TJ’s Insights

Orginally Posted: January 3, 2005

“Gentlemen, start your engines!”

That’s what Tony Hulman said for years when he was the announcer at the famed Indianapolis 500 auto race. Believe it or not, Hulman had all four words written out on a cue card in front of him. His face wasn’t on TV and no one could see him, so it didn’t matter if he had to look down at notes.

Why did he have four little words written out? Because he got nervous and he didn’t want to risk having his brain freeze up. There was zero down side to having the words written down in front of him, yet there would have been a huge penalty if his mind had frozen and he had messed up the start.

Before sitting down to write a speech or preparing messages for a media interview, you should always start by asking yourself “what is my desired outcome from this?”

If you ask yourself this basic question, it will reorient your entire preparation process and your message. Too many people start off preparing for a speech or media interview by asking themselves, “What is everything I know on this subject?”

One of the biggest problems most speakers have is the tendency to dump too much data in their presentations, i.e., 12 bullet points per slide, 89 slides for a 15-minute presentation. When you try to dump this much data in a speech, all you do is put your audience to sleep. You really aren’t communicating; all you are doing is putting people to sleep.

But if you streamline your speech and focus on just 3-5 key points the way most experts (including me) recommend, you may have some of your colleagues or clients disappointed. They want all the data and now you aren’t giving it to them.

On January 9, 2006, Howard Stern debuted his new show on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network. It is easy for mainstream business or political figures to dismiss Stern as a mere prankster who panders to the lowest common denominator through an obsession with sex, bodily functions, bathroom humor and more sex. But many others have tried the same road Stern is on and most have failed. Millions of people love Howard Stern, and a lot of people love to hate him. Personally, I am neutral. I find him mildly amusing, but if I don’t listen to him for 14 months, and then listen to him again, I don’t feel like I’ve missed much.

Part of what makes speakers seem confident and commanding is the sense they exude of being comfortable with themselves. But how do you do this if you are physically uncomfortable? If you are a trainer and are on your feet all day long, or a CEO who is standing at a conference for hours at a time, your feet might hurt like crazy during some portion of your presentation. What is the solution?

Until recently, I had never experienced any foot problems in my life. Sure, towards the end of a day of training and standing, my feet would hurt a little, even when wearing top quality shoes with great arch supports. But that’s normal, right?

Bill Gates has never been confused for Winston Churchill or the Rev.Martin Luther King, Jr. But as an orator, but Gates has improved dramatically as a public speaker. At the 2006 Consumer Electronic Show, his keynote address was a solid "B+" in speechmaking, without having to give him any grade inflation just for being a billionaire.

(Watch it here http://www.microsoft.com/events/executives/billgates.mspx)

You can wear the perfect suit, have great posture, and put on a winning smile, but you’ll still make a lousy impression to your speaking and media audiences if you use wimpy words and phrases. The following are words that get speakers into trouble:

TV producers hate it if you, the guest, ask in advance what questions will be asked because: #1 They don’t want you to be canned and stale. #2. They don’t necessarily know what the host will ultimately ask and #3. They think it’s none of your d*&^ business!

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal was interviewed for the January 1, 2006 New York Times Magazine. The article below is in partial a transcript of a question and answer session: