Presenting Your Talk, For Business and Professional
Speakers
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
The big day has come. You're ready to
deliver your talk. But there are still a few final
things to do before you face your audience.
Check in early. Arrive early so you can check out the
logistics of the room in which you'll be speaking. Where
is the platform? Where will you be when you are
introduced? How will you reach the lectern? Is the
audience close enough to build intimacy? Is the light on
you, not the banner and the lectern if you are not
standing behind the lectern?
Microphone: Learn how to turn it off and on, and how to
remove it from the stand. Practice talking into it and
walking without tangling the cord around your feet.
Audio/Visual Equipment: Whether it's an overhead
projector, slide projector, or a VCR, make sure the
equipment is in working order, and you know how to use
it. Inspect your slides, transparencies or videotapes.
Are they in the right sequence? Are they in good shape?
Easel or chalkboard: Do you have lots of appropriate
writing materials? Appropriate markers and erasers for a
chalkboard, extra paper and markers for an easel? Can
you write some of your information before hand to save
time during your presentation?
Connect with the organizer or emcee. Be clear about who
will introduce you, and where you'll be. (Best is to
walk on from the wings) If it's a banquet, check that
you will have a clear path to the mike. No tripping over
wires, chairs, or diners. Hand the emcee your pre
written introduction, and be sure he or she can
pronounce your name correctly. Have it written in 18 -
20 point type, so it is easy to read, and instructions
such as pause before continuing. Let the
introducer know if there are any words they are not
comfortable with, they can substitute their own.
Overcome any stage fright. It's time to look your
audience in the eye and tell them all the exciting
things you know they are eager to hear. If the
butterflies in your stomach are taking some of the joy
out of the occasion, here is what the professionals do.
Find a private place to warm up by relaxing your body
and face.
- Stand on one leg and shake the
other. When you put your foot back on the ground,
it's going to feel lighter. Now, switch legs and
shake again. It's a technique that actors use.
- Shake your hands...fast. Hold
them above your head, bending at the wrist and
elbow, and lower them. This will make your hand
movements more natural.
- Relax your face muscles by
chewing in a highly exaggerated way. Do shoulder and
neck rolls.
Give your speech. Remember that the
audience is really on your side. That's the good news.
People are giving you their time, and they want you to
be good. They'll stay on your side for about 30 seconds.
You have about that much time to keep them on your side
for the rest of your speech. How do you do that?
- Look the part. Your first
impression is hard to overcome. Looking professional
adds to your credibility and that of your business.
- Act naturally. "What an actor has
to do is be personal in public," said acting coach
Lee Strasberg. Being on a stage makes you a little
larger than life, but you also need to be personal
in public. That's what all those warm up exercises
are about--to help you feel natural and act
naturally.
- Don't tell what you can show. I
learned this from Chuck Norris and Jean- Claude Van
Damme. Norris learned it from his friend, the late
Steve McQueen, who advised Norris, "Say the last
word in the scene, and don't say anything you don't
have to." Audiences don't go to hear what Norris or
Van Damme say. They go to see what they do.
- Choose your emphasis. Examine
each word in your speech, looking for the emotion.
Each word is not equally important. The audience
will get your message based on the inflection and
emphasis you place on key words and phrases.
- Move about if you can. I urge you
not to stand behind the lectern throughout your
entire talk. It puts a barrier between you and the
audience, and they feel it. However, if you feel
more secure standing behind the lectern, never,
never lean on it.
Vary your intensity. You're new to
speaking, and you're not an actor, but you can add
excitement to your talk just the same. When I saw myself
on video at an effective communications seminar many
years ago, I thought they were running the video on
double time. The teacher kindly said, "Your strength is
your energy, but think of a symphony. It has a slow,
quiet movement and then builds to a crescendo. The
variety makes each element more effective." The enemy of
the speaker is sameness. Stand, move, be serious, and be
funny, talk loudly, talk softly, don't speak in black
and white. Speak in Technicolor!
Dealing with your audience.
The one-face myth: Have you ever heard that you should
look at one friendly person in the audience? If you do,
I promise you that person will ask you out to dinner
because they think you're trying to pick them up. Do NOT
look at one person. Give each segment of the audience
equal time and eye contact, as in pieces of a pie.
Dealing with distractions: During a speech I delivered
in Australia, where they have more mobile phones than in
the U.S., one man accepted three phone calls.
Professional and novice speakers all face distractions
during their talks. Eliminate as many as you can. When
they do occur, ignore them, or incorporate them into
your talk. That talk in Australia was before 2000
people, and I chose to ignore the man talking on the
phone. I walked to the opposite side of the stage, away
from the caller, bringing the audience's attention.
Remember that the eye follows movement. I worked the
crowd from there until he hung up.
Incorporating the distraction into your talk can be
tricky, and it will be different every time. A woman
asked my advice about a talk she gave while an important
football game was in progress. Members of her audience
kept slipping out of the meeting room to get a glimpse
of it in the hotel bar. I suggested she acknowledge a
similar future distraction by saying something like, "If
I didn't have to work here tonight, I'd probably be
watching the game. If you don't need the information I'm
offering, you can leave with my blessing. But for the
benefit of those who stay, please don't disrupt by
coming back." By acknowledging the situation and
graciously allowing people to leave, you have the rest
of the audience on your side.
Timing: Keep yourself on schedule by keeping a small
travel-style clock set on the lectern, or a clearly
visible wall clock in the room. The audience should
never be aware that you're doing this. Don't be
surprised if the meeting is running late. Ask the
program chair if he or she would like you to cut a few
minutes out of your talk to get the event back on
schedule. It's not as difficult as you think. Don't
sacrifice your strong opening or dramatic closing.
Instead, hit the highlights of your talk, dropping some
of the supporting stories or anecdotes.
If, on the other hand, the program
chair asks you to stretch out your talk, here are
some techniques that have worked well for me.
- Always have an extra chunk of
material prepared. Perhaps a slightly longer
version of a key story or extra supportive
stories for each point. What format is suitable
(round-table seating), invite group discussions
on one of your major points.
- If you're teaching a skill,
invite someone in the audience to role-play it
with you.
- Ask audience members to share
their personal experiences that relate to your
topic (customer service, sales technique, buying
real estate, etc.) When I do this, I ask, "What
did you learn from this experience that you can
use in your business?" I offer small prizes to
those who speak up; for example, a cassette tape
of one of my speeches. This guarantees others in
the audience will participate more freely.
Promoting your Business.
If you're like me, the point of speaking is to increase
awareness of your business and expand your client base.
Over the years, I've learned a great deal about
marketing myself. Here are some techniques that will
serve you well.
Handouts: Develop a page detailing your key points. Or,
if you've had an article published, make copies for the
audience members. Make sure the handout includes your
name, address and telephone number. You might also
include an order blank for your product or service
printed on the back of one of your handouts.
Door prizes: You can offer a door prize (this can be a
product you sell or certificate for service--a free
evaluation of financial status, etc.) Ask everyone to
drop their business cards in a box from which you or the
program chair will draw the winner or winners at the end
of your talk.
Business Cards: If your goal is to develop business
contacts, always collect business cards from the
audience members. You can offer to send additional
information, articles or tip sheets to them.
Making a Job of It.
"Mr. Fripp," my brother was asked by a reporter, "what
advice would you give to an up and coming rock
musician?"
"Never fly Air Iberia."
"I'm serious," said the interviewer.
"So am I," said my brother.
Most of you will be honing your speaking skills as a
tool for advancing your business. A few of you may
discover you're so good at getting your message across
to groups that you're considering doing it full time,
perhaps as a spokesperson for your industry or
profession. If so, here's some Fripp advice. Even if
you'd never consider professional speaking, many of
these tips apply to starting any new business. You bring
the same qualities to speaking that you have used in
your other business affairs. If you have never been even
remotely successful before, you aren't going to be now.
My overnight success took nineteen years of gradual,
constant growth. I worked all the time to get ready for
the opportunities that came. You don't get the
opportunities first and then do the work: "I will become
CEO, and then I'll learn the business..."
You can't make it as a speaker on your looks or the
power of your personality, not even on your speaking
skills. Audiences expect you to have original material
or, at the very least, an original slant on your
material. Can anyone else say it? Does anyone else say
it? If so, don't say it.
As you grow and develop, new material will too. Start
with one good speech that people really want to hear
rather than sixteen indifferent speeches. Once you have
this speech, work on adapting and expanding it,
ultimately turning it into a seminar. Then go for speech
#2.
Socializing: Go early, go to the cocktail party or
reception, walk around and look at the exhibits at a
conference, talk to and learn about your audience. You
have to be social. You have to be nice. I'm clear with
myself and the organizers that I will go to a social
event the night before, such as a dinner with the board
of directors and their spouses. However, I draw the line
at parties at an off-site location ten miles away with
country-western dancing where my presence won't make any
difference.
Diversifying: Never have all your eggs in one basket. A
speaker friend gave a presentation about how he had lost
ninety-six speaking engagements in two days. He had
three clients that each booked more than thirty dates.
Then all three had business reversals. Another speaker
was thrilled that 70 percent of his business came from
IBM. Guess what happened when IBM eliminated all outside
contractors?
Free speech: There is no such thing as a free speech.
There are just speeches that you don't get paid for
directly. Even at this stage in my career, I still do
"targeted showcases" for meeting industry groups as part
of my over-all marketing strategy. I don't expect
anything to come of them, but it's amazing how often
they produce future business.
My early clients didn't realize that my "free speeches"
cost me about $130 each for preparation, travel, and
lost time at my salon. To get customers for my
hairstyling salon, I spoke for civic and community
organizations. I told them stories about customer
service and funny things that had happened in my salon.
At the end of my presentation, I'd put their business
cards in a hat and pull out one for a free hairstyling.
These cards quickly built my mailing list.
Negotiating: If there's an organization that can't pay,
but you really want to speak for them, remember these
magic words: "What else can you give me?" The first year
I was a full-time speaker, my calendar wasn't as full as
it is now. A woman had heard me speak at the National
Association of Catering Executives. "I know you're worth
it because I've seen you," she said, "but we can't
afford your fee." "Let's not give up so easily," I said.
In the end, my brother and I spent five days at a lovely
hotel in Berkeley, with a suite each, breakfast, lunch,
and dinner, including one with friends--all for one free
speech to 150 meeting planners on a day I wasn't booked.
If we'd actually paid for it, the cost would have
exceeded my fee. This was one of the best vacations my
brother and I ever had together.
Another time a woman called me and said, "I hear you're
the best speaker in the world." "You heard right," I
said. She was program chair for Women in Travel and
wanted me to speak at their installation of officers.
The date was open on my calendar, but they couldn't
afford me. "Well, I don't need the practice," I told
her, "and I'm not doing it for nothing, but I will take
a trade. Why don't you call me back tomorrow with your
best offer you can."
The next day, she called back. "Would you take a free,
round-trip, first class airline ticket to England?" "You
negotiator, you!" I said.
Just Do It!
Speaking before a group of strangers can be
intimidating. Just keep focused on the positive impact
the presentation will have on your business reputation
and your bottom line.
Don't expect to be a magnificent speaker the first time
out. Your goal is to present the most valuable
information possible to the members of the audience.
Think of it as the beginning of many long-term
relationships.
Go on! Step up on the podium and profit from the
experience!
Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San
Francisco-based executive speech coach and award-winning
professional speaker on Change, Customer Service,
Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the
author of Get What You Want! and Past-President
of the National Speakers Association.
|
