Podium Coaching Blog

‘Story is the bridge between numbers and knowing.’ Sound familiar? If you are a regular reader of our blog you will have heard us say ‘facts tell, stories sell’. Stories turn dry facts into memories.

But the quote at the beginning of this post doesn’t come from a traditional storyteller. It comes from a geek. Kris Hammond is the technology whiz behind a company that is making waves with a program that automatically turns statistics (sport, finance, sales data, election results) into stories.

The company, Narrative Science, claims to serve a dozen media companies, including Forbes. This year the company reckons it’s software will generate two million stories on youth sport alone – without input from writers.

The lesson from this? It doesn’t matter if a story is written by a person or a program. What matters is the story. Whether you are preparing for a media interview, a speech or a slideshow presentation, use stories to make your message memorable.

If you want to read more about the story-creating technology, Simon Houpt had an interesting article in the Globe and Mail last week.

This post is taken from the May edition of our newsletter. If you are not already a subscriber, there’s a sign-in form on this page. 

A few simple strategies can improve your ability to deliver a winning speech or presentation. And your audience will thank you by hanging on every word:

1 – Focus your message. What’s the one big idea you want the audience to hear and understand? Define your key message in 20 words or less.

2 – Create an interesting ‘hook’. From your first words you want your audience leaning forward in eager anticipation.

3 – Tell stories. Stories are how we turn facts into memories.

4 – Lift your head. Make eye contact. Identify friendly, interested faces and speak to them.

And remember you are talking to your audience, not reading at them. That’s at the heart of our TalkitOut™ technique for public speaking.

If you’d like to see a short video of how the technique helps even experienced speakers improve speaking skills, check the Presentation Skills page of our website.

Halina delivers 'Passion with Purpose' keynote at PMI convention in Hartford, CT.

by Halina St James

When we think of passion, generally we don’t equate it with our work. Yet passion is one of the surest way to reach our goals and achieve success and personal growth.

Recently I had the pleasure of delivering a keynote for the Southern New England Chapter (SNEC) of the Project Management Institute (PMI) convention. The convention was in Hartford, CT. The theme was ‘The Passion and Power of Project Management’.

It got me thinking about how we use passion at work. We need passion in the work place – but for that passion to be effective, it has to be tied to purpose. This became the theme of the keynote.

According to the dictionary, passion is an ‘intense driving or overmastering feeling or conviction.’

Translating that into the workplace means you have to be interested in what you do… you have to care about what you do… and you have to show it.

Most importantly, you have to direct that passion towards a strategic goal that will promote success and growth for you and your company.

If you don’t have passion with purpose, you don’t learn. If you don’t learn, you don’t grow. If you don’t grow, you become irrelevant.

Passion motivates you to action, to take charge. But you have to clearly define your goal, the purpose for your passion. Learning how to authentically communicate your passion is a big part of our presentation skills training for people who want to upgrade their public speaking skills.

So don’t limit your passion to your personal interests and life. Bring it into your professional life – and watch the sparks fly.

My thanks to the organizers at PMI for inviting me to be part of such an important and exciting event. For more pictures from the convention, check this gallery.

by Halina St James

From time to time I’ve criticised airline announcements – both the content and the delivery. So I’m very happy today to be able to hand out a bouquet – to US Airways flight 1937 from Hartford to Philadelphia.

We were all on board, strapped in and ready to fly when there was a crackle from the PA system and the captain gave us an update:

1. We couldn’t take off right away because of high traffic volume.
2. A late departure would not affect our arrival in Philadelphia because the airline always factored in short delays like this. We would land on time and catch connecting flights if we had them.
3. We were going to stay at the gate so we wouldn’t block traffic.
4. We could use our cellphones and electronic devices until we were ready to leave.
5. And he was sorry we were in this situation.

I’d never heard such a reassuring, detailed message from an airline.

Apart from reassuring us with crucial information that allowed us to relax, the pilot also exhibited some wonderful speaking skills:

1. He projected his voice, so we heard him clearly.
2. He slowed his pace, so we heard everything.
3. His tone was calm, confident and reassuring.

He was a good speaker and a real leader.

So whoever you are and wherever you are, Captain Fantastic, well done and thank you.

by Halina St James

It’s never been easier to make a video for your website. But a video can be the easiest way to lose credibility – if it isn’t done properly.

Some very creative friends of ours are Tracy Bennett and her partner Julian Gibbs of Firefly Digital Media. I had the pleasure of attending a speakers’ event the other day, at which Tracy and Julian shared some production tips.

First, the big picture:

1. Have a strategic plan for your video. What do you want it to do?
2. Figure out who you are targeting.
3. Put your video on your home page.
4. Short videos are better than longer ones. It’s better to have four one minute videos than one four minute video.
5. Release the videos strategically. Don’t post them all at once.
6. If you do have a longer video, indicate the duration so the viewer knows what to expect.

Second, some vital technical tips:

1. Always use a tripod.
2. Always use an external microphone. The camera’s built-in microphone will make you sound as if you’re speaking from inside a tin can.
3. Always use a light. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Just make sure the face is properly illuminated.
4. Use medium to tight shots of your face. People need to see your eyes. That helps build a relationship with the viewer.
5. Pick an interesting background, but don’t let it overwhelm the primary subject. You’re still the star.
6. Do a test shot and check it to make sure the picture and sound are good.

If you don’t want to shoot your own video but still want video on your website, hire a professional. Shaky, badly-lit video with muffled sound will harm your reputation quicker than you can say ‘Action!’

Podiums can help or hinder a speaker. A lot of people hide behind them. Some clutch the sides, as if in a rowboat on a stormy sea. A podium is a great tool if you are delivering a speech or making a presentation – if you use it smartly.

Here are ten tips we share in our presentation skills and public speaking workshops:

1. Make sure the podium height is correct for you. If you’re short, get a riser behind the podium
2. If you’re tall, get a taller podium or have a riser under the podium.
3. If the podium is a modern acrylic see-through type, keep what you place on it to a minimum – just your notes.
4. You don’t have to stand behind the podium. You can stand to the side and have your notes on the podium. Then you can glance at them as needed. This won’t work, of course, if you are using the podium microphone.
5. If you are behind the podium, stand back a step or two from the podium. This will keep you from clutching or leaning on it. It will encourage you to use your hands naturally. This will, in turn, enhance your authentic voice.
6. Make sure the notes, water and props are yours and not something another speaker placed there.
7. Take a few seconds to get yourself comfortable at the podium before you speak. Adjust the microphone and place your notes the way you want them. Keep your eyes away from the audience as you do this. When you’re ready to speak, lift your head, look at the audience, smile and begin.
8. If the podium has a light and you’re using it, make sure it doesn’t obscure your face. Adjust the height.
9. Don’t be afraid to place your podium exactly where you want it. It’s usually better to one side – especially if you’re using slides.
10. Standing behind a podium separates you from the audience. So as much as possible try not to use a podium.

by Halina St James

The comic Jerry Seinfied once said ‘According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two! Does that sound right? This means, to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.’

I know many of my clients struggle with nerves. Why are we so afraid of standing up and speaking in public?

Well, I have a rather unorthodox theory.

Basically it boils down to us being afraid of the audience. And one reason we’re afraid of the audience is energy. The energy from the audience is scanning you… analysing your tone, body language, clothes and words.

When you step up to the podium, dozens or hundreds of pairs of eyes focus on you. All the energy behind those eyes hits you at once. If you’re not used to this intense scrutiny, it can put you off your stride.

So how do you overcome this suddenly energy jolt?

Here are my tips for anyone who suffers stage fright when speaking in public. Take a deep breath. Walk slowly up to the lectern. Put your papers down, if you have any. Pause. Look at the audience. Don’t say a word. Let yourself feel that energy coming from them. Settle your own energy field.

Then begin to speak. Better to have a few seconds of silence than a painful start to your presentation that you, and your audience, will never forget.

As you speak, keep your energy field tuned to the audience. Use your intuition to read the audience. You’ll be able to sense when the audience is with you and when their attention is slipping. Adjust your presentation as you go along to keep them engaged and ensure they get your message.

The wonderful thing about the TalkitOut™ technique I teach in my presentation skills training is that it either gets rid of your nerves totally – or at the very least settles you down so you can do a great job.

That’s because TalkitOut™ taps into the authentic you. When you’re being yourself, you’re less nervous. It’s when you try to be someone else that you get nervous.

If you try to be someone other than yourself, your presentations won’t ring true. The audience will sense something’s not right. You’ll be making more work for yourself.

by Halina St James

On the night of April 14, one hundred years ago, the Titanic was four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. She was 375 miles south of Newfoundland.  The band had finished for the night. The eight musicians were relaxing with their leader, Wallace Hartley.

At 11.40 pm the Titanic struck an iceberg. Over the next two hours, as the crew struggled to get passengers into lifeboats, Captain Edward Smith asked Hartley to reassemble the band. He needed them to play uplifting music, to help keep the panic down.

Apparently it helped, until just after 2 am on April 15 when it became clear there was no hope. Yet the band played on. Nobody knows for sure what the last song was as the liner broke up and sank with 1000 people still on board. But many believe it was ‘Nearer My God to Thee’, Hartley’s favourite hymn.

As we remember the courage of the Titanic band, there’s a lesson for speakers. Music is powerful. It can change a sad mood into a happy one, and vice versa. It sets up anticipation. It fills us with emotion.

We all use the qualities of music when we speak. It’s in our tone of voice.

As we say in our presentation skills workshops, tone is the music of your words. It’s important that your tone matches your content. Smile if the story is happy. You’d be surprised how many people deliver wonderful news with the tone of the voice of doom.

Tone will vary in speeches. Perhaps you’re talking about a really bad period in the company’s history. You won’t be smiling when you do. But when you talk about how the company overcame the difficulties, start lightening up and build to a full smile.

We all do this naturally when we speak. We only tend to slip into a monotone when we read aloud.

Next time you set out to write a speech, or build a presentation, think about the mood you need to convey. Then figure out how to adjust your tone to suit the message. Always remember that audiences generally respond to emotion and tone before they respond to your words.

by Halina St James

“There are three roads to ruin; women, gambling and technicians. The most pleasant is with women, the quickest is with gambling, but the surest is with technicians.”

Georges Pompidou, Former Prime Minister and President of France

I was once on a double bill with another professional speaker. I was speaking after him. We were both using PowerPoint. He had everything set up including external speakers when I arrived. Great, I thought. All I have to do is disconnect his computer and connect mine.

But when I suggested that, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He told me all the equipment, including the LCD projector, was his. He traveled all over the world and he didn’t want anyone, not even a colleague, messing with his stuff.

He’d been burned once too often using other people’s equipment. So he invested in the smallest and best LCD projector, speakers and laptop he could afford.  His equipment works every time, and he guards it like a mother hen guards her chicks. I don’t blame him at all.

At the break, the hotel technicians came in with their equipment and I set up. I said a few prayers and happily everything worked. But there have been times when I’ve double checked everything with a technician – and still something went wrong.

Despite what Georges Pompidou said, I cultivate the friendship of technicians. They’ve saved me when last minute disasters loomed.

So to keep from going to the dark side with your slide show, back it up on a memory stick or web based program. Have access to an extra laptop if necessary. Get your own LCD projector if you can. Test everything every time before you present.  And thank the technician. You never know when you may return to the same location.

“Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-a-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again.”

Four sentences. That’s all it takes to create a media crisis.

The ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ comment comes from Mitt Romney’s communications director, Eric Fehrnstrom.

Romney is not exactly cruising to the Republican nomination to challenge Barack Obama. But winning the Illinois primary gave him some momentum, after surprise wins for Rick Santorum.

For Fehrnstrom, the appearance on CNN should have been a cake-walk. But he bobbled what should have been a routine question: whether Santorum and Newt Gingrich “might force the governor (Romney) to tack so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters in the general election?”

Mainstream and social media pounced on the Etch-a-Sketch reference. It reinforced a suspicion that Romney says what he thinks people want to hear. ‘Don’t like that picture? Never mind. Shake the box. How about this picture?’

The Etch-a-Sketch comment probably made perfect sense to Fehrnstrom. You go through the primaries, fighting fellow Republicans. You have the convention. And then you start over again, against the real opponent. You do hit re-set, draw new battle lines and start over.

Trouble is, Romney has problems connecting with many Americans.  They’re just not sure about him. So references to the ever-changing images of a kids’ toy start to resonate.

Romney has already goofed with his ‘don’t care about the very poor’ comment. This time the gaffe is not from the candidate, directly. But it’s going to haunt him.