One of the old saws of public speaking says that you should "Tell em what you are gonna tell em. Tell em. Then tell em what you told em." When you want to make a point during your presentation, you can use a similar formula. You tell em the point, illustrate the point, then tell em the point again. This formula, however, can seem boring and redundant if you dont spice it up a little. One way to do it is to use humor. Here is the formula:
1. Make your point.
2. Illustrate your point (in our case with a humorous two-liner, but you could use props, humorous props, funny stories, serious stories, case studies, etc.)
3. Restate your point.
Here is an example where your point is "The Importance of Communication."
1. First make your point by saying, Accurate and clear communication is an important part of our everyday lives.
2. Then illustrate your point. In this case use a humorous two-liner. Its like the student pilot who was asked over the radio to state his altitude and location. He said, "I am five feet nine and I am in the left seat."
3. Then restate your point in a slightly different manner by saying, You can see how what we may think is clear communication could be interpreted incorrectly especially when people are under pressure. (Ref: Wake em Up Business Presentations Page 65)
"This book gives you advanced presentations skills and humor training that would otherwise take you years to learn. It is an absolute must read for anyone who wants to be a fantastic presenter."
Patricia Fripp, Past president & first woman president of the National Speakers Association
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Sunday, December 7, 2008
Public Speaking: How To Make A Point With Humor
Public Speaking: Make 'Em The Stars
If you make the audience the stars, they will make you the star by giving you higher evaluations and buying more of your ideas, products and services. Here are a few ways to do it:
=> Get them on stage with you. I find an excuse in virtually every presentation to have one or many people up there with me.
=> Mention their individual names, or subgroups during the program. Praise their accomplishments and mention the good ideas you got from them in your pre program research.
=> Put quotations of the audience members in the handouts. . . . again you could have easily gleaned quotes during your pre program research.
=> Put quotations and ideas of the audience members in custom visuals (overheads, slides and computer generated images). I do custom quote overheads with my company name on them at the bottom. After using it in the presentation, I give it to the person who gave me the information. I've seen these pinned up on the recipients bulletin board long after my presentation.
=> Give out awards. Find out who the unsung heros are and make up an award to present during your presentation.
=> Give out prizes for people who participate in a positive way.
Want to be more professional in the way you approach each speaking engagement? Do at least two of the above items every time you speak. . . . Raise the bar and make them the stars. (Ref: Wake em Up Business Presentations)
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Amazing Public Speaking: Props Part 2
Types of props There are many different kinds of props that can be used to your advantage in a presentation. Extra large or extra small props are funny. Noisemakers are funny. Even though you are attacking the sense of hearing, you are attacking it in a unique way that makes it memorable. Costumes and magic tricks make good props.
I have a friend who speaks on telephone skills. He uses a giant telephone receiver to make a point about the importance of phone skills. I used a clown prop to make the serious point that if we went through with this merger it would be like being in a thunderstorm with a clown umbrella (for those of you that do not know, a clown umbrella is only about 8 inches in diameter).
Noisemakers are fun. I recommended that a sales manager get one of those expressway revenge devices that makes machine gun, ray gun, and bomb noises when you press a button. If XYA company (remember no Zs) gets in our way, this is what will do to them (he pressed the machine gun button while holding the device near the microphone). He got his point across.
I have worn gorilla costumes, brought full-size mannequins on stage and kicked them around. I have done simple magic tricks and many other things to get my point across in a more memorable and interesting fashion.
You dont necessarily have to do wild things to use props. A very creative friend of mine, Carolyn Long, was going to talk about the keys to creativity. She opened by holding up keys, then discarded them in favor of a combination lock. Her point was made.
Tips for using props
=> Normally you should keep your special props hidden until you are ready to use them.
=> Make sure the prop can be seen from all parts of the room.
=> ALWAYS talk to the audience, not the prop (unless the prop is a puppet).
=> Make sure the audience is focused on surprise props before you unleash the surprise. (If using a fake peanut can with pop out snakes, hold the can in full view for an extra second before you open it so the audience does not miss it).
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Recent Articles:
- Amazing Public Speaking: Props Part 1
- Public Speaking: Be A Little Phony On The Phone
- More Humour For Public Speaking - Making Fun Of St...
- Using Humour For Your Next Presentation - Public S...
- Speaking To Younger Audiences
- Amazing Public Speaking Testimonial Tips
- Public Speaking Book Review: Words That Sell
Amazing Public Speaking: Props Part 1
The term "prop" is a shortened version of the theatrical term "property," a word used to describe any object handled or used by an actor in a performance. As a presenter you are a performer whether you believe it or not. You have an obligation to use whatever means that are necessary to get your message across to the audience.
I think of props as any physical item that is on stage with you. Your flipchart is a prop. Your lectern is a prop. Overhead projectors, pointers, notes, chairs, markers, pens, and other audio/visual aids are all forms of props. Conversely,props are a form of visual aid.
Why use props?
Props help warm up the audience. They can be used as a substitute for notes. They help focus attention on the points you are trying to make along with illustrating them for you. They make better connections than your words with the visually oriented members of your audience. They create interest, add variety, and make your points more memorable.
Props can be used pre-program to pass around in the audience in anticipation of the program. You see this at large arenas when beach balls and Frisbees are being tossed around in the crowd. I pass out snacks and/or custom-designed crossword puzzles about the group that I make on my computer. The puzzles make especially great icebreakers because the members of the group get together to help each other with the solutions.
Do you hate relying on notes? Props can be a substitute for written cheat sheets. To illustrate this in live seminars and television interviews I use three hats as an outline for a program. The first hat is a gag ball cap that has really long hair attached to it so that you look like a hippie when you wear it. The second hat is a black top hat. The third is a safari hat. Each hat prompts me to talk about a thoroughly rehearsed bit or chunk. Putting on the longhaired ball cap immediately reminds me to talk about when the company was young and aggressive. After that section I remove the ball cap (if you have a fun and playful audience, you could put it on an audience member's head), then I put on the black top hat. The top hat prompts a section on the mature growth years of the company. I then put on the safari hat which kicks off a section on searching for new business. The whole talk is done without any notes at all. You only have to memorize your opening and closing and practice each of the sections independently as you learned in a previous issue.
Didnt someone say a prop is worth a thousand words? Maybe that was a picture, but its just about the same thing. Many times a well selected prop will illustrate your point much better than you could ever do in words. It also focuses attention directly on the point you are trying to make because it is something novel that is occurring during the presentation. People can space out easily on your words, but a unique prop is hard to ignore. Also, the visually oriented people in your audience will perk up and get more value when you use props.
Memorability is another good reason to use props. People remember pictures far longer than words. That is why the great storytellers try to use words to create images in your mind. They know the images will be remembered when the words are long forgotten. If you are not a great storyteller yet, you can use props to help create these pictures.
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- Public Speaking: Be A Little Phony On The Phone
- More Humour For Public Speaking - Making Fun Of St...
- Using Humour For Your Next Presentation - Public S...
- Speaking To Younger Audiences
- Amazing Public Speaking Testimonial Tips
- Public Speaking Book Review: Words That Sell
- Public Speaking Book Review: "The Shortcut to Pers...
Public Speaking: Be A Little Phony On The Phone
"Wow! Your phone message is just too happy!" "You've got way too much energy." "How do you stay so upbeat?" These are just some of the comments I get about my voice mail message and my technique for answering the phone. Many times I answer personally and the person on the other end of the line starts to leave a message. They think I'm the voice mail. Hahaha I tell them I answer that way so if I don*t like them I can say "beep" and hang up.
You can't catch me answering the phone poorly. If I feel bad, I still answer the phone in an upbeat manner which sometimes knocks me out of my bad mood. If I feel so bad that I just can't rise to the occasion, then I DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE. It's all part of walking your talk, or I guess in this case you would call it "talking your talk." If I profess to be able to create excitement in the client's organization and I can*t even do it in my own, I've lost a considerable amount of credibility. My interns aren't even allowed to answer the phone until they can absolutely prove that they won't hurt my reputation of being upbeat and exciting.
Listen to your own voice mail message. Is it as enthusiastic as it could be? Does it convey the personality you are selling to the client? How about the way you answer the phone? Would you be proud if I called you and critiqued your technique?
You can sell a ton of products and services just because of the way you act on the telephone. Be a little phony if you're not feeling great, but push yourself toward enthusiasm. Potential clients don't want to hire a dud.
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More Humour For Public Speaking - Making Fun Of Stupid People
40 TERMS FOR THE STUPID:
A few clowns short of a circus.
Dumber than a box of hair.
Too much yardage between the goal posts.
A few fries short of a Happy Meal.
An experiment in Artificial Stupidity.
A few beers short of a six-pack.
A few peas short of a casserole.
Doesn't have all her cornflakes in one box.
The wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead.
One Fruit Loop shy of a full bowl.
One taco short of a combination plate.
A few feathers short of a whole duck.
All foam, no beer.
The cheese slid off her cracker.
Body by Fisher, brains by Mattel.
Couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel.
He fell out of the Stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
An intellect rivaled only by garden tools.
As smart as bait.
Chimney's clogged.
Doesn't have all his dogs on one leash.
Doesn't know much, but leads the league in nostril hair.
Elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor.
Forgot to pay her brain bill.
Her sewing machine's out of thread.
His antenna doesn't pick up all the channels.
His belt doesn't go through all the loops.
If she had another brain, it would be lonely.
Missing a few buttons on his remote control.
No grain in the silo.
Proof that evolution CAN go in reverse.
Receiver is off the hook.
Several nuts short of a full pouch.
Skylight leaks a little.
Slinky's kinked.
Surfing in Nebraska.
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
The lights are on, but nobody's home.
24 cents short of a quarter.
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Using Humour For Your Next Presentation - Public Speaking
Test humor is humor that is placed in your written introduction. It is to be read by your introducer, not by you. Pick a couple of these lines and stick with them. The real value of test humor comes when you have heard the same line being delivered in your introduction over and over. The laughter of the audience will tell you if they are ready to laugh. This concept is called "in fun" (see Wake' em Up Business Presentations for a complete explanation.)
NOTE: The "?" is for your name, and most of these pieces of test humor can be used for either male or female presenters
? is one of the greatest speakers ever and that's just not my opinion, it's his/hers too. Let's welcome ? (lead enthusiastic applause)
It has been said that ? is the number one man/woman in the field of ???. And here folks is the man/woman who said it. Let's welcome ? (lead enthusiastic applause)
The man/woman I am about to introduce is so full of ideas I have heard him described as a manic EXPRESSIVE. Let's welcome ? (lead enthusiastic applause)
? is a man/woman who helps people. In fact, he/she would never turn someone away from his/her door if they needed help ...He/she would let them sit there all day if they wanted to. Let's welcome ? (lead enthusiastic applause)
Some people believe that ? is one of the greatest business speakers alive today....Of course some people believe in the Easter Bunny. Let's welcome ? (lead enthusiastic applause)
?'s discussion of (subject) will be very enlightening. She says that after her talk you will still be confused, but on a much higher plane.
? says she is going to speak and hopefully you are going to listen. If you finish before she does, please raise your hand.
? says she will be happy to answer any questions you might have as long as you don't ask, "Why did you bother to come here?"
Although she eventually became a model ? says she wasn't the cutest child. In fact, her parents threw away her kindergarten photo and framed the negative.
? says she doesn't read Fortune, but she has eaten a lot of their cookies.
? says she wants to fly to Hawaii for a second honeymoon and she's getting her husband to drive her to the airport.
? says their are seven ages of women: Baby, infant, Jr. Miss, Young Woman, Young Woman, Young Woman and Young Woman.
? Says the best years of her life were the ten years between 29 and 30.
? Says he was a war baby. His parents looked at him and started fighting.
? Says he was born during the great depression. Not the countries. His mothers.
? Says she will give you in length what she lacks in depth.
She/he wants you to think of her/his talk as the horns of a steer. A point here, a point there and a lot of bull in between.
For all female audience:
? says diamonds are a girl's best friend and dogs are a man's best friend. Now you know which sex has more sense.
? says a businesswoman has to be twice as good as a man. Fortunately, that's not hard to do.
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Speaking To Younger Audiences
When speaking to a youth group you must use attention gaining devices several times per minute to combat the extremely short attention spans which are normal for that age group.
You should also speak at a very fast pace to force them to keep up with you. You can also randomly point to a particular person and ask them to repeat what you just said. Yes, I know putting them on the spot can back fire and alienate you, but which is worse, talking when no one is listening or at least getting their attention with a little confrontation? . . . I really don't know the answer, but for my money I'll lean toward confrontation any day over being ignored.
Alex Ryan
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Amazing Public Speaking Testimonial Tips
There are two types and four formats of testimonials.
Types:
· Pat on the back · Results Based
Formats:
· Written · Audio · Video · Oral
I have found that "results based" testimonials are by far the most effective. "Pat on the back" testimonials are nice and I would certainly use them if that's all I had, but I want you to keep your eyes out for "results based" testimonials.
Example of "Results Based" Testimonial:
"Since we started working with Tom our monthly revenues have quadrupled." Patsi and Denise AKA the Blog Squad
Example of "Pat on the Back" Testimonial:
"We recently had a consultation with Tom and he really took a lot of time working with us. We really liked him." Sally and Joe Nicepeople
Even though the "Pat on the Back" testimonial may appeal to people who really want personal attention, it generally won't help you as much as the "Results Based" testimonial.
Extra testimonial tips:
Make sure your testimonial is believable. I got one once where the person claimed that my information doubled his business in one week and this guy already had a really big business. I did not use the testimonial because it was not believeable to most people and I think he just wanted a link from my website back to his.
Also, make sure your testimonial is not too long. You can excerpt from it. If you feel the need to put in the entire thing (which is most cases is a bad idea), at least highlight the best things said so you don't bore people to death.
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Public Speaking Book Review: Words That Sell
The title of this article is the same as a famous book by Richard Bayan that is used by marketing professionals around the world. As I was looking through it the other day I realized that the same kinds of words could be used in public speaking to get the same kinds of effects.
We want to sell our ideas don't we? We want to increase our credibility don't we? We want to move people to action don't we? These are all the things that good advertising copywriters try to do in print with their words. Judiciously using the phrases in this book will give you a more scientific way to accomplish the goals of your speech. You will have specific words and word phrases to pick from to get a particular response from the audience.
Example: Let's say you are telling the audience about a good resource that you want them to check out. You want to persuade them to seek it out and take advantage of it. You might turn to the "Words that Sell" book and go to the "Informative" section. There you would find words and word phrases that mean valuable and informative.
You might say:
"This resource will:
take the guesswork out of ...
expand your knowledge ...
help to alter your perceptions of ...
keep you abreast of ...
give you new insight ...
give you the hard facts ...
keep you ahead of the game ...
There were 33 phrases in that section alone. This book will simplify your work especially when you are searching for just the right thing to say to make a particular point. In addition, it is an indispensable tool to have around when you are writing copy for your promotional material and website.
Alex Ryan
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Public Speaking Book Review: "The Shortcut to Pers...
Public Speaking Book Review: "The Shortcut to Persuasive Presentations" by Larry Tracy
Book Review
"The Shortcut to Persuasive Presentations" by Larry Tracy
I'm amazed by Larry Tracy. Larry was an accomplished speaker before I even started. He has the uncanny ability to meet you, learn a few things about you and give a PERFECT introduction as if he'd known you for years.
Larry has endorsements from President Ronald Reagan (the great communicator), Ambassadors and hundreds of other top government, military and political figures.
His book has a very interesting section called "Murder Boards". This is a group of people that hit you with every hard question in the book BEFORE you do your actual presentation. . . . Talk about high level preparation.
One of Larry's jobs was to explain government policy to some of the most demanding and hostile audiences in the country. He did this over 400 times. If you do what's in this book, I don't believe there is anything that could shake you up on stage.
Larry gives exact details on how to deal with difficult audiences and even how to lure debaters into saying things that undermine themselves to their supporters.
I also loved Larry's explanation of "Primacy" and "Recency". He totally made me realize how important openings and closings are.
You can't go wrong with this book.
Tom Antion
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