how to seduce any - ruth sherman speaking & media coach · how to seduce any audience as a...

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H O W T O S E D U C E A N Y A U D I E N C E

CONNECT WITH RUTH...

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www.ruthsherman.com

Greenwich (HQ): +1 203-698-2512

Los Angeles: +1 310-667-5711

© 2014 Ruth Sherman. All Rights Reserved.

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About Me and this Ebook

love everything about

communicating and presenting and

have devoted more than 20 years to

helping others realize their dreams of

becoming great at these skills. Since

beginning my career, I have had the

honor and pleasure of working with

some of the world’s top business leaders,

Oscar-winning and international

Hollywood stars, and other public

figures.

Then there are my small business clients. While I love working

with the high-flyers, there is nothing like taking a small business

and watching how with some focused coaching, they suddenly

find themselves magnetic and charismatic. What this does for

their self-esteem as well as their bottom line gives me the greatest

pleasure of all.

I

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As a political junkie, I’ve fed my habit by analyzing and

commenting on political speech – both substance and style. You

can read my full bio on my website, but for now, I just want to say

that everything in this book is a result of experience – both in my

own development as a presenter and that of my amazing clients. As

a result, I know that becoming a great presenter – on stage, on

camera, and in the media – is within anyone’s reach, and, once

mastered, is the special sauce that makes your dreams come true.

All you need is patience, dedication and something to say (and who

doesn’t have that?). Oh, and this Ebook to get you started.

Enjoy!

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Contents

INTRODUCTION 7

PART 1: PREPARATION 9

PART 2: LET STAGE FRIGHT WORK FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU 15

PART 3: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION MAKES YOU BELIEVABLE 18

PART 4: NOTES V. SCRIPTING, PODIUMS, FRAMING, SETS 24

PART 5: THE PROBLEM WITH SLIDES 30

PART 6: IT’S A MUSCLE 36

★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 40 ★ MORE STUFF ★ 41

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Introduction

cannot think of a better way to increase your stature in

your job, business, or industry than by becoming a skilled

presenter. I’m talking about having a commanding presence,

the kind where people feel they have to meet you, or else.

Standing (or sometimes sitting) in front of a group, or on a

video, or in a media studio and presenting information is a

daunting prospect for people ranging from beginners to

CEOs. Believe it or not, my celebrity clients have similar

fears. There is good reason for this. Most people do not get

much, if any, training during their many years of formal

schooling and few companies provide it to employees as part

of their professional development programs. The ones that do

neither do it well, nor enough.

This means that employees, business owners and even CEOs

are left to their own devices because the fact is that

somewhere along the road, you will be asked to stand up and

deliver a presentation.

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So what does it really take to master these essential,

professional skills? It’s an important topic with many details.

A note on how to approach this Ebook: You may read

in any order you like. Some people start at Part 6 (Speak) and

return to the beginning. At the end of each section is a list of

my Speakrets® These are the main themes of the section,

which are also organized into a single list at the end.

Finally, I have a couple of lists of resources.

Ok, let’s get this show on the road…

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Part 1: Preparation

isten up. Preparation is where most people go wrong. It is

the biggest obstacle my clients face, by far, and the most

tedious and difficult part of the journey to becoming an amazing

speaker or presenter. But it’s the most critical component of the

process, and if you truly mean it when you say want to be great,

you simply cannot ignore it.

Practice results in a lot of interesting and positive things. And by

practice, I mean saying it out loud. Let me say that another

way: In your head doesn’t count. We are a l l very

e loquent in our own heads. Saying it out loud lets you hear

what you’re saying, and by activating the speech centers in your

brain opens your mind to new and better ways of saying it. It

allows you to learn without memorizing. It also is the antidote to

stage fright.

Here is my best advice to making preparation and practice as

painless as possible (yes, I do like the letter P):

L

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On Stage

1 . Book a gig. You can worry about the presentation later. This

will give you the incentive to get moving. If you have a regular

job, find a place to volunteer – seriously, raise your hand. I

guarantee you’ll be one of only a few. If you’re an entrepreneur

or business owner, offer to speak at local organizations,

associations and other groups that need your expertise and

where you can get your feet wet.

2. Keep a content journal . Some people call this a swipe file

Great ideas pop into – and out of – our heads every minute of

every day… thoughts, facts, figures, stories, statistics, videos,

press reports, whatever. Create a file and jot down everything

that pops into your head because they pop out just as quickly.

The good ones will get away and you’ll work much harder than

you have to. (See Storytel l ing sect ion later in Part 1)

3. Organize your materia l . Decide on a title and clever

subtitle and arrange into a beginning, middle and end. Some

people like outlines and some like mind maps. Whatever works

for you.

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4 . Practice. Out loud. Remember in your head doesn’t count

because we’re all very eloquent in our own heads. There is

no substitute for this . None. Mouthing it on the plane,

train or in the car on the way to the gig is way too late.

5. Practice more than you think you have to. I tell my

clients to use a ratio of 10:1; for every time unit of speaking,

practice 10x that. Think that's outrageous? I'm being

conservative. And the higher the stakes, the more you should

practice. But take heart: I consider all work geared toward

delivering a presentation to be practice. (You know all those

people walking down the street talking to themselves? They're

not crazy – they're practicing!) Furthermore, as you gain

experience, your practicing will become cumulative and reduce

the time necessary to allocate to it.

6. Video-record your practice and watch it ! This won’t

always be necessary, but as you gear up toward becoming a

fantastic presenter, using them is important because they let

you become accustomed to seeing yourself as others see you, a

key strategy on the road to improving presentation skills.

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On Video

1 . Learn to use your webcam. You can turn on your

webcam or hold out your smartphone any time, video-record a

tip and watch yourself on playback. You’ll be ultra-critical,

hate the way you look on camera, but that’s ok. You get used

to it. After enough of this, you’ll be ready to put it out there in

public. (Numbers 2-6 above are the same.)

In the Media

1 . Call local stat ions. They’re always looking for guests.

Speak to a producer or booker. Have your pitch ready. Then,

when you get booked, create and practice the messages you

want to be sure you get across to the viewing audience. Also,

watch the people you’ll be interviewing with and get a sense of

their style. (Numbers 2-6 above are the same.)

Storytelling for Connection

We hear about this all the time… tell stories! But what does it really

mean?

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All presentations need to contain moments that foster the

connection between speaker and audience. The best ways to make

this connection are personal stories and self-directed humor. Your

audience wants to know that you are like them in some small way,

that you are on the same plane, face the same types of problems.

These stories happen to us almost every day. So starting now, begin

to capture these daily occurrences and put them in your content

journal (See above what this is). It can be as simple as an

interaction you have with someone in business or in a store.

Stories can also be things that have happened to you in your life

that you think your audience can relate to. Think about lessons

you learned or people you've met along the way who've inspired

you. Also think about some of the funnier moments you may have

had. The dumb mistakes we all make are usually good material.

Articles that you read or statistics that you can share are wonderful

ways to get people perking up. Asking a question or for a show of

hands are other possibilities for engagement and entryways for

stories.

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You can also use client stories, examples, current events, and

statistics. Really the list is endless.

Stories and other engagement techniques should be strategically

placed throughout a presentation, whether stage, video, or media.

___________________________________________________

★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 1. Speaking and presenting are the best ways to increase your stature in

your business or career. 2. Preparation is the key to doing well and something most speakers don’t

do nearly enough of. 3. Practice and rehearse, meaning say it out loud. 4. Personal stories and self-directed humor make you connectible and

relatable in a way nothing else does. 5. Be disciplined about collecting stories.

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Part 2: Let Stage Fright Work For You, Not Against You

s I touched on in Part 1, delivering a speech or presentation

on stage or on-camera, and certainly in the professional

media studio can shake the confidence of even the most

experienced professional. Does it have to be so threatening? Well,

sort of and here's why.

There are some aspects of putting yourself out there that are

inherent and, thus, unavoidable. The first is that in general, it is an

individual activity. You and you alone will be in the spotlight. All

eyes will be on you. The result of this increased scrutiny is that any

error has the potential to be more glaring. The stakes (for you) are

higher and success or failure more meaningful. You will probably

feel intimidated and worry about how you will perform. A.K.A

Stage Fright.

Almost everyone is familiar with the feeling. The heart races,

perspiration increases, hands tremble, mouth goes dry. Even the

most skilled and prepared actors and speakers feel it. It's a natural

reaction to a perceived threat and is also known as fight or flight,

A

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the survival mechanism that makes us better able to fight off or run

away from danger. The powerful chemicals that are instantly

released make us stronger, faster and more agile. What is less well

known, though, is that fight or flight also makes us quicker witted,

better able to think on our feet and make split-second decisions. In

a significant way, it makes us smarter.

The feeling, however, is so unpleasant for most people that they

push back against it, ignore it or even beat themselves up for

having it in the first place, which only make it worse. Skilled

presenters know a secret about Stage Fright: It helps make them

more animated, more exciting to watch and better at delivering

their presentation. So instead of worrying about it, they embrace it.

In other words, a little tension is a good thing for presenting

yourself on stages and in videos.

There is a caveat: Stage Fright works its magic best when you are

prepared (see Part 1, please). Just as someone who is physically fit

and experienced would be better able to fight off or flee from

danger, so would a presenter who was well-prepared and/or who

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had experience be much better able to make Stage Fright work

positively. The ability to think more quickly on your feet enables

you to deal seamlessly with the inevitable things that go wrong in

every presentation instead of allowing them to derail you.

Bottom line: Stage fright is your friend. Hard to believe, but true.

Its presence simply indicates that you care about your performance.

That can't be bad.

___________________________________________________

★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 1. Stage Fright goes with the territory. 2. Preparation is the antidote. 3. It never goes away entirely, nor should you want it to.

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Part 3: Nonverbal Communication Makes You Believable

e’ve all been there. Some “expert” speaker takes the stage,

stands behind a podium, does a data-dump in a boring

voice, never lifting his head from his notes and puts us to sleep.

Let that not be you.

This section is about technique – nonverbal technique to be

precise, how you look, move, sound, and travel when you’re

speaking. Basically, nonverbal communication gives your words

meaning. It’s your only way to display your confidence, authority,

knowledge, expertise, AND passion. It makes you believable,

relatable, connectible. Doing a data dump will not elicit your

passion and will not engage your audience. I don't care how much

they need to know about the Future of Technology as it Pertains to

1st World Economics.

The job of a business speaker is to inform, engage and entertain,

not necessarily in that order. Or as my good friend, Jennifer

Abernethy, aptly puts it, “info-tain.”

W

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Clients are always worried about that last directive, that if they try

too hard to be entertaining, they'll come off as too slick. No one

will take them seriously. I have never seen this happen. I have,

however, seen audiences in various states of — shall we say —

"relaxation." Audience members playing with their hair, reading,

texting or, worst of all, nodding off. On videos, they’ll click right

off and go on to the next. In the media, they’ll change the

channel. It is a huge part of a presenter’s responsibility to see to it

these things don’t happen. So how can you keep people awake and

interested?

Following is a list of the primary nonverbal codes and how to use

them so that your message has the very best chance of being heard.

They vary for each medium but the theme that is constant

throughout is energy. High energy.

1. Voice (Stage, Video, Media). The most loaded of the

codes, this includes tone, expression, volume, rate, pace and

accent/dialect issues. At the top of this list is expression. This is

the opposite of the “corporate monotone,” which has,

unfortunately, become habitual and fashionable in business.

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Second most important is volume because if no one can hear

you, all is lost. Volume is not about shouting. It’s about

infusing your voice with power and energy that have people

look up and take notice. Mastering just these two aspects of the

voice will infuse your delivery with a level professionalism that

will compensate for other, perhaps weaker skills.

2. Hands (Stage). Hands help the presenter think and the

audience learn. For that reason, gestures should be almost

constant. Most people, however, don’t know what do to do

with their hands once they get on stage. So they put them

behind their backs, in their pockets, or fold them. Avoid these

actions. Believe it or not, down at your sides is the place they

should start. By the way, for some reason, this position feels

terrible, but looks good. But don’t get stuck there. And if you

do, get unstuck. No one will hold it against you. I promise. Also

be careful not to use a single gesture too much. If you're

having difficulty figuring out where your hands ought to be,

it's a fine idea to choreograph some moves. Often, that's

enough to get going. In general, the way you use your hands

off-stage is the way you should move them on-stage.

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(Video, Media). Your hands should be more contained.

Remember you’re in a box (the TV), so being too expansive

could be distracting.

3. Body and Movement (Stage, Video). Posture should be

tall, but not military. Leaning slightly toward your audience or

the video camera or interviewer conveys an eagerness to be

there. When walking to the platform or into the studio, stride

purposefully. Look happy, not fearful. Once on stage or on-

camera, movement must be monitored. It's fine to step toward

and away from the audience or to move to one or the other

side of the screen (if you're using visuals), but any movement

should have a meaning. And definitely avoid pacing from side

to side (I call this Wimbledon). Also, try not to turn your back

to your audience. There are elegant ways to turn around and

step backward that avoid this (but I cannot show that here).

Video, Media Special Instructions: On video or in the

media studio, make sure you’re sitting forward toward the edge

of your seat with hands placed on the table, or if there isn’t on,

in your lap and gesture appropriately from there. And if you

are in a remote location (you are in one place and the

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interviewer in another) make sure you are looking into that

camera lens and showing it the love.

4. Eye Communication (Stage, Video, Media). Eyes

really are the mirrors of the soul. Western business culture

places great importance on eye communication. We can build

rapport with audiences by looking at them. If it's a fairly small

group (20 or fewer), you should try for contact with each

person. In a large group, take in small groups. Aim for 5

seconds per contact. You will succeed at 2 or 3, which is

enough. Don't make the mistake of expecting them to look

back at you. If they look away, move on to a friendlier face and

give them another chance later. On video, look into the lens.

Being an inanimate object, you have to practice showing it the

love (see above).

5. Facial Animation (Stage, Video, Media). Your face

should reflect your feelings. If you have an interesting piece of

information, it could be reflected in a raised brow. Smiling

certainly has its place. There is a fantastic range of movement

in the facial musculature that can communicate a tremendous

amount of information.

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6 . Dress and Adornment (Stage). This refers to everything

you weren't born wearing, all the choices you make in

clothing, accessories, hairstyle, and makeup. The choices vary

far too widely to cover in this chapter. However, a good rule is

to see what the highly regarded people in your field are wearing

during their presentations and emulate them. Remember how

you want to be perceived.

(Video) Wear colors that look good on camera and that pop

against your skin and background. Speaking of backgrounds,

remember to keep it simple and consistent with your brand.

Everyday makeup is sufficient.

(Media) Observe what the anchors are wearing and emulate

them. If they will not be doing your hair and makeup, you’ll

have to learn to do it yourself. This is important – take a lesson

because in this case, everyday makeup is not sufficient.

Altogether, these nonverbal codes will make you a much more

interesting speaker, more capable of grabbing your audience and

holding them until you, not they, are done.

_________________________________________________

★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 1. Nonverbal communication gives words meaning. 2. Physical animation makes you more believable. 3. Your face and body should reflect your passion about your topic. 4. Video and media require you to adapt movement to the environment.

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Part 4: Notes v. Scripting, Podiums, Framing, Sets

here are a number of specialized procedures that are

required to really put on a show.

Stage

One of the biggest issues having to do with technique, and one my

clients constantly struggle with is whether to script out a speech

and read it to an audience verbatim, to use notes of some type or to

memorize. My experience has shown that the most successful,

engaging speakers use notes. But they really know their

presentation, they’ve learned it, not memorized it. They’ve

practiced and/or done the presentation enough times so that they

know what's coming next. The words may not come out the same

way twice, but they do have it down so whatever way the words

come out, it works. Doing a presentation this way also

accommodates a certain level of license and freedom that allows the

speaker to improvise or digress as the environment dictates and

then return to prepared remarks without disrupting the flow.

T

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I have rarely seen a memorized presentation that works well. My

opinion is that memorizing is just another version of reading –

only from a script that happens to reside in your mind. It makes it

difficult to improvise and adlib, and risks becoming singsong and

boring.

Notes don't work well when a presentation is not truly learned. Of

course, neither do the other two techniques. Another question

surrounding notes has to do with slides. It's very true that slides

can serve as notes, and would seem to be a good choice. For most

people, however, it is quite difficult to produce interesting,

effective slides and my recommendation, therefore, is to stay as far

away from them as possible. By depending on slides, what we may

gain in the way of notes, we give up by risking having the

audience's eyes glaze over with slides that are poorly executed.

I always use notes, 100% of the time, which surprises people.

Notes do not detract from my effectiveness as a speaker and they

provide a great safety net. When I'm speaking, I hold the notes or

place them on a nearby table or stand so I can glance down at them

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if I need a memory jog. If it’s a major platform I’ll have a

“confidence monitor,” a TV that sits on the floor below the stage

and has my speaker notes so it looks like I’m free and easy up there.

For paper notes, I will typically hold them in one hand, which I

drop to my side when I don't need them using my other hand to

gesture. I often consider them an extension of my hand, so if I'm

particularly animated, both hands are in action and notes just

happen to be in one of them. I also put them down when I don't

need them because I ’ve learned my presentation because

I ’ve practiced it , then grab them again when I need to take a

look.

I will say that using notes will pretty much guarantee it doesn’t

come out the same way twice. It won’t necessarily be grammatically

correct or fluent (one perfect word following another, complete

sentences, etc.). But it will sound very natural and authentic.

So what about all the speakers who read from prepared scripts? I

find them to be almost universally unsuccessful. With very, very

few exceptions, a written speech is usually scripted using written

sounding language instead of spoken language, a recipe for disaster.

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In addition, it keeps the speaker glued to the page, which interferes

tremendously with their ability to communicate with listeners. I

have had many occasions to work with speakers working from

scripts and using Teleprompters. Teleprompters, of course, create

the illusion that the speaker is looking at the audience. The rare

instances where a scripted speech has been successful, it was

because the writer was skilled at writing for the ear and the speaker

was good a making it sound conversational. It is an art.

BUT…the speaker is still left behind a podium.

Which is a very unfortunate place for a speaker to be when the

object is to engage an audience. Standing behind a podium has a

long, sorry history in our business and speech culture. It's a place

to plant yourself, to rest your notes or script, an anchor to hold on

to. And that's exactly what people do when they get behind a

podium. A podium places a barrier between you and your

audience. Regardless of whether the protocol is “podium,” step out

from behind it, take the stage, and own it.

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Video

Without going into too much detail, you need to sit or stand in

front of a camera lens. This can be your webcam or another type of

video camera. Framing is important. If you imagine the screen is

divided into three horizontal sections, or thirds, then your eyes

should be in approximately the upper third, without cutting your

head off.

As far as notes go, my advice always is to keep videos short so you

don’t need them and by short, I mean a minute or so. You can get

140 words into a full minute. That’s a lot of talking. Format is

introduce yourself, say your piece, and do a call to action,

something you’d like your viewers to do: go to your website, call

you, email you, register for something.

Media

If you’re in a media studio, you will either be positioned at a table,

usually a high one, with a raised chair. Your host or interviewer will

be across that table. Sit forward, on the edge of the chair, forearms

on the table and focus on the questioner. If you’re in an

upholstered chair on the studio floor, same type of physical

engagement applies, but without the table.

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Another type of interview is a remote feed. This is when you’re in a

little room alone with a camera and some lights, earpiece in where

you receive instructions from the director and hear the interview,

and the interviewer is elsewhere, likely in another city. You have to

know how to love that camera in this type of situation and it does

take some practice. If the lights are blinding you, and prevent you

from seeing the camera, causing shifty eyes, then you need to tell

the director, who can move them remotely or have a tech come

into the room. Don’t be shy.

Notes probably aren’t necessary, since most media interviews are 2-

3 minutes at most, so you’ll have to be ready with your talking

points. But if you’ve been invited to be on a panel or something

similar on a longer show, have your pen and a piece of paper ready

to jot down your thoughts as others are talking.

___________________________________________________

★ SPEAKRETS ★ 1. Use notes instead of memorizing or reading from a script. 2. Don’t stand behind a podium. 3. Command the stage. 4. On video, eyes should be in the upper third. 5. Keep videos short so you don’t need notes. 6. In the media, engage with the interviewer. 7. On a remote feed, love, love, love that camera.

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Part 5: The Problem With Slides

'm on a mission to purge slides from all my clients'

presentations. For a while, I thought it was getting better.

People seemed to be using fewer slides, though they were as poorly

designed as ever. But, alas, there seems to have been a relapse.

Maybe it's because the creators of these software applications come

out with new bells and whistles every couple of years or so and the

temptation to use them is just too great to resist. I realize with an

addiction like this one, expecting people to do away with it entirely

is probably unrealistic. Well, I can dream, can't I?

The truth is slides can be helpful to both the speaker and the

audience, but most people don’t have a clue about how to use them

so they enhance, rather than detract from their presentation.

In lieu of going cold turkey, therefore, I'd like to recommend a few

techniques that will improve any slide presentation and facilitate

the weaning process.

1. Limit the number of s l ides. These days, it is not unusual

for a 30-minute presentation to contain 30-40 slides. THIS IS

I

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WAY TOO MUCH! Think about it from the audience point

of view: They have to sit there and listen to a disembodied

voice read to them. They have better ways to spend their time.

When it's me in the audience being bored, I just wish the

presenter had sent the presentation to me and let me read it at

my leisure rather than forcing me to attend the event. Bottom

line, for a 30-minute presentation, choose the 5-10 most

important slides. (Hint: 5 is better –- and so much braver –-

than 10.)

2. Limit the information on each s l ide. There should be

no more than 4-5 bulleted items. The fewer, the better. These

can be fragments. You don't have to write complete sentences

or include every thought you've ever had on the subject. These

bullets should function as triggers or cues for elaboration. I

once watched a terrific presentation by the president of a major

ad agency whose slides each consisted of a single statement –-

no headers, no details, very powerful. And while we’re on the

topic of limiting information, if you want to use a chart, there

should be only 1 on a slide. I am always disheartened when I

see 3, 4, even 5 charts on a single slide. That is much too

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cluttered and there is no way an audience will know what to

look at or how to make sense of it.

3. Make sure the s l ide is readable. How many times have

you found yourself struggling to read a slide because the font

was too small? This is another happy outcome of cramming

too much info onto a slide. Have mercy on your audience.

Headers should be around 28-36 points. Body copy should be

at least 20 points. 24 is better.

4. Use message t it les . This is a super important slide tip that

you probably have never heard. Most people use very general

headings on slides, like “Performance” or “Financial Data” or

“How We Help.” Those titles don’t tell people very much and

forces them to read the whole slide to figure out what it’s

about. A good message title, on the other hand, is a snapshot

of the slide content. A reader gets the main message just from

reading the title. They don’t spend a lot of time drilling down

on content and, as a result, keep their focus on you, the

speaker, which is where you want it to be.

Examples:

Instead of "Performance," a message title is "Company X

significantly outperformed the S&P in Q4.”

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Instead of “Financial Data,” try, “2009 results up 10% over

prior year.”

Instead of “How We Help," how about, “We help clients

transform their presentations.”

Can you see how a message title can pique interest and help

things move along?

If you're stuck, you can often find the makings of a message

title in your very first point on the slide or in your first spoken

line. Also, if you have a message title that is too long for one

slide, you can use an ellipsis to end the first title and on the

following slide, to continue with the rest of it. It might look

something like this:

S l ide 1: “Plans for 2010 are on schedule…

Slide 2: “…and under budget”

Message titles shape the narrative. If you do nothing else as a

result of reading this section, do this. Make message titles a

habit.

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5. Use animation and other bel ls and whist les

sparingly. Most of the effects slide software offers is useless.

There are, however, at some winning effects included in the

slide transitions. These effects create elegant, smooth,

professional transitions from slide to slide and far outperform

the default transition, which is no transition at all, just instant

movement from slide to slide. Make sure you click "apply to

all."

6. Make l iberal use of the "B" key. This is a fabulous secret

I can share because I read the manual way back when. If you

press the letter B on your keyboard during a slide presentation

(at least in PowerPoint), the screen will go dark. (Some

remotes also have a blackout button.) This is a wonderful

feature if, for example, you get into an audience discussion and

want to eliminate the distraction of the projected image. When

you're ready to move on, press B again and you'll be right

where you left off.

7. Remotes have pros and cons. I like using mine because

it’s small and unobtrusive. But I have had clients who examine

them during a presentation and make them a distraction. One

problem, though, is if I’m holding notes in one hand and a

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remote in the other, my gestures are limited. Now we’re

getting into why I like to limit the use of slides.

9. Do not use a laser pointer. I don't know whose brilliant

idea this little piece of technology was, but not only is it

distracting, it is quite ineffective, magnifying every movement

or tremor of your hand. Can you say Stage Fright? And buyer

beware: Many remotes contain laser pointers, as if they’re

doing you a favor.

Bottom line, best to stay as far away from slides as possible. A

speaker should want the focus to remain on her or him and not on

slides. As the communications guru Roger Ailes says, “You are the

message.” As you’re creating your slide presentation, keep that in

mind.

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★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 1. If you must use slides, limit the information. 2. Use message titles. 3. Don’t use a laser pointer.

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Part 6: It’s a Muscle

peak. Yes, that’s right. Speak. It may seem ridiculous for me

to say it, but you’d be surprised at how many people hire me,

paying significantly for my help, and never apply it! As I said in

Part 1, presenting yourself well is on-the-job training and you

cannot improve if you don’t do it. So you've got to volunteer to

speak. As an incentive, be aware that speaking is a remarkable

differentiator because most people dread it so much they would

rather get run over by a truck than deliver a presentation. So seek

out opportunities to speak. In fact, you should just start here: Book

a gig and worry about how you’ll deliver it later.

Speaking Organizations

So now the challenge becomes where do you speak? Well, that’s a

good question, but there are also some very good answers. I

recommend becoming a member of Toastmasters, which is a

speaking club with chapters all over the world. Toastmasters is said

to be the world’s oldest club. It’s a place where you will meet other

people at all levels of expertise who want to improve their speaking

and who will support you as you try out new material and help you

with your delivery. It costs next to nothing to attend and is a

S

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terrific resource to find out about speaking opportunities. Many

organizations and institutions have their own, internal chapters.

You may also want to check out the National Speakers Association

(NSA). NSA is a national organization of professional speakers and

also has chapters in just about every state. By attending the local

chapter meetings, you will learn just about every facet of

professional speaking from technique through marketing. You will

also have a chance to see the best, most successful keynote speakers

in action. There is a bar to professional membership – you actually

have to be earning money as a speaker to be admitted, but anyone

can attend local chapter meetings and the national meetings.

NSA holds a number of national meetings throughout the year,

culminating in a big convention. For both Toastmasters and NSA,

the way to get the most out of them is to get involved by

volunteering, serving on the board and just getting to know your

colleagues on a deeper level. That’s where referrals come from.

Community Organizations

Every community has numerous clubs and associations that need

speakers. Check out the local houses of worship, which often have

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active clubs and ministries that need speakers. Business associations

are in constant need of speakers. You can start with your local

Chamber of Commerce and ask them if they keep a list of local

business associations. Then you just have to contact them.

Go to their websites and see what they’re about. Find the program

directors, who look for and book speakers. They usually need more

than one per month, so there is a lot of opportunity.

You’ll Need A Speaker Sheet

Go online and do a search for speaker sheets. They’re also known

as “speaker one-sheets.” Model yours on one you like. Your

program description should have a catchy title. I like to write my

program descriptions in a breezy, conversational style so they sound

entertaining and fun (which they are) in addition to being packed

with information – remember “info-tainment.” A few sentences

will do, followed by 3-5 bullets of takeaways for participants.

By the way, better to under-promise and over-deliver than the

other way around. So don’t offer too much, but surprise them by

giving more than they expected.

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What If No One Wants You?

It’s possible if you are an unknown or inexperienced speaker,

people may be afraid to take a chance. So, why not create your own

engagement? Today there is an endless array of technologies that

you can access if you want to create a platform. You can create a

conference call or webinar. There are Google+ Hangouts, a free

video conferencing technology that will put all your new skills to

use. Of course, you can also reserve a space and invite people to

attend something live. Do enough of these and you WILL start

getting those speaking gigs.

If you do your own thing, be sure to record yourself. Then listen to

or watch it. You will learn a great deal.

Then you have to plan out your preparation and rehearsal

schedule. For a new presentation, I try to get my notes done by at

least a month in advance of the engagement. Then I spend the

month saying it out loud and tweaking content. For an existing

presentation, it’s more like two weeks.

___________________________________________________

★ SPEAKRETS® ★ 1. Speaking and presenting is on-the-job training, a “muscle”; you must

exercise it to strengthen it. 2. Local business organizations are good places to seek engagements. 3. If no one wants you, create your own venue.

40


★ SPEAKRETS® ★

1. Speaking and presenting are the best ways to increase your

stature in your business or career. 2. Preparation is the key to doing well and something most

speakers don’t do nearly enough of. 3. Practice and rehearse, meaning say it out loud. 4. Personal stories and self-directed humor make you connectible

and relatable in a way nothing else does. 5. Be disciplined about collecting stories. 6. Stage Fright goes with the territory. 7. Preparation is the antidote. 8. It never goes away entirely, nor should you want it to. 9. Nonverbal communication gives words meaning. 10. Physical animation makes you more believable. 11. Your face and body should reflect your passion about your

topic. 12. Video and media require you to adapt movement to the

environment. 13. Use notes instead of memorizing or reading from a script. 14. Don’t stand behind a podium. 15. Command the stage. 16. On talking head videos, eyes should be in the upper third. 17. Keep videos short so you don’t need notes. 18. In the media, engage with the interviewer. 19. On a remote feed, love, love, love that camera. 20. If you must use slides, limit the information. 21. Use message titles. 22. Don’t use a laser pointer. 23. Speaking and presenting is on-the-job training, a “muscle”;

you must exercise it to strengthen it. 24. Local business organizations are good places to seek

engagements. 25. If no one wants you, create your own venue.

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★ MORE STUFF ★

WEBSITES Ruth Sherman ruthsherman.com: Your #1 resource for speaking and communication information and services. If you sign up, you’ll receive a gift, in addition to being place on my email subscriber list. National Speakers Association nsaspeaker.org: The place to learn how to become a pro speaker. Toastmasters toastmasters.org: The oldest club in the world and the best place to work on speaking technique and try out new material. YouTube.com youtube.com/RuthShermanis my channel. But you can also watch a huge variety of speakers. That’s what I do. Animoto animoto.com: Make your very own commercials! Just enter text, photos, video, etc. and this site will create a great, short, animated ad. Vital Speeches Of The Day vsotd.com: Great website that covers/offers criticism of wide range of speaking done by public figures The New York Times nytimes.com: The best newspaper, regardless of your politics; so many interesting articles on business and communication. Twitter twitter.com/ruthsherman: @ruthsherman I love Twitter. Wonderful mechanism by which to get constant info in the areas of your greatest interest. LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ruthsherman: Where the pros congregate; especially good for the discussions anyone can initiate. Facebook facebook.com/ruthsherman: Can be used for business or personal. Great functionality, accommodates photos, videos, etc.

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BOOKS Get Them To See It Your Way, Right Away: How to Persuade Anyone Of Anything by Ruth Sherman The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing by Jennifer Abernethy (2nd Ed. April 2012) Words That Work, It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear by Frank Luntz Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire Great American Speeches, Edited by Gregory R. Suriano Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini Eloquence in an Electronic Age by Kathleen Hall Jamieson Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Talking fro 9-5 by Deborah Tannen Musicophilia by Oliver Sachs (You’ve heard of Temple Grandin by now? Sachs was the M.D./writer who first brought her to public’s attention.) This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel Levitan The Political Brain by Drew Westen How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman Powerlines: Words that Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History by Steve Cone

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