Hello! Er… hello again! I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy.

I am writing today to share some bad news and some good news.

Bad news first: Six Minutes email subscriptions will be removed soon — at least for now. (Why? Google’s Feedburner, which has been sending emails for the last 14 years, will soon no longer offer this service.) If I can find an affordable way to offer this service again in the future, I will do so.

Good news #1: All Six Minutes articles are still available for free… explore hundreds of public speaking articles.

Good news #2: Although it’s been a while since I’ve published new articles on Six Minutes, I’m continuing to learn new lessons for speechwriting, delivery techniques, PowerPoint, and speaking habits, and I look forward to sharing them with all of you. To be alerted when new articles are published, please connect via social media:

• Twitter: @6minutes
• Facebook: 6minutes.speaking
• Pinterest: @6minutes

Stay safe. Be healthy. Keep speaking.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to June 2010 for a speech critique of a TED talk by Jacqueline Novogratz, who offers so many lessons for every speaker.

This is an excellent short speech — just 7.5 minutes — which is wonderfully crafted and delivered. Eight years ago, I wrote about several strengths of this speech:

• A direct opening which immediately captures interest and provokes curiosity;
• Contrast as a rhetorical device;
• Relating to the audience;
• Complementary visuals; and
• Masterful delivery

As I watch the speech today, I still see all of those strengths, but I also see one more strength that may be more important than all of those. The storytelling techniques exhibited by Ms. Novogratz are world-class! She tackles a complex and emotional topic — escaping poverty — almost entirely by telling a series of stories.

Watch the video, read the full article, and share your thoughts:

• Speech Critique: Jacqueline Novogratz (TED 2009)

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The post Speech Critique: Jacqueline Novogratz @ TED (Flashback Friday #40) first appeared on Six Minutes.

For many employees, the opportunity to present to senior executives is simultaneously a career dream and nightmare. Standing in front of them means that you are doing something right in your position, and you also don’t want to waste the opportunity to make a significant difference. You need to strike a balance between keeping your cool and being humble enough to listen to their input and expertise.

If this were the only challenge, then more people would be successful in their presentations to key decision makers. But, the fact of the matter is that senior executives are one of the toughest audiences, no matter how much speaking experience you have.

This article will outline three significant challenges that accompany presenting to senior executives and will provide actionable steps on how you — as a top professional or executive — can further hone your skills and ensure that you are adequately prepared for the challenges that are to come.

Challenge 1: Their time is precious.

Everyone on the planet has limited time, but this is especially true for senior executives who balance their time over a range of responsibilities and endless to-do lists. Their daily schedules tend to be overbooked, and their brains are often scattered over a variety of matters, which means they aren’t very giving when it comes to where they spend their time.

If you have their attention, even for a small session, you need to make sure that you are worth it.

• This may seem like a lot of pressure, and it can be if you don’t prepare adequately. In order to ensure that you aren’t wasting their time, make sure that you begin your presentation on a strong note so that you capture their attention from the start.
• From the moment you start speaking, you want to be clear about the direction that your presentation is going to take and give them an overview of what you will be discussing and the purpose of this meeting.
• While preparing your presentation, ensure that you can get through everything in your allotted amount of time, while also leaving ample minutes for questions or discussions. During your presentation, keep your eyes on the clock. You don’t want your time to run out while you have yet to reach the crucial points.

Challenge 2: They immediately want to know the answer to “So what?”

Senior executives are tasked with making the high-stakes decisions in a company. Their actions and choices determine the course that the firm is going to take.

For you to keep their attention and to have them listen to your proposal, you need to get to the point right away.

• From the beginning, they want to know why they should care about what you are saying. They don’t have time for a funny introduction, or a long story about how you got to these conclusions. Instead, they want to know why this is essential for the business and how it is going to help them grow. For this reason, you want to make sure that you are presenting on the topic that they agreed to spend time listening to.
• Include summary slides at the beginning that give an overview of all essential facts, figures, findings, or whatever else is pertinent to the conversation at hand. Have extra slides in your presentation with more in-depth details and insights that you can pull up should a senior executive ask for more information.
• The best way to structure your presentation is by setting the stage, illuminating the predicament, proposing a resolution, and explaining the result of your suggestion. In this way, you can keep it simple and straight to the point and ensure that you are sticking to your objective. Make sure you can state in one sentence what your audience will get out of your presentation.

Challenge 3: They are a nerve-wracking audience.

Presenting to senior executives can be one of the scariest tasks that an employee will ever confront. After all, they are the bosses, and they tend to have more knowledge, more experience, and more power than you do. That instantly makes it far scarier than if you were asked to present to peers.

However, you have to keep in mind that there is a reason you are presenting to them. Whether it is your particular knowledge in an area (as a result of the fantastic work you have been doing), or the fact that you have come up with a promising solution, you need to believe that you deserve to be in that room speaking to them.

• To calm your nerves, give yourself plenty of time to prepare. There is nothing that makes nerves worse than the knowledge that you aren’t sufficiently ready and equipped for what is to come.
• This means taking the time to get to know your audience. Discern how much each of them already knows about the said topic as you want to ensure that you are all on the same page when you present your solutions.
• Additionally, find out their preferences concerning presentations and word choices. Speaking with your manager, or someone else who has experience presenting to your senior executives, will help tremendously in this regard.
• After practising your presentation multiple times, ask a colleague to listen to it and critique it to secure an outside opinion. While you may think you are covering all bases, someone from the outside may be able to locate loopholes or unnecessary slides.

The more you prepare, the more confident you will feel when the time comes. Confidence will go a long way in being able to convince the senior executives that you know what you are talking about and that you are an expert in this field that should be listened to and taken seriously. If you often find yourself nervous about presenting, consider investing in public speaking classes or coaching to take your career to the next level.

Your Turn…

Do you have experience presenting to senior executives? What are your tips and tricks? Educate us on your skills in the comments below!

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The post How to Prepare for Presenting to Senior Executives first appeared on Six Minutes.

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to October 2015 to learn a series of design guidelines for slide fonts.

Lately, I’ve been reading about the pursuit of simplicity. In that spirit, I re-read this article to see if I could simplify down from eleven guidelines to just one. Here’s what I came up with…

Make your text large and boring so that your audience can read it quickly and return their attention where it belongs: on you and what you are saying.

Overall, I’m encouraged by the progress being made with respect to text on slides. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a script font, shadow effects, or ridiculous colors. Although there’s still too much text on slides (and much of it is too small), that’s progress. Let’s keep it going!

Enjoy the full article, and share your insights about slide fonts:

• Slide Fonts: 11 Guidelines for Great Design

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The post Slide Fonts: 11 Guidelines for Great Design (Flashback Friday #39) first appeared on Six Minutes.

101 Ways to Make Training Active is a compendium of activities and strategies that trainers, presenters, and discussion leaders can use to improve audience engagement.

The author, Mel Silberman, is a professor emeritus of adult and organizational development at Temple University where he specializes in instructional design and team building.

This article is one of a series of public speaking book reviews from Six Minutes.

• What’s Inside?
• The Price
• What I Loved
• How could it be better?
• What Others Think
• Verdict

What’s Inside?

The core of the book consists of a series of techniques (101 of them!) described in 1, 2, or 3 pages each. The activities are organized into the following categories:

• Team-Building Strategies (10 activities)
• On-the-Spot Assessment Strategies (6)
• Immediate Learning Involvement Strategies (8)
• Active Lecturing (9)
• Stimulating Discussion (7)
• Prompting Questions (4)
• Team Learning (6)
• Peer Teaching (6)
• Active e-Learning (6)
• Emotional Intelligence (7)
• Skill Development (10)
• Reviewing Strategies (7)
• Self-Assessment (4)
• Application Planning (7)
• Closing Sentiments (4)

Each activity is described using a four-part outline:

1. Overview: Describes the activity concisely, and training context in which it most suited.
2. Procedure: Detailed, step-by-step instructions for leading the activity.
3. Variations: Suggestions for modifying the activity (some small; some large) to better fit your audience, your goals, or your available time.
4. Case Example: A practical, real-world example of the activity in action. Although the descriptions (the “Procedure”) are very clear on their own, these case examples help take an abstract idea and make it concrete.

This format is fantastic, as it makes for a very easy read. The self-contained nature of each technique also makes this a convenient reference source.

The Price

At the time of writing this review, you can get this book for only $58.55 from amazon.com. This is 29% off the list price. Great value!

What I Loved about 101 Ways to Make Training Active

1. Tremendous Variety and Practicality

The core of the book (i.e. the 101 tips) covers an amazing array of techniques. I like that these techniques are generic; they will fit in a wide variety of training contexts, regardless of your subject matter.

For example, I’m creating a 5-module Train-the-Trainer course and using the book to research ideas. I identified thirty-seven activities that could be used in this course! (Naturally, I don’t have time to fit in that many, but it’s great to have plenty of options.)

2. Infinitely Customizable

I really like the “Variations” section for each technique, as these spark ideas for how to customize each activity for my personal needs. It would take decades of training full-time to exhaust all of the possibilities in this book.

3. Great Bonus Material

The book opens with a series of quick mini-tips, 10 per topic. For example, there are “10 Techniques for Learning Names”, “10 Ways to Make Learning Visual”, and “Ten Props that Dramatize Learning”, to name just a few. Silberman calls these the “nuts and bolts” of active training, and several of the activities covered in the book build on these mini-tips.

This isn’t a trivial bonus. There are 44 pages of inspiring ideas that provide pretty good value all by itself. A CD is packaged with the book which provides these in PDF format as well.

How could it be better?

1. Make the timing explicit.

When I discover a new training activity, I often wonder how long the activity will take. Sometimes I’m specifically looking for a creative idea to fit a time slot within a course. For example, I may be looking for a review technique for the last 20 minutes of a course module.

So, although many of the descriptions in the book have timing references, I wish the average time (or a timing range?) for each activity were explicitly called out as reference aid.

2. Provide a few lesson plans to see how the activities blend together.

In the book’s introduction, Silberman writes:

Don’t overload participants with too many activities. Less is often more. Use just a few to enliven your training program.

This advice is generally consistent with my training experience, but I think novice trainers would benefit from more detail here. How many is “too many”? Do I use “just a few” in an hour? In four hours? Or a five session course? I think it would be helpful to include a couple of complete lesson plans (in an appendix?) that show how some of the book’s activities are mixed and matched in a real-world course.

What Others Think

Ratings on amazon.com are solid: 62% of reviews are 5 out of 5 stars.

Keith Webb:

As a professional trainer and coach I know my subjects well. That’s my problem! It’s too easy to stand up and lecture. The trick is to involve participants in meaningful ways. “101 Ways to Make Training Active” is just the ticket. […]

I’ve seen a lot of books on training games or activities. Most have a couple of “winners” but this one just doesn’t quit. Buy it, use it, and watch participation, learning, and your course evaluations improve!

Charles Henderson:

I have been facilitating training workshops for over 20 years and have read many books on the topic. Without a doubt, Silberman’s are among my favorites. All of the exercises and training strategies are both practical and effective. This book is among the best of the best. It is easy to read and easy to use. I cannot imagine any facilitator not finding something in here that will help make their training sessions more interactive, and the learning more effective.

Bill D. Stinnett:

I have owned my own consulting firm and have been a professional trainer for 10 years. I have read a lot of books on training philosophies and techniques, but I have never seen a resource quite like this. Every single page of this book is filled with interesting ideas for getting people involved in learning.

Verdict

This book makes me want to train more, and inspires me to do it better. If you want to improve audience engagement, I strongly recommend that you get a copy of 101 Ways to Make Training Active.

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The post Book Review: 101 Ways to Make Training Active (Mel Silberman) first appeared on Six Minutes.

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to July 2012 to learn 10 bad speaking habits that you must extinguish.

Today’s feature article (actually, an article pair) is from guest author Alex Rister, a dynamic and innovative college professor. (She’s the professor we all wish we had!) She offers timeless advice that is just as relevant for you and me as it is for her college students.

Sadly, I continue to see these bad habits in action when I attend presentations. In the last week alone, I’ve seen presenters read their speech (bad habit #5), use bullet-only slides (#7), start with an apology (#8), and wing it (#10). These habits are not hard to eliminate, and we need to hold ourselves and our fellow speakers accountable. Ditch these bad habits!

Learn from the full articles, and share your insights about tragic presentation habits:

• 10 Presentation Bad Habits My College Students – And You – Must UN-Learn (Habits 1 to 5)
• 10 Presentation Bad Habits My College Students – And You – Must UN-Learn (Habits 6 to 10)

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The post 10 Presentation Bad Habits My College Students – And You – Must UN-Learn (Flashback Friday #38) first appeared on Six Minutes.

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to November 2012 to learn the factors that influence your speaking rate.

This article, like so many on Six Minutes, was prompted by a reader who asked:

What’s the average speaking rate? Is it better to speak faster or is it better to speak slower?

I continue to get this question from time to time, and my answer has gotten more nuanced over the years. Speaking slow or fast is fine. The two most important considerations are (1) Can your audience clearly understand you? and (2) Are you speaking at a rate which is authentic for you?

Everyone has a different natural cadence, and I wouldn’t advise changing it except in extreme circumstances. Find yours, and speak confidently.

Enjoy the full article, and share your insights about speaking rate:

• What is the Average Speaking Rate?

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The post What is the Average Speaking Rate? (Flashback Friday #37) first appeared on Six Minutes.

How many truly memorable speeches have you delivered?

The art of creating a memorable speech is something that is often sought after, but rarely achieved. Frustratingly, many people assume that truly memorable speeches are reserved for those with an elusive “born with it” skill set.

In reality, nobody is born with the skills for public speaking, but you can develop them with hard work. A memorable speech is within your grasp. With that in mind, let’s review nine tips that will make your speech memorable for your audience.

1. Organize your speech into segments.

Consider your speech as a book for a moment. A typical book is split into chapters and parts that create a cohesive whole but can stand on their own. Applying the same logic to your speech will make it easier for you to deliver important takeaways and keep the audience focused on what you are saying.

Segmented speeches are far more memorable and easier to keep in mind after they have been delivered. The reason for this is that each segment can be recalled independently, and converge to form the overall message. An unorganized speech with no rhythm or discernible sections will easily be forgotten.

To be forgettable: Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with all your points jumbled together.

To be memorable: Deliver a speech about a medical condition and its effects on a human body with distinct segments for each effect that support each other.

2. Include concrete details.

People crave concrete information, such as facts, numbers, statistics, and photographs. Without concrete details, speeches quickly become overly abstract and hard to connect with. Concrete information in your speech helps you ensure that your points are remembered long-term.

To be forgettable: Present a company’s future forecast solely in abstract terms.

To be memorable: Present a company’s future forecast by highlighting their lineup of new products with relevant market data.

3. Use words understood by your audience.

To deliver a memorable speech, you must analyze your audience. In particular, consider the education level and vocabulary of your audience before writing your speech. As well, consider whether your audience includes people who are not fluent in your speaking language. Use terminology that everyone will understand, and avoid technical jargon that they won’t. A single confusing word or phrase at a critical point can make your meaning incomprehensible to your audience.

To be forgettable: Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of elementary school children.

To be memorable: Give a speech using renewable energy technical language to an audience of energy industry professionals.

4. Leverage concepts understood by your audience.

Similar to the previous point, leveraging commonly understood concepts can result in exciting and memorable speeches. It isn’t always easy, but when you find common ground between you and your audience, you can make even the most complex arguments understandable and memorable. On the other hand, if you reference concepts that the audience doesn’t understand, or assume knowledge that they don’t have, you’re in trouble; your audience will not be able to follow your arguments, and they will forget your words as soon as you’ve spoken them.

To be forgettable: Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience with no knowledge of graphic design.

To be memorable: Use analogies based on graphic design concepts for an audience of graphic design professionals.

5. Interact with the audience.

People rarely sit and listen to monologues without dozing off, especially if the subject matter is not intrinsically exciting. Rather than expecting your audience to passively absorb information, ask them questions about the points you are making and invite interaction by offering small rewards or incentives for doing so. Activate your audience as much as possible if you want them to remember your message for a long time.

To be forgettable: Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline as a monologue.

To be memorable: Deliver a motivational speech about self-discipline, following each point with interactive triggers for the audience to share related personal anecdotes.

6. Include personal stories.

Some people don’t like to share their personal stories and experiences with strangers. However, a well-crafted story is one of the best catalysts for speech memorability. Sift through your memories and find relatable, heartwarming, or funny moments that are relevant to the point you are making. Personal stories invite the audience to empathize and place themselves in your speech and situation. People are far more likely to remember your small personal story and trace it back to the point of your speech than vice versa.

To be forgettable: Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist with no stories.

To be memorable: Speak about your career as a vegan nutritionist, and tell your story about growing up in a family of omnivores.

7. Add a catchphrase.

Pop culture catchphrases can help you deliver a more distinct and memorable speech with virtually any topic. The secret to selecting the right catchphrase depends on what its role would be in your speech. You can use it to announce a break in your thought process, establish a connection with the audience, or simply make your points more digestible. Catchphrases can be added to your speech in a number of ways: as titles of your PowerPoint slides, as punch lines, or any other time to add a surprise element. Catchphrases can transform even the most serious topics into enjoyable ones. Just don’t overdo it; one is probably enough for most presentations.

To be forgettable: Speak about a topic related to modern literature.

To be memorable: Speak about a topic related to modern literature, and include a literature catchphrase that everyone in your audience will recognize (e.g. “Here’s Johnny!” from Stephen King’s The Shining).

8. Practice thoroughly and deliver confidently.

Stumbling on your speech delivery might come off as quirky and relatable – the first time it happens. However, if you continue stumbling, it’s hard to recover. A speaker who lacks confidence as they deliver will likely be forgotten quickly.

Instead, prepare your speech by reciting it over and over. Although it is better to speak without notes, don’t be afraid to bring cards or notes. Talking in a fluent and understandable manner without abrupt pauses constitutes a successful speech delivery.

To be forgettable: Don’t prepare. Improvise your speech.

To be memorable: Prepare adequately. Rehearse your speech content and anticipate questions that might come from the audience.

9. End with a quote and a call-to-action.

A speech that lacks finality and conclusiveness is likely to be received as sloppy and entirely forgettable. An effective ending to a speech can ensure long-term memorability and audience action in accordance with your message.

Be forgettable: Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quietly thanking the audience.

Be memorable: Deliver a speech about volunteerism and end by quoting Muhammad Ali (“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”) and encouraging your audience with a call-to-action (“Pay your rent. Volunteer!”).

It’s Your Turn…

Delivering a great speech is about self-confidence and carefully crafting your speech using techniques like those above. You can be memorable in your next opportunity to speak, and every opportunity after that.

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The post 9 Tips to Make Your Speech Memorable first appeared on Six Minutes.

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

This week, we also spotlight recent releases that may help you enrich your public speaking library.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking, communications, and training books:

• Effective Communication: Skills and Strategies to Effectively Speak Your Mind Without Being Misunderstood by Keith Coleman
• 10 Skills for Effective Business Communication: Practical Strategies from the World's Greatest Leaders by Jessica Higgins
• Set Your Voice Free: How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want by Roger Love
• Taking the Numb Out of Numbers: Explaining and Presenting Financial Information with Confidence and Clarity by Peter A. Margaritis
• 101 Training Activities and How to Run Them: Icebreakers, Energizers and Team Building by Derek Good

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to September 2013 to learn five keys to add a great call-to-action to your next presentation.

One of the great joys of being a speaker is to deliver a persuasive speech and then witness audience members taking action. Indeed, I would trade two dozen ego-stroking “good speech” comments for one person who takes concrete action as a result of my speech.

As a novice speaker, I would rarely issue an explicit call-to-action, because I didn’t want to be “too pushy”. I (wrongly) assumed that people would figure out what action(s) to take. The key thing I failed to understand is that change is hard. If you want someone to change their behavior, it’s best if you make it as easy as possible for them. And a clear and decisive call-to-action does exactly that!

Read the full article, and share your insights about crafting and delivering a great call-to-action:

• 5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action

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The post 5 Keys to End Your Speech with a Great Call-to-Action (Flashback Friday #36) first appeared on Six Minutes.

Do you ever feel nervous when speaking?

Does it seem like the audience knows you are nervous?

If so, read on! This article may instantly make you a more confident and more effective speaker.

The previous article in the Cognitive Bias series studied the Spotlight Effect. This article examines a closely related bias known as the Illusion of Transparency. We will define this cognitive bias and offer several everyday examples. Then, we’ll study how the Illusion of Transparency affects both the speaker and the audience. We’ll conclude with strategies to mitigate these impacts.

What is the Illusion of Transparency?

The Illusion of Transparency is a cognitive bias which describes the tendency to overestimate the degree to which other people know our mental state.

The term “illusion of transparency” was coined in a 1998 research paper by Gilovich, Savitsky, and Medvec who first studied this bias. Their research showed that we tend to overestimate the degree to which our thoughts or emotions “leak out” and become known to those observing us. It’s not as if we believe that others can read our mind; rather, we tend to believe that others can pick up on external cues that we give off, even when we attempt to hide or suppress the emotion.

Does the Illusion of Transparency affect all of us in the same way in all situations? Later research by Holder and Hawkins showed no overall gender difference in the susceptibility to the illusion, although some people can develop a relative degree of immunity to the illusion (more on this later). The illusion does not affect us in exactly the same way in all situations; for example, the illusion affects us most strongly when we have a strong emotional response, whether positive or negative.

Note that the Spotlight Effect is a very closely related phenomenon. While the Illusion of Transparency deals with our internal states (i.e. thoughts, emotions), the Spotlight Effect is the tendency to overestimate the degree to which other people are aware of our external state (i.e. actions, physical appearance). Both phenomenon are believed to have similar origins in our mind; since we are ultra-aware of our internal and external state at all times, we have difficulty compensating for the fact that others are not.

Examples of the Illusion of Transparency

For example, consider the following hypothetical examples in which you might be susceptible to the effects of the Illusion of Transparency:

• If you tell a lie, you are likely to believe that others (who have no prior knowledge about your statement’s truth) can detect the lie much more often than they do.
• If you feel strong disgust or strong pleasure when eating or drinking, you are likely to believe that others at your table will know your opinion of the food more often than they do.
• If you feel guilt over not being prepared for a meeting, you are likely to believe that your colleagues can sense your guilt more often than they do.
• If you are disappointed that you didn’t receive the birthday gift you were hoping for, you are likely to believe that your friends can sense your disappointment more often than they do.
• If you are nervous in a job interview, you are likely to believe that the interviewers will sense your nervousness more often than they do.

How can the Illusion of Transparency bias a presenter’s frame of mind?

Speaking in public can be a highly emotional experience. Thus, when you present, the Illusion of Transparency can bias your thinking in several ways, including:

• Amplified anxiety and nervousness.
  Savitsky and Gilovich performed a follow-up study to specifically test whether public speakers are susceptible to the illusion of transparency. The answer is a resounding yes! Their research confirmed that when a speaker feels nervous, they tend to overestimate the degree to which the audience can sense their nervousness. To make matters worse, this leads to a negative feedback loop. A belief that the audience can easily detect the nervousness can lead to more nervousness. The speaker then feels that the audience can detect this nervousness. And so on. And so on. A speaker’s cognitive focus can be consumed by this cycle of nervousness, potentially resulting in degraded performance.
• Amplified embarrassment over small mistakes.
  Suppose you realize that you’ve made a mistake by mixing up the order of your planned presentation. Like many presenters, you may feel embarrassment at this situation. (“Oh, how could I make such a silly mistake!”) The illusion of transparency may, in turn, lead you to overestimate the likelihood that your audience members can sense your embarrassment. However, unless the sequencing mistake was literally obvious (i.e. mixing up two chronological events), most audience members are likely unaware.
• Compulsion to apologize.
  As a result of the above effects, you may feel compelled to apologize to your audience. This type of apology can be awkward, because the audience isn’t generally aware of the reason for the apology.

How many of these actions do you recognize in your speaking history? How about other speakers you’ve recently listened to?

How can a speaker overcome the Illusion of Transparency?

Now that you are aware of how the Illusion of Transparency can affect you as a speaker, you can begin to reduce or eliminate its bias in your thoughts. In part, simply reading this article has already helped you to reduce the effect of this bias.

Why? The answer is provided by the Savitsky and Gilovich research into the Illusion of Transparency as it relates to public speaking anxiety. They showed that simply informing speakers about the Illusion of Transparency produced two important benefits in the speakers’ minds:

1. The speakers felt more confident that their nervousness was less noticeable to audience members.
2. The speakers felt more confident in the quality of their speeches.

Equally important, the research also showed benefits in the assessments from their audience members:

1. Audience members noticed less nervousness, and
2. Audience members graded their speeches to be of higher quality.

Savitsky and Gilovich delivered the following message to speakers, and it resulted in increased confidence and higher quality speeches:

I think it might help you to know that research has found that audiences can’t pick up on your anxiety as well as you might expect. Psychologists have documented what is called an “illusion of transparency.” Those speaking feel that their nervousness is transparent, but in reality their feelings are not so apparent to observers. This happens because our own emotional experience can be so strong, we are sure our emotions “leak out.” In fact, observers aren’t as good at picking up on a speaker’s emotional state as we tend to expect. So, while you might be so nervous you’re convinced that everyone can tell how nervous you are, in reality that’s very rarely the case. What’s inside of you typically manifests itself too subtly to be detected by others. With this in mind, you should just relax and try to do your best. Know that if you become nervous, you’ll probably be the only one to know.

This is a tremendous scientific result! Just by understanding the Illusion of Transparency, you can grow your confidence, lower your nervousness, and deliver higher-quality speeches. Further, if you accept your nervous feelings as “normal”, it will reduce the strength of the emotion; as a result, your susceptibility to the illusion will reduce as well.

How can the Illusion of Transparency bias your audience members?

While a speaker is susceptible to the effects of the Illusion of Transparency at the front of the room, audience members are also susceptible from where they sit. Impacts on your audience members may include:

• Simmering frustration. 
  Suppose that an audience member who sits in the front row is having trouble following your presentation, and further suppose that this frustration persists for a lengthy period of time, perhaps across several sessions of a course you are delivering. This frustration may build and build, causing significant internal stress. If affected by the Illusion of Transparency, this audience member may assume (falsely) that you must know how frustrated they are. Further, when you fail to address their (unvoiced) concerns, they may conclude that you don’t care about them.
• Undelivered feedback.
  Years ago, I gave a five-session course to some junior colleagues. After the fifth session, I visited one student in her office to ask how the course went for her. Among her comments, she revealed that she had been very confused in the third session. When I asked why she hadn’t spoken up at the time, she explained that she thought her confusion was “written all over her face”, so she didn’t feel it was necessary to provide the feedback explicitly.

How can you mitigate the Illusion of Transparency bias for your audience members?

There are several strategies you can employ for mitigating the negative impacts of the Illusion of Transparency bias in audience members. These include:

• Analyze your audience.
  Thorough audience analysis will provide many insights into what your audience is thinking, and where they are likely to encounter problems during your presentation.
• Explicitly seek feedback. 
  Develop a habit of consciously seeking feedback from audience members in many ways. Attempt to uncover trouble areas in your presentations, and work hard to address them. Do this before, during, after, and between presentations.
• Pay attention to subtle clues.
  Even though your audience will not always verbalize the things they are feeling (because they overestimate the degree to which you can know their mental state), there are often subtle clues available if you know what to look for. Negative facial expressions, closed body language, restless movements, frequent checking of electronic devices, and many other things can be clues that your message is not getting through.
• “Test” your audience to gauge their understanding.
  I often incorporate informal exercises or discussions where I ask my audience questions based on material I’ve just covered. For example, after I introduce ten principles for effective slide design, I then present slides to my audience and have them match each slide to the principle it illustrates. By listening acutely to their responses (both what they say and what they don’t), I’m able to gauge their understanding in real-time.

Next in the Cognitive Bias series…

In the next article of this series, we will examine the Curse of Knowledge and learn how this cognitive bias presents challenges and opportunities for you as a speaker.

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The post Illusion of Transparency and Public Speaking Fear first appeared on Six Minutes.