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.
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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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Friday, May 20, 2011
Tom Antion - Handouts
Handouts are multipurpose tools that enhance most presentations. They are
also another way to get audience members in fun. I provide handouts for virtually every presentation I do. One of the reasons is that audience members really enjoy being able to take something home with them. For me, it is also a way to make sure they have easy access to my name and phone number in case they have questions or if they want to hire me.
Computer programs make it very easy to create totally customized handouts for your presentations. These are valued by the participants and meeting planners much more than generic ones. I always make a customized cover that is printed on colored paper and that uses some type of graphic that pertains to the group. For instance, if I am speaking to the printing industry, I go to my electronic clipart collection and find something that pertains to printing.
In this case I located a large roll of printing paper. If I don't have any clipart that pertains to the industry, I'll put a cartoon of myself standing on a map of their state. Don't be afraid to be creative. If it is customized to them, they will love it. Most of the time I customize the inside of the handout too. I only use modules that I know will pertain to their group and many times I include quotes that I got from the actual attendees during my pre-program interviews.
I always try to put something fun in the handout. This virtually insures that the handout would not be thrown away. I gave the attendees a reason for using the handout when they get back to their offices. The stress reducer exercise is lots of fun and again gives my handout a longer life. For space reasons I don't put my name and address on each page in these examples. But when I am actually preparing handouts all my information goes at the bottom of each page.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Public Speaking - Stand Up and Be Counted
You've heard of stand-up comics, right? There's evidence from a study done by The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania that you should be a stand-up presenter. These results came from a controlled study of a situation where the presenters tried to persuade people to invest in a new business venture.
For the first group, the presenter sat down and talked across a table. For the second group, all the facts and figures were identical, but the presenter stood up and used visual aids. Can you guess the results? In the first group, 58 percent of the people agreed to invest in the new business. Not bad, right? It's not too bad unless you compare it with the second group where 79 percent of the people agreed to invest.
Another study at the University of Minnesota found that a stand-up presentation using visual aids will cause your customers to be willing to pay 26 percent more money for your exact same product or service.
When you stand up, you instantly command authority, attention, and interest. People know it's time to listen. When you are standing, you can move about, which also keeps attention. Rigid, feet-glued-to-the-floor presenters will elicit loud snoring in short order. People also love visual aids, and you are the best and most reliable one in your presentation.
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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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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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Monday, April 04, 2011
Public Speaking - Certified Speaking Professional
CSP stands for certified speaking professional. This is an earned designation from the National Speakers Association (NSA) located in Tempe Arizona. http://www.AmazingPublicSpeaking.com 350 public and professional speaking videos.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Public Speaking - Costumes
No, you don't have to go on-stage in a gorilla suit, although you could if you wanted to. A costume can be anything from a flashy tie, to a feathered hat, to a full blown shiny Marca Polina outfit (the feminine Marco Polo) complete with an illuminated magic wand, that my friend Sally Walton wears when she talks about the magic art of "Communicating Across Cultures." Costumes add a flare and excitement to your presentations and certainly help to make them more memorable.
If you don't like to wear costumes, get the audience members to wear them. Better yet, get the "big shots" to wear them and you will probably be the hit of the meeting. I was doing a customer service talk for a pizza franchise and I had one of the senior managers march into the meeting wearing a filthy, doctor's lab coat with ketchup all over it (fake blood). I had another senior manager come in with a crisp, new lab coat. I asked a simple question, Which manager would you like operating on you? Of course, all the junior managers yelled out that they wouldn't let either one of these people operate on them. Everyone was laughing and joking around, but the point was made. They must keep their employees looking clean and neat because nice customers won't want to be served by grungy food service workers.
Costume characters can be hired to hand out fliers at your event, entertain, and generally create an air of fun and excitement. The local heart association has a "blood drop" costume they use when they are soliciting funds. There are literally hundreds of costumes available through costume shops or mail order. Just make sure, as always, the theme of the costume matches the theme of your presentation or event.
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Public Speaking - International Best Foot Forward
Put Your Best Foot Forward Mexico/Canada
Put Your Best Foot Forward Europe
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.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Public Speaking - Juxtapositions
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is the placing, side by side, of two ideas or items usually for the purpose of comparison or contrast. I staged an event at Washington National Airport where I had a huge 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving for his first visit to the United States.
To take the comical juxtaposition one step further, the small man was holding a gigantic sign with the Japanese man's name on it and the extra large man was holding a similar sign, except it was about the size of a business card. Believe me, we had the attention of everyone in the gate area. What a visual! Now let's look at two specialized types of juxtaposition:
Oxymorons
Warren S. Blumenfeld, Ph.D., in his book Pretty Ugly states, "I {passively tried} to warn you oxymorons had {almost absolutely} no socially redeeming quality except that they make people {smile out loud} and are addictive." His first book on the subject was called Jumbo Shrimp.
According to Dr. Blumenfeld, "An oxymoron is two concepts {usually two words} that do not go together, but are used together. It is a bringing together of contradictory expressions."
Terms like old news, extensive briefing, direct circumvention and random order are oxymorons. Also concepts like an advanced state of decline and expecting a surprise are oxymorons.
Pleonasm
A pleonasm is the bringing together of two concepts or words that are redundant. A pleonasm is the bringing together of two concepts or words that are redundant. How many times do I have to tell you? I stole that from Dr. Blumenfeld, but I've already credited him a couple times and Art Buchwald says that's enough. Combinations like frozen ice, sharp point, killed dead, sandy beach, young child, positive praise, and angry rage are pleonasms.
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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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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Public Speaking Presentations - Callbacks
If you refer to a word or phrase you mentioned earlier in your presentation,
that's a callback. It works well if the previous piece of material got a good laugh or if it was a groaner. If the previous material was good, mentioning it again will get more laughter and will make you look polished for being able to tie the previous material to the present material. If the previous material was poor, the callback will show your willingness to tease yourself, which is an admirable quality the audience appreciates.
Here's how it works: Let's say you used a successful two-liner in your presentation Don't rely on health books too much. You could die of a misprint. Later in your presentation someone might notice a misspelling in one of your handouts or visuals. You could then call back and say, "See, that's one of those misprints I was telling you about earlier."
Another thing that might happen, that is just as good, is that one or more of the audience members might make the connection and do the callback for you. One of them may blurt out something about your health book line. That's great if they do. You are getting them involved and allowing them to feel superior to you, which makes them the stars. You could then comeback with, See, I put that there to test you. When you really get confident, you might actually make the misprint on purpose to set up this whole scenario.
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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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.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Public Speaking - No Backfires Please
When staging a practical joke you must plan the many details carefully. You certainly don't want something that is supposed to be fun to turn sour. If you plan the joke as carefully as you plan all other details of the event you will find that the benefits far outweigh the risks. I use the following criteria when planning an event:
1. The joke should not be physically dangerous in any way.
2. It should not be humiliating.
3. It should have good intent, i.e., you should be able to laugh with the group that was fooled and not at them. Most of the time key insiders are involved in the idea anyway.
4. It should be creative. If you faithfully stick to the first three criteria you can be assured that your jokes will be well received. Item number four can be fudged with little or no problem.
For instance, the idea of a clumsy waiter is not particularly creative, but when you have a talented actor playing the part, your biggest complaint will be that someone's side hurts from laughing too hard. Make sure you only deal with professional and experienced characters. Even if you plan the joke carefully, once the person or group is "on stage" they must be able to ad lib and adjust to whatever situation arises.
On large productions you will need an on-site person to coordinate the action. The characters presented here are only three of the most popular gags you can pull at a meeting. You are limited only by your imagination and budget. If you truly want your participants to have a memorable experience, then give them something special to remember.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Public Speaking - Advertising Humor
Advertising is the fine art of making you think you have longed for something all your life that you never heard of before.
Advertising is the fine art of convincing people that debt is better than frustration.
Advertising is the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Advertising is like marriage. There may be a better way, but what is it?
In good times business people want to advertise. In bad times they have to.
Advertising without research is like shooting an arrow into the air and then looking for a target to catch it with.
If ad agents were smart they would schedule deodorant commercials to follow political ads.
Samson had the right idea about advertising. He took two columns and brought down the house.
Appeal to reason in your advertising and you appeal to four percent of the human race. (Advice given at a 1923 ad conference)
Nothing makes installment buying as easy as the advertising.
Advertising sure brings quick results--last week I advertised for a night watchman--the same night my safe was robbed.
Advertising helps raise the standard of living by raising the standard of longing.
Advertising transforms a yawn into a yearn.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Presentation Skills - Name Tags
According to Sheila Feigelson from Happy Associates, Ann Arbor, Michigan, there are many
ways to encourage people to laugh with each other and get them in fun WITHOUT being an entertainer. Sheila says, "There is always a certain amount of tension when people get together. They're thinking about things like: Who's here? How long will the meeting last? What's this going to obligate me to? Is it going to be any fun? How will my opinions and ideas be accepted? Some lighthearted humor and shared laughter help to reduce the natural tension and put people at ease. It can have an energizing effect, and perhaps most important, it can create the kind of climate that invites participation."
Sheila makes creative use of name tags to help get her audiences in fun. She says when name tags are being used, they can serve as wonderful icebreaker by including more than the participants' name and title. At one meeting, Sheila got tired of the old standby name tag "Hello, My Name Is . . ." so she instructed participants as they arrived to write their own name and the name of someone they are NOT. People looked quizzical at first, and then they got into the spirit and started laughing. Since there are so many people that each of us are not, our choices are almost limitless. During the introductions, people told who they were and who they weren't! It was fascinating. One person said, "My name is not Mary. She's my sister, and everyone gets us mixed up." And that led to another person volunteering, "I'm not Robert Redford . . . but no
one ever confuses us!!!"
Another name tag idea is to have people write their name and three significant numbers. After all, what do people say after they read your name? It's hardly an invitation to conversation, let alone smiles and laughter. So, on one occasion, Sheila wrote down three numbers that just came into her head: 3, 1, and 10. As she greeted old friends and new acquaintances, they looked at
her name tag and asked about the numbers. She replied, "I have three sons, one husband, and ten years ago is when I think I last cleaned out my kitchen junk drawer!" She noticed that several people returned to the registration table and added numbers to THEIR name tags as well! The conversations became more animated and personalized.
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