Archive for March, 2007

E-mail Security: Avoiding Humiliation

Friday, March 30th, 2007

presentationpresentationpresentationpresentationpresentation


In general, it is always better to run a PowerPoint presentation off of your own laptop computer. You are familiar with the size, shape, key location and eccentricities of your own keyboard, so this reduces the chances of blunders during your presentation.

But there is one danger to using your own computer during a speech or training session: your own email. If, for example, you were checking your own email before you began your presentation and you didn’t close the program, your email could pop up at an inopportune moment. Let’s say you have finished your presentation and you are closing your file in order to let someone else use your computer for another presentation. If your email program is open under your presentation, your email will now be visible to everyone in the room if the projector is still on. This opens you up to all sorts of embarrassments.

Public Speaking Skills Can Mask Disasters

Thursday, March 29th, 2007

No matter how much you plan for your presentations, disasters will happen. The key, is having enough speaking skills developed so that you can mask even the biggest disasters so your audience never knows.

I was giving a speech recently at a major University in New York City to a group of students. I had prepared my PowerPoint featuring fantastic video clips of world famous speakers. Of course I had an outline that spoke to the specific student concerns. Next, I placed my outline in my briefcase where I knew I could find it. Then, I placed a backup copy of my speaker notes in my right suit jacket. I brought my own laptop computer to run my PowerPoint on. And I brought the presentation on a flash stick in case I couldn’t use my own computer.

Bad Audience Behavior and Speech Psychology

Wednesday, March 28th, 2007

It started out like any other day of presentation training. I was working with four executives on how to be a better public speaker. About 15 minutes after we officially began (and 30 minutes after the time when trainees were supposed to show up), James walked in. The fact that he was very late and missed the opening wasn’t the disruptive part. It was that James sat in the front row, two feet in front of me, with his eyes closed, and he did this all morning. I all but asked him if he’d like pajamas and a cot so that he could really stretch out and go to sleep. I felt like asking him if my talking was interrupting his sleeping. But I didn’t.

Concise Graphs for Effective Powerpoint Demos

Tuesday, March 27th, 2007

Have you ever had to watch a colleague give a presentation using a PowerPoint slide with a graph so complicated that it had more colors than the rainbow, one for each line on a 17 variable timeline chart?

It’s too complicated! It’s too much information! Help!

Here’s how I solve the problem. I ask the person who is using the chart to go up to a white board and to draw the chart while explaining it. The key is to ask the person to put a spotlight on only the most important part of the chart.

Top Ten Signs of Powerpoint Abuse

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

powerpoint problem

1. Nobody sits on the front row in the room when you speak.

2. You realize that dull humming sound is not coming from your PowerPoint projector; instead it is the heavy breathing/snoring from Smithers in the third row.

3. Everyone comes in 15 minutes after they know you were supposed to start your presentation.

4. People are fighting to see who can sit in the back row of the room

5. Audience members are bringing in not one, but two cups of coffee.

6. You are at the end of your allotted time and you realize you still have 92 slides to go.

5 Tips on Working with Reporters and Top News Stories

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007

(And you aren’t the primary subject of the story)

1. Timeliness Is Key.

Pretty good answers NOW are a lot more valuable than perfect answers tomorrow. If the story is breaking and the reporter calls now, you need to react quickly. If you have to take 20 minutes to prepare message points and sound bites, do so. But make sure the reporter knows you will absolutely, positively 100% call back in 20 minutes or less. And then do it. If a reporter from a major national TV network or newspaper calls you for the first time, give them an interview RIGHT THEN. If you let them off the phone for even 5 minutes you might not ever get them back.

Focus on Communication, Not Technology

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007

“Welcome to our podcast!”

“This is our first ever podcast.”

“We hope you are enjoying our podcast experience.”

These are all phrases I here constantly from people’s podcasts. What is the one thing they all have in common? Nobody cares about Podcasts!

By that I don’t mean that no one listens to Podcasts. Podcast audiences are growing everyday – audiences now reach into the millions.

Public Speaking and Microphone Placement

Monday, March 19th, 2007


Different speaking situations require different microphone placements on your body. When I am going on TV talk shows and news programs, I typically hook my wireless microphone transmitter on my belt in the front of my pants, typically 2-3 inches to the left of center.

On TV, I am sitting down and the microphone transmitter is not noticeable. It’s easy to get on and off in this position.

When I am doing a 4 or 8 hour training session I also place my wireless microphone transmitter in the same position. It’s easy to turn the mic on and off in that position.

Collect Inspirational Speeches

Thursday, March 15th, 2007

Just because you watch the Food Network doesn’t make you a good cook. But if you truly have a passion for food and cooking, then watching the Food Network from time to time may inspire you to try new and exciting dishes in your own kitchen.

Similarly, if you have a passion for good speaking, you may become even more inspired by watching some of the great speeches of all time on the Silver Screen.

Here are some of my all-time favorite speeches from movies. I would highly recommend that you watch any or all of them to seek inspiration and enjoyment (video and audio clips of all of the movie speeches below can be viewed at http://www.americanrhetoric.com)

Audience as Peers

Wednesday, March 14th, 2007

Audiences want to know that you, the speaker, know more than they do on the subject you are discussing. Otherwise, what would be the point of them listening? But they also want to know that you came from their position of ignorance, or at least their position of less information.

This is why all-knowing lecturers come across as arrogant and out of touch. If you as the speaker can share stories, examples and other personal details about how you came to your area of expertise it will enhance your standing with your audience in the following ways: