Meaningful vs. Rote Delivery

It's graduation season.

Recall the graduation ceremonies you have been to when you listened  to boring speakers. Because each ceremony easily has a dozen or more speakers at the podium, we really only have to consider the last ceremony we have attended that bored us.

It's because most speakers read their delivery AND/OR don't really care about what they are saying. Then someone stands up who cares, gives a meaningful delivery and that's when we pay attention.

Rote delivery is the speaking or memorizing of information when we care less about what we are saying. Either we aren't attached to the information, we are in a hurry or simply distracted. Rote delivery puts people to sleep, or at least sends listeners on a quick vacation.

Not so with meaningful delivery. When a speaker presents this way, they are enthused about what they have to say and who they are with.  They care.

Want people on a mental vacation when you are speaking? No? Then give them meaningful delivery. Audience members will nod, smile, get curious and really appreciate that you gave energy and enthusiasm to your message!

2 Tips after a Job Well Done

We are constantly growing or falling backwards.

So  it stands to reason that any time we speakers/performers feel we have done well in front of an audience, whether accomplishing our intent (entertain, persuade, inform, call to action, etc.) or surviving the event unscathed, we are most ready for constructive feedback.

I used to hear from a basketball coach, Don't spend time dwelling on your accolades. That's the time you are most susceptible and vulnerable.

You can imagine the humiliation, when on a basketball court, just after an exciting slam dunk to capture the lead - the momentum in the air is contagious - the scoring team is answered by a slick offense that captures a three-pointer within seconds. Bummer. They just fell backward.

No time for dwelling on the past - stay present to the moment.

Speakers take note: Look around at what else is needed.

The audience will have questions or they will want advice. They have already moved on and want to take next steps based on your topic. Don't dwell on accolades - stay in the present.

Whether a presentation goes well or not, it's time to get constructive feedback.

But we are all most open to it when we believe we are worthy of it. So when things go well, look for ways to improve.

• Where were the areas of relevance
• where were the areas of confusion
• what else did individuals want to know about

After a job well done, there is more work to do. Move forward and grow.

Remove Your Cloak

When I think of chivalry in its truest form, I recall the image of someone being willing to help another save face when approaching a difficult situation. If there is a puddle between the unprotected and their destination, a chivalrous person would remove their outer layer - their own cloak - lay it down directly over the puddle and then take the hand of the unprotected while guiding them over the cloak.

With chivalry we help someone save face (or foot) while they step precariously into a treacherous zone. Our goal is to help them emerge without a scratch or a flaw in the end.

In the presentation world many speakers attempt this set-up yet they fall short. We have heard the adage, tell'em what you're going to tell'em, tell'em and then tell'em what you've told'em. This stays in our mind as a way of creating structure for an otherwise unstructured event. It's the table of contents, so to speak, for a communication form that doesn't usually have one. A table of contents gives us a glance at what to expect.

I have heard professional speakers decry, "For goodness sake, don't just launch into your presentation. At least warm up the audience first." Here is an attempt at chivalry. Yet the same speakers offer meak means. They suggest "make nice" gestures such as Say goodmorning, Thank the coordinator, Give the audience a chance to adjust thier positions while they get used to you. To me these actions are little more than pointing to a puddle and saying, "look out" but offering no physical or emotional support in navigating it.

Speakers, remove your cloak. Your audience, seated where they are, can see you are addressing a topic that many of them struggle with. (for the most part, that's the case with what we presenters do - we address topics of growth or enlightenment) Simply bringing it to them is like dropping them off in front of puddles and saying "jump!".

In the opening of your presentation, it's important to not only provide a roadmap for how you are navigating them through. It's important you take the time to assist them over the hardest part. I call this addressing the elephant in the room.

I usually pose 2 questions in my introductions. The first is to unify the audience to the topic at hand. In many of my presentations the topic addresses communication, whether public speaking or other forms. My first question will be something like "How many of you believe communication is key to your business-building success?" To this, almost all audience raise their hands. This unifies them with me. Their attitude in focusing is positive.

My second question addresses the elephant in the room, helping me to take my cloak off to come to their aid. "How many of you know exactly how to communicate for effective business-building?" And to this question, most hesitate. Immediately I come to their aid with a statement of apology "I am not trying to make you feel bad. Instead, I want you to know this is a struggle we all go through. To ease this struggle of yours I will share with you today a technique of 3 key practices to help make your communication lead to effective business-building. With my 2nd question I have removed my cloak - taken myself from safe, protected territory to the position of "taking the fall".

From my introduction I lead immediately into the nature of our struggles, the status quo of our efforts, and point to the hope all the audience has of better experiences ahead. This is the moment when I actually put down my cloak for the unprotected. Until then they know not how they are crossing the threshold. Now they know and begin to cross with me.

It's not enough to tell'em what you're going to tell 'em. Support them. Address the elephant in the room by taking off your own cloak. Then lay it at their feet in a chivalrous fashion to help them save face in their travels of your message. It simply takes time and willingness to serve. Many say chivalry is a lost art. Come to well-designed presentations. You'll see it.

Get Feedback

I remember the adrenaline rush of being observed. When supervisors would step into my classroom where  I was teaching a lesson, or media critics had been spotted in the opening night audience, my mind would jump ahead to the moments later when facing these experts one on one. This always gave my adrenaline a boost.

Why? The anticipation of feedback offers a turning point. No longer is my perspective the only one that counts. It's the perspective of those in the audience. That's what my presenting/performing efforts are based on. No longer is my success based on what I experience - is based on the experience of those in my audience.

Why I enjoy Observing Presentations

Several months ago I began the practice of observing speakers. I posted a plea on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for discovering Ohio-based presentations from folks in my network and have begun finding ways to be in their audiences. Sometimes they make the arrangements themselves for me, sometimes they refer me to the event planner for assistance. Nonetheless, I now am a speaker's observer.

And the Winner Is...

Today is a big day for a client of mine. She is winning an award she is humbled to receive and eager to speak well for, in response. When she called me to seek guidance in creating and practicing her acceptance speech, she had 2 major thougths to share:

I can't believe they picked me

I want to validate their selection

Yet guess which thought her first draft of the acceptance speech focused on? You guessed it - disbelief. For the first several minutes her message focused on why she didn't deserve the award. I knew right away this dear soul isn't used to getting and/or accepting recognition.

Problems at the Podium

I have a keynote to deliver this fall that I've known about for a few months. Back when it was scheduled I did my research. Now it's time to create the outline, the framework and put it into action.  In summary, plan, prepare and practice!                                                                   I know my approach to public speaking is different from most presenters.

Presenting Well: The case for rehearsal

Tonight my band, No Excuses, is rehearsing for several hours before playing 2 gigs this weekend. I'm a bit nervous about the gig on Sunday, because we have only been rehearsing for Saturday's performance. Since Sunday's is twice as long, we'll no doubt use about 3 hours or so to focus on Sunday's gig before we polish up for tomorrow's. Then I can breath better and sleep well.

If you are about to present a case to a jury, an informational topic to prospects or open an event for your community, it takes practice. This is not a mental review, reading over a script. This is an on-your-feet, outloud rehearsal, complete with movement, projection, eye contact and high energy. In front of others.

What Being a Jurist Taught Me

5 or 6 years ago I had the occassion to sit as a jurist in the Lucas County Common Pleas Court. I recall sighing heavily upon getting the notice in the mail. A solopreneur, I wasn't happy to potentially lose a week of business for the sake of doing my civic duty.

Little did I know what would come from this new perspective.

I was numerically high on the list, in the first group to be interviewed through voir dire and was selected to sit to hear arguments in a case determining the extent of damages the defendent should pay to a surgeon who suffered injuries during an auto accident.