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Fake It ‘Til You Make It – Annoying Cliche or Truth?

I occasionally surprise myself by uttering the cliché above while encouraging a shy person to improve their presentation skills and confidence. I used to secretly kick myself for using such a hackneyed phrase—until I read Richard Wiseman’s great book, “As If.” In it, he cites dozens of studies showing that if we act a certain way, we begin to think and feel that way.

Here’s one scientific study that’s particularly relevant to presenters:

Vanessa Bohns and her associates at the University of Toronto asked one group of volunteers to adopt a posture associated with dominance and power: these volunteers stuck out their chests and moved their arms away from their bodies. Other volunteers were instructed to curl up in a powerless-looking ball.

Then, the experimenters placed a tourniquet on each volunteer’s arm and slowly inflated it. The band got tighter and tighter, reducing blood flow. Volunteers were asked to say when they could no longer tolerate the discomfort. Findings: those in the powerful posture were able to tolerate much tighter tourniquets that those curled up in a ball. Simply acting as if they were powerful and strong helped push away an unwanted emotion.

So-step into that “magic circle” and fake it ‘til you make it! Roll those shoulders back, opening up your chest. Separate your arms from your body. Be BIG! No one will know you are quaking inside…go on and give it a try. Science supports you!

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

March 3, 2016
Not Just Your Grandmother’s Pun!

My grandma was “word-clever” almost until the day she died. I especially remember her corny puns and plays on words, which made me both laugh and groan. Researchers Alan Seidman, of Johnson and Wales University, and Stephen C. Brown, of the University of Alaska, say “Puns are a humorous way to get adult learners to think more critically about any subject.”

Puns Can Help Adults Learn

Believe it our not, research has found that we can use puns to help adult learners in the classroom. Puns represent a true form of critical thinking as the brain stretches itself to find dual meaning for certain words (Lems, 2013). Puns can also improve memory, because the internal incongruity they create helps students recall information (Summerfelt et al., 2010).

Try using puns you grew up with, or others you find on websites. You can used them as Hooks, to reinforce a point about a particular topic, or as pun-filled riddles. Here’s an example of the latter, used in an adult geography class:

Q: What is the capital of Antartica?

A: The letter “A.”

A couple I’ve enjoyed:

Sleep? There’s a nap for that.

If you take an exam in a freezing cold room, you might become a testicle.

So have fun as you use puns to bring your classroom alive!

Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. 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 trainer: www.guilamuir.com

© Guila Muir

January 28, 2016
Get ‘Em Moving!

Anyone who jogs regularly will tell you that they feel sharper both emotionally and mentally after a run. But did you know that exercise also “pumps up” learning?

The science is clear. Not only can exercise work at least as well as antidepressants to improve moods, it improves people’s learning ability.

One recent study showed that participants learned vocabulary words 20% faster following exercise than they did before exercise. Another experiment revealed that adults’ cognitive flexibility improved after one 35- minute treadmill session at a moderate pace.

What Does This Mean for Trainers?

The best trainers acknowledge that adults learn better when they connect their heads to their bodies. So get your students moving! Use these three strategies:

1. Bring content alive by using relevant, engaging activities.

2. Periodically lead the class in some quick, stand-up stretching.

3. Take frequent breaks. (My preference is to take one 10-minute break every 60 to 75 minutes.)

Remember-we learn with our entire bodies. Don’t treat your students as if they are just “heads” alone!

Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. 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 trainer: www.guilamuir.com

© Guila Muir.

December 6, 2015
The “I Don’t Feel Like Me” Blues
Have you taken a presentation skills course with me (Guila) and found yourself feeling strange, even “fake” as you practice unfamiliar behaviors?

You may remember hearing my prompts during the session. They include:
- Use the Magic Circle!
- Own the Real Estate!
- Drop the Figleaf!
- Sternum Up, Shoulders Down! and even
- Show Your Body!
Sometimes, my workshop participants push back. They may tell me “That’s not what I do,” or “This doesn’t feel like me!” While I empathize with their discomfort, I’m also glad they’re feeling it. Behaving in a new way SHOULD feel different, even a little scary.

The Intensified You

Why are you taking a presentation skills course? Presumably, it’s to improve your presentation behaviors. These behaviors can be defined as unique skills that improve your delivery of content. They are not skills to make you better at coding, supervising, engineering, making art, or any of the skills you already excel at doing.

When you feel out of your comfort zone as you practice new presentation behaviors, give yourself a pat on the back. You are expanding your boundaries. You are stepping into your “intensified you” persona.

“Intensified” or Fake?

Your “intensified you” persona includes:
- Speaking more deliberately, and probably more loudly.
- Taking up more physical space through the use of gestures and posture.
- Demanding attention, and thriving in it for the duration of the presentation.
The “intensified you” persona is 100%, authentically, you. It is simply a stronger, more confident and powerful version of your everyday you.

The New Science

2,000 years ago, Aristotle proclaimed that acting virtuous would make one virtuous. More recently, Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy found that we become how we act. The way we use our bodies shapes who we are. We know now that change occurs from the outside in, not only from the inside out.

By acting “as if” you belong in front of an audience, you start belonging in front of an audience. By looking powerful (even if you are quivering inside), you become more powerful.

Embrace It

The move from the “workaday you” to the “intensified you” might feel uncomfortable. Complain if you desire. But if you are serious about being the best presenter you can be, say “hello” to new sensations, postures, and movements. Start to enjoy a new side of yourself—the intensified you.

“Our bodies change our minds. Our minds can change our behavior. Our behavior can change our outcomes.”

Amy Cuddy

Want more tips to improve your speaking self? Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.
November 6, 2015
Sabotaging Yourself as a Speaker
Recently, I had the honor to be an audience member instead of a presenter. By watching instead of doing, I got the opportunity to re-assess my beliefs about what makes speakers effective. Here’s what I noticed:

5 Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves

Mechanistic Movement

I’ll be honest here. I’ve only noticed a case of “robot-arms” this extreme a few times in the 20 years of my professional career. Every time one speaker said a certain word, he self-consciously drew a shape in the air with his hands. I counted five of these word-and-gesture-pairings. The effect was of an overly rehearsed, stilted high school actor.

Tornado Talking

Several presenters’ speed-talking, punctuated with very few pauses, led to audience exhaustion. Women presenters were the biggest offenders.

Big Chest in a Tight Blouse (I couldn’t think of how to use alliteration here)

The audience could see the lines of one presenter’s underclothes, and even what lie beneath them. Additionally, this speaker dressed more casually than most of her audience. (Do remember the rule: “Dress like your audience, but one step better.” )

Boring Bearing

Wearing sparkly clothes didn’t make up for one speaker’s inward-turned shoulders and powerless posture. (To learn about the Power Posture watch this great video: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html)

Egregious Embellishment

Several presenters used lots and lots of very, very, absolutely, incredible, awesome, unbelievable, excellent, top-of-the-line adjectives. It was as if these speakers didn’t believe the truth of their messages, so tried to pump them up to make us believe. The opposite occurred.

3 Ways Speakers Increase Their Credibility

I’m probably the audience member from hell because of my merciless observations. However, I wouldn’t want to imply that I didn’t see anything that worked. Here are three behaviors that added to the authority and credibility of several speakers.

Purposeful Perambulation

The (female) speaker moved toward the audience, then stopped when delivering important messages. She refrained from:
- Pacing
- Walking backward
- Shifting her weight from side to side
- Talking while walking
- Standing like a cheerleader: (weight on one hip).
She always included the entire audience with her body position, not just with her eye contact. As a result, her words were compelling.

Enthusiasm Embodied

The best presenters appeared to be enjoying themselves. They displayed passion about their subjects. Their voices were both deliberate and naturally excited. They gestured authentically to emphasize their messages. (For the best article I’ve found on exuding enthusiasm as a speaker, see: https://gm.wp.zi3.xyz/training-development/the-joy-of-training/).

Audience Advocacy

This term, coined by Jerry Weissman, simply means that the speaker continually let us know how his information would benefit us. Sprinkled throughout his presentation, he asked questions like:

“Now, why is this important?”

“Why should YOU care?” and

“Why am I telling you this?”—and proceed to answer in ways that made it clear how his information was in OUR (the audience’s) best interest.

Potent Presenting

When you lose the first five behaviors listed above, you’ll stop asking yourself, “Now, why didn’t that work like I thought it would?” By integrating the last three points, your public speaking becomes more compelling, dynamic and powerful. Enjoy!

Want more tips to improve your speaking self? Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.

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 into a great presenter: www.guilamuir.com
August 6, 2015
When a Trainer is a Presenter: Five Top Platform Skills
Great trainers must be great presenters as well. I believe that participants learn most from highly active classes that imbed great design and content. However, I also know that the trainer’s presentation skills can help or hinder learning.

What are Platform Skills?

Platform skills are presentation behaviors that a trainer uses to transmit content effectively. Not to be confused with skills that guarantee participation (which, in general, only trainers use), both presenters and trainers must demonstrate excellent platform skills to get their messages across. Platform skills is one exciting arena where training and presentation cross paths.

Five Top Platform Skills for Trainers

Prepare for your next training session by making a commitment to the behaviors below. Then, ask a peer to observe you and let you know how you did.

I compiled these criteria by researching some of the best resources in the training field, and have listed them in no particular order.

The trainer:
- Clearly communicates the session’s topic, goal, and relevance to the participants at the beginning of the session.
- Effectively manages nervousness so that it does not distract the participants.
- Uses humor, analogies, examples, metaphors, stories, and delivery methods other than lecture or PowerPoint.
- Faces the participants most of the time in a “full-frontal” body position.
- Summarizes and closes the class with energy.
Want more tips to improve your trainings? Learn how Guila Muir’s Instructional Design Workshop can help you to create powerful, effective training sessions.

Learn how to present with pizzazz using the Kite Method with Guila’s Instructional Design book.

Guila Muir, a premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters, has helped thousands of professionals improve their training, facilitation, and presentation skills. Find out how she can help transform you into a great trainer.
May 9, 2015
FEAR, Revisited: Manage Your Presentation Nerves!

Do your hands sweat at the mere idea of public speaking? Does your stomach flip-flop, your mind go blank?

Four guidelines from professional speaking coaches will help.

1. Don’t hate your nerves.
Remember that your goal is NOT to overcome fear. Your goal is to deliver an effective message. When you invest yourself fully in your message, fear takes a back seat.

2. Be able to clearly state your presentation‘s purpose.
Your nerves will undermine you if you’re not able to state the purpose in one short sentence, starting with “The purpose of my presentation is to…”

In the words of Dianna Booher, an international communications skills expert: “If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”

3. Work That Heart.
Cardiovascular fitness acts as an “anxiety shield.” Whatever physical exercise you like, do it, and do it regularly. Your lowered blood pressure, heightened endurance, and increased oxygen flow will protect you against an attack of nerves.

4. Do it over and over. The best way to feel calm and confident is to practice your presentation multiple times, OUT LOUD, both by yourself and in the “real world.”

Use these four suggestions as you prepare for your next presentation. The antidote to nervousness is not “out there” somewhere…the keys are already inside of you.

Want more tips to improve your speaking self? Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.

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

April 2, 2015
Which is More Important? How You Design or How You Present?
After observing trainers for years, I realized one counter-intuitive, yet powerful, truth. Design (the way you organize your training session or presentation) often trumps “how” you present it in terms of effectiveness. That is, the rational, linear, and creative planning you used to develop your session may ensure your success MORE than the way you use your voice, hands, or body language.

Shocking! Isn’t using your charming personality enough? Isn’t it enough to “go with the flow,” enjoying your interactions with the audience (or just the sound of your own voice)?

When I’ve asked audience members how much they learn from flamboyant, charismatic speakers, I often hear “I really enjoyed the speaker. But once I thought about it, I realize I didn’t get anything out of the session.”

Three Magic Elements

So what about the opposite type of presenter? She may be severely introverted. She may even slouch and not make much eye contact. Of course, she, too, can ruin a session. BUT: if this presenter has:
- Designed her session using a logical flow of information,
- “Baked” interaction between the participants (not just with the presenter) into her design, and
- Reduced her dependence on PowerPoint,
The chances are high that her participants will leave her session feeling grateful. They may not remember being “bowled over” by the speaker, but they will have gained practical knowledge or skills they can actually use.

The Role of Speaker Energy

An ounce of energy is worth a pound of technique. Roger Ailes

What is the one thing that would improve that second speaker’s delivery? The simplest ingredient is energy itself. All audiences respond to the level of energy a speaker exudes. That’s why some speakers have come to rely on energy alone.

First, you must build an extremely robust foundation. Do that by integrating the three elements above into your session’s design. Then rehearse your session, exuding a much higher level of energy than you would use in any other professional situation. Rehearse it out loud, several times. Maintain that same energy level each time.

When it’s “Showtime,” you will be amazed at the positive effect that your good design, combined with your high energy, has on your audience. They will remember YOU, and most importantly, they will remember your message.

Want more tips to improve your speaking self? Learn about Guila Muir’s Presentation Skills Workshop.

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
February 23, 2015
Embracing “Figleaf” for Presentations
Oh, if only I could advocate Figleaf, since it’s the go-to position of many presenters. After giving Figleaf a thumbs-up in this fantasy scenario, I could also wholeheartedly endorse the following, both online and IRL:
- slumping shoulders forward
- crossing arms in front of the body
- crossing legs.
I can only imagine how relieved my clients would be if I could promote these popular behaviors.

Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen. If we are serious about presenting effectively, we can’t afford any of these. Let’s take a look at the worst offender. Then we’ll review our options.

What is Figleaf?

Figleaf occurs when you place one or more hands in front of your midsection or abdomen. Using “Figleaf”, even while sitting, closes you in and hunches you inward. It can lower others’ perception of your credibility.

Why Does Figleaf Occur?

Our brains are hardwired to protect us. When we feel exposed (as many feel when presenting) we react by covering up. As Malcolm Kushner says in Presentations for Dummies, “it’s like you’ve just discovered your nakedness (or lack of anything intelligent to say) and want to hide it from your audience.”

What Are Options to Figleaf?

The good news is that great alternatives exist. All of the following will make you look more credible:
- Bend your elbows slightly and align your middle finger with your shoulders. Allow your hands to relax and face each other. Move your wrists slightly as you talk. OR
- Move your hands from the shoulders instead of from the elbows. OR
- Demonstrate with your hands: “On the ONE hand”, or “our FIRST priority should be…” (bring your hands up for visibility if online).
To Avoid Figleaf

All you need is willingness…willingness to try something new, even if it makes you feel exposed at first. You will see an immediate improvement in your confidence and competence as a speaker.

Want more tips to improve your speaking self? See our Presenting Confidently and Concisely Workshop.
February 2, 2015
How to Keep Meetings Active and Productive

As a facilitator, you are responsible for achieving the meeting outcomes, maintaining full participation, and ending on time. How do you maintain meaningful, focused conversation throughout? These five tips will help.

1. Playback
Reiterate what a participant has said as closely as you can. Try not to infer meaning.“Greg, I’m hearing you say that you want this to go a little more slowly. Did I get that right?”

2. Consolidate
Pull together ideas, showing their relationship to each other. “As you can see from Juan’s and Cathy’s comments, there seem to be enough resources and commitment to take this on.”

3. Play Devil’s Advocate
Disagree gently with a participant’s comments to stimulate further discussion. (Remember, you maintain your neutral role even though you put out the Devil’s Advocate statement.) “Is that always the case?” “This has worked elsewhere. What makes this different?”

4. Relieve Tension
State what you see calmly and without evaluation. “Bill and Mary are bringing out two different sides of this issue.” “I see many furrowed brows. Let’s take a quick break to reflect on this.”

5. Change the Process
Alter the method of participation. “Let’s break into small groups to see how many alternate options you can come up with.”

Try implementing these skills in your next meeting. Chances are, it will move along faster and be more productive.

Guila Muir is the premiere trainer of trainers, facilitators, and presenters on the West Coast of the United States. 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

© Guila Muir.

January 26, 2015