Interacting with your participants generally increases their learning, holds their attention, helps you make your points, and possibly provides for new information to be shared. Technical presentations hold some different challenges because most of the participants will be writing and taking notes throughout the program. Interactive processes must enhance the learning process and not just provide a break or entertainment. There are lots of proven techniques, but the introduction seems to work best of all and will, as a general rule, get most if not all of the attendees to participate:
Attendees at a technical session generally have a specific need in mind when they sign up for the program. By getting them to open up and share their needs, all the participants stand to benefit from the applications and concerns of someone else. In other words, there is a sharing of goals, concerns, and needs which may become as relevant and valuable to the participants as the materials you present.
Participant introductions serve two useful purposes. First, getting people to say anything at the beginning of a session gets them involved and is a way to establish interest in what you will say afterward. And second, if the participants do not know each other they may find it useful to know who is in the room. On the other hand, introductions can take up a lot of time. People can insert many irrelevant comments and take up valuable time talking about themselves.
If your session is part of a larger program, like a conference, introductions may not fit into the workshop format. The critical consideration in whether to have participants introduce themselves is time. For instance, if there were 15 people in the room for a three-hour session, introductions might be helpful. If there are 60 people in the room for a one-hour program, the time constraint would eliminate the possibility of adequate introductions.
Learn more about professional introductions!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Public Speaking - Using Participant Introductions
Friday, May 27, 2011
Presentation Skills - Old Humor Is Good Humor
Humor is only old if your audience has heard it before and if they remember it. Most people don't remember the exact details of jokes, one-liners, and stories. This is not contradictory to the fact that one of the uses of humor is to make your points more memorable.
One of the reasons people don't remember jokes and other pieces of humor is that the humor is usually heard out of context. The humor was not used in conjunction with a point which is the way you should use it in a professional presentation. The humor was used for entertainment value only and was enjoyed and quickly forgotten.
When you bring back some of this old humor, you will be tying it to your point which makes it acceptable to use in the first place. In the second place, even if some audience members recognize the humor, they probably don't remember the punch line. If you tell it well, even these people will enjoy hearing it again.
The technique to tell a very old joke or story is to tell the audience it is old. This is the one time when you should tell the audience you have a joke or story coming. If you don't tell them that you know it is old, they will likely think you are out of touch. If you tell them you are going to tell an old story or joke, you are telling them you know it's old, but it makes the point so well that you think it is worth telling again.
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Monday, May 23, 2011
Seminars and Presentations Training with Tom Antion
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Over #50 public and professional speaking videos.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Public Speaking - Sources For Speakers
The reason I talked about current information and personal life events first is that they will glean you the highest amount of impact. Using your own life incidents and observations makes you unique. Why should you be asked to speak if anyone could get up in front of the group and recite the same old tired information and stories? I encourage you to spice up your presentations with your interpretations of news events and information and your personal
experience.
However, I go back again to the idea that you must change up. An entire presentation based on you could be considered self-aggrandizing and boring. It is perfectly acceptable and needed to include observations and humor of others to support your points. This information is easily found in reference material for speakers. Many reference books for speakers include both serious and humorous material. Here are just a few of the ones I rely on when preparing a presentation. Note: Some may be out of print, but you can search used book stores and use used book search services to find them.
The Book of Business Anecdotes by Peter Hay (New York: Facts on File, 1988).
Speakers Library of Business Stories, Anecdotes and Humor by Joe Griffith, (New York: Prentice Hall, 1990).
How to be the Life of the Podium by Sylvia Simmons, (New York: Amacom, 1992).
Most of these resources are categorized by subject and they put thousands of pieces of material at your fingertips. I also have a generous supply of used books on many other specific subjects. I really go crazy in the used bookstores and flea markets. For instance, at a yard sale, I found a book of baseball anecdotes that only cost me a quarter. When the time comes that I need a baseball story this book is waiting on my bookshelf to help me hit a home run. (I can't believe I used another dumb joke like that!)
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Public Speaking Practice - Use Your Friends . . . Carefully
The best test for humorous material is to deliver it to the company sourpuss. If he or she laughs, you know you've got a winner. Also, be careful to recognize that some people laugh at anything. Don't let them convince you you've got a good joke or story until it's been tested on many different people. While you are in the testing phase, try out different deliveries. Only change one element of the joke or story at a time and watch closely the reactions you get. If you make too many changes at one time, you will never know which change was the one that got the better response.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Presentation Skills - Clothing
Fun presenters can wear fun clothing but within the limits of your industry. I'm not going to pretend to be Mr. Clothes Horse (I've been accused of looking too corporate), but I will offer a few tips that should help you out.
* When presenting, don't wear clothes that are uncomfortable even if they look great.
* Wear clothes somewhere in the upper fringe of the limits for your industry, i.e., stand out, but not way out.
* If you really want to be remembered, consider trademark clothing, i.e., you are known for wearing funny ties, glasses, hats, etc.
* Don't wear loose jewelry or anything that is a distraction. Be especially careful of this if you are being videotaped.
* Double check and double sew all critical buttons and catches.
* Consider where your microphone and transmitter could be attached when purchasing presentation clothing. You may want to buy the clothing slightly large to decrease transmitter pack bulge (or if you gain weight).
* Take just about everything out of your pockets to reduce bulges.
* If you are much older than your audience, dress in your most stylish outfit (don't go overboard).
* If you are much younger than your audience dress in your most conservative
outfit (don't go overboard).
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Friday, April 01, 2011
Public Speaking - Visuals
Regardless of one's nationality and culture, cartoons and comic strips are the most universally accepted format for humor. These pieces of visual humor are seen in newspapers and magazines in most areas of the world. They may be found in newsstands in large cities or in large libraries.
It might be fun to collect cartoons and comic strips when you travel so you have a ready supply when you need one for a presentation. Be careful to avoid cartoons that have political overtones. If you are presenting to a small group, you can show the periodical or pass it around. If you want to use the cartoon or comic strip in a visual, you may need permission from the artist or copyright owner. Always read the caption for a foreign audience and give them time to mentally translate what you say. It may take what seems to be forever (4-6 seconds) for the idea to sink in.
Another good resource for cartoons is Witty World International Cartoon Magazine by Creators Syndicate. Other forms of visual humor that transcend most cultural barriers are juggling and magic. Good resource materials are available on both topics. Speaking With Magic is a book by Michael Jeffreys that not only teaches you simple tricks, but gives you the points you can relate to the trick.
Two good magic videos for speakers by master magician Tom Ogden are Teaching and Training with Magic and The Magic of Creativity. I got Michael's book and the two videos from Royal Publishing. For juggling and other magic books, call or write for a Morris Costume's Catalog. There is a small charge for the catalog, but it's worth it.
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Monday, March 28, 2011
Public Speaking - Creating a Favorable Learning Situation
With the world of technology changing at such a rapid pace, it's not surprising that more and more presentations are being geared towards the technological side of learning, or the "hard skills" types of programs. The nature and content of these programs has to be different from the "soft skills" or motivational programs because the needs and the expectations of the audience are different. The attendees look upon the time spent as a learning investment. They expect high content to be delivered in an understandable and usable manner during the allocated times.
Humor, as an end in itself, will not be appreciated. It's best to use humor that is specific to the discipline and that will probably only be understood and/or appreciated by the attendees who have an intimate knowledge of the topic. (General humor will be considered as time wasting and not relevant to the topic.) Stories are another good type of humor. Stories to which the attendees can directly relate, and ones that demonstrate practical methodologies of what to do or what to avoid, will assist the attendees in empathizing with the information being taught. On the other hand, typical "shaggy dog" stories and tales that would normally bring the audience to tears or result in a standing ovation will fall flat when addressing a technical audience.
Most technical session attendees are used to receiving information through a highly structured and organized means. They generally appreciate a bulleted outline of what is to be covered and expect the presenter to cover all of the points promised in a timely and expeditious manner. Time will become critical because of the volume of information to be delivered without leaving out anything important. Always evaluate your material for flow and time allocation and remember that the audience has no idea of what you leave out, as long as you address each point promised to some degree.
If you are concerned about having too much material for the time allocated, seriously consider creating a detailed handout with all of the relevant information and only address the spots of critical concern in the presentation. Technical audiences always appreciate having a written document with lots of details that they can refer to later.
As with every other learning situation, your presentation should be geared to the needs of the participants. The most important characteristic to consider for a one-to-three-hour session is the demographics of your participants. Demographics are not just age, sex, income, and education, although these may be very important to know. You also want to know the learners' level of knowledge about the subject, their problems and needs, and how they are going to use the information you are giving them.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Presentation Skills - What to Do After Identifying a Story?
When you come across a story in a book, or when you have a personal incident you think will make a good story, ask yourself the following questions:
* Is it clean?
* Can I use it in a professional presentation to make a point?
* What point does it illustrate?
* What other points does it illustrate?
* How many categories should I file it in so I can find it when I need it
* What should I say to lead into the story?
* What should I say following the story?
* Where should I put it in my presentation?
* Is it better than something I am already using?
Just thinking about the answers to the above questions will make your storytelling better. Many presenters just slap any old story into their presentation, any old place, because they like the story. That is not the way to do it.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Presentation Skills - Stage
background. I beg for this all the time because it's the only way a guy like me is ever going to get a halo.
Also check to see that any risers and stairs to the risers don't squeak and are sturdy. You may fall down on purpose some time for fun, but you don't want to accidentally fall if you can help it. If you do fall, use a pre-planned ad-lib like: "Give me an inch and I'll take a fall."
Friday, March 18, 2011
Public Speaking - Connecting With The Audience
Connecting with the audience
Audience members assimilate information in three different ways. Some people hear the information, some see the information, and some feel the information.
Although most individuals switch their emphasis frequently, one style usually predominates for a given individual. The styles of information transfer are called
respectively auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
For you to connect with the most audience members, you should include information throughout your program that appeals to all three of these styles.
People that are primarily visual assimilators may be daydreaming throughout the portions of your presentation where you are using only words to convey your
information. They will perk-up when you use a visual aid such as an overhead, flipchart, or prop.
People that are kinesthetically oriented are looking for those words that describe feelings and that evoke emotions. They will also wake up and come to
attention if you have them come up on stage with you and you shake hands with them or put your hand on their shoulder (not in Asia). Auditory assimilators
might just love to hear you talk or they might like to hear a recording of JFK or some type of music.
When you plan your program so that auditory, kinesthetic, and visual elements are interspersed throughout, this will increase your chances of
connecting with all the audience members and decrease the chance that old Mr. Sandman will come knocking on their heads.
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Friday, March 11, 2011
Public Speaking - Bloopers
A while back I heard about a DJ on WIOD in Miami, Florida who said, "This is Alan Courtney speaking. Don't forget, tonight at nine, our special guest . . . (pause) . . .will be . . . I forgot." Well, I haven't forgotten why we are here today . . . or (For an introducer) I couldn't possibly forget who is here with us today.
Mayor Daley of Chicago was being interviewed on TV following the riots during the Democratic convention. The mayor stated, "The police in Chicago are not here to create disorder, they are here to preserve it." I hope I don't create or preserve any disorder in my presentation today.
From The San Leandro, CA News: I saw a notice in the newspaper the other day. It said, "Industrial Boulevard is empty because it is a road to nowhere. Work is underway to extend it." If we keep developing the obsolete widget. We will be on the road to nowhere too.
Use humor in your presentation to make more money!
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Public Speaking - 5 More Reasons For Humor
a simple speaking course knows that you must hit your audience on the head
with your point over and over before they get it. Humor is one of the hammers
you can use.
DISARMS HOSTILITY. Nonfrivolous humor can be used to take the edge
off audiences that are clearly against you.
REDUCES RELATIVE STATUS. Many of you are what I call the "big-shots" of your
organization. Your position as boss creates a big barrier to
listening. Don't forget, "BOSS" spelled backwards is double-SOB and that's
the way your audience will look at you if lord your status over them. Making
a little fun of yourself (self-effacing humor) will do wonders for opening lines
of communication.
Introducers come in all quality levels. If you get one that makes you sound like
God, it will create expectations in the audience that you couldn't possibly live
up to. Humor can neutralize that problem instantly.
GETS YOUR POINT ACROSS WITHOUT CREATING HOSTILITY.
Sometimes you have to deliver tough negative messages. The careful use of
humor can help you do your dastardly deed without creating unnecessary
anger.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Public Speaking - Pre-Planned Ad-Libs 1
Some humorous things to say when things go wrong during your presentation:
SOMETHING IS BROKEN
*Humor can't fix everything.
* I would fix this, but the only thing I learned in shop class was how to call
for estimates.
* That's what I get for buying this at a flea market.
* I'll fix this right up. Just give me a hammer.
* Does anyone have some SuperGlue?
* Does anyone have a dollar bill on them? [If possible, go into the audience
in search of a dollar bill apparently to fix the broken item.] It won't fix this,
but maybe I can bribe someone to get me another one.
* We really didn't need that [with sarcasm] MAJOR PORTION OF MY
PRESENTATION did we? All great speakers have a plan. Unfortunately,
I don't. No. I'm just kidding [go to alternate plan and you had better have
one!]
* I know it's time for a BREAK, but this is ridiculous.
* This item just took a break so why don't we take one too. Let's resume at....
* Just when I was smokin,' this darn thing gets broken. Let's [take a break,
alternate plan, etc.]
LIGHTS GO OUT
* I guess I'll have to donate a portion of my fee to the electric company.
* The caterer will be here shortly with carrots for everyone.
* I guess God tried to hit me with a lightning bolt, but hit your electric box
instead.
* I hope my talk hasn't left you in the dark.
* It appears that I need to shed some more light on this subject.
* Since you're all sleeping anyway, I decided to turn off the lights.
* This is carrying energy conservation too far.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Public Speaking - Response to Introduction
The first important part of an opening is your response to your introduction.
From here on, what you say is very important because it characterizes you to the
audience. If you typically introduce yourself, you can skip this part for now and
review it when you do a presentation where you are introduced. A response to
an introduction is what you say to or about your introducer or what you say
about what your introducer said. Can I make that less clear for you?
For instance, if your introduction was too flattering and syrupy you could
say:
* After that, I can't wait to hear what I have to say.
* Now I know what it feels like to be a pancake with too much syrup on it.
* My mother would have been proud because you read that just like she
wrote it.
If your introduction was too long you could say:
* This is not the second coming.
* I have been feeling a little sick lately. I thought I had the flu, but I guess it
must be my eminence.
* If you had gone on about me much longer, I might have started to believe
some of it.
For an introduction that is too short you could say:
* That was the shortest introduction I have ever had. My life just passed
before my eyes and I haven't even been up here long enough to die.
* Hey! What happened to all that good stuff I paid you to say?
* I know I don't deserve all the nice things that WEREN'T said about me in
that introduction.
If you're doing a funny talk and the introducer is a GOOD friend you
could say:
* I normally don't allow a long introduction and in the short amount of time
* I gave you Joe, you were starting to screw that up.
If you're on a program with several big-name speakers you could say:
* Most of the speakers you've heard here today are like a Who's Who of
speaking. I'm more like a Who's He/She?
Sometimes you will get an introduction that is just bad. Say:
* Thank you very much for that INTERESTING introduction.
* If I'm going to bomb, I want to do it myself. I don't need your help. (Be
careful when, how, and to whom you say this one. You don't want to take the
audience out of in fun.)
A safe approach when you get a bad introduction is to just skip the response
and make general comments to the audience. You don't want to embarrass the
introducer.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Public Speaking - Humorous Acknowledgments to Tough Situations
There will come a time when you will either be in front of a hostile audience or a hostile question will pop up during a relatively calm presentation. This is a tough situation at best and you have to handle it with kid gloves. Humor can save the day and maybe even help you become President. When a hostile situation arises, you have to be especially careful that you don't antagonize the questioner or group further by making a flippant response. You can use humor to distract the antagonism, but you should always make a serious reply to the question at hand.
Example:
Let's say you are speaking at a stockholder's meeting and you are telling them about all the wonderful new products that are coming out. Then someone yells out, "What about the supreme turkey of a widget you came out with last year?" Now you are on the spot. If you ignore the question you will look like you are hiding. If you use a comeback that attacks the questioner or makes fun of him or her you will turn the rest of the group against you. So what do you do?
Use a prepared one-liner or some mildly amusing admission of guilt and then immediately go into a serious response to the question.
"We are donating all those widgets to the Navy because they have a shortage of boat anchors this year [pause for laughter]. But, seriously folks, based on all the available research we had at our
disposal the widget looked like it would be a good solid seller for us. Then when the gizmo industry took a big hit, we no longer had a market for the widgets. "
Then get back to your agenda.
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Public Speaking Presentations - Alcohol
An audience that has been at a cocktail event of one hour or longer usually means you will have some boisterous audience members to deal with. You could be faced with hecklers, disruptive and loud people, loud snoring sleepers, etc. Unless you are a comic who is very good at mild insult humor, you SHOULD NOT use heckler lines like: Hey, buddy. There's only one Mic. and I've got it. Or, If I'm going to make an ass of myself up here, I want to do it myself.
When you suspect you may have a problem because of a long cocktail hour, let the meeting planner know in advance that he or she should be prepared to tell the heckler that there is a phone call waiting. This gets the person out of the room where the meeting planner can try to calm them.
Request in advance that the bar be shut down when you are speaking, or people who really like to drink will be getting up and down during your presentation distracting everyone.
Many professional speakers guarantee their work EXCEPT when the audience is drunk or too tired. Patricia Fripp, C.P.A.E, told me about a time she was booked to speak to a vegetable company. They had the meeting in a winery. The entire group including the president were pickled. The meeting planner forced her to go on. Patricia said, "Half the crowd missed me completely and the other half saw two of me. I guess it evened out."
Remember, you are the one standing up there looking foolish. Take every precaution you can when alcohol is flowing.
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Friday, February 18, 2011
Public Speaking - Visual Humor
Regardless of one's nationality and culture, cartoons and comic strips (see Cartoons) are the most universally accepted format for humor. These pieces of visual humor are seen in newspapers and magazines in most areas of the world. They may be found in newsstands in large cities or in large libraries. It might be fun to collect cartoons and comic strips when you travel so you have a ready supply when you need one for a presentation.
Be careful to avoid cartoons that have political overtones. If you are presenting to a small group,
you can show the periodical or pass it around. If you want to use the cartoon or comic strip in a visual, you may need permission from the artist or copyright owner. Always read the caption for a foreign audience and give them time to mentally translate what you say. It may take what seems to be forever (4-6 seconds) for the idea to sink in. Another good resource for cartoons is
Witty World International Cartoon Magazine by Creators Syndicate (see appendix).
Other forms of visual humor that transcend most cultural barriers are juggling and magic. Good resource materials are available on both topics. Speaking With Magic is a book by Michael Jeffreys that not only teaches you simple tricks, but gives you the points you can relate to the trick. Two good magic videos for speakers by master magician Tom Ogden are Teaching and
Training with Magic and The Magic of Creativity. I got Michael's book and the two videos from Royal Publishing. For juggling and other magic books, call or write for a Morris Costume's Catalog. There is a small charge for the catalog, but it's worth it.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Public Speaking - Size Of Audience
The size of your audience has a direct effect on the types of humor which are most appropriate, the expected audience response and the timing of the presentation. Members of very small business groups tend to be too self-conscious to laugh much. Use short one-liners. Be brief and informal with your humor; don't use any long stories or jokes.
In small groups laughter will come more quickly. It's now OK to stretch to jokes and short stories. Your presentation will take less time to deliver than to a large group.
A presentation to very large crowds in enormous rooms or venues such as stadiums will take longer to deliver because laughter comes in waves. The portion of the audience right in front of you will laugh first. Then most of the rest of the crowd will laugh. The third wave will come when those slower to get the joke finally do, and when those who laugh because everyone else is laughing kick in. You must allow time for this phenomenon to occur. In large crowds you must play to the back of the room. These people are hardest to reach.
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Public Speaking - Finding Humor Sources
Keep in mind that you can't always use the humor in these sources as is. You must update, personalize, and localize much of the humor to increase its effectiveness. Here's an example of a joke that came from 5600 Jokes for All Occasions. You will first see it in its original form from the book and then see the slight changes for the usable version.
Original - exactly as written:
Do you find that advertising brings quick results?
I should say it does. Why, only the other day we advertised for a night watchman, and that night the safe was robbed.
Update for presentation use:
To make the update for this old-fashioned joke, change the first line from a question to a statement to eliminate the dialogue between two people. Then change the old fashioned term night watchman to the more modern term security guard. Also eliminate some of the extra detail and say it was your company that did this so it's personalized. Now you have a quick usable two-liner that makes a point.