Steve Boyd Presentations

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.

Speaking on Short Notice

Although our new book, ATTENTION! The Art of Holding Your Audience in the Palm of Your Hand, goes into great detail about the importance of preparation, you may not always have adequate time for such thorough preparation before you give a speech. For example, someone gets sick, or there’s a death in the family, or a snowstorm cancels flights and the speaker can’t get to the program. You are called at the last minute to fill in. Here are some things to keep in mind.

         Don’t tell the audience you are a replacement unless the other person’s name is on the program. If they do know who was expected, furnish your introducer with an introduction that makes your stepping in at this point seem like a great bonus. If the audience knows you are a last-minute substitute, they may think you did not prepare at all. You have something to say or you would not have been called in to substitute. Because of your expertise, you could even have better content than the missing speaker.

         Since you did not have several weeks to prepare, choose material for your presentation that you are most familiar with. Without time to research the latest on your topic, be careful to avoid unsupported assertions or information that may be out of date.

          Take a couple of minutes when the program chair asks you to speak to learn about the audience. Ask these two questions. “What is unique or unusual about this group>?” and “What do you want to happen as a result of my presentation?”  This information will help you adapt on the spot.

          Include more examples than technical information. Examples are much easier to remember and do not require as many notes as data requires. With a trigger word or phrase on a note card, you can relate the narrative.

          Don’t cover too much. Without adequate preparation you want to limit content to what you know best. For example, the area I speak on frequently is communication. If I have little time to prepare, I will probably limit my subject to stage fright. How to deal with stage fright is a topic people often ask me about and one on which I have a lot of background.

          Finally, don’t make excuses. You will be tempted, when you get to a point where you know if you’d had more time to prepare you could be more specific or more detailed, to say, “Since I was given this assignment only yesterday, I did not have time to research this adequately.”  Don’t!  People don’t want to hear excuses.

          You don’t have to be seen as a second-choice speaker if you don’t tell the audience and encourage the introducer also not to tell. Follow the points in this article and you will be the well-qualified and well-prepared speaker—even on short notice.

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.

I Have Something to Say!

All of us at some point have had to speak unexpectedly, either on our own volition or because someone thinks we have something to contribute. This speaking without preparation is known as impromptu speaking. You may be at a city meeting concerning zoning laws and have no intention of saying anything, but your strong opinions on the issue prompt you to raise your hand to speak. Or you are called upon by your manager at a staff meeting to report on a project you are involved in and had no forewarning that you were going to be asked to say a few words. How can you handle these situations with poise and competence? You do not want your words to be “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Here is a formula that will make you look good and sound on top of things.

          Don’t hesitate. Act as though you are delighted to have this opportunity to speak. Avoid hemming and hawing and mumbling “I’m not sure what to say,” or “I had not given this any thought.” Start confidently by making an assertion. For example, if you want to give your thoughts on recycling, you might begin, “I believe we should have bi-weekly pick-up to show we are serious about recycling.”  Then give evidence that illustrates your point. This is where you include your personal experience with the matter. You might have lived in another community where recycling was started and you can give a case study of the success you had in that town.

          Once you have given your minute to a minute-and-a-half response, you end by repeating the opening assertion. This is a neat little package that allows you to make a point in an organized and easy to understand structure.

          Don’t speak more than a couple of minutes. Speaking for several minutes may mean you run out of new material, stray from this organization pattern, or even say things that are not logical, relevant, or insightful.

          You can’t really prepare for an impromptu speech, but before any gathering of people, you can consider what topics will be discussed and how they might relate to you. Thinking ahead will allow you at least to consider areas where you might have input so that you are not blindsided by a question or request from a peer or the leader of the event.

          Certainly a prepared speech will have more impact, but a poised and confident delivery coupled with a concisely organized point and support will enhance your credibility. You will be seen as someone others can depend on always to speak with insight, clarity, and conciseness.

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.

Cut It Short: Strategies for Emergency Speech Surgery

               Speaking concisely is tough for everyone. That is why I enjoy examples of brevity and conciseness. For example, here’s my favorite “shortest ghost story.”

He opened the closet,

checked under the bed,         

locked the window,

and threw the deadbolt on the door.

Then he got into bed and blew out the

candle.

A voice from the darkness said, "Now

we're both locked in for the night.” 

    My favorite short movie title is “Snakes on a Plane.”  That says all you need to know about the movie!

              One of the toughest challenges in speaking is when you are told a day or an hour before you speak that because of extenuating circumstances you must cut your 30-minute presentation to 20 minutes. You have prepared carefully and you know you have at least 30 minutes of important material. What do you do? 

    Don’t rush through the speech. Don’t tell the audience at the beginning of your presentation that you have to cut it short and you do not know how you are going to do it. Don’t go ahead and take your 30 minutes you had originally been promised. Don’t panic!

              Instead, look at the structure of your presentation and determine a point and support to omit. Prioritize the content of your presentation in order to make the decision. If you have three main points, decide which is the least important section and leave it out. You can do that easily if your points and evidence for each point are clearly defined. As a regular part of preparation for any presentation, you should develop your structure so that you have a point and support for each section of the body of your presentation. Having done that will facilitate your ability to cut from the original length of the presentation if necessary.

               If you have slides, consider omitting them. Most visuals take extra time. Remember, your audience will not feel slighted because they don’t know what you planned to do in the first place. Avoid statements such as, “If I had more time I would have included slides or props….” 

              After eliminating the least important point and support, your next source of shortening your presentation is to omit multiple pieces of evidence. Examine which point would be least likely to require as much explanation or evidence for that particular audience and cut out the less important and less interesting.

              Minimize your introduction and conclusion. For example, use a quotation instead of a story to get the attention of the audience. Preview by simply stating the main idea you want them to gain from the presentation. In the conclusion, summarize in a couple of sentences and move them to action with one sentence of admonition.

    Do not let the mental pressure of trying to include everything in a much shorter time frustrate you and create unnecessary anxiety and tension. Simply rethink what is most important and what is less important and be a skilled surgeon before you are the accomplished speaker.

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.

Appearance is Important

Certainly what you say is more important than what people see. Your appearance, however, is an important aspect of your presentation skills; you want to encourage the audience to listen to what you have to say.

Remember that your presentation begins the moment someone recognizes you as the speaker. This might be in the elevator, the restroom, or even in the parking garage. As soon as you are in close proximity to your speaking location, act as though you are on stage—because you may be. Finish your preparation before you leave your car. Avoid writing down notes at the table before you speak. People might get the impression that you did not carefully prepare.

          Be sociable in the activities that precede your speech. Look pleasant. Meet and greet people and show a genuine interest in the other person. This is not the time to be sitting by yourself pondering your presentation. Show by your expression and actions that you are engaged in the activities which precede your presentation. 

          Wear clothing suitable for the audience you are speaking to. If you are not sure, ask the program planner when you are learning about your audience. When possible, dress one notch up from the audience. For men that might mean wearing a sport coat with an open collar if you know your audience will be in knit shirts and slacks. For women this might mean wearing nice slacks and sweater when speaking to a casual retreat where women will be in jeans. For most occasions in a hotel or event center, a suit and tie or silk blouse is always appropriate. Do not wear clothing that can be distracting, which might mean avoiding flashy jewelry or flamboyant shirts and scarves. For some people, of course, the flamboyant look is their trademark. Your appearance should blend in well with your content and the audience to which you are speaking.

          I was once in a setting where the young man who was teaching was frustrated at what he perceived to be a negative attitude from the participants. Over half the audience was in suits and ties, dresses and high heels, with a few people in jeans, sweatshirts, and sneakers. The speaker was in jeans with his shirttail out and wearing sandals. There was nothing wrong with his dress if he’d been in the audience, but it adversely affected his rapport with some of the people there. Someone privately suggested he tuck in his shirt and wear a sport coat to the next session, and he wisely took the advice. He was amazed at the difference his effort on his appearance made on the attitude of his audience. His content was excellent but was overshadowed by how he presented himself.

Check yourself in the mirror of the restroom before you enter the meeting room to make sure that everything about your appearance is in place. About a year ago I was in a hurry to make a noon banquet speech and I skipped the restroom look. When I got back to the car after the speech, I realized I had unbuttoned the top button of my shirt and pulled my tie loose earlier in the day, and I had looked that way throughout the speech. I’m sure I appeared as though I’d had more than food at lunch that day!

          Look confident even though you may feel nervous about your presentation. Avoid the worried, furrowed-brow look. Smile a lot. Walk with a bounce in your step. Emanate that “I am in charge” aura. You will certainly have that confident look when you are speaking and you will want to show it in the minutes before you speak as well. The incongruity of looking too serious and worried and then smiling and acting enthusiastic as you speak may negatively affect your credibility.

          Finally, when you are introduced, walk to the lectern with erect posture, quick steps, and a smile on your face. Before you actually speak, look at the audience to make eye contact with several people, and then begin.

          Of course you rely first on great content, but these tips can help you to reinforce your expertise with a professional manner and look.

 

 

Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication in the College of Informatics at Northern Kentucky University in the Cincinnati, Ohio, 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.

 

 

 

How You Say It Counts!

        How ideas are presented has a great deal to do with how much value they seem to offer. Delivery is the source of your contact with the speaker’s mind. Thus to deliver your presentation well helps insure that the information you are sharing with the audience will be assimilated and put to use. In all aspects of speaking, delivery plays a significant role, especially with humor. Red Skelton said, “It is not what you say that is funny—it is how you say it.” Delivery in speaking involves everything but the words themselves, including the use of the voice, hands, facial expression, eyes, posture, and space.

          Your voice must demonstrate excitement and energy. Avoid a monotone pitch by incorporating the pause and punch. You pause before proper nouns or statistics and then punch them out. In addition, you speed up to show excitement and slow down to indicate drama and suspense.

          Use your hands to describe and reinforce the point you are making. Just imagine telling the following joke without using your hands. A state trooper pulls a man over to the side of the interstate for speeding. He goes up to the window of the stopped driver and sees in the back seat several sharp knives. He says to the man, “I’m going to have to arrest you for possessing these dangerous weapons.”

The man replied, “You don’t understand. I’m a juggler for the Barnum and Bailey Circus and the knives are a part of my act. Let me show you.”  So he gets out of the car by the side of the interstate and begins to juggle the knives.

About that time, two guys drive by and one says to the other, “They’re really getting tough on those sobriety tests, aren’t they!” You have to describe and reinforce with gestures to help people enjoy the joke.

          Eye contact is vital to your delivery. Eye contact is a visual handshake with your audience members. Without looking directly at members of your audience, you cannot determine if they are listening and understanding your message. First look at small clumps of people in the room and then you will be able to look directly at people within that clump; soon you can engage all of your audience with your eyes. The familiar proverb, “the eyes are the window of the soul,” indicates that seeing the eyes of the audience is important to the speaker.

          You reveal your level of self-confidence by your posture and space. Avoid slouching by standing with your weight equally distributed on the balls of both feet which are seven to twelve inches apart. “Plant” your feet to fend off the tendency to pace or bounce. Do not move away from the audience. To emphasize a point, take a step toward the audience. Consequently, if you end up in someone’s lap you'll know you had too many points!

          Finally, look pleasant as you speak; smile, look expectantly for positive feedback, and change facial expression to match the content of your presentation.

          Certainly content is more important than delivery, but you have to keep the attention of the audience to insure that the message will be internalized. Your delivery does that. As Cicero said, “Without effective delivery, a speech of the highest mental capacity can be held in no esteem while one of moderate abilities, with this qualification, may surpass even those of highest talent."

 

 

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.

 

 

Deliver a Great Speech To Yourself!

You’ve probably heard many jokes about people talking to themselves. For example, “You know you're a redneck if you buy two CB radios so you can talk to yourself.” An academic one, “At least when I talk to myself I’m talking to someone as intelligent as I am,” might amuse you as well. But there is a very serious side to talking to yourself.
          “The most important words you will ever speak are the words you speak to yourself when you are by yourself.”  I don’t know where I first found that statement, but I think it especially applies to us as speakers before we deliver our speeches.
          When you have insecurity and anxiety before delivering your presentation, you may allow those feelings to influence your thoughts about your presentation. This is not likely to make you feel more confident!  Have you ever had these thoughts before speaking: “This group does not want to hear what I have to say!”  “Why didn’t I spend a little more time practicing?”  “That joke I want to tell isn’t even funny.”  “Why did I accept this speaking engagement—I’m not a speaker.”  Those thoughts of self-doubt can make you even more anxious and insecure.
          Don’t let yourself think those thoughts. Fill your mind with words of confidence. Sentences I find to be powerful positives are: “I have prepared well for this presentation.” “What I have to say will be helpful to this audience.” “We will have fun together with this presentation.” “I am qualified to talk on this subject.” 
          Prepare ahead for the scripts you plan to use to talk to yourself. In fact, to get in the habit, have a note card with these sentences or similar sentences with your presentation notes to remind you. Scripting these thoughts out will mechanically motivate you to get rid of the negative thoughts; you cannot think a positive and negative at the same time.
          This habit of focusing on positive words to say to yourself will also help you in other parts of your lives. Some of you may remember the Transcendental Meditation craze of a few decades ago where you relaxed for 20 minutes by sitting in a quiet place and saying a mantra over and over. This idea follows that model, except you pick a mantra that specifically relates to an area you are trying to improve on. For example, pick certain words to remind you of what you should be doing and how you should be doing them. To help pay attention to the important things, use positive reminders. Some of my favorites are “Do it now,”  “Don’t tell everything you know,” “Write it down,”  “Eat a piece of fruit,”  “Drink water instead of Pepsi.”  Repeat these to yourself when needed and you will pay better attention.
          So whether you are preparing for a presentation or developing better life habits, what you say to yourself does make a difference. When you are both the speaker and the audience, you can’t help but make an impact with your words.
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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.

Webinar Presentations: Effective as Well as Cost-Effective

In recent months I have been asked by a couple of clients to critique their webinar presentations. After spending time listening and evaluating those and after reading the literature on conducting webinars, here are suggestions for improving your webinar presentations.

A webinar allows a presenter or a group to conduct live presentations over the internet. Webinars can include many features, but here we will assume the speaker can show PowerPoint slides and that audience members can ask questions. Audio is usually received via phone lines. The benefit of a webinar is that organizations can save both time and money by the attendee not having to travel to attend a seminar or presentation in some other part of the country or world.

          During preparation, practice your presentation exactly as you plan to deliver it. Work with your moderator so that you are in sync with each other. Time your presentation with the software you are using.

          Prior to the actual presentation, spend some time talking one-on-one with people in your office. This warm up activity will enhance your vocal quality and create more warmth in your voice. Your introduction should be short and state exactly why you are qualified to conduct this presentation. Your introducer should have excitement in his or her voice and announce your name with punch. Your voice is everything with the webinar. Show enthusiasm in your voice from the very beginning. Punch out key words, pause for effect, create variety in vocal quality, speed up, slow down, and don’t speak too rapidly. In the beginning, after setting ground rules about when questions can be asked, relate a story related to your topic or to yourself to personalize the presentation in what can be an impersonal environment.

          Because the audience can’t see you, you must work every minute to hold an audience’s attention. If you have a lull in your content, you may lose your participants as they wander off to check email, answer instant messages, or converse with a colleague. If you can check out your registration list before the presentation, you should mention names or a city where some audience members are listening from. Any proper noun will usually perk up the attention of the listener. Prime the pump for questions by asking a question you think they may ask and then answer it. If you are including much data and definitions, use concrete examples whenever possible.

          I have always stressed starting a presentation on time, but because people are in a variety of locations and stopping what they are doing to participate in your webinar, you will probably have a few sign on a minute or two after the presentation is scheduled to begin. So wait a couple of minutes before starting, but end on time!  You will want to keep the presentation under 45 minutes because the listener will not stay with you any longer than that.

          In the question and answer period, keep your answers short and specific. Do not evaluate the question with “That’s was a great question.”  Instead, if you must comment, say, “I’d be happy to address that.” Mention the name of the person who asked the question whenever possible.

          Although not a substitute for a live presentation, today’s economic climate and emphasis on using time well pinpoint the webinar as a viable alternative; many organizations are finding webinars effective to disseminate information and provide training for their people. I trust that these suggestions will help you not to shun but to embrace this very effective medium.

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Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is Professor of Speech Communication, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University. 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.

Cheers: The Holiday Toast

        At my brother-in-law’s wedding, the maid of honor was exceptionally attractive. The best man was single. The bride’s name was Nancy and the maid of honor’s name was Eileen. When it came time for the toast, the best man was quite eloquent until he ended his congratulations to the happy couple by saying, “We toast you, Larry and Eileen!”  This brought hysterical laughter from everyone, and the best man never lived that embarrassing moment down. Incidentally, 30 years later, the best man is still single!    

          The toast is the perfect way to top off the celebration at a holiday banquet, reception, party, or gift exchange. If you have the opportunity to offer a toast, here are some suggestions to avoid the experience of that mortified best man.

          The word “toast” originated with the Romans, who browned their coarse bread in a fire. When the bread became too hard to chew, they soaked it in wine. The meaning of “Toast” expanded to include the drink in which the bread had been soaked and then the person in whose honor the drink was consumed. The toast is an affirmation of a person or event with words.

          Here is how to effectively toast. Offer the toast early in the celebration so that no one has had too much to drink. Make sure everyone has an appropriate glass and liquid to participate in the toast. Check to confirm that everyone has someone close by who can clink glasses together at the appropriate moment.

          Begin with “I propose a toast.”  Give the occasion for the toast and why the toast is appropriate for the celebration. The body of the toast is putting in words how you feel about the person, the event, or the time of the year. Be brief, concise, and direct. Two minutes is the maximum for a toast.

          The toast is one of the few times when a manuscript is in order. At the least, plan ahead. Do not do an impromptu toast!  Avoid this disastrous introduction: “I didn’t really have time to prepare anything, but I want to say.…” Print your words on a note card. Hold the card(s) in your left hand, so that when the time comes you can raise your glass with the right hand to touch glasses with a companion as you conclude the toast. Your last words are the object of the toast.

          I sometimes like to include a quotation within the toast. If you are toasting people you might include the anonymous “May you live as long as you want and may you never want as long as you live.” 

          Create a dramatic flourish as you end. You want people to know when you are finished. Raise your glass at the end of your toast, “clink” with a partner, and take a sip.

          May you all have a great holiday season! In the toasting words of Bob Hope: “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things—not the great occasions—give off the greatest glow of happiness.”

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