Category: Presentation Skills

  • “Difficult People” Versus Difficult Dynamics

    Presenters wanting to learn to respond to ruckus-causing participants discover an industry dedicated to techniques, programs and articles, but especially labels. Experts in the “difficult people” business love labels.

    Here are several labels for different kinds of “difficult people”:

    • The Know-It-All
    • The Show-Off
    • The Rambler

    But Guess What? We Are All “Difficult People”

    To be a person is to be difficult. “Difficult people” are often just regular people responding to difficult dynamics. Difficult dynamics can include:

    • Organizational change
    • Bad room set-up or temperature control
    • Mandatory attendance
    • Ambiguity about how the event will benefit the individual
    • Personal challenges, such as hunger and low blood sugar.

    What trainers, facilitators and presenters need to know is:

    • You cannot fix people.
    • You can reduce difficult dynamics, thus lowering the risk of reactive behavior.

    3 Ways to Reduce Difficult Dynamics

    You may have little control over organizational change or mandatory attendance. However, these steps will address a broad spectrum of difficult dynamics:

    1. Set Up the Room for the Outcome You Desire
    For engagement, interaction, and accountability, seat people in groups of 5-6.

    2. Clarify the Benefits
    You MUST clearly express on why this topic is important to the participants and how it will benefit them.

    3. Model Both Authoritative and Cooperative Behaviors as a Presenter
    Encourage people to express themselves and to ask questions. Simultaneously, set and hold limits.

    To achieve smooth dynamics, don’t label human beings. Instead, prevent difficult dynamics before they occur.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • Presenters, Don’t Crash the Plane!

    Do your presentations “run out of gas”? Many presenters take their audiences on a wonderful journey. But then, for the lack of a flight plan, they crash.

    Why are Conclusions Important?

    A closure is not just where you stop. A great conclusion reinforces, summarizes, and ties up the session. Take action to prevent YOUR crashing the plane the next time you present!

    Landing Skillfully

    Make sure that your closure is short, that it relates to the body of your speech, and is inspirational. Consider closing after you do a Q-A session, not before.

    3 Guidelines

    • Close just once. Don’t bounce around.
    • Don’t just stop. (“That’s all, folks!”)
    • Give a hint you will conclude (“In conclusion…”) and then DO it.

    Three “Never-Fail” Ways to Conclude a Presentation

    1. Make a Call to Action. Passionately seek commitment to a new course. Examples:

    • “When you do ________and _________, you’ll see a huge improvement.”
    • “Join me! Be a part of the solution. Sign up right now.”

    2. Return to the Opener.
    Example: “Well, what happened to Mr. Albright, who you met at the beginning of my talk? (Tell them.) “… and it’s all because of the services we provided.”

    3. Look to Past and Future.
    Example: “Five years ago, our industry…. Today, things have changed substantially. To meet those changes, we must…” (briefly summarize points.)

    In Conclusion…

    Presenters, don’t crash the plane. Pilot your presentation to a successful conclusion. Your audience will appreciate the flight!

     

  • Love Your Struggles!

    I was shocked when a Presentation Skills client started a  diatribe against herself using the words “I condemn myself for…” and then launched into all the mistakes she could dream of.

    WHY do we presenters, trainers, and facilitators sometimes berate ourselves with words we might never use for another person? Self-care supports our resilience.  Practicing self-care can make us better presenters, trainers, and facilitators.

    5 Quickie Self-Care Techniques for Presenters, Trainers, and Facilitators

    1. Know That “It” Was Bigger for You Than For Them

    If you get flustered or make a mistake during a presentation, realize that you’re taking it about 90% more seriously than anyone else in the room. Relax and move on.

    1. When You’re Done, You’re Done.

    After a presentation or training, I always wash my hands. This ritual helps me transition from the “Intensified Me” mode into a more relaxed place. It helps me leave my experience behind as I move on.

    1. Give Yourself (or Another Person) a Treat

    Whether it’s a special cup of coffee, a turkey sandwich, a run or a movie, give yourself a reward for the energy you spent and the exposure you experienced. Double your good feelings by treating a co-worker or friend.

    1. Sing Loudly and Hit Those High Notes

    If you’re stuck in a car after an event, crank up songs you love. Research shows that simply listening to familiar sounds can “up” your mood to the point of goose bumps.

    1. Get a Few Hugs

    When you get home, improve your oxytocin, serotonin, and heart rate with some hugs from a family member (including your pets).

    Resolve to love and accept yourself no matter what. As the yogis say, we are all perfect inside. A few gaffes will never change that.

    Guila Muir is a premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

     

     

     

  • Crazy Warm-Ups for Great Presentations

    Years ago, I overheard some presenters claiming that to “pump up” their energy, they would fall to the floor and do a series of pushups before a presentation. I was both intrigued and appalled. Wouldn’t doing pushups render them desperately out of breath? How about the embarrassing sweat marks? Besides, I couldn’t do a push-up if my life depended on it.

    Suffice to say I never tried this approach. However, I have effectively used many techniques (potentially even stranger than pushups) to warm up before I present.

    The Case for Warming Up Before a Presentation

    You must oxygenate your blood before speaking to a group. Oxygenated blood helps to:

    • Increase blood flow to the part of your brain that improves mental focus.
    • Release serotonin to improve your mood.
    • Relieve stress.

    You can oxygenate your blood in many ways. The simplest approach is simply to take a few deep belly-breaths. Doing so is subtle, and is invisible to your audience.

    However, why stop there? Why not energize yourself fully before taking the stage?

    Your Own Private “Preparation Room”

    The restroom is your friend. You can perform these three warm-ups behind the door of your personal comfort cubicle. Believe it or not, I use these all the time!

    1. Horse Lips

    With loose lips, puff air out of your cheeks. See if you can get your lips to flap together. Doing so relaxes not only your mouth, but your entire face.

    1. Nixon Jowls

    Totally loosen your cheeks and shake your head rapidly back and forth. Feel your cheeks bounce around. (For fun, try saying “I am not a crook” while doing this.)

    1. Hum, Ha and Yawn
    • Gently Hum a single note or a scale with relaxed lips and cheeks. Feel the vibrations resonating through your face and throat.
    • To Ha, Take in a full breath. On its release, say ‘haaaaaaa’ gently until you run out of air.
    • Yawn widely, without strain. Stretch your entire face. This is a wonderful relaxer!

    Preparing to Speak Using Your Full Body

    If you’ve tried the “behind the doors” warm-ups, you’re ready for bigger things. I use these activities to pump up my entire energy. I often ask participants to join me, and find that participants love the opportunity to stand up and be active before we formally begin. The energy in the room gets warm and exciting, as well.

    Here are some full-body warm ups that you can try:

    • Run in place
    • Take the Starfish Pose (arms and legs outstretched in the “Power Pose”)
    • Do some jumping jacks
    • Simply stretch and breathe

    I Challenge You

    OK, presenters and trainers. I challenge you to try some new warm-ups. They can be subtle or whacky, so long as they loosen you up and prepare you to do your best. Please send me an e-mail describing how YOU warm up, and I may publish the zaniest ideas in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, have fun and remember that warming up is essential to great presenting!

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Mini-Van or Ferrari for Presenters?

    To go shopping, would you use a minivan or Ferrari? What if you were going to race? The choice is a no-brainer. Yet when speaking publicly, many of us want to take a minivan when we should be gearing up to drive a Ferrari.

    The Role of Adrenaline in Peak Performance

    Driving a Ferrari takes careful practice, or it will feel out of control. The same goes for making the most of your adrenaline. It’s important to rehearse your presentation in situations beyond your comfort zone. Start getting used to the extra power and “zip” that adrenaline provides.

    The research is clear. Being calm and comfortable when speaking in public does not necessarily improve performance. In fact, many speakers perform best when they feel anxious, whether they enjoy that feeling or not.

    Peak performance requires a tremendous amount of energy. Energy requires adrenaline. By embracing your shot of adrenaline, you transform it into fuel. You’ll excite others through your own total involvement, focus, and excitement.

    Centering For Your Dynamic Ride

    A Ferrari driver must be 100% present. The same goes for speaking. To be a dynamic speaker, you must center yourself. These four steps will help.

    1. Create a clear intention.

    Develop a short statement that will motor your soul during your presentation. State the intention in a positive way. (For example, avoid using the word “won’t”, as in “I won’t say ‘um’”.) Here are several examples of intentions that clients of mine have developed:

    • “I am going to speak brilliantly.”
    • “I will speak with support from my gut!”
    • “I will enjoy myself and the audience.”
    • “It’s show time!”

    Mentally state your intention immediately before you begin to speak.

    2. Shake off excess muscular tension.

    Have you seen dogs, cats, or horses shake their bodies when they are stressed? Do the same—wiggle and flap your body to shake off excess energy. Do this behind the closed door of a bathroom cubicle before taking the stage.

    3. Breathe mindfully.

    Breathing shallowly and rapidly keeps us in the “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. Try to get your breath down to your abdomen. Take at least five deep breaths as you prepare in that bathroom cubicle, and then take a couple more deep breaths before starting your presentation.

    4. Feel your center.

    Long before your presentation, practice finding your body’s center of gravity. Then, before speaking, tune into that core for a second. This focus provides strength and solidity.

    Take The Wheel

    Through centering and allowing adrenalin to fuel you, you become strong, dynamic, and in charge. So leave the mini-van at home and enjoy the ride!

    Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshops.

    Guila Muir is a premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters. Since 1994, she has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you from a boring expert to a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com

  • What is a Trainer? What is a Facilitator?

    A pet peeve of mine: Trainers who either lecture or simply read their slides, but who call themselves “facilitators”. Training and facilitation are very different animals.

    Different Roles, Different Skills

    A trainer absolutely must be a content expert. Surely, the best trainers integrate facilitative techniques to make learning easy, but at core they must “know their stuff” intimately.

    Great facilitators need not be content experts. In fact, sometimes those who run meetings the best are those who know least about the subject. Instead, they focus on the quality of the process itself.

    This chart shows the core differences between being a content expert and a facilitator.

    Con­tent Expert or Facil­i­ta­tor?

    Con­tent Expert (Tell)

    Facil­i­ta­tor (Ask)
    Presents Infor­ma­tion Guides Process; Ensures Multi-Directional Com­mu­ni­ca­tion
    Pro­vides the Right Answers Pro­vides the Right Questions
    Clear Purpose (and Learning Outcomes if Training) Clear Outcomes for the Group’s Process

    Are You a Trainer or a Facilitator?

    If you are a trainer, your best bet is to combine the roles shown in the chart. This will ensure you’re doing your job as a content expert while eliciting robust engagement and involvement.

    If you are facilitating a meeting but must impart information at some point, inform folks what you are doing. When you unexpectedly begin to tell instead of ask, confusion arises and engagement shuts down.

    Let’s make a pact right now to always be clear on what role we are embodying. Are we training? Or are we running a meeting? Our understanding makes the process more clear, and easier, for everyone.

    Give your training skills a lift with The Kite Workshop! Contact Guila today.

  • Focus on the Uncommitted in Your Audience


    Presenters, do you fear waves of animosity coming from your audience? Or have you ever believed your audience to be friendly and accepting, only to receive a terrible shock?

    One of the best “Presenter Tricks” I know is to present as if everyone in your audience is “uncommitted”. Doing so allows you to effectively deal with crosscurrents, hostility, and support–all at the same time.

    This chart identifies the needs of all the segments in your audience. By focusing on the uncommitted, you benefit everyone!

    Audience Segment What Do They Want from the Experience? Dangers of Focusing Only on This Segment? How This Segment Benefits When You Focus on the Uncommitted
    “Friendlies” Satisfaction, affinity. Perhaps a pep-talk. Too easy – you may assume too much. Their knowledge and commitment is deepened.
    “Hostiles” To see you fail. To hear you say something wrong. Increases your own nervousness and defensiveness. You may come off abrasively and unlikable. They experience human respect, openness and reason from you (and are likely to mirror the behavior.)
    “Indifferents” To be left alone and unchanged. To the exclusion of the rest of the audience, you may tie yourself up into knots trying get a response. They may get the message, while not being hammered by you.
    “Uncommitteds” To experience a reasoned, well-thought-out, good-natured exposure to the issues. NONE! They get the best of YOU: affinity and reason.You won’t cut corners by assuming support where it might not exist. You construct and present your message thoroughly, persuasively and with confidence.

    By focusing on the Uncommitted, you take great strides towards more resiliency and effectiveness as a presenter. Try doing this the next time you present.