Don't Undermine Yourself

Listen to how Michelle Bachmann responds to her introduction  at the opening Iowa Caucus Night Speech:



Brad gives her a rousing introduction which he ends by saying that Bachmann:

"...pound for pound is the toughest person in Washington, DC."

Bachmann proceeds to take all the energy out of his words when she says:

"I was introduced in all 99 counties counties with that same phrase, "pound for pound."

From the Green Room:  No matter how embarrassed or annoyed you are by a on overly flattering, repetitive, or lengthy introduction, don't express this publicly. You will only undermine yourself.

To avoid this problem in the first place, take time to go over introduction beforehand. People are almost always happy for the speaker to give guidance on this.

Speaking Lesson from Drew Brees: It's You, Not Me

Watch New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' speech, after breaking Dan Marino's single season passing record:



Notice how he rarely speaks about his own feelings and accomplishments, but instead focuses on the roles played by everyone else. Not only does this show tremendous moral character, but it is a much more compelling and exciting speaking style.

From the Green Room: As much as possible, substitute "you" for "I."

For example, try to avoid beginning a speech by saying something like "I'm honored to be here." Instead, begin with a "you" statement: "Each one of you made this day possible."

Speaking Lesson from Elmo

Listen to this NPR interview with Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo:



About six minutes into the interview, Terry Gross asks Elmo what he has to do to remain invisible, especially when kids come into the studio.

He responds:

"They really don't look at me when they see Elmo. They run to Elmo because it's a friend of
theirs that they've been talking to and communicating with and singing with for so many years. We've found that the delusion is not broken by seeing us puppeteers. They see the characters in front of them. ... I get humbled by it all the time. The things that they tell Elmo, the expression on their face when they see their friend."

As a puppeteer, Clash connects with his audience by making himself invisible - by being someone Elmo. On one hand, making yourself invisible is the opposite of what you need to do as a speaker. You need to reveal yourself in order to connect to the audience.

On the other hand, there is a powerful speaking lesson here. By removing himself from the picture, Clash is able to be fully generous and present with his audience.

As a speaker, self-consciousness inhibits presence. When we are too aware of ourselves, we fail to be fully present with the audience - and we get nervous.

By focusing on the audience - by being generous - we are able to give the audience the full gift of our presence.

Be Generous

This is a great time of year to talk about generosity - one of the most powerful qualities a speaker can possess.


How do you feel when someone tries to sell you something?

At best, you may feel compelled to buy it.
At worst, you may feel manipulated, annoyed, and even violated.
But you almost never feel a true sense of connection with the seller.

Now, how do you feel when someone gives you a gift?

At worst, you may feel disappointed not to have gotten something better.
At best, you feel terrific.
And almost always, you feel grateful.

From the Green Room: Speak with generosity. Remember you are giving the audience a gift - not making a sales pitch. This subtle change in attitude makes can make enormous difference in how you approach your audience - and in how you are received.

Even to an Audience of One: Speaking Lesson from the Muppets

It happens to the best of us.

You prepare a super presentation - and no one shows up. Wait it gets worse. If absolutely nobody showed, you could at least call it a day and go home.

But one person comes. And you have no choice but to stay and give the presentation.

It happened to the Muppets.

In the 2011 movie, the Muppets have to put on the show of their lives - and only one person shows up to watch - Hobo Joe.

So what do they do?

They perform as if there were millions watching. And what happens? Eventually, millions tune in.

From the Green Room: Aim to be at your best every time you get up to speak - even if only one person shows up. You never know where that can lead.

Nancy Duarte - The Shape a Great Presentation

Listen to this inspiring TED talk given by Nancy Duarte, author of slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations:

Duarte explains that great presentations share the same basic shape - a movement between what is and what could be. She analyzes Steve Jobs' iPhone launch keynote and MLK's I Have a Dream peech - and demonstrates how - in very different ways - both speeches share that up-down shape.

While I find her analysis fascinating, what interested me even more was her ultimate takeaway: This is the shape of overcoming obstacles. By moving back and forth from what is to what could be, the speaker enables the audience to move past the resistance of the present reality - and into the possibilities for the future.

Speaking Lesson from Apple

Last night, I got a message on my iPhone asking me to download recent updates.

I get messages like these from Firefox all the time. Rarely do I pay attention.

But the one from Apple got my attention. Why?

Unlike Firefox, Apple told me specifically what the updates would do. In simple, concrete language, I learned which problems the updates would fix and how they would make my phone better.


So often speakers make the mistake of jumping into the substance without first explaining what they're there to do in the first place. The result? People lose attention.

From the Green Room: Early in your presentation, tell your audience what you're there to do - and how it will impact them. If you communicate clearly where you're taking them, your audience will be more likely to stay with you.

Be the Host - Not the Guest

This Thanksgiving, will you be a guest or a host?

A good guest shows due gratitude and appreciation to the host. But as a guest, you have much less power.

A host manages the entire experience for the guests. And a good host ensures that the guests feel welcomed, satisfied, and content.
If the evening is a success, it is the host who takes credit.


From the Green Room: When you speak, be the host - not the guest. Rather than begin your speech by thanking the audience for inviting you, begin by welcoming them to an experience.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Leave Room for Improv

Watch this hilarious Ted talk from this week - Charlie Shodd: The Shared Experience of Absurdity:



The absurd scenes created here were funny only because of the people involved who had no idea what was going on.

Speakers tend to practice as a way to avoid the unexpected. But while preparation is absolutely essential, it is sometimes those unexpected moments in a presentation that make the most impact.

From the Green Room: Know your core message. But don't memorize your speech. Leave room for a little improv!

Don't Suffer

What happened to Rick Perry in last night's debate is a speaker's nightmare - a brain freeze followed by 43 agonizing stammering seconds.

If this gaffe brings him down, it won't be because he forgot the name of the Department of Energy. It will be because of his response.

Rather than moving on with confidence and ease, Perry suffered - and the audience suffered with him.

From the Green Room: Face it - You will mess up. What matters is how you bounce back. Never suffer. Emotions are contagious and your audience will suffer as well. Keep your confidence. Keep your cool. And move on.

Step away from the Podium

Podiums create distance between you and the audience. They make it difficult to connect.

In this week's NYT, Michael Shear and Ashley Parker describe how Mitt Romney's speaking got much better once he stepped away from the lecturn:


When Mitt Romney crammed for the Republican presidential debates four years ago, he went all out: The campaign built a stage with four lecterns and used senior staff as stand-ins for his rivals, John McCain and Rudolph W. Giuliani...

This month, when Mr. Romney prepared for his seventh debate of the 2012 campaign, at Dartmouth College, there were no lecterns. No one playing Rick Perry or Herman Cain...Mr. Romney and a few aides simply sat around a small table at the Hanover Inn in New Hampshire and batted around topics in the news.

The result was markedly different. Four years ago, Mr. Romney responded to a debate question about the Iraq war by lapsing into consultant-speak. “The question is kind of a non sequitur, if you will, and what I mean by that — or a null set,” he said.

At a recent debate, he gave short snappy answers — “nice try!” — as he delivered another in a string of largely successful debate performances.

From the Green Room: Whenever possible, step away from the podium. This is one of the easiest ways to improve your speaking. By removing this physical barrier, you are more likely to speak naturally and succinctly - and to speak directly to your audience.

And even if you need to speak with a lectern, take a lesson from Romney and practice without the podium.

Remembering Steve Jobs

Harness the Power of Stillness

Last week in Vegas, Jock Elliott earned the title of 2011 World Champion of Public Speaking in a contest sponsored by Toastmasters International. Here is his remarkable speech, "Just So Lucky":



This week's New York Times Magazine featured a piece about the contest in which Elliott reflects on what made him stand out:

By the time it was Elliott’s turn, he felt good about his odds of winning... While the other speeches relied on props and histrionics, Elliott’s was much quieter. “I was very conscious that the style of it, the physical stillness and vocal quietness, would be at variance with the others, and that would either work for or against me.”

From the Green Room: So often, speakers try to get attention by moving around a lot and by making as much noise as possible.

Instead, try to harness the power of stillness when you speak. Pause. Lower your voice when you make your most important point (of course, audibly!) Keep your head still.

It is in the stillness that people are fully able to absorb the impact of your message.

The Power of the Prop

Listen to this wonderful panel from this Wednesday's Kojo Nnandi Show on NPR:

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/audio-player?nid=20084

Kojo interviews Sharon Gruber, nutrition consultant Bread for the City, a Washington organization that provides food, clothing, medical care, legal and social services to the poor.


About 8 minutes in Sharon was asked to speak about a gleaning program at Bread, where local farmers donate leftover fresh produce to be given to low income residents.

Rather than just talking about the gleaned food, Sharon brought it in! She spoke about the beautiful radishes, the whole bags of basil, the squash and ears of corn. The listeners heard the sound of the farm fresh produce tumbling on the table.

Even though we couldn't actually see the produce, Sharon's brilliant use of a prop helped us concretize and remember her message much more than words could ever do.

From the Green Room: Use a prop - one prop - and use it well. It is a powerful way to make your message stick.

How to Slow Down

Most people think they speak too quickly - especially in front of a group.

So how can you learn to slow down?

The answer? By believing in the importance of your message.

If you truly have something you need to share with your particular audience, you'll naturally do everything you can to make sure each person can understand you.

So often, we speak too quickly because we don't want to waste other people's time. We want to get through the material as fast possible, so that the audience can move on with their day.

From the Green Room: If you prepare a clear, concise, and relevant message for your audience - you will naturally slow down so they can fully receive it.