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.

On Broadway or in the Board Room - Just Have Fun

I love this piece by Patrick Healy in Monday's NYT:

Hopefuls Sing Out From Afar as Broadway Scouts Go Online

James Lapine, who is also directing the “Annie” revival, said that videos can sometimes help him notice talent that he might not otherwise see at live auditions.

“Actors, especially young actors, can be very nervous when they’re performing live in front of us,” he said. “Video auditions can reveal a level of focus, concentration and confidence.

The piece features a few of the best video auditions. My favorite was Julia Tan. Why? In addition to being quite talented, she has fun - and thus is fun to watch. I hope she makes it!

From the Green Room: Never underestimate the power of having fun during a presentation. Having fun is contagious. If you have fun, the audience will as well.

Focus on the Listener

One of the hardest speaking hurdles to get over is replacing the urge to "impress" with the desire to influence.

In this week's Slate, Will Oremus explains how Salman Khan, the founder of the Khan Academy succeeds because he speaks frankly and directly to his students - without trying to impress them:

There's nothing high-tech about Khan Academy. Nor is the concept entirely novel: Recorded lectures have been around at least as long as VCRs. It's the execution that sets Khan's site apart from the litany of failed ventures in educational technology.

Indeed, Khan Academy's success is unthinkable without Khan himself. Unconstrained by the need for approval from a district office, a teachers' union, or shareholders, he honed his service to meet the needs of the education world's most overlooked constituent: the student. Khan's videos—each shot in a single take—appeal because of, not in spite of, their lack of polish:

He comes across as a smart friend whose goal is to help you learn something, not monetize a product.

From the Green Room: Only you can move your audience to change. Only you can create influence. You will do so not by impressing your audience - but by making a personal connection.

For more on Salman Khan: http://sarahgershman.blogspot.com/2011/04/speak-to-move-not-to-inform.html.

Fois Gras and The Power of Storytelling

Listen to this fascinating food parable told by Chef Dan Barber on Ted.com (2008):



From the Green Room: Great speakers tell great stories.

For an excellent book on how to tell and use stories, read The Story Factor, by Annette Simmons.

Oklahoma! - Breaking Down the Fourth Wall

The "fourth" wall in theater refers to the imaginary wall between the audience and the action on stage.

One of the most thrilling aspects of Arena Stage's revival of Oklahoma! was the way performers broke down the fourth wall. The small theater in the round combined with the actors' incredible energy made the audience feel like they were part of the action.

Here are some highlights:




One of my favorite moments happened during the dancing in "Farmer and Cowman," I almost had to restrain myself from jumping on stage! I wondered if others felt the same way - and even if this had ever happened!

It was one of the most exciting musical numbers I have ever seen.


From the Green Room: Every time you speak, you have an opportunity to tear down the fourth wall and connect directly to your audience.

Here are three ways to do it:

1. Make your audience essential. Develop your content in such a way that your presentation would be impossible to deliver - without the particular audience you are speaking to.

2. Begin you presentation by asking the audience to do something. (answer a question, raise their hand, stand up, etc.)

3. Move to connect. Step away from the podium and move directly towards the people you are speaking to.

How to End: Speaking Lessons from Neil Patrick Harris

Which part of your presentation will people remember most?

The beginning and the end, of course.

Which part do we spend the most time on? That's right, the middle.

And which part do we spend the least time on? Sadly, the end.

In the 2011 Tony Awards, host Neil Patrick Harris reminds us of the power of a great ending:



From the Green Room: When you speak, don't skimp on your ending. Save your best for last.

Don't Rely on Your Speaking GPS

Last week, I got lost driving through a neighborhood in DC I actually knew pretty well.

The problem?

I relied too much on my GPS.

Rather than trust my instincts, I chose to follow exclusively on the advice of my GPS - and as a result, kept getting turned around.

Relying on my GPS prevented me from being able to look around and think,
"I've been here before. I know where I'm going, and I can figure out how to get there." I got lost because I was unable be be fully present in the moment.

From the Green Room: When you speak, turn off your GPS and get in the moment. Don't depend on your script. How?

1. Take the time beforehand to figure out your core message.
2. Based on this message, map out a clear outline.
3. Practice, practice, practice.

Then, when you get up to speak, you can move away from your script and be fully present. When the unexpected happens, you can return to your core message - and you won't get lost.