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How Do You Keep Your Secrets From the Media?

When the CEO of the world's #2 bank says there is no such thing as an "off the record" comment to the media, you can take it as gospel. A while back, Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase, addressed 200+ members and guests of the Financial Women's Association. When he was introduced, the audience was clearly told that his comments were off the record. Mr. Dimon grinned and got a great deal of laughs when he cracked "there is no such thing as off the record." Watch What You Say He should know. He's probably been interviewed and misquoted in the press as regularly as any CEO during financial crises since 2008 and his Bank's own outrage when a rogue trader called the "London Whale" lost $6 billion for the firm. No doubt members of the audience were taking notes and tweeting during the entire time he was talking. We all know where the media now gets a lot of its data – Twitter. A Twitter account @evleaks with the slogan "Today's news, yesterday" specializes in reporting leaks. But even Mr. Dimon needs to keep some secrets from the media, like discussions about the appointment of a woman as the new bank CFO. The FWA moderator lobbed questions at Mr. Dimon during the no-holds-barred discussion that followed his remarks. A search of the web didn't reveal any bits of gossip about the CFO appointment. Mr. Dimon said he discussed candidates for the position with the business unit leaders, yet there were no apparent leaks. Mum's the Word How do you keep privileged insights from the media? To start with, restrict the breaking news to an inner circle of people involved with the issue who can be trusted to not turn into an "anonymous source" for leaks. Many organizations arranging IPOs, or introducing new products, use code names during the long process before public disclosure. You don't want to dilute the impact by seeing your story on the news on the day preceding the announcement. Apple broadly utilizes code words for its new items. Dulcimer morphed into the iconic iPod when it was launched in 2001. Wikipedia lists dozens of Apple code names. In each situation, both insiders and outside consultants and vendors should be required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Outsiders should not even mention they are working for the company, much less on a new product or an IPO. A high-profile investor relations firm reporting it has signed a new client could signal that something is brewing at the company. Journalists will begin digging and may strike gold. If you're part of the inner circle, don't discuss the secret project in the elevator or in the hallways. The walls have ears. Any bystander could hear a few key words and – boom – the secret is out. No doubt Samsung wasn't very happy that the story – and photograph – of its new curved phone was leaked before the launch. Of course, organizations aren't above leaking information themselves. Movie studios are notorious for doing this when a long-anticipated movie is expected to bomb. They book the stars on talk shows to drum up interest and attendance before the film's release. The End of the Embargo It wasn't that long ago that PR people would distribute a news release with an embargo – a future date that the media could report about the story. That is gone the way of the manual typewriter. With the 24-hour new cycle, every media outlet is competing fiercely to be the first to break the news. Never share your insider facts with reporters except in rare situations. Probably the reporter has been covering your company for years. He has shown that he can be trusted not to break a story if he's given data "on background." Again, that is rare these days. What About a Leak? Despite your best efforts, the story may get out. You are restricted about what you can say about an IPO. Follow the government's disclosure rules about how to respond. A reporter may call with a rumor about a new product release. You don't need to let the cat out of the bag. You could respond, "We're always testing new item products. I don't have anything to report. You'll be the first to know if that changes." You have a obligation keep your company's secrets. Just remember to keep your promise to that reporter when the time comes to break the news. Read the full article

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Do You Know What Your Audience Wants From Your Presentation?

One of the lessons learned from our many coaching sessions is this: don’t allow yourself to get complacent and think you can do the same old, same old as you plan your speaking engagements and media interviews. Analyzing Your Audience Speakers often go wrong by not doing a thorough audience analysis. They had delivered the presentation before and got careless. You can have all your talking points down pat, but if you're not meeting the needs of your audience, you’ve failed as a presenter. Every audience is different and every person in that audience has an ego needing to be nourished. That’s accomplished by giving them information that saves time and money, or helps improve their performance and make them better leaders. Whether you’re planning a motivational talk at a major conference or speaking to a reporter, step back and review the reason(s) you’ve been asked to be in these situations. You might be leading a “pep rally” to motivate the sales force to get behind a new product offering or speaking by video conference to leadership in offices around the world. Know Their Background When you’re scheduled to speak, you need to know: - Who is in the audience? - What are their titles? - What are their information needs? - Who do they report to? - What do they already know about the topic? Do some know more than others? - What is their mood – positive because they exceeded expectations or negative because they just experienced a downsizing? - What ideas, feelings, or experiences do you share with them? Once you’ve gotten a fix on the makeup of the audience, develop your content around the questions you think they would ask you. Make your talk about them. For example say, “You had a great year.” Or, “You all pulled together and now our team is stronger than ever.” Saying “you” acknowledges the audience individually and collectively. If you don’t have time to personally conduct the audience analysis, delegate the task to someone you trust. That would have saved a recent situation in which a very senior executive at a financial services company thought she was going to be addressing a small group of executives in a conference room. For starters, an assistant had given her misinformation about the location of the meeting, so she went to several conference rooms on different floors before locating the right one. Then she discovered that she was actually scheduled to speak by videoconference to executives in another office. She was frustrated and exhausted before she even started speaking. She shifted gears quickly and knew her topic well but even that didn’t save the situation. There was no connection between her and the audience because the camera was set too far away from her and her talking points had been crafted for the small group she thought she would be addressing. It was a very unsatisfying experience because she hadn’t been appropriately briefed and therefore did not come across as the leader she is. Don’t let that happen to you! Understanding the Culture It isn’t just enough to understand the specific information needs of your audience. It’s essential to understand the culture and how you’re going to fit in. What is the dress code, for example? If you’re speaking before a group of corporate executives who always wear a blue serge suit and a rep tie, then you should be wearing something conservative, too. If your audience is filled with Millennials in fresh pressed jeans and open collars, then you should dress more casually, too. Maybe not jeans, but clothing that’s in keeping with the culture while still making a statement about who you are. This is a good time to break the cycle of “same old, same old.” Ask yourself if you’ve grown a little complacent about doing the audience analysis and research for a dynamite speech or to nail a media interview. If yes, now is the perfect time to try something new. When you know what your audience wants and then deliver on it, you'll gain their respect and admiration as an authority worth listening to. We'd love to hear some of your "war stories" on this topic so please share them with us in the comment box. Read the full article

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It’s OK to Have an Accent as Long as You’re Not Faking It

America is a melting pot of people from just about every country in the world. Most newcomers learn English when they get here and, if they’re already adults, will almost always speak with an accent. There is nothing wrong with having an accent. It’s important to articulate your words correctly, but an accent can actually make a speaker sound more interesting. Have you ever noticed that people with a British accent are often taken more seriously? Their accent gives them an air of authority and superior intelligence. Don’t Fake It On the other hand, some executives and politicians will fake an accent because they think it makes them sound more “down home” and their audience will identify with them. It didn’t work for Hillary Clinton on this campaign stop. Ms. Clinton is from Chicago, and while she spent much of her life in Arkansas as the wife of then Governor Bill Clinton, she never picked up a Southern accent – until now. If her attempt at a Southern accent was to make her audience feel like they were part of her team, it didn’t work. Her accent wasn’t authentic and distracted from her message. It isn’t polite to mimic the accent of your audience. It’s offensive and people will think you’re making fun of them or talking down to them. Often people from other parts of the country discount Southerners because of their accents and think they are slow on the uptake. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth as Southern politicians increasingly dominate the national scene. Show Your Respect New immigrants work hard to assimilate into a new culture. My father was Dutch but he only spoke Dutch with his mother and brother as well as a few Dutch cousins. As a child, I didn’t realize my father had an accent because the way he spoke was perfectly natural to me. It’s hurtful to make fun of people with accents and tell jokes at their expense. It isn’t easy to master a crisp “R” or pronounce an “S” correctly. And let’s not forget the “L” sound, another tongue twister for many different nationalities. Imagine yourself being relocated to Japan, Scandinavia or Greece. It certainly wouldn’t be easy. When working with clients who have a problem with particular sounds, we use a thesaurus to find substitute words that have the same meaning but are easier for them to pronounce. When you’re having a conversation with someone with an accent who is groping for the correct word, you shouldn’t finish his sentence for him. Give him time to think of the word and don’t offer to help unless requested to do so. Take your cue from the speaker who may finally ask, “I can’t quite think of the word I want. Can you help me out?” Then politely ask, “Is this the word you want?” Certainly don’t laugh and embarrass someone when you see her struggling. How would you feel if you were on the receiving end of a smirk? Why Do People Fake an Accent? People fake accents because they think it makes them sound smarter, richer, more cultured, and more memorable. But it can have the opposite effect. A colleague once worked with the director of advertising in the U.S. for a British publication. She had a thick British accent. But it was clearly fake as the director was actually an American. Her staff laughed at her behind her back because her accent was so phony. Always be yourself. That’s more than good enough to demonstrate your capabilities and be perceived as the authentic person that you are. You don’t need to adopt a fake accent to be perceived as a leader who is smart, competent and an engaging communicator. Read the full article

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It’s OK to Have an Accent as Long as You’re Not Faking It

America is a melting pot of people from just about every country in the world. Most newcomers learn English when they get here and, if they’re already adults, will almost always speak with an accent. There is nothing wrong with having an accent. It’s important to articulate your words correctly, but an accent can actually make a speaker sound more interesting. Have you ever noticed that people with a British accent are often taken more seriously? Their accent gives them an air of authority and superior intelligence. Don’t Fake It On the other hand, some executives and politicians will fake an accent because they think it makes them sound more “down home” and their audience will identify with them. It didn’t work for Hillary Clinton on this campaign stop. Ms. Clinton is from Chicago, and while she spent much of her life in Arkansas as the wife of then Governor Bill Clinton, she never picked up a Southern accent – until now. If her attempt at a Southern accent was to make her audience feel like they were part of her team, it didn’t work. Her accent wasn’t authentic and distracted from her message. It isn’t polite to mimic the accent of your audience. It’s offensive and people will think you’re making fun of them or talking down to them. Often people from other parts of the country discount Southerners because of their accents and think they are slow on the uptake. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth as Southern politicians increasingly dominate the national scene. Show Your Respect New immigrants work hard to assimilate into a new culture. My father was Dutch but he only spoke Dutch with his mother and brother as well as a few Dutch cousins. As a child, I didn’t realize my father had an accent because the way he spoke was perfectly natural to me. It’s hurtful to make fun of people with accents and tell jokes at their expense. It isn’t easy to master a crisp “R” or pronounce an “S” correctly. And let’s not forget the “L” sound, another tongue twister for many different nationalities. Imagine yourself being relocated to Japan, Scandinavia or Greece. It certainly wouldn’t be easy. When working with clients who have a problem with particular sounds, we use a thesaurus to find substitute words that have the same meaning but are easier for them to pronounce. When you’re having a conversation with someone with an accent who is groping for the correct word, you shouldn’t finish his sentence for him. Give him time to think of the word and don’t offer to help unless requested to do so. Take your cue from the speaker who may finally ask, “I can’t quite think of the word I want. Can you help me out?” Then politely ask, “Is this the word you want?” Certainly don’t laugh and embarrass someone when you see her struggling. How would you feel if you were on the receiving end of a smirk? Why Do People Fake an Accent? People fake accents because they think it makes them sound smarter, richer, more cultured, and more memorable. But it can have the opposite effect. A colleague once worked with the director of advertising in the U.S. for a British publication. She had a thick British accent. But it was clearly fake as the director was actually an American. Her staff laughed at her behind her back because her accent was so phony. Always be yourself. That’s more than good enough to demonstrate your capabilities and be perceived as the authentic person that you are. You don’t need to adopt a fake accent to be perceived as a leader who is smart, competent and an engaging communicator. Read the full article

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Daring to Say “No” Without Ending a Client Relationship

Sometimes it’s just easier to give in and say “yes,” even when you believe you should be saying “no.” That’s certainly the case when your child is pestering you for another piece of candy in a quiet movie theater -- or, when everyone in a group is ready to move on except you. You give in when nothing very serious is at stake. Take a Stand But it’s a different matter when your principles are involved, or your time and money are at stake. Then you’ve got to take a stand. It’s how you do it that makes the difference. It’s counterproductive to try to shove your point of view down someone’s throat. They have reasons why they believe they’re right, too. You don’t want to lose a client just because you’re stubborn and want to have things your own way. You’ve got to demonstrate why the course of action you’re suggesting is in their best interests. Incidentally, a client can be outside your company. Or, you could be in a staff position in a company, and the business units are your “clients.” You want to build successful and positive relationships with them, too. Offer Alternatives Here's one scenario that commonly occurs for PR executives. A company product manager, or your client, wants to hold a press conference. We all know that press conferences haven’t quite gone the way of the extinct dodo bird. But with the advent of the Internet, they are certainly less frequent. Someone may have already leaked the news online. Instead, suggest that you’ll arrange interviews for the product manager, or your client CEO, with the most important business and trade media with angles exclusive to them. Explain why you feel that is a better alternative and will achieve more in-depth coverage. Suppose a client calls you in to discuss a new project. You know it’s not the right thing to do. Listen carefully to their reasons. Then say something like, “I can understand why you’d like that to happen. But this is another approach that would cost less money and give you better results." Once, a client came to us and wanted to put a large group of managers and directors though five days of training. Because they were at different levels, and the managers had not had any previous training, we suggested that we not mix them together. It would have slowed down the directors and unmotivated the managers if they were embarrassed by their lack of experience in front of more senior executives. We put together a schedule that consisted of two overview sessions to cover the basics, two small group sessions for more junior managers, and then one-on-one training for the most senior executives. The client was pleased with the solution – and so were the managers and directors. The evaluations were so good that we continue to work with them on a monthly basis. Lower Expectations Sometimes clients are on a tight budget. They just don’t have the money to do everything we discussed in our initial meeting and included in the proposal. We work with them to pick and choose what will work within their budget. We’ll offer alternatives. For example, we’ll suggest if there isn’t the budget for one-on-one training, that we can facilitate a group session. Recently, we had a request to put 30 people through a group media training session. We cautioned the client against expecting these individuals to be camera ready in half a day. We also pointed out the potential pitfalls if 30 people were talking to the media. Since timing was not an issue, they decided to wait until the following quarter, when they would have the money for more extensive training. It’s not a good idea to give a flat “no” to a client as that closes down the discussion and potentially the relationship. It’s more satisfying to both parties when you come to an agreement on a course of action. Remember who is paying the bills. You don’t want to end a relationship by saying “no” when you can get a “yes” from the client by offering alternative solutions. Read the full article

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How to Answer Questions From a Reporter Without Messing Up

Once you’ve mentioned your key messages during an interview with a reporter, are you prepared to answer the questions that are sure to be asked? The Q&A can be the most important part of the interview. If you blow an answer – or blow off the reporter – all your media training and hard work will be down the drain. Maintain Control You can’t control the reporter or the content of a story. You can, and must, control your input into the reporter’s story throughout the interview. A media interview isn’t the same as making a business presentation, where the audience will generally refrain from asking questions until you are finished speaking. Expect to be interrupted. The reporter isn’t there to serve as a sponge absorbing all you have to say. A good reporter will question and challenge your points. Tell the Truth The first rule is to be truthful. Never lie, because the reporter can find out the real facts on the Internet or from your competitors. You’re not obligated to answer every question. However, you are obliged to respond, even if it’s to say that you can’t discuss proprietary information. If you don’t know the answer say so, and state the likelihood of providing a response. If you can get the answer tell the reporter when you’ll get back to her. Or suggest that she speak to someone else in your company, or an outside source, who may have the answer. A Media Interview is Not a Conversation An interview is not a friendly conversation that travels gently to different topics – don’t treat it as such. You are there to represent your organization, so be courteous in responding to questions, but be diligent in making your key message points. Frequently, when a reporter says you did not answer the question, it really means that you did not answer the way the reporter had hoped you would. If that happens, paraphrase the question as you understood it, and answer it truthfully, including your key message points. Be honest and tell the reporter if you can’t answer a question at all because you don’t know the answer, or you can’t because the information is private. Change the Subject Do not limit yourself to the subject matter of the questions. Take the opportunity to “bridge” to additional points. Use linking phrases, such as “Let me tell you about….” or “Are you aware that…?” Be sure to mention the name of your organization, instead of “we.” You want the reporter to use your company name throughout the story.  It’s also a reminder to associate your comments with your company and not attribute them to another organization he may be including in the story. Prepare in Advance Frequently, you can anticipate the questions you’ll be asked. Make a list and then write out the answers. Rehearse your responses aloud on your own or with a colleague. Practice working in your key messages. You don’t want to sound like a robot, so use different words to make the same point. You can never let your guard down when answering questions from a reporter. Don’t be lulled into having an “off-the-record” friendly conversation after the formal interview is over. That’s when a reporter can spring a question that you didn’t expect. We all tend to relax and breathe a sigh of relief when we feel the heat is off but don’t forget you’re still on the record. Don’t say do or say anything you wouldn’t want to see in print or on air. Book Tour Mishap This reminds us of the time we were coaching Johnnie Cochran for his first book, Journey to Justice. The Dateline producers were at his home in LA, and about halfway through the interview they told Johnnie that since they were changing the film, he could just talk. So, talk he did. Of course, what he said was off message and then there he was on air saying things that he thought were merely conversation points! This was not too much of a disaster but Johnnie learned a good lesson. Remember that everything is on the record in a media interview. Be smart, keep it simple and stay “on message”. Related articles 6 ways to respond to tricky interview tactics (prdaily.com) So What's the Difference Between Media and Presentation Training? And Why Does it Matter? (presenting-yourself.com) Read the full article

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Turn Off That Cell Phone! Business Etiquette Still Counts

You’ve heard it too many times: the distracting, irritating, cell phone that rings or vibrates during the middle of a business presentation. Smart phones and cell phones are wrecking havoc with business etiquette and manners. Their indiscriminate use is hurting business, and it could be your business if you’re not careful. True story. An executive was sitting across the desk from a prospect making a business presentation. As the prospect was talking, the sales executive took out his cell phone to check for messages. End of meeting, and end of sales opportunity. The prospect was insulted, and deservedly so. Everybody wants to feel important. So if you’re in a meeting, give your undivided attention. How would you feel if someone was checking his emails while you were talking? What would Emily Post say about that kind of behavior? The Old Rules Still Apply Proper business etiquette hasn’t changed. The informality of today’s business environment -- social media, casual dress and the virtual office has made people careless. For example, many companies in a cost-saving measure have dispensed with receptionists. If a client is visiting your office for a business presentation, do you roll out the red carpet? Is someone stationed at the elevator to greet him, or does he have to pound on a locked door to get someone’s attention? Making a client wait in the reception area for 20 minutes is just not going to build a relationship. Have you been in meetings where the host didn’t even offer a visitor a glass of water? This isn’t any way to treat someone. Yet, some people make these flagrant mistakes and don’t even know it. Mind Your Etiquette Here is a simple list of reminders: -  Make a checklist. Prepare a list of things to do when you are scheduling a meeting: reconfirm the time, have someone greet your visitors, serve refreshments, have pads and pencils available, prepare handouts and test the audio visual equipment in advance to be sure it’s working. Make visitors feel welcomed and positive about you and your company. If there are several people at a meeting who don’t know each other, think about using name badges. If you are visiting a client or prospect, be on time, dress appropriately and follow up with a thank you note. - Listen attentively. Give a speaker your undivided attention. Put away your cell phones, IPads and laptops. It is rude to be multi-tasking while someone is talking to you. - Follow up. In addition to sending a thank you note, if you promised to do something, then be sure to follow through. Why don’t executives follow these simple rules? We’d love to hear about your experiences concerning business etiquette – both the good and the bad. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment box below. Read the full article

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Don't Wear Your Pajamas on a Virtual Media Interview

If you were meeting a reporter in person for a media interview, you would be dressed in appropriate business attire. You can also have a face-to-face interview with a reporter using Zoom, or another video calling service that enables individuals in two different locations to have a conversation on their computers. No need to leave your office – which may be in your home, as more executives work virtually. You still need to act and look your best on a virtual connection. If you’re calling from home, dress as if you were meeting a client, not going to a pajama party. Look Professional Close the door to your office and tack a sign on the outside letting everyone know that a meeting is in progress. You don’t want traffic traipsing in and out. Get someone to take your dog for a walk so there is no barking in the background. Turn off your phone and clean up the area around your computer. Make sure you have a neat backdrop. You don’t want the reporter’s takeaway to be “Gee, what a sloppy person.” The WebAround webcam background offers the most economical professional background we've found for around $30 on-sale to $65. It is portable and sits on the back of your chair and comes in very practical blue, green or grey backgrounds varying from 42 to 56 inches in diameter open. Be Prepared Do the same preparation as you would when you appear on television: - Dress professionally - Be clean shaven (unless you ordinarily have a beard or mustache) - Wear reflection-free glasses, if you have a pair - Adjust the lighting in the room so your face is clearly visible - Apply makeup as usual and dust your face lightly with powder to reduce the shine from the lights - Make eye contact with the reporter by looking directly into the camera as you’re talking Use a prop if it will help clarify your thoughts. But remember that a virtual connection isn’t the medium to do a product demonstration that requires a lot of setup and space. As with any media interview, be sure you’ve practiced your key messages. Have an opening “grabber” and summarize your major points before signing off. Speak Slooooow-ly There is one crucial difference in using virtual video as opposed to the phone or a personal interview. There is a delay in the sound that is traveling via satellite. You’ve no doubt watched a TV reporter on assignment in the Middle East being interviewed by a broadcast anchor in New York. The sound follows the questions and answers. The delay is quite noticeable. So it is with virtual video. You can’t talk a mile a minute. Build in pauses. Slow down by at least 30 percent, or you will come across like you’re talking in an echo chamber. Remember how your mother told you to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly? The same applies to Skype. Speak slowly and form your words carefully. Avoid a Disaster Before the interview, test the equipment to ensure it is working properly. Schedule a dry run with a colleague who can tell you how you look and sound. Your set-up could crash and reporters don’t have the time and patience to wait for it to be fixed. You can use the camera that is built into your computer, or mount a higher-resolution camera on top of your monitor. Adjust the angle of the camera so it isn’t zooming in on your navel or the ceiling. Enable the reporter to see your facial expressions, but make sure she’s not seeing a close-up of your tonsils! Related articles Skype: 5 Social Tips for Professionals (socialnomicswithsuzanne.wordpress.com) Do You Stand for a Phone Interview With a Reporter? (presenting-yourself.com) Read the full article

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Presentations and Media Interviews are Easy – When You Know How

If you have not have visited the Newman Group’s website lately, then you've missed the videos that describe what we do and our approach to our specialties: presentation and media training. Plus, we are doing a significant number virtual training sessions in the post-Covid-19 age. We are pleased by the positive feedback to this blog. Our readers tell us they particularly enjoyed our series on presentation training and our series on crisis communications training. If you missed these posts, or want a refresher on the techniques of giving a presentation and managing the media during a crisis, the titles and links to the posts are below. Presentation Training In these three posts, we discuss preparing for a presentation, giving a presentation, and following up after the presentation: The Presentation Begins When You Book the Date The Presentation is Not About You A Presentation Doesn’t End After the Applause Media Training for Crisis Communications These posts describe how to manage an Instant Crisis, an Act of God, and a Brewing Crisis: Effective Crisis Management Means Sweating the Small Stuff Crisis Communications When an Act of God Strikes How a Manicurist Nicked a Finger and Started a Crisis Blogs That Entertained and Informed We had some fun with these posts while providing tips on etiquette, what to do when you flub a presentation, where to sit in a meeting, and why your personal image is so important: Are You Using the Wrong Fork? A Business Primer on Table Manners and Etiquette Don’t Faint When you Flub a Presentation – Laugh at Yourself How to Stand Out by Where You Sit Down Are you Sabotaging Your Presentations With an Out-of-Date Image? We welcome your comments and also suggestions for topics that you would like us to write about in the future.     Read the full article

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Even Content Experts Need Presentation Training

It is always impressive to be at an industry function and learn something new from expert speakers that you can use in your business. You might well wonder just how they can master so much complex information. But That’s the Problem You also wonder sometimes just exactly what they’re saying. Too many speakers botch their presentations by thinking their content expertise will translate into superior presentation skills? Or, they can’t be bothered to learn the techniques that will turn a good speech into a great one. “Is a puzzlement,” to quote from the “King and I.” A Botched Presentation At a recent seminar on social media the facilitator and the two expert speakers were a classic case study of how not to make a presentation. It was quite startling to see how many things went wrong. Learn From the Experts For starters, the presentation was held in a very long rectangular room with guests seated theater style. Those not seated in the center of the room could barely see the PowerPoint presentation. It’s possible another conference room wasn’t available, but the organizers needed to take that into account when determining their presentation set up. They could have simply projected the slides onto two screens, instead of only one in the center, allowing everyone in the audience to view their visuals. THE ROOM. The room was extremely hot and the facilitator said the building had been notified and “hopefully” the room would cool down in a half hour or so. - Lesson: Always arrive one hour prior to a presentation to check the room setup as well as the room temperature. Never count on anyone who says “hopefully”.

THE MICROPHONE. The first speaker was waving it around which was distracting. She was impossible to hear unless you were seated up front in her half of the room. - Lesson: Speakers need to speak directly into the microphone. Better yet, wear a hands free lavaliere, or lapel microphone, so you can concentrate on your talk and use gestures to elaborate your points. Speak to everyone in the room, not just those in your immediate vicinity. THE SPEECHES. Both speakers spoke too rapidly and swallowed their words. They also presented the exact same material! The facilitator had obviously not conferred with them in advance to gain concurrence on which aspects of the topic they would each cover. It was boring to hear the second speaker say over and over again, “As Mary said…” - Lesson: The facilitator and speakers need to decide in advance, either through a phone call or meeting, how they will divide the content to be presented. THE TIMING. The first speaker was scheduled to speak for 30 minutes with 15 minutes for Q&A. She had not finished speaking after an hour, even though the facilitator got up from his seat and signaled that her time was up. She said, “Just another minute for this last slide” which, to compound the felony, had nine bullet points that she had to discuss! This is beyond rude. - Lesson: Practice your speech and time it. Be ruthless in cutting it down to fit into your allotted time. If necessary, perform major surgery on your remarks. Your audience will start fidgeting and tune you out if you run over. You also risk not being invited back to speak at a future conference. (Note: We challenge you to find a TED talk that is longer than 18 minutes!). THE SLIDES.  When will speakers learn that you cannot copy your handouts onto your slides? That’s just lazy. Slides packed with dense type are impossible to read. - Lesson:  Create new slides and use bullet points – not more than six to a slide – and use bold, colorful images. If you need to apologize for slides the audience can’t read, then don’t use them. THE Q&A. Both speakers allowed themselves to be interrupted by audience members who spoke up without permission. The speakers then went off on tangents that didn’t relate to the talks. - Lesson: Decide in advance how you will handle questions. Do you want to take questions during the presentation or wait until after the speech is over? Or, do you want participants to write their questions on index cards so the facilitator can vet them? It’s acceptable either way. But decide what you want to do, tell the audience, and stick to the rules you’ve set. Prepare for a Great Presentation Even the most polished and practiced speakers rehearse and have presentation coaches. You can bet Hilliary Clinton and even Donald Trump got presentation coaching and practice their key messages for the 2016 Presidential debates moderated by skilled news reporters. The next time you’re scheduled to make a speech ask yourself: “Am I completely confident that I’m prepared to give the best speech of my life?” If not, consider getting presentation training from an expert coach. Read the full article

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Can You Take Self-Deprecation Too Far When You're Presenting?

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Did You Pack a Plaid Jacket for Your Next Virtual Presentation?

Did You Pack a Plaid Jacket for Your Next Virtual Presentation?

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Projecting Your Personal Brand in a Media Interview or Presentation

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Optimize Your Slide Presentations for Virtual Media Networks

Optimize Your Slide Presentations for Virtual Media Networks

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Can You Go Directly to the Senior Client Without Stepping on Toes?*

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When You Make a Toast Keep it Short and Not About You