Archive for the ‘Understanding your audience’ Category

Serious Message? Then Lighten Up!

October 18th, 2008 |7 comments

Should a serious message—a life saving message—be entertaining? Only if you want it to work!

 

When VirginBlue first started operating, it had a reputation for being a fun airline on which to travel. The most obvious thing that the flight crew did to help keep the flight less boring was to have some fun with the ever dull safety demonstration before take off. They would have lines such as, ‘Don’t smoke in the toilets as there are smoke detectors and cameras watching you’ and ‘life jackets have a light to read by and a whistle for attracting sharks’.

 

Whilst these elements of humour were never going to get the crew invited to appear at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, they did get the passengers attention. Passengers paid attention if only to hear the odd line out.

 

On a recent flight I asked the flight attendant why they no longer used humour in the safety announcements. She said that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) had directed them to stop adding humour as the safety demonstration was a very important task that everyone needed to be taken seriously.

 

So what has been the effect of removing the humour? We ignore the demonstration and safety message. We know we should listen, but simply could not be bothered. This puts us and all the other passengers at risk ‘in the unlikely event of an emergency’. The safety message is less effective and does not convey the necessary information we need to hear.

 

Advertising companies know this very well. That’s why they spend lots of money trying to come up with funny ads! It helps to grab our attention so we listen to the message.

 

How are you using humour in your presentations? You don’t have to have them rolling in the isle and you certainly should not use jokes. Aim to entertain your audience so they are paying attention long enough to hear what you have to say.

 

Cheers

Darren Fleming

Australia’s public Speaking Coach


No Thank You

September 18th, 2008 |4 comments

Should you open a presentation, a sales pitch or training session with, ‘Good Morning’ or ‘Thanks for coming along’?

When you stand to speak (or are seated at a team meeting) you need to grab your audiences attention right from Word Won. This means that you have to be giving them information, setting the scene or otherwise involving them in your presentation right from the first word. You have very little time to get and keep their attention. Don’t waste it!

But I hear you say, ‘People do not make judgments that quickly!’

Yes they do! Just watch someone channel surfing in front of the TV. Within a few seconds they have moved on to something else. Your audience will do the same mentally to you, so don’t waste anytime.

There is also another reason why you don’t want to start with ‘Good morning’ or something else as pointless. When you say ‘Good morning,’ or ‘Thank you’ you are putting the focus on you, and not your audience. It is about you giving the audience something and – in social terms – you are asking for something in return (them to say Good morning to you). And 9 times out of 10, the audience wont say anything, so they are not giving back and the relationship is broken before it begins.

I am not advocating losing all social niceties!

You can say Good morning to your audience once you have set the scene. Once you have them wanting to listen to what you have to say, you can greet them and go through the pleasantries if you must. When you do this, it will mean more to the audience and they will keep listening after it! This is what you want.

So don’t waste the start of your next presentation. Start with a bang and leave the salutations for later.

Cheers

Darren

You liked this tip? There are many more great points like this in my latest book, Speak Motivate and Lead.


How Do I Speak Without Sounding like a ‘Know-it-all’?

August 11th, 2008 |1 comment

A client recently asked me, ‘How do I share my successes without looking like a know it all?’

 

This was a fair question. Peter had taken a business from near bankruptcy to one of the best performing businesses in his industry. Out of 1300 businesses, he was ranked 27th and is the only business that was growing while all others were shrinking. He was concerned that if he stood up and said ‘this is what we have achieved and this is how I did it’ he would sound like a know-it-all. And would be right.

 

How could he overcome this problem?

 

One of the best ways to overcome this problem is to change the focus of your message. Don’t focus on what you did, but rather focus on the process you implemented and what it achieved; make the process the hero.

 

Let me explain.

 

Peters’ industry had a massive legislation change that caused a big drop (15-18%) in revenue across all businesses except his. He experienced 10% growth. The reason he had the growth was he set himself up for the growth and told his team to expect it.

 

But if he stood up at his industry meetings and spoke about his successes he would be seen as lucky or a know-it-all.

 

So Peter and I worked on making the processes the hero and not him. We identified the processes he set up that enabled his success. He then spoke about the success that process had. This change – though subtle – was enough to take the focus off him. It was still clear that he instigated and drove the process but it was not about him being the hero. The process was now the hero.

 

How can you apply this in your work? Instead of telling others what you have done, tell them what the processes you implemented have achieved. Tell the benefits that have been gained by using the process. This will take the focus away from you being the hero and enable you to share your successes with out being a know it all.

Cheers

Darren Fleming

Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow


McDonalds, Rolex and Your Next PowerPoint Presentation

July 23rd, 2008 |1 comment

What can McDonalds and Rolex tell us about PowerPoint?  Heaps!

 

It’s all about Branding.

 

When you put together your PowerPoint presentation do you go for the McDonalds branding? McDonalds branding is everywhere and on everything. It is on the door, the floor, the roof, the shirts of the staff, the coffee cup you get and even the napkin that you wipe your mouth with! They include their name in just about every product they sell. There is the McHappy meals, the McFlurry and the one that start it all – the Big Mac! This branding has helped them build a very profitable worldwide business. But there is a down side. Every store is the same. It is the same thing over and over again.

 

Do you have a McPowerPoint presentation?

 

Or do you go for Rolex branding?

 

How does Rolex Brand itself? Rolex positions itself with symbols that typify their brand. Rolex pays big money to people like George Clooney, Cindy Crawford, Nicole Kidman, Michael Schumacher, Ian Thorpe, Anna Kournikova, Martina Hingis, Alex Popov and even NASA to wear their watches. Rolex does not put its logo on everything that moves, but rather, it puts it on selective people that provide the ‘right’ image for their brand. The result is a brand that is subtle, but well known, and well known for excellence.

 

So what is the difference between a McPowerPoint and a Rolex PowerPoint? It’s in the slides!

 

Do you have the same corporate background on each and every slide? Do you have the logo in the same spot on each slide, as though it is etched on the screen? Do you have the same bullet point after bullet point in the same font, in the same colour, in the same size for each of your 37 slides? Do you have slide transitions, text transitions and pointless clipart? Worst of all, do you have PowerPoint Police that must vet your presentation to ensure that your presentation is in line with corporate branding? If you have answered ‘Yes’ to any of these then you have a McPowerPoint Presentation and it’s time to change.

 

Turn your next presentation into a Rolex presentation!

 

With your next presentation, get rid of your logo. If you have an interesting presentation they will remember who you are and where you’re from. Aim for no more than 6 words per slide – tell the rest of the story with a picture. Destroy all clipart – you have a digital camera on your phone so got take a photo and use it! Use a different colour for each slide – when was the last time you found looking at a painted wall engaging! Don’t be afraid to use white space. Go Zen – less is more. Consider including video that shows your message.

 

By branding yourself as Rolex does, you become more than just another commodity that can be negotiated down to the lowest price. You will become unique and therefore different in the market place.

 

Feel free to share this with those that love to use PowerPoint. And if you know someone who works for Rolex, let them know too!

 

Cheers

 

Darren Fleming

Australia’s Public Speaking Coach

Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow

 

 


Obamas’ New Hampshire Concession Speech

July 21st, 2008 |1 comment

You might like this 4 minute video by Obama. He has some great speaking techniques that he uses well – very well. This is his New Hampshire Concession speech

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QS_-KSuyJE&hl=en&fs=1]

The first technique he uses well is Anaphora – repeating over and over again, “Yes we can.”  There is no doubt to what his message is. The repetition draws us in to his message.

He then Draws JFK and Dr Martin Luther King Jnr in as examples to support his argument. He does not dwell on them – just mentions them in passing – but he does it very well. This gives authority to what he is saying.

He then goes on to mention specific examples to drive his message home to the audience. He mentions the textile workers in Spartanburg, the Dish Washer in Las Vegas and the little girl going to the crumbling school in Dillon – as almost to mention them by name – This helps the audience connect with his message. It helps the audience become emotionally invested in what he has to say.

He also lets the audience pay their part in the speech (granted that they are all paying supporters – but they play their part well). He lets the audience contribute to his speech through cheering, chanting and clapping. He then draws of their energy and incorporates it into his speech. What would it be like if he said “Quiet – I want to say something”? Whilst we may never speaking to this type of chanting, letting the audience laugh or stop to think is just as important.

He then ends a concession speech with the power of someone who had won the primary. This shows absolute belief in his message and what he stands for.

Cheers

Darren Fleming

Speak Motivate and Lead; How Real Leaders inspire others to follow


Permission to Speak

July 6th, 2008 |no comments

“I’m not very good at public Speaking, so please bare with me”

How often have you heard a speaker open with this line? Unfortunately it is all too common.

Why is it used?

People use this line as a fall back position, just in case they don’t meet the expectations they think the audience has. They use it to give themselves permission to give a presentation that is less than it could be. They use it so at the end of their presentation they can say, ‘I told you I was not very good at public speaking!’

This type of opening statement is the worst way you can open a presentation. Despite the speakers desire to use it to build a connection with the audience, it prepares the audience to feel sorry for the speaker, and draws their attention to any mistakes they may make. At best it makes the speaker look amateurish; at worst it make the speaker look foolish.

The speaker who opens with this type of line has not given them-self permission to shine. They have not given them-self permission to share their message with those that need it and they have not given them-self permission to have an impact with their audience. Is it any wonder that they don’t give a great presentation?

Before your next speaking event – even if it is just a team meeting – give yourself permission to deliver a great presentation. This does not have to be standing in-front of the room – it can be just from your seat. But give yourself the permission deliver your message in a way that makes a difference. Give yourself permission to share your message in a way that will make a difference to your audience. The benefit will be two fold. Firstly, this will reduce your nervousness amazingly. Once you have permission to perform nervousness will disappear.

Secondly, the audience will be able to benefit from your message. If you have been asked to present some information you obviously have something of value to share. By giving yourself permission to present it, your audience will benefit from your message … and when we speak, isn’t that what you are trying to achieve?

‘Thil next time,

Cheers

Darren Fleming

Just Published Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow


Speak Motivate and Lead

July 4th, 2008 |no comments

Do you want to know how to influence others at work? The you need this book.

How to influence in today’s work place. The

complete guide to speaking as the Real Leader

you are.

 

Learn how to speak to your boss, your staff and your clients so they listen,

understand and then take action on what you say.

 

If you are a Section Manager, Sales Manager, or Chief Executive Officer, connecting with your audience and getting your message across is often a challenge. This power-packed e-book is the answer you have been looking for.

 

Here is what the Head of Psychology Services for the Australian Olympic Team (1992, 1996, 2000) and Business Psychologist Graham Winter had to say:

 

“Darren Fleming has created a simple reference guide to the tricky task of getting your message across in a way that doesn’t just inform but actually engages the audience.  The many useful tips will make it a valuable tool for the busy manager and team leader.”

 

Graham Winter, Consultant Psychologist and Director, Graham Winter Consulting.

Head of Psychology Services, Australian Olympic Team (1992, 1996, 2000)

Author of Think One Team, High Performance Leadership and The Business Athlete

Adelaide, Australia

 

In this e-book you will learn:

  • The 5 rules of PowerPoint that must be followed so you don’t send your audience to sleep
  • The 7 rules for Presenting in Boardrooms
  • How to control your nervousness when speaking
  • How to make every person in your audience feel as though you are speaking directly with them
  • How you can make any topic interesting – even statistics training can be interesting!
  • How to use your stories to connect with every person in the room
  • And much, much, much more.

 

Click here to get instant access to Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow.

  

“Don’t be deceived by this seemingly thin book (of 34 pages)! It compresses many nuggets of solid speaking advice that will take you years to find in other public speaking literature. No fluff and straight to the point! Oh, and you will feel really good about yourself because you finally get to read a book in one sitting!”

 

Eric Feng,

Public Speaking Coach and Author of The FAQ Book of Public Speaking

Singapore

After reading this e-book you will know how to:

  • Press your audiences’ ‘hot-buttons’
  • Construct your message so people will want to listen
  • How to get the right mental focus for your next sales presentation
  • Connect with your audience in the most powerful way possible
  • Put forward a different opinion and have others buy into it
  • How to use stories to connect with others

And all this for just $17!!!

Here is what other speaker and business leaders have said about Speak Motivate and Lead:

  

“Effective and persuasive communication made easy. An insightful guide to motivating by speaking – a must for people who deal with people”

 

John Tindall

MLC Australia

Sydney, Australia

Click here to get instant access to Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow.

In Speak, Motivate, & Lead, Darren Fleming offers a quick but effective look at many areas of public speaking. He includes examples from his personal coaching and speaking, which are effectively mixed with mini-case studies.

He also offers concrete solutions and methods to many speaking situations, including impromptu speaking, handling boardroom meetings, and appropriately tackling humour.

 

A quick read, Speak, Motivate, & Lead is an excellent resource to keep nearby to refer to again and again.

 

Rich Hopkins

Speaker – Author – Coach

Judged in the Top 100 Speakers in the World by Toastmasters International 5 times since 2002. Author of Win Place and Show

www.richhopkinsspeaks.com

 

At just $17 it is a great investment in your career.

Click here to get instant access to Speak Motivate and Lead: How Real Leaders inspire others to follow.

  

If you have to stand before any group and motivate them to follow your directions, you need to speak as a real Leader. This e-book will show you how to do that.

 

“The information is concise yet detailed with great examples that illustrate the fundamentals in presentation skills.”

 

Palmo Carpino

Applied Communications Inc

Alberta Canada

OK! Get the e-book now!


The Sales Pitch

June 2nd, 2008 |2 comments

If you want to win the business, you need to shine in front of the client!

It seems that to win business these days you have to be able to deliver a knock–out presentation to the client. And unfortunately it does not matter how good your product or service is, if you cann’t sell it and yourself in the presentation you wont win the business.

So what makes for a good sales pitch? Here are five key elements to consider.

  1. Cast Your Team.Do you have the right person in the right spot. Just as you would not put a salesman on-site to run a project, consider if it is best to have your leading project manager leading the sales presentation. While it will be essential to have their expertise when developing the presentation, consider if they will be able to sell your vision to the client. If they are not, replace them with someone who is. Then use the project managers skills on the day as the ‘expert’ on the technical issues.
  2. You are On Before You are On. From the moment you engage the client you are being judged. This is true for the day of the presentation as well. From the moment you leave your office to visit the client and make your pitch, you are being watched. When you pull up in the car park, are waiting in the reception and setting up your presentation you are being watched and judged. Act as though the client is with you always.
  3. Dress as They Expect You to Dress. Have you ever seen a politician in the outback talking to the locals? They usually have their shirt and tie on. This is the way that the locals expect to see their politicians, so this is the way that they dress. So how do you dress? Whilst I do not suggest that every person appears in a 3-piece suit, it is important that each person dresses for their role. If you are leading the presentation from a sales or ‘Company’ perspective it will probably be best to wear the suit. However, if you are the project manager you will probably be best suited to wearing a polo shirt and long pants to reflect your ‘hands on’ approach. Even if you never wear long pants on-site you will need to wear them for the pitch. Long pants show respect where short pants will not.
  4. Do You Need PowerPoint? If you consider that every company making a pitch will use PowerPoint, how will the client feel at the end of just 4 presentations? This is real Death by PowerPoint! To stand out from the crowd, construct a presentation that does not rely on PowerPoint. Use stories, word pictures and elicit emotions to get your message across. If you need to convey data intensive information then PowerPoint is fine, but just leave it at that. You want to stand out with your presentation, not become one of the herd.
  5. Remember it is About the Client.Even though you are there to sell yourself, the presentation is all about the client. Work out what they really want and then sell them that. If you are pitching for a $500,000 computer system upgrade, know what the customer wants … And I will guarantee you that they don’t want a new computer system! What they want faster, more reliable processing; they want systems that work together and they want to automate their processes. They don’t want a new computer system, they just know it’s the best way to get what they want.

Good luck with your next pitch!

Til next time,

Cheers

Darren Fleming

 


What is the Temperature of Your Presentation

April 18th, 2008 |1 comment

One of the most disheartening things that can happen to a trainer is to look out at your audience and see half of them asleep, while the other half struggles to stay awake!

While I believe that it is the presenters duty to provide a stimulating presentation that will keep the audience involved, there are other tricks that you can use in your corporate training room to keep your audience awake.

The easiest is to control the temperature of the room. By setting the temperature at around 19 — 20 deg Celsius you audience will notice that the room is cool. When they are slightly cool, your audience is more likely to remain attentive.

If the room tempreature is any warmer then this, your audience will become warm and sleepy. After all, it is easiest to sleep in a warm position.

And when this becomes company policy, you can include this in your briefing instructions to attendees. Tell them that to get the most out of the training they should wear long pants and bring a light jumper or jacket. This is an unusual request that will stick in their mind.

If they are advised in advance they can come prepared.

‘Til next time,

Cheers

Darren Fleming

 


Perfect PowerPoint

March 26th, 2008 |3 comments

PowerPoint has become the modern tool of today’s corporate trainer. PowerPoint can be a great tool when used properly and the following tips will help you with it!

  1. Before you start presenting, ask if you really need PowerPoint. Did you know that before PowerPoint (and Freelance etc) came along, trainers and speakers spoke without it! If they needed a visual aid they used Over-head projectors or white boards. Sometimes they used nothing. There is no rule saying that you have to use PowerPoint! At your next conference, shock you audience by speaking without PowerPoint! That will certainly get their attention.
  2. What are you putting on your slides? PowerPoint works best with pictures, diagrams and data intensive information that cannot be easily explained with words alone. By keeping the text to a minimum you will be able to keep the focus on you and your message.
  3. Follow the 10/20/30 rule. No more than 10 slides for a 20 minute presentation (that’s 2 minutes per slide) and no smaller than 30 font for the text. Yes, that is big text! This forces you to simplify your slides!
  4. Handouts – Ideally your handouts SHOULD NOT BE your presentation slides. Consider having three sets of notes/slides:
    1. Audience slides – these are the slides that the audience sees. Keep them simple and relevant. Also avoid over doing the text.
    2. Your notes – these are the notes that you have to look at. They should have enough detail for you to remember what to say.
    3. Audience handouts – If you choose to have audience handouts, there is nothing to say that they have to look like the slides on the screen. In fact, there is a great argument that says that your notes should be much more detailed than the notes on the screen. After all, the notes are to re-enforce and also EXPAND on what you spoke about.
  5. Another way to interact with your audience is to give them electronic notes. Send them a link to your website/database/data warehouse where they can get notes. This will save a heap of printing, time wasting and save your notes going into the bin by those that only took the notes because they were there. If you are an external speaker/trainer, you can direct people to your website or blog to show your other products/services!
  6. Remember that your goal as a speaker at a conference or a training session or a team meeting is to engage and connect with your audience. If you can achieve this without PowerPoint then FANTASTIC!

Til next time

Cheers

Darren Fleming

 

https://executivespeaking.com.au


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