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 in speeches from MPLA (Motion Picture Licensing Association). My music comes from artists who have given me permission (Jana Stansfield, for example) or I use audio written for my presentations and training sessions by Music Bakery.
• Plan ahead for props not working or media not playing correctly. I have multiple backup systems to use if one of them fails, but am also prepared to continue the presentation without any AV.
• Have a funny line prepared to use if you accidentally trip, drop something, or slip on the ice. I have several in my pocket to use. But I also don’t speak in ice rinks!

1. 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.
2. 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…..”
3. 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.
4. 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 about …….  “
5. Beware of your body language. Watch your posture and make eye contact with others in the room.

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.”

I’ll go into more depth on these issues in future blogs.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachJudyNelson/2009/05/16/Jean-Palmer-Heck-

He started his presentation with a  joke.  I really don’t like speeches that begin with jokes.  They can put an audience ill at ease.  You never know whether it will be funny, edgy, offensive, or delivered poorly. And, unlike Jay Leno, David Letterman and Joe Battipaglia, not everyone can deliver jokes well.  

Your own stories are better than a canned joke.  Later in his presentation he told about some interactions he had with his family about the economy.  They were much funnier and captured the audience attention better than his opening remarks.  

The other public speaking tip that applies to everyone relates to the use of audio visuals. He did not use any, but I wished he would have, especially because of the topic.  Joe dealt with very heady issues about the economy.  Those in the audience with financial backgrounds were fine with his information, but those in the crowd who did not have that expertise got lost a few times.  Some visual aids would have helped the audience retain the information much more easily.

And the audience is what public speaking is all about.

There’s been a lot of talk regarding Barack Obama’s use of TelePrompTers.  Many are surprised that he actually uses them in places where it seems like he should be speaking off the cuff.  I’m not here to debate that.

The purpose of this blog is to give you tips for how you can improve your presentations.  And there are times when you might use a TelePrompter. So how can you do it with style?  Here are some hints:

1.  Reading a teleprompter is like reading a book in many ways, but completely different in others. When you read a book, you occasionally laugh or smile at what you’re reading silently, but most often your face has no expression.  When you read a TelePrompTer, you must use expression.  It will help your voice and your comfort level.  You might pretend you are reading something of interest to a friend of yours.  That mental image will help.   

 2. You set the speed at which the TelePrompTer copy is moved.  You do, not the operator.  It’s a mistake of amateurs to speed up as the copy speeds up.  That results in the operator concurring that you want it to go faster, so they speed up even more.  It’s a never-ending process.  If the copy is moving too quickly for you, slow down.  The operator will adjust accordingly. 

3. How do you handle it when a podium has 2 or more TelePrompTers?  You should keep your eyes on the first one for an adequate amount of time before switching to the second.  How long is adequate?  I tell my clients to stay on one teleprompter for one complete sentence before switching.   

4. Don’t forget to use your body.   There’s nothing that says you have to stand still and stiff while reading.  Get comfortable. Tilt your head every now and then.  Lean closer to the camera.  It makes you look like an approachable person, not a mannequin.

If you’d like more information about other aspects of presenting on camera, email me for my special report, “5 Golden Rules if You’re on TV.”    jean@real-impact.com