“Impress Your Audience with Your Presentation Skills.”
By Hugh Curley

In a better world, your audience would be impressed by the brilliance of your message and immediately after your presentation, they would: 1) change their lives forever and 2) write you unsolicited large checks for sharing with them. Unfortunately, in our real world your skills as a presenter can interfere with the message. Fortunately, you can learn better skills.

Below is a list of rules which I have recently seen violated recently to the detriment of the presentation.

1. Before going on stage, find a mirror and check your appearance. Comb your hair, straighten your tie, wipe the lunch off your face, zip your fly, ensure your shoes match, clean your glasses (or better yet, remove them), verify your slip is not slipping, verify your blouse is not inside out, pin your bra straps out of sight. If you sat in the chair where the kids spilled the Kool-aid and it is not dry yet, do not turn your back to the audience.

2. If someone in the audience answers a question, asks a question or makes a comment to which you respond, either ensure the audience member has a microphone or repeat what was said. This is especially true if the session is being audio- or video-taped.

3. Be consistent. If you said you received six calls, do not say that one was positive and the other six were trying to sell something. (6 + 1  6)

4. Be accurate. If a baseball player steals safe 48 out of 50 attempts, his ratio is 96%, not 98%.

5. If you promise an award to the audience for answering a question, present it immediately.

6. It does not matter what went wrong, who shipped the wrong material or to the wrong location, who set the seating and stage wrong, who read the introduction wrong or any of the 1000 other things that can go wrong; the audience has a right to see you do your very best. If something is not right, ignore it if you can or laugh about it once; then move on. During one presentation at a resort hotel, the building had a gas leak and we were forced to evacuate and set up in another building. After the audience was settled, the emcee made a few jokes about the situation and the presenter went on as though nothing happened.

7. If the audience is larger than 35 members, or in a noisy area or room with poor acoustics use a microphone and amplifier system. True, you may be able to speak to larger group if you speak loud and project your voice but, 1) to those in front you will be too loud and they will tire, 2) to those in back you will be too quiet and they will have to strain to hear you and 3) you will hurt your vocal cords. Note to women: either provide your own microphone or wear something to which you can attach a lavaliere mike; some places do not have other types.

8. Use each area of the stage. Stage right may be for a conversation with an adversary, stage center when you are narrating to the audience and stage left for when you get your insight from your mentor. Once you use an area of the stage for some purpose, ALWAYS use that same are for the same thing until the end of the speech. If you had an imaginary desk on the stage earlier in your presentation, never walk through the desk, always walk around it.

These few simple rules will help keep the mechanics of your presentation from interfering with the message and will make the audience members much more satisfied with you. And, who knows, maybe they will be happy enough to book you again.

Impress Your Audience with PowerPoint

By Hugh Curley

PowerPoint is a tool, and like all tools it can make our life much better or much worse. Consider the hammer. If we need a nail driven, the hammer makes an excellent tool; if we need to replace glass, the hammer will make matters worse. Because PowerPoint is a much more complex tool than a hammer, it can be much more beneficial or much more detrimental.

Here are a few rules I saw violated recently to the detriment of the presentation.

1. Before the audience arrives, verify the correct operation, connections, sound levels and lighting. Ensure all of the stage hands know their functions and what cues cause them to respond. Ensure all equipment and props are ready and that you know how to use them. Test your laser pointer to ensure adequate luminance and that you can hold it still. It works best if multiple presenters all use the same equipment, if possible.
2. Use a remote control that has forward, backward, blank slide and a laser pointer. These can be purchased for $30.00 or more. An example is at  http://store.greenpearle.com/mirafrwiprwl3.html. This will allow you to move around on the stage rather than being tied to your computer. Do not try to substitute a wireless mouse for a remote control; they do not have the ability to go backward or blank the screen and they do have other buttons which you may inadvertently press.
3. Be sure that the audience members can read the slides on the screen. Remember that not all members have eyes as good as yours. A good general rule for text is five lines maximum of five words each, set in a bold text. If you must show copies of screens, use the magnifier to highlight the points of interest (capture the screen with the magnifier already in place rather than try to use it on your presentation).
4. Do not read the material on the slide. It does two things: 1) turns you eyes away for the audience so you lose contact with them, and 2) insinuates that they cannot read. Paraphrase the slide content, explain it, tell a story about it but do not read it.
5. When using a laser pointer, the audience members must find it on the screen and then follow it. They will not be able to do either it if you move it quickly over the area of interest. Slowly move the laser pointer over or around the area of interest. Also, be sure the batteries are new.
6. Blank the slide when you are not referring to it. People will naturally look toward the bright light and read what is on the slide, rather than listening to you. As they continue to read the slide, they will find the spelling error your seven proofreaders missed.
7. If you have enough information to require PowerPoint, you have too much information for the audience members to remember or to write down – give them copies of the slides. Otherwise they will be concentrating on copying the slides and ignoring your talking.
8. Pictures and graphics can communicate much more information in a more easily understood and remembered manner than a bunch of words. Avoid cutesy pictures, gratuitous icons, emoticons, excessive animation and complex or highly detailed photos. If you cannot convince your worst critic in one short sentence why that graphic is required for your show, delete it.

PowerPoint is a powerful tool that can enhance your presentations immeasurably when used properly. In the famous word of Tony the Tiger, use it as wisely and it will make you look “Grrrrreat.”

Welcome to the Cloud
by Christopher Smith
For nearly two decades our relationship with computers and the internet has grown in countless ways, transforming our everyday lives and interconnecting people across the globe. Computing has truly become an integral part of our lives, society and culture, and it is amazing how quickly we have come to depend on them. Throughout this time though, how everyday computing is performed has essentially remained unchanged. We now are on the brink of a fundamental shift in how we use computers and the internet overall, and this shift is toward what is being called “Cloud Computing”.

Basically, where and how the processing, handling and storage of data takes place is migrating toward internet based systems as opposed to individually on our desktop computers. For example, once we purchased software at the local computer store; now we download software from the internet instead. The growth of online document collaboration systems as opposed to traditional word processing is another example. Many applications today run on networks of computers across the internet while the computer we are using is merely running a web browser or other software to interface with those online systems.

Today, the computing power and the data we have at our fingertips is still largely contained in the physical laptop or desktop computer we are using. “Cloud computing” means that the data and most of the computing power we use is actually handled by computer systems across the internet while the local computer we are using is really just an online interface and little else.

If you’ve noticed the explosion of online services appearing on the internet lately, you can see that this has been happening for years. We routinely perform banking online, social networking sites such as Facebook and Linked In are now social phenomena, online shopping is commonplace and online backup services are the norm. Online document creation and collaboration services such as wikis are gaining popularity. Many professionals work remotely using VPNs (virtual private networks) connected to centralized online systems as opposed to locally on their own personal computers. Laptops are getting smaller, cell phones are getting smarter, simple internet devices are getting more commonplace and affordable.

In the very near future our current concept of the personal computer will fade into memory. The vast majority of computer users will soon be performing almost all of their computing tasks entirely on the internet. We will access the computing power of the internet using similar devices as we have now such as laptops and handhelds, but the only function these devices will have will be establishing a connection to the internet and providing a smooth, enjoyable online experience while we use solely internet-based applications and services.

This migration of computing power from one’s physical computer to the internet at large carries some public concerns. Many find it difficult trusting that their data is safe and secure online, in a place they cannot see or touch. Hacking and virus propagation activity will continue to gravitate toward online services as well. Our concept of privacy will further erode. Responsibility for data security and application performance eventually will rest entirely on the shoulders of online application and service providers; you’ll no longer have to worry about using the right version of software or having the latest updates. The average computer user will ultimately trade usability and convenience for less control over how their data is used and handled.

It’s important to keep watching for major changes in how people use the internet in these times. Some examples are Twitter, Blastoff and Microsoft’s “Bing”. Be on the lookout for web-based operating systems such as Google’s “Chrome”. Educate yourself about the pros and cons of different online backup services, and always keep local copies of your data as well. Be watchful for online services that take over roles of traditional local software programs such as word processing, project development, productivity and games.

We are quite literally in the midst of an evolution in computing; a shift around how the world fundamentally regards and uses computers and the internet. The computer revolution has come and gone, but the digital age has just begun.

-Christopher Smith

A tripod will always set solid regardless of how uneven the ground is or if the legs are not all the same length. That is why they are used for photograph and milking stools. Your business needs a solid foundation also, built on three legs like the tripod. The first leg is your professional knowledge – if you are in the carpet cleaning business, you must know about carpet cleaning. The second leg is business knowledge – you must know how to run a business such as accounts payable, marketing and sales, government regulations and more. The third leg is attitude.

I believe that the third leg, attitude is the most important. If you have the right attitude, you will learn the other two legs. If you do not have a good attitude, extensive knowledge in the other two legs will not help you succeed.

Trainers Alliance International can help you and your team develop a winners’ attitude for a successful 2010.

Hugh Curley

Honesty matters. Most of us think we’re honest, but in reality, we lie all the time. To whom do you think you lie the most? Your boss? Your significant other? Your kids? Yourself?

I imagine that I lie to myself the most. I tell myself I’m going to finish a project by a certain time, and then I write email or work on a different project or go talk to a colleague. I tell myself I won’t go to bed without going to the gym or for a walk. Then when I crawl into bed at 2 AM I wonder why I couldn’t have taken 10 minutes to walk around the block.

That’s not lying, you might be thinking. Lying is when you say something untruthful, with the intent to deceive.

Since 1998 I’ve been studying the concept of Radical Honesty as presented by Brad Blanton, Ph.D., in his books, Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth; Practicing Radical Honesty: How to Complete the Past, Live in the Present and Build a Future with a Little Help from Your Friends; Radical Parenting: Seven Steps to a Functional Family in a Dysfunctional World, and others.

After many years of studying the Radical Honesty paradigm, I am just now getting used to saying to someone, “What you just said made me uncomfortable,” or, to use Dr. Blanton’s preferred wording, “I resent you for what you just said.”

It used to be much easier for me to stuff those feelings, to sweep the words under the rug, to justify to myself why I shouldn’t react to them, or to simply put those feelings in a mental backpack to be dumped out later—often months later—in anger or hysteria. As I become more adept at noticing those feelings in my body, it becomes harder and harder to stuff or repress them. Now I am aware that the pain of not speaking my truth is far greater than the momentary fear that comes from taking a deep breath and speaking. It gets easier every time I do it, which helps me encourage others in my life to be honest with me, and to risk speaking my truth to more people outside my comfort zone.

We mostly lie by withholding information (“Oh, I forgot to tell you, there won’t be any bonuses or raises again this year”), and by saying something we don’t really mean (“I’d be glad to work on this project with you,” which may really mean, “I don’t have any choice except to work with you, but I’ll let you do most of the work”).

Think about it. When you ask your mate, “What’s wrong?” and she says, “Nothing,” she’s lying. Do you believe her? You can tell by her body language, her tone of voice, and the tears in her eyes that she’s lying. Or, you ask him, “What’s wrong,” and he glares at you, or says, “Nothing,” but he’s not looking at you and you know he’s on another planet emotionally. It is even worse in the work place, where women are taught it isn’t okay to cry, men are often competitive, and managers think they don’t need to tell their employees anything.

With the stress these days of layoffs, cutbacks, and everything else, wouldn’t an honest conversation between management and staff be a welcome change? Wouldn’t quashing rumors before they get out of hand make for happier workers? Wouldn’t taking the “wonder” out of what’s really going on make people want to come to work and more willing to do the jobs of their fallen colleagues if they knew what the stakes were?
Just like in a personal relationship, people make things up in the absence of information. So the more information they have, the better choices they can make and the easier it will be to gain cooperation.

If you want to bring more honesty into your life, even if you aren’t ready to be Radical, here are some coaching challenges for you:

1. Notice what your body feels like when you aren’t telling the complete truth.

2. Notice when your intuition tells you, “you left something out of that explanation” or “you are afraid to tell that person what you are really thinking or feeling.”

3. Notice when people around you say something that you react to, don’t like, take issue with, even resent. You’ll know because you’ll notice some a physical reaction in your body.

4. Notice what you do: Do you respond? Do you go have a snack? Do you say nasty things about that person to yourself or someone else? Do you leave the office and take a walk around the building?

Please feel free to email me your thoughts and feelings and what came up for you while reading or when you accepted the coaching challenges.

Stephanie Roth is The Relationship Maven, a certified Radical Honesty trainer, and a professional speaker. She is the author of the SEEK Program, a self-esteem enhancement curriculum for teenagers, and coauthor of Empowering Vision for Entrepreneurs, Dreamers, and Other Visionaries. She coaches business people and families to speak the truth and ask for what they want. Contact her at stephanie@leapfrogconnections.com or call 303.410.8167.

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