FEATURE STORY MARCH 1, 2007

PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASSES AND COACHING

YOU’RE ON
Do you dread getting up in front of others to speak? Surveys show some fear public speaking more than death. Learn how to make a presentation that’ll dazzle your client, not blow the deal.
By Linda Melone

Do people eagerly await your presentations, power-walking to the meeting room as if about to attend the latest Steven Spielberg film? Or do they slump down in their chairs as the lights dim and you fire up the PowerPoint, muttering to themselves, “Oh, another one of these?” For most people, it’s the latter, according to Cherie Kerr, Founder of ExecuProv, which teaches executives how to use improv and humor to “punch up” their presentations.

While not every presentation can have Spielberg appeal, if you’re guilty of hiding behind a podium, reading a speech word for word or, worse yet, reading words on a slide while your audience takes a nap in the dark, you can bet they’re not retaining much of what you’re presenting. In the best of situations, audience members forget 80% of what they’ve heard minutes after they leave the room. Even if you’re an expert in your field, an inability to articulate your expertise makes it difficult to win over potential investors, clients or influence your business partners and employees. Good communication skills can make the difference between closing the deal or killing the sale.

Business executives at forward-thinking companies acknowledge that more effective presentations produce more effective results. Subsequently, speech coaches and groups like Toastmasters teach what Wikipedians refer to as “edutainment,” a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.

Public speaking and PowerPoint pitfalls
Stammering, not speaking loud enough, monotone delivery and lots of ums and ahs can make the most exciting topic sound as interesting as a laundry list. “People complain that their audience is falling asleep, yet they don’t know how to be more expressive,” Kerr says. “They have to find ways to make themselves more interesting.”

As founder of the L.A. Groundlings and the executive producer of the Orange County Crazies, Kerr has made a living teaching communication and presentation skills to hundreds of business professionals and companies since 1983; her clients range from Office Depot to Universal Studios. “Overall, people sign up because they want to be comfortable, confident and well-received,” she says. “Most develop poor habits. PowerPoint, for example, should be a backdrop. You are the star of the show and PowerPoint should just support your presentation. You shouldn’t be reading from it. And it should not be used at all unless it’s going to be entertaining, informational or educational.” Kerr offers a course called “Death by PowerPoint: How to Avoid Killing Your Presentations and Sucking the Life Out of Your Audience.” Kerr says, “People typically use too much data in their presentations without enough human interest. It’s the human interest that keeps people intrigued. That’s why people like to watch movies.”

In her “Death by PowerPoint” classes (which she limits to four people per class), students bring their laptops, and Kerr critiques their presentations and suggests ways they can increase the entertainment value of their programs. She also teaches the basics of good presentation skills. “Not only should you never read from your slides, but you should not ever have your back to the audience,” Kerr says. In addition, she suggests limiting the number of words and points on each slide. “Don’t use a slide presentation as a way to think out loud in front of your audience.”

Sales success: More than just a pretty slide presentation
Maybe it’s not a fear of public speaking that holds you back but the uncertainty of how to structure your presentation for optimal impact. Often, sales training programs will include presentation skills as part of their training for just that purpose. As a sales executive with Fed Ex for 18 years, Valerie Dennis learned the value of creating effective sales presentations. “A presentation should be a tool to help you advance your sales,” Dennis says. “The biggest mistake I see in sales presentations is not having a clear objective in mind.”

Dennis, who was responsible for training new hires, often found information overkill and a lack of structure as two common sales presentations mistakes. “Also, sales reps need to know how to gauge an audience’s reactions to their presentations. They’ll be so intent on going from point A to point Z, that they won’t realize they’ve lost their audience at point C. In this case, you may need to skip around to keep them interested,” she says. She also recommends keeping presentations simple and using visuals to support or tell a story. “Most sales presentations have too many slides,” according to Dennis, who suggests limiting them to no more than 10 to 15. “Don’t put down all the words that you want to say in lieu of speaking to the audience.”

Legally bored
As an attorney, Michele Ballard Miller, founder of Miller Law Group, knows all too well how boring a legal topic can be, especially if you’re reading from a series of PowerPoint slides. “Many times I have to talk about some new legal issue, like sexual harassment, where the audience is required to be there,” Miller says. “They have busy schedules and now have to sit here and listen to me for two hours, so it’s important for me to make it interesting.”

Miller likes to start her presentations with something interactive like asking them what they’d most like her to discuss, which gets the audience involved. “And I ask myself, if I were here, what would I be interested in knowing?” she says. And, to ensure that she hits upon the topics her audience seeks, after asking them what they would like to hear, she writes their responses on a flip chart, which she refers to in her presentation. “Otherwise, they won’t be interested in what I have to say no matter how good I am as a speaker,” Miller says.

Although she’s never had formal coaching, Miller attributes her success to regularly speaking before audiences ranging from 20 to 500 people. She’s also learned it’s more effective to walk out in front of the audience whenever possible instead of standing behind a lectern. “If they are sitting at tables, I walk to the front or down an aisle – but not so far that people start shifting their chairs around.” In addition, Miller says she always repeats a question from an audience member if they are not speaking into a microphone so the other members of the audience can hear it. She uses notes when necessary and in a large enough font for her to read from a distance. “You can’t use 12-point fonts and expect to be able to read your notes once you get up there,” she says. “I use a minimum of 16-point font and use different highlighters to indicate topics like the main heading and sub topics. But I’m also not afraid to tell the audience if I’ve lost my place and ask them for assistance getting me back on track. It shows I’m human.”

Toastmasters: Learning by doing
Although public speaking is not typically a major part of a mechanical engineer’s work, when Russ Ahlberg’s employer began a program to reach college students, he suddenly found himself giving more presentations. “I’ve always been nervous doing public speaking,” Ahlberg says, “And I’d heard that Toastmasters was a way to get over nervousness and improve presentation skills, so I decided to join.”

Toastmasters International began in the basement of a YMCA in Santa Ana, in 1924 by Dr. Ralph Smedley. Today, the Rancho Santa Margarita-based organization boasts more than 10,500 clubs and 200,000 members in approximately 90 countries, making Toastmasters the most well-known pubic speaking training organization. Members learn good presentation techniques by speaking in front of a group in a supportive environment.

Through prepared speeches, impromptu speeches and evaluations, each meeting offers a variety of opportunities for active participation. In addition, time limits (most speeches run five to 10 minutes) and a tally of “ums” and “ahs” at the end of speeches teaches speakers how to wrap up a talk within a designated time and to eliminate filler words that slow down their presentations. After working through 10 speech projects, a member then receives a “competent communicator” award and chooses from any combination of 15 advanced manuals, each with a different focus.
“ It’s really a matter of doing it,” Ahlberg says, explaining how Toastmasters helped him overcome his fear of public speaking. “If you’re not confident in what you’re saying – even if you know your stuff – you won’t be able to make that sale.” Now the president of the local Rancho Speechmasters (ranchospeechmasters.org), a club with approximately 30 members, Ahlberg believes his $10 a month is money well spent (Note: chapter dues vary regionally).

Taking the next step
For those interested in taking their presentation skills to the next level, The Founder’s District Speaker’s Bureau offers a venue a step up from Toastmasters. “We get a lot of Toastmasters who want to be pushed a little more,” says Victor Broski, chair of the Speaker’s Bureau. “Toastmasters is a safe, nurturing environment but doesn’t really ready you for the demands of a paying audience. The Speaker’s Bureau critique is considerably more advanced.”

Established in 1997, The Speaker’s Bureau meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Crystal Cathedral and attracts approximately 35 people each month, although the bureau’s newsletter lists 200. Currently, the organization does not charge a membership fee, but members are encouraged to give a 20-minute “qualifying speech.” The qualifying speech isn’t necessary to join, but it lets us know whether or not you’re at a level where we can send you out,” Broski says, referring to the companies who often contact the bureau when they’re in need of speakers for events or meetings.

As a speech coach, Broski conducts one-on-one coaching for individuals and often helps those preparing for their qualifying speech. He offers the following advice to those who seek to improve their speaking skills:

• Thorough preparation is crucial, and is often overlooked. Rehearse thoroughly and you’ll be much more relaxed.
• Know who will be in your audience, why they’re there (voluntarily or as a requirement) and what they want out of you: what do you want them to walk away with?
• Use humor with caution, practice your delivery and use funny stories rather than jokes from a book.
• Get to the meeting site well ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the room; where you’ll be standing and the location of audience members.
• Meet the people as they enter the room, introduce yourself and ask their names.
• Try to incorporate their names and anything you may have discussed in your speech.
• Use notes as a guide, but don’t read from them.
• Walk into the audience, if possible, but not so far that they have to turn around in their chairs.
• Speak to the audience members who smile at you and nod their heads and avoid those who look disinterested.

Whether you choose one-on-one coaching (which may cost $100 or more per hour), or you prefer the less costly Toastmaster option, professional speakers suggest getting up in front of groups any time you have the opportunity. “Stand up at your next chamber of commerce meeting or offer to speak at your local Rotary Club - that’s how you improve,” says Cheri Kerr. “Study everything you can about how to improve your speaking and presentation skills. Good speakers don’t happen by accident.” OCM

Linda Melone is a freelance writer and speaker based in South Orange County. Visit her website at lifebeatfitness.com.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS
The advent of cyber conferencing improved business communications by enabling people from all parts of the globe to interact with each other in the convenience of their own offices. The downside, however, is that giving presentations before a web-based audience requires that you look at ease in front of the camera as if you were television actor. Initially, you may feel as if you’re doing public speaking in a closet, says attorney Michele Ballard Miller.

“Although web conferencing saves me from having to travel to different parts of the country,” she says, “it was very weird and disorienting the first few times I did it. I have to be livelier, because they’re just listening to me.”

Although she’s now accustomed to conducting web conferences, Miller often does the presentations with her partner, which creates more of a dialogue rather than a monologue, making for a more interactive program. “People like web conferences because they save time, where you may otherwise spend four or five hours going back and forth to a meeting site. With a web conference you can listen to the presentation at your desk while you’re eating lunch.” OCM

TIPS FOR CYBER PRESENTATIONS
• Always have hard copies of your presentation for your audience.
• Be clear on your goal: Is it to educate? Clarify? Close the
business?
• If it’s an online meeting, use visuals along with words, particularly if the topic is complex.
• Test the sound system ahead of time.
• Adjust your speech to the time frame allotted.
• Take into account the various time zones.
• Have a way of getting feedback after the event for ways to improve.

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