, are counterintuitive and deeply ironic," and "It took me forever to write this damn thing." He clearly chose his poems for the event, and even wrote one called, "Space in a Shrinking World," the theme of the TEDxSB conference. I thought the placement of Starkey just before the break was a brilliant idea.
The first speaker after the break was Kip Fulbeck. From the way everyone spoke about him, I was expecting something special, especially when word went around that no one wanted to be the person to speak after him.
And I was not disappointed. Fulbeck brought the energy and passion that I expected from a TED-level thinker and speaker. He was funny and thoughtful, expressive, eloquent and engaging. His slides were simple images from his books with text handwritten by the subjects of his research (like the image to the left).
His opening was a simulated interview, featuring Fulbeck answering the questions of a disembodied voice. The questions became more and more bizarre as the interview went on, questions like "Pizza or spaghetti?" "Electric or acoustic?" and "Dogs or cats?"
Knowing Fulbeck's topic, it was only a matter of time before the "interviewer" got to "Ethnicity... check only one box." "Do not invent your own box."
The opening was lengthy (a little like those Saturday Night Live opening skits that seem to go on forever), but ultimately effective and brought humor to a subject that is sensitive for a lot of people.
What made Fulbeck's presentation captivating was that it wasn't about him. It was about the people he's met, interviewed and photographed for his books.
For example, "Boy Elijah purple belt," the description given by one child. Or the man who wrote (shown next to the photo of his tattooed backside), "Why they put tattoo parlors next to bars, I have no idea." Or the Holocaust survivor Eva Brown who, in showing the numbers embedded in her arm said, "It's my life's mission to show this tattoo."
Fulbeck's closing was on a different note than his opening, and showcased his affinity for spoken word, with his poem, "My World." Here's a version from a conference a couple of years ago. When I get the TEDxSB link, I'll post it.
And last on my list of inspiring and engaging TEDxSB speakers, but definitely not least, there was Alec Loorz. At 15, Loorz is the founder of Kids vs. Global Warming and the youngest presenter for Al Gore's Climate Project.
Here are some of my notes about Loorz:
Natural
Not canned
Good projection
Confidence
Relevant topic
Easy to understand
Simple images and text
Humor, passion, conviction
Awesome speaker
Not to harp on his age, but Loorz' abilities are far beyond what I see in many adult presenters. But it's not all training, and yes, he's had training.
He is emotional and he brings out emotion in the audience. He's real, he cares deeply about his subject matter and he wants the audience to care, too. Here's a video of one of his presentations from a year ago; when the TEDxSB video becomes available, I'll post it here. I'm also hoping to get an interview with Loorz, but he's one of the busier speakers on the circuit!
I've shared the key factors of each speakers' performance that made me sit up and pay attention, and none of them is without their flaws. But this is the crux of what I found most engaging about these three: They spoke from the heart and they made me care.
Continuing on in my TEDxSB series, today I'm going to talk about the speaker "don'ts" I saw during the course of the conference. Tomorrow look for some speaker "do's" and reviews of my favorite presenters from the event. Read part 1 here and part 3 here.
Curse of Knowledge
Nowhere is the curse more dastardly than at a conference on a college campus with speakers who are college professors and scientists.
A few of the day's speakers forgot (or never realized in the first place) that they would be presenting to an audience of mostly laypeople. They lectured at us as though we were captive students who already knew something about their topic. (Not being captive students getting graded on attendance, I know of at least one person who left at the break due to boredom.)
They showed slides packed full of text, tiny images and content like "www based 2048 processor global computing grid, no downloads: write lots of new software!" Whaaaa?
As a speaker, it's critical that you put yourself in the audience's shoes. Remember what it was like before you knew what you know. Imagine what it must be like for an audience to hear about your scientific research for the first time. Is it clear? Is it understandable? Is there a logical flow? Is your content relevant to the people in the audience?
In the case of a couple of speakers, the answer was no. Not that their material couldn't be made relevant. It just wasn't presented in a way that made me care about it.
Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad slides
Is it too much to ask that a presenter take a few minutes and review the readability of their slides? Apparently it is.
Slide after slide, speaker after speaker, dense dense dense. Illegible text, incomprehensible images, acronyms, logos. I want to tear my hair out and scream "Why?!" The slides make no sense. They have too much information for me to process. I can't follow the slides and also listen to the speaker. I get more and more confused. Eventually I give up trying.
You might be thinking, "Lisa, why don't you just listen to the speaker and forget about the slides?"
1. Our brains don't work that way. We are visual creatures and our eyes are drawn to visuals. We can't help ourselves.
2. The speaker has to be interesting enough to hold my attention. If they aren't (and they weren't), my attention will wander... to the visuals.
Not rehearsing with the equipment
Several speakers had problems with their computer, their remote, and their microphone.
One speaker held the microphone at arm's length throughout her presentation. There were regular delays while presenters tested the microphone instead of just speaking (you'll find out soon enough if it's on). One speaker kept pointing the remote at the screen instead of the computer and then wondered why the slides wouldn't move.
All of this confusion could easily have been avoided if speakers had practiced and become familiar with the equipment beforehand.
No audience engagement
A couple of speakers droned on and on about their topic without the slightest shred of passion, humor or energy. A few people stayed tied to the lectern and barely moved at all. Several speakers read directly from their notes enough that it became monotonous. One speaker was completely canned and memorized which, while there were some good parts, did make her seem robotic.
I typically talk about audience involvement as a big part of audience engagement. Unfortunately, there was no interaction from any of the speakers, which was a shame. The best way to get people to buy into your cause is to include them in the discussion.
However, there were speakers who were clearly excited about their topic and were able to convey that excitement to the audience. There were speakers who had energy, movement, and conviction, speakers who made us laugh and made us ponder.
But only about half of them.
I'm going to end today's post with a TED video that was shown at the conference. Rachel Armstrong discusses her work with "metabolic materials" -- "construction materials that possess some of the properties of living systems, and can be manipulated to 'grow' architecture."
Notice how, right away, she describes the problem. And then very quickly moves on to describing her work and the solution. Not all of her language is easy to understand, but she makes up for it by showing examples of the application of this technology to the rotting wooden piles upon which Venice is built.
Notice that there are no data slides. No graphs or charts. Just images which she explains as she shows them. And then she summarizes her main points, in case there was something you didn't catch. And all in 7 and a half minutes. Science presentations don't have to be complicated, incomprehensible, or dull!
I spent Saturday morning attending the first Santa Barbara area TEDx event. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. If you don't know what TED (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) is, check it out (and some amazing speakers) here.
I have to admit, having seen many of the speakers on TED's site, my expectations might have been too high for the local conference. The TED website says, "...the TED speaker team works with speakers well in advance of the conference to help shape a presentation that will succeed on the TED stage." TED also asks for video or audio of the speaker and for the person nominating the speaker to describe their speaking style. Speakers seem to be chosen as much for their ideas as for their speaking skills.
I'm sure there are mediocre speakers at TED, and according to the site, only about 3/4 of the speaker videos every make it onto the website. Still, I was hoping for engaging, passionate speakers who were able to convey their ideas clearly, and only a couple delivered.
I'm going to break out my TEDxSB posts over a couple of days. After all, there were a lot of speakers and, while I'm not going to talk about each of them individually, there's a lot of ground to cover!
Today I'm going to talk about the general organization of the event, the venue and some technical issues.
First I want to acknowledge that it's hard work putting together a conference like TEDx -- especially a free one -- and the event was smooth and without drama, from the perspective of the audience at least. Live speakers were interspersed with a couple of video presentations, and the whole thing was livestreamed.
There was a lengthy networking break in between halves of the conference. It was nice to meet some new people and catch up with some Twitter friends. Overall, the organizers put together a cohesive and well-organized show that ran on time and delivered some great content.
Now to the critique.
Stage
There was a large screen in the middle of the stage, and the speaker was off to the side in a small spotlit area next to (or behind) the lectern. This kind of setup implies that the slides are the most important aspect of the presentation, while the speaker is relegated to the corner.
In the case of the one speaker who didn't use slides but had one image that looked like a logo on the screen for his whole talk, this was even more distracting. I kept staring at the screen, waiting for the image to change.
But in this venue, the screen was fixed, so there was no other option. If you do end up speaking in a venue where the screen is portable, I recommend asking the organizers to move the screen into the corner to your left and put you in the center of the stage. Believe me, it's doable.
The stage was set with several chairs, a painted backdrop, and oddly, a bicycle. But no one ever used any of these props or pieces of furniture, so I'm not sure why they were there. To me, a distraction. The stage should be free of any items not relevant to the presentations. I don't want to look at anything but the speaker and their visuals; anything else makes me curious and divides my attention. "Is someone gong to be interviewed? Is someone going to ride a bike onstage? What's the painting for?" I'm sure I wasn't the only one.
Lighting
As I opened my computer to begin taking notes, the event began. And as it began, the auditorium lights went down. All the way down. As a note taker, I couldn't see my keyboard to type. I noticed people around me with notebooks and pens who couldn't write.
A dark room creates a barrier and encourages passivity in the audience; it's like watching a movie, but less entertaining. The audience is basically invisible. They can nod off and go to sleep if they want. They certainly don't have to participate.
And for a speaker, having the audience in the dark is like presenting to a black hole. There's no eye contact. You can't see their faces. You can't tell if they're responding, smiling, frowning or snoozing (unless someone snores). You can't interact with an audience in the dark, which sucks the life out of a presentation.
After the third speaker, I asked the organizer if he would raise the lights in the auditorium so we could see to take notes, and he graciously agreed to my request. This seemed to make a difference in the energy in the room, but it could just be that the first two speakers would have been just as dull with the lights on.
Introductions
Speakers, take note: You should always write your introductions so you have some control over what the introducer says about you. This doesn't guarantee that the emcee will practice your introduction or have any measure of polish, but at least you can choose the words.
I felt that the emcees lacked preparation and were winging the introductions, one more noticeably than the other. To me, this brings down the overall quality of the event. The emcees don't have to be as engaging as the speakers; that's not why we are attending. However, they do need to present themselves professionally, with confidence and poise, and create a strong transition between speakers.
If you are ever asked to give introductions or emcee an event, don't take this job lightly. You are part of the overall thread and continuity of the event. You help keep the energy flowing between speakers, breaks and activities. It's an important role; don't throw it away.
Along with the introductions, I would have liked a transitional slide with the speakers' name before each talk. There was no program, and not all the speakers included their name on their slides. For the purpose of taking notes, it would have been helpful to see their names on the screen.
Opening and closing
The conference closed on a fun and awe-inspiring note: a video of local skateboarder Kyle Chin taking an amazing downhill ride somewhere in the foothills of Santa Barbara (watch below). I wish the event had opened as strongly as it closed, with a powerful or humorous speaker instead of the two driest speakers of the day.
For the most part, the organization, venue and technical issues were handled very well, especially for a first-time event. Just a few tweaks would improve the overall ambience of the conference, and I am definitely interested in seeing what the organizers come up with next year, now that the inaugural TEDxSB is under their belts.
Enjoy the video of Kyle Chin! (Read part 2 and part 3.)
While discussing audience engagement strategies the other day, a client suggested that these strategies might not work for her kinds of audiences, especially at scientific conferences, where there are standard protocols. We were speaking specifically about opening a presentation with something other than the obligatory five minutes of thank yous and credentials, instead using perhaps a question or a story to kick things off.
My question is this: Are audiences really all that different from each other? Yes and no.
In terms of their knowledge of and interest in your topic, of course they vary. The audience at a scientific conference is going to be very different from the audience at a food trade show. Different industries, different backgrounds, different demographics, different age groups, different cultures.The list goes on.
However, you can generally assume that all audiences want to be engaged. All audiences want information that's relevant to their lives and work. All audiences want to stay awake and absorbed in your presentation.
In that sense, an engaging opening is what your audience wants. No, they don't want five minutes of thank yous. They could not care less about who you want to acknowledge. They've already read your bio in the conference program (in fact, that's why they are attending your session), so they don't need to know any more about your credentials -- unless that information is particularly relevant to something covered in your presentation and can be woven into your material seamlessly.
I always come back to this question, and I asked it of my client: "What's best for the audience?" Not "What's best for maintaining the status quo?"
If you do what's best for the audience, I guarantee that you and your message will stand out in a sea of sameness, safeness and predictability.
Last week I was interviewed for the Chicago Tribune's "Faker" column, where various experts give advice on how to fake your way through life situations. Columns have included faking a clean house, faking being a team player and faking being funny.
My article, which came out in the April 11 Sunday paper, is on how to fake being a good speaker, and faking the confidence to look like a good speaker.
I had a lot of fun thinking up how a speaker can fake out the audience, but the truth is, if you're doing these things, you don't need to fake it. You're doing it for real!
On a side note, I couldn't help but giggle about "faking it" myself, when other experts interviewed for The Faker have been nationally known authors, actors and celebrities, including Clinton Kelly from the TV show "What Not to Wear."
And that's the great thing about thinking you're faking it, or hoping you're pulling something off. You usually are. And then you're not really faking it!
One of my pet peeves with speakers is when they treat the audience like children. When they act like they're the only one in the room who knows anything and feel like they have to hold my hand through their presentation.
Case in point: A speaker who says "Write this down!"
When someone says "Write this down," I instinctively refuse to write it down. I think I know enough about myself, my needs and my interests, that I can determine for myself what notes to take during a presentation.
I get that this speaker is trying to make sure he has my attention, just in case I'm drifting off as he gets to one of his main points, but telling me what to do is not the way to get my attention back. If he's lost it, there's a reason, and he might want to explore his other speaking techniques before barking orders at me.
Be very careful with gimmicky approaches like "Write this down," or "How's everybody today? I can't HEAR you!" and similar patronizing remarks. Audiences don't want to be manipulated. They don't want to be yelled at. And they don't want to be treated like five-year-olds.
Treat me like an adult; assume I'm able to make good judgements for myself based on my lifetime of knowledge and experience. Find better ways to get and keep my attention that are relevant and engaging, not artificial and stagey.
When a message delivers, it can hit you subtly a minute or two later, sinking into your brain with a slow realization. Or it can slam into you like a ton of bricks.
Analyzing this public service announcement using my six favorite principles of sticky messages, SUCCESs (from Chip and Dan Heath's book, Made to Stick), let's talk about why this ad is so powerful.
Simple
Three people sitting in a living room are the actors. A small table holding a bowl of glitter is the only prop. There is no dialogue, and very little movement. There is no clutter, no distraction from the message.
Unexpected
Never in a million years would I have guessed that this man would be "saved" by a human seat belt made by his wife and daughter. This highly effective approach was surprising and creative.
Concrete
I didn't need any help to understand what was going on. The pantomime was as clear as day; the "seat belt" completely obvious with no explanation needed.
Credible
The ad was credible to me because I've been in car accidents before -- as I'm guessing many of us have. We all know the importance of seat belts, but that doesn't mean everyone is wearing one. The scene was made to mimic what happens in a car accident, and we all know what that looks like.
Emotions
There's no doubt that emotion plays the biggest part in making this ad effective. Can anyone watch this and not experience the fear, dread and then relief painted on the actors' faces? I've watched it four or five times now, and every time I still get choked up. At first, the laughter and smiling seem over the top and almost contrived, but it turns out to be a fabulous contrast for the moments to come.
The slow motion, the widening eyes, the fairy-winged girl descending like an angel, the musical crescendo, the implied physical impact, the human seat belt that metamorphoses into a family embrace, and the falling glitter all combine to create a wrenching emotional scene.
Stories
This is not only a pantomime of a person surviving a car crash. There's also a story of a family here. I believe the story is ambiguous enough that each of us can make our own meaning, a clever method in advertising.
I see a typical happy family that will be destroyed if seat belt warnings are not heeded. I see a father who lives for his family. I see a mother and daughter who will do anything for dad. The slogan, "Embrace Life," also implies that your seat belt is like a warm embrace by people who care about you.
This short commercial says everything it needs to say without being preachy, without having to spell out the lessons learned. There are no statistics, there are no facts and figures. It's a simple pantomimed scene of near-devastating consequences, and that says it all.
How can you say what you need to say in your presentations with fewer words and greater impact?
Yesterday there were a few more creative commercials. Those of us in networking groups see the same people month after month; if we were to use the same commercial every time, we would definitely start sounding like white noise. So I appreciate the efforts by my fellow group members to keep it fresh and fun.
Sheri Mize, interior designer, joked that her ideal client is one who needs a houseful of furniture.
Linda Blue, photographer, started off talking about rings, which seemed to be a segue from our resident jeweler, Calla Gold. She said that we should take a look at the rings women are wearing. If we notice a solitaire, rather than a plain band, we might ask the person if they've recently gotten engaged. From there, it's a quick leap to asking if they need a wedding photographer! It was unclear where she was going with her pitch at the beginning, which made it even funnier when we discovered her clever twist.
Drew Wakefield, from the Ramada, took an entirely new approach when he advised us to help the economy by encouraging people to come visit Santa Barbara. His hotel was mentioned only after a group member wisecracked, "And where should they stay when they come here?"
And Ginny Milhoan, chiropractor, used a little topical humor when she suggested that our necks might be hurting because we're worried about whether we can pay our taxes -- and that she could take away that stress with her non-force adjustment technique.
My contribution for the day was a short presentation based on my recent blog post "Three bad handshakes to avoid." I had a couple of audience plants who played along with my corny handshake demonstrations.
It's not complicated to come up with an elevator speech or commercial when you go with what you know, maybe use a little humor, and address universal issues with your audience.
Try something different, a little unexpected, a little spontaneous.
Have fun, be lighthearted, don't take yourself so seriously!
Hey all y'all! I had a great conversation about public speaking the other day with Susan Hyatt of Ideal Life Design. I shared some tips on reducing anxiety, opening and closing presentations, and other public speaking goodies. The audio is about 44 minutes. Listen at your leisure!
Yesterday, I read this tweet from Lance Armstrong:
"Meanwhile, 6 of the 8 guys from our Flanders squad are down and out w/a stomach bug. #hopingimlucky"
Not long after that one came this tweet:
"Not so lucky I guess. Sicker than a dog now. This sucks."
The illness took him out of the four-day race he had just begun.
Having watched the Tour de France for the past eleven years as well as other cycling races, I have come to understand that riders will get sick, the weather will range from sweltering to freezing, people will crash, get injured and leave the race, and all of this is completely normal.
Sure, I imagine that the riders hope for perfect weather, no illnesses and no crashes, but that never happens. Because all of these things are part of the race.
I was having a conversation the other day with Susan Hyatt of Ideal Life Design, a client of mine, an accomplished speaker and life coach (I'll be posting our interview soon), and a similar topic came up, that of public speaking nerves.
Everyone gets nervous, some more than others. Some people are so petrified that they'll avoid public speaking at all costs. Some get a little stage fright right before beginning their presentations, and it goes away quickly.
Susan and I agreed on this: Nervousness is part of public speaking.
If you continue to wish and hope for this not to be the case, you will be disappointed time and time again.
A manageable amount of nervousness is actually beneficial to a speaker, as it creates energy and liveliness. It's a signal that you care about the audience and want to do well. It's a signal to your body that you're in a heightened state of awareness. In fact, you can actually reframe nervousness and train your brain to see it as excitement -- the same way you're excited and scared at the same time on a roller coaster.
But you can't expect that you'll never be nervous. It's a part of public speaking like crashes are part of the Tour de France. The best way to deal with nervousness is not to try to eradicate it, but to learn to manage it as a tool and use it to your advantage.
If you can move past the expectation of no nervousness, then you can focus on the important things: Your effectiveness as a speaker.
For more on managing your nervousness, here are some previous posts:
How many times have you put yourself down for some perceived flaw? How many times have you thought to yourself that you'd never achieve a goal or be successful at something you dreamed about because of something "wrong" with you? Something about you that is fixed -- and therefore can't be changed.
How many times have you said to yourself that you could never get on stage and speak... or speak for an hour... or speak to more than ten people... or whatever other arbitrary ceiling you've determined you can't reach?
Guess what: We all have limitations. We all struggle. We all face mental or physical challenges in our personal and work lives. We all have fears, insecurities and doubts.
At a pivotal point in the movie "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Tommy discovers in an intimate moment that Hedwig is not who he thought she was...
Tommy: What is that?
Hedwig: It's what I have to work with.
You don't have to let those perceived flaws define you. You don't have to let those fears stop you. You just have to have the willingness and determination to push past those negative thoughts, start embracing your special qualities, and take the risk of putting yourself out there. Hedwig knows her limitations better than most. But she's out there, committed to making it work.
You won't know if you can swim a mile unless you try. You won't know if you can learn a language unless you try. You won't know if you can speak in front of 50 people unless you try.
You are not your limitations. You have skills, abilities, strengths, smarts, internal resources and potential beyond your current knowledge. You'll only find them if you acknowledge they could be there. Now ask yourself: What do I have to work with?
I worked with a client last week whose slides were packed with text. When I suggested to her that she take the multiple ideas on one slide and expand them out over several slides, she balked. One of the executives who would be attending her presentation was a "ten-slide person." So my client was trying to keep her slideshow with two years' worth of marketing data and product information to ten slides.
Here's my Monday morning reminder: Whether you have ten slides or a hundred, your ideas will take the same amount of time to present.
If you have one slide with six bullets and each bullet takes one minute to talk about, you can just as easily give each bullet its own slide and take one minute to talk about each slide. Do you see what I'm saying?
Here are some benefits of one idea per slide:
1. Multiple ideas or bullets on one slide invite audience members to read ahead, diluting their focus. While you're on bullet #1, they're already thinking about their response to bullet #4.
3. Heavily worded slides are missing another aspect of presentation, that of visual stimulation. When you use images on your slides, you give the audience another layer of meaning and a greater ability to retain your message through multiple modalities. Or, to say it another way, people learn better with a multimedia approach as opposed to just viewing text.
It's just not helpful to impose arbitrary rules like "ten slides only" on a business presentation. You may have a time limit for your presentation, which determines what points you discuss and how much depth you go into. But a limit on slides says nothing about the method actually used to design and present the slides.
Always do what's best for your audience. Ten slides packed with a hundred ideas is not that.
Sign up now! How do you promote your business through public speaking -- without sounding like a commercial? Come to my webinar next Tuesday, April 6, at 10 a.m. pacific, and find out! Registration is just $29 -- this is a STEAL, peeps!
