Can you talk the talk? Part 1 (Saturated Market)

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Can you talk the talk? Part 1

Strategy As I mentioned in an earlier post, two of the most important skills you can have are speaking and writing. That time I touched on writing (and will again in the future, I wager), so I figure it's speaking's turn. There are three general components of speaking that most people will have to face several times in their lives: Presenting, Listening and Conversing. Send, receive, feedback. I'm going to tackle each of these separately, because nobody wants to read a blog post that requires them to replace the scroll wheel on their mouse.

Apparently, it's the most pervasive fear, worse to some people than death. Public speaking. In front of a group of 100, 10, or even 2, many people just freeze up. And that's okay. Most people can't stand presentations, and even those that love them still get nervous. But the fact remains, you're probably going to have to get over it. And it's better to be ready, because try as you might to do it on your terms (or avoid it altogether), there may come a time when you're put on the spot because the shareholders want to know about your project, or you have to present your experiment at the science fair, or it's time to meet the parents. You're going to have to be ready. So, for your benefit, I present to you some of the skills you're going to need if you want to pull off a great presentation.

Remove the barriers

You see that podium? Step away from it. A podium says you want to be separated from your audience, which means you either see yourself as above them, or you're terrified of them. And you might bring back bad memories of boring college lectures. And if that weren't bad enough, you're likely to be standing stone still behind it for the entirety of your speech. And that's terribly boring. Get rid of the podium, and create a connection between you and your audience. If they see you, they feel closer to you. And you won't give off the impression that you're hiding. This is the first component of giving off an air of confidence, which is what you really need if you want to drive your point home in a convincing manner.

Know your material

This sounds absolutely obvious, and ridiculous to mention. But it's so often overlooked on either side of the spectrum. If you're completely unprepared, you will trudge to the front of the room and do one of two things: wing it and look like an idiot, or read verbatim from your notes in a monotone voice without lifting your eyes for a second and bore your audience to death. This is another reason to forget the podium; it's far too much of a temptation to plop your notes down on it and begin "storytime". At the complete other end, it's entirely possible to be over-prepared. Don't rehearse your presentation like it's Hamlet. If you do, not only do you risk sounding robotic, but if you miss a part or get sidetracked by a question or interruption, you're going to fumble around looking for your place and get flustered. The middle-ground is so simple, and yet so rarely achieved: know the details. The pertinent ones, rather. Make sure you have a good grasp of what you're talking about; after all, if you're presenting it, you must be the expert. Let me put it this way: if you were asked about your hobby, or your life story or even how your day was, I have little doubt you'd have a problem telling your listener all kinds of interesting little tid-bits. Make your topic like your hobby. And if you're still worried that you might forget to cover certain points, that's what Powerpoint is for. Though we'll deal with that gadget later.

Body Language

Here's an interesting one. Most people can't get this one right, and I admit I'm one of them. Too many presenters do their entire speech shifting rapidly from foot to foot, standing like a statue, fiddling with whatever's in their hands, holding their hands behind their back (at ease, soldier) or at their front, or with hands in their pockets, hands in their pockets, hands in their pockets. Put those grabbers to good use, and do like the politicians (I don't mean crossing your fingers behind your back). Use your hands to emphasize points, or to add some visual flow to the flow of your presentation. Reasonable gestures are terrific ways to draw attention to your speech, and bleed out some of that nervous energy. Just don't flail around like you're directing air traffic.

As for full body, try walking back and forth in front of your audience. Slowly. A calm strolling pace will add some animation, but without having you frantically running back and forth like a madman. For further connection, do what one of my teachers does: take advantage of aisles. Walk towards the back of the room now and then. This brings you closer to your audience, gives the people at the back the sense that you're making an effort to reach out to them, and lets you catch whoever's fallen asleep or is engrossed in their Blackberry.

The last is where to look. Keep your eyes moving around the room. If you stare, you'll look like a weirdo. And if you don't look at anyone, you'll look unsure of yourself. Look around the room, and maybe make brief eye contact with different people, just for a moment. This is terrific, because you will have a moment of extra connection with those people. And if you lock eyes with someone whose attention has been wavering, they will be reminded that you can see them and will snap back to attention, at least for a moment. And if you're doing a group presentation, look at whoever is speaking. If one of your team members is doing a part of the presentation, look at them. Give them your full attention. Because if you're glancing around or shuffling papers, you look bored. And you shouldn't be bored by your own material.

Low risk exercise

I have a tip for improving your speaking skills. Find a topic you consider yourself knowledgeable about. A hobby, or an interest. Something you enjoy. Then, find a friend or family member (or even stranger, though that may be harder to arrange) and tell them all about it. Give them a short speech. This will let you practice speaking on a topic you're bound to be comfortable with. There will be less pressure, and they can even give you feedback on your stance, your delivery, speed, and more. As with anything, it's easiest to practice with something simple and safe to get comfortable with the act before trying it for real. And when you do have to do the real thing, do it often. The more you do it, the better you get, and the more prepared you will be.

Until next time,