You should know the purpose of your program. Is it to inform, per- suade, educate, or motivate? Do you know what you want people to leave with? Why should they care about what you have to say?
What are the three big points you want to make? Focus in depth on
these points, and use lots of examples. Do not overload your audi- ence with numerous points. What do you want them to remember?
This will be the basis of your talk. Your preference for introspec- tion will allow you to reflect on this and think it through before putting pen to paper. Being prepared gives you the confidence to get up there and be with your audience. Many introverted profession- als I know have said that people do not believe them when they say they are introverts because they look so at ease on the stage. It is the preparation that allows them to relax during the delivery.
2.Tell Me a Story
A few years ago, I heard Montel Williams deliver a keynote speech to a room full of administrative professionals. He told a story about promoting his secretary to president of one of his companies and introduced this woman to the crowd. It was a moving moment, and many of the people in the audience were visibly touched by his show- casing a living, breathing role model. There is power in examples.
How many times have you heard a speaker, whether a motivational speaker or your CEO, engage a group by sharing a story? How often have you seen a leader make a point by sharing a personal experi- ence? The use of stories to drive home a point is a skill you too can master.
Stories emphasize ideas a lot more powerfully than bullet points on a slide. The good news is that you can prepare and rehearse these stories to make a much stronger case. This can be done to motivate a team on a project that is lagging, or to influence cus- tomers to purchase your product. Today, stories are the key to a successful presentation.
Annette Simmons, a storytelling expert, says, “The human pres- ence in communication is frequently elbowed out by criteria designed to make communication clear, bite sized and attention grabbing, but which instead oversimplifies, truncates and irritates. These ‘sub goals’
often obscure the real goal: human connection. Communication can’t feel genuine without the distinctive personality of a human being to provide context. You need to show up when you communicate. The real you, not the polished, idealized you. The missing ingredient in Public Speaking 33
most failed communication is humanity. This is an easy fix. In order to blend humanity into every communication you send, all you have to do is tell more stories and bingo—you just showed up. Your com- munication has a human presence.”2
We are not all natural-born storytellers (coming from someone who forgets the punch line of most jokes!), but you can learn to tell great stories. There are sources of stories all around us: the media, books, movies, television, etc. I think the most powerful stories, how- ever, come from our own experience. This is especially true when we reveal our flaws. It is then that we connect with the audience.
I remember an experience several years ago when our family went whitewater rafting. My spouse, Bill, flipped out of the raft, and because I never really listened to our trusted, pony-tailed guide before the trip, I practically strangled Bill in the process of “rescuing” him.
I often use that story (with more graphic details, of course) to make a point about the importance of listening. It certainly wasn’t funny at the time, but in retrospect, with time to reflect and weave lessons like that into the story, people can relate to it, and I can make a point at the same time. You can do the same.
Follow a format that works. What is the point you want to make?
What was going on in the scene? Include the smells, the sights, and the sounds. You can help the listener be there with you. I am so com- mitted to tell stories in my work now that I keep a small notebook with me and jot down memories and observations. Just open your eyes and you will find stories waiting to be told.
3. No More PowerPoint Karaoke
Though PowerPoint is a great tool, it has become overused and over- relied on by many of us. Too many bullet points on a slide, reading the slide out loud when the audience can do it themselves, and not promoting audience engagement are some negative impacts of PowerPoint. Kevin Smith, a marketing manager at Dell Canada, put it well: “The audience showed up to hear the expert (that’s you) talk about a solution to a problem that’s causing them pain, not to hear you perform ‘PowerPoint karaoke’ by reading PowerPoint off of the slides.”
Instead, consider using photos, other images, a single question, key words, and even audio to make your points. Cliff Atkinson has some great examples of how to construct these types of presentations on his Web site www.beyondbulletpoints.com. One benefits specialist resis- ted this approach. I suggested that her audience take notes on an out- lined handout, and for her to make the material available online. You are better off providing only the three key points in your presentation on your slides. By writing down the points that are important to them, audience members will increase their retention, and they can get more details in their follow-up online. I don’t think people can retain the myr- iad of benefits details she is providing. Your audiences will appreciate this approach and gain more from your program.
Prepare Yourself