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Calculated Presentations

Do You Remember the Rumble?

Do You Remember the Rumble? February 15th, 2011Posted in Blog Audience Centered Content ~ Hear the Roar of Stomping Feet You can look fabulous and speak with a silver tongue… However it is the content directed at audience that creates engagement and establishes your credibility. Do you remember when you were a kid in the school auditorium and the principal would announce free hot dog day. The whoops and yahoos but most of all the pounding and roar of stomping feet. The sound would vibrate through your core. How do you draw your audience in like that (without giving away hotdogs) and have them sitting on the edge of their seat. How do you create that finite second when you feel the magic spark of connection. Know your audience. An obvious concept, but as speakers we often forget and slip into self-indulgent silos. Harvey understands who his audience is and how to persuade them. Harvey considered and addressed any needs that a potential family would love. And he even made it easy for them to purchase adopt him with his satchel packed and completely ready to move in to his new home. My feet are stomping for Harvey right now. Do you think like Harvey when you develop your presentation content? Do you create that magic of connection when you stand front and center? Does your audience want to stomp their feet?

Authenticity Supersedes Script Reading

Authenticity Supersedes Script Reading December 10th, 2010Posted in Blog Between you and me, I dislike the word authenticity. It is worn out and many undeserved types wear the badge and shouldn’t. But I couldn’t come up with a word more appropriate for Will Phillips, the forthright young man from Arkansas who refused to recite the daily “Pledge of Allegiance” in his classroom. I missed this story that went viral early in 2010 – my apology to those for whom this is stale news… Will’s issue is that the pledge calls for equality and justice for all and until there really is equality for all he won’t be a hypocrite and participate in the ritual of reciting it. Good on you Will, I’m in your court. Huevos at his young age, clearly articulating his disagreement to status quo. And I digress. My reason for this musing is to share that it is possible to read a script and still enrapture your audience. I couldn’t take my eyes and ears off of this clip of Will accepting the 2010 GLAAD award. Many of us are required to present from a script because we don’t have time to practice or it is important that we recite stats with precision. But do your audience a favour, if you love your job and feel privileged to take centre stage, speak from your heart – from your (authentic) real self. Will Phillips’ Acceptance Speech at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards *GLAAD – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation – Words and Images Matter

Toss the Script ~ The Key to Engaged Public Speaking

Script

 

Have you suffered through an executive presentation read from a script?

What was your reaction?

 

  1. Talked to your neighbour
  2. Played with your iPhone or Blackberry
  3. Took a bathroom break

Or are you a perpetrator?

Why as presenters do we read our script word for word? Our head down, buried in our notes using a monotone reading voice…clutching to the lectern.

Because we lack faith in our ability as a subject matter expert and our memorization skills. Our voice of self-doubt takes over. But deep in our heart of heart’s we know that our audience is not engaged – they are disconnected from our words. As are we.

So where to begin?

You know of what you speak, right? So take that script and write down only the key points. With each key point make a short note of the supporting argument(s).

Have faith in your ability to tell a story. It was a childhood skill that we all had and many of us have stifled with adulthood. Rekindle it.

Visualize each key point in a room in your home, then each supporting argument to a piece of the room’s furniture.

Now begin practicing! Go to the first room (there is your key message) to each furniture piece (your supporting arguments) and then on to the next room. Carry on through out your home. In each room craft your story around each key message and supporting points.

As with any new technique our brain matter needs to stretch and grow in new ways. That old noggin does adapt. And with anything new, it’s about an open mind and a leap of faith.

The result – you will engage your audience with your words because you will no longer have to read with your head down. You can look up and connect with your audience. You will be relaxed because you are now in control of the story that you have wound through your messaging. And you won’t be worried about memorizing a script because you will be moving through your home and the furniture, which sparks your key points and the supporting arguments.

Voila! Engaged audience told through a relaxed and entertaining presenter. You.

 

Photo Attribution: Jeff Martin / Godfrey von Rheinfels

Script

 

Issue #102 Calculated Presentation's Ezine ~ Presenting With Guts & Glory
Portrait

Janice Tomich

Calculated Presentations

778-327-8861 (w)

2001 - 1077 Marinaside Crescent
Vancouver British Columbia V6Z 2Z5
Canada

 

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Banish Bad PowerPoint Slides Forever

Ace of Sales  


Fact: An audience member can not read 10 bullet points and listen to the speaker at the same time.

It is common sense and we keep presenting to status quo.

Why?

I'm not sure, but I think it is time for all of us suffering audience members to revolt.  

I recently attended yet again another presentation where the speaker defaulted to the old style PowerPoint presentation and the audience was completely disconnected. I nearly fell out of my chair when he asked us to read the slides while he spoke and/or stopped to give us time to read.  

As a presenter you need to decide, are you presenting or should you simply distribute hand outs and leave. Academic evidence shows us that slidedecks are best used to support the speaker. 

This is done by using images to trigger an emotion that sends home the speakers points. This proven technique engages your audience and opens an opportunity to connect with them.

Take a look at the following books that will give you the academic support you need to convince your boss or yourself that it is time to break the mold and engage your audience:

Presentation Zen: Garr Reynolds
slide:ology: Nancy Duarte
Beyond Bullet Points: Cliff Atkinson

Coolest Software

Ace of Sales  

How many of you own an iPad? I'll share a secret with you, I covet one but haven't bitten the bullet yet. But this app may convince me:

Prompterous 

Essentially it is a teleprompter on steroids. Presentations can be recorded and played back for critiquing. Documents and text can be inserted on the fly. Presentation text can be set to scroll at different rates of speed.

A myriad of applications are possible with the use of Prompterous and an iPad.
-  moving away from a lectern with iPad in hand
-  loaning a scripted iPad to a client to practice
-  playing back the audio numerous times to help with memorization

Prompterous also puts an end to shuffling notes or managing cue cards that are out of order.

*no affiliation with this app

You Will Find Me @

Ace of Sales  

Facilitating the Metro Vancouver Consultants MeetUp on September 30th:
ING Vancouver Cafe at Pender and Howe Street in Vancouver - 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Guest speaker Fiona Walsh - Building Your Client List in Tough Times


We have a few more seat left and you're welcome to join us or if you know of someone who would be interested please forward this Ezine.

BookCamp Vancouver: An all day affair being held at SFU downtown campus on October 1st. http://bookcampvan2010.eventbrite.com/

Winning Strategies: October 5th in Long Beach, California

Small Business Council: October 13th

VEF Momentum Connect: MADE IN VANCOUVER: The HootSuite Sucess Story: October 15th @ 6:00 pm

CAPS Vancouver: Jane Atkinson: The Wealthy Speaker Seminar: October 16th @ 8:30 am

Vancouver Board of Trade New Members Strategy Session: October 18th - 5pm

The Vancouver Board of Trade/Vancouver Sun's annualVancouver Sun Top 100 Companies breakfast: October 27th 7:15 am
Ace of Sales

We're Always Presenting

Last week I attended a workshop presented by Charles Hamilton, the lead for the Virtual World Strategy at IBM.

I attended with no expectations and weeks later am still contemplating the cultural outcomes of virtual world connectivity. Hamilton let us peek behind IBM's firewall of employee connectivity - IM, employee blogs, skill set resumes, access to workgroups, opportunity to submit ideation creations, and the virtual workplace.  

Hamilton told us that a newly formed Chinese IBM unit has the opportunity to present their resume online. With interesting parameters - they are allowed two slides and can practice until they have a polished resume amongst their peers. When the potential employee is satisfied with their resume it is posted to the IBM connect system. 

New Age presenting - WOW!
Ace of Sales

Look Cucumber Cool

Neutral arms placed at your sides will let the audience know that you are confident  and calm. 

Hands in your pockets or armed crossed over your chest make you look nervous and guarded.

If you find your hands shaking while in their neutral position simply connect your index finger to your thumb and the shaking will stop.
Ace of Sales

Image Attribution

Peacock SmartCar: 
Michael Summers

Peacock:
Brandi Greenwood


Do you have burning Public Speaking or Presenting Questions?

Call Janice of Calculated Presentations 
@ 1-778-327-8861

Call me:   778-327-8861 (w)

Email Me    My Website

 

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