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Writing: An Opportunity, Not A Chore

“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means.” Joan Didion, author

The lady’s right on the money. I drive the point home in all my business communication (writing skills and presentation skills) training: Writing is thinking. Don’t view it as a frustrating technical exercise in grammar, a series of hurdles to trip over as you dump your jumbled thoughts on a blank legal pad or screen, hoping that they’ll eventually come together in some loose confederation.

Writing allows you to think — really think over time — about what you know and what you might need to find out before you put your thoughts in some logical order. Please indulge me as I offer an example close to home:

I have a 19-year-old son named Will. He’s a promising sophomore baseball pitcher at a fine public liberal arts college in Maine. (Fortunately, he’s adopted. Had be been our biological child, he’d probably be third-string Chess Club.) Will is a decent student — nothing exceptional, but shrewd enough to use the English language in ways that satisfy his professors.

When he was in high school, we used to talk back and forth about his pitching tactics, which I found riveting because baseball is far and away my favorite sport. But talk is usually spontaneous and anecdotal, and doesn’t always frame itself into a context that takes in precedents and projects future behavior.

Now our contact is mostly by email, which turns Will into a practical (non-academic) writer who knows that the usual abbreviated electronic lingo young people pass back and forth won’t work for someone of my generation. So now when I ask him how baseball practice is going, he has to think, which led last spring to the best “conversation” we’ve ever had about pitching. Here’s what he wrote after I inquired about a practice session:

“I was receiving a lot of advice and help from older guys, so I needed to filter the stuff that was going to help me and the stuff I could fix another time…I just kept the fastball knee-high, outside corner, which has got me here. I have also gained enough confidence to throw inside…I messed around with some grips, so now I have a tailing fastball and a running fastball, sort of like a cutter/forkball…My changeup sucked yesterday…I need to work on the grip and [get] more practice spotting it.

“So to answer your question, the last guys I started with curves or outside or inside fastballs. Then worked a harder fastball up in the zone or maybe another curve outside. Then I would just blow one by or maybe throw a deuce [curve] that would fall in for a strike. They were all strike three-looking, so they watched the fastball or then watched the curve.”

Never before in the six or seven years he’s been pitching competitively has Will put so much thought into any discussion we’ve had on mound tactics — itself a form of on-the-spot analysis matched in sports only by golf when it comes to creative judgments. (Again, the crucial element is having the time.) The writing challenge allowed him to put it all together and think about where he is and where he wants to be.

Email does the same for all of us. It turns us into writers, an unmatched opportunity to show just how smart we really are.

Stop Yelling At Me

That’s right. I’m not looking to buy a used car at unbelievable rock-bottom prices or send in $19.95 for an amazing gadget that’ll suck food residue out of the bottom of the dishwasher and double as a self-administered dental hygiene device. Shouting may work (it must work; else why would they keep doing it?) for car pitch men or guys with British accents hawking the latest techno-mop on cable TV, but that doesn’t mean you have to yell.

No, when it comes to presentation or public speaking skills, what I teach in seminars is straightforward: Be yourself.

I recently sat through a breakfast meeting presentation by a renowned local motivational speaker who irritated the stuffing out of me. So excited was he about his secrets of small business success that his voice quickly turned into a hoarse rant well beyond the acoustical limits of a medium-size church hall.

It didn’t stop there. As he turned to and from a flip chart in a frenzied rush, he couldn’t keep his hands from jerking up in tandem with every point he made. Inside 10 minutes, he was reaching for a handkerchief to wipe perspiration from his face on what was a cool late-summer morning.

As you may have guessed, I was distracted and lost track of his message. The gestures, the pace, the visible results of exertion, they all kept me from listening closely to what were probably valuable lessons about management.

(By the way, I do give him credit for using the flip chart. Had he throttled back on his tone and gestures and kept eye contact around the room, we would have followed him with eyes and ears as he turned to the flip chart to make key points. That’s a far cry from PowerPoint, where the lights go down, eye contact fades into the gloom and the speaker stands there, transfixed by the need to keep turning away from us and reading from the huge, domineering screen.)

The key, again, is to be yourself. Not too long ago, I guided a VA hospital CEO in the Midwest through a videotaped “60 Minutes”-type interview, with a few “gotcha” questions thrown in for good measure. Being a quiet, almost bashful professional, she found that she could relax and speak in a normal tone of voice that projected self-assurance and competence. The result pleased her and she came to accept and control her natural nervousness.

Making a successful presentation is one of the most rewarding accomplishments you will ever experience. Picture your audience applauding, cheering, moved by your message, rallying to your cause, purchasing from your catalog, signing the contract, wanting your autograph and rising for a standing ovation.

You witness the power and enthusiasm to make progress. To move forward. To give something of value your audience can take with them. You know that if you sow your message well–you will reap well.

But does a successful presentation happen by accident?

Hardly. It takes plenty of preparation and practice. And when you get good, you will always be considered as someone they will invite to speak again.

Let’s look at seven strategies that make you appear as a seasoned pro whether you’re getting paid to speak or working the rubber chicken circuit:

1) Vocal variety. What people want to hear is your natural voice. Don’t imitate someone else’s voice. That would sound fake. Think of your voice as an instrument playing a beautiful melody. And that melody is tied to your image and personality.

You probably know about varying your rate, pitch and volume. They make up your tone which you can vary from serious to humorous and everything in-between. Your audience will appreciate your ability to avoid sounding monotone.

You can benefit from warming up your vocal cords. What I like to do is sing along with music CDs or practice vocal scale exercises. This gives you your best sounding voice and helps you exercise your breathing. And I try not to eat or drink anything before and during the talk that will irritate my vocal cords. Some cool water is fine with me.

2) Dress to empower. In our modern dress-down casual society, it’s easy to forget about appropriate attire. A lot of presenters choose to blend in with their audience. I have a different take.

If you dress like one of us in the audience, my opinion of you is you’re not an authority figure who has anything of special value to offer. Or what you have to offer isn’t given the same weight as someone who dresses spiffier. A good rule of thumb is to dress one step above your audience.

I remember watching a young motivational speaker giving his presentation one evening. He wasn’t very good as evidenced by extended periods of audience silence. But he was dressed to the nines. He looked sharp on the platform. Even though his speech was lacking–I have a hard time thinking anything negative about him.

3) Natural body language. If you stay behind the lectern, you’re minimizing your ability to engage your audience. It shows you’re not fully comfortable with your listeners. It may appear you’re holding back or hiding something.

Once you get beyond the lectern–use hand, arm, body and facial gestures for emphasis and visual aid. Presenting is not only from your mouth to their ears. It’s a whole-body experience you can use to engage all their senses.

Plant your feet on the platform. Command authority by standing tall and proud. Face your audience, connect with your eyes, and move about naturally. Avoid repeating gestures as this makes you appear robotic. Another way to avoid the stiff, over-rehearsed look is to connect with people, then allow your body to speak.

If you use PowerPoint, stand to the audience’s left side of the screen. That’s the power position for PowerPoint users because westerners read from left to right. If you suddenly want full audience attention on you, black out the screen.

4) Proper room set-up. Most business presentations are given around a conference table with an intimate crowd. Larger audiences will require different layouts and maybe the use of a microphone and sound system. It’s ideal to check how many people plan to attend for audio purposes.

If you’re hosting a business opportunity meeting, it’s a strategic advantage to reserve a smaller room and have people standing to create the appearance that there’s a lot of interest. And it also hints of the urgency to get involved now to avoid missing out.

For an all-day meeting having tables set up is ideal, but will restrict your audience size. And if it’s in your budget, it’s always nicer to offer ice water, tea, coffee and snacks. And tipping the hotel staff in charge can make things run smoothly.

5) Presentation tools. With overhead projectors, PowerPoint, laptops, hybrid combinations, laser pointers and the tried-and-true flip chart–it’s easy to get overly dependent on these tools. Except for the flip chart, if something fails to work, you need a Plan B.

Call for a technical time-out to troubleshoot the problem. Bring or request a back-up laptop. Be aware of who’s in charge of the projector bulbs. Being prepared in advance can save your presentation during technical difficulties.

Remember, you or your team are the star of the show. Your tools aren’t. If it’s possible, get away from using the hi-tech tools. Your audience pays less attention to your message if your tools are also fighting for their attention.

6) Handouts, banners and product display. Handouts are normally passed out before your presentation. Have staff or volunteers distribute them. If you run out and can’t make extra copies, ask for couples or partners to share one. You can also direct people to a webpage to download extra copies.

Banners make a prosperity statement about you, your company or the organization you represent. Foam display boards in the hallways also add to that statement. Attendees are making judgments about you even before you speak your first word.

Products are usually displayed at the back-of-the-room. It’s great eye candy to drape the table with a tablecloth that shouts your name or brand. Don’t clutter the table. Just put out a few products as needed. It’s important that attendees get to see and touch your books, albums and resources.

7) Speech structure. There’s always debate about which is more important: the opening, the body or the close. My opinion is the opening has the greatest drawing power. You have the best chance to connect with your audience here. Failing to do so can create empty seats.

I recently sat at a session and the speaker was not engaging. People methodically began leaving the room. One by one.

I didn’t follow their example. I stayed hoping the body of her speech might be more engaging. But no dice. What I learned was if people don’t stick around after the opening, the body and the close doesn’t even matter.

By getting good at presenting, audiences will want to see you again. A relationship develops that could prove to be mutually rewarding. And opportunities will manifest that will expand your universe.

Whilst much has been written on the subject of giving a professional presentation, there is one simple key to success – ensure that you leave a positive and long-lasting impression in the minds of those you are presenting to. You may be the world’s leading expert on your chosen subject, and feel confident in delivering a slick, engaging and entertaining presentation, but the overall impact will be lost (if not diminished) if you are let down by technical glitches with visual support equipment, or if your chosen location has the ambience of a dual carriageway underpass.

To be successful you have to be dynamic in the quality of the material you deliver as well being professional in the atmosphere you create. Get either wrong and the impact of your presentation may not reflect what you originally desired.

So here are some simple tips:

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

• You may be an expert, but that’s no excuse to use jargon.
• Senior managers and board directors will require clear and concise information, so don’t ramble.

STAY IN CONTROL

• Practice makes perfect and allows you to be perceived as confident and knowledgeable.
• Make eye contact with the audience – but don’t single out just one person.
• Don’t let interruptions stop your flow – decide from the outset whether you’ll take questions during the presentation or once it has finished.
• Prepare for tricky questions and how you’ll handle the answers.
• Ensure your presentation doesn’t run over time.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION – AUDIO VISUAL SUPPORT

• Create a simple theme that communicates clearly with your audience.
• Use the best quality visual aids available, but don’t overload slides with too much information.
• If you must use charts and graphs make sure they are clear and easy to read.
• Remember, the audience isn’t there to read your slides – they are there to listen to you present.
• Don’t be afraid to inject some humour into the presentation – this will keep them on their toes and make sure they pay attention.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

• Chose your location with great care so that it supports rather than detracts from your presentation.

Whether you are giving a sales pitch, launching a new product or perhaps leading a training session, choosing the right location is key to a successful and persuasive presentation. In recent years many large institutions that conduct staff training sessions or hold regular product, brand or corporate meetings have found that it is beneficial and less distracting to conduct these meetings off site. Traditionally, businesses have outsourced their meeting requirements to hotels which have conferencing facilities; however, there is a growing trend toward purpose built meeting and business facilities.