Are You a Lion, Turtle or a Rabbit Speaker?

What animal do you most resemble when you’re making a speech? Are you a lion, a turtle or a rabbit? If you’re confident, you’re like a lion. If you’re in control, you’re like a turtle. And if you get to the point quickly, you’re like a rabbit.

The best speakers have the confidence of a lion, the control of a turtle and the concise delivery of a rabbit. Here’s how you can add the three C’s of powerful presenters—confidence, control, and concise delivery—to your next presentation:

• Look Like a Lion – Your body language reflects your confidence level. To scream “confidence”, stand up straight with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. Look at your audience, smile, and speak with calm confidence!

• Control the Discussion – When you’re a presenter, there’s no time to hide in your turtle shell. You’re the front man/woman, the discussion leader. Ask for audience interaction, answer questions, but keep the group on your message. You get the first and last word on your topic!

• Get to the Point…Swiftly – Rabbits are quick, efficient and precise. No wasted energy. Always go for a simple word or shorter sentence. You’re speaking to be understood, not to impress everybody with your big vocabulary. Say “later,” instead of “at a later date”. Or use “occasionally,” instead of “from time to time”.

What animal do you most resemble when you’re making a speech? Borrow from all three if you want to raise your speaking skills to the next level!

For more ways to be concise, confident and in control while presenting, like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills)

3 Ways to Get Your Audience to Take Action

After you finish your presentation, what do you want your audience to do? If you’ve done your job, they should have something new—a different perspective, new ideas or a valuable tool/solution.

How can you get your audience to take action? It starts before you stand up to talk. Before you prepare your presentation, ask yourself this question: “What do I want my audience to think, feel or do differently at the end of my talk?” The answer to this question drives your content, delivery and results. Craft your presentation so that you are constantly giving your audience incentives to act on your message. That means, you should:

1. Lay the groundwork for “yes”.
2. Focus on benefits, from beginning to end.
3. Give your audience a clear path, only one specific next step.

1. Lay the groundwork for “yes”: From beginning to end, look for ways to find common ground with your audience. When you get nods, smiles and agreement early, it’s easier to get your audience to buy into your point of view at the end.

2. Focus on benefits: Let your audience see how they can gain (what’s in it for them) from your message. All throughout your talk, point out the advantages and benefits they’ll reap from adopting your viewpoint, project, product or service.

3. Only one next step: Ask your audience to take one clearly-defined action to move them closer to a solution to their problems. Recommend a specific step they should take (call, email or text—not all three). Make it easy for your listeners to implement your call to action!

For more ways to make your next audience more likely to act on your message, like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills) 

What Does Your Body Language Say?

When you give a business presentation, you are seen as a leader or an expert. Does your body language keep that image alive in the eyes of your audience?

Your face and hands play a big role in sending your audience the right message. Your body language speaks louder than your words. Your body language—your dress, posture and body movements—account for 55 percent of your credibility with your audience.

Don’t you start sizing up a new person before they open their mouth? So does your audience! They are looking at your face—your eyes and mouth—and your hands. To make sure you are coming across as a leader and an expert presenter, follow these four body language rules:

1. Memorize your opening and closing remarks so you can make eye contact with your audience. People don’t trust speakers who don’t look at them.

2. Start your presentation with a smile. It says “I want to connect with you” and “I’m friendly.”

3. Keep your hands at your sides until you want to make a gesture that helps explain what you’re saying. Then return your hands and arms to your sides.

4. But please DO NOT move your hands to these places:

• Behind your back (you’re saying, “I really don’t want to connect with you”),
• On your hips (you’re saying, “I’m more important than you”) or 
• In the fig leaf position (your hands are covering your private parts for protection, because you feel threatened). 

Use your hands and face to send the message that you have valuable information to share with your audience to help them solve a problem, make more money or grow their business. The next time you give a presentation, make sure your words, hands and face are connecting with your audience and sending the same message!

For more ways to make your body language boost your image, like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills/

Don't Let Your Mind Mess You Up!

Your mindset determines your success or failure in life and in business presentations. If you think you’re nervous, afraid or going to forget a key point, you probably will. But you don’t have to let your mind mess up your presentation. Here are some things you can do to outsmart those limiting beliefs:

FEAR
• Gain vs. Pain – If the thought of giving a group presentation fills you with doubt and fear, change your focus. Think about what you’ll gain from this experience: prestige, respect, promotion, new clients.

• Audience vs. You – The only reason you’re giving a presentation is because you have valuable information. Focus on how you can help your audience, not on how you think they will respond to you. It’s not about you, it’s about the people looking to you for information, advice or a solution.

NERVOUSNESS
• Butterflies – If your stomach is overrun with butterflies before a presentation, give them a new name. Think of the butterflies as the adrenaline rush you need to wow your audience. Your body is getting you pumped up for a great performance.

• Enthusiasm – Don’t tell yourself you’re nervous. Tell yourself that you’re excited. Rename your nervous energy and call it ENTHUSIASM!

FORGETFULNESS 
• Pause – If you have a brain freeze during a presentation, pause, glance at your notes and remember, no one knows every word you wanted to say!

• Adjust – You’ve just forgotten a key point. Don’t apologize to the audience, make a quick recovery and move on. If you remember the point later, just insert it then. You can adjust like this, “There’s one more thing I want to add…” Forgetting is not a felony. It’s not even a crime!

For more ways to overcome fear, nerves or memory lapses, like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills/)

How Can Chicken Seasoning Help You Connect?

If you’re like most people, you want to make a connection with the person you’re talking to. As a presenter, the way to get that connection is to build it into your presentation during your planning/writing stage. If you’re roasting a chicken and you want it to be well seasoned, you’d add spices before putting it in the oven.

Think of CONNECTION as the SEASONING you add to your presentation early in the preparation process. To create a presentation that keeps your audience focused on your message, from beginning to end, you need to build four ingredients into your presentation during the planning process:

 1. CONVERSATION. To have a conversation, information has to flow in two directions. That means you need to ask your audience questions. As you prepare your message, look for ways to turn statements into questions that will generate a response from your audience. You could say, “Goldfish have an attention span of nine seconds.” But a more interactive approach would be to ask your audience, “How long is the attention span of a goldfish?” Someone will yell out an answer.

2. EXPERIENCE. To create a memorable experience, tell a story, make an analogy or use visuals. Slides, stories, analogies, activities, pictures and props turn a speech into a memorable experience. They engage your audience in an unforgettable way.

3. THINK. Ask thought-provoking questions like, “Have you ever…?” or “Imagine you were…” to make your audience think about how they can use your message. This makes your audience think about using your message, instead of just listening to it.

4. APPLICATION. Give your audience a call to action. Ask them to take a specific action to implement your message. To apply my message, here’s your homework: “For your next presentation, look for ways to encourage conversation. Ask questions that get your audience engaged in a two-way dialog.”

If you do your homework and it works, post your results on the Better Speaking Skills Facebook page. For more ways to spice up your next presentation, go to my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills/)

Please, Laugh in My Face!

People love to laugh—behind your back. That’s normal. Sometimes, you want them to laugh in your face. That’s gold for a presenter. If your audience is laughing, they are listening and you’re making an emotional connection!

If you can’t get some laughs or smiles, you are in trouble. As a presenter, you want to sprinkle humor throughout your business presentation because it:

 • Makes your audience more receptive to your message. Your points seem fresh, new and novel if you can get a laugh or a smile from your audience.

• Gives you a leg up with your listeners. People with a sense of humor seem friendly, likeable and someone you want to do business with.

• Helps you talk about difficult or serious topics.

• Makes your message more memorable.

But please, don’t trot out any old, tired jokes. Just try one of these humor hooks to keep your audience entertained and engaged:

1. Make an analogy that puts a twist on a common thing/situation. An analogy shows how two different things are similar. For example, “Sunbathing at Daytona Beach in July is like being a rotisserie chicken for four hours”. A simple analogy can bring out a smile!

2. Use the comedy rule: 1-2-FUNNY. List three things. The first two are similar and the last one breaks the pattern because it’s unexpected. For example, “I never know what to expect when I look under my car in the morning. (I always park near Mrs. Bush’s oak tree). Yesterday I found, half a pint of oil, a flat tire and Mrs. Bush’s dentures!”

3. Share a personal story. “If something happened to you and you found the humor in it, there’s a good chance others will, too,” says Carmine Gallo in his book, “Talk Like TED”.

It wasn’t funny at the time, but my first big feature story as a newspaper reporter was on a well-known minister in Charlotte, NC. I was so proud when my full-page story ran on Saturday. By Monday morning, I was nervous, stumbling and embarrassed. I had to look my editor (and the minister) in the eyes and explain the only mistake in my story. I broke the news that the pastor was retiring. To my surprise, he wasn’t. I still don’t know how I got that retirement so WRONG!

Yes, stories are a great way to get a laugh. Use your facial expressions, exaggerated gestures/movements, and dialog between characters to surprise your listeners. And don’t forget to give your characters distinct and memorable voices.

Need help getting laughs in your business presentations? Sign up for a Better Speaking Skills free strategy session at https://portercoachyou.com/contact-us  

Do You Want to Make a Quick Connection?

As a presenter, the fastest way to connect with your audience is to show off your five F’s. When you reveal your failures, flaws, fears, frustrations or firsts with your listeners they can see that you have struggled, just like them. Authenticity is a fast track to connecting with people.

When you talk about how you dealt with your five F’s, you give the audience hope that they can also overcome their failures, flaws, fears, frustrations and firsts.

The first time I stood in front of my entire high school, to introduce the speaker at the 1973 Honor Society induction ceremony, the podium was almost taller than me and the microphone stood slightly above my gold granny glasses. I was so afraid that the butterflies in my stomach would fly out of my mouth; I rushed through my introduction and ran off the stage.

My first public speaking experience wasn’t any better for my audience. They could barely hear my soft voice, with the microphone so high above my mouth, and my monotone message was truly forgettable. I have no idea what I said that day!

But your five F’s do not have to make your audience feel sorry for you. Give them a glimpse at what it took to overcome your failures, get comfortable with your flaws, push past your fears, come to terms with your frustrations, and get better than your first attempt.

How did I go from 17-year-old butterfly girl to presentation coach? Well, I’ve invested time and money into improving my public speaking skills. After more than 10 years of training in Toastmasters International, I have taken classes, been certified as a World Class Speaking Coach and given speeches for the last 15 years.

With practice, training and coaching you can get comfortable enough on stage to connect with any audience. Let them know what it took to look like a winner—your five F’s!

For more presentation tips, like the Better Speaking Skills Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills/)

4 Ways to Avoid Boring Your Audience

Do you know what people are saying (in their mind) about you when you stand in front of them to give a presentation? They are thinking, “Please don’t let her be boring!”

Your job is simple. DO NOT BORE THEM! What can you do to keep your listeners interested? Use anchors to tie your audience to your presentation. Anchors add energy, increase audience involvement and reduce the risk of giving a dull, boring presentation.

For every main point you make, use an anchor to bring it alive for your audience. Four popular anchors are an anecdote, an analogy, an activity, and an acronym. Here’s how you can keep your audience engaged and make your message more memorable:

• Anecdote – Tell a story that drives home your point. When people remember your story, they’ll remember your point.

• Analogy – Compare your point to something the audience knows about. I like to compare the three parts of a presentation to a three-course meal. The opening is your appetizer, the main message is your entrée and your closing words are like a dessert. Comparisons make your message easier to digest.

• Activity – Have the audience practice what you preach. When your audience participates in an activity, they walk away with a deeper understanding of your message. Activities are a great way to add fun and energy.

• Acronym – Turn your message into an easy-to-remember acronym. For example, I like to make my audiences “T.A.L.L.” (Think, Act, Laugh and Learn).

For more presentation tips, like the Better Speaking Skills Facebook page (facebook.com/BetterSpeakingSkills)

3 Ways You Can Kill a Presentation

Are you guilty of using a “poison P”? Have you ever delivered a business presentation standing behind a lectern or desk, been so serious—you forgot to share your personality with your audience, or read word-for-word from slides or notes?

Don’t worry. I’m a recovering addict with just the right prescription to prevent the three poison P’s: physical roadblocks, too little personality and perfectionism. These poison pills can cut off your audience connection and kill your presentation.

#1 POISON PILL: There’s a physical barrier between you and your audience.
REMEDY: Get as close as possible to your audience. Clear all roadblocks that make it hard to have a conversation with them. I used to love to stand behind the lectern and glance at my notes when I gave speeches at my Toastmasters Club. But the best speakers in our club knew better. They never stood behind the lectern or table. They would walk close to the audience, speak from the heart and look us in the eye.

#2 POISON PILL: You don’t tap into your personality.
REMEDY: Weave your best personality assets into your presentation. Play to your strengths. Do you love dogs? Find a way to mention your passion in your speech. Do you make your friends laugh? Share a funny story with your listeners. Bring your best personality trait on stage with you. You’ll be more interesting, authentic, credible, appealing and fun. You have more energy as a presenter when you show off your personality. And your listeners want to hear something unique about you, your perspective or your subject.

#3 POISON PILL: You’re addicted to the perfection pill.
REMEDY: Forget about perfection. Don’t read your presentation word for word from an iPad, written notes or your slides. Use a conversational delivery style that includes lots of eye contact, interaction with the audience, and little visual contact with your notes/slides. Your audience wants you to explain your message to them, not regurgitate every word you wrote down in your memorized script!

For more presentation tips, like the Better Speaking Skills Facebook page.

Do Your Stories Boost Your Image?

Do you include stories in your business presentations? For years, I shied away from telling stories in my speeches. I didn’t think I could tell a great story. I was right. Then I discovered how to take my stories from good to great. What made the difference?

There are five things I added to breathe life into my stories. Have you ever had a tall, cold glass of Hi-C? That fruit-juice flavored drink leaves a great taste in your mouth! Well there are five C’s that will make your stories as memorable and refreshing as a cold glass of Hi-C!

Great stories, like Star Wars or Black Panther, have the power to capture your imagination. And you can capture the attention and imagination of your audience by using the five C’s of storytelling. They add so much power and passion to your stories, you’ll also get a lift. When you’re known as a great storyteller, you’ll boost your image as a leader, communicator and an expert.

To take your stories from good to great, add these five C’s:

1 – Curiosity – Before you start your story, ask a question that makes your audience curious so they can’t wait to hear what you have to say next. You want them thinking, “Oh please, tell me more”.

2 – Characters – Make your characters believable by describing their appearance, personality and mindset. You want your audience to see themselves and others in your characters.

3 – Conversation – Add conversation between one or more characters. Dialog is a great way to generate a laugh and drive home your point.

4 – Conflict – Make sure your story has a problem or conflict the audience can relate to. Your audience should see themselves in your character(s) struggle to fix their problem.

5 – Carryout message – Summarize the message your story delivers in an easy-to-repeat slogan that is short and catchy (10 words or less). You want your audience to walk away repeating your carryout message or catch phrase.

For more easy-to-use storytelling tips, go to www.portercoachyou.com and sign up for free Better Speaking Skills business presentation tools.

5 Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes You Must Avoid

What do ambitious women and awesome public speakers have in common? A panel at the Women on the Rise Orlando empowerment expo laid out a roadmap for women who want corporate success and pay equality. Their advice will also help men and women avoid the five biggest public speaking mistakes.

I repackaged their message as a M.A.G.I.C. bullet for men and women who want to be successful presenters. To be an empowered and extraordinary presenter, avoid these five mistakes:

M - MINDSET: Mistake: You have an “I’m good enough” mindset. Solution: Step outside of your comfort zone and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

A - ADVANTAGES: Mistake: You settle for less than your best. Solution: Go for the P.I.E. advantages. PERFORMANCE (Perfect your ability to move an audience). IMAGE (Boost your image as a leader and an expert by making presentations). EXPOSURE (Give speeches that raise your personal, professional or business’ visibility).

G - GROWTH: Mistake: You assume you can’t improve your presentations. Solution: Look for ways to grow or strengthen your public speaking skills.

I - INJECT: Mistake: You bore your audience by playing it too safe. Solution: Inject emotion, passion and your authentic self into your presentations.

C - CONFIDENCE: Mistake: You feel unsure or scared in front of an audience. Solution: Remind yourself that you have something valuable to say and confidently deliver your message.

Let me know if you have ever made one of these mistakes. How did you rebound from it? Remember, missteps are part of the learning process that moves you along the road to speaking success! Share your horror and success stories at www.portercoachyou.com or Rosalyn@portercoachyou.com

4 Ways You Can Captivate an Audience Like Oprah

Oprah Winfrey jumped to the top of a list of potential 2020 candidates for president of the United States after giving a speech, accepting the Cecil DeMille award for lifetime achievement. What did she do in her January 7 Golden Globes award show speech?

Oprah ignited our imagination, gave us a history lesson and stirred our emotions. She even had a room full of Hollywood heavy hitters clapping and cheering like they were at a political rally. She clearly captivated her audience. And there are four things you can do to captivate an audience like Oprah.

In his new book, “SOAR,” Bishop T.D. Jakes explains what he tries to do in every speech or sermon: “I want my preaching, teaching, and speaking to be as relevant, engaging, powerful, and transformative to my audience as possible.”

Oprah’s Golden Globes speech was relevant, engaging, powerful and transformative. To make the T.D. Jakes recipe and Oprah’s speaking style work for you:

1. RELEVANT: Speak on a topic that’s relevant to your audience. Oprah spoke directly to the women in the entertainment industry who launched a “Time’s Up” movement to help women facing sexual harassment in the workplace. The theme of her acceptance speech was female empowerment.

2. ENGAGING: Use vivid descriptions so your audience can visualize the scenes in your stories. You could see Oprah in 1964 as a little girl “sitting on the linoleum floor of my mother’s house” watching Sidney Poitier get an Oscar for best actor (first black man to win that award). Couldn’t you feel how exhausted her mom was when she “came through the door bone tired from cleaning other people’s houses”?

3. POWERFUL: Vary the speed and volume of your voice for emphasis. Oprah slowly announced that “Recy Taylor died ten days ago, just shy of her 98th birthday.” And she turned up the volume to loudly proclaim: “I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories.”

4. TRANSFORMATIVE: Offer new information, a different perspective or deeper understanding of your topic. Was Oprah’s speech your first introduction to Recy Taylor? I had never heard of this African-American woman who was raped in 1944 while walking home from church. Her story brought me to tears!

Need to make your next presentation as powerful as Oprah’s, go to www.portercoachyou.com and sign up for my free business presentation tools.