The Truth about Public Speaking 'Rules' Could Shock You

The Truth about Public Speaking 'Rules' Could Shock You
Isn’t It Time You GotReal Help?
What I’m going to teach you is how to give your most compelling speeches to every audience…to boost your career, your reputation, and your income
But first you should really...
Clear Your Head, Open Your Mind and Forget Every “Rule” You've Ever Learned About Public Speaking
The old 'rules' are MYTHS that hurt you—they are Ice-Cold and they freeze out your audience--
Ice-Cold MYTH #1
Imagine the audience in their underwear...how ridiculous is that for an executive or professional? Gain confidence by imagining the audience as well-dressed business people, respectful and eager to embrace your message.
Ice-Cold MYTH #2
Tell the Audience what you’re going to tell them...your audiences are too smart and quick for boring speeches. Grab and keep their attention the way blockbuster movies do. Each word and idea is carefully chosen to make an impact that they cannot resist.
Ice-Cold MYTH #3
Be absolutely certain your slides are perfect...Presentations are not slide shows or Hollywood movies. Presentations are about the audience’s needs and the challenges of their everyday business life—and the audience knows and accepts that business life is not perfectly formatted. Passion is far more important than perfect.
Ice-Cold MYTH #4
You must be perfect...you must be knowledgeable, passionate and interesting. When you use scripts and text heavy slides to ensure that you’re perfect you get two results, neither of which is helpful to you. Scripts and text bore the audience and make them wonder what you really know—that is, can you speak from inner knowledge or are you just repeating what others have assembled?
Ice-Cold MYTH #5
You must stand quietly off to the side...you must take control of the presentation space. Stop thinking slides=presentation. Stand front and center, which is known as the power position. Put your screen and slides off to a side. If the screen is fixed in the center of the presentation space, stand close to the edge of the projected image, move across the space frequently and get as close to the audience as you can.
Ice-Cold MYTH #6
Lecterns give you importance (and are a safety net)..these blocks of wood are a barrier between you and your audience. The most significant difference between a live presentation and a filmed one or a printed document is the “live and in person” factor of the speaker. Audiences want to connect with you. They’ll like you and your message much more if they feel the personal attachment that develops when you’re directly in front of them without a wooden barrier separating you from them.
Ice-Cold MYTH #7
Facts and logic about your topic are the only acceptable content for a business presentation...audiences appreciate these when they’re presented in interesting and innovative ways. The human brain requires context and creativity to stimulate learning, memory and retention. Couch your facts, figures and logic in stories and other creative forms of leading materials so the audience will have a means to retain your points and facts.
The Great Speakers Guide to COOL* Speaking explodes these myths and gives you public speaking tips you can take tothe bank
"Susan, thanks for your coaching and for giving me my voice. My client audience members said they found my opening story authentic, compelling and engaging. Your method helped me not only craft the story and link it to my topic; I learned things about my own life and perspective. Thanks!" Terri Nimmons, Principal, Stone Lake Leadership Group
"You're so right. It is rather a simple concept but hard to understand for many. The sooner you help everyone else get what they want, the sooner you will get what you want. Thanks for the statistics." Jonathan Steele from Speechmastery
What is COOL Speaking?
Creative
You adapt practices from creative fields such as movies, advertising and marketing into your presentation content and delivery style. You apply proven knowledge about human behavior to your speeches in order to attract and motivate your audiences.
Original
You get out of the ruts created by habits, by copying other speakers or that are insisted upon by people whose reasoning is "that's the way we do it." The "way we do it" is all about you and your company, when your presentations should be about the audience and meeting their needs.
Outsized
Your presentation and your delivery can be larger than life--and definitely larger than the parameters of presentation software. Bring life and vitality to even the most statistical or technical or structured information, through the use of stories, quotations, and references to popular culture.
Liberated
Stop believing old 'rules'’ that increase your fear, make you talk down to the audience, and turn you from the intelligent and knowledgeable expert you are into a talking head.
Sales Professionals: Your client companies are guarding their scarce resources carefully—you can't afford to make a mistake when you’re asking them for their business
$$$$$
CEOs: Your outside stakeholders—investors, banks, stockholders—demand results today. There are no second chances when it comes to speaking to them—get it right or they'll leave you for a better investment
Learn the truth about the old, ice-cold public speaking myths that don't work
Public Speaking is more frightening than death...unless you prepareand practice
It's your presentation and you're the star...actually the audience is the star
There are lots of rules to follow to be a great presenter...there only TWO rules for great public speaking
Gestures are distracting...gestures help the audience pay attentionto you
Tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em...better to think Preview, The View, Review
Different types of presentations have different requirements...audiences always care about the same things
Business presentations are different from other types of presentations...audiences never tolerate being bored
There's more...
Audiences just want the facts...audiences remain interested by variety
Inject humor throughout your presentation...find the humor in everyday life
Just tell a story and people will listen and remember...be a story crafter not a reporter
Your personal poignant stories will motivate people...when you make your story their story
Your presentation must be perfect, so you should write a script and memorize it...speak from your inner knowledge, passion and authenticity
PowerPoint makes presentations audiences will listen and respond to...you must avoid death by Power Point
Handouts should provide all the information being presented so people have a reference to look at afterwards...speak memorably and save time and money on handouts
As if that's not enough...
Introductions should focus on credentials in order to qualify the speaker...audiences are hungry for appetizers, not dry facts
Any kind of audience participation is good...you can design audience participation that helps your message stick
End your presentation with questions from the audience...end your presentation with your own prepared closing and call-to-action
The audience doesn't like a number of presenters popping up and down...audiences love the best speaker for each and every part
The audience needs each speaker to introduce the next speaker...audiences adjust very quickly so don't bore them
The speaker should adapt to the physical setting provided by the organizers of the event...audiences want speakers to work for them not for the physical surroundings
Practice makes perfect...perfect practice plus rehearsals makes perfect
Does COOL Speaking really make a difference?
The sales teams from 13 of my client companies applied my COOL speaking approach to their presentations for customers and won $8.2 in new business
"Susan, Your outstanding coaching helped us win the $175 million JSAM contract. The head of the selection board wrote in their award letter that our presentation and demo "was head and shoulders above the rest". We could not have organized and delivered our 14 hour presentation at this winning level without your help. What a payoff for two years of R&D." JSAM Team, Scott Aviation
"Companies with the most effective communication programs reported a massive 47 per cent higher total return to shareholders from 2002 to 2006, compared with companies that communicated less effectively." Nic Paton, Management Issues, Dec 2007
High-achievers confirm that exceptional presentation skills have accelerated their climb up the career ladder
"I have been a professional speaker for over 17 years and I have had great success as a speaker. I was hired for a speaking opportunity where I wanted to "raise the roof." I hired Susan for coaching. The talk I gave was a huge success. From the moment I opened with the compelling question to the closing refrain, I literally had people sitting on the edge of their seats. I have heard only outstanding comments and rave reviews. I encourage anyone who is an average speaker or an excellent speaker to hire Susan immediately." Joan Fletcher, President, Winning Ways, Inc.
Has this happened to you?
You're just about ready to step in front of the audience. "Imagine the audience in their underwear," you remind yourself, so you take a peek at one man, and imagine seeing his bright red boxers patterned with cupids and hearts. You picture that woman over there in one of those little nothings from Victoria’s Secret. These visions are so unnerving that you shake your head to get rid of them.
Then you clasp your notes tightly in one hand, and put the other hand in your pocket as you walk onstage. While you’re saying, "Good Morning, my name is John Smith. Today we're going to talk about how to increase our company’s performance," you’re looking at the foreheads of everyone in the audience, so that you don’t really have to make eye contact with anyone, but they’ll think you are.
You keep your voice in a narrow middle range, and speak at a steady, regular pace. You check your notes frequently to be sure you’re saying everything exactly right.
Somewhere along the way, you realize that the audience is stone still. You peek at their faces and see nary a smile, nor a head nodding in agreement. Time seems to creep along, and you wonder if the end of your presentation will ever come.
Finally you close with your summary, there is scattered polite applause, and you escape from the stage, vowing never to give another presentation.
It doesn’t have to be this way!
The way I see it...
Every speaker deserves the best information...to make the best impression
Every speaker deserves to know what really works..to be appreciated by the audience
Every speaker deserves the right tools...to make a profound difference in the world
Every speaker deserves to understand what grabs people's attention…to give the audience a take home message they won't forget
Every speaker deserves to speak with confidence and poise...to enhance their status and reputation
Every speaker deserves to learn from the best teacher...to adopt and apply the best public speaking practices
The Great Speakers Guide to COOL Speaking will give you everything you deserve—change the word 'deserve' tohave earned
"I could see the audience sit up and pay attention as I set the scene for my opening story. Susan helped me craft the story and seamlessly transition into my key points. She freed me from the straightjacket so many technical presentations are constrained by. Best yet is that I’ve gotten people excited about a new area they previously shied away from." Joe Houck, Fortune 100 Company
"Thank you Susan for bringing the value of humor as a life skill to your readers. Yes, developing or re-discovering your sense of humor and using it appropriately in your personal and professional life provides opportunities for stress and tension reduction, creates cohesion, and improves our leadership skills. There is healing power in humor and laughter. It lifts our spirits and we live with joy another day. Roz Trieber, Humor Fusion
Can you risk relying on the bad old MYTHS for even one more speech?
What if the next best opportunity of your career is right around the corner?
You never know who will be in your next audience
You never know what promotion you may get if you’re a highly regarded business speaker
You never know when a client or customer may select your team on the strength of your presentation
FAQ
Susan, how are you better than other public speaking experts?
I am the expert on helping real business speakers incorporate real speaking tips into their presentations because I have firsthand knowledge of what their problems and challenges are.
I have worked with and coached thousands of business speakers and collected all of their real problems and frustrations. That’s what my book is all about—the real problems business speakers like you face every day. My approach to business public speaking is successfully applied across corporate America day after day.
Susan, how do I overcome my fears of public speaking?
When you learn and apply a systematic approach to developing your business presentations you take control of what seems to be an out-of-control activity. The control gives you confidence.
Then you do step-by-step practicing, adding a bit more in each practice. Finally, you learn how to create a rehearsal situation for yourself. By the time you get to the actual presentation in front of your real audience, you are quite ready and will speak confidently, even if you still have some residual nervousness.
Susan, how do I break out of doing the things the old way?
First you need to recognize the speaking habits you have or that are typical in your company. Each Ice-Cold myth in COOL Speaking is an example of an old habit.
Then you approach them one at a time, substituting new practices to take the place of the old ones.
When you consciously build up your new habits and practices, you’ll easily outgrow the old ones.
Susan, are you saying power point slides are no good?
I say that power point slides must be used to back your speaking up. YOU are the presentation and your slides must serve you. NOT the other way around!
Slides must be used sparingly. Display some for just a few seconds, then turn them off and speak. Even when you’re using slides, you don’t have to have a slide for every idea.
Slides must have little text and simple images. The worst mistake speakers make is putting too much on their slides. A few words that serve as a trigger for you and as bait for the audience are more effective than text heavy slides.
The ‘bells and whistles’ of slide software only take the audience’s attention away from you, so don’t use them.
When you can use an image—either an original drawing or a photo, not clip art—to emphasize a point, do it. Show the image, then turn it off and speak.
Susan, I don't have a lot of time. How can I give great presentations without spending too much time on them?
Start with a timeline and think of it as your budget. Decide on the maximum time you will spend then break it down into segments that you 'spend' on different components. Many of my clients allot themselves 3 hours to prepare for a 30 minute presentation with 10 slides.