Category: Presentations

One of the fastest ways to ruin a presentation is to talk too fast.  (I guess you got that bit of humor)

You know the story.  Starting too fast while sharing your message and you can’t slow down.  You begin talking faster and faster.  You know you’re doing it but you are unable to slow down.  I’ve got a tip for that which I’ll share later, but first let’s stop the speed from picking up in the first place.

If you normally talk too fast, and you know who you are, practice by reading some material from a magazine, a book, newspaper, or Gary Montgomery’s blog.  When you see a period, stop.  When you see a comma, stop.  When you see a semi-colon, or colon, stop.  Stop for a count of five.  You probably thought “five seconds, that’s too long!”  I agree if you are reading to an audience but what you are doing is practicing and the best practice begins with exaggeration.  Stop so that you recognize you are stopping and stepping out of what you normally do and you recognize you are learning something new. 

To use an analogy from coaching kids in baseball and softball, I’ve had young players try to make the throw to first too fast.  After a great catch on the ground ball, she rushes the throw and the runner is safe at first.  We need to adjust thinking.  So I teach them to pat their glove three times after catching the ground ball and count each pat, out loud (it’s usually slower when you say it out loud.)  It gives her time to position her feet and see the target, the girl playing first base, before throwing.  No we aren’t going to normally do that in a game (although some have) but this is learning.  We need to exaggerate to learn.

Step number two is to start slow.  Not just start talking slow but make the mental approach to the stage or the lectern slow.  Think slow as you are introduced.  Walk slowly to the front of the room.  Speak slowly when you thank the person introducing you (be sure to get their name so you can share it.  People are listening.)

As you face your audience and start to speak;  wait.  It may feel a little uncomfortable but use your five second count again, (not out loud this time.) Look left, look right, smile, feel your feet grounded on the floor or stage.  Now you are ready to begin …s..l..o..w..l..y. Know what words you are going to use.  I’ve seen many start talking at this point and not know where they are going.  Know your open, your story, know what you are trying to accomplish in the open.  Your slow start and intentional pauses will put you at ease and your audience will be comfortable because you are comfortable.

And here’s the tip I promised in case it happens that you do begin talking too fast and feel you can’t slow down;  just stop.  Try to make it appear you are stopping on purpose.  Perhaps a drink if you have water nearby (if not you should).  Attempt to find a reason to pause in your presentation;  stop to draw attention to a particular word or point you are making.  Make the stop feel like a pause for effect.  But even if you are unable to have a reason to stop, just stop; smile and breathe.  It might look a little irregular but it is better than gasping for air and becoming anxious because you are going too fast and can’t slow down.

Bottom line: prepare.  Think slow, start slow, and get comfortable being with a group of people who need to hear your message.

A lot more great ideas at Gary’s presentation skills seminar coming up in Louisville, KY, September 17, 2015,  “Making Magic in the Front of the Room..”  For more information go to www.icanplay.com/magic, or call Gary at 502.339.0040.

I am reading a book my son gave me recently.  It’s titled “Give and Take” about helping others as we travel the path to success.

If you’ve read any of my blogs, or my book “I CAN PLAY, A Philosophy for Life,” or if you have attended one of my presentations, you know I teach the “Giver” side of “Give and Take.”  Why?  It simply makes life better for you and all who surround you.

My definition of leadership is very simple.  Leadership comes alive when someone feels better about who they are because they were influenced by you!  Think about it.   Who from your past, or present, has influenced you to think better of yourself?  Perhaps it’s a fifth-grade teacher, or a band director, maybe a volleyball or football coach?  Of course there’s Mom and Dad.  They influenced you to think better of yourself from something they did or said.  Because of that positive influence,  you want more of them.  That’s the Gary Montgomery definition of leadership.

Let’s apply this approach to presentations to an audience from in front of the room.

I was a television sportscaster for over 30 years.  To be honest I did not understand this philosophy, or approach.  I thought I was special because I was the one on T.V.  I was the one people invited to speak to their audiences.  I was special because I was in the front of the room …or so I thought.  It took awhile but eventually I learned that I had it all wrong.  I was a Taker.

I needed to become a Giver.

Instead of saying “Here I Am!” when I showed up to give a presentations, I needed to learn to say, and think, “There You Are!”   It changed everything.  I made the audience more important in my life.  I was to serve them by giving them a message which could help them grow.

Today I work to carry that lesson to all parts of life.  With my grandchildren, my children, my wife, the 8th graders I teach on Sunday mornings, the kids I coach, and everyone else I connect with during the day.  I’ve got a long way to go, but I am working and improving on the “There You Are” philosophy.  It’s a giving philosophy.  It’s a listening, helping, growing, guiding philosophy.  And here comes the amazing part.  Once you and I help others realize how good they can be, they want more of us.  We help them feel good about themselves.

That’s Leadership … “There You Are!”

We’ll make the “There You Are!” philosophy come alive when you join me for the “Making Magic in the Front of the Room,” presentation seminar coming up September 17.  We’ll share great techniques on how to build your message, share your ideas, and feel comfortable during your presentation.   We will grow as ‘givers’ helping our audiences feel better about themselves as they learn from you.  A TAKE-away for you is you will grow in learning how to “Make Magic in the Front of the Room.”  Developing your leadership skills will occur as you improvce your presentation technique.

Go to www.icanplay.com/magic to register for the presentation skills seminar.  Bring a friend or co-worker and register early!

            Let’s call him Bill.  He was up in years. Retired, he was a person who people catered to but now he was soliciting help in his many service projects.  He wanted them to listen to him.  But he mumbled, and spoke softly.  In the past Bill got away with the mumbling because he was the boss.  They had to listen.  Now he wanted others to listen but there was no requirement.  Bill asked me to help him with his communication skills.

            I had him stand deep in the corner of the room and I stood in the opposite corner and told him to talk to me.  He said I won’t be able to hear him.  I asked ”So what will you need to do?”

            Bill replied, “I’ll have to yell for you to hear me.” 

            “So yell,” I said. 

            Folks, we were making progress.  Bill vocalized what he needed to do.  Next was doing what was needed to do.

            Bill started to speak up, but it wasn’t loud enough.

            “Louder,” I encouraged.

            He spoke louder, but not loud enough.  What I wanted him to do was shout.  Go past what he needed.  Bill needed to understand what the extreme was, way past what he needed to do.

            “How about this?  Can you hear me now?” He proclaimed.

            “Louder,” I shouted at him.

            “How about this?  I am screaming at the top of my lungs!”

            “You’re getting closer,” I smiled because he was getting closer, “Just a little louder.”

            I wanted Bill to experience the extreme, what it felt like to be extremely loud.

            In addition to increasing volume some other things were happening.  Bill’s posture improved.  By trying to project his head was up, shoulders back.  He stood taller and he was leaning forward.  These are positive communication techniques, which are immediately improved by attempting to project, which Bill identified as getting louder.  But in addition to louder, Bill was using better communication techniques and his pace improved.  He was speaking slowly and separating his words. He was bringing energy!

            Although we did not talk about it, the mumbling, throwing words together, went away because of the better techniques Bill was using as he spoke louder.

            A key for Bill is to speak up.  We started to use the ‘yelling’ practice to identify the skills needed to make Bill think louder, so that he would speak louder!

            Not long after we started working together I was at a function with Bill and his family, which included grandchildren.  His grandson told me how, for the first time, he was able to understand his grandfather when they visited.  He said he talks louder and slower. 

            Bill was building for a speaking event.  He had donated to a project with a Church organization and was being honored.  Some heavyweights were there, the mayor, Archbishop, politicians, and many other distinguished guests.  Bill gave his speech.  He did a great job.  He slowed down, enunciated, used great communication posture, head up, and shoulders back.  He was great!

            Bill called the other day.  Said he spoke at a rotary.  Members of the audience said they couldn’t hear him.  I asked, “Did you project?”  He said he forgot.  Communication is something we need to practice all day, every day 24-7.  We need to make great communication part of who we are, not what we do.  Otherwise we forget.  That’s just the ways it is.  Speak up!