27 Feb Conference Presenting: Back to Basics

It’s that time of the year when organizations are gearing up for client conferences. Below are three suggestions that I find myself reminding all of my clients to include in their presentations.

1. Give your listeners a reason to listen.  We call this a benefit statement, or I often refer to it as W.I.I.F.M. (What’s In It For Me).  It answers the question, “What is your presentation going to give listeners?” Think about your overall message and not what’s on your agenda slide.
2. Include one or two sentences about yourself in your introduction.  This information is not your title or your department you work in.  I suggest that you include something that is unique about your experience as it relates to your topic.  A great example of this is a recent conference presenter who only used her title as she introduced herself. When I asked her about her experience, I found out she was a top influencer who had been working in retail for over 20 yrs.  Two pieces of information that create instant creditability for this presenter.
3. End with an action statement. When you are wrapping up Instead of saying, “Thank you,” I suggest you use this as an opportunity to direct your listeners to do something with the content you just delivered.  A great example is, “Let’s continue this conversation.  I am available after we finish up. Come find me.”

23 Feb Vocal Variety and Its Role in Virtual Presenting  

Now that virtual presenting is here is stay, keep in mind that your oral delivery is more important than ever. Our colleagues, clients, and anyone else who is listening at home or in their office are most likely multitasking. Some of us have two monitors that allow us to be watching/listening and doing multiple tasks simultaneously. Since a few of your listeners may not be directly looking at the screen, your voice is what captures their attention. Therefore, I am coaching clients to incorporate “vocal variety.” Vocal variety is when you choose a specific word or phrase to add vocal emphasis to convey a meaning. A very easy way to add vocal variety is to increase your volume. (more…)

13 Jul Does virtual presenting level the speaking field?

Last week, I worked with a client who shared with me that her nervousness associated with public speaking was not as much of a problem since the world went virtual.  I was curious about what changed for her or what had helped her.  When working with clients on controlling their nervousness, there are many things to be considered.  A major focus of the help we bring is with thoughts.  The thoughts are what people say to themselves before, during, and after the presentation. We all talk to ourselves.  It’s what we say that has a tremendous impact on how well we can control nervousness.   She said, “Kristen, we are all equal now. Everyone is in the same size box.  No one takes up more space than anyone else on the screen.”  Hearing this brought a smile to my face.  This client has successfully changed her thoughts to be more positive and productive. So whether or not you believe that virtual presenting levels the speaking field, the more important takeaway is that changing the way you think about something and internalize it helps create a more positive outcome.     

22 Jun Are cell phones hurting the next generation? 

A recent article on CNN was about government-run camps to treat teen internet addiction in South Korea. After reading the article, I thought what a fantastic idea. I wonder how many parents think their kids are addicted to their cell phones. The South Koreans may be on to something.  

According to South Korea’s government, in 2018, 98% of South Korean teens used a cell phone.  The article mentioned a 16-year who, after spending 13 hours straight on her cellphone, signed herself up for the camp. Her phone gave her continuous entertainment, and when she got bored, she moved on to the next video or game. She felt detached from reality when on her phone. Her grades were slipping, and she fought with her dad about her phone usage daily.   (more…)

22 Apr Visuals in the Virtual World – A Quick Tip 

Using visuals during presentations is helpful for listeners to connect with your message.  They are used to emphasize and clarify speaking points.  Has this changed in the virtual world?  The short answer is NO.  Presenters need to be cautious of having their listeners disconnect from them and their message due to visuals.  Whether you are in person or virtual, disconnecting happens. Still, presenters compete for their listeners’ attention with so many more distractions in a virtual world.  Why is the dog barking, who is ringing my door, why is my child texting me are just a few examples of what listeners are thinking now that they are working from home.   (more…)