Author: Gail Zack Anderson

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with a terrific, bright group of administrators in a law firm. Most of them don’t deliver presentations often, but they are instrumental in helping create them for others in the firm, and they wanted to be better at both creating and delivering presentations.

As we worked together that day, we talked about speaking with authority and confidence, creating strategic messages, and then, we began a discussion about creating slide decks. Rather than turning to their computers, I asked them to draw a picture of what their slides would look like. They got to work, and in just a few minutes they were ready. They did a show-and-tell presentation, speaking directly from their drawings, rather than from slides. The result? They absolutely floored me with their creativity and with their energetic, committed delivery.

What I learned that day is that when we create first on paper, we intuitively move away from boring bullet points, naturally envisioning more visual slides. And that we can tell our stories with much more conviction when we don’t rely so much on the slides. It worked incredibly well for this group of admins, and I bet it would work for you.

That said, and with thanks to this amazing group of women, here are some reminders to help you create and deliver more effectively with slides.

1. Create content first. Who is your audience? Why are you speaking with them? What do you want them to do or think? Use your answers to create a theme or key message for your talk. One that sets the context, talks about them, and shows benefits to them if they do or think what you want them to. This is the foundation of your presentation. Do this first, before you even think about data, facts or slides.

2. Storyboard for better visuals. Think of a blank comic strip; as you fill in the blank boxes your story emerges. It doesn’t matter if you can draw or not. Each box moves the story forward in some way. There is connection and flow between the boxes. Probably you also have a beginning and ending in mind. All elements of great storytelling, and better presentations.

Use a large sheet of flip chart paper or a white board to create your storyboard. Or use separate sheets of paper, and move them around until you get them in the best sequence. You could even print out a sheet of blank squares like a comic strip, then start filling them in. Use key words, drawings, stick figures, simple graphs. If you can, explain it to someone else, and see how the flow works.

3. Create slides last. Only when you have the theme and the storyline will you begin to create the slides you imagined. Keep them just as simple and uncluttered as your originals. Remember a title slide and a closing slide. Rehearse once or twice with the slides, and you should be good to go.

As a result of this method, you will probably have fewer slides, fewer word slides, more graphical thinking, best of all; the slides will likely show a natural progression that will create momentum when you deliver your talk. All this makes your presentation more interesting and compelling.

So paper first can be a useful technique. Try it. Let me know how it works for you.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

 

A few weeks ago I received a voice message from a client, asking to talk to me right away. I dropped what I was doing and as I returned the call I prepared myself for the worst. Was she cancelling a session? All our scheduled sessions? But then I thought, maybe she is adding new sessions. Either way, it must be really important.

These days, so much of our communication is accomplished through email and text messaging that a phone call or voice message can definitely get our attention. Some of us have forgotten the art of leaving effective voice messages, and a refresher could be in order. For others, we may have grown up with text and email, so this might be a new skillset to master.

So here are tips for better voice messaging:

1. Know when to use the phone. Routine check-ins, factual content, detailed instructions, and documentation can often be handled best through email. When the content is more conceptual or sensitive, or when you need to focus on feelings or relationships, those are times when you might consider picking up the phone. I find the phone rings most often with new clients calling to get a feel for the type of coaching I do, and when several emails have gone back and forth and clarity is elusive. I like to use the phone for anything I don’t consider routine.

2. Leave a reason for your call. In the above-named scenario, I started to think it was bad news. It wasn’t; instead it was to talk through some information that was getting a bit complicated. It would have saved me worry to hear, “just to go over some of the details of our project.” That way I could also prepare for the conversation. When you leave a reason, try to strike a balance between too much detail and too much mystery. Consider these two messages:

Not enough information: “I need to talk to you about your performance.”

Better: “I want to commend you on the great job you did with the Maxwell account.”

I think most of us would much rather hear the second one, if that is the situation. Even if it is bad news, you can keep it neutral. For example:

Not neutral: “I want to get to the bottom of your dismal performance on the Maxwell account.”

More neutral: “We need to discuss your performance with the Maxwell account.”

3. Sit up to speak. Sit or stand up to record your message — your voice will sound stronger and clearer. Open your mouth a little wider, enunciate and speak directly into the phone. Remember the listener won’t be able to receive cues from your body language or face, all they have is your voice, so make it count.

4. Avoid distractions. Avoid leaving messages when you are calling from a noisy environment, such as a busy airport, or when you are driving. Maybe you can wait to leave this message until you are at a quieter, less distracting place. At your office, turn away from the computer screen or the documents on your desk, and don’t try to leave a message while you are doing something else.

5. Write out key points. If the message is complex, take a moment to write out a few bullets before you place your call. You will send a clearer message whether you reach voice mail or the person your message is intended for.

6. Be brief. Don’t ramble on; say what you have to say, then hang up.

7. Leave your number and a good time to return the call. Even when the recipient knows your number, s/he may be picking up messages on the run. Slow down, and say it twice.

8. Review your message before sending. Check for brevity, clarity, and voice habits. If you don’t think your message is effective, erase it and start over.

9. Be ready to connect with the person directly. These days it almost comes as a surprise when someone is actually there to receive our calls. Be ready for that, and move smoothly into your reason for calling.

Following these tips is sure to help you leave better messages. But, you may have noticed I ended up on only nine tips. Do you have another so we can make it a top ten list? I would love to hear from you.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

 

Years ago when I was in the recruiting or “headhunting” business I had a colleague who used to swear his candidate was “perfect” for the client’s position. When the client raised an objection or two, my colleague would then swear he had another candidate, who was “even more perfect.” Call it sick humor, but the rest of us thought it was pretty funny stuff.

These days everything is “awesome.” A beautiful sunset, a new haircut, a great cup of latte. Doesn’t matter; it is all awesome. That got me thinking. Aren’t there other words we could use to describe the good things around us? If we could take a closer look at superlatives, maybe we could be more specific in our praise, and freshen up our language at the same time.

What other words come to mind? Here are some that might fit, depending on what you are talking about, and who you are talking to.

• Astonishing
• Amazing
• Awesome
• Breathtaking
• Brilliant
• Delightful
• Excellent
• Extraordinary
• Fabulous
• Fantastic
• Fine
• Glorious
• Good
• Grand
• Great
• Incredible
• Magnificent
• Marvelous
• Outstanding
• Perfect
• Phenomenal
• Remarkable
• Stunning
• Spectacular
• Splendid
• Stellar
• Super
• Terrific
• Tremendous
• Unbelievable
• Wonderful

Next time you want to provide a compliment or remark on the goodness of something, see if you can replace your ordinary superlative with one that is more interesting, suitable, and special to the listener.

And please, let me know if you have others you would like to add to this list.

It can happen to anyone. You’re running late because you took one more call before you left for your meeting. Now traffic is heavy. The parking lot is full. The elevator stops on each floor. All these little things add up to one fact: you are going to be late. Here are three true stories of lateness, including my own confession, some thoughts on how it can sabotage you, and how to deal with lateness more gracefully.

Scenario One: the late instructor

It is a class I take every week at the same time. When my classmates and I arrive the room is usually dark, the chairs are all stacked in the back of the room, and there is no one there to meet us. We know the instructor is working with other clients, but she is not there with us. Five minutes after starting time, she rushes in with a “sorry, folks” and proceeds to log into the computer and find the files she wants to use.

Result: Wasted time and a sense that she doesn’t really care about our experience.

The Solution: As a meeting leader, facilitator or trainer, it always pays to get there early, turn on the lights, set up the chairs and log in. If you can’t be there early to set up, ask someone to do it for you, and you can return the favor before their classes. Leave a welcome message on the whiteboard, perhaps with a discussion question or assignment you want early birds to work on. Then go to your meeting or meet with your other clients if needed.

Result: Arrivals feel welcomed, and you can arrive with less stress.

Scenario Two: the phone conference

Here we were—one boss, two consultants, and one employee, noticeably absent, who was to have led a conference call with his boss to discuss an issue he was working on. When he came onto the call a few minutes later, it was with a very flustered apology and a weak beginning to his leadership of the call. He clearly didn’t have the agenda in front of him, and had trouble leading the meeting with ease and grace.

The result: A negative first impression and the flustered feeling he experience flavored the entire phone conversation. He felt frustrated instead of empowered.

The solution: According to one of my most trusted colleagues, there is a more positive approach. “No apologies, no excuses” is her mantra, and she says do whatever it takes to avoid apologies or excuses. In this case a simple “Thank you for your patience” would have sufficed to acknowledge the situation without dwelling on the reasons (AKA excuses) for it. If more information was needed, such as when presenting to a boss or a client, the addition of “I was helping a client” or “resolving an issue that just came up” would probably be an acceptable explanation for the lateness.

Scenario Two: your author

There I was, in the car on my way to a half-day workshop. I had started out on time, but traffic was crawling for ten of the twenty miles I needed to cover in order to get to my site on time. I soon realized I was cutting it really close, so I grabbed my phone to let the client know I was on the way. Bad news! Her phone number wasn’t on my phone; it was safely tucked away in my bag, in the trunk.

The result: I flew in the door only minutes before my session was to have started. Lucky for me, my clients are so gracious and professional, they swooped in to help me set up, and we started the class on time. But I know I caused them concern about where I was, and that didn’t feel good. With a trusted client you might get by with that, once. With a new client, you might not get a second chance.

The solution: I could have avoided anxiety on my part, and on the client’s, by being able to make that call. Always carry the contact information, directions, etc. on your person, and on your phone. Being in my carry bag in the trunk didn’t help in this situation. I could also have called another person to check in with the client for me, or pulled over and sent a text message (if I had the phone number) or a quick email. Better yet, you can avoid many of these near-misses by starting out even earlier. Depending on where you live and where you need to be, I would add at least 30 minutes leeway. Better early and calm than late and frazzled.

Next time you have an important meeting, on the phone or in person, don’t be late! And if you are, take a cleansing breath, stay calm and remain focused.

Do you have any additional tips to share that may help others remain calm and composed when running late?

 

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

There he stood, looking steadily at his slides projected on the screen. He stood like that for more than ten minutes, talking to the slides, totally disconnected from his audience. His slides were fine, but his delivery was not working.

When you present with slides (and that probably means frequently) try following these guidelines to be sure you are maximizing your delivery.

1. Get a clicker and use it to start, end and click through your slides. No more asking someone else to turn each slide, or bending over to reach the keyboard. Make it easy on yourself and keep the focus on your message.
2. Keep your feet and shoulders turned toward the audience. Once you turn your body toward the screen, it’s all over. As long as your feet and shoulders stay forward facing you will be more likely to stay connected with the audience.
3. Don’t read your slides. You know this, but if you get nervous you may succumb. Rehearse out loud, making sure you have something special to say about each slide. You won’t know this if your rehearsals are in your head. Practice out loud, preferably with a test audience.
4. Don’t comment on every point that is on the slides. Sometimes a high-level discussion is fine. Pick out the pertinent items to elaborate on. Interpret the content for the audience. Describe it in your own words. Provide an anecdote that ties the content together.
5. Break away from the slides. Start a discussion, get into an impromptu Q&A session, or blacken the screen and talk directly to the audience. This is fresh and unexpected. (Maybe you don’t even need all those slides.)

See? It is not that difficult to deliver effectively with slides. Too bad so many speakers do it poorly, when adopting just one or two of these will definitely make a positive impact.

I would love to hear from you. How do you speak when using slides? How do you keep the focus on your connection with your audience? How do you keep from reading your slides?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net or 651-340-3008.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

I know, I know, everyone else in your organization creates bullet pointed slides, complete with facts and numbers, or long lists of actions, reasons or steps. So why shouldn’t you? Well, one reason is that most of us will end up reading each bullet. Good, bad or indifferent, if it is on the slide we tend to read it. Another reason is that these lists of words and numbers are not visually appealing or memorable. They are easily snoozed through or forgotten.

We know better, yet we so often fall into the same-old bullet-point trap. Even if your organization does not encourage creative approaches, here are some strategies that might just encourage you to do better without getting too radical.

1. Declutter. Take out sentences, unnecessary words, headlines that repeat the title of your project over and over and details you probably won’t need. Group things. Use more slides, allow more white space. Ahhh, feels better already.
2. Increase color and graphics. Use SmartArt to create content that looks more like a graphic than just words. On the left is a simple example that would take you less than five minutes to create, and adds relationship information that bullet points would not.
3. Get rid of clip art. That smiley face? That silly stick figure? Out they go. The exception: your hand-drawn diagram, if it really tells the story. Create a screen capture or a scan and include that. Unlike clip art, we haven’t seen that a million times.
4. Add photos. Pictures you take yourself are best, like pictures of your team or your shop floor. Pictures your organization has the rights to (like your product) are terrific. Be sure whatever you use is royalty-free and that you have the rights to use it. Even Creative Commons pictures need to be studied carefully and attributed correctly to be sure you are using them legally. And do be sure the picture is there for a good reason, not just as decoration.
5. Get rid of templates and dark backgrounds. Unless your organization insists you use their corporate template (in which case, go for it,) consider using a simple white background without fancy fonts or treatments. Use a simple color palette of black, white, navy, or gray. This is a perfect canvas for easily-read content and for colorful graphics or photos. Use one or two at the most common fonts, preferably sans serif ones like Arial or Tahoma. (I really like Arial Black for headlines.)

Today, take a look at the slides for your next presentation. What can you take out? What could you add in that would add color, life and emotion? Be the maverick in your organization who dares to do better in creating and delivering visuals that actually add value to your presentations.

Please let me know what you think, what you have tried, and how better slides are perceived in your organization.

What does zone have to do with presentations skills? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, psychologist and author of Flow and Finding Flow, says that when we are in a state of flow, we are completely immersed in our task and at peak performance. We feel sufficiently challenged but confident in our skills or ability to do the task.

Being in the presentation zone is similar. It is a state of focused awareness with a distinctive lack of self-consciousness. I first heard this described by a colleague who told me when she was training a class she just opened her mouth and content started coming out. She said she “didn’t know where it was coming from.” Of course it was coming from a deep well of experience and knowledge, and because she was “in the zone,” the content was able to pour out unhindered by self-consciousness or inhibition.

When this happens to you, you will notice you are completely in the moment. It is almost as though you are one with your audience. You are totally aware of what you are doing and saying, and you are aware of your audience and how they are responding and reacting. Your words tend to flow smoothly, your face and voice are expressive, and you move and gesture instinctively and easily. It feels good, and if you have the underlying skills and knowledge, you may well be at peak performance.

How do you get into the zone?

Deepen your subject knowledge. Don’t have it? Become an expert. Research, dig deeper, and discuss it with experts. Read even more. Think about related content. Talk about it at every opportunity. Now, narrow down your presentation. Create a clear, concise message about your content. Tie every fact, story and detail to that message. Don’t add anything more. The reason for the deep knowledge is to build your confidence and credibility, and so you can answer questions that come up.

Ace your rehearsal. Rehearse early and often, and not only in your head. Every time you look at your slides, start talking through them out loud. Speak your entire presentation out loud at your desk or in your car, record and listen to it. Get a pilot audience to listen to it. Talk about it over lunch with colleagues.

Prepare for questions. Jot down every question you think you might be asked. Do you know the answers to each one? If not, do some more research for the answers. Have your pilot audience ask you questions, tough ones. Practice your answers. Make cue cards and drill yourself. Keep at it until you are confident you could answer just about any question that comes up.

Walk away. Clear your mind a while. If you start feeling anxious, take a break do something pleasurable and relaxing. Take a walk. Go out for lunch. Play with your children. Listen to music. If you are not fully prepared, you will be refreshed and more ready to tackle preparation. If you are fully prepared, try to stay in a relaxed state, knowing you will be better off with a clear mind.

Take care of your physical self. Eat well. Sleep well. Allow enough time to arrive at your presentation location without stress. Set up your presentation and check your equipment. Meet and greet your audience as they arrive. Focus on them, not on your presentation.

Keep your focus on the audience, not yourself. Remind yourself it is all about them, that you are in service to the audience, there to help them with the content you are going to share. Focus on the idea, the action or the change you are advocating and why it is good and important.

Take your time. Walk to the front with confidence. Look at the audience a moment. Smile. Now begin.

Forgive mistakes. If you make a mistake, let it go immediately. Put it out of your mind by focusing on the next slide or the next point you will be making. If you carry it with you, even a tiny mistake can impact the rest of your presentation, and maybe the next one.

If you have ever been in the zone during your presentation, you know how great it feels. Prepare, rehearse, and ready yourself with the goal of getting and staying in the zone. You will be at your best, your most audience-focused and most confident. What could be better?

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at info@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

When we struggle with performance of any kind, we often hear negative thoughts. I can’t do this…I am not good at this…I don’t like this…When we change our thoughts from NO to YES, we often experience profound shifts in thinking, feeling and performing. This is true of golf, fitness performance, and no doubt many other endeavors. Let’s take a look at how YES might relate to building presentation and communication strengths.

First and foremost, change your negative self talk to positive self talk. I experienced firsthand the power of yes while running sprints on a treadmill with my fitness coach and team mates. I am not much of a runner, so this was a huge challenge. Just as I started thinking NO WAY and I CAN’T our coach suggested saying YES and YES I CAN DO THIS. When I tried it I felt stronger and could keep running longer. It didn’t even matter if I said it in my head or out loud. I felt stronger. It was still hard, but not nearly as hard as it had been. If you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about your presentation or your own speaking skills, try saying YES. Instead of I don’t like this, or I don’t feel prepared, think, I CAN DO THIS. I AM GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME.

Instead of yes, but…say yes, and… Maybe you just heard an idea or suggestion. Did you automatically say, yes, but…? You just negated the idea. Instead of saying yes, but… try saying yes and…then adding your suggestions to what the other person said. Example: We could hold the next staff meeting offsite. Response: yes, but that would cost too much. Positive response: yes, and if we can work it into our budget we should look into that. This is not easy to do. And when you do it, you will see how it keeps exchanges more positive. Try it if you are a trainer responding to comments from learners, or if you are a presenter who gets challenging questions.

Say what you WILL not what you WON’T. Often we hear people say, I am not going to take too much of your time, I am not going to take any questions today, or I am not going to go into the reasons behind this decision. Any time you hear what the speaker is not going to do, you begin to focus squarely on the negative or missing information. Instead, try saying what you are going to do. Today I WILL keep this brief, I WILL provide only a statement, or I WILL be focusing on our action plan. See what happens when you change the focus to the positive instead of the negative.

Say YES to a thank you. What do you say after someone thanks you? Many of us say “no problem.” I hear this everywhere I go, and each time I hear it I think, really? Are you sure it wasn’t a problem? Because it sounds like maybe it was a problem. Instead, try a sincere “you’re welcome.” Or go one better. My son Shawn has a beautiful response. He says, “My pleasure.” And he says it sincerely every time. It is another way of saying YES instead of NO.

My challenge to you is to begin looking for more ways to turn negative communication to positive, moving you from no to yes.

The power of YOU

When we focus on presentation skills, we often focus on what is wrong. We speak too fast, we say UM too much, we aren’t articulate enough. Maybe you have thought along those same lines, focusing on where your deficiencies lie. Guess what? Focusing on weaknesses doesn’t make you stronger. It just makes you more uncomfortable and self-conscious. A vicious cycle.

When you gave your very first presentation, your boss probably said, “go out there and just be yourself and you will do fine.” It didn’t seem like it at the time, but he or she was exactly right. We just didn’t know at the time how to be ourselves under the spotlight. Yes, we need to build skills and get better. We need to understand our strengths as well as we know our weaknesses. But you have it all within you to create and deliver fabulous presentations and deliver them as only you can. Only you can be you, with your knowledge, your skills and your strengths. I urge you to keep reminding yourself of this truth. You are most likely much better already than you realize. You are just right the way you are.

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts , and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net or 651-340-3008.

How far have you come on this journey? Are you “there” yet? Sometimes it is hard to see our progress, especially when we are making small changes, changing habits and fine-tuning our existing skills. Maybe it would be helpful for you to go back and see where you were when you started. Were you really uncomfortable, stressed out or nervous about presenting? Now how do you feel? Hopefully those negative feelings have abated as you have learned skills and thought processes that are more productive.

How are your delivery skills? At first you might not have been aware of your delivery habits. You were “unconsciously unaware” of speaking too fast, or clearing your throat, or saying “um” too many times. Once you became aware of these things, you may have been “consciously unaware,” meaning you began to notice what you were doing but possibly didn’t know how to change it. You still kept speaking too fast, but you were aware of it. As you kept working on it, you might have been able to substitute the new behavior (talking more slowly) with “conscious awareness.” That is, you had to deliberately think about it in order to make the change, but you could do it. Here comes the good part; with practice you may have become “unconsciously aware” of speaking more slowly. At this point, you have built mastery over this skill and you rarely have to deliberately focus on it.

Now what? I encourage you to celebrate the awareness you have experienced, the choices you have made, and the new habits you have built. You have a lot to be pleased about. But, as with so many things in life, you are not really finished. There is always more to learn, more to strive for. Take another look at your delivery skills; what is the next habit you could begin to work on? It might be a strength you want to hone even further; maybe you love to tell stories or use humor, so why not focus on mastering those areas? It could also be working on a weakness; maybe you have a few grammar issues, and it will be worth it for you to build in that area. It might be more difficult and may never be your strength, but some weaknesses need to be corrected so they don’t become stumbling blocks.

Once you have examined your delivery skills, focus a bit on your content. Have you begun crafting and stating clear Targeted Messages? Have you made your content clear and crisp? Do your openings capture and engage your audience? Do your closings drive home your message, or create a call to action? If not, this would be a great time to reexamine structure. Great structure supports you just like a basic recipe supports you in the kitchen. Yes, you can adapt and improvise, but it helps to start with a solid foundation.

While you are at it, take a look at your slides. Are they dull, crowded, and difficult to follow? Or have you added graphics and photos and taken out bullets? Are you asking your slides to be a send-along document, or have you reconciled yourself to the fact that you probably need both a document and a separate slide deck? If your slides aren’t all they could be, and if you end up reading them more than you would like, there is a clear signal to focus some attention there.

Finally, how are you doing with Q&A? Do you prepare yourself so that you have a pretty good idea of which questions will come up, and do you have answers prepared? It might be a good time to start rehearsing the Q&A with someone who knows the tough questions that might arise. Have you learned to rephrase the question, using a Neutral Bridge to restate each question before answering? If not, you might find practicing this skill and turning it into a habit will make your Q&A sound more polished and professional. Have you learned to use body language to keep moving from one person to the next, and to move on to the next question? Or do you sometimes get “stuck” with one persistent questioner? Here is another opportunity to explore a few small changes that make a huge impact.

And how are you getting feedback? This could be the perfect time to start video recording your rehearsals, or your actual presentations. It is so easy to record yourself—maybe you could even use your smart phone. I know it may not be so easy to watch. But if you do, you will begin to notice the changes you have made, the strengths you have, and what really works for you. You will see weaknesses and stumbles, but you will know where to put your focus so you can continue the journey to excellence in presentations.

W is for Words

When we speak our thoughts must be translated and spoken in words, and this is the challenge. What if I forget my words? This worry puts tremendous pressure on us to think about the words, rather than the message or the meaning of the words. When we focus too much on wording, we lose our spontaneity, our passion. The words come out awkward and monotone. We have odd pacing, too fast or too slow. We read our slides instead of speaking from them. It just doesn’t sound natural. But if we don’t rehearse we also come off wrong. Unsure. Poorly phrased. Too many fillers. Too many odd pauses while we think of the right words.

What to do?

In the planning stage: Be really clear about your main message or theme. What are you trying to accomplish in this meeting or presentation? Put this much in clear, concise words. Write it down so you don’t forget. This is the foundation of your talk, and it often creates the beginning and ending of your talk, so keep the focus on this message, rather than the exact words. It’s OK to say it a little bit differently, just as long as you keep the message consistent.

In the rehearsal stage: It’s fine to memorize your opening lines and closing lines (see above about your message or theme.) But don’t even try to script or memorize your entire talk, unless it is for the media or a very formal situation where what you say must be word-perfect. Each time you rehearse, look for different words to say as you describe what is on each slide. If you tell a story or anecdote, tell it slightly differently each time. Rehearse bits of your presentation to different people so you become more and more comfortable telling it. Don’t worry about being perfect, just focus on getting the ideas across each time.

In the delivery stage: As you deliver your presentation, it is easy to start thinking ahead to the next thing you are going to say, or what is on the next slide. You can also begin to read the audience and begin thinking about how they are or aren’t reacting to your presentation. As your thoughts begin to drift, you lose focus on what you are saying. The “ums” creep in, and your words become more elusive. The trick is to understand your mind works faster than your mouth, and that you do best when you avoid distraction. Try to stay focused on your current content and the here and now. If you have planned and rehearsed, your words will flow smoothly.

In the review stage: Time to get some feedback. How did you do? Were you articulate, or did you stumble and grasp for words? Because you experience your presentation from the inside and you know where you were searching for words, it is difficult to assess your own performance. You might wish to record bits or all of your talk, and listen back. It may well be more fluent than you thought. Or there might be certain points where you did struggle. Would more rehearsal help? Or were you looking too hard for the “best” words, when similar words would have been fine? Another approach would be to ask for a second opinion from a coach or trusted colleague. They can help you determine whether you have any issues with grammar, word choice, or vocabulary. Now you know what to work on for next time.

W is for Wording

If you want to speak with authority and gain the credibility of your listeners, check to be sure these weak wording habits are not a part of your everyday speaking.

Vague words: “soon, later, early, almost.” Example: “The report is almost done, and I will get it to you soon.” If you find you have this habit, begin to weed these out of your speech. If you catch yourself, restate.

Qualifier words: “kind of, sort of, hopefully, maybe, just, just a little.” Example: “If I could just have a little of your time, I will hopefully clarify my position.” These words minimize the importance of what you are saying. Watch for these and lose them. Or use them sparingly.

Fillers and non-words: “um, uh, ah, well, so, like, you know, and-um.” Example: “It’s like, you know, um, the meeting is going to be cancelled, so…” It is difficult to weed out all fillers, but watch out for too many and become more at ease with a pause instead of a filler. Also avoid thinking ahead or distracting yourself.

Lazy language: phrases like “pick your brain” are just plain ugly. For trainers, the phrase “I want you to” is terribly common but a little bossy. For service workers and all of us “no problem” is not a very elegant reply when someone thanks you. Better choices: “ask your advice,” “would you please…” and “my pleasure.” These are just as easy to say and convey a positive and professional tone.

A great way to check your wording habits is to review your voice mail messages periodically before sending them.

As speakers, trainers and leaders, effective communication relies to a large degree on the spoken word. Starting today, take stock of your words, word choice, vocabulary and fluency.