Steve Boyd Presentations

No Apology Needed!

  Recently I heard a speaker open his speech by apologizing because he did not know he was supposed to speak. He told the audience he was using material he had used before and had not had time to review it. Then he proceeded to do a fine job with his speech. If he had not apologized, the audience would not have known he was unprepared and would simply have appreciated the fine job he did. The moral of this story:  don’t apologize when delivering a speech unless it is something that keeps an audience from understanding you. If you have laryngitis, for example, it is fine to say, “I’m sorry if my voice is hard to understand, but I’ll do the best I can.”  Eliminating statements of apology is one of the earliest points you learn when receiving presentations coaching.

  Don’t apologize for a lack of preparation. Perhaps you can be effective in spite of a lack of forethought. If that is the case then no harm is done. The moment you apologize you have lost credibility with the audience; you have just told them that they were not important enough to prepare for. Rest assured that if you have not prepared, your audience will figure that out soon enough! When you don’t prepare you may experience the same emotions as a speaker who did not take time to review a script of a speech his speechwriter had completed. The speechwriter had often complained to the speaker about his lack of involvement in his own speeches. At the end of the first page, the script said, “Now I will give you the three most important parts of our proposal.”  He turned the page and it was blank except for these words in bold print, “I quit! You are on your own.” Don’t draw attention to your poor judgment because then the audience will pay attention to your lack of preparation instead of looking for a point to take with them from your speech.

  Don’t apologize for the poor introduction or the pronunciation of your name or the wrong title in the program. When you do, you are making the person responsible for these things look bad in front of his or her peers. Ignore these elements and move on. Perhaps no one will know the difference if you don’t point it out. Often my name is spelled “Steven” on the printed program, but it would be ridiculous for me to spend valuable speaking time educating the audience on the fact that my name is spelled “Stephen.”

  Don’t apologize for not having a better example for evidence. You may not have needed the example because of other evidence that persuaded an audience. Even though you know your example to be mediocre, the audience may think it is fine. If it is a very weak piece of evidence, don’t use it in the first place.

  Instead of apologizing when delivering an effective presentation, stress the strong parts of your presentation. This will compensate for any weaknesses that might be noticeable if you call attention to them by apologizing. When not thoroughly prepared, stick with material you feel most comfortable with. When you have a weak example, stress the good testimony and statistics you have found. If there is a problem with the introduction, ignore it and probably no one will know the difference. The word “apologize” should never be used in reference to preparation for a presentation.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, near Cincinnati. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. To book Steve, call 800-727-6520 or email him through his website.

Improve Your Listening Skills Today!

The sage who said, "The only reason we listen is because we know we get to talk next” made a valid point. The skill to listen well, however, is one of the most important elements to a successful career. A. G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble for 9 years, was once asked this question from a new employee in an orientation meeting: "What is the key to your success?"  His response: "I think I am a good listener." 

We are so easily distracted as we respond to our cell phones, emails, or text messages that we miss what people are saying. We must find ways to pay attention. Let's face it—we must be present when we are present. A major way to “be present when you are present” is to improve your listening skills. Here are some tips on improving your listening today in order to pay better attention. 

Pause before giving a response. Just a three-second pause will encourage the person talking to give you more information or give you time to prepare a concise and relevant answer in response. Practice a three-count to get in the habit to pause before giving feedback.

Listen to ask questions. Even if you don't get to ask the question, just thinking of a question will motivate you to process the information and stay connected to the person talking. The person who talks a lot dominates a conversation, but the person who asks questions controls the conversation. Questions allow you to talk less and yet have a positive influence on the direction of the conversation.

As you listen, contrast the time you spend listening versus talking. President Lyndon Johnson had a sign on his office wall that read, "You ain't learning nothing when you are talking."  Listen more than you talk. If you find yourself talking too much, simply turn your topic into an open question. For example, if you are talking about the World Series, you can pause and ask, "How do you feel about the Series going into November?" Then sit back and listen. You immediately go from talker to listener.

Listen non-judgmentally. As you listen, don't allow your emotions to interfere. Stick with comprehension of the message and not how you feel about the message. Recognize your biases and don't let them keep you from understanding the message. When you listen emotionally, you may begin mentally to refute even while the talker is still giving you important information.   

Finally, look and sound pleasant as you listen. Look like you are paying attention; lean forward, make eye contact, demonstrate open posture, and sound encouraging. Use feedback words such as, "oh," "tell me more," and "that has to be difficult," with a upward pitch to your voice to encourage more information.

As Voltaire said long ago, "When you listen, you have power. When you talk, you give it away." 

    Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, near Cincinnati. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. To book Steve, call 800-727-6520 or email him through his website.

Using Conversation in Your Presentation

   

A little boy went to his mother with a question. Since the mother was busy on the computer, she replied, "Why don't you go ask your dad?" The boy's response: “I don't really care to know that much about it."  Although this is a joke, my guess is that the conversation is based on an actual dialogue between mother and child.  
  When involved in public speaking, you usually think about getting content from your expertise and experiences. Perhaps you Google your topic to see what new information you can find. However, to add the human touch to any presentation, consider including conversation. For example, while eating in a train dining car recently on a cross-country trip to Seattle, I asked the server how long he had worked on the train. His answer was, "25 years. It was a summer job run amuck." Since I often speak about having a sense of humor about ourselves, this was an example that fit the point well.
  With this objective of looking for real conversation for your next keynote presentation, have paper and pen always available to record key sentences. For example, I knew the word "amuck" was a key to the above conversation, so I wrote it down as soon as we got back to our train compartment.
  Listen to other people's conversation. Write down clever sentences of people you talk to. People will be flattered if you say, “Do you mind if I take a moment to jot that down? That was so clever!” You might find just the right place for it in your next speech. Effective presentation skills come from a variety of sources as well as presentation skills delivery. Telling about a conversation you were involved with or overheard will also help you to deal with stage fright since it is a story that’s comfortable for you to tell.
  Conversation can come from memories as a child. For example, when my wife was a child, her favorite conversation memory was about her grandparents’ neighbors, Nate and Minnie Green. Evidently Miss Minnie was pretty demanding of her husband and was very hard to get along with. Finally she became very ill. One night she was in such misery that she said, "Nate, just get the gun and shoot me."  He answered, "Minnie, there ain't a shell on the place." 
  Be willing to ask open questions of others to seek these conversation pearls. Art Linkletter made a great career of asking such questions of children on television and those conversations were the heart and soul of the show.
  Be approachable when in public. Some of your best conversations for after-dinner speeches come from complete strangers as did my train example. Getting involved with people one-on-one will also enhance your comfort level and help you overcome your fear of public speaking.
  Add variety to your next speech by including conversation. This technique gives the audience time to assimilate key information that may precede or follow the dialogue, thus increasing the impact of your presentation.
  Conversation is not just an important part of interpersonal skills; conversation can become an integral part of your presentation.
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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, near Cincinnat. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. To book Steve, call 800-727-6520 or email him through his website.

Think Before You Speak

I read recently of a husband who cleaned a living room fan with bleach. When he turned on the fan, bleach sprayed all over the room and spattered the blue sofa and curtains. The divorce was final three months later. Evidently his thinking was turned off when the fan was turned on.

          Sometimes we make mistakes in presentations simply because we aren't thinking. Over the years on different occasions, I have left my jump drive, notes, and props at home simply because I was not thinking. One way to insure your success in speaking is to think ahead about what the speaking situation requires of you.

          Think about the people you will meet. Go through in your notes the names of key people for you to talk to or touch base with when you arrive. If you are not sure of some of the leaders and positions they hold, go to their website and find those names and titles. Check pronunciation of unusual names by calling the information number of the organization and asking the person who answers how to pronounce the specific name.

          Think about directions to the speaking site. Even if you are speaking in-house, check to make sure you have the right room specified in your notes. Consider rush hour traffic if you are driving through a major city; if there is more than  one flight per day  to your destination, avoid being on the last flight out.

          Think about material that you stumbled over in preparation and perhaps review it again. Check to make sure you have the latest data if it has been a while since you spoke on that topic.

          Think about questions audience members may ask you. Look through your notes and check for material that may elicit questions and practice answering them. For example, when I talk about the importance of focus in paying attention, a question from the audience often concerns the role of multi-tasking.  I may check internet sources to see if there is a new piece of research on the relation of multi-tasking to paying attention that might help me have a relevant and recent answer.   

          Think about expectations as a result of your presentation. Do you have the same expectations as your audience or program chair?  If there is doubt, call the chair and compare thoughts.          

           Finally, if you think before you speak, you may omit something that will save you embarrassment. As Solomon said long ago, "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”

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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics,  Northern Kentucky University, in the Cincinnati area. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. To book Steve, call 800-727-6520 or email him through his website.

Persuasive Speaking in Down Times

On a Caribbean cruise a woman leans too close to the side of the boat and falls overboard. People hear her screams, and then they see an elderly gentleman jumping over the side. He swims to her and keeps her afloat until a life jacket is thrown to them, saving her life. The ship decides to throw a party for the hero and after they toasted him, he was asked to say a few words. He took the microphone and said, “I have just one question—who pushed me?” 
          As a speaker, when you have resistance because of a bad place in life, you can’t push people into accepting your ideas. In our time of layoffs, cutting back, and loss of money, the job of persuading an audience can be difficult. Here are some suggestions on how to get the audience on your side when people may be scared about their futures and not concerned about your latest product or idea.
          Include a success story. Your audience can’t help but feel in an up mood when they hear a narrative about someone who overcame odds to succeed. Even though it happened nearly 30 years ago, you are inspired when you are reminded of the 1980 U. S. Olympic Hockey team which took home the gold medal against great odds. The movie, “Miracle,” based on that unbelievable success story is still popular today. Success stories encourage an audience.
          Mention a benefit everyone in the audience will experience, no matter how difficult the context may be. Point out a freedom available to all or a blessing for each person. You might tie in the time of year or the opportunities afforded all citizens. With college students, I sometimes stress what a great future they have to look forward to by earning an undergraduate degree. To remind them of the big picture after a test everyone did poorly on helps the students to look at a brighter side.
          Include new and helpful information when you speak. When you listen to a new idea  or a different way of looking at the familiar, you are encouraged. Perhaps there is a perk that comes from slow business that you could mention. For example, when public speaking engagements are far apart, I have more time to research my area of expertise. You might have time to write an article or book on your particular topic that you have been putting off for the past three years. Point out the area audience members might get involved in to give them a competitive edge when the economy comes back.
          Make a memorable point toward the end. Leave the audience with a “wow” idea that they can’t resist thinking about as they leave your presentation. Maybe you have from a group or person the audience respects a statistic or testimonial which gives hope for the future. Leave the audience on a high note.
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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics,  Northern Kentucky University, in the Cincinnati area. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. To book Steve, call 800-727-6520 or email him through his website.

May I Quote You?

A Purdue University student walked into a public relations class wearing a T-shirt that read, “You can never relive a party, but you can always retake a class.” I’ve gotten lots of smiles from people in my audiences as I’ve used that quotation over the past several months. I didn’t coin it, but the saying still came from my speech and the audience connected it to me. You can even see me make a point with this quotation at Retake a Class.

          You don’t have to be an expert wordsmith to have clever or humorous content. When people can express ideas better or more creatively than you, quote them!  Michel de Montage said, “I quote others only the better to express myself.” That thought is why the speaker should look for quotations that he or she can use to increase the value of content as well as motivating the audience to pay attention to the thought expressed from the quotation.

            You can find great quotations in all kinds of places if you are simply alert to opportunities. On a sightseeing bus in Australia a number of years ago, the driver at the first break encouraged us to be back on time, saying, “The difference between a passenger and a hitchhiker is about two minutes.” I use this line in presentations to emphasize the importance of humor even in serious matters.

A sign on the front door of the Malibu Seafood Restaurant reads, “The reason we don’t open for breakfast is we’re out catching lunch.” This quotation has helped me support the point that we should use positive language whenever possible.

          Quotations can help you paint pictures with words and create an orality that you might not be able to do on your own. Dr. Kenneth Cooper said, “Walk your dog twice a day, even if you don’t have one.” That made a great impression on me as to the importance of walking for a healthier life style. On the horrors of war, Robert E. Lee said, “It is well that war is so terrible lest we should grow too fond of it.”

You know that relating to people is crucial in any career, but Aldous Huxley dramatized the thought when he said, “It is a little embarrassing that after 45 years of research and study, the best advice I can give to people is to be a little kinder to each other.”

          Identify your area of expertise and look for quotations on the topic. My area is public speaking and effective listening. I’m always on the lookout for quotations that have punch for my audiences. In talking about the difference in written and oral style in my presentations, I use the statement from William Norwood Brigance, “A speech is not an essay on its hind legs.” On the importance of effective listening, Voltaire said, “When you listen, you have power. When you talk, you give it away.” Earl Nightingale said about stage fright: “Getting up to give a speech, you may feel like you are in the terminal stages of some type of tropical fever.”

          Finally, quotations help you get your message into the minds of the audience. As James Thurber wrote, “A word to the wise is not sufficient if it doesn’t make sense.”

 

 

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, in the Cincinnati area. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or through his website.

Avoid Inadvertent Offenses!

Winston Churchill was not known for appeasing people who pointed out his shortcomings. A lady said to him, “Sir, you re drunk.”

Churchill’s response: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I will be sober.”

On another occasion, Nancy Astor told him, “Sir, if you were my husband, I would give you poison.”

His response:  “If I were your husband, I would take it.”

His is not a good example for speakers. You should do what you can not to offend when speaking, whether individually or to a crowd. In most audiences, there is someone just waiting to be offended. Don’t make their wait a short one.

Here are some suggestions to keep the audience on your side.

Know how to pronounce any proper noun connected with the organization. If you mention someone in the audience, make sure you know how to pronounce the name. The name of the company, the city where you are speaking, a well-known local landmark, and the product lines are examples of words whose pronunciation you should check out before you speak. When President Kennedy was speaking in Berlin, his efforts to connect with his audience began with, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” With these words he intended to assure the people that he was also a citizen of Berlin. Unfortunately, to the local folks, a “Berliner” was, primarily, a jelly donut. Getting language right can be challenging.

If you know you are going to be discussing an issue that will get resistance from the audience, early in the presentation you should stress areas where you do agree with the audience. For example, adequate profits are important both to the hourly worker and the CEO; the method of obtaining those profits may not seem the same for both. Talk first about profit management.

As we indicated in our new book, be sensitive to the themes that the person or audience may feel very strongly about and don’t make light of them. If you are speaking in Indiana, for example, you’d do best to avoid taking sides between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Purdue Boilermakers. Whereas each nickname is ripe for derision, wisdom dictates that you avoid jokes about either. If there’s an unusual statue in the middle of the town square, don’t belittle it. As in the case of the Boll Weevil Statue in Enterprise, Alabama, local citizens may be proud of their monument, even if it honors an agricultural pest. Learn the loyalties and allegiances that a group of people has and respond to them with grace, leaving out negative references.

Don’t use profanity or sexist or racist language, and do not ridicule an occupation or socio-economic background. When in doubt, don’t. Don’t apologize for your lack of preparation or depth of content. Audiences will find that out on their own soon enough. Don’t talk about yourself extensively; do so only to establish credibility or contest.

Learn as much as possible about the audience ahead of time so you will not inadvertently insult them because you are unaware of a problem the company is facing. Not long after the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Northern Kentucky in which 167 people were killed, I made reference to that tragedy in a speech. A young man immediately got up and left the room. Later I found out that his father had died in that fire. This was too soon after the horrific event to discuss it publicly where there might be people who were directly  affected.

Everyone does not have a sense of humor, but if they don’t I wish everyone had the attitude Dolly Parton has. She said, “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I’m not dumb…and I also know that I’m not blonde.”

 

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in the Cincinnati area. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or at info@sboyd.com.

New book: ATTENTION! The Art of Holding Your Audience in the Palm of Your Hand

New book: ATTENTION! The Art of Holding Your Audience in the Palm of Your Hand

Point A to Point B: The Value of Transitions

A speech writer was tired of working for an obnoxious state leader who treated him badly. Knowing the politician rarely read ahead of time the speech he had written for him, at the bottom of the first page the speech writer wrote: “The three most important points in my campaign are….”  The speaker turned the page and it was blank except for these words in big print, “I quit. You are on your own!” The politician was literally left speechless.

Careful transitions are an important part of preparation. Most speakers have problems with using “um,” “and,” “and uh,” and “you know” or some similar nonsensical utterance as they falter toward their next point. This is primarily because they don’t have a smooth manner of getting to their next point. That’s why transitions are so important. A transition is a bridge from Point A to Point B—a connection between two points. If you learn to use specific transitions, you will improve the fluency of your speech as well as avoiding the verbalized pauses and unnecessary words. Good transitions demonstrate a command of language, thus enhancing your credibility.

          The simplest transition is numbering your points—giving your audience signposts along the way. Say, “My first point is…, My second point is…,” and so forth. All you have to remember is which point you are on so you don’t say the wrong number.

          A second method of transition is the internal summary—when you summarize what you have just said and preview your next point. “Now that we have covered signposts, let’s move on to internal summary.” You can use this anytime in your speech. If you have a feeling you are losing your place, simply repeat what you said and tell what you plan to say next. That will usually give you the spark you to need to maintain continuity in the flow of your speech.

          Introduce the next point with a question. For example you might ask, “Now you may say, ‘Why is the transition important to the speaker?’” One answer is that transitions create a bridge between one point and the next. Thus the answer is your next point. Any question draws in the audience to the speaker.

          The last transition is the interjection, which is a way to motivate the audience to listen while highlighting a specific point. A common interjection might be, “You may forget everything else I say, but remember this next point!”  Of course you can only use that once in the presentation. Other interjections could be, “Put a star by this next point,” or “Underline this next point in your mind.” This is an especially appropriate transition if you are losing the audience.

          Johnny Carson used the imaginary swing of the golf club. Jack Benny used the violin, Mark Twain the cigar. But for most speakers, the best way to move smoothly from point to point is to have in mind effective transitions.

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in the Cincinnati area. He presents keynotes and seminars to corporations and associations whose people want to speak and listen effectively. See additional articles and resources at www.sboyd.com. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or at info@sboyd.com.