Leadership, Communication, Presentation & Sales Development Blog

Ensure Your Presentations Stick by Keeping Them Simple

We speak to be understood, yet as Robert Greenleaf once said, "Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much".

When asked about information overload in the House of Congress, Representative John Brockmann responded "Most houseplants in the U.S. are killed by over-watering".

Business Professionals today attend meeting after meeting where they are barraged with information. At the end of their week, they may remember only a small portion of the information they were told. Experts agree that if you want your message to be understood, as well as remembered, it is important to make it simple.

In fact, simplicity is the most powerful tool a communicator has.

As communicators and presenters, we know a lot about our topics, and our tendency is to want to share everything we have learned. Our assumption is that people will have the same fascination as we do. Dan and Chip Heath in their book, ‘Made to Stick’ call our problem of "over-talking" the curse of the information era.

Too much information overwhelms listeners. Instead of persuading, it creates confusion and often delays decisions. Ideally, a speaker should think in terms of sharing three key points with an audience.

Dan and Chip Heath suggest that a presenter should focus on the core message and only around that. Pick the key points that will change the hearts and minds of the particular audience. Unnecessary information albeit interesting to the presenter is not necessarily interesting to the audience.

Thus, to make your viewpoint stick, the audience needs to see that it connects to their world on a granular level. For each point that you include, ask yourself "What would this mean to them?" If the answer is "nothing," it's a good indication that you should disregard the point.

When you think about expressing your points, remember that we convey ideas through nouns and verbs. Starkly naked points can be riveting. Adjectives and adverbs often add clutter. Demystify your ideas by stating them clearly and simply. Do not bury your points in long sentences or over-connect your ideas with clauses.

As presenters, we are actually rehearsing our audience to spread the "good news".

With a limited number of key points, listeners have a better chance of remembering what we have said, and they can accurately share that information with others who have decision-making power or with those who missed the presentation. They leave energized versus frustrated or bored.


All the very best with your next presentation

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Tell Stories When Presenting To Connect With Your Audience

Many audiences begrudgingly attend meetings with presenters.

Audiences look upon many presenters as an interruption. The last thing a busy audience wants is more information. Often the presenter can be unprepared, distracted and pre-occupied. Anything but focused on the audience and audience needs.

Afterwards, the audience quickly forgets the presenter’s message as they move to another meeting. The presenter’s responsibility is to pull distracted audiences into the world of the presenter; otherwise, the presentation is for naught. A golden opportunity may be lost forever.

A great way to engage multi-tasking audiences is with a good story. People love stories. Since Biblical days, it is the way humans have learnt best and retained information.

By telling a story, your value proposition comes alive. If you aren't already incorporating stories into your conversations, you need to get on the bandwagon.

The mistake that many presenters make is to think audiences want only the facts, the data. Presenters assume they might waste time and annoy them by telling a story. While audiences do need the facts, the data becomes relevant or makes sense through a relevant story.

Consider for a moment how many business meetings most professionals attend in a day or a week. Often audiences get confused when so many companies seem to offer and promise the same thing. The one that wins the business is not necessarily the one with the best solution. It's the one that connects with the audience. A story can do just that.

Many presenters feel they are already using stories when they cite a case study or an example. While these do add color, the human or emotional element is missing. Remember, data is sterile, while stories paint a picture.

Stories have to be short i.e. 2 minutes or less, and the link between your story and what your audience cares about has to be obvious. Your story has to be rich enough to keep your audience engaged from start to finish.

A good story needs a main character, someone with whom your audience can identify. For audiences to visualize, your story also needs a setting and some action. The action begins with an inciting incident and intensifies with additional difficult challenges your hero or main character must overcome. Finally, your story needs a strong ending or resolution.

If your story is engaging, your audience will connect on more than an intellectual level. Pay attention to the fact that there are three levels of connection. The first is to think, the second to feel and the third to remember.

This third level is where you should aim. It is reached when you tie your story to your audience’s business issue. It enables your audience to repeat your value proposition to others after you walk out the door.

As you prepare for your next presentation, invest time ahead thinking of one or two stories to make your topic come alive and to create a memory hook for your audience to share your idea or solution to others.

Remember, any event in your life can make for a good story!

All the best with your future presentations!

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Speak Up!

Soft voices are the bane of many people.

Soft speakers may think this is not such a big issue. However, for listeners, a voice that is not clearly heard is maddening. It causes people to interrupt or to tune out, especially if they are on a long conference call or the soft speaker is delivering a long presentation.

One of our clients said, "When I cannot easily hear a presenter, I ask the person to speak up one time. If nothing changes, I begin to respond to email. I am not going to aggravate myself or waste my time".

Most people with soft voices feel it is just something they are born with, and there is nothing they can do about it. In fact, to them, their voice sounds plenty loud enough since it is bouncing off the gray matter in the skull. There are some solutions.

Typically, a soft voice is a badly produced voice. Breathing is often shallow and irregular. The person pauses for air, only when they run out. The solution is to breathe from the diaphragm. Practice taking in a breath while counting to five, holding that breath for a count of three and slowly exhaling for a count of five. Repeat five times.

Lie flat on the floor or speak in front of a mirror while your hands are above your head. The only way you can breathe from these positions is from the diaphragm. Now try raising the volume of your voice. Speak on your exhaled breath. Imagine that you are talking to people who are hard of hearing. Undoubtedly, you will have all the air you need to produce a louder voice.

Until you master diaphragmatic breathing, speak in short sentences. Often a person whose voice gets softer and softer speaks in very long sentences or they connect one sentence to another with "and, but or so." Let each sentence come to a definite end. Then, pause and refuel.

Picture your voice on a continuum from 1-10. Most soft talkers speak with the volume maximizing at 3-4. If you are speaking at a round table meeting, your volume needs to be raised to an 8-9, particularly if there are others sitting around the table or remote listeners.

To monitor the volume of your voice, record your voice regularly. Most mobile phones have the capacity to record. Set your phone on your desk and stand up. Review and see if you can comfortably hear it. Next, move the phone further and further away and continue to raise your voice.

Use a headset when possible and move the mouth piece closer to your lips. Announce to others that you are working on increasing volume. Give people on the phone permission to interrupt if they are not hearing you well. After any phone conversation, ask for feedback on your volume from someone who will be honest.

Soft speakers are not born that way. The environment a soft spoken person was raised in might not have tolerated volume etc. A soft spoken person may have learned to dial down their voice over time.

It is important to remember in a business environment, a stronger voice is taken more seriously. Make sure no one has to say, "I can't hear you." 

Ensure or learn to "Speak up!" 


All the best with your business communications.

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Your Voice Inflection Matters in Business!

A voice with inflection is captivating and motivating.

Your voice can command attention and makes people want to hear you more. A voice without inflection is flat and monotone.

An uninteresting voice bores, annoys and confuses those having to endure it. As you consider how you might ‘raise the bar’ when communicating, record your voice and review it as if you were a listener. Is it a voice your audiences would like to hear? If not, make a conscious decision to bring more inflection into your voice. Consider the following suggestions.


1.  Sing in the shower

As ridiculous as this might read, singing takes the voice from high to low. It helps to expand your range. Remember, it is a flat voice that audiences find unappealing.


2.  Read out loud from business journals or your company's marketing pieces

Make sure you are saying all the syllables, especially the beginning and final consonants. Use your mobile phone to record your voice. If you are skipping over syllables, practice enunciating all syllables in those particular words. Redo until you hear a noticeable difference.


3.  Practice stressing particular words in a sentence

For example, "I can imagine how annoying that must be" or "Let's see what I can do to fix that for you." In any one sentence, there should be two or three words emphasized.


4.  Assess the length of your sentences

People with a monotone voice often speak in long sentences. Their voices frequently trail off as they conclude because they are out of air. Often, listeners ask such a speaker to repeat.


5.  Read stories to children or poetry out loud

The words of a story or poem will demand energy and vocal variety. Again, use your mobile phone to record your voice. Review what you hear.


6.  Use your own internal voice mail system to monitor your voice

Before you leave voice messages for colleagues or customers, review them. Redo the message until your voice sounds interesting and sincere.


7. Assess the speed of your voice

If you speak quickly, it is easy for your voice to sound flat.


8.  Listen to newscasters

Notice how much they pause, how slowly they speak and how much they open their mouths. Assess whether you are doing the same.


9.  Stand in front of a mirror and pay attention to how much you are opening your mouth and moving your lips

A tight jaw causes a nasal voice. Practice talking with a wide open mouth.


10.  Keep a mirror on your desktop at work

As you speak to clients etc. by phone, look in the mirror. Pay attention to whether your face seems tense and how much you are moving your lips.



Your voice is the best tool you have for convincing people you can solve their problem and you value their business.


If your voice has inflection, you will be perceived as warm and friendly. You will make a positive impression and distinguish yourself from other business professionals!

 
All the best with your ongoing communications.

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Ensure You Connect With Your Audience when You Present

How you relate to others matters greatly when delivering a face-to-face presentation.

A key that creates immediate connection with any executive, manager or peer is strong eye contact. Sustained eye contact should begin the minute you walk in the door. With solid eye contact, you instantly appear transparent and confident. You project sincerity and demonstrate respect.

Remember that being nervous can cause your eyes to shift and dart. There is a big difference between glancing at someone and really connecting with them. Not only will poor eye contact make you appear unsure, but it may also result in you and your message being dismissed.

When you feel you are not on an equal playing field with others in the room, strong eye contact can narrow the gap. It can also help you to read other people's reactions. If their non-verbal messages are positive, it will help you to relax. If the feedback indicates resistance, you can adjust your explanation accordingly.

The beauty of giving strong eye contact is most people will likely return it, almost as if there is an obligation. Consequently, you will keep even the most easily distracted attendee engaged and focused on critical points. Sustained eye contact typically triggers:

    -  Listening
    -  Acknowledgment
    -  Understanding
    -  Trust

It is a critical skill for effectively communicating and building credibility. Never underestimate its importance.

Another way to intensify the relationship with others in a meeting situation is to allow your spontaneous sense of humor and informality to surface during the conversation. However, many people do not do so because they think this is too risky and inappropriate on the job.

When you leave your sense of humor at the door, you are missing a powerful tool for achieving your communication goals. Humor creates rapport and makes even the most senior executive more receptive to you and your message. A dash of humor can also help resolve difficult situations or defuse tension.

A lot of people think you have to be a comedian and tell jokes to convey a sense of humor, but that is not true. In fact, you should never try to be a joke teller. Rather, identify the types of things that make you laugh. For example, if you recently came across a funny quote, you might weave that into your conversation. If you notice someone appears confused, a humorous analogy or example may help clarify your point and alleviate frustration.

Often times, real life is funnier than fiction anyway. An amusing story related to your topic rejuvenates interest when attention is lagging. If you poke fun at yourself, you convey that you are relaxed. The bottom line is people like to laugh. Business professionals are no different.

Connection also comes from being observant. If you know that someone in the meeting is devoted to family, a chocoholic or loyal to a cause, the observant communicator would incorporate these observations into examples or analogies.

Lastly, those that know the importance of building a relationship use others names across the audience throughout the conversation and the pronoun "we" to draw commonalities that subtly suggest you are just like them. "We're both eager to see..." or "As you and I both know...." As the conversation intensifies, these little things matter.


All the best with your ongoing business communications!

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Ensure Clients Smile About Your Business

Clients today are busy; some are overwhelmed by the myriad of tasks they now have to perform. By the time they call your help desk or customer care center, they are often frustrated and anything but pleasant.


You can put a smile back on their face about your business, and here are some tips to help ensure this happens:


1.  Say you will help 


 Every time you say, "I can help you," or "Let me see if I can help," it is music to client’s ears. It calms potential anger inside of them waiting to be let loose. You may need to say it more than once. When you sense mounting frustration, repeat your offer to help as often as you feel it is appropriate.

 
2.  Help each step of the way 


If you need to pass the caller to another person for additional support, stay on the line with them and explain the situation to the new representative. The last thing the client wants to do is repeat their tale of woe to multiple people.


3.  Acknowledge any evident concerns / upset 

 It is not enough to simply say, "Ok." You must say something more genuine. "I can appreciate how annoying this must be." Yes, you are right, this should not have happened." Your client wants to be heard.

Your client wants you as the representative of the company to see how inconvenienced or disappointed they are with your product or service. An acknowledgement is definitely required.


4.  Be sincere 

Have an upbeat voice. A voice with a monotone is seen in a negative manner. Your voice must have highs and lows, just as a singer's voice has a range.


5.  Don't rush 

Take your time explaining how to remedy a situation. Pause at the end of each sentence or thought for a second or two. A fast talker frustrates the person trying to take notes or to envision what you are saying. It makes the caller feel you just want them to get off the line.


6.  Involve the client 

Ask the client what he or she would like to see happen. Ask the client if this solution would be acceptable. This makes the client feel you value their business.


7.  Offer something 

Recently, I heard of a scenario when a case of wine was shipped to a friend to celebrate the landing a great new job. The case of wine was shipped to the sender who ordered instead of intended recipient. When the sender called the wine company, they immediately took responsibility. They told the sender to keep the case, rather than ship it back, because of the inconvenience they caused.


The wine company then took care of shipping a new case at no additional charge immediately. 

Not every situation warrants something to be thrown in for free, but, on occasion, when your organisation is clearly at fault, it goes a long way to keeping clients satisfied and therefore, loyal.


8.  Thank the client 

Any time a client complains it is an opportunity for your organisation to correct something that is NOT working. Let the client know that your organisation is constantly striving to achieve better service and will do its best to see that client concerns do not happen in the future.


9.  Client loyalty is difficult today 

You are the face of your organisation, and you play a significant role in impressing or depressing your clients. The more you can keep your clients singing your praises, the more secure and easier your job will be.

 

Following these simple tips will help to ensure your clients smile about your business!











Go help somebody

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SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATIONS for EXECUTIVE AUDIENCES

An executive's time is valuable. These individuals go from meeting to meeting. It is not unusual for them to have as many as 10-15 meetings a day.

For Marvin White, Chief Technologist for Innovation at ESPN, a sports entertainment programming network says, "it's all about ideas and figuring out how to execute them.

An interview with Marvin produced the following suggestions on how to succeed when presenting for an executive audience:


1.  Arrive with your ideas well thought out

I don't want to try to figure out what the presenter is proposing. I want to get the point and get it quickly. I have a million things on my plate. Keep your ideas tight and concise.


2.  Be ready with the data that supports why your idea is a worth listening to

As the CTO, I am responsible for making correct decisions, investing wisely. If you are going to pitch to me, I need your points well supported. Don't show up without the data. On the other hand, people may give me too many details. It makes it difficult to keep everything straight.

Presenters who offer too much information usually do a bad job and go down a rat hole. Again, come in with your ideas well thought out. Think about what information I need to make a decision. Then, stop!!!


3.  Show you understand your audience

In the sports entertainment business, empathy for the viewers is critical. You absolutely have to get into the shoes of the sport fans. You must consider how this would relate or be perceived by a variety of audiences.


4.  Don't recite a script

I need to be engaged. Ask for my input, my concerns. I am probably going to interrupt you anyway. It makes a better impression on me if we are having a dialogue. I am not a big fan of monologues.


5.  Winging it doesn't usually work, unless you're really, really smart

Be ready for some tough questions. Think about what I might ask ahead of time in order to decide.


6.  Consider a "Show and Tell"

It's OK to show me PowerPoint, but I am more excited by video clips or examples of devices, such as a hockey puck with electronics. I don't hate slides, but often, it is just not the best way to present the information. Live demonstrations or animated computer clips really help to focus the discussion.


7.  Be truthful

In this business, it is easy to indulge in wishful thinking. Be upfront, clear and honest, and you won't go wrong with me. It is important that I stay on top of people's projects. Tell me the milestones. What's difficult or risky? What are the ramifications of not doing something? Be candid. Show me how your idea fits into the business.



Regardless of your industry, Marvin White offers solid advice for ensuring successful presentations for executive audiences.

Apply his suggestions and you will undoubtedly gain and advantage.

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