Author: Guila

  • How to Move Your Audience

    Do you believe your presentation is “information only”?

    Think again! The reason you’re presenting is to move an uninformed or dubious audience to change. In fact, 99% of all speakers want to increase their audience’s understanding, at the very least. When you want listeners to understand, believe, or act, these two strategies will help.

    1. Insert persuasive phrases.

    Choose from the following questions. After figuring out the answers yourself, insert at least two into your presentation. Answer them!

    • “What does this mean to you?”
    • “So what?” (“Here’s what!”)
    • “Why am I telling you this?”

    By answering these questions, you demonstrate your ability to view yourself, your company, your story, and your presentation through your audience’s eyes. This ability forms the bedrock of persuasion.

    2. Express “What’s in it for Them.”

    You know why you’re giving the presentation. But can you express in simple language how the information will help your listeners?

    • Know your audience. Do your homework. Find out what your audience cares about, what it wants to know, its concerns and anxieties.
    • Link every piece of information to your audience’s needs.

    Get out of your own head and try listening from your audience’s perspective. Far from being coercive, you are proving yourself to be powerfully aligned with your audience. Your message will benefit, motivate and move them.

    Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.

  • 3 Tips to Manage Presenter Tension

    A presenter’s complex “job description” demands extreme mental focus. We simultaneously strive to:

    • Focus on delivering the correct content in a logical fashion.
    • Show credibility.
    • Show openness.
    • Continually scan the room for questions.
    • Check to ensure that people understand.
    • Acknowledge and challenge our biases.
    • Be cognizant of our use of physical gestures.
    • Monitor our use of “junk words”.
    • Check technical equipment.
    • Manage time.
    • Inspire our audience through expressing our passion.

    WOW! No wonder presenters often feel tense and nervous. So how can we maintain our mental focus without increasing our physical tension?

    These simple actions will help.

    Release Your Eyes

    Our eyes are built to aggressively “go out to get” objects in our visual field. This mechanism helps keeps us safe. However, this vigilance can also make us tense.

    While on break, try these eye decompression exercises to release your entire body.

    • Close your eyes.
    • Allow your eye muscles to completely release.
    • With your eyelids, do a few gentle clockwise and counter-clockwise circles.

    During this mini-meditation, feel your shoulders drop and your breathing expand.

    Release Your Face

    Do the following privately during breaks:

    • Let the flesh of your cheeks hang down and your mouth and jaw open.
    • Allow your forehead to soften.
    • Feel how fine the sensations are in your lips and the tongue.

    Again, take some deep breaths and relax your shoulders during this relaxed position.

    Release Your Head and Neck

    Unlike releasing your eyes and face, you can release your head while standing in front of your audience. Here’s how:

    • Release the tendency to “hold”. Let your head micro-adjust and softly settle on top of your spine.
    • Bring some awareness to your atlanto-occipital joint—the place where your head meets the spine. Doing so will relax your neck and free up breathing.

    Decoupling strain from your mental focus enables you to present in a refreshed, relaxed, and vibrant way. Chances are you won’t feel as fatigued after a presentation, either. Release and enjoy!

  • How the Heck Should I Organize Training Content?

    I’d like to provide a never-fail shortcut to organizing the training content that can clutter your brain.

    Before we begin, I am assuming two things on your part:

    1.You believe in the value of using learning outcomes (often called “objectives”).

    2. You are able to create learning outcomes.

    Just to review:

    What are Learning Outcomes?

    Learning outcomes are “activities that participants will be able DO by the time they leave the learning experience.”

    So—a learning outcome might look like this:

    “By the end of this class, you’ll be able to explain the three most important e-mail etiquette rules.”

    So—once you have your training topic and your learning outcomes, what steps should you take to develop content?

    What Comes Next? The Kite!

    Picture a traditional, diamond-shaped kite. In your mind’s eye, draw horizontal stripes across its face—one stripe for each learning outcome. That will look something like this.

    The Law of the Stripe: 3 Guidelines

    1.Each stripe represents one of your learning outcomes.

    2.Each stripe contains the content you must cover to achieve that outcome, along with a minimum of one activity.

    3.The activit(ies) should allow participants to practice one or all of the content points in that stripe.

    In this way, each Stripe contains everything you need to ensure the participants achieve that particular learning outcome.

    Check out the stripes. Each contains content and activities to achieve its learning outcome.

    Here’s an Example of One Stripe

    Learning Outcome: “By the end of this class, you’ll be able to explain the three most important e-mail etiquette rules.”

    Content Points: Subject line, greeting, think twice before hitting ‘send’

    Activity: Provide 3 example e-mails. Participants individually choose most appropriate subject lines and greetings for each situation. Debrief in large group.

    Once you have the bare bones of content in each Stripe, it is easy to flesh the rest out. Make sure that your content and activities in each Stripe enable learners to achieve that learning outcome.

    Quick and Easy

    Using the Law of the Stripe greatly reduces your design time. It also ensures that your training is outcome-focused and lively.

  • Feeling Through the Screen

    Empathy is a tool. Alan Alda

    Presenting online is a challenge. One of the biggest downfalls I’ve noticed is when presenters seem trapped in their own heads. They don’t notice when participants raise their hands, suck in breath as if they want to speak, or crinkle their brows. These speakers aren’t using the secret power of scanning.

    What is Scanning?

    Albert Einstein call it “field awareness”. Korean speakers call it “nunchi”, some call it emotional intelligence. Scanning is the ability to use our eyes, ears, and a quiet mind to experience a group’s energy, and then to respond to this awareness.

    Why is Scanning Valuable?

    Scanning enables presenters to get out of our own heads (which might be humming with anxiety) and to pay attention to the larger reality. Counter-intuitively, doing so is one of the best ways to combat performance anxiety. Our nervousness diminishes as we feel connected to a larger whole. It’s not all about us!

    What if We Pick Up Negativity or Resistance?

    Number one, it’s good to know what we’re dealing with. Secondly, negativity is a strength test, not an evaluation of you. It probably has nothing to do with you, although it may pertain to your topic. Don’t succumb; just acknowledge it presence. Never allow negative energy to hijack you.

    What Do I Do Once I Scan?

    Scanning doesn’t require that you verbally respond to what you pick up. Simply open your chest and feel the information that speaks as loudly as words. Because energy changes continually, our challenge is to maintain this awareness throughout the session.

    When we operate from the awareness that scanning provides, we honor the group’s energy. Our responsiveness is the secret to greatness as presenters and facilitators.

    Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.  Benjamin Spock

  • 3 Ways to Involve Participants from the “Get-Go”!

    What’s the best way to assure your training participants to “turn off” the first second you open your mouth? Just follow conventional wisdom and open your session by introducing yourself and providing your credentials.

    Instead, generate curiosity, interest and motivation from the outset. Use a “Hook” before introducing yourself.

    Three Ideas for Engaging Hooks

    Quickie Quiz: Using either a half-sheet of paper or a slide, create a 3-question quiz that relates to your topic.  The best questions are slightly provocative, controversial, or amusing. Ask participants to take the quiz the minute they sit down. Throughout the class, answer and clarify the issues.

    Option: For more up-front engagement, ask participants to share their responses with a partner before you formally begin. Be sure you have a way to bring their attention back to you. (Use a bell, chime, etc.)

    Questions: Carefully constructed questions work great. Questions can begin with the words “How many here have…?” or “Did you know that…?” Your question should demand a physical response from the participants, such as raising hands or standing up.

    Guidelines: Be sure to ask two questions or more. Instruct people to respond physically, and wait for them to do so. The best questions include a bit of emotion (laughter is great, but so is a smattering of anxiety or intrigue).

    Visualization: This technique gives even “dry” subjects the emotional content you need to hook participants’ interest.

    Here’s a real-life example of a visualization “Hook” from a supervisory class on wage and hour laws:

    “Close your eyes and imagine that you are a 10 year old child in the 1930’s working in a factory 12 hours a day, 60 hours a week for 10 cents an hour. You’ve never seen the inside of a school…your feet are cold and you get just one meal break a day. How do you feel?”

    Ask the participants to open their eyes. Debrief thoughts and feelings; connect to the course topic, introduce yourself, and state the learning outcomes.

    Remember: To increase interest and motivation from the get-go, hook your participants immediately!

  • How Does Nostalgia Improve Presentation Skills?

    What’s potentially more effective than using affirmations or self-talk to build your confidence as a presenter? Nostalgia, until recently thought of as a psychological disorder, has been found to be a powerful and effective tool. Dr. Constantine Sedikides and his team, from the University of Southampton, UK, has found that nostalgia helps to build resilience, mental fortitude, and social connectedness.

    What great tools for presenters!

    What is Nostalgia?

    Sedikides describes nostalgia as a “wellspring of meaning that acts as a buffer against existential threats.” Our internal stress system often reacts to presenting as if it were an existential threat: our heart races and breathing becomes shallow as we prepare to defend ourselves. Nostalgia offers us the  “perfect inbuilt neurological defense mechanism”.

    Nostalgia, for presenters, is not about our external behavior. In fact, continually bringing up your own memories will probably alienate your audience. Instead, using nostalgia as an emotional foundation can provide presenters with inner strength and resilience. Sedikides says, “Nostalgia is like an inexhaustible bank account which is there for you if you want to withdraw from it.”

    How Can Nostalgia Help Me Present?

    If, as the researchers claim, nostalgia “is like a vitamin and an antidote to nervousness and fear”, how can we put it to use?

    Pre-Presentation: Identify a Memory

    In a relaxed state, days or weeks before your “gig”, close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Recall a time when you were truly happy. This memory can be either personal or professional. It doesn’t have to relate to presenting. Perhaps you were surrounded by friends, receiving an award, or just relaxing with your cat at your side.

    Once you identify the memory, really feel it. What colors, sounds, and smells do you recall? Where in your body did you feel the happiness? Did your body move around, or was it still? Allow yourself to accept and truly feel that level of happiness. You are building your nostalgia medicine.

    Return to this memory several times as you prepare for your presentation.

    It’s Showtime: Recall the Memory

    Five to ten minutes before starting to present, find a private place (bathroom stall?). Close your eyes, breathe, and recall that familiar, happy memory. Allow it to flood you.

    By truly allowing your memory to fill you, you are taking your nostalgia medicine. And it’s good for you!

    Next: Step out. Begin your presentation, feeling fortified, grounded, and resilient.

    (Interested in learning more about the power of nostalgia? Read the research.)

     

     

  • How to “Pump Up” What Students Remember

    Group of business people hiding their faces behind a question mark sign at officeAs a trainer, have you ever wondered why the information you provide doesn’t always “stick?”

    What do You Know About Memory?

    Take this quiz to find out:

    1. Learners who can perform a new learning task well are likely to retain it. (T/F)
    2. Immediate memory will dump input in 30 seconds or less. (T/F)
    3. Lifting weights improves memory and cognitive function better than aerobic exercise . (T/F)

    How well did you do?

    1. FALSE. Even if a learner performs a new learning task well, chances are high it will not be permanently stored in memory.
    2. TRUE.
    3. FALSE. Although no studies have found a link between weight training and cognitive function, aerobic exercise improves memory and cognitive function of both adults and children.

    How Can I “Pump Up” What My Students Remember?

    Students can only process input intently for about 10 minutes before losing focus. To prevent the material from fading, we must quickly use it in a different way. In training, this could involve applying the information through an activity, like solving a case study, building a model, talking about how they’ll use it on the job, etc.

    In order for information to encoded into the learner’s long-term memory, it must meet two criteria:

    • Does the information make sense? (Does the learner understand it?)
    • Is the information relevant? (Can the learner connect it to past learning and current needs?)

    Think of the training YOU do. How well does it meet these 2 criteria for helping your students to remember?

    Making Better Training

    You can probably guess by now that the odds are stacked against your learners’ remembering everything you teach. Here are 3 helpful, easy techniques to help boost retention:

    1. Use humor.
    Increased oxygen and the positive feelings that result from laughter improve the probability that students will remember what they learned.

    2. Make clear what the students will be able to do as a result of the lesson.
    State the learning outcomes at the beginning of class, and return to them as you move from one chunk of content to the next. Be sure to test throughout to make sure your students are actually getting it.

    3. Provide prompt, specific, and corrective feedback.
    Frequent, brief quizzes will build retention better than one large test.

    Remember: You CAN boost your students’ retention. Just use these simple techniques.

  • Staying Sane When Traveling to Train

    Have you ever felt strangely wired, unbalanced, or out of your comfort zone when traveling to train or present? While it’s super-rewarding to know that distant folks value your expertise, travel can spur unexpected anxiety. How do you keep from getting derailed?

    Out of Control

    We depend on exerting a fair amount of control over our familiar environment. We know what our houses look like, how our pillows feel, where to eat, etc. We may not realize how much comfort we derive from these homely details until they are no longer there.

    What to Do

    I’ve collected some suggestions to help traveling trainers and presenters retain a sense of healthy wholeness. To reduce your anxiety, try these tips:

    1. Visit the room you’ll be presenting in upon arrival. If possible, make sure it is already set up correctly.
    2. Contact your host to confirm that you are in town. Depending on your personality and the situation, consider opting out of pre-“Big Day” invitations for dinner. Do what makes you most comfortable, NOT what you think others want you to do. Be selfish with your energy.
    3. Upon arrival in your hotel room, set it up with familiar things. Picture of partner or pet? Special hairbrush? Prepare and lay out your outfit.
    4. Practice your presentation once, and only once, on the road. (This assumes that you have rehearsed well before you left home.) Do not over-practice.
    5. Be sure to get physical exercise while traveling-even if it means just walking the conference room grounds. Keeping your body moving protects against nervousness. Remember to bring your swim suit.
    6. Don’t worry about getting enough sleep. Chances are that you might not. But the magic truth is: You will perform just as well as you would have with enough sleep. Know that things will go fine. You can make up your sleep deficit later.
    7. If you have time, try to fit in some version of your usual meditation or yoga practice.
    8. Be sure to make time for a hearty breakfast the day of your presentation.

    Then What?

    Arrive in your training room at least one hour before start time. You may be surprised how familiar things seem. This is because your subconscious mind has been preparing you all along for this moment. Relax, take some deep breaths, and step into being the star that you are.

  • Great Presenting: Enthusiasm or Entertainment?

    Entertaining presenter

    Should trainers and presenters strive to be more entertaining? It depends on what drives you.

    Enthusiasm or Entertainment?

    Enthusiasm is about expressing your passion for the subject. You ignite participants through showing your own zest. You may even experiment by doing things outside of your comfort zone in order to pass on your excitement.

    Entertainment is all about you. Do you want the participants to like you? Can you make them laugh? Do you treasure the feeling that you are “wowing” them with your personality and/or skills? Do you want to be remembered as a great performer?

    Three Tips to Spark Your Own Enthusiasm

    Many, but not all, trainers and presenters show a preference for modeling authentic enthusiasm over simply providing entertainment. With that in mind, here’s how to pump your enthusiasm when you train or present.

    Be Authentic, But Be “Bigger”
    Tie in pieces of your personality while pumping up your personal energy. Don’t just use your head, use your entire body when you present. (Read “Speaker Energy: Make it Work For You” for tips.)

    Re-Discover Your Own Compelling Reasons
    Why are you teaching or presenting? Create your own definition of success for what you do.

    Forget Baseball, Play Frisbee Instead
    Don’t just pitch your content to students. Instead, create a reciprocal energy flow. Toss out  “Frisbees” of content, and then encourage participants to do so as well–not only back to you, but also to each other.

    Concentrate on the Intrigue of Your Subject Matter

    As a trainer, presenter or facilitator, your enthusiasm motivates participants. Their energy rises to meet yours. Your session is memorable…authentically.

  • Think to Talk, or Talk to Think? Engaging the Introverts


    “Introverts thrive in learning situations that enable solitude, independent thinking, and time to process.” Dr. Kate Earle, Quiet Leadership Institute

    First, let me bust a myth: Introverts are NOT all shy. In fact, Susan Caine makes the point that shyness (fear of negative judgment) is quite different than introversion (a preference for minimally stimulating environments)*. Many dynamic trainers are introverted. They just need time to recover!

    But what about the introverted participants in your classroom? How can trainers and presenters best meet their needs?

    Acknowledging Diversity from the “Get-Go”

    Early in a workshop, Myriam Hadnes suggests that you may want to ask each participant to answer the question: “Would you rather talk to think or think to talk?” This question immediately acknowledges that both introverts and extroverts are present, and welcomes both.

    Before asking that initial question, however, you must design a workshop that truly respects introverts.

    Designing Introvert-Friendly Workshops

    When developing your training session, use these five tips to engage introverts (while meanwhile keeping the extroverts energized)!

    1. Always build “thinking time” into activities.
    2. Use “Think-INK-Pair-Share” as an activity (note that participants individually write their responses before sharing in pairs).
    3. Use “Walking Brainstorms”: Participants walk about the room, silently adding their ideas on post-its into various topic or question categories.
    4. If technology allows it, use clickers, instant messaging and other forms of electronic communication to answer questions or take surveys.
    5. Provide materials before the class for participants to review.

    Delivering Introvert-Friendly Workshops

    On-site, use these training tips:

    1. Meet everyone one-on-one before the session begins.
    2. Force yourself to wait 5-10 seconds before answering questions.
    3. Use meaningful scenarios and examples; avoid those that are obvious or superficial.
    4. Design the flow of the class with enough breaks so that people can stretch physically and mentally.
    5. Encourage introverts to speak up in group discussions. It’s OK to (gently) challenge them—they won’t break, and may enjoy a meaningful exchange of ideas.

    Your training sessions will soar when you design and deliver them with introverts in mind!

    *In fact, Susan Caine, the author of the important book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” differentiates between shy extroverts, calm introverts, and everything in between.