Chapter One Public Speaking in the Semiosphere: Creating a Meaningful Experience

Wanted to make all my readers aware that my new eBook, Public Speaking in the Semiosphere: Creating a Meaningful Experience for Your Audience is available through Amazon.com. It was written with my colleague Howard Miller.

Want a preview? Here's Chapter One.

Chapter 1: Speaking in the Semiosphere: Creating a Meaningful Experience

“Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event.”

Brian Tracy

What both speakers and audience members crave is a meaningful experience. One that changes us, inspires us. But how do we do that? Practically speaking, there are countless possibilities. But there are a few basic principles that can help to identify the opportunities for meaningful moments.

Get Personal

Put some of yourself into your speech. To an audience, you are a strange and exotic creature with the courage to stand up and speak. We want to know about you, who you are, and if we can relate to you. Sharing some of yourself demonstrates trust in the audience, and they will subconsciously reciprocate. That trust is the foundation of a meaningful experience.

Using your personal experience is a key technique for speaking in the semiosphere. Remember the diagram in the introduction. The degree to which your lived-world overlaps with your audience members’ lived-world is the degree to which you are successfully speaking in the semiosphere and creating a meaningful experience. By sharing your personal experience, you bring more of your lived-world to light for the audience. If you share nothing of yourself, the audience has no basis to relate to you. But if you share your experience, especially if you do this wisely and strategically, you become more human. They can relate to you. And maybe they even like you. You open up the possibility of establishing commonality, and thus, audience engagement.

There is a vulnerability to opening up and sharing something of yourself. It is not without risk. However, it is a risk worth taking because the payoff is great. There is certainly a line of what is appropriate self-disclosure and what is not, so be conscious of that boundary. In general though, people appreciate you opening up a bit. It is interesting.

Letting us behind the facade of your public persona to share the back stories to your life signifies an attempt at goodwill (unless you say something extremely distasteful or inappropriate for the occasion or audience). People like to get a glimpse behind the scenes and even into your personal life. They can relate--or they can't. But either way, they will have the engaged response we call a meaningful experience.

Tell Stories

Along those same lines, tell stories. People respond to stories in an emotional and physiological manner. Stories excite our imagination and our brains. Stories stick with us in a way that facts and figures do not. Most importantly, they hold our attention and will be remembered.

Chapter Nine on informative speaking is mostly about storytelling, because that’s the best way to teach people. Stories are all the rage in marketing, advertising, and public relations. That’s because professionals in those fields understand that stories are the most effective way to teach, inspire, and persuade. Storytelling is a skill you simply must develop if you are going to be a great speaker. Some people are natural storytellers, some need to learn how to do it effectively. The good news is that we all do it, probably daily. When you come home and tell your spouse about your day, you’re actually telling the story of that day. You tell everyone about your great vacation, with stories. You can do this, and with some work, do it very well.

And to build on the previous point, personal stories are particularly effective. They are the best types of stories, easiest to remember and tell well, and you get to define the the story’s meaning to draw out the point you want to make.

Empathize with Your Audience’s Concerns

Your audience is the reason you speak. What do they need that you can help them with? Presumably you are there to give them something they need. Clearly identify and address those needs. We will talk at some length throughout this book about the importance of your audience and connecting with them, giving them a reason to listen, and enhancing their lives with your message. For now though, just realize that you have to give your audience something they value. To do so, you need to think about their lives and what they want and need to live their lives more effectively and efficiently

If you are speaking on a work-related occasion, for example, it is important that the audience leaves your speech thinking their work is more important/meaningful/satisfying than they did before you spoke. I once worked as a recruiter, a headhunter really. In brief, we were poaching people from one company and helping them land in the next. Once, a speaker came in to discuss some of the ways we could improve our numbers (make more money), and I remember getting up after his talk thinking that the work I was doing was as important as anyone’s in the world. Before the speech, I thought I had a job as a recruiter. After it, I felt like I was changing lives. And the expectant motivation followed.

Whatever the circumstances that brought them to listen to you, acknowledge that their efforts are meaningful and significant. Acknowledge the challenges they face, and offer something to help them meet and overcome those challenges. There must be something in it for your audience, some incentive to get them to listen closely to you.

Offer Strong Visual Support

This is the opposite of death by PowerPoint. A photographic image can be a powerful thing. It can anger or amuse, educate or inspire. Carefully selected visual support can leave a lasting memory in the audience’s mind, and being memorable is essential to being meaningful.

We have devoted Chapter Twelve to how to use visual aids effectively. If you are able to do this, you will immediately distinguish yourself from the myriad presenters who use PowerPoint poorly. You’ll send a sign early on that your talk is something special. It’s not the same old, same old with slides filled with text and data that no one really cares about or is meaningfully connected to. You will quickly stand out as someone who gets it, and audiences will know they’re in for something unique and special because you are maximizing the visual potential of your topic.

Highlight Values or an Ethical Dimension

In our world of increasing moral ambiguity, political correctness, and blurred lines between right and wrong, people have a hunger for ethical discourse. We bring this up not to lecture to you about what constitutes ethical rhetoric, but to encourage you develop a rhetorical ethic. This is a distinction Professor Richard L. Lanigan points out in his book Semiotic Phenomenology of Rhetoric. It’s about embodying an informed understanding of one’s ethical value system, not preaching what others should believe. It’s about being ethical yourself in your consideration of issues and how your share them.

So when we say to highlight values or an ethical dimension, we are not encouraging you to preach with moral certitude as to how others should live their lives. Rather, we are suggesting that you not shy away from ethical issues. In fact, you can highlight the ethical dilemma in question for your audience. As you tell the story, call attention to the ethical quandary the subject of the story faces. When a choice is framed with an ethical dimension, most people will opt for the right interpretation and do the right thing. Some may disagree as to what the right choice is, but if you anticipate such disagreement you can include it as a consideration for their deliberation.

All people have values, relatively stable long-term beliefs about right and wrong, as well as what is important in life. Tying your message to things that people value is a key to creating a meaningful experience. We will talk more about values in Chapter Ten on persuasion. At this point simply recognize that people will find things they value meaningful to listen to and think about.

Furthermore, people like to be reminded that they are doing the right thing, not necessarily doing things the easy way. When you have the opportunity recognize those in your audience who have done exceptional things, do so. Applaud their strong moral compass. We all want and need to be inspired, to do better and to be better people. It is the nature of all living things to grow and progress. Appeal to your audience’s ideals, appeal to the best within them. You will see the lights go on in their eyes because you are creating a meaningful experience.

Don’t Take Your Audience’s Time Lightly

No matter how wonderful your presentation, if you fail to meet audience expectation, particularly in regard to time, they can leave the room disappointed. Maybe even angry.

A number of years ago I attended a presentation by a speaker who was one of the country’s foremost experts on his particular topic, so I was incredibly excited to hear his ideas. After 35 minutes of his presentation, which was scheduled for 45 minutes, he wasn’t disappointing. He was truly an incredible speaker. And so when he said, “in conclusion,” anyone listening understood his presentation was about to come to an end.

Another 30 minutes later, he finally stopped talking. I can’t tell you what he said in the last 20 minutes or so. I had stopped listening. So had the rest of the audience. The speaker even noticed we had. He acknowledged that it had been a long day that we were losing steam. Little did he know that he was making our long day so much longer.

One of the best speeches I had ever heard turned into one of the worst just because the speaker ignored time. He made the terrible mistake of thinking he was so great that we no longer cared about our time. He was wrong.

When you have to deliver a speech, make sure you know how much time you’re allotted. And make sure you speak within that time frame.

Speak Extemporaneously

Extemporaneous speech is natural, conversational speech. It’s real, it’s direct, it’s you speaking in your own voice. When you write a script, you read your message. When you speak extemporaneously, the message originates from you, in that moment, with that particular audience in mind. This is an essential prerequisite to authenticity. Your audience will not connect in a meaningful way to you or your message if they feel it is inauthentic. Speaking extemporaneously is a must for meaningful authentic public communication.

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The suggestions in this chapter are just capsules of the kind of analysis a good speaker conducts. They can be taken in countless directions to suit the needs of most anyone and most any audience. Employ them, and you will be on your way to transforming your communication and creating a meaningful experience for both yourself and your audience.

My New Public Speaking Book Will Help You...Guaranteed!

I am really excited to announce that my new book Public Speaking in the Semiosphere: Creating a Meaningful Experience for Your Audience is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It will be officially released on April 30th, 2015. Written with my colleague Howard Miller, the book promises to help make you a speaker distinguished by your authenticity and ability to present meaningful messages.

At the root of our approach is a semiotic sensibility. My graduate work in Communicology  focused on semiotics (the study of signs and how people give meaning to the world around them). As a result I have always had a slightly different approach to public speaking than most. Rather than teach people to conform to arbitrary conventions, I encourage them to create "signs" that the audience will interpret positively. This perspective results in a presentation that resonates with the audience.

Have you ever seen  speakers that breaks all the "rules" and yet are tremendously successful and/or popular? That's because they made choices to create something unique to them and their style. They chose to create a meaningful experience for both themselves and the audience. We will teach you to do the same.

Audience members perceive your speech through the lens of their own lived-world. One of the keys to creating meaningful experiences is to tap into their lived-world as you select material. In the book, right in Chapter One, I lay out multiple techniques for creating a meaningful experience.

This really is a unique and valuable resource for speakers from all walks of life. Whether you are a teacher, student, preacher,politician, lawyer, or business person you will want to read this book. Short easy-to-read chapters range from overcoming anxiety about speaking, to how to use visual aids in a manner people will love (avoiding the dreaded "Death by PowerPoint"). It also features chapters devoted to informative speaking, persuasive speaking, and speaking on special occasions.

We aim to train you you to speak extemporaneously, not read scripts or PowerPoint slides. Extemporaneous speech is natural and conversational, with the vocal variety essential to engage listeners. We take you through the entire speech preparation and delivery process.

If you do any kind of public speaking, even a one-time wedding toast, do yourself a favor and check out this book. I promise you it will result in a great experience for both you and your audience!

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

Remember when you first learned to drive? You were probably pretty nervous, kept both hands on the wheel, held that wheel tightly, and shied away from highway driving because the sheer speed frightened you. Fast forward to now. You drive with one hand on the wheel (hopefully not with the other one on your cell phone!), zoom down the highway without a second thought, and laugh at how nervous you used to be. What has changed? Driving involves the same simple skills, but your attitude toward it is completely different. You have been transformed by your experience and success as a driver.

Public speaking is a similar endeavor. You will get more confident with experience and success. But there is a fundamental difference. Imagine if no one had ever TAUGHT YOU to drive. Your initial fear would be paralyzing and the results likely to lead to tremendous anxiety and difficulty, if not tragedy.

I find many people in this same situation with public speaking. They have seen others do it, so they have a rough idea of what should be done, but when they see it done masterfully they simply exclaim "I could never do that!". Well of course you couldn't if you have never been taught and had the chance to practice what you have been taught, right?

That's why I am employed. Because people need to be taught how to do this thing we call public speaking and taught how to do it well. So what I am about to share is true and helpful. However, these things alone will not make you a masterful speaker. You will need training for that. What they will do is help to reduce your anxiety a bit or at least help you manage it and use it to your advantage.

1. Know what you are talking about. There is really no substitute for this. If you are not confident in your knowledge of the topic, you will not be confident. It's as simple as that.

2. Approach public speaking with the right attitude and purpose. If you waste your time thinking about how much you dread your upcoming presentation, guess what? You will dread your presentation. The result being a dreadful talk. It is a simple self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, have a clear purpose aimed at improving the lives of your audience. You give a speech for and audience--not for a boss, a grade, or any other reason. Spend the time you have been wasting on fear and dread working on your speech!

3. Know your fundamentals. There is an art to this and there are certain conventions that have been proven to work. Familiarize yourself with them and employ them. A college public speaking course should do it for you. For those with less time, hire a pro. I can teach you in a couple of hours what you will spend four months learning in a college course because it will be tailored for you and your strengths and weaknesses.

4. Practice aloud. Can't emphasize this enough. I have written an entire blog entry on the subject. You really should read it.

5. Avoid stimulants. Caffeine, sugar, energy drinks, etc., will only intensify the adrenalin rush you are going to experience in the first minute or so.

6. For those with really bad problems there are techniques that a professional can share with you such as systematic desensitization, positive visualization, relaxation techniques, and classical conditioning.

7. Breathe. Simple but effective. Breathe deeply. Oxygen has a relaxing effect on the body as it makes its way from your lungs to the bloodstream and  muscles.

8. Or you can just hire someone like myself. Any communication consultant or speech coach worth their salt will be able to take you from frightened novice to fully functioning professional in relatively little time. This isn't rocket science. It's just specialized knowledge that a professional can share with you, not unlike the tax consultant or IT consultant we employ to help us...and every bit as essential to success.

I firmly believe that pretty much anyone can be a good competent speaker. I have seen thousands of students overcome their fear in my public speaking course so I'm very confident you can too. With the right help you CAN do this and eventually do it brilliantly.

That's all for today friends. Until we meet again, be well, speak well, and thank you for reading!

For those interested in learning more about Dan Leyes' consulting work, see Semiosphere Consulting.

Gestures? Keep 'em Real

"What do I do with my hands?" is one of the most common questions I hear from those I teach and coach in public speaking. They are sometimes disappointed by my initial answer, because I tell them to "do what comes naturally", at least as a starting point. They would prefer some definitive answer. They want me to say "do this and that and you will be perfect", as if there were some magical hand dance that if learned, will make them a great speaker.

I am not a fan of choreographing gestures. All too often they look contrived and mechanical, more likely to attract our attention than genuinely support the message. And attracting attention to themselves is something gestures should not do. You want the audience's focus on what you are saying, not on your hand movements.

But I say "as a starting point" because what "comes naturally" to some might be to put their hands in their pockets or play with their hair! Once I have seen them speak I will frequently give specific suggestions, but first I need to get a sense of their nonverbal communication style and how it jibes with their verbal message.

Some people are naturally animated and gesture more than might be ideal, but it works for them. Others rarely use their hands, but when they do it is effective, reflecting a less animated personality type. Folks like this need little coaching. Some might try to tune down the former, and force more gesturing on the latter, but at what cost?

It is my professional opinion that authenticity is what people respond to. Far too many fine speakers have been turned into mechanical shadows of their true selves by consultants touting "power gestures" and the like. In the process they lose the natural quality that truly great speakers possess.

That said, distracting gestures--particularly repetitive ones--must be avoided. I have seen it all in my career. I have seen people decide that during the presentation would be a good time to clean their ears, pop a pimple on their arm, or scratch their privates repeatedly. I kid you not.

When in doubt, it's okay to keep your hands at your sides. That is so much better than folding your arms, or clasping your hands either in front or in back of you. Also, you want to avoid gesturing below the waist. You want to guide the eye toward your upper half, not your lower half.

Video recording is the key to fine tuning the natural style of the speaker. When the speaker sees what he or she does when speaking naturally, the video makes any necessary "repair" obvious and fairly simple to change and master. They just need an honest, knowing eye to help guide them to what works best for them.

So when it comes to gestures, don't look for magic tricks. Record yourself doing what comes naturally. Talk it over with a pro, and just polish it up a bit. You should be spending far more time analyzing your audience and putting together a killer message than you do on gesturing. The goal is always to be yourself, at your best. Run away from people who try to remake you, they will lose the real you in the process.

That's all for today folks. Be well, speak well, and as always, thanks for reading!

For more information about Dan Leyes and his consulting work, see Semiosphere Consulting.

Speaking with an Accent

I have often encountered students of public speaking who immediately declare " I want to lose my accent". To these students I generally ask "Why?". Of course they recount the details of others not understanding them in the past. And if understanding the speaker is an issue, then, well, yes, there is an issue. For most though, we can understand them just fine and there is little problem with intelligibility.

It raises the topic, however, of accents in general and how to be the most effective public speaker in a language other than your native tongue.

Intelligibility is key. If we can understand what you are saying--even if it takes an extra moment or two--you are generally okay. If we as an audience can not understand you due to the accent it is a problem and you need specific training in accent reduction and English pronunciation. (Many schools and courses are available for help with this).

Assuming you are not in that latter category, there are specific strategies you can undertake as a public speaker to maximize your effectiveness as a speaker.

First, speak slowly and pause frequently. Your audience needs a little extra time to "translate" your non-standard pronunciation. Depending on your immersion level in the new language you yourself may need that time to encode your ideas into words. Which language do you think in? If you still think in your native tongue, you will need to do your inner translation to find the right words. If you think in English, you need to make a concerted effort to slow down and pause more.

Next consider using visual aids to your advantage. If saying key words is a challenge for you, put them on slides (with definitions if needed). This goes against one of my general axioms for using PowerPoint ("fewer words, more pictures") but is a small accommodation that can help both audience and speaker. Please note that this is not an invitation to put too many words on a slide (avoid full sentences and paragraphs) just a free pass to include hard to pronounce key words on your slides.

Finally, resist the urge to under-articulate and just mumble a word you are not sure of the pronunciation for. Sometimes even native speakers do this when we are not sure how to pronounce a word. Unfortunately it makes a bad situation worse. The best thing to do is to pronounce it properly. When I am uncertain of how to pronounce a word I look to dictionary.com. For each word you will see a speaker icon. When you click on it you will hear someone say the word properly.

These are three simple ways to decrease any negative impact of your accent on your message.

Remember though that your accent is also a positive. Your accent announces to the listener that you are an international person and that you speak more than one language.The former means you are bringing the knowledge of multiple cultures to the moment which is a distinct advantage in problem solving and general analysis of issues. In short, an accent communicates that you are smart enough to speak more than one language. For someone like me, who struggled through Spanish for seven years in the New York City public school system, that's pretty impressive!

Be proud of your accent, it signifies that you speak multiple languages, which is more than many people can say.

That's all for today folks. Until we meet again, be well and speak well.

And, as always, thank you for reading!

For more information on Dan Leyes' consulting work see Semiosphere Consulting

Video Recording a Must

It is 2013 and pretty much everyone has access to video recording equipment in the form of a phone, tablet or laptop. And while taking videos of your dog or cat doing cute stuff might be fun, I have a far better use of this technology. Record yourself practicing and actually giving your speeches.

As we have already established, practicing aloud is a must to being a great speaker. If world class athletes, musicians, and performers practice their craft, it is nothing short of arrogant to believe you don't need to.

And while practicing will help you deliver your message more effectively, seeing yourself from the audience's perspective will give you a whole new outlook on your speaking.

It's a little scary because the camera adds pounds--it's not you, you're beautiful--and doesn't couch its feedback in comforting language. It is stark, honest reality--and it is undeniable.

Video recording is most effective in bringing to our attention the flaws we are not conscious of. This includes repetitive or ineffective gesturing and the dreaded vocalized pauses ("um", "uh"). It is the camera's brutal honesty that gets our attention and inspires us to make the necessary improvements. It is one thing for a speech coach to say "you're saying 'um' too much". It is another for you to have to watch yourself saying "um" 75 times in a five minute talk! It is painful, sobering and embarrassing. But it forces us to improve that flaw, in a hurry.

When you record yourself, ideally you have someone holding the camera so they can adjust to movement, etc. However if you don't have the luxury of someone to hold the camera, rig it up so that it can record you and stand still. Keep it the proper distance away so it can see all of you, from head to toe (because if you are standing oddly or shifting your weight a distracting number of times, you want to see that). However, don't have it so far away that you look like you are at the end of a tunnel and we can't see the finer points of things like facial expressions and such.

Review your video with a critical eye taking note of thing that are within your power to change, and make those changes. It is a little uncomfortable at first (even some Hollywood stars report hating looking at themselves on the screen).

The camera is an incredibly powerful tool for speakers looking to improve. Use it for something more productive than stupid pet tricks!

That's all for today. Be well, speak well and as always, thanks for reading!

Anyone interested in learning more about Dan Leyes and his consulting work should visit Semiosphere Consulting.

The Rule of Three

I saw a speaker recently who violated one of the simplest, but most important rules of speech making, the "rule of three".

When giving a speech you should always try to organize your information into three "main points" to cover in the body of your speech. Your main points are simply the major subdivisions of the body of your speech. They are the three aspects of your topic you will be focusing on. The textbooks say anywhere from 2-5 is acceptable and that is true. Two to five is acceptable...but three is ideal.

Getting back to the speaker. She was a FEMA representative talking to a group of business owners in a location that was particularly hard hit by Super-Storm Sandy. Her goal was to share the programs and support that was available to help businesses and homeowners recover from the storm damage. She had about a dozen pamphlets and handouts to provide to us, explaining various programs.

Her choice to organize her talk was to go through and explain each piece of information individually, essentially giving her 12 -15 main points. Of course her available speaking time was short so she would have less than a minute to discuss each one--and if you have any familiarity with FEMA you know it is impossible to explain one of their programs in a minute!

Of course since she was doomed to not have the time to explain all of the programs, she should not even have tried. Rather, had I advised her, I would have suggested she cover three main points. First, the types of programs FEMA offers (not every single program just the general types). Second, the assistance available via the aforementioned types. And third, where to start if you were interested in availing yourself in one of these programs, including what to expect in regards to timelines, etc.

These three points would have set the audience up well to approach her after the presentation with some idea as to the type of program they were interested in and she could have provided the appropriate literature for that person. Instead they got a small taste of 12 or more programs which they could not remember or distinguish and had to explain their whole story to her so she could advise. And as a result the line to speak with her at the end of the program was long and slow moving. She actually, in her small way, added to the complexity and confusion of dealing with FEMA!

This was so unfortunate because she was an attractive, intelligent and well-informed representative. It's just that the structure of her speech was poorly planned. A quick-fix would have allowed her to move through her presentation more gracefully (she was rushed and frustrated by the time constraints prohibiting her from fully explaining each program) and accomplished her goal more effectively and efficiently.

Ironically, when we had gone around the room at the beginning of the program and introduced ourselves and I said I was a public speaking consultant, she asked me to critique her presentation. However, the long, slow moving line to talk to her, and the need for me to get to another engagement prevented us from speaking. I subsequently emailed her and told her I had some valuable, helpful information for her--and a free initial consultation--but my emails were never replied to. I would have offered the advice I wrote about here for free, but...

There is a lesson here. Public speaking help is like a breath mint. If someone offers it, you probably need it. I truly wish I would have had the chance to help this woman. She seemed really nice and extremely competent. Her job is too important to do less than effectively.

Remember the rule of three and your talks will be easier to give, easier to understand, and easier for your audience to remember.

That's all for today folks.

Until next time, be well, speak well, and as always, thanks for reading.

For more information about Dan Leyes' consulting work see Semiosphere Consulting.

Practice: Read This Before Your Next Speech!

Nothing confounds me more as a teacher of public speaking than my students' reluctance to practice. As I have said more times than I can count, "Michael Jordan practiced basketball nearly every day of his career, even though he was already the best player in the world". As someone who is admittedly far from the best speaker in the world, what would make you think you can succeed without practicing?

I know, I know. It feels silly speaking to yourself out loud in an empty room (presumably you are not practicing on the public transportation system!). And to this I can only say it feels far worse to be alone in the front of the room struggling to speak clearly and effectively.

In fact, if you are speaking extemporaneously--and you should be--the first run-through is usually a train wreck. And right then you should applaud yourself for having had the good sense to practice. Better a train wreck in the privacy of your own home or office than in front of that audience, right? At this point you should just relax and run through it again. It will get better. And again, it will get better, again.

I always suggest five practice runs. However, if you have the time and feel the need to practice more, do it until you feel supremely confident in your ability to deliver the message.

I would also spend a little extra time on the introduction of your speech. Of course it is your audience's first impression and you want to make a great one, but there is another reason you should be ultra-confident with that first 10-20% of your speech. The research shows that speakers anxiety levels are the highest during that first minute or so of your speech. After that the heart rate, breathing, and adrenalin levels all begin to normalize. So if you can weather that initial physiological storm, it's smooth sailing thereafter.

A couple of tips about practicing:

1. Make sure you practice aloud. While "running it through your head" surely won't hurt you, it is no substitute for running it through your mouth. You do not use the same part of your brain to think thoughts as you do to make your mouth move and say words. Saying the words of your speech out loud strengthens the neural connections you will need to actually give the speech.

2. Break the speech up into chunks to practice, especially if it is a long talk. Five chunks is ideal (one for your intro, one for each of your three main points, and one for your conclusion). Ultimately you want to put them all together and practice from beginning to end, but early on you can just do it in parts.

3. Practice with your PowerPoint if you are using visual aids. Get in the flow of when the slide will change--put notes to yourself on your speaking outline to change slides!

Whatever you do, resist the temptation to "wing it". Trust me, it shows. And the message you are sending is. "I am not as prepared as I could and should be" and that can be interpreted in many ways by audience members, some of them very negatively.

If you practice sufficiently you should do a fine job with your speech. You may not be Michael Jordan just yet, but you will be giving that audience the very best you are capable of, and that's all any reasonable person would ever ask of you.

Until next time, be well, speak well, and as always, thanks for reading!

Anyone interested in learning more about Dan Leyes consulting work should visit Semiosphere Consulting.

Credibility

Would you trust billionaire Warren Buffett to give you financial advice? Would you trust Bernie Madoff's suggestions for investing your life savings? How about trusting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to teach you about the origins of Facebook? Would you trust Lindsay Lohan to lay out the plan for the United States' response to North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons? How about Robert Deniro's advice on acting?

Your answers to these questions are driven largely by the speaker's credibility--or lack thereof.

Credibility is trust. It involves trust in your competence (you know what you are talking about) and your character (you wouldn't lie to me about this and are basically a good, trustworthy person).

Credibility can be difficult to establish and easy to lose. It is an essential prerequisite to persuasion of any kind. This is true in speeches and interpersonal dealings of all kinds. As such, it deserves our full attention as speakers and people in general as we strive to exert influence on others.

Your credibility depends on the listener's perception of you. That word perception is really important here. Your credibility is a perception individuals have of you, it is not necessarily true or accurate. But for the listener his or her perception is reality. So if an audience member believes (perceives) that you don't know what you are talking about, you don't--to them anyway. If they think you are lying, you are lying (in their eyes). So it is essential that we mange perception to enhance others' views of us.

First let's talk about competence. Again, the goal is to convince the members of the audience that you are a trustworthy source of information because you know your topic and know it well. How do we do this? You might mention your credentials in the subject area, such as your job title, degrees in the subject, or specialized training you have. You might mention your years of successfully working in this field or research you have done in the area--maybe even citing some specific fact(s) from that research. However you do it, you want your audience to perceive you as being well-informed on the topic at hand.

And while it does not necessarily directly relate to your knowledge in the field, it is important that your delivery be as confident and polished as possible. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you fumble and bumble your way through the presentation some audience members may (wrongly) infer that you don't know what you are talking about simply because you don't deliver it well. So a poor delivery can hurt your credibility and a strong delivery can help it.

Establishing your competence in the subject matter is actually pretty straightforward and relatively simple to establish for most audience members. The trickier challenge is to establish that you are a person of good character, someone I can trust to not steer me wrong or manipulate me for your personal gain.

This raises the question, "Whom do we trust?".

We tend to trust people who share our values, beliefs, and attitudes. Why is this true? Because we are right. Everybody is right in their own mind...about everything. What do you think of the job the president is doing? It doesn't matter, you are right. If you think he is doing a great job, you are right and you know it. If you think he is doing a lousy job, you are right and you know it. It doesn't matter what you believe, you are right--in your own mind anyway.  What is your opinion of rap music? it doesn't matter. Whatever your opinion, you know you are right, right? Everyone believes they are right about everything. We simply don't hold beliefs we think are wrong. Sometimes we find out we were wrong and change our beliefs, but guess what? then we are right again!

And because WE are right, who else is right? People who agree with us, namely people who share our values, attitudes and beliefs.

Thus, if I want you to trust me I need to establish that you and I are kind of alike. I mean obviously we are different. We are all unique and have traveled a unique path bringing us to this moment. But to the degree that I can establish commonality, I can get you to identify with me.  And maybe, just maybe, I can get you to see me as being like you, and therefore worthy of your trust.

But how do we do this? We need to establish commonality. One way to think about it is to consider the past, present, and future (I use these categories because together they account for everything and anything because you can literally use anything and everything in the world to potentially establish commonality).

So for instance if I can recount some experience from childhood that audience members can relate to I can establish a common past. And in that moment, consciously or unconsciously, you say "wow, he's a little like me...I had that experience too...we have similar childhood experiences" and I become a little bit more trustworthy in that moment.

Or maybe it's a common present. When I say something like "I'll try to make this as brief as possible, I know we all have a desk full of work waiting for us" I establish that we are all in the same (overworked) boat and our time is limited and valuable. I "get it", and in doing so demonstrate that I share your plight. Then-President Clinton made great use of the phrase "I feel your pain" to establish commonality with one of his audience members (the same man would eventually destroy his credibility in the eyes of many with his unscrupulous behavior).

Or maybe it's a common future. When I talk about our desires for a happy and successful future, my audience can relate to me because we all want a happy and successful future.

This is why it is so important to put some of yourself into every presentation. If we can see a little of ourselves in you we are more likely to trust you. This can be quite subtle at times but still effective as we can relate to people on many levels. It is also why audience analysis is so important. Think about your audience and build into your speech bits that they should be able to relate to.

Ultimately though, your credibility will be tied to your reputation. So if you want to be perceived as competent, be competent. If you want to be perceived as a good person, be a good person. There is a risk in everything I've written today that we can say all the right things, manipulating the perception of our audience members with empty rhetoric. Walk the walk, don't just talk the talk. If you live your life the right way, it can never come back to bite you on the bottom. A fact former President Clinton learned the hard way.

That's all for today folks. Be well, speak well, and as always, thanks for reading.

For more information about Dan Leyes' consulting work see the Semiosphere Consulting webpage

The All-Important First Minute

You hit the stage (or the conference room, or the classroom, or the pulpit) and all eyes focus in on you. The audience, who were mentally somewhere else just a moment ago, one by one begin to watch and wonder "what will this person say to me?". They may be charitably attentive and hope for the best, or they may be cynically imploring "Please don't waste my valuable time", presumably as so many prior speakers have done.

You generally have a minute or so--sometimes less--before people start drawing conclusions about the quality and value of your presentation.

Many fail to capitalize on that first minute and as a result have to hope they can win you over later in the speech. But if you get off to a great start, you're winning them over from the get-go.

And so today I will talk a little bit about your speech introduction. It's that first 10-20% of your total speaking time. For that 5 minute talk it's that first 30 seconds to a minute. (If you have the luxury of a 50 minute talk, obviously, it would be longer and you have more time to develop it).

A good Intro has three parts: the hook, the promise, and the road map. Allow me to explain.

As I mentioned, prior to your speech your audience is somewhere else mentally.  They're talking with other audience members, looking at their schedule on their IPhone, or thinking about all the things they could and should be doing instead of waiting for you to begin your talk. Therefore it is important to pull the focus of their attention on to you.

Here's how not to do it. "I'm here today to talk about _________". Never begin by announcing your topic because you give your audience an "opt-out moment" and believe me they will opt out and go back to thinking of all the things they could be doing if they didn't have to be here listening to this topic that they don't fully understand yet and therefore don't see the benefit of listening to. The problem is you can't tell them the topic until you have first made "the promise"...but I am getting ahead of myself.

Start your speech with a story ( for more on storytelling see this or this). It may have to be a short story, of 30-45 seconds, but start with a story. It can be the story of how you came to speak in front of this particular group, the story of the humorous hotel clerk last night, the story of how your daughter had a birthday party last week and what a fiasco of fun it was. If you can directly tie the story in to your topic or the occasion that's great. But even if it doesn't, the story ends with you being here today to talk about something really important. For instance you might say, "Now I know, you didn't come here today to hear about my daughter's birthday party, we're here to learn how to sell more widgets and increase revenue". As long as the story is a brief one, the audience will forgive the non-topical start (if you must). The important thing is you've captured their attention. They are no longer working on their schedule or talking to the person next to them. When someone starts a story, it's almost impossible not to get caught up in the plot and wonder where it is going. Mission accomplished...you have their attention, and that is the goal of the hook.

The promise must come next (or if you're creative and your topic and story align the right way you have built it in to the story itself and in that way kill two birds with one stone...you'll understand this better in a minute). The promise is where you give them a reason or motivation to listen to your talk. This is where you tell them how the information you are sharing with them today will benefit them. There is presumably some value to the audience in what you are sharing with them (if there is not then you are wasting their time and need to reexamine your motives for speaking!). Come right out and tell them this will help them in some way. Depending on the topic and context it could be anything from increasing the bottom line, to better mental or physical health, to improving communication with their loved ones. As an audience member, How is my life better as a result of learning/knowing what you are about to teach/tell me? This sometimes takes a lot of thought and some people have difficulty seeing this, but it is essential. For without it your audience has no motivation to listen to you. What can they do, post-speech, that they couldn't do pre-speech? Tell them.

The promise though, is two-fold. Part of the promise is that the audience will benefit from your talk. The other part is that you know what you're talking about and can be trusted. This is your credibility. I will be writing an entire blog about credibility soon, but for now let's just say you need to establish your expertise on the topic and your general trustworthiness (both on the topic and as a person of good character). That's why the story about your daughter's birthday party is not without value...any person who loves their child enough to not only throw a great party but be so happy about it to come in and tell a room full of strangers about it, is probably a pretty good egg, no? People can relate, and if they can relate to you they like and trust you. Credibility is established--as long as they also believe you know what you are talking about!

Now sometimes your story/hook has the promise built into it. If you tell the story of how you first got involved with this topic and the change it's made in your life and how you're here to share those benefits with the audience today, you have built the promise into the story. This is ideal when you don't have a lot of time to develop your intro.

The last thing you need to set up your speech and prepare the audience for what is to follow is your road map. This is where you explicitly state your topic and lay out what the main points you will be covering in your speech are. It's okay to say "Today I will be talking about ________" now because you have already made the promise, and only foolish audience members would opt-out if there is real value to be gained by listening. And the last line of your intro should always be that preview of main points. "So in order to better understand (topic) today we're going to discuss ________, ___________, and _________. (And you should have three main points, not one or eight...another topic for another blog entry!).

The road map is essential to help your audience follow along and gives them a mental checklist of what you are covering, which will help them remember your message. Have you ever tried to follow someone in a car when you don't know where they're going? Well you should stop being a stalker! Just teasing. If you have, you know it is difficult and stressful. You want to make things easy for your audience, not difficult. And you want it to be a pleasant experience, not stressful  So tell them where you are going in your speech and they will happily follow along.

Now you have captured their attention with your hook, given them motivation to listen and reason to trust you with the promise, and told them where we are going together with the road map. You are on your way to a great talk!

That's all for today. Be well and speak well. And as always, thanks for reading!

For more information about Dan Leyes and his consulting services visit Semiosphere Consulting.

Being Interesting, The Ultimate Challenge

If you ask most people what they dread as a listener or as an audience member they will quickly mention being on the receiving end of a boring presentation. And I think as speakers one of the things we most fear is that our audience will find us boring and tune us out.

But what is a speaker to do? How can we ensure that we are not boring our audience?

Many years ago I was asked by the American Forensics Association to present a workshop on "Creating Interesting Informative and Persuasive Speeches". Today I would like to share what I talked about that day.

First, I think interesting talks start with a topic you find interesting, This really is an essential aspect of an interesting end product. If you are given a choice about what to speak about, choose something you are interested in and your challenge will be so much easier. Audiences can tell when we love our topic. There is an inner enthusiasm that shines through in nearly every word.

Unfortunately sometimes our topic is thrust upon us with little regard for our personal interests, such as having to explain a new software program to our co-workers, or the latest federal regulations regarding our line of work. In cases like these it is essential to identify one or more "benefits of knowing" this new information. Will it make our work easier in the long run? Will it save us money or increase profit (which may open the door for those long awaited wage increases!)? Will it make us healthier? Wealthier? or Wiser? What is in it for the learner? Once you identify that this is valuable information at some level, it should enhance your interest in it.

Or perhaps it is just the speaking opportunity itself that has value. This will enhance your career, enhance your status in the eyes of your co-workers or in the community, or provide some economic opportunity. All of these are factors that should raise your interest level in giving this talk.

So you have established that your topic or speaking situation is something that interests you, great. But how do you make it interesting for an audience? Well, one essential is to make sure THEY know the "benefit of knowing" because this is a reason to listen. It motivates the audience's interest in what you are talking about. So early in your speech--right after your attention-getter--give them the reason to listen in the form of the benefits of learning/knowing what you will be sharing with them.

Beyond that though, try to fill your talk with interesting information. There is probably ten times more information on your topic available to you than you have you have time to cover. This puts you in a good position, as you can cherry pick all the interesting bits of info. In this way all the information in your speech is relatively interesting.

So at this point you have an interesting topic and interesting information to share, but that does not remotely guarantee that your presentation will be interesting because you still have to deliver it. A poor speaker can ruin even the most interesting information!

In fact I once had to attend two workshops on the same day. One was on Sexual Harassment, the other on FERPA (the Federal Education Respect for Provacy Act  it's the academic version of HIPPA laws, which limit who your doctor can share your personal medical info with). Which do you think would be more interesting? Sex, right? Wrong. The Sexual Harassment workshop was poorly done and dry as toast. I could barely stay awake. The FERPA presentation on the other hand was engaging, thought-provoking, and oh so interesting. The difference was all in the delivery.

And so how do you make your delivery interesting? First, avoid reading to your audience! Speak extemporaneously (a big word that simply means speaking from limited notes containing the ideas you will talk about NOT the words you are going to say). Speaking extemporaneously will keep you natural and conversational, which is the goal.

Furthermore use PowerPoint, or whatever visual aid you use, well. Fewer words and more pictures for starters. And since I have already written on how to use PowerPoint more effectively, you can read it HERE.

And last, but not anywhere remotely near least, tell stories. Audiences love stories and find them interesting. When you hear a story begin it is almost impossible to not listen intently because we naturally become curious about what will happen to the characters in the story. For more on storytelling for public speakers read this and this.

And that's about it for today. Start with an interesting topic, include interesting information, deliver it in an interesting manner, use stories, and you will be interesting in front of that audience. I guarantee it!

Be well, speak well, and as always, thanks for reading.

For more information about Dan Leyes and his consulting services visit Semiosphere Consulting.

Do You Need A Speech Coach?

If you are in a profession that requires even occasional public speaking, you may have considered hiring a speech coach. Undoubtedly you will weigh the costs versus the benefits. Today I would like to spell out some of those benefits as well as the costs--the costs of not hiring a speech coach.

First, you probably wonder, do I really need help? After all I'm pretty good, certainly better than some I have seen! And you are probably right. But is "better than bad" good enough? And could "better than good enough" help your bottom line? If so, then you probably could use some help.

After all, even people who perform at the highest levels retain coaches to help them in their quest for ongoing improvement and to maintain excellence. Michael Jordan still had coaching, despite being the greatest of all time. Are you better at speaking than Michael Jordan was at basketball?

Another question to ask yourself is "How do I feel about speaking?" Do you love every minute of it, reveling in the moment? or do you hate it with a passion? Or are you more ambivalent about it, seeing it as a necessary evil?

I ask these questions because one of the things a coach can do is change our perception of speaking itself. We need to be fully engaged in the process, not the least bit reluctant. Our attitude comes through to our audience, and the least bit of negativity tarnishes our presentation in subtle and not so subtle ways that can undermine our efforts.

What else can a coach do for you? They will be brutally honest. This is something our friends colleagues and associates might be reluctant to do for obvious reasons. But sometimes we need to hear the cold, hard truth. And because they are brutally honest, we can also believe the positives, which is extremely important. This way, when they tell you you are great, you can believe it and go out there with full confidence in what you do.

A good coach will not try to change you. They will simply bring out your best qualities and eliminate any major flaws. The goal is to be yourself at your best. Anything else will stand out as being inauthentic. And we don't trust that which is not "the real thing".

Most importantly a good coach will help you prepare. I would hope we all prepare before a speech, but are we doing it in the best, most efficient possible way? For many, we're not. A good coach will make sure we are at the top of our game when the lights come up.

But what is the cost? A reputable speaking coach will probably run you $200-$500 per hour, so it's not cheap.

But, what is the cost of doing ineffective presentations? One lost contract or job could cost you many times the cost of some coaching. I recently watched a company pitch its services to my town at a borough council meeting. While I am not part of the decision-making body, I would be shocked if the company wins the contract. Not because they would be bad--quite the contrary, they appeared to have a great service/product. They will not win the contract because the sales presentation was so poorly done. It was poor enough that I emailed the company the very next morning offering my services. Alas, I received no reply. Sadly, this tells me they just don't get it and will be out there doing more bad presentations--losing more contracts--for reasons that are completely solvable. In one or two hours I would have them set up with a sales pitch and the principles to apply for future pitches that would maximize their sales potential.

Clearly they didn't think they needed a speech coach. I know better. They do.

What about you? Do you need a speech coach? Could your sales presentations be more successful? Or, would it be worth a couple of hundred dollars to give the most kick-ass "Best Man" speech ever? Do you have to deliver a presentation for acceptance into a prestigious school? These are all situations for which a speech coach would be well worth the cost.

Got questions? Visit semiosphereconsulting.com and/or click on the "Contact Us" link for additional information.

Until then, be well and speak well. And as always. thanks for reading!

It's Story Time!

Once upon a time we were all children...and we loved stories. We cherished those moments when someone older and wiser would sit us down and read--or just tell--us a story, The telling of the story had a magical power. It would silence even the most chatty of toddlers and make them pay attention. There is something in the human DNA that finds stories wonderfully engaging.

Unfortunately we're not little kids any more. We've got bills to pay and bosses to placate, widgets to sell and kids to raise, and a million and one social media markets to conquer. The demands on our time are at an all-time high, as "nine-to-five" has morphed into "24/7".

Yet there is still one constant, one singular meme, that transcends change and reinvigorates the imagination. Yes, you guessed it. It's our old friend the story.

For me, the story has never been far from my consciousness, as I have been preaching the good news of storytelling to my public speaking students for decades. "The story is your friend" I tell them, as stories are inherently interesting, understandable, and memorable in a way that "facts and figures" are not.

The funny thing is that now I see high-priced communication consultants preaching the power of the story and teaching storytelling to well-heeled executives as if it were some new invention or insight.

Over the next few days I will be sharing some thoughts--and some stories--about the virtues of storytelling for the public speaker. So check back tomorrow, as I provide the insights that some are paying hundreds of dollars an hour for. Most importantly this knowledge and know-how will help to make you a great public speaker. A speaker audiences will love and want to hire again and again.

Until then, be well and speak well.

And thanks for reading!

For more information about Dan Leyes and his consulting services visit Semiosphere Consulting.