Presentations Made Easy

These are my notes from a webinar on creating presentations that are memorable. This was sponsored by the Training Magazine Network. I attended in May, 2017.

Avoid TEGO

It is essential to avoid the common situation where “Their Eyes Glazed Over,” abbreviated as TEGO. This occurs too frequently. It is even more of a challenge when presenting virtually because you cannot see your audience.

Why do we fail to remember?

• Not aware
• Not focusing/concentrating
• Not memorable
• No filing/retrieval system

Principles of visual memory

• Visual
• Rare
• Linked to something
• Movement
• Emotional

4 steps to add memory techniques to learning

1. Add one or more principles to make a more memorable presentation.
2. Use link method to retrieve items.
3. Add unusual elements.
4. Turn information into a list, and then link with unusual characteristics or a story.

Personal PR

One of the blogs I listen to regularly is “On the Page” with Pilar Alessandra. It is designed for screenwriters, but much of the content focuses on story.

In May 2017, Carole Kirschner was the featured guest. She spoke about creating your own personal public relations branding or messaging. 

Be ready at all times with the following.

Logline

Create a one-minute logline about who you are, what you do, and how you stand out (differentiate yourself) from others.

Narrative

Write a three-minute chronological narrative with successes and colorful experiences from your life.

Nuggets

Make a list of several personal anecdotes which you can incorporate as appropriate into any situation.

Seven Basic Plots

Seven Basic Plots - Why We Tell Stories is a book written by Chrisopher Booker. Entrepreneur magazine summarized the book from the perspective of adapting these basic plots to the business presentation. I read a blog post about this topic in Dec., 2017.

OVERCOMING A MONSTER

Learns about monster

Trains for battle

Monster revealed

Losing the battle

Tries different approach

Defeats monster

VOYAGE & RETURN

Unadventurous life

Transported to other world

Explores new surroundings

Feel uncomfortable

Confronted with darkness

Escapes/Defeats evil

Returns home wiser

COMEDY

Hero/Heroine destined for each other

Outside forces keep them apart

Confusion, uncertainly, frustration

Everyone entangled in unresolvable conflict

Truth uncovered

Hero & heroine get together

RAGS TO RICHES

Terrible early life

Receives call to leave

Minor struggles, small successes

Hits rock bottom

Defeats the crisis

Wins and gets reward

QUEST

Team receives mission

Small obstacles presented and overcome

Final dangerous test revealed

Final test accomplished

Team wins prize and travels home

REBIRTH (Redemption of a villain)

Falls under shadow of dark power

Things go well

Imprisoned by darkness

Dark power seemingly has triumphed

Redemption figure resolves situation

Hero is reborn as a better person

Presentation Rehab Tip 6 - Arrive Early

When presenting, arrive early to setup, test connections, and make sure everything is ready.

I have attended a variety of professional concert events including the rock group KISS, contemporary Christian artist Amy Grant, the legendary island man Jimmy Buffet, Seventies crooner Neil Diamond, and numerous classical concerts. For all of these events and many others, I never saw the band or orchestra doing a sound check while we were trying to find our seats. Instead of waiting until just before show time to make final tweaks and adjustments, professional musicians have learned that it is more beneficial to arrive early before the audience arrives.

You, as a presenter, can apply the same practice to your presentation. A number of technical gremlins can cause delays and problems. Being present early enough to check and correct audio, visual, and computer connections will mean you are ready to present when your audience arrives. Additionally, by working through the technical and setup details in advance, you can utilize the time just before your presentation to find a place to mentally prepare or spend time speaking with audience members.

Beyond the preparation to ensure that all of the logistics, presentation slides, and technical adjustments have been made, it simply looks professional to be prepared and ready. In Britain, at least when I was a there as a child, the trains run on time. If a train is scheduled to leave at 8:03AM, you'd better be on the train by 8:02AM or you may miss it. This is sensible as there is a network of trains waiting to move in to the station and there are other trains people have to transfer to along the way.

As much as possible, I try to start presentations or conference calls on time – i.e., at the announced start time. Will some people be late? Yes. But some will be there early. It is professional to start on time. The likelihood of this occurring is enhanced when you arrive early enough to test your presentation, Internet connections, and other logistics.

Presentation Rehab Tip 5 - Verify times for the presentation venue

When giving a presentation, always verify when you can access and when you need to leave the room or venue.

The first day of presenting and training went well. The attendees were pleased with how activities went on the first day and were excited about the second and third days. As part of the instructional team, I was happy to stay after the training ended and speak with attendees who wished to keep discussing the content. After speaking with attendees we gathered for a brief huddle to review how the day had gone.

When we arrived the next morning, the coordinator of the space was already in the room waiting for us. One of his staff had to stay past her normal ending time to wait for us to leave. In turns out, as we learned, that we had to be completely out of the space by a certain time, not just finished with the training.

In addition to serving as a thoughtful courtesy to the staff assisting you, possessing this knowledge of when to be in and out may also save you money. There are many instances where you have to pay staff if they are required to stay after hours.

It is always a good idea to check the schedule a couple of days before you arrive. Sometimes rooms are booked far in advanced, and between the original booking and actual event calendar changes may occur.

In the first example of a space with firm start and stop times, we needed to adjust our schedule in order to accommodate the staff. In the second example, we started late and had to explain to some of the participants about the mix up. Neither of these scenarios is good, and both could have been avoided if we had verified the times to be in and out of the presentation space.

Presentation Rehab Tip 4 - Use a 1-page list of talking points

When giving a presentation, use a one-page list of talking points instead of a word-for-word script. This applies even when presenting virtually.

For every class period of World History I in college, we had a map quiz. Whatever chapter and section we studied inevitably included a map depicting military movement, population change, countries, and cities. Even though I was generally an A student and enjoyed history, I was not doing well on the map quizzes, especially considering that each quiz usually had a maximum of 5 points (miss just one point and the score was 80%).

Knowing I had to do something to improve my performance, and subsequently my overall grade, I went shopping for a book on improving your memory. The book I found remains a classic today: The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas. I found a strategy the helped me, and from that point on, I aced the map quizzes.

One of the techniques discussed by the authors was a memory device that even the ancient Romans used. The technique consists of associating each part of your presentation to a room of your house. The introduction might be associated with an entry way or foyer. Each subsequent section or key point could be linked to another room. When speaking, you can visualize each room of your house - which you are familiar with - and the part of your talk tied to that area will be easily recalled.

Remember, however, that you don't want to memorize word-for-word. Instead, focus on memorizing a general outline of your presentation. With sufficient preparation and review of your material, you may not even have to dedicate time to memorization, it will just become second nature as you prepare.

Even so, you may not be completely ready to give up all notes and solely rely on your memory to present. What works well for me is to create a one-page list of talking points using 18-point font. Place this on a small table or stand so that you can still interact with the audience and refer to your list when needed. I purchased a portable music stand and also use an even-smaller music stand that easily attaches to a standard microphone stand.

Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Peter Rabbit was written by Beatrix Potter in 1902. Potter incorporated Peter Rabbit into later stories as well. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a great example for illustrating various story structure models.

Story Structure

It is helpful to utilize examples when discussing story structure. Many screenwriting, plot, and structure books use movie examples. In addition to examples of longer works, I think it is good to see how a simple, short story also fits any of the story structures. I like the Tale of Peter Rabbit because it is cute, well-known, and perfect for illustrating story structure because of the basic plot.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were--

          Flopsy,
       Mopsy,
   Cotton-tail,
and Peter.

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

“Now my dears,” said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor”s garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”

“Now run along, and don’t get into mischief. I am going out.”

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker’s. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries:

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden, and squeezed under the gate!

First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes;

And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley. But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor!

Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, “Stop thief!”

Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.

He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.

Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.

And rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.

Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.

Presently Peter sneezed--”Kertyschoo!” Mr. McGregor was after him in no time.

And tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work.

Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.

After a time he began to wander about, going lippity--lippity—not very fast, and looking all round.

He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.

An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish, she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.

He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe--scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!

Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow; and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes.

Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.

Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.

Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.

He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.

His mother put him to bed, and made some chamomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!

“One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.”

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper.

THE END

Sources

Project Gutenberg
Wikipedia

Presentation Design: Before and After

This is a real example of how slides can be redesigned to appear more visual in nature.

This week, one of my clients sent me a PowerPoint she created for a face-to-face presentation with a senior executive. When I opened up the slide deck, I immediately saw several problems. The image below displays the slides as sent to me.

The table of contents for the slides included:

• Overview
• Report sources
• Organization of data
• Reporting process
• Examples of reporting

Before

Even with out seeing the detail, it is clear that there is far too much detail for a presentation slide deck. Slides should have a minimum of words and supplement the narrative you provide as a speaker. Additionally, even when printed at one slide per page, some of the smaller text remained unreadable. It can also be a temptation to simply read the text on the slides, thereby lulling your audience in a coma.

I advised my client to take the existing slide deck and print it out as a handout. Handouts are perfect for details as they can be saved for reading later.

After

I made the following slide design recommendations to my client.

1. Replace the pixelated image on the title slide (not shown here) with a word cloud consisting of the title of the reporting system and the various data sources. This slide could then work as the title, for the overview, and for some of the reporting details.
2. I suggested that the client tell a brief story of how the reporting system provided assistance in the decision making process. By starting with a story, you can engage your audience and establish a framework for why the presentation is important.
3. Instead a of detailed slide for the report structure, I suggested a simple visual starting with broad categories and ending with the detailed findings.
4. I suggested that the reporting process also use a simplified graphic. While this graphic is displayed during the presentation, several different aspects of the process could be discussed.
5. Finally, I recommended displaying the title slide as the final slide during which questions would be discussed.

Behind the scenes

• I created the Overview slide by simply inserting text boxes in PowerPoint and formatting the text (font size and color).
• For the Organization slide, I wanted to use a funnel to depict the process of filtering. I first searched on Bing, but couldn't find a funnel that appealed to me. Instead, I created a funnel by inserting shapes and adjusting the sizes and angles.
• The source of the graphic for the Process slide is Nancy Duarte's Diagrammer site. Diagrammer is a visualization system which features a variety of diagrams categorized by relationship, style, nodes, and dimensions.

Presentation Rehab Tip 3 - Don't use a script or read from slides

When presenting, avoid using a script or reading the text displayed on the slides.

Television news anchors read the news to us every night. If they are experienced, you may have a difficult time detecting the motion of their eyes as they read the words from the teleprompter. Good news anchors are able to read but make it sound like they are simply talking. This technique takes considerable experience and time to master. It is also easier to read in the controlled environment of the studio.

You are not in a studio, and my guess is you are not trained to read from a teleprompter. This is actually a good thing. There are several reasons why it is much better to limit the text notes in front of you.

Pictures and diagrams are preferable to bullet points and text on your slides. One of those reasons is that you want to focus on the audience, not face away from them reading the text word-for-word from the screen or lean over a podium reading from your computer. Even if you use notes based on the slides, there is a tendency to focus on the text. When your focus is on reading your presentation, you can't connect with the audience to ensure they're engaged or even awake.

Many presenters choose to read prepared text - either on slides or notes - in order to stay focused on the message and avoid meandering off topic during the presentation. However, if you are locked in to a specific set of words and these are the ones you've practiced, it is very likely that a slight distraction could derail the presentation. Much like a train, focused practice in order to memorize a talk or read can easily cause you to lose focus and not be able to get back on track.

When my daughter was taking piano lessons, with the goal of performing memorized classical selections at a recital, the teacher encouraged her to pick random places within the song to start playing. That way, if something my daughter stumbled in the middle of a piece, she could find a place from which to keep playing.

Usually, the tone, pacing, and expression are different when reading as opposed to simply free speaking. The same holds for memorized text. Most people can immediately sense when you're not talking to them but using a script. If you've ever called a help desk number and been transferred to an overseas call center, you likely have experienced a scripted conversation. Because English is a second or third language for the staff, they must refer to their scripted notes in order to communicate and ensure a standard response to problems.

Presentation Rehab Tip 2 - Write the purpose

This is Tip 2 of several tips to create presentations and deliver them more effectively. This tip today is to write down the purpose of your presentation.

“Along the journey we commonly forget its goal. Almost every vocation is chosen and entered upon as a means to a purpose but is ultimately continued as a final purpose in itself. Forgetting our objectives is the most frequent stupidity in which we indulge ourselves.”—Friedrich Nietzsche

Academic Studies

Nearly every book and article on goal setting recommends that goals be written. Follow-through on goals is much more likely to occur when they are transformed from thoughts into printed words.

In a study that addressed poor academic performance, researchers divided the subjects into two groups. One group completed an online program focusing on setting and writing goals down. The other group, the control group, did not participate in the online program. At the conclusion of the 4-month evaluation period, the participants from the goal-setting group displayed significant improvements.

Another study looked specifically at the effectiveness of written goals. The participants were divided into five groups –

• Unwritten goals
• Written goals
• Written goals with action commitments
• Written goals with action commitments to a friend
• Written goals with action commitments and progress reports to a friend

After the four-week trial, the participants were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their experiences. There was a statistically significant difference between the unwritten goals group and the other groups.

Where are you going?

Taking the time to write out the purpose of your presentation is the first step of a multi-part process to capture the planning for your presentation in writing.

Imagine starting on a long journey without knowing the destination. While taking a leisurely, Sunday drive might occasionally be pleasant, it would be impractical to take a journey with no end in mind. How could you even anticipate how long such a journey would take? It would be impossible to plan for an endless journey. A destination is needed when traveling and a presentation also requires a destination, better known as a "purpose."

Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, describes the very first habit as "Begin with the end in mind." Despite its banality from overuse in the business community, this is still excellent advice when planning a presentation. At the end of the day, what do you want people to take away from your presentation?

Complete this sentence: "When people leave my presentation they will _____________" to help determine purpose of your presentation. For example,

• "When people leave my presentation they will know how to create a flow chart."
• "When people leave my presentation they will agree to fund my project."

Presentation Rehab Tip 1 - Allow enough time

This is Tip 1 of several tips to create presentations and deliver them more effectively.

For several years I have been working on a project to help others with presentation design and delivery. There are numerous books on both topics, and I have probably referenced them in this blog on more than one occasion. However, my list is based on my own experiences both as a consultant in working with others and as an attendee at numerous presentations.

The project has evolved over time from a short e-book to a long-form printed book to its current state, a series of blog posts.

Allow enough time to plan, create, and practice your presentation

One of the classes my brother had to take during his service in the United States Army was a planning class. In the class, soldiers learned to take an event and work backwards to ensure  there was sufficient time for planning, acquiring needed resources, and any logistics required to successfully achieve the stated goal. This was an easy class for my brother because our mother was a planner and we learned early in our childhoods the importance of planning and how to make solid preparations.

This experience helped me during college because I utilized - and probably many do - a "just in time" system for completing papers and projects. Once a project was assigned, I estimated how much time it would take me to conduct the research, write, and edit any required assignments. For the most part, this strategy worked well. However, on one occasion, I had to turn in a printed draft of an English paper. At the time I attended college personal computer technology was still in its infancy, and we still used 5.25-inch floppy diskettes. Time did not permit me to print the assignment, but I handed in the floppy disk. I assured my teacher the file for the assignment was on the disk, but he wasn't impressed, nor did he accept it.

When developing your presentation, ensure that you allow sufficient time to create slides, handouts, and practice time. Obviously there may be times when you are called upon to speak or deliver a presentation on short notice. However, even in extenuating circumstances it will be helpful to think about desired goals of your presentation before working on a final set of slides or your presentation outline.

Three phases of preparation

Like constructing a building, creating and successfully delivering a presentation – with or without slides – requires some preparation time. For presentations, the essential preparation steps are planning, creating, and practicing.

In planning, the prework of determining the desired outcome of your presentation and your goals are determined. The initial steps of logistics, such as identifying a point of contact, selecting a venue, and assessing technical resources (computer, projector, etc.) also occur during planning. The planning step is where initial design of your presentation will begin. Techniques such as storyboarding and brainstorming can be helpful prior to building in PowerPoint.

Building out slides and creating handouts will occur during the create phase of preparation. If you elect not to use slides, walking through the steps to develop a series of points and determining how to expand and illustrate those points will be helpful.

Finally, in the practice phase, you will informally share parts of your presentation with others, ensure that backups have been created, and spend time mentally preparing for your presentation,

PLEAD Your Case

I recently attended a webinar presented by Matt Abrahams, author of Speaking Up Without Freaking Out. His website is http://www.nofreakingspeaking.com/.

In this webinar Matt presented five tips to maximize the effectiveness of your virtual presentations. The five components form the acronym PLEAD.

Plan

Three basic structures that Matt shared are:

1. Problem (Opportunity) > Solution > Benefit - These sections of the presentation can be arranged in any order. Everyone experiences problems of some sort, and if you can provide a solution and explain to them how they will benefit, you will have a successful presentation. You can also use this structure to present opportunities for improvement.
2. What > So What > Now What - In this structure, the "what" is the current scenario or product. In the "so what" section, you can provide the reasons why attendees should care about your presentation topic. Finally, "now what" is where you can provide the benefit and provide a path for the future.
3. Past > Present > Future - This is very basic structure, but one that is very effective. Provide the history of the topic at hand, offer information about the current situation, and suggest how the future can be impacted by choosing a particular course of action.

Lead

Matt used the analogy of a tour guide to represent the role as presenter. A major responsibility of tour guides is to ensure that all in the group stay together without any individuals lagging behind or moving forward on their own. While the group is together, tour guides must keep people focused.

One way to ensure that your attendees stay with you through the presentation is to set expectations at the beginning and throughout the presentation. What can attendees expect?

Another method to keep your audience with you is to smoothly transition from one section to another. Three ways to transition are:

• Summarize each section before moving to the next.
• Ask questions of the attendees or discuss questions that could be asked.
• Refer to orientation/agenda slides to introduce and end each section of the presentation.

Engage

If you have listened to a great storyteller, you probably found yourself drawn into the story, possibly to the point that you are so focused that you forget everything else. There are a few techniques that Matt recommended to ensure that your audience is drawn in to your presentation.

• Use analogies to help provide a connection between new information and what attendees already know. Our brains are wired for narrative, and using this technique ensures that attendees are more likely to recall the information you provide.
• Think > Pair > Share - Interactivity provides variation to your presentation and also reinforces topics discussed. Ask attendees to think about a question or application of information and request that they divide into pairs or small groups to discuss. After a few minutes, bring the group back together to share what the breakout pairs discussed.
• Focus on the relevance of the information to the attendees. People tend to disengage if they perceive that a particular subject is not relevant to them or is about something they are not interested in.
• Leverage chat. Presenting virtually is a challenge because so many distractions exist. Attendees can check their phones, FaceBook, Instragram, etc. and you, as the presenter, have no idea. Ask questions through chat or Twitter (using a customized hashtag) to stimulate conversation relevant to the presentation.

Aids

Slides are supportive tool, not the focus of the presentation. Slides should not serve as the script for the presenter. The version of the presentation that you leave as a handout should be different from the one you use during the presentation. Handouts can have more detail, so that readers can view on their own.

A few tips that Matt provided to improve slides are:

1. Avoid too much detail - what Matt calls "eye charts" where the text keeps getting smaller and smaller in the outline hierarchy.
2. A mix of quality picture-based visuals (slides) while speaking is the best. People tend to tune out when you are reading verbatim from the slides.
3. Search for images on Google to get ideas for creating slides.

Deliver

By varying your voice you can provide interest and variation to your presentation. Varying your voice includes more than just changing the tone, pitch, and rhythm of your voice.

• Use emotive words that you naturally use. For example, words like great, fantastic, and awesome naturally bring positive energy.
• Read children's books aloud. Children's books are typically written is such a way that there are clear contrasts between loud and soft, light and dark, and so on. Reading children's books, especially to children, is a great way to improve your delivery skills and practice intonation.
• Use a co-presenter. Using two or more presenters with practices transitions between them adds energy to a presentation.

Structure and Variation

In summary, the two key points are to have some sort of structure and provide variation throughout the presentation. Attendees respond better when there is some sort of organization or outline to the presentation. Neuroscientists have discovered that people need a change of scene at least every 10 minutes.

Story vs PowerPoint

Robert McKee is a screenwriting lecturer and story consultant.  He is best known in the television and movie industries for his Story Seminar.  Over 60 Academy Award winners and 170 Emmy Award winners have attended his class to better improve their craft.

Story in business

In addition to story seminars that focus on drama and comedy for entertainment, Robert McKee also conducts a one-day seminar oriented to incorporating story into the business environment.

Where is the power in Powerpoint?

In a recent post on his blog, Robert McKee addressed the following question:

How would you recommend that I weave a story into PowerPoint presentations?

Rarely persuasive

In reality, according to McKee, PowerPoint slide presentations "rarely persuade."  He goes on to say that this is really counter-intuitive to key activities in business:

• managers persuading employees to complete tasks and achieve productivity goals
• managers persuading executive (c-suite) leadership to provide support
• companies persuading customers and clients to engage in the company's services or purchase the company's products

3 ways to persuade others: rhetoric, coercion, story

1. Using rhetoric, which is the typical use of slides, the audience is bombarded with data, in the hope that enough data will convince them to accept the conclusion or buy the product.
2. With coercion, the audience is bribed or manipulated into buying the product or service.  The problem with coercive efforts is that people generally don't like to be tricked or duped, the win may be short term.
3. With story, you can present a more honest picture where you present crisis points in your business, actions that you took, and the result of those actions.  Thus, by incorporating a few stories of crisis/action/success, you can help your audience understand why your business is the right solution for them.

Robert McKee's best advice in the video is to "if possible, eliminate PowerPoint."  However, when this is not possible because of a corporate expectation that slides must be used, you can still intersperse the crisis-action-results narrative with the data.

If you would like to learn more about Robert McKee's approach, visit his website at McKeeStory.com or check out his book, Story.

Communications training from an FBI investigator

Today I attended a live webinar delivered by Mark Goulston, a psychiatrist, former FBI negotiator, and author of Just Listen.  The essence of the webinar and his book is that we don't really listen to others.  Especially in this era of multitasking and smart phones, we may or may not actually even comprehend what someone is saying to us.

People are like computer modems

In the webinar Dr. Goulston used the example of the modem, which used to be the piece of computer hardware that connect a computer to the Internet or some other network of computers.  The memory capacity of modems would eventually fill to capacity, at which point the modem needed to be disconnected to dump the memory.  Dr. Goulston's analogy was that we typically focus on ourselves to the exclusion of others.

Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People recognized this over 100 years ago when he recommended that we "become genuinely interested in other people" and "encourage others to talk about themselves."

Mirror neurons

A mirror neuron is a neuron that is triggered to repeat the same behavior that is observed.  This phenomenon was first observed in the 1980s in macaque monkeys.  The researchers found that the same neurons fired when a monkey picked up a piece of food as when the monkey observed a researcher picking up a piece of food. 

This is significant for people because a large component of learning is based on observation.  Additionally, mirror neurons allow us to be empathetic and feel what others are feeling in a given situation.  Curiously, according to Dr. Goulston, this ability to related to others is frequently absent in autistic children, suggesting that mirror neuron dysfunction may contribute to autism.

The mirror neuron gap can be widened when we perceive ourselves differently from how others see us.  For example, we may view ourselves as confident while others see this as arrogance.  You may consider yourself to be sensitive and others perceive you as needy. 

The mirror neuron gap can be narrowed through effective communication leading ultimately to effective listening and thus connecting at a different level.

4 levels of talking and listening

You have probably been in a situation where you are speaking to someone and that person continues to working on the computer or check the phone.  This can be frustrating!  On the webinar Dr. Goulston discussed four types of talking and corresponding listening modes.

1. Talking Over - Removed Listening - Perception of being condescending.
2. Talking At - Reactive Listening - Lecturing.
3. Talking To - Responsible Listening - Where most business communication occurs.
4. Talking With - Receptive Listening - The level for deep communication.

Tips for getting through

Dr. Goulston concluded the webinar with these tips for connecting with others.

1. Talk with to talk to someone, but never talk at or over.
2. Ask fill in the blank questions, such as "You want to do this because ____?"
3. Ask the impossibility question - "What is something that is impossible to achieve but would help you achieve your goal faster?" and use the answer to identify underlying opportunities. 
4. Encourage the others to keep talking by responding with "Say more about ____", "Hmmmm," or "Really?" (not cynically).
5. Focus on the ICU - topics that are Important, Critical, and Urgent.

 If you would like to learn more, I encourage to purchase the book at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

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Eliminate these to instantly improve your public speaking

I had a principal in high school who couldn't put two words together without inserting "um" in between them.  I also, more recently, worked with someone who was almost as bad.  Imagine my horror when my wife told me the other day, "You said 'um' a lot on that call."  Wow!  That is bad!

Presidents do it, reporters do it, everybody does it

When you focus on a particular area, your observational sensitivity will improve.  For several years I drove a red Saturn Vue, a midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV).  Once I started driving the Vue, I noticed other Saturn Vues.  Now that I drive a Honda Accord, I seem to notice more Accords on the road.  The same phenomenon is true when observing people. 

Um and Uh

Once I started paying attention to "ums" it seems like I found them everywhere.  While driving today, I heard politicians, reporters, and others use "um." Using "um" seems to be the, um, audible sound designated to represent thinking. 

• President Obama's "uh" compilation.
• President George W. Bush "uh" clip.

So

Another word that is overused is "so."  So, I started listening for that too.  Not only is "so" frequently heard in conversations, it is also proliferating into print.  Perhaps starting a periodic sentence with "so" is alright, a series of sentences is not.

You know

"You know" can also be heard in conversations.  Perhaps people use this, you know, as a slight delay to allow thinking to catch up.  Most of the time, I don't know!

Thing

Another word that I tend to overuse is "thing."  When I can't think of the actual word, I'll substitute "thing."  While "thing" can be used as a substitute for things, as indicated from the Dictionary.com definition below, I personally think it is used to much.

Samuel Clemens and the damn very

The famed author Samuel Clemens (also known as Mark Twain) wrote, "Substitute 'damn' every time you’re inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

Clemens point: "very" was (and still is) overused.  Perhaps the same strategy would work to eliminate other overused words.

My list of words to eliminate

I decided to make a concerted effort to improve my speaking by eliminating these words:

• um
• so
• you know
• thing

To provide a visual cue, I wrote these words on a self-adhesive note and keep it in my planner.  My wife saw this note and asked, "What is 'uh so you know thing?'"  A tragic sentence would be one where all of these are strung together.  "Um ... so ... you know ... that thing I was talking about."

"Metathinking" is a term used to describe thinking about thinking.  As I speak, I am trying to anticipate what I'm about to say in order to filter out um, so, you know, and thing. 

Change takes time

Simply deciding to make a change and writing that change on a piece of paper doesn't mean instant success.  However, I believe that overtime I will come closer to achieving my goal of eliminating these words from my vocabulary.  I encourage you to seek feedback from trusted others or record yourself to see if you use any of these words.

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Why You Should Create Your Own Stock Photo Library

Use personal or original pictures

Flickr is a photo storage and sharing site that is part of the Yahoo! family of companies.  In 2013 Flickr announced that each account would have an unprecedented amount of storage for free:  1 terrabyte (that's 1,000 gigabtyes).  Most smart phones and tablets have 32 to 128 gigabytes of storage.  A article from 2007 featured the headline, "2-billion photos on flickr."  Towards the end of 2013 (when this book was written), there were over six billion photos stored on Flickr.  According to a different article from 2011, Facebook has an estimated 60 billion photos.  Clearly, today, there are billions of photos online.  The statistics above only include Flickr and Facebook.  Instagram, Picasa, Photobucket, and Tumblr are also popular photo sites.

http://techcrunch.com/2007/11/13/2-billion-photos-on-flickr/
http://mashable.com/2011/02/14/facebook-photo-infographic/

Stock photography

In addition to the photo sharing sites mentioned above, there are also a number of websites dedicated to stock photography and clipart.  Stock photos are those taken by professional photographers and available to a variety of online and print uses.  Some stock photos are free but many others cost from a few pennies to several dollars to download based on the file resolution and intended use.  Microsoft used to have a well-organized and large clip art collection which included photos and line drawings.  However, Microsoft now directs users to the Microsoft-owned search engine, Bing.com.

Challenges of stock photography

A challenge faced by anyone who wants to use any of the billions of available photos or images is that photos are considered to be copyrighted by the photographer unless designated otherwise using a creative commons license or in the public domain.  While many presenters violate copyrights and use images anyway, it is illegal to use photos without permission.

Another challenge is that stock photography is available to anyone who is willing to search and buy the desired images.  This means that the photos or clip art you choose to use may have already been over-used by others.  Characteristic photos that are seen too often include a multicultural group of business professionals gazing happily into the camera or looking intently into a computer screen.  Another "classic" is a group of people jumping.  Photos of people intently talking or shaking hands are also popular.

Create your own clip art library

Rather than sort through the billions of photos with the hope of finding images to use for free and with permission while simultaneously identifying unique images, why not create your own clip art library?  All of the challenges listed above are minimized or eliminated when you create your own content.

Recently I saw an advertisement for the Apple iPhone boasting that more photos are taken with the iPhone's on-phone camera everyday than any other camera.  Every smart phone has a camera.  The resolution of phone cameras continues to increase with some cameras boasting resolution at 16 or 20 megapixels.  Take advantage of the camera power in your pocket or purse.

Step 1.  Plan for the photos you need.

Like all of the other planning essential for a presentation, thinking about what visuals will enhance your message and what specifically needs to be included in the video.  If you are presenting on a computer-related topic, perhaps someone's hands typing on a keyboard will be beneficial.  If you are need photos of objects such as fruit or clothing, take a trip to the local grocery store or mall.  Study photos that you like and use these as guides for creating your own pictures.

Step 2.  Get permission (sometimes).

There are many places that are public, and you can take photos to your heart's content (generally because exceptions exist).  However, if you plan to take photos in a store and the branding will be recognizable, ask permission of the store owner or manager.  Consensus is mixed on when you need subjects of photos to sign release forms.  My recommendation is that if you used posed photography specifically for the purpose of use in presentations, ask the subjects to fill out a release.

Photo release form
http://www.free-legal-document.com/model-release-form.html
http://dpcorner.com/all_about/releases.shtml

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography_and_the_law#United_States
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2008-04-17-public-photography_N.htm
http://www.danheller.com/model-release.html#summary

Step 3.  Use an online photo storage/sharing site to organize your pictures. 

In addition to the sites discussed above (Flickr, Picasa, and Photobucket), there are a number of sites designed for professional photographers to showcase their portraits.  The sites usually have free or budget plans that will fit your needs.  I currently have over 3,000 photos on Flickr.  Online sites offer many advantages including protection from physical or technical loss, the ability to add keywords to photos, the ability to create sets and groupings, and privacy settings.

Step 4.  Add titles, tags, and descriptions.

By identifying your photos with titles, tags, and descriptions, you will be able to search through your photos quickly to identify what you need.  While this may not seem important at first, over time you may amass several photos, and forget what you may already have available in your own clip art collection.

Step 5.  Edit your photos.

Numerous photo editing option exist for computers, tablets, and smart phones. 

Step 6.  Walk towards the light.

One secret of professional photography is light.  Photographs taken with good lighting look far better than those taken in dark rooms or using incorrect flash settings.  I know for me, my smart phone takes fantastic pictures outside, but not so much inside.

As you practice taking photos for clip art purposes, your expertise and judgment will increase.  Before you know it, you may have the eye to recognize potential clip art photos wherever you look.

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Thou shalt commit adultery and other printing errors

From time to time when my daughter was in middle school she had to complete a variety of writing assignments including research papers, debates, book reports, and stories. Whenever she completed a writing assignment, she asked me to proofread it for her. However, when I asked, "Did you read through this yourself?" the answer was always "no."

Writing without proofreading is not limited to middle schoolers. Although I don't have statistics or studies to cite, my feeling - simply from reading thousands of e-mails over the years - is that many people write e-mails and send them without reviewing them for grammar, content, and tone. Some e-mail programs include a recall feature, but once an e-mail has been sent, the bell has been rung.

With any type of writing - e-mail, letter, blog post, book, etc. - it is very easy to mistype a word or use mismatched grammar. These small errors, are easily spotted by others, and can create a negative impression, especially if your content is new to your readers. It is critical to proofread any writing, but especially handouts distributed as part of your presentation. 

PROOFREADING LEGENDS

No Price Too High. A woman touring Europe cabled her husband the following message: "Have found wonderful bracelet. Price seventy-five thousand dollars. May I buy it?" Her husband immediately responded with the message: "No, price too high." However, the telegraph operator missed one small detail in his transmission — the signal for a comma after the word "No." The wife in Europe received the reply: "No price too high." Elated by the good news, she bought the bracelet. When she returned to the United States and showed the new bracelet to her shocked husband, he filed a lawsuit against the telegraph company — and won! 

Pardon Impossible. Alexander III personally wrote the death sentence of a prisoner with the following words: "Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia." His wife Dagmar (daughter of Christian IX, king of Denmark) believed the man innocent. She saved his life by transposing the comma. The sentence then read: "Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia."
     

PROOFREADING THROUGH OUT HISTORY OF THE BIBLE

The Holy Bible is the most printed books of all time. For centuries the Bible was copied by hand. Once printing was invented, the process to print any document was time consuming, as individual letters had to be assembled to create words, sentences, and pages. Then, as now, it was possible for errors and omissions.

In 1631, printers omitted a key word from Exodus 20:14 so that the text read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." Known since as the "Wicked Bible" or "Adulterous Bible," most copies were immediately recalled. The printer was fined and subsequently shut down.  Until the 1800s, "f" was also used for "s."

In 1716, printers released a version of the Bible which included a variation of John 8:11 that reads "Go and sin on more" rather than "Go and sin no more."
     

OTHER PRINTING ERRORS

While in college, I worked part-time at a bookstore. Occasionally we would come across books with missing pages or misprints. One of my favorites was a book with the cover upside-down. The customer wanted a discount, but we convinced her that the "rare edition" was more valuable!

Take time to review and then review again all sections of your handout.

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A woman touring Europe cabled her husband the following message: "Have found wonderful bracelet. Price seventy-five thousand dollars. May I buy it?"

Her husband immediately responded with the message: "No, price too high." However, the telegraph operator missed one small detail in his transmission — the signal for a comma after the word "No."

The wife in Europe received the reply: "No price too high." Elated by the good news, she bought the bracelet. When she returned to the United States and showed the new bracelet to her shocked husband, he filed a lawsuit against the telegraph company — and won!
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/language/mistakes/noprice.asp#whBZRk9jwCdrvbmV.99

A woman touring Europe cabled her husband the following message: "Have found wonderful bracelet. Price seventy-five thousand dollars. May I buy it?"

Her husband immediately responded with the message: "No, price too high." However, the telegraph operator missed one small detail in his transmission — the signal for a comma after the word "No."

The wife in Europe received the reply: "No price too high." Elated by the good news, she bought the bracelet. When she returned to the United States and showed the new bracelet to her shocked husband, he filed a lawsuit against the telegraph company — and won!
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/language/mistakes/noprice.asp#whBZRk9jwCdrvbmV.99

A woman touring Europe cabled her husband the following message: "Have found wonderful bracelet. Price seventy-five thousand dollars. May I buy it?"

Her husband immediately responded with the message: "No, price too high." However, the telegraph operator missed one small detail in his transmission — the signal for a comma after the word "No."

The wife in Europe received the reply: "No price too high." Elated by the good news, she bought the bracelet. When she returned to the United States and showed the new bracelet to her shocked husband, he filed a lawsuit against the telegraph company — and won!
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/language/mistakes/noprice.asp#whBZRk9jwCdrvbmV.99

Douglas G Pratt, 2014

Shortest Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Recently, my wife and I relocated to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Hot Springs has a storied history that includes gangsters (including Al Capone) from Chicago, one of the oldest race track in the United States, and beautiful scenic lakes.  We are still exploring the city and learning about the variety of entertainment and outdoor possibilities that now surround us.

Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade
As St. Patrick's Day approached two days ago, my wife and I did not have any plans.  However, early in the day, I spoke with an associate in Little Rock, Arkansas who told me the annual Hot Springs St. Patrick's Day parade.  "It is the shortest parade in the United States," she said.  Curious, I did a quick Internet search and found the official website for the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Two roads converge in the downtown area of Hot Springs.  The connector between the roads, Bridge Avenue, is only about 100 feet in length.  This bridge is considered the official parade route.  Of course, parade floats have to enter and exit the bridge, so in reality, the parade route is longer than 100 feet.

I told my wife, "We've got to go to this!"  While she did not share my excitement - partly because parades in our previous small town were usually not impressive - she consented to go.  The official parade starter was Mountain Man from the Duck Dynasty television show. 

Shortest ... and slowest
Rather than a continuous stream of parade floats, marching bands, and kilt-wearing "Irishmen," the floats paraded in fits and starts.  One float would come by followed by 5-10 minutes of delay before the next float.  After about 30 minutes, we departed, having satisfied my curiosity.

After we returned home, I thought about the parade and how it could have been improved.  I am not a parade organizer, but I know what I like and those around me - who complained that last year's parade was so much better - like.

1. Keep a steady pace.  The reason that circuses typically feature three rings is so that there is always action.  While Ring 1 is performing, Ring 2 is getting ready.  While we were at the end of the parade route, I'm pretty sure that the staging on the front end must have been confused for the delays we encountered. 
2. Stay true to the requirements.  In my opinion, the most successful parades (Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Bowl Parade) have several marching bands from high schools and colleges (actually playing, not just holding their instruments), baton twirlers, and performers providing entertainment.  These "requirements" for a successful parade would have greatly improved the success of the Hot Springs St. Patrick's Day Parade.
3. Stay consistent from year to year.  The ability to reproduce a successful experience is key.  Several people around me complained that the pace was much slower than last year.  If people know that an entertainment experience will be good (think Broadway play) there is a great chance they'll return.

Parades and presentations
As I thought about these tips for a better parade, I realized that these also apply to conducting business presentations.

• If a presentation lags, attendees will quickly reach for their cell phones.  
• Understanding the purpose of the presentation will help keep you focused.
• Continually improving your ability to present will create a reputation - whether you are presenting to office workers, virtually, or to thousands of people.

I hope that you will keep these tips in mind, whether you are planning a parade or a presentation.

Project Imaginat10n

Project Imagination

Canon, manufacturer of photography and video equipment, has launched creative venture named "Project Imagination." The concept, in association with actor and director Ron Howard, is to create a short film based on submitted photos. For Project Imagin8ion, the film was based on photographs submitted in eight general categories. For the second film, photos were submitted in ten categories. With Project Imaginat10n, the contest for the second film, photos were selected by celebrity directors and a scriptwriting contest was also part of the project.

Themes for Project Imaginat10n

Project Imaginat10n has ten themes.

1. Setting - Any location or environment.
2. Time - Time of day or within history.
3. Character - Anyone or anything.
4. Mood - Conveys atmosphere tone or emotion.
5. Backstory - A history that promotes fuller understanding of the narrative.
6. Relationship - A relationship between anyone or anything.
7. Goal - Whatever the character is pursuing.
8. Obstacle - Anyone or anything in the character's way.
9. The Unknown - Anything unexpected.
10. Discovery - A key or pivotal item, place, or truth that is uncovered.

Adaptable for Presentations

I believe that these same themes can help you create a presentation with more impact. Give some consideration to each of these elements when creating the content and narrative for any talk or presentation you are preparing for.

A presentation is a story. Within the business world, many have still not learned to appreciate that facts and data alone do not generally move people to action. It is the meaning related to the data that can motivate decision makers. Thus, telling a compelling story is vital.

Create a Planning Sheet

When planning a talk or presentation, take a sheet of paper and write down each of the themes. Write a sentence or paragraph that describes each theme as it relates to the presentation. For example, if I am doing a project presentation for continued funding, in the "Time" theme, I would provide a history of the project. Any events (funding, competing projects, etc.) that have impacted the project would be listed under Obstacles.

Douglas G Pratt, 2013

Repost from Elliott Masie: 99-Second Talks

Elliott Masie is the founder of The Masie Center which focuses on how organizations can support knowledge and learning within the workforce.  Elliott's Learning conference, held annually, features seminars, keynotes, and presentations on the newest paradigms, processes, and gadgets to help improve workplace-based learning.

On July 13, Elliott posted about something new for this year's Learning conference:  99-second presentations.  The full text of his post is below.  As you read, think about what information you could deliver in a 99-second presentation.

Adjusting presentation content
A brief presentation must be designed differently than a longer one.  You can't simply squeeze 30 minutes worth of content and narrative into 1 minute and 39 seconds.  Dale Carnegie, most famous for his book How to Win Friends & Influence People, also wrote extensively about presenting.  You can download a copy of his "Effective Presentations" booklet from DaleCarnegie.com.  The booklet contains many simple presentation tips.

99 Second Talks ??
Yes, we are inviting our Learning 2013 participants to present several 99 Second Talks!!

In the age of "compression", we decided to experiment with a radical format - focused and high energy 99 second presentations - with a single graphic.

We will have a countdown clock - to keep the story to just 99 seconds - with a single graphic.
Imagine 99 Second Talks on topics like:

• 3 Tips for Managing a Boss Who Doesn't Listen
• How We Went "Greener" in our Learning Department
• Summarizing That Great Book - in Under 100 Seconds

We will present 99 Second Talks interspersed during a few of our General Sessions, as openers for some workshops and a few will be viewable right on your mobile devices during Learning 2013.

Read the original post:  http://www.learning2013.com/blog/item/a-99-second-session.html