Public Speaking: Doors And Windows

When deciding how to set up a presentation room when you have full control of the logistics, pay close attention to these two major distracters . . . doors and windows.

DOORS CAN BE A PROBLEM IN SEVERAL WAYS.

A. They may have squeaky hinges -- Solution: ask maintenance to oil them.
B. They may have really loud latches -- Solution: use the masking tape in your accessories bag (you do have one right?) to tape the latch so that you don't hear it engage when the door opens and closes. Also, make a sign and have it with your notes that says,"In session. Please enter quietly" or something like that.

If possible you want to face the doors so that every time someone enters or leaves they are not distractingly in the line of site of the audience. If you are a humorous presenter, you may deliver pre-planned ad libs to people coming and going because you will see them instantly.

WINDOWS (not the computer kind although we know they can betrouble too :) )

Windows can cause lighting problems when showing visuals and be extremely distracting especially if there is beautiful scenery orother distractions outside. I try to close the curtains if at all possible to knock out both of those problems at once.
If there are no curtains, you may have to really scramble to rethink your visuals which in bright daylight might be impossible to see. In desperation circumstances I've taped up , flip chart paper (it's not that good) wrapping paper, and news paper, but in every one of those case things still weren't that good. One time I hung my overcoat over a window. The more you know about the room in advance, the better you'll do.

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Public Speaking: WOW Your Audience

What do you do during your presentations that cause the audience to say WOW? Dewitt Jones, a former photographer for National Geographic uses slides that literally give you goose pimples. Tom Ogden, an award winning magician from the Magic Castle in Los Angeles uses, what else, magic. Dave Gorden tells a story about Walt Disney. I use a special freeze frame video segment and shoot fire in the air.

In fact, there are many things that you can use or do to make your audience say WOW! You may have great voice quality like my friend, author and former radio announcer, Rick Ott. You may use your appearance like professional speaker Larry Winget who wears funny glasses and ties. You might sing or play a musical instrument or juggle or use props.

If you want to push your name up the memorability chart, put something unique in your presentations that causes the audience members to go WOW!

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Public Speaking: Schmooze

One of the easiest things to do to get a good reaction from the audience is to schmooze with them before the presentation. I actually start this by pre-program phone interviews before I even get to the state where I'm speaking. This tip has to do with schmoozing right before you go on stage.

Whenever possible make it a firm point to have your presentation equipment and materials set up and tested long before anyone is expected to arrive at the meeting. When the attendees do begin to arrive, start introducing yourself as the speaker and shaking hands with them. If they are coming in a few at a time, you should be able to spend a few minutes talking to each group. Either make small talk or ask them what they want to get out of being there.

Pay particular attention to people that are by themselves and facilitate introducing them around if it's appropriate . . . at any rate, make them feel at home.These small gestures will create tons of rapport and cause most of the people that you've touched to be rooting for you.

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Public Speaking: Improvise Your Flipchart

Oops! I broke my own rules and did not follow a checklist on my last presentation. It was two minutes until start time and I realized there was no flipchart in the room. Oh oh!. Better think fast. I was not using an overhead projector either, so I could not simply write on a blank transparency.Now one & 1/2 minutes left . . . . I thought, "Never let em see you sweat."

So, I went into the hall way to sweat. I saw a flipchart in use by the AirForce folks who were in the next room. I borrowed one piece of flipchart paper and went back into my room. Now one minute left. I put the paper on the floor still not knowing what I would do with it.So I hit the stage and begin the program. 30 minutes in it was the momentof truth. I had a spare marker in my prop box. Ok so far. I had masking tape too. . . . but the way the room was set there was no place to put thepiece of paper that would allow both sides of the room to see it.

I guess it was time to have some fun. I asked for three volunteers to BE my flipchart. I qualified the request to include one person with a black shirt (in case the marker leaked through the paper). This got a good laugh.I had the person with the black shirt turn their back to the audience. The other two helpers held the flipchart paper against blackshirt's back. We had a blast! The three volunteers were laughing. The audience was laughing. Ad-libs were flying. The blackshirt person was getting tickled with the point of the marker. And I still got the point across that I had planned all along.

OK I'll admit I messed up by not checking for the flipchart. However, if you are willing and able to stay flexible in the face of the inevitable challenges you will face as a fun presenter, adversity can turn positive very quickly.

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Public Speaking: Make 'Em Wonder

I suppose most of my readers know by now that I push the limits most of the time to make sure my audience stays awake. It should be no surprise to you then that I will attack another common old style snoozer technique (and I know I will get letters from educational theory folks, but that is OK) . . . that is, telling the participants what you are going to cover during your presentation. I say let em figure it out as you go.

If they think they know where you are going, then it is easy for them to "zone out"since they "think" they know what you are going to say. The wayI do it is to make them wonder, "What in the heck is he going todo next?," which forces them to stay alert to find out.

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Public Speaking: Raise Your Fee And Give Away Your Products

RAISE YOUR FEE AND GIVE AWAY YOUR PRODUCTS

I started using this tip the moment my latest book came off the presses, but you can use any kind of product to make it work. Here's how it works.

You always want to add extra value for the people hiring you as their speaker. Let's say you give the meeting organizer 100 books or audio tapes when he or she hires you to speak.The products can be given away to the audience members, or sold at the event to help defray the cost of your appearance.

This technique also makes you more attractive to speakers bureaus because your fee is higher. If you create the products yourself and keep the unit cost low, you still come out ahead after paying for the product and the speakers bureau commission AND the client gets added value too.

Everyone wins and that's what keeps us working.

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Public Speaking: Customized, Automatic Responses

Here's your dumb question of the day. If you got a promotional email that was generic, would you read it as carefully as you would an email that was totally customized to your wants?
You can now send customized emails automatically while you are doing something else.
Here's how it works.

When someone wants information about your company, you have them fill out a form. The result of each question on the form is then sent to a company called DataBack.com
This company keeps a pre-written message that you created on file for every possible answer given in the form. When the form is completed, DataBack company sends the person that filled out theform a customized email which paragraph-by-paragraph exactly addresses that person's interests.

I.e., their email is totally customized just for them.

Example:
Form Question 1: What kind of meetings do you do?
Form Answer 1: National Association Meetings

Automatic Response Paragraph 1: I have extensive experience doing National Association meetings. You might want to check out whatsome of my other association clients say about me.

Form Question 2: Where is your meeting?
Form Answer 2: Denver

Automatic Response Paragraph 2: I noticed that your event is in Denver. We have a special no travel expense deal for Denver. I'll explain it to you when we talk.
etc., etc., etc.

Do you see the power of this technique? DataBack company is creating a paragraph-by-paragraph customized response to the person making an inquiry about your service.
The person reading the email will only be exposed to exactly what he/she is interested in which will most likely increase yourresponse from them and since it's automated you won't have to bethere to make this all happen.

Oh, and one more tip. Tell DataBack company to delay your automated response one day which will make the email seem like you wrote it yourself. If the person filling out the form gets the email back from you immediately, it will be obvious that youreally didn't send it yourself.

Shopping cart system that Tom uses: You get a five-hourorientation with Tom narrating to lead you through the basic setup and advanced sales strategies. http://www.kickstartcart.com

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Public Speaking : OLD PROPS

If you want to grab some attention to make your point, bring something really old to the presentation that means something to you (no "take my wife please" jokes here).

It could be a toy your grown child played with as a youngster, or it could even be one of your toys from when you were a child. A visit to grandma's attic will probably give you tons of choices. Have grandma or grandpa tell you stories of how you used to love that doll, toy truck, etc.

You could even record one or both of them telling the story and play a segment during your speech. (Get proper releases though because it would be pretty embarrassing to get sued by your grandmother for violating her intellectual property rights) hehehe I can see the court docket now, Nana vs. Little Binky

I have a pair of cufflinks and a tie clip I had as a boy. It could be just about anything. Use your normal prop handling techniques and relate the object to a point in your talk and the fascination with old props will work for you.

Public Speaking : GET A DOG

I just started putting a picture of me and my dog as the background to my computer desktop. When I'm at a speaking engagement with my laptop, the picture of me and Willow is always up on the screen. I was fooling with the Icons on the desktop one day and I thought it would be funny to put the "Recycle Bin" right in front of Willow's mouth. People thought it was hysterical.

They started coming up before and after the program to tell meall the funny stuff their dog does, eats, etc.

The bigger picture here is that if you include something personal about yourself in the presentation, people will gravitate toward you and will be MUCH MORE LIKELY TO LAUGH WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING FUNNY. Rapport is almost instantaneous with the people that can relate to whatever personal detail you revealed. The people that don't really relate, usually don't react negatively. About the worst you'll get is a neutral response from them.

Here are some ideas of visuals you could use:

=> You with your kids/family

=> You doing a hobby

=> You at a very young age, maybe with a funny hairdo

=> You with your mom and dad

=> You at Halloween/prom, etc.

You can be sure that someone or many people will come up and comment on the photo even if you don't say anything about it at first.

Some people create entire funny segments based around the visual. Try this technique and you'll see how much fun simple personal details can be.

Public Speaking : SPEAKER HUMOR

=> Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again.

=> Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones.

=> Many people do not believe in miracles . . . they rely on them.

=> The early bird who catches the worm usually works for someone who comes in late and owns the worm farm.

=> Efficiency is a highly developed form of laziness.

=> Children left unattended will be towed at parents expense.

=> Always try to stop talking before people stop listening.

=> It is okay to be ignorant in some areas, but some people abuse the privilege.

=> If something is done wrong often enough, it becomes right.

=> Some come to the fountain of knowledge to drink, some prefer to just gargle.

=> When working on a project, if you put away a tool that you're certain you're finished with, you will need it instantly.

=> Never bet on a loser because you think his luck is about to change.

=> If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization.

=> The more an item costs, the farther you have to send it for repairs.

=> All good things must come to an end, I just want to know when they start!

=> Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.

=> If on an actuarial basis there is a 50-50 chance that something will go wrong, it will actually go wrong nine times out of ten.

Public Speaking : CRIME SCENE

Here's a fun way I recently used to get multiple points across. I got a yellow and black crime scene tape from a novelty store. I invited five volunteers to the stage to "supposedly" make a square with the tape with one of the volunteers standing in the middle of the square with me.

I say "supposedly make a square" because a square never materialized. Either my instructions were poor or people were just having so much fun they didn't hear them. I'll opt for the latter :) It was more like an amoeba/moving crime scene, but it turned out more funny than my original idea was.

The idea was to have the person in the middle read out loud things that they might hear a web designer say. After they read the line, I would say to the audience, "You have just witnessed. . . " and the audience was cued to yell out, "A CRIME." After the audience said, "A CRIME" each time, I would elaborate on the point to tell them why the item was a crime and what they should really do.

For the last one, which was one of my most important points, I cued the audience to say, "A BIG CRIME."

I gave away prizes to my helpers as they were leaving the stage and the big crime scene tape was left in a heap on the floor to remind them of the points.