I tell my audiences that speaking is the new competitive weapon. Still, people resist and tell me that they’re not public speakers. Well, what if  somebody asks you for a video testimonial? That’s public speaking. You might as well learn the skill of public speaking. It’s not going away.

Your video presentation can be a gift or a curse to the person who asks for a testimonial. A video testimonial will not sell the audience if the speaker has poor presentation skills. What presenters may forget is that the same speaking skills apply whether you’re speaking live or on video.

Watch how Alan Weiss skillfully gives his testimonial. It has a beginning or introduction where he establishes his credibility and introduces the person he’ll endorse. In the middle, or the body, he gives the testimonial, and  in his conclusion, he ends with a call to action. He loops back to his opening chess analogy. You don’t need a professional videographer or fancy staging to be effective, but you do need  good lighting and to make eye contact with the camera.  See for yourself.

First, know why and when to call a meeting-What outcomes are you trying to achieve?

When to Have a Meeting

1. To gain buy-in and commitment.
2. To deliver information to several people quickly.
3. To make a time sensitive decision.
4. When several people need the same information at the same time.
5. You’ve received several calls or emails about the same situation.

When NOT to Have a Meeting

1. Tradition. Your team has always met on this day.
2. There is no particular issue or topic.
3. You already know what to do and you’re the decision-maker.
4. The appropriate people are not available to attend.

Use these guidelines reduce the number of meetings and increase your productivity.

So I decided to challenge myself to describe what I do in 7 words or less.  There’s a magic to the number 7:  Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Seven Seals, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, and Lucky Sevens.

Here’s what I came up with: Reduce speaking anxiety and monetize your mouth.

After I sent this out to our listserve, a number of people commented about how much they loved it and how well it describes what I do as an executive speaking strategist.  So, I decided to offer the same challenge to people in my network.  Admittedly, it was difficult.  But I was proud of some of the responses that came in.  Here is a sampling:

• Cut costs without cutting corners. -Yosef Rabinowitz
• I increase people’s retirement income 30%. -Ronald Stair
• Helping businesses free up cash and time. -Stacy Luft
• Catalyst for gaining, retaining, reactivating & recovering business.  -Sheila Ziegler
• Engage and cultivate to sell and prosper. -Regina Bonolo
• Expos your business to qualified leads. -Mark Newart
• Help you plan for future financial security. -Jeanne McDonald
• I make real estate dreams come true. -Mona Holzman
• Protecting you and your family’s financial future. -Liran Hirschkorn
• Resolving business disputes through artbitration and mediation. -David Abeshouse
• I save businesses money in merchant services. -Michael Bernstein
• Highly experienced, business-savvy, entrepreneurial lawyer. -Craig Delsack
• Protect your special needs child legally and financially. -Marie Cantone
• People Person, Talent Connector, Staffing Administrative Jobs. -Amparo Connors
• I coach men and women through divorce. -Heidi Bernstein-Krantz
• Green solutions for your pest control problems. -Andrew Luxenberg
• Optimize your organization by implementing effective policies. -Sheila Cockburn
• Branding: it’s not just for cows anymore. -Regina Finkelstein
• Walk your path pain free, holistic podiatry. -Dr. Sherri Greene

What about you?  What do you do in seven words or less?  Let us know in the comments.

For the first time I decided to bring in an image consultant, Beryl Wing,  who is President of The Image Authority. Beryl taught the students about grooming and dressing for the audience. Dressing for the audience was not something they ever considered. Ms. Wing chose a couple of volunteers to do a color analysis. She took her color samples and draped them around their necks to determine their most flattering color palette. One girl was a winter and the other was a spring. The contrast was dramatic and they all had a good eye. The students realized that it’s not about which color you like but which color likes you.

During the last half of the class we discussed impromptu speaking. First, they learned a template to organize their thoughts. Then, they each wrote an opinion question on an index card. After reading the question, they chose someone to answer with their opinion using the organizational structure. It was amazing to see the transformation. The  structure for impromptu speaking enabled them to speak with confidence and clarity. One parent wanted to use the template for herself.

Public speaking is taught too late, if at all. It impacts one’s  image and can facilitate or block career mobility. Presentations are not just about the words. The visual appearance, vocal quality, and verbal content must be aligned. Confidence results from a good self image and from developing skills.  Good public speaking skills are paving the way to a confident self image for these girls.

The challenge was to take a scientific topic and to make it interesting. Too often public speaking introductions are written for the eye and not the ear. What reads well on paper may not sound conversational when spoken.

We rewrote the introduction by talking directly to the audience and asking them rhetorical questions. This one technique released the director’s passion and she became a lot more animated. These questions primed the pump for the scientific facts that would follow. This lead to a smooth transition to turn the floor over to the guest speaker.

The introducer has an important job of setting the tone, creating interest and anticipation to build a receptive audience. In a sense, the introducer or host is the public speaker’s warm-up act. Deliver a dry introduction and the speaker has to work twice as hard to gain interest. After all, if the introduction is boring, how exciting can the speech be?

A few years ago, I spoke at a women’s breakfast meeting. It was 7:30 in the morning. The audience needed a dynamic public speaker along with their morning coffee. Instead, they heard a speaker introduction that was soft, stumbling, and dispassionate.   The energy dissipated from the room like a deflating balloon. I could feel my enthusiasm wane. Could she have been any less passionate?  It made me think about bringing my own introducer the next time. As I approached the podium I knew I had to pump it up.

Here’s what I’ve learned. To give a knockout introduction, follow these tips:

1. Write out your own  introduction. Never rely on somebody else.
2. Don’t hand them your biography – a speaker introduction serves a different purpose.
3. Grab their attention from the opening line.
4. Speak to the person who will introduce you prior to the presentation. Let them know what’s important to you.
5. Highlight or capitalize words you want to emphasize.
6. Build in humor and make sure it’s delivered well.
7. Double or triple space the introduction.
8. Use upper and lower case letters and a larger font, preferably 16 points, to make it easier to read.
9. Make notations – write in the word “pause” where you want them to pause.
10. Arrive early and have the host run through the introduction.
11. Keep it short-a minute or less.
12. Include your credentials and something of a personal nature to capture interest.

Sometimes I cue the audience.  In one of my introductions, the host asks three questions that require the audience to say, “yes!”  To get the excitement going, I nod and answer with the audience. By the third question, they are responding loudly and enthusiastically. Now the energy is high and the audience is excited as I walk on.

A poor public speaking introduction can create a downward spiral.  A good introduction, like a movie trailer, can entice the audience and build the speaker’s momentum.

Email me if you’d like a copy of my introduction.

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Why? Because I see a change in the market. Youtube.com is the number two search engine after google.  Video creates that personal touch and ups the trust factor in presentation marketing.  Well, now it seems that interviewers are catching on.  Is the resume becoming passe? Probably not. But a video presentation can sell you better than any piece of paper. An expert can write a professional resume but nobody can speak for you. Speakmarketing is one of the most powerful ways to promote a business and create visibility inside the workplace. So it makes sense that video presentation would be the next wave in job interviews.  Now more than ever before, everybody must have good presentation skills. Speaking is the new competitive weapon.

Read this WSJ article about the impact of digital media.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203750404577173031991814896.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

It’s always amazed me how many award winning actors are inadequate when speaking in public.

I first realized this years ago when I was a stand up trainer. A former actor came through our presentation skills seminar. To my surprise, he wasn’t that good even though he had all that stage training. Why are acceptance speeches so bad? Why aren’t more famous actors better public speakers?

In my opinion it comes down to three things:

1. Lack of preparation. When you are searching for words and start your acceptance speech with non-words and hesitations, it means you’re probably unprepared.  Even if you think you don’t have a chance of winning, you need to prepare for the unexpected. At the very least, prepare your opening line and list a few people to thank.

2. Uncomfortable in their own skin. It sounds strange but many actors are great performers because they are portraying somebody else. When they return to their bodies again, they’re ill at ease. This is true of other public speakers as well. The “slick” public speakers seem polished because they’re using all the right platform skills. But they don’t connect with the audience because they’re not authentic. Public speaking is not just about the words or energy. It’s about the relationship with the audience.

3. Ego. Actors aren’t the only people with big egos. Some presenters seize the day when they know they have the floor. These speakers feel they have a captive audience and the group is going to listen to every pearl of wisdom-whether they like it or not. You see this happen at the academy awards when the music starts to play and the actor continues speaking. Respect time limits. Other presenters deserve equal time in the spotlight and the audience shouldn’t have to be bored.

While these public speaking faux pas are not unique to actors we do expect a higher standard of performance from them.  Is it just me? If you’re an actor or performer maybe you can explain it to me. It ‘s time for actors to take awards seriously and work with a speech coach before they accept their statue.

I recalled a professional speaker who spoke before an audience that was not responding. No matter what he did he couldn’t get a reaction. They just sat there with blank faces. Finally, he played his last card and said with exasperation, “What’s going on? Did somebody die?” Their faces paled.  It turned out that there had indeed been a death in the company. At that point the speaker called a break. He was embarrassed by his own insensitivity.

With that speaking example burned in my brain, I wanted to show respect for the girls and to engage them.  So  I decided to acknowledge the situation. We began the class with a moment of silence. Then I switched gears and asked them each to stand, say their name and share a personal memory of the principal. One student mentioned a favorite expression the principal always uttered; another remembered her interview when she was in a Pre-K class.

The exercise worked! By incorporating the sad event, they were able to express their feelings while being guided to give a presentation. This gave them permission to participate and soon they were laughing and fully engaged.

The lesson for public speakers is this: When you sense audience resistance, don’t sweep it under the rug. Name the elephant in the room. And then readjust your agenda. Public speaking is not about blasting out information. A public speaker is a leader.  Go off message and allow the audience to take you where they need to be. Eventually, you’ll lead them back to your desired destination.

I called and spoke to an outgoing and knowledgeable telemarketer. He answered my questions. He showed me the site online with an example of a customer’s site. The price wasn’t out of reach.  All I had to do was give my credit card over the phone and I would be assigned a representative who would get me started. The offer sounded exciting and something that would help me grow my business. He asked for my credit card and I said no.

And there was one major reason I didn’t do it. One little five letter word stopped me cold. That word is TRUST. I didn’t know the person on the other end and couldn’t be sure if this was a legitimate company or a telephone scam. If there had been a television or radio infomercial with an 800 number there would’ve been a little more legitimacy. But an unsolicited call will always raise doubts no matter how well the caller speaks or how polished the presentation.

In today’s market, trust is at an all time low. Audiences have a prove-it-to-me attitude. Not only are they slow to part with their money; the lack of trust is a symptom of fear. Speaking continues to be the new competitive weapon. But use it wisely. Build a relationship with your audience. Develop a know-like-trust process through social media, articles, blogging,  youtube, and third party endorsements.  So that when you call or even speak before a live audience there will be a spark of recognition and the beginning of trust.

The top public speakers and presenters know the secret to communication success is setting the right goals. Whether you’re speaking to the media, presenting to the board, or leaving a voicemail, good presentation skills start with a goal.

In this video you’ll learn the two types of goals and how to choose the goal that will let you succeed.

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