It was the silence heard around the world: Rick Perry’s brain freeze. Perry’s mental cramp during the GOP presidential debate stole the show and was quickly hailed as one of the worst memory meltdowns in history. It was a cringe-inducing 53 seconds as Perry scrambled to recall the name of the third federal agency he’d shut down, to no avail.
I’m not focusing on politics here. My interest is in YOU as an influential leader and how you can prevent your own case of message meltdown. After many year of observing and serving leaders, I’m convinced that brain freeze in public speaking is completely preventable, no matter how nervous you are. Many people’s fear of public speaking and delivering presentations hinges on this issue, so I’d like to share three strategies to conquer it. (With a respectful wink and nod to Governor Perry, let’s hope I don’t forget the third.)
What’s at stake when an episode of brain freeze strikes? Your credibility can disappear with your memory. Your confidence can take a profound, life-altering beating. In addition, brain freeze can either 1) create an unfavorable first impression of you, or 2) cement an unfavorable view that others already have of you.
Here are three tips to prevent you from drawing a blank when delivering a message:
Believe your message deeply. Your brain’s frontal lobe is sensitive to anxiety. Psychologists say stress hormones can temporarily block your frontal lobe from the rest of your brain. You’re frantically searching for a word, but like a computer file that’s locked, your brain is blocking access to it. Fear is like a virus, infecting your thoughts. It’s guided by self-preservation. The solution? Don’t rely solely on your brain to deliver a message when the stakes are high. Believe your messagedeeply. A speech or presentation is a transfer of emotion. Engage both your head and your heart to share your message with others. Tap into your message both intellectually and emotionally. When you deliver from the heart, you free yourself of the susceptibility that anxiety will scramble your brain.
Beware of adding new information too close to delivery.Brand spanking new information leaves you vulnerable to drawing a blank. You haven’t fully processed and internalized new info yet. You might as well send a party invitation to your brain inviting message meltdown when you add new information on the fly. But Connie, you ask – what if my boss gives me last minute information that I have to include? What if I learn something at the last minute that’s important? Of course you should add this type of information to your presentation. But here’s the antidote: write that information down and keep it right in front of you. Prominently. During Perry’s meltdown, he frantically searched his notes, but couldn’t come up with that third agency. Perhaps it was buried in his notes. Perhaps he was off-point. I don’t know. But I do know that a prominently displayed, bulleted list would have saved Perry from this public humiliation. So save yourself. If you have new, unprocessed information to share, keep it written prominently in front of you. Think of it as an insurance policy.
Deliver boldly. Do you fear criticism? Does the concern that someone will take a shot at you linger in the back of your mind during delivery? This is pure poison. The good news is that it’s self-induced, which means you have control over it. Confidence is the expectation of a positive outcome in a specific situation. Breathe deeply, visualize a positive outcome and let go of the fear. Forget perfection – think excellence. Don’t morph into your boring, evil twin in front of an audience. No one wants an automaton delivering a perfectly rote message- they value a person with a passionate point of view.
The only true metric of public speaking is the audience’s response. Embrace your opportunity to move others to action. Use these three tips and you’ll replace brain freeze with liquid gold for your audience – and yourself.
I recently returned from South America where I had the opportunity to keynote a large business conference in Colombia. (If you haven’t been to Colombia, it’s a great adventure.) Imagine this challenge, though: I don’t speak Spanish – and the audience of hundreds of business leaders didn’t speak a word of English. The other experts who presented at the event – from Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia – were terrific and spoke Spanish, of course.
The language barrier could tank my presentation, right?
I humbly share that it didn’t. Before my plane even touched down back on American soil, the meeting planner shared that I’d made a powerful connection with the audience and theyinvited me back to keynote their next event.
How in the world did this happen, you’re wondering?
Increasingly, leaders like you are facing language barriers, both within your global organizations and in front of audiences in presentations. With that in mind, I’d like to share three quick lessons that I learned while preparing for my Colombian adventure in this brief video. I hope these tips will help you shine and make the most of your opportunity to connect, convey, and convince any audience!
Recently, my life has been packed with one life-altering experience after another. Among them were two milestone graduations – my son’s from college and my daughter’s from high school. (This makes me feel so old. Congratulations, Spencer and Ali!)
Which got me to thinking about confidence – and how people completely misunderstand it. Confidence is more critical now than ever in the economy we’re facing today. It’s essential to cultivate it so you can seize opportunities and avoid pitfalls.
But it’s not just recent graduates who crave confidence – every C-suite executive whom I’ve had the privilege to coach wants a booster shot to help them be more influential and make things happen. They understand that confidence begets influence and personal impact.
But here’s the catch: you crush your own confidence every day. Oh, you don’t intend to. Chances are, you don’t even realize that you’re undermining your ability to make an impact, day-in and day-out. It’s certainly not your intent.
So what’s going on?
Simple. You may confuse confidence with self-esteem. Grasping the difference between the two can transform how you interact with others – whether you’re a seasoned executive or a newbie in the business world. I’ve witnessed extraordinary transformations in leaders’ abilities to influence as I share this secret of executive presence and then coach them in how to unleash their confidence in presentations and other make-it or break-it interactions. Even the most anxious public speaker – whose jitters would normally crush their own confidence in the front of the room – will morph into a remarkably influential presenter when they employ this unshakable confidence technique.
So what is confidence, then? Simply put, confidence is the expectation of a positive outcome in a specific situation. Period. It’s not self-esteem, which is how you secretly size yourself up and assign your status in the world. Self-esteem is where insecurities like Imposter Syndrome lurk. Unlike self-esteem, confidence is situational. Which means you’re completely in controlto ignite it or zap it like a bug on neon – one situation at a time. Confidence is easily within reach when you unhook it from the complicated, big-picture puzzle of self-esteem. Tell yourself that you are prepared in this specific situation, envision a positive outcome, and fear will melt away. This shift in mindset is simple, yet it’s a profound game-changer.
I encourage you to devour the interview with Tim Sanders in my next post. Tim will challenge you to reconsider confidence, helping you overcome self-doubt and fear.
In this quick 2 minute “Connie off the Cuff” video recorded behind the scenes of a keynote speech in Phoenix, you’ll discover the one thing you need to deliver a presentation.
You’ve been tapped to give a presentation. Quick – what are you feeling? Has a sense of dread washed over you?
Of course.
You’re tasked with creating a slide deck, which can swallow hours of your time. Perhaps you’d prefer a root canal – at least you could just lay there under the influence of a numbing anesthetic. Instead, you’re worried that your presentation may leave your audience numb.
Rightfully so. After all, most presentations are dull and deadly, aren’t they? You feel trapped as the presenter morphs into a reporting robot, hosting a tedious read-along of his text-laden slides.
I believe presentations are fundamentally and deeply broken. They’re wasting more than just your time. They’re squandering opportunities for thought leaders to breathe life into transformational ideas.
Here’s a key: presenters are reporting when they should be resonating.
The Resonator
That’s why I interviewed Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design and the author of Resonate and Slide:ology. I believe Nancy’s message will resonate with your desire to create a groundswell for your initiatives.
Connie interviews Nancy Duarte
Who better to understand the power of visual information than Nancy Duarte? Her firm creates the best slide decks on the planet. Over the past twenty years, Duarte Design has created over a quarter of a million presentations for the world’s leading brands, helping thought leaders communicate ideas in strikingly visual ways.
Nancy agrees that the overwhelming majority of presentations are sadly inadequate. At first, she labeled it a slide problem, which is why she wrote the award-winning Slide:ology in 2008. “I thought that’s where the breakdown was – that people didn’t know how to visually display information,” she told me.
But gussying up slides – while a terrific start – isn’t enough, she learned. So she turned her attention to storytelling. Nancy believes stories can help put the heartbeat back in presentations. “A storyteller on a stage takes on a completely different presence. I wanted to close that gap.”
You may be asking, “Connie, what does storytelling have to do with my leadership influence?” Here’s a brilliant example: contrast “what is” and “what could be” as a structural device.
Nancy explains, “Our job as leaders is to define as clearly as possible where we need to be in the future. And what you do is compare what currently is to what could be, which is the future with your idea adopted. And by moving back and forth as a structural device, you’ll start to compare what is to what could be. People will be like, “Oh my gosh, I don’t want to stay where I’m at, because that would be foolish. I want to move towards this new idea that my leader is telling me.”
I believe you’ll benefit from hearing more about Nancy’s approach to storytelling, so I urge you to listen to our interview in my podcast. Or, if you don’t have time, you can download the transcript here.
Nancy’s books are powerful resources for any leader wanting to influence, inspire and impact audiences while presenting ideas. You’ll discover how to stop reporting and start resonating.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of her books here.
You Write. We Reward.
Would you like to win a fre*e copy of Resonate? Nancy has kindly provided me with an autographed book for my readers. Simply submit a comment below, telling me the most valuable lesson you learned from Nancy’s interview. I’ll pick a winner and send the book to you.
Benjamin Zander says his job is to awaken the possibilities in others. He’s a motivational speaker. And, oh, yes – he’s also the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic.
When Zander perches on the conductor’s podium, he shapes the sound of the classical ensemble. But as a leadership keynote speaker, I assure you this maestro rocks an audience. I encourage you to watch the following short video as Zander brings an audience first to tears, and then to its feet. If you’re short on time, skip to my coaching notes below where I dissect his magic and share a few actionable tips to help you rock your presentations like Benjamin Zander.
Tips to Help You Rock an Audience Like Zander:
Drive your audience from Point A to Point B. Zander laid out the audience’s destination before he took them on a ride. His goal was to ensure that everyone came to appreciate classical music. You can do that, too, by carefully developing your speech with the end in mind. Influential presenters take audiences on a pre-planned journey instead of merely delivering a speech.
Close the physical gap. The maestro jumped off stage and bounded into the audience a few times when felt called to create intimate moments. Follow your instincts. If you sense the audience needs a jolt of electricity, dare to move closer. The key is to do it strategically. Return to your home base spot after a brief, purposeful interlude – don’t wear out your welcome by staying in the audience too long. Leave ‘em wanting more of you.
Are their eyes shining? A seasoned leadership expert, Zander unveils a secret at the end of his presentation: You know you’ve reached people when their eyes are shining. How does he do it? He creates an exceptional audience experience by speaking from both his heart and his head. I challenge you to do the same, no matter what your topic. Be an open, servant presenter and your audience will reward you with shining eyes.
Experienced an authentic, impactful moment recently? Two families witnessed one this past weekend when my son, Spencer, proposed to his soul mate, Christine.
Allow me to explain the bus and how it relates to your leadership. Spencer and Christine rode the bus together through middle school. Even though the bus transported them to different schools, they became friends as they shared a daily ride in the back seat of Mrs. Voricek’s bus.
Now fast forward eight years. After losing touch during high school, then rekindling their friendship and dating through their college years (again at separate schools), Spencer was ready to propose to his beautiful, perfect match. But it was important to him to create an experience that would feel meaningful and authentic to Christine.
He remembered the bus. Ah, yes – that would be authentic, wouldn’t it? After much planning, including tracking down their original driver, a balloon arch custom fit for the back seat of the bus, a white aisle runner and a path of fresh rose pedals and heart shaped balloons, Spencer gave Christine a remarkable experience which evoked their past and future simultaneously.
He created The Love Bus for his true love.
Which brings me to you. Do you create authentic, audience-centric experiences when you speak? Or do you merely deliver dull PowerPoint presentations to your audiences?
Do your intentions and your impact align? The difference has a profound impact on your ability to influence others and make things happen.
In the post that follows, Dr. Nick Morgan, former editor of the Harvard Management Communication Letter and a top communication theorist, shares why authenticity and charisma are crucial to your leadership. You’ll discover why he proposes that it’s a mistake to leave these two elements to chance – even worse than leaving gum under the seat.
Pint-sized presenter Schuyler St. Leger nailed it. At the age of 10, he’s already mastering audience-centered speaking.
How Schuyler rocked the audience – (and you can, too)
1) He nailed the power pause, deftly using silence after his major points to let his words sink in before moving to his next tidbit.
2) He was Diana Ross, letting the slides work as his Supremes.The slides didn’t eclipse his presence – they acted as the equivalent of his back-up singers.
3)His slides were visual – not laden with text. They helped the audience process his points, rather than bogging them down with TMI.
Kudos, kid. Your delivery and poise at this Ignite Phoenix event is inspiring. My only question is this: Is that your mother, cheering hysterically in front of the camera – or do you have that effect on all the ladies?
When you hear “flight” and “fateful seat” in the same sentence, what comes to mind? An accident, perhaps? Allow me to explain.
My recent adventure started in New York, where I boarded a Continental flight for Texas to deliver a Talk Less, Say More keynote speech. My seatmate, Jeff, had endured two canceled flights due to airport shutdowns in wintry Texas. A world-traveling executive, Jeff had been stranded in New York for two days – including his birthday – causing him to miss a celebration with his wife and daughters back home in Austin.
As we slowly taxied to the runway, our pilot announced that we should settle in for an extra long flight. It would take four and a half hours to reach Texas, he said, because we were facing strong headwinds.
Alrighty, then.
After we’d chatted for a while, my seatmate and I began to tackle our workloads. As Jeff tugged his laptop out of his briefcase, he whipped out a Kindle, too. The sleek new reading device was a Christmas gift for his daughter, Jeff explained, but he “borrowed it” for the business trip. (Those of you who are parents know that “borrowed it” is code for “my child doesn’t realize it’s missing.“) As he powered up the display, Jeff explained that he’d read a book over the weekend that had a strong impact on him and he wanted to consult it again. He had an important, complicated message that he needed to deliver to his organization and it was critical that others understand him clearly. Change was imminent. Profitability was on the line.
As he toggled through his titles to show me the magical book, my jaw dropped - Talk Less, Say More.It was my book!
My heart glowed. But I didn’t let on that he was sitting next to the author. I thought I’d toy with him for a minute.
“By the way,” Jeff said, “what do you do for a living? These 3 bubbles might help you,” he shared, as he pointed to the 1-2-3 method on his screen.
“I’m a business author,” I replied.
“Really? What’s your book?” Jeff asked.
“That one.” I said, as I pointed to the pilfered Kindle in the palm of his hand.
It was in that moment, as we cut through the clouds and the sun began to shine, that I realized I’m living my true purpose.
Jeff and I honed his message for most of the flight. We devised how he could best Connect, Convey, Convince his organization to take positive action in this time of change.
When we landed in Texas, Jeff said he believed it was fate that his earlier flights were canceled. He said he was meant to sit next to me and it was a flight he’d never forget. No, Jeff, the honor was all mine. To all of you executives I have the honor of working alongside, thank you for the privilege of helping you discover your leadership influence, in-flight or with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
So my promise to you is this….if we find ourselves seated together on a flight, I’d be delighted to help you develop a leadership message to influence, inspire and impact your world.
P.S. I’m blushing about a recent honor. I’m grateful to http://www.Speaking.com for selecting me as one of America’s Top 5 Speakers of 2011. It’s a privilege to spread my Influential Leader message to audiences worldwide!
Tips to Help You Influence When You’re in the Spotlight
An astounding thing happened to this quirky brain researcher – she suffered a massive stroke and studied herself as her brain functions shut down, one by one. In this remarkable TED Talk presentation, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor reenacts exactly how it feels when your brain fails you.
Even more powerfully, she crafts an unmistakable call to action that could alter the course of your life. That’s what makes this unassuming, unpolished doctor my selection as this month’s “Presentation Rock Star.”
I’d encourage you to watch this brief video because you’ll gain insight from Jill. But if you’re in a hurry, please read my actionable tips below to discover how you can command any room and influence your world, no matter what topic you’re delivering…
How to Rock an Audience Like This Star:
1) Be a naked presenter. No, Dr. Bolte Taylor is not sans clothing. She’s devoid of pretense. She doesn’t slip into formal presentation mode or try to impress the audience with “doc talk.” Yes, she has some unique delivery quirks, but she’s not trying to be slick so you embrace her as the authentic professional that she is.
You can have this impact if you:
Suspend your fear of criticism. Confidence is situational – make that choice. Accept that your expertise deserves a spotlight.
You are worthy. Be you, not a pretender.
Chase away your evil twin who thinks you’ll impress people by being formal and slick.
2) Share a jaw-droppingly relevant visual. Did you feel the energy in the room shift when she revealed a real human brain on stage? Sure you did. Afterwards, her body became the only visual necessary. Slides be darned.
You can do this if you:
Ask yourself, “What’s the most impactful visual I could share in person?”
Move mountains to secure it. It may not be a human brain, but a relevant visual will instantly engage and improve the dynamics in the room.
3) Know exactly where you’re taking the audience. Dr. Bolte Taylor developed her presentation with a clear, simple intention: she wanted you to choose to live more from the right side of your brain. Her efforts paid off – she received a rare standing ovation from her TED Talks audience.
You can impact an audience like this if you:
Develop your message upside down. Start with your close. Ask yourself, “What, specifically, do I want this audience to do as a result of this talk?” Once you’ve settled on this critical but often overlooked element, then you can go back and develop your open and middle.
Hold off on opening PowerPoint. Software programs are linear and will take you down the information track, not the influence track. Decide where you’re taking the audience before you let your software influence your mission.
Donald Trump is my new wingman. Alright, I’ll be his wingman since he’s a lot richer than I am. Let me explain.
While channel surfing last night, I came upon The Apprentice on NBC. I was intrigued because just as I tuned in, one of the contestants was mangling a public speaking opportunity. (And you know that gets my attention as an executive communication coach.)
As a result of the awful presentation skills, the speaker blew the challenge for his entire team. They were left in the boardroom to face the axe.
Trump was livid. In a rare double firing, he canned not only the speaker with poor presentation skills, but the guy’s project manager, too. Why? Because the project manager didn’t require a rehearsal.
The entire team was caught off guard – and horrified – at how nervous and totally ineffective the guy was communicating in front of an audience. Especially because the guy volunteered to present, saying he was experienced and naturally good at it. Unfortunately, he didn’t bring his “A” game with him that night. Or even his “D” game, for that matter. He was unprepared and flustered. The more he buried his head in his laptop to read his notes word-for-word, (even mispronouncing words left and right) he more he tanked everything his teammates worked so hard for.
My point? Rehearsing presentations is critical. Poor public speaking reflects not only on you, but on everyone else whose hard work and reputations are on the line when you’re at the front of the room. You owe it to everyone to connect, convey, and convince your audience.
Thank you, Donald Trump, for the televised example of why bosses should require rehearsals when money and reputations are on the line. I owe you one.
Have a presentation to deliver? Don’t follow Phil Davison’s lead as a public speaker.
This speech is Hall of Fame quality for the most misguided, jaw-droppingly worst presentation skills ever.
Mr. Davison says he holds a masters degree in communication. In this case, as you’re about to see, mis-communication was his specialty. Luckily, as he launched this passionate run for office, someone ran for their Flip video recorder. While he lost the nomination, we all win with a cautionary tale of how misguided passion can tank your credibility.
On second thought, if the speaker’s real goal was to win attention instead of the election, it’s a spectacular success story. Just don’t try these antics in the board room or you could lose your job.
You might be surprised at how many executives say they lack confidence in front of audiences and want to gain the skill.
Here’s a nerve-wracking experience that I keep in mind as I coach high-powered leaders who want to improve their presentation skills. It starts in my rear view mirror, back when I was sixteen years old. My high school business teacher entered me in the Future Business Leaders of America speech contest. First of all, you should know that I had never given a speech before. Secondly, I was raised in a humble family in a tiny Indiana farm town, so I had no clue what topic to choose for a business speech. I certainly didn’t have any compelling business nuggets that would rock Wall Street to its core.
As the deadline to select my topic approached, and with no sudden emergence of business acuity, I chose a simple, safe speech title: “Confidence is the Key.” Yes, I know – my topic choice was part lame, part prophetic.
When the day of the speech arrived, I stood before the audience in my self-styled seersucker suit with a homemade poster as my visual. The poster was canary yellow, featuring a giant black key that I’d cut out of construction paper and carefully glued next to my emphatic magic marker title. You get the level of sophistication. Unlike a James Bond Martini, I was shaken and stirred as I dug deep and delivered my heart-felt message. I’ll get to the outcome of the contest in a moment – it’s pertinent, I promise.
Luckily, my grasp of presentation skills has evolved a bit since high school, so here are a few secrets to help you become a remarkably confident communicator, despite your nerves:
Forget the underwear. The solution to overcoming nerves is not to picture the audience in their underwear – that’s a tired old tale. Instead, the smart solution is to shift your focus to serving the audience. Make this your new presentation mantra: the purpose of my presentation is the people. Thepeople. It’s not about creating killer slides. Not about seeing how much information you can cram in. Not about whether your mouth is dry or you’re sweating through your jacket. Your mission is to create a positive experience that will influence people to act. Shift your focus to serving the audience and an amazing transformation will happen.
Confidence is situational. If you think self-confidence and self-esteem are interchangeable words, hit the reset button. Confidence is the expectation of a positive outcome in a specific situation. It’s very different from self-esteem and your underlying sense of worth. The key to a confident presentation is to prepare for the specific situation. Smart preparation will help you wrestle your nerves to the ground. Expect a positive outcome in this one specific situation, prepare for it with a sound strategy, and you’ll achieve it. Every time.
Lacking confidence is selfish. You read that right. It sounds harsh, so let me explain. If you lack confidence in a presentation it means that you’re focusing your attention squarely on yourself. Everyone gets butterflies before presenting. I know I still do. But butterflies are actually a good sign because it means that you’re taking the presentation seriously. You have a choice: you can let the butterflies undermine the situation by focusing on your own feelings — or you can use them as an edge to redirect your focus and take your audience to a higher level.
Forget perfection – think excellence. Please understand that this is a huge statement coming from a recovering perfectionist. When you stop worrying about being flawless, people will start relating to you. Aim for excellence instead of absolute perfection. Truth be told, people see right through the illusion of perfection anyway and value genuine, relatable human beings, warts and all. Spewing endless, perfect factoids with a flawless style leaves people cold and that’s a confidence killer.
Don’t slip into “presentation mode.” Do you morph into a faux-heavyweight version of yourself when you present? Stay centered. You’re good enough. If there’s a glitch, stay light and handle it graciously or humorously. Turn mistakes into advantages. You’ll light a fire by aiming for people’s hearts, not their heads. Take the pressure off of yourself and see how much better people respond to you. Isn’t that the point of business communication – getting a positive response?
Since you’ve stuck around this long, I’ll share how my high school business speech contest ended. The sixteen year old mini-me surprised myself by winning the state and regional contests with my “Confidence is the Key” presentation. I then packed up my poster board and boarded my first-ever airplane to the national finals where I became the top loser in America. In other words, I was first runner-up nationwide. The judges chose an experienced eighteen year with big city business ideas as the top Future Business Leaders of America speech winner.
Rightfully so. The winning speech was content-rich and well-delivered. I learned that content and delivery are equally important to your success and I’m passionate about sharing the secrets to reaching this presentation nirvana with executives today.
Clearly, confidence is a key to business success. But I don’t recommend a goofy poster board.
Did you read the headlines? “Jackson Kids Steal the Show!” the news articles proclaimed, calling the appearance of Michael Jackson’s two eldest children the most memorable moment of the 52nd annual Grammy Awards Show.
What does this have to do with communication skills, you ask? Everything. In a room filled with big egos, these two young people nailed the three things that you must do as a 21st century communicator: they got attention, got to the point, and got results – and so can you. These skills are crucial whether you’re presenting your ideas to big egos, big wallets, or big knuckleheads.
This post is not about Michael Jackson’s kids on stage. Believe it or not, it’s about what you can learn from Michael’s approach to presentation skills that can transform and elevate your presentations forever. Turns out, Michael Jackson was not just a performer, he was the ultimate presenter. He was every bit as good or even better than the much-heralded Steve Jobs at presenting ideas that people respond to.
I was struck by what businesspeople can learn by watching the newly released video chronicling Michael’s stage preparations for his planned final shows in London, “This is It.” Here are 3 quick lessons:
1. The best presentations are built around your relationship with the audience
At the end of the film, you’ll see Michael and the crew gather in a large circle on stage. Director Kenny Ortega asks Michael to share a few words. Listen closely – what Michael says is the the stamp of a true presentation genius. He tells the crew that a successful show is not based upon the dance moves, or the special effects, or even on him. It’s a presenter’s relationship with the audience that matters most. Success is attained by the way you make people feel while they’re in your presence. Lesson: don’t get caught up in worrying about yourself or your slides during a presentation. Zero in on your relationship with the audience. Make their experience the king of the show and you’ll earn positive responses.
2. When you elevate others, everyone wins (including you)
Watch how Michael brings out the best in others. He stays gracious and kindhearted as he coaches the musicians, singers, and dancers during the rehearsals. He’s 100% clear on what he wants from others, yet he doesn’t come across as all high and mighty or a taskmaster. As a result, Michael Jackson draws the best possible performance out of everyone around him. Lesson: Stay relaxed, gracious, and humble at your presentations. Don’t let anxiety or pressure get the best of you. The most effective presenters are thoughtful, inspiring leaders who play well in the sandbox.
3. Who’s the one communicator you should listen to most?
Why there were so many hours of rehearsal footage filmed prior to the concert run? Michael Jackson studied the “dailies.” He knew that he was in the connecting business, so he wanted to see how his “presentations” would come across to audiences from the stage, even before the seats were filled. Chances are you hate to see yourself on tape. Heck, I avoided watching tapes of myself during many years in the broadcast TV business. But, ironically, as an executive coach I finally discovered the true power of videotaped assessments – they allow you to see the real you. As Michael Jackson clearly understood, there’s one communicator that you should listen to as much as possible – and that’s you. Study videotapes to hone your presentation’s content, your true voice, and your executive presence and you’ll earn a positive response from every audience.
Kraft Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld is scrambling to persuade shareholders that her company’s $17 billion bid to buy British candymaker Cadbury is good for both companies. Her pursuit has drawn poor reactions from both Cadbury’s shareholders and Kraft’s biggest shareholder, Warren Buffett.
I’ll tie this career-defining move to the CEO’s habitual Tilt-A-Whirl head movements (see the photo on the right from a different event) in a moment. First, let’s get your head straight on the essentials.
Rosenfeld is seeking to transform the world’s No. 2 food company into an even bigger global juggernaut – but some feel she hasn’t hit the sweet spot with this takeover attempt.
After Cadbury complained that her price was too low, she told investors that she planned to issue new stock to help pay for the purchase. Buffett, America’s most influential investor, responded with a public smackdown; a press release warning her not to sell stock or increase her price lest it destroy value for Kraft’s shareholders. Don’t spend too much, he urged, as he tried to rein her in. She has until January 19 to make her final offer. Kraft shareholders will vote February 1 on whether to issue more stock. Cadbury stockholders will vote on February 2.
Now, in an effort to convince shareholders and save the deal, the 56-year old CEO is trying to placate both groups. Kraft has posted a video on its corporate website of Rosenfeld being interviewed by a British woman.
Her message in this video is influential but unfortunately, a distracting body language habit trumps the brilliant woman’s point of view. It’s a case of the eyes trump the ears. People must buy into the messenger before they buy into the message. Rosenfeld comes across as a human Tilt-A-Whirl, constantly tilting her head from side-to-side as she speaks. Left-right-left-right-left-right. In addition, in an apparent attempt to appear warm and likable, the CEO plasters on a smile throughout the interview, even when it’s not warranted.
Here are two quick presentation/media coaching tips to help you prevent undermining your executive presence with nervous body signals:
Avoid tilting your head. It looks coy and cute. It’s not a powerful professional move unless you happen to work on the Las Vegas Strip. If that’s not your line of business, keep your head on straight.
Plastered-on smiles don’t cut it. Yes, you’ve heard many times that you should smile, and in most cases you should. But here’s the real truth about smiling: If your smile doesn’t come across as genuine, it can backfire on you. Make sure your smile is heartfelt.
People monitor you for the signals you send. Project a balance of likability and credibility to hit the sweet spot. Don’t let nervous energy undermine your credibility. To learn more about how your energy level is tied to your ability to influence others, read chapter 12 of my book, Talk Less, Say More.
You’ve been leading a high priority mission for months. You’ve pushed. Prodded. You’ve influenced internally because you believe it’s the most vital issue facing your organization. Your team has invested sweat equity and they’re counting on you to make it happen publicly.
At last, it’s time to present your idea to an audience and influence others to take action. So what happens when you finally stand before your audience and take your swing at bat?
You get hijacked during Q&A.
It happened to the President of the United States on his home turf last week. At the end of his prime time health care news conference, Barack Obama answered a hot button question that was totally off-topic. Instead of asking about health care, a reporter asked the president what he thought of the confrontation between Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police officer James Crowley. The president weighed in with his opinion on race relations, ending with the tantalizing words “acted stupidly.”
Bingo! Home run for the reporter! She’d successfully hijacked a presidential press conference. If this was a game of chess, she’d just pulled a capture: removing the opponent’s piece or pawn from the board by taking it with one’s own. The president’s health care headline was toast. Now, the headlines were commandeered to scream of the 3 P’s: the president, the professor and the police.
This is a living, breathing reminder to all of us to be mindful of Q&A so that our message doesn’t become part of an opportunistic takeover – friendly or hostile.
Here are a few tips to help ensure that you don’t hijack your own influence during Q&A:
Don’t answer too quickly. If the question is off-topic and hot button, don’t allow yourself to be hijacked. Gently but firmly respond that the question is important but it’s off-topic and will be best addressed during a more appropriate occasion. Offer a specific time when you will provide a thoughtful answer. The key is that you shouldn’t appear to be dodging the question. You’re simply deferring it to a more appropriate time and place.
Keep your answer brief. The more you talk, the more likely you are to get caught up in your underwear and say something you’ll regret. Long answers often lead to an unfortunate choice of words (think “acted stupidly”) that can bite you in the backside. Talk less, but say more.
Bridge back to your key points. The purpose of your presentation is to influence your audience and drive them to action. Never forget that. Use the audience’s questions to reinforce your key points, not to steer the boat in a completely different direction.
Don’t let Q&A be the final word. Always have two closings. 1) The one that ends your prepared remarks before Q&A, and 2) the one that wraps everything up after Q&A. End with power and a strength of conviction that your message is high priority and actionable.
Plan for hot topic tie-ins. You shouldn’t be surprised in today’s “anything goes” society. Think current events. What’s on people’s minds? Prepare, prepare, prepare.
As a communication coach, I guide senior executives in their high-profile presentations. As the day of their presentation draws near, I shift our focus from delivery of their key messages to preparation for high stakes Q&A. I ask every relevant question that I believe their audience might ask to ensure that the executive is influential in driving the ball forward, not backwards. Then, I slip on my broadcaster’s cap and link their topic to other hot-button topics. This is an eye-opening exercise for executives who tell me it has saved them from embarrassment, being at a loss for words, saying something they’d later regret, and a loss of leadership influence. It boosts their confidence to handle anything that comes their way.
My inner Girl Scout constantly whispers the motto “Be prepared” in my ear. Never has that been more essential than in today’s loosey-goosey world of Q&A.
You’re a smart person. The axe is falling on leaders everywhere and you want to come across as valuable and indispensable, right? Here’s a quick cautionary tale to bullet-proof your credibility, straight from your TV.
Time for a how-not-to-do-it lesson from Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC’s Mad Money.
Did you see Cramer get smacked down by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show this month? The normally effusive Cramer transformed into a whipping boy, seriously undermining his credibility. After the smoke cleared, Cramer blamed his wimpy performance on his upbringing, saying he was raised “to take the high road.”
Jim, Jim, Jim. Think again. You allowed yourself to be mugged.
In today’s world, taking “the high road” means protecting your credibility (your brand) as well as that of your organization in a smart, thoughtful manner. A successful appearance either: A) enhances the brand, or B) protects the brand. If your integrity is being attacked, you must protect yourself or risk being roadkill. Let’s review where Cramer went wrong so you can avoid the same fate, whether you’re meeting the media or taking Q&A at a meeting:
Cramer agreed to a TV interview clearly billed as a “confrontation.” A duel. In that context, Stewart’s performance was dead-on. Cramer’s was dead-on-arrival.
A smackdown scenario could happen to you with an adversary, known or otherwise, in today’s one-up, know-it-all world. Here are two things you should not do:
Don’t underestimate your opponent. Cramer pegged Jon Stewart as a late night comedian. A panty-weight opponent. Wrong. Jon Stewart is an ultra-smart, uber-influential man with a forum to express his viewpoints, for which he’s very passionate. Advice: Know thine enemy. Better to overestimate their savvy than underestimate it.
Don’t think you can just “wing it.” For a prognosticator, Cramer was spectacularly short-sighted. Lack of preparation against an opponent is a death wish in today’s connected world. Cramer didn’t do his homework – he had no key messages. Thus, he had no influence. Stewart was locked and loaded: Cramer was shell-shocked. Advice: Be prepared to defend your point of view – deeply, clearly and influentially. Don’t allow yourself to be blind-sided and thrown off your game.
Wasn’t it amazing how Cramer groveled and went down in flames? The same thing could happen to you if you’re not prepared. Plenty of leaders are getting skewered – and damaged – by today’s empowered, informed audiences.
Bottom line – when profitability is on the line, you cannot “wing it” anymore. The best-prepared leader wins.
Take this to the bank: Poor preparation leads to poor outcomes, especially in a tough economic climate. Don’t become a casualty.
As a communication coach for leaders, I should send Jim Cramer a thank you card for painfully demonstrating my point.
It’s Thanksgiving evening. You’re stuffed. Bloated. Lethargic. In a turkey coma.
Does this uncomfortable feeling remind you of anything? How about the last presentation you sat through? Or worse, the last one you delivered?
Most presentations are bloated. They’re stuffed with waaaay too much information which causes attendees to slip into presentation-induced comas. Every fact, figure, and statistic you uncovered made its way into your over-stuffed, text-laden slides, which left your audience feeling sluggish.
Ready to tackle presentation weight gain? Stop informing and start influencing.
Your job as a presenter is to share insights and analysis to help your audience make a decision and move forward. Over-informing is a toxic type of miscommunication. Don’t pass on every fact and figure you uncover as you research your topic. Instead, funnel it down into what matters most.
Why is this critical? Because over-stuffing a presentation leaves your audience confused and stuffed. And confused brains don’t take action. They shut down. Which requires even more meetings and presentations to clear up the mess and finally influence others to move forward.
So fight presentation bloat. Don’t pack on the pounds when you present. Think influence, not information. Your audience will thank you by taking quicker action.
I can read your mind. Not another story about Joe the Plumber, you’re thinking. Good news. This isn’t about Joe, the nation’s newest household name invoked again and again during the final presidential debate. It’s about you and your ability to make a point that people actually remember, repeat and respond to.
Let’s start with this premise: you’re boring people with mind-numbingly dull factoids. Oh, you don’t mean to. But your messages are often mundane, so you’re being tuned out. Ignored. Overlooked.
What’s the antidote? A well-placed story, like the plumber parable. That’s why both candidates latched on to Joe, even though he later sprung a few leaks. Suddenly, complex, hard-to-comprehend issues like tax plans and health care options were vivid. Big, bald Joe had a repeatable narrative – for each party. Here are a few tips to help you tap into your inner storyteller to communicate your business goals and plans:
1. Make it about them, not you. Help your audience envision themselves in the story. Tell it from the perspective of someone who’s similar to them, like Joe, not from your own viewpoint. That will trigger listeners to do two highly desirable things: to understand and care.
2. Have a clear purpose that’s simple and spry. What is the specific idea that you’re trying to help people grasp? How will it change their lives? Keep the story’s essence in mind and resist the urge to incorporate too many lessons into one story. The story should be simple and spry to support your point, not become the point.
3. Trim the fat. Don’t get bogged down in excess details. Your story is a means to the end, not the end itself. Share enough specifics to ignite imaginations, but not so many that your listeners get lost in irrelevant details.
4. Discover the leaks yourself. Shortly after the candidates made Joe a household name, reporters and bloggers discovered a few problems with his Everyman story. His name wasn’t exactly Joe, he wasn’t a licensed plumber and he was delinquent on his taxes. Oops. Say it ain’t so, Joe! The moral of this story: thoroughly research your story’s star so inquiring minds don’t get distracted by side issues and discount you as a result. Today’s audiences can Google topics as you speak and some of them love to challenge you.
5. Relive it as you tell it. When delivering your story, use what I call “planned spontaneity.” Make it real and unrehearsed-sounding so the audience can relate. If you’re presenting to a group, step out from behind the podium and speak conversationally.
I hear you talking back to your computer screen. “But Connie, I’m a bad storyteller,” the voice in your head is saying. You’re not. You just need to approach it from a business viewpoint. So go ahead – tell a story. You’ll help people absorb, retain and repeat your words to reach your business goals.
Whew! Your presentation is over. After your closing slide, you’re ready to exhale except for one thing . . . you still have to face Q&A.
Most people dread the question and answer period. It’s anxiety-provoking because you don’t know what to expect. What if someone asks a question that you can’t answer? What if someone baits you with an antagonistic comment or shoots you down?
I believe Q&A is an opportunity to reinforce your message and let your credibility shine. It’s also a time to clear up misunderstandings and gain feedback on how your message was received. Here are 10 quick tips to use Q&A to your advantage:
1. Keep your answer brief. The more you talk, the more likely you are to get caught up in your underwear and say something you’ll regret. Sometimes the questioner is more interested in how you handle yourself than in what you actually say, so keep your answers brief and meaty.
2. Don’t answer too quickly. Let the questioner state his or her question completely. Make sure you understand their true concern. Pause, think, and let it breathe before you respond.
3. Limit an individual’s follow-up questions to just one or two at a time. Otherwise, you can end up in a dialogue with that one person, ignoring the rest of the group. If somebody in the group tries to hijack your presentation with excessive questioning, tell them that you will be happy to continue the conversation later, and then move forward to other people’s feedback.
4. Don’t bluff. Anything other than honesty invites trouble. If you don’t know the answer, say so and offer to get back to them by a certain date and time. If the answer is damaging to your case, position it as a small issue or re-frame the question so you can answer it in a more positive way. But don’t lie.
5. Not all negative comments or questions are antagonistic. People may voice concerns because they sincerely want you to be aware of another point of view. Questions, comments, and objections are often a sign of interest in your message.
6. Pre-empt hot button criticism. Frontload with a specific example of how your viewpoint trumps the criticism. You’ll take the wind out of the sails of anyone who might want to be the featured fault-finder.
7. Defuse anger or hostility with a light touch. Resist the temptation to answer with sarcasm because that approach can alienate people.
8. After answering all questions, make a closing statement. Don’t simply peter out after the last question with, “Well, if there’s nothing else, thanks for coming.” Summarize and conclude with a call to action.
9. Bridge back to your key points. It’s an old media interview trick – the best and brightest don’t simply answer questions. They use questions as a jumping off point to reinforce their most important talking points. Grab the opportunity to reinforce what you want them to remember most.
10. Use Q&A as instant feedback. Questions provides a chance to clear up confusion, while also showing your depth of knowledge. Audience questions are clues to help tweak your presentation and make it even better the next time.
Ever been 10 minutes into a presentation when a sinking feeling washes over you that at no one is listening? You scan the room and confirm your worst fears. Some appear to have slipped into a presentation-induced coma. Others are thumbing their Blackberries under the table or fidgeting with cell phones. Heads are bobbing all over the room.
What went wrong?
You faced a common presentation failure: tune-out. Here are some presentation delivery tips to help you engage any audience:
1. You’re Diana Ross, the slides are the Supremes. In other words, you’re the star and your visuals are the back-up singers. Don’t let the slides eclipse your talent. Nothing infuriates audiences more than a presenter who merely reads them the slides.
2. Deliver as peer-to-peer, not teacher-to-student. Here’s another thing that irks audiences: the feeling that they’re being lectured to. Treat your audience as equals and they’ll reward you by paying attention.
3. Think John Madden. Deliver your material as a colorful analyst, not the play-by-play guy. Share insights instead of mere factoids. They want to know what you make of things. After all, if you’re presenting, you’re some kind of subject matter expert, aren’t you?
4. Get your audience actively and meaningfully involved. Involvement leads to engagement, which leads to action. Don’t just talk at people. That’s a monologue, which is booooring. You might has well just stand there and repeat blah, blah, blah. Instead, create a dialogue, a two-way talk, to engage people.
5. Add warmth. Likability is key. Relax your muscles. Don’t let tenseness trump hours of preparation. Smile naturally. Quiet your lower body so you don’t distract people with unintentional mannerisms. Deliver your message with purpose and passion and you’ll keep people tuned in. Even in a short attention span world.
It was the silence heard around the world: Rick Perry’s brain freeze. Perry’s mental cramp during the GOP presidential debate stole the show and was quickly hailed as one of the worst memory meltdowns in history. It was a cringe-inducing 53 seconds as Perry scrambled to recall the name of the third federal agency he’d shut down, to no avail.
It happened to the President of the United States on his home turf last week. At the end of his prime time health care news conference, Barack Obama answered a hot button question that was totally off-topic. Instead of asking about health care, a reporter asked the president what he thought of the confrontation between Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police officer James Crowley. The president weighed in with his opinion on race relations, ending with the tantalizing words “acted stupidly.”
You’re a smart person. The axe is falling on leaders everywhere and you want to come across as valuable and indispensable, right? Here’s a quick cautionary tale to bullet-proof your credibility, straight from your TV.
Most presentations are bloated. They’re stuffed with waaaay too much information which causes attendees to slip into presentation-induced comas. Every fact, figure, and statistic you uncovered made its way into your over-stuffed, text-laden slides, which left your audience feeling sluggish.
