Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills Part 10

Posted on January 20, 2021January 11, 2021 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

A survey on public speaking was conducted by Brownlee & Associates that involved over 3,000 respondents with positions from President, Managing Director, Senior Directors, Employees in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Quality Control, I.T, Doctors, Scientists, and Lawyers.

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations.

During a series of weekly blogs, I highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation.

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

The results of this survey make it clear that when the audience is bothered by areas in the design of the presentation that were done or not done or certain delivery behaviors of the presenter exhibited during the presentation were not executed well, the result will be a disconnection between the audience and the presenter and their presentation which will affect the quality of the communication, the degree of impact and memorability of the activity as well as the achievement of the objectives of the presenter.

Topics covered in the previous post: How to keep from turning your back to your audience when looking at your slides and talking too fast.

Delivery: Survey results indicated 99% agreed they would disconnect if: When answering questions from the group, the presenter goes off on a tangent, thereby extending the duration of the presentation.

My coaching suggestion: This includes paying attention to both design and delivery. If the presenter has a clear idea of the timing of the presentation mentioned in Post # 1 (Click here to read this post), the presenter will be aware of the time element and refrain from going off on a tangent.

Delivery: Survey results indicated 99% agreed they would disconnect if: The presenter has obviously not prepared for the presentation.

My coaching suggestion: The final step in the 6 Step Process found in my book: Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations is PRACTICE! Unfortunately, this important step is overlooked due to a lack of time.

I don’t support the premise practice makes perfect. Nobody’s perfect and this premise will impose stress into a situation that for many people is already a stressful situation. I support PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT. More practice means increased comfort with the material. This ultimately allows the presenter to be more connected with the audience and the audience will be more connected with the presenter. Our goal, as presenters, is to make our audience feel connected and comfortable with the information that is presented and the way the information is presented.

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at: wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with me via LinkedIn or like my Facebook page.

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 9

Posted on January 13, 2021January 13, 2021 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations.

During a series of weekly blogs, I will highlight a few of the specific areas of disconnect surveyed and offer practical coaching suggestions to help you keep your audience connected. Many of the suggestions provided will come from my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation.

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

Topic covered in the previous post: How to keep from reading your slides aloud to your audience and instead make your presentation come alive.

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 81% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter turns his back on the audience.

My coaching suggestion: Over the years, I have seen presenters turn their back to their audience to look at or read their visuals which eliminate that all-important connection with the audience. My suggestion is to make sure you are able to see your visuals in a way that you can quickly view your visuals and still have the majority of your body facing your audience. This may take some maneuvering but will be worth the time invested.

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 85% agreed they would disconnect if: The presenter talks too fast.

My coaching suggestion: Early on in my coaching career, I realized that trying to get a fast talker to slow down when presenting was affecting the overall effectiveness of the presentation. My client would become fixated on slowing down instead of focusing on the content and connecting with the audience. What I now suggest is to include more strategic pauses in the presentation to allow the audience to catch up with the speaker.

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with me via LinkedIn, or follow my Facebook page.

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 5

Posted on November 25, 2020November 10, 2020 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation.

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

Topics covered in the previous post: How to make sure your audience knows the purpose of your presentation and what to expect.

DELIVERY: Survey results indicated 73% agreed they would disconnect if…The presenter does not give a guide to the areas that will be covered during the presentation.

My coaching suggestion: In most cases, your opening statement should include a roadmap as to the journey you will be taking your audience on. Whether a formal or informal presentation; a keynote or training presentation, your audience will always feel more comfortable knowing what to expect. The key to ensuring your audience doesn’t disconnect from you is to make sure you adhere to your roadmap. If you need to take a detour, let your audience know and adjust your timing by referring to the timeline I suggested in my first post.

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with or follow me via LinkedIn, or like my Facebook page.

Professional Coaching Tips on Public Speaking Skills – Part 2

Posted on October 28, 2020October 27, 2020 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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The objective was to identify the main causes as to why audience members disconnect and stop paying attention during presentations.

The results have been divided into two sections; The design of the presentation and the delivery of the presentation.

The higher the percentage the more the survey participants felt they would disconnect. Percentages ranged from 72%-99%.

Topic covered in the previous post: How to make sure your presentation isn’t long and stays on time.

DESIGN: Survey results indicated that 85% agreed that they would disconnect if… The presentation is complicated with too much detailed information.

My coaching suggestion: Know your audience by conducting an Audience Analysis Audit (AAA). In my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations we offer a simple audience analysis audit to guarantee your presentation language and delivery will be best suited to your audience.

For example, the following questions are asked in the Audience Analysis Audit (AAA): What is your audience’s level of understanding of the types of information you will be sharing? Technical, Generally Low, Nontechnical, Unknown, Generally high.

And another question: What is their knowledge of the subject? High, Moderate, Limited, None, Unknown. When possible, you will need to research information about your audience ahead of time to determine the answers to these questions in order to craft your presentation in a way that is understandable to your audience.

DESIGN: Survey results indicated 76% agreed they would disconnect if…The language used is technical or the presentation is too technical.

My coaching suggestion: Review your research on your Audience Analysis Audit (AAA) mentioned above and make sure the design of your presentation matches the knowledge and understanding of your audience.

For more information on this and other topics on effective public speaking, please contact me at: wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com

Connect with or follow me via LinkedIn or my Facebook page.

Dreams, Gifts, and Fear of Public Speaking

Posted on September 30, 2020September 29, 2020 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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A father was talking with his young son. The son asked his father, “What are your dreams for me?” His father’s response, “There’s an old proverb that when children are born, they’re born with their fists closed because that’s where they keep all their gifts. As you grow your hands start to unfold because you’re learning to release all your gifts to the world. And so, for the rest of your life, I want to see you live your life with your hands unfolded.”

What gifts are you still holding in your hands? If a fear of speaking in public is holding you back from sharing your gifts, I can help you unfold your hands and fearlessly share your gifts with the world.

Please contact me at: wendy@smartalkers.com or through my website: www.smartalkers.com.

Prosperity means the chance to share your heart and knowledge with others

Posted on July 8, 2020July 2, 2020 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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This story was posted on a social media site. It captured my attention. I hope it captures yours as well.

A participant from Thailand said she had a gift for me. It was a very tiny box…about half the size of my smartphone. Inside were three beautifully-painted figurines. “Can you tell me about these?” I asked. She said, “They represent health, wealth, and prosperity…but none of them has anything to do with money. Health means a good spirit and a long life…wealth means an abundance of friends and experiences…prosperity means the chance to share your heart and knowledge with others.

If you’re holding back from sharing your heart and knowledge with others because of fear or just feeling uncomfortable with public speaking, I can help. Let’s talk.

Learn more: https://smartalkers.com or email me at wendy@smartalkers.com.

Perfection. The Key to Failure

Posted on December 18, 2019December 18, 2019 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” -Vince Lombardi

This quote reminds me of the many times when coaching a client for a presentation they have said to me, “I want this presentation to be perfect!”. My response, “That’s a sure way to fail.”

I was raised to be a perfect child, which spilled over into fueling my fear of speaking in public. I wanted perfection and when I didn’t achieve it, my fear continued to build to the point of severe anxiety when asked to speak, even for a brief moment like introducing myself.

Choosing to be prepared, authentic, and audience-centered will result in excellence, not perfection. Practice makes permanent, not perfect.

If you’d like to learn more about how to eliminate your need for perfection and move towards excellence when designing and delivering your next presentation, let’s talk.

Public speaking and communication skills are the primary skills SmarTalkers can provide through our coaching and training opportunities.

Visit our website www.smartalkers.com or contact Wendy Warman: wendy@smartalkers.comfor more information.

5 Ways to Increase Your Success When Presenting To Senior Executives

Posted on November 6, 2019October 30, 2019 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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One of the most common concerns of my coaching clients involves how to effectively present to senior executives. Here are a few tips to help you the next time you have the opportunity.

Summarize upfront: Say you’re given 30 minutes to present. When creating your opening statement, pretend your whole time slot got cut to 5 minutes. Lead with all the information your audience really cares about such as: high-level findings, conclusions, recommendations, call to action. State those points clearly and succinctly in your opening statement, then move on to supporting data, and material that’s peripherally relevant.
Set expectations: Let the audience know you’ll be spending your first few minutes presenting your summary and the rest of the time on discussion.
Create summary slides: When making your slide deck, place a short overview of key points at the front; the rest of your slides should serve as an appendix. Follow the 10% rule: If your appendix is 20 slides, create 2 summary slides. After you present the summary, let the group drive the conversation, and refer to appendix slides as relevant questions and comments come up.
Give them what they asked for: This time-pressed group of senior executives invited you to speak because they felt you could supply missing or valuable information on the topic. Answer that specific request directly and quickly.
Rehearse: Run your talk and slides by a colleague who will serve as an honest coach. If possible, find someone who’s had success getting ideas adopted at the executive level.

Public speaking and communication skills are the primary skills SmarTalkers can provide through our coaching and training opportunities.

Visit our website www.smartalkers.com or contact Wendy Warman wendy@smartalkers.com for more information.

With Increased Responsibility Comes Increased Accountability

Posted on October 23, 2019October 18, 2019 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

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In my morning thoughts and meditation, I came across this statement. It’s one I’ve heard before, however, today it prompted me to reflect on the responsibility and accountability we have when presenting our information to others.

When designing a presentation we must keep our audience in mind. That is a speaker’s responsibility. It’s not all about what we want them to know about our topic, but also what they will want to know and hear about the topic.

In addition, we are held accountable for not only what we say but how we say it. Our tongue is a very small muscle in our body but holds power that can encourage and build up or destroy and tear down. Our voice and body language have power over our words. They must match in order to be believable and accepting to our audience.

Presenting to others is a privilege and with that privilege comes responsibility and accountability.

When developing your presentation, do you have a process that will ensure your message will address your audience’s needs and wants? Are you in control of having your message match your words and voice?

If you’re unsure, the process found in my book Loud and Clear: How to Prepare and Deliver Effective Business and Technical Presentations may be just what you need. It’s a simple process that delivers positive results! To find out more about the Loud and Clear Process and hear from the words of my clients the benefits they’ve received, check out my website: www.smartalkers.com or contact me at wendy@smartalkers.com. I’d welcome the opportunity to speak with you!

Awkward Memorization

Posted on October 2, 2019September 26, 2019 by Wendy Warman MS CCC

One of my favorite business experts is Seth Godin (https://www.sethgodin.com/)

I subscribe to his daily blog posts and this one really hit the mark on the topic of memorization. It follows my philosophy that I share with my coaching clients when they tell me they want to memorize their presentation.

Here are his thoughts…

____________________

Awkward Memorization

The spread of TED talks means that more and more people are being put on stage and told to memorize their talk.

This almost always leads to failure.

It’s not because people memorize too much, it’s because they don’t memorize enough.

Watch a great performance and you’ll see no artifacts of memorization. Instead, you will see someone speaking from the heart.

This is what it means to know something by heart.

Memorizing the words is half of it.

And woefully insufficient.

My suggestion: Don’t memorize your talk. Memorize your stories. Ten stories make a talk. Write yourself a simple cue card to remember each story’s name. Then tell us ten stories.

Be you.

We didn’t come to hear your words. If that’s all we wanted, we could have read the memo and saved a ton of time.

Bring your heart.

__________________

And I would add…in the word rehearse is the word ‘rehear’. Practice and rehearse until it becomes apart of you…Yes, I agree, be you and bring your heart.

Public speaking and communication skills are the primary skills SmarTalkers can provide through our coaching and training opportunities. Visit our website www.smartalkers.com or contact Wendy Warman: wendy@smartalkers.com for more information.