While the content was of [...]]]>
While the content was of use, the presentation was packed — too much content for the time allowed. This is a common mistake for knowledge experts. But time is ALWAYS the speaker’s responsibility. And ending on time is perhaps the first unbreakable rule of speaking. Here are some of the spoken comments this speaker made about time (with my response):
- If I had more time… (If you had prepared correctly for the time you did have…)
- I’m going to be running over… (Apparently so, and no one in your audience can do anything about it and we’re not happy about it.)
- We’re past time. I’ll just take questions for another five minutes. (I thought you said we were past time?)
- I’m completely out of time, but it’s your fault (laughing) — you asked good questions! (Did you not plan for questions? And is it YOUR time, or your audience’s time?)
- Can I take just a little more time? (Can I realistically say no? Didn’t think so.)
Couple that with a VERY long introduction (self-given) that ate up (too much) time, and you realize quickly the session was not about the audience. (Rule #1 anyone?)
Once you’ve started speaking, the only people that should be allowed to ask for more time are the audience members. If they beg you to stay, then by all means do so, once you’ve allowed an exit for those that may not want to (popular vote and a few loud “Yes, please talk more!” does not mean everyone wants to stay.) Have checkpoints and material you can omit easily (without them knowing) to adjust your speaking time. Don’t subject everyone to questions (you shouldn’t end with questions, anyway) and please don’t ever talk about time in front of the audience.
]]>Control time effectively. Don’t run over.
I watched the very cute movie “Charlotte’s Web” last night with the family. I was awed by the technical aspects of the film combining live animals, puppets (there’s probably a better term), and virtually generated animals. But two lines of the film jumped out at me and have a direct impact on our communications. Today you [...]]]>
I watched the very cute movie “Charlotte’s Web” last night with the family. I was awed by the technical aspects of the film combining live animals, puppets (there’s probably a better term), and virtually generated animals. But two lines of the film jumped out at me and have a direct impact on our communications. Today you get two nuggets for the price of one — two for Tuesday.
First, when Charlotte (the spider) was addressing the barn animals, she used some big words. This helped to develop the character of the runt pig Wilbur and to give the spider some authority in the barnyard. One of the animals says, “Man, can that spider talk.“ And another responds, “Yeah, but what did she say, exactly?“
My blog title is based on this. We used lots of words. We give off non-verbal signals. We have a plan. But what do we say? And does it match? We drone on and on about our businesses, but what do we say? We speak things to loved ones, but what do we say? We explain our situation, product, and feelings, but what do we say, exactly? This is critical stuff, and insight only a cartoon can give.
What are you saying, exactly?
My second moment was after the “Some Pig” message had lost its allure. The crowds disappeared. The barnyard loses its life. The animals all want something amazing to happen. Narrator: “What was amazing yesterday had suddenly become ordinary again today.“
This is the problem with most of our efforts in life. We work hard to make something amazing happen, and it is no longer amazing. We can easily lose our desire to even try to make the next amazing thing. Yet there are so many things we simply MUST do. And if we view them as amazing, we are inspired, and can inspire others.
What amazing thing has become ordinary in your life?
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- Snap! Crackle! Pop!
- We do chicken right
- Quality is Job One
- Don’t leave home without it
- When ____ talks, people listen
- Have it your way
- Like a rock
- Be all that you can be
- We try harder
- ____ spells relief
- Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don’t
If you get them all correct, you’re dating yourself, because many of these are a couple of decades old! I quit at 68 phrases — I thought that was enough.
The talking point of my keynote was “simpler“. As I looked at the quiz, something jumped off the page at me. In the 68 phrases, only three of them had a single word longer than two syllables! People who market products and need their message to be retained use short words. Short and simple. I think it works for those of us who speak as well.
Keep your message simple. Use short words.
P.S. Answers: Rice Krispies, KFC, Ford, American Express, E.F. Hutton (out of business in 1988!), Burger King, Chevy trucks, Army, Avis, Rolaids, Almond Joy/Mounds
P.S. #2 The only word (not name) in this post that has more than two syllables is the word syllable. I could not find a good word to replace it. It took twice as long to write — I expect it takes half as long to read.
I have lots of proven ideas and techniques for HOW to deliver the message — it’s the message that everybody seems to [...]]]>
I have lots of proven ideas and techniques for HOW to deliver the message — it’s the message that everybody seems to struggle with. At a business networking event the other night, our 30 minutes allotted to The Pitch turned into a 2+ hour marathon as we all critiqued and brainstormed ways to make our pitches better. Everyone agreed — it’s hard to get it right. While it’s easy to say what’s wrong with a pitch, it’s harder to figure out what a good one sounds like.
Let’s set the parameters:
- It has to be a maximum of two (2) sentences. Aim for 8 seconds, tops.
- It has to clearly convey what you do and how that relates to the listener.
- It has to be something they can repeat — or at least the idea of it.
- Bonus points if it’s cute, pithy, and makes them go “Wow!“
What are the techniques or principles you use to garner interest in your Pitch? Shoot me a comment or drop a line and I’ll summarize and break them down in a later post.
Know and practice your Pitch.
It’s been accompanied [...]]]>
- Presentation date wrong
- Presentation group or place wrong
- Times on slides (break at 2:15!)
- Custom information that doesn’t apply
It’s been accompanied with quotes like:
- “Well, the last time I taught this I guess we took a break at 2:15“
- “I guess you can tell we’re not at the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.“
- “I thought I had changed this slide. I meant to.“
When you don’t take the time to make changes to your slides EVERY TIME you present, you tell the audience:
- You are exactly like my previous group (or at least I think you are)
- I didn’t care enough about you to work at this
- This show will go exactly like all the others
I can’t imagine why a presenter would ever publish a time beforehand in a PPT slide, but even if you have a reason for that, you MUST change it. If there are slides in your PPT that need altering each time, might I suggest making a hidden slide that indexes ALL the changes you need to make, then consult that slide (or note, if you prefer, on the title slide) before you hit the stage.
As an aside, a presenter should strive to make something custom in every presentation, so figure out what you can use that is unique to that audience.
Make sure all references to previous shows are OUT of your PowerPoint.
He’s had several interviews — several have been quite promising. He is still unemployed.
He shared two situations that stuck out. In one, he made a [...]]]>
Speaking with a friend recently who has been applying to jobs, looking to return to a work force that dumped him pretty abruptly. He’s capable and experienced — and out of work.
He’s had several interviews — several have been quite promising. He is still unemployed.
He shared two situations that stuck out. In one, he made a follow-up call to the hiring manager, who in essence said, “I don’t have anything to tell you, blah-blah-blah. We’re evaluating our options with HR.“ Subsequent calls got even more deferrals. He knew interviewing had finished. Eventually, HR sent a form letter that the position had been filled, thank for your interest, bye-bye.
A second interview was at the same crossroads. Follow-up with the hiring manager yielded a long conversation that began with, “We’ve just settled on another candidate who is a better match to the skillset we were hoping to fill. We liked a lot about what you had to offer, but this was a better fit. If we have another need, we would be thrilled to have you come back to talk with us.”
Both situations are likely similar. This candidate is not one of those, “How on God’s green earth did HE make the screen?” He’s competent and capable, trying to push the envelope into a new territory.
Which response would you rather hear? Why couldn’t manager #1 even give a response? What did he say by saying nothing and letting a form letter do his work for him? The answer is not positive for that firm and group.
People want the truth. They may be disappointed by it, surprised by it, don’t like it, and stay in denial for who knows how long about it. But they want it. The second half of the equation, according to Ephesians 4:15 would be to “speak the truth in love.” There is no reason to make a point or kick someone while they are down. Every interviewee knows that NOT getting the job is a possibility. They prep for that, even. To not tell a capable potential employee that they were not hired reeks of spineless dishonesty. It’s not a lie, but my guess is my friend didn’t want to work there anyway. Manager #2? I’d work for him. At least you know where you stand.
]]>Speak the truth. Kindly.
I can’t quite put a finger on why, but they will frequently fail to connect the dots from the facts to come [...]]]>
I can’t quite put a finger on why, but they will frequently fail to connect the dots from the facts to come to a conclusion. They’ll give the architecture diagram, the facts on performance, a comprehensive how-to demo, background on the process leading to the product, what didn’t work, and a precise accounting for the project’s investment. And yet they’ll fail to say why any of that matters one bit.
The phrase I’m falling in love with in helping these folks in their message is “What that means to you is…” When pressed, one presenter said “We think this is a revolutionary step forward that will set us apart in the market.“ His presentation was full of facts and figures but nothing close to that statement. I guess he thought they’d figure it out. He almost seemed apologetic for even mentioning it. I guess he thought that ‘spin’ should be left to marketing, or that trying to convince anyone is left to sales, or explaining next steps is a job for tech support.
Whenever a presentation is essentially a lesson in facts or information, the temptation is to stop right there. But most often, the next step to tell the listener what the meaning and value to them is the most important one. Don’t allow a listener to infer or have to make their own suppositions about what they should get from the talk. Lead them to a logical, proper, and beneficial conclusion. That’s why they’re listening in the first place.
]]>Answer the question “What that means to you…” for the audience.
The people knew their stuff — that was clear. The slides all had [...]]]>
The people knew their stuff — that was clear. The slides all had their form and formatting. The pieces were all there. Everyone made the cut on their allotted time. And the first 12 shows I watched all had one thing in common. Their beginning. Every one of them began with:
“Hi my name is Fred(a). I’m a senior research guru in the Hyperbolic Stochastic Hyperspace group. I’m here to talk about fourth order nonlinear Guggenheim functions. Here’s the breakdown of what I’m going to cover today.”
Let’s break this down into the four sentences:
- Since this is taped (but it would make no difference if it were live), the audience already knows who the presenter is, and made a conscious choice to watch us. We’re starting by repeating information that is already known, and it isn’t to gain common ground.
- We’re stating credentials that are about as impressive as the amount of bellybutton lint we produce in a week. No one cares about our job title but us (unless we’re the president of a country). Part b of step 2, where we work is inconsequential unless there is politics involved, in which case we stand to lose as much of our audience as we gain by even bringing it up. The only other reason is to be drawn into the successes of others when our work doesn’t stand by itself. Neither is a compelling reason to include the group.
- Again, the audience likely knows the topic or they wouldn’t be watching (attending).
- In addition to being quite self-centered (and a clear violation of Rule #1), this is fluff to get to content. While I’m all about previewing content and making order to it, this should be done AFTER there is a compelling reason to listen — it rarely is compelling in and of itself.
So how should we start? Simple. The opening of a presentation, speech, class, dialog, or monologue should garner the audience’s attention and get them interested in the communication. Ideally it gets the audience agreeing that there is a problem and makes a sharp turn to a moral or point, whereupon the presenter provides the solution to the issue at hand. The presenters name, title, group, speech title, and order of material does none of that. It speaks boring, eats up two minutes of wasted time, and — when on tape — may just cause people to hit STOP. The live audiences can’t do that, but mentally they do the exact same thing. “Wake me when it gets interesting.”
I’ve wondered why this “Standard Start” is so ubiquitous. I think it’s because that is what is trumpeted around the globe on the conference circuit, replayed in boardrooms around the globe by ‘leaders’, and thus produced by every line employee who has 10 minutes of content to fill. Imitation is supposed to be the highest form of flattery, but in this case it reeks of lacking any sort of creativity and is simply replicating boredom.
]]>Begin by grabbing the audience’s attention. Provide credibility along the way, not through an opening title. Segue to unknown content through a known connection to the audience.