Ever wonder why you remember some presentations and not others? It could be because good speakers do more than just address what you hear. They address what you see. Here are 3 hints for making the visual part of your speech memorable: Make your photos BIG on the screen. It’s easier to get an emotional reaction the crowd when you monopolize their visual space. Think like Steven Spielberg. Your audience is used to not just good…but GREAT…visuals. Use close up photos. Wide shots are useful but your audience might miss what you really want them to notice. Use videos. Millennials expect action.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Good and Great Speeches, Heck of a Blog, Public speaking. Leave a Comment
An attendee at one of my presentation skill training sessions told me the thing he knew he must change: his facial expression. Because I video each speaker, he got a chance to see what his audience saw–that he looked pained and uncomfortable up in front of a group. Frown lines were apparent. What kind of message did that send to his audience? It gave them the impression that he really didn’t like spending time with them and sharing this information. However, that was not the case at all. He did feel confident that he knew his information well. He liked his colleagues. But his facial expressions and body language did not echo that. Whether or not you like being in front of a group, you must make the audience sense that you are comfortable with your information … and yourself…and them. If not, they won’t think you are a credible speaker. In any case, my advice is the same. Think about what your audience sees when they look at you. A smile goes a long way to help you appear more approachable. If you have the chance, videotape yourself when you make a presentation. You may be surprised at the message you send.
Continue reading "Enjoying your own speech"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Heck of a Blog, Public speaking. Leave a Comment
Part of a boss’ job is to communicate to large groups of employees. But that work responsibility doesn’t come easy for some supervisors. In my book, Tough Talks® in Tough Times: What Bosses Need to Know to Deliver Bad News, Motivate Employees, and Stay Sane, I address the need for constant, two-way, open conversation between managers and their employees. In this discussion with Ron Culp for Chicago Now, I explain to him how one boss in particular handled the spotlight well.
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Audiences expect visuals used in presentations to be as captivating as their favorite TV shows or movies. It used to be very expensive to add videos to speeches and business PowerPoints. Because high definition cameras are very affordable, using a great visual aid doesn’t have to break your budget anymore. Here are more hints on how to produce your own effective videos. These hints can be used for business videos as well as your home videos.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, Heck of a Blog, videos, Visual aids. Leave a Comment
If you are one of the dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of people who dread public speaking, you know that knot-in-your-stomach, sweat-soaked feeling is nothing you can wish away. The more you speak in public, the easier it gets. To speed up your learning curve and overcome your fear of speaking, there are specific techniques you can use. Here is a video highlighting public speaking tips that can be used in your next presentation.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles, Public speaking. Leave a Comment
Want to make a great entrance when you are giving an important speech? Just ask Leslie Knope, political candidate for the city council in the fictitious Pawnee, Indiana, how to start a speech strongly…or how not to. Knope, played by Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation, was presenting to a crowd of 100 spectators and had a red carpet for her entrance to the speaker’s dais. But the red carpet didn’t go all the way to the stage; the floor, which was supposed to be a basketball court, had been changed to an ice rink; and her motivational music, “Get on Your Feet,” lasted 10 seconds and had to be replayed in spurts for her to reach the podium 90 seconds later. Watch this snippet for a good laugh, and then learn the lessons about the pre-speech details. Lessons to heed before you start speaking: You are in charge of everything involved in your presentation. That includes your introduction, any music or media used, any props, the seating of the audience. Make sure your introducer knows what you want him/her to say, can pronounce your name, and runs his/her words by you. In many cases you will have to make a few adjustments. If you use music or multi-media in your speech, you must make sure you have the rights to do so. Intellectual property rights apply. I use videos that I have shot and edited. And on occasion, I use clips from movies that I have licensed for use […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, Good and Great Speeches. Leave a Comment
I would have loved to have been in the locker rooms of many NFL teams to hear the speeches given by the head coaches yesterday. What could be said to motivate the teams that were still in the hunt for a good post-season placement? I’m sure those speeches were well-thought presentations. And they were talks given with passion. But motivating professionals at the top of their performance was probably not that much different than it was all season. But consider the pep talk given to those at the bottom of the pile. Especially to the Indianapolis Colts. It had to be a very tough talk Jim Caldwell, the head coach, delivered. That’s the one I would have wanted to hear. Just as any leader does, he faced complex issues, including employee illnesses, naysayers with de-motivating messages, and workers worried about their jobs. Here was what boss (coach) Caldwell had on his plate: Nothing seemed to go right this season. Injuries. Penalties. Referee calls going against the team. 12 straight losses. The team went through 3 back-up quarterbacks after Peyton Manning’s neck injury kept him off the field the entire season. Caldwell’s job was on the line, as was the employment status of most of the team. A complex reason that wasn’t in the regular playbook: A loss in the final game would ensure the Colts would get the first pick in the April NFL draft. The negative theme of “Suck for Luck” was heard all around Indianapolis. Andrew Luck, the […]
Continue reading "Presentations in an NFL Locker Room = a Tough Talk"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Heck of a Blog, Motivation, Tough Talks. Leave a Comment
I’m always on the lookout for good presentation styles. It doesn’t have to be public speaking in front of a large audience. It could be a customer service representative, a sales person, someone or some organization I come into contact with in every day occurrences. I note what impresses me. The good, the bad and the ugly of communication styles. Recently, I was in Connecticut and had a few extra hours and decided to explore. I came across The Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York. It was wonderful. Great exhibits, no crowds, unbelievably cheap admission fees. For 2-3 hours, I was captivated. All for $5. I thought about how this experience relates to giving speeches. Here’s what I observed that you can put into practice for your next presentation: Surprise your audience by being great. I didn’t expect this out of the way place to be so over-the-top interesting. Your audience may expect a standard presentation from you. (That’s the way most business presentations are viewed.) Make sure your presentation is over-the-top interesting/valuable/insightful. Put your creativity to work when you develop your speech or PowerPoint. One of the most creative exhibits was Red Grooms: The Bookstore. http://www.hrm.org/collections/installations.html Make your audience glad they are there. I was thrilled at the “find.” Give the people who hear your presentation something they can remember and talk about after you are done. I’ve been telling lots of people about the Hudson River Museum since I returned and recommending it to people who live […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
If you are one of the dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of people who dread public speaking, you know that knot-in-your-stomach, sweat-soaked feeling is nothing you can wish away. The more you speak in public, the easier it gets. To speed up your learning curve and overcome your fear of speaking, there are specific techniques you can use. Here is a video highlighting public speaking tips that can be used in your next presentation.
Continue reading "Real-IMPACT Presentation Hints"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
Is there a possibility that someone in the news media might interview you in the future? If so, here’s a look at what you can expect from media training. This is a repost of an article from one of my international colleagues, Alan Stevens, whose company is called “The Media Coach.” He outlines his process for getting someone ready for an interview. FIVE MINUTES ON AIR, FIVE HOURS PREP There tend to be two different ways that people look at media interviews, Some people feel that since they know their topic inside out, they barely need to prepare, since they will able to deal with any question. Other people are so terrified of being interrogated by a reporter that they spend days analyzing the worst questions, and practicing avoidance tactics. I advocate a different approach. Your five minutes of airtime is a golden opportunity to deliver a simple, effective, relevant message. When I’m preparing a client for a media encounter, we spend a lot of the time preparing the message, and then practicing ways to deliver it in an answer to any question. That doesn’t mean avoiding the question altogether, but it does mean focusing on your message rather than trying to figure out what the journalist wants to know. Preparing for a five-minute interview on national radio or TV, I generally split the time up roughly this way: An hour deciding what message to deliver An hour refining the message An hour practicing delivery of the message An hour […]
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Ever wondered what it’s like to work with a speaking coach? The Oscar winning movie, The King’s Speech, is an excellent example of how a person with serious presentation skill problems can overcome difficulties with the help of a communications expert. Although the king had a stuttering problem, many of the techniques his speech coach used with him are the same as those I use with executives in one-on-one coaching. Here is an analysis of one speech technique exercise in the movie. You can do it on your own to improve your presentation skills. Abdominal breathing exercises for speakers …or “Sit on him, Queen Mum.” Most people breathe shallowly, expanding only the upper regions of their lungs. Long sentences are almost impossible to get through without sounding winded. A good speaking technique is to breathe diaphragmatically. In simple terms, your waistline should expand when you inhale. When you exhale, your waistline should be its smallest. It’s much easier to illustrate this if the person learning this presentation skill technique lies down on the floor. The “breather” (speaker) can better see the movement of the diaphragm by watching his or her abdomen rise and fall. Inhale and your stomach rises. Exhale and it falls. It’s almost impossible to breathe the wrong way in this position. In The King’s Speech, the presentations skill coach had the future Queen Mum sit on the monarch’s stomach while the king practiced breathing more deeply. Since I don’t have access to Queen Mums when I work […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, General articles, Good and Great Speeches. Leave a Comment
Here are 5 strategies to use if you want to be noticed for your expertise: If you have one comment to make, summarize your point in one sentence and then go into detail for 30 seconds. This keeps you on track and shows your colleagues you can be focused and succinct. If you have several comments to make, start off by saying, “I’d like to address 3 points: point A, point B and point C. In terms of point A, …. ” When you list the points, they should be phrases only. This will set the stage for expressing comments on each of the 3 points at some time in the meeting, even if you only speak about point A before there is open discussion. Later on, you can chime in with, “I’d like to go back to point B. We might want to consider…..” Inhale deeply and then project your voice by speaking from the diaphragm (abdominal breathing). This is essential for those who are shy, because it gives more power to your words and persona and can eliminate any shakiness in your voice. Listen to others. All too often, people who are shy about speaking up at meetings spend too much time rehearsing what they will say and miss what others are contributing. When you can tie your comments into something someone else said, it shows you are a team player. Start your entry into the discussion by saying, “I’d like to follow up on what Joe said […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, General articles. Leave a Comment
Do you keep quiet at meetings because you lack confidence speaking about the topic? If so, you might want to read this article on CNN’s website. I was quoted in the article about how to speak up with confidence at a meeting. I offered the hint about abdominal breathing. Here’s an excerpt. 3. Belly breathe: Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, but you don’t have to let it show. Abdominal breathing will make you sound confident by giving strength to your voice. To use this technique: “Inhale deeply and then project your voice by speaking from the diaphragm,” says Jean Palmer Heck, president of Real-Impact, Inc. “This is essential for those who are shy, because it gives more power to your words and persona and can eliminate any shakiness in your voice.” Here’s the full article with “5 tips for speaking up confidently at meetings.”
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, General articles. Leave a Comment
When a small business owner asks me how he or she can get more PR or publicity for their companies, I often suggest getting out on the speaking circuit. Local service clubs are always looking for someone to speak to their group. That doesn’t mean it’s just a free advertisement. It means that if you have an entertaining, educational, relevant material, they’d like to meet you and hear what you have to say.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, General articles, Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
When I conduct presentation skills training sessions for businesses and organizations, I always ask the attendees to share with me key points that they will work on after the session. I’m only with them for a short period. My sessions range from half-day training to four-day sessions spread over several months. So when I’m gone, they need to make sure they put into practice what they have learned about standing up in front of a group and making an effective presentation. Here are some of the things that they have told me: 1. Enjoy the process and look the part. 2. Speak more loudly. 3. Make the visuals much larger. 4. Breathe abdominally to relax. 5. Make better eye contact. 6. Use more stories and analogies. 7. Drink lots of water. 8. Don’t be afraid to be creative. 9. Get out from behind the lectern. I’ll go into more depth on these issues in future blogs.
Continue reading "What Business Speakers Say They Must Practice"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, General articles, Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
Here’s a great article by Jerry Brown, who is a guru on crisis communication. Take heed: Tiger Woods Makes a Predictable Mistake By Jerry Brown, APR www.pr-impact.com Some stories feel incomplete the first time you hear them. They leave you feeling like there’s a lot being left unsaid. And, of course, the part that’s being left out is the juicy part – the stuff you really want to hear. That’s the kind of story that makes reporters dig deeper. And the kind of story the rest of us are likely to follow as it unfolds. Tiger Woods’ weekend car wreck was one of those stories. Where was he going at 2:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving night? How did he manage to get going fast enough right out of his driveway to knock himself silly? What about that tabloid rumor he’s been fooling around with another woman? Was he trying to get away because his wife was attacking him? In his only comment so far, Woods refers to such speculation as “false, unfounded and malicious rumors.” That may be true. And you could argue it’s nobody’s business anyway. After all, there’s no apparent crime and he didn’t hurt anyone but himself. But Woods is a celebrity. He’s canceled at least three appointments to discuss the wreck with the police. And he’s being extremely secretive about what happened during an incident that should be easy to explain in detail. If Woods’ version is true, the story goes away as soon as he fully […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
Karen Friedman, a communications coach based in Philadelphia, has an article on this subject. She says the question should be, “Does TV news matter as much as it once did?” Here are excerpts from her article. The link for the full report is below. “Research suggests that it does not. According to data from Nielsen, viewership of the three evening network news programs has steadily declined over the past 25 years, falling by more than 1 million viewers each year — translating into millions of dollars in lost annual revenue. The 2009 Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism’s State of the News Media annual report says that local news staffs, already too small to adequately cover their communities, are being cut at unprecedented rates. As a result, this caused local revenues to fall by a surprising 7 percent in a single election year— and ratings continue to drop. Only cable news is flourishing.” “Rick Williams, executive producer at WPVI-ABC TV in Philadelphia, … says that because younger viewers find most of their information on the Internet, it is critical to cross-promote news between the TV and Web platforms.” “For example, stations are now streaming news events live and carrying breaking stories on their Web sites. Viewers no longer have to wait until the evening news programs. To do this, many stations have hired producers who only create Web content, update stories online, produce video for Web sites and generate breaking-news alerts that are sent to subscribers’ cell phones and e-mail.” […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, Media Relations, TV news. Leave a Comment
Here’s a great tip from communications guru Dianna Booher about answering questions after a speech or presentation. Never Announce a Certain Amount of Time or a Specific Number of Questions To do so limits your flexibility and creates dangers along the way. If you announce that you will take questions for half an hour and you get only two questions, the audience walks away with the impression that you gave a disappointing presentation that did not generate the expected interest. If you say that you will take another three questions and the third question is a hostile one, you may be forced to end on a negative note from which it will be difficult to recover. Stay flexible simply by making a general statement that you will take a few questions before you wrap up. Then, if there are none or only a few, you are safe to go directly into your prepared close. And if you get a challenging question or if a negative issue surfaces, you can prolong the discussion until you can find an opportunity to bridge to a more positive closing note.
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This great information comes from Stacey Hanke, owner of 1st Impressions. …. Thanks, Stacey, from the folks who want to speak better and connect their visual information to their audiences. Jean Several weeks ago I observed a presentation delivered by an individual whom I perceived as confident and credible. This perception quickly reverted backwards when he began to interact with PowerPoint and notes. As he turned to have a conversation/relationship with his slides and notes, his energy deflated, he disconnected with his listeners, his vocal projection was inaudible, and his rate of speech took off with record speed. You’ve been there before, watching a speaker talk to their visual aids as if you weren’t there. Your mind wanders and you begin to think, “Gee, should I leave the two of them alone?” It’s what we call Visual Aid Madness. Have we forgotten who is more important, the visual aid or ourselves? Are we using the visual aid to hide from our listeners? When used appropriately, a visual aid provides Impact, Control, and Emphasis for you, the listener, and your Message. Are you thinking to yourself, “I do not present. I do not use PowerPoint, nor do I have future plans for doing so.” When I speak of visual aids, I am referring too much more than PowerPoint. • Notes • Computer, blackberry, etc.; when you speak to this items as a peer is communicating to you. • A face-to-face conversation when you repeatedly look away from your listener in mid-sentence. […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
When you’re a leader, you must think about what you say. Not only is your reputation at stake, but your words can take on an impact bigger than you thought. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should know that by now. But she has egg on her face. And her communications have turned into a crisis communications case study. Media relations experts are thrilled that she has given a fine example of what NOT to say or do. Want to learn from her communication no-no’s? Here’s an article written by a media relations guru whose work I admire. Nancy Pelosi’s Three Classic Mistakes By Jerry Brown, APR www.pr-impact.com Nancy Pelosi has made three classic mistakes in telling what she knew about waterboarding and when she knew it as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. · She didn’t tell the whole story. Crisis Communications 101: When you’re in a crisis communication situation, tell the whole story at the beginning. If you don’t, all those ugly facts you want to hide are fodder for keeping a bad story alive. And each new forced disclosure will hurt your credibility. Pelosi has been telling her story in stages. And the news conference she called last week in an apparent effort to put the story to rest didn’t work because her words were so carefully parsed that she still doesn’t appear to have told all she knows. This is a politically charged story. So, Pelosi’s political opponents will do all they can to […]
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, General articles, Media Relations. Leave a Comment
