The Elephant in the Room

I love it when popular magazines discuss the techniques of effective presenters.  Inc. recently did a quick analysis of a Sheryl Sandberg presentation that has been making its way around the internet.  You can view the actual presentation by going to The Wall Street Journal's clip here and then read the analysis.

Deborah Grayson Riegel does a great job breaking down some of the basics of public speaking for Inc. readers. She points out how Sandberg ties her remarks to what's on the audience's mind:  the Harvey Weinstein scandal.  It seems like an obvious thing to do, but my undergraduate students at Wayne State University often struggle with this.  I often tell them:  if you're giving a presentation on thunderstorms and you find yourself presenting to a group while a thunderstorm is raging outside, it's going to seem odd if you don't reference it.

Saturday Night Live used to have a recurring skit in which Bar Mitzvah Boy was so intent on sticking to his prepared script that he couldn't even answer simple questions that Seth Myers asked.  Rather, Bar Mitzvah Boy would nervously return to his prepared remarks, leaving the obvious question hanging in the air.

Try having the flexibility and confidence to be in the moment and improvise ever so slightly to tie your message to the obvious, the unavoidable, and the now.

Stand or Sit?

If you want to see an effective public speaker in action, attend a Weight Watchers meeting.  I've seen a wide variety of presenters at these meetings over the years and they do a great job presenting information, interacting with the audience, offering support and motivation and also keeping it real.

At a recent Weight Watchers meeting, I arrived a few minutes late and was surprised to see only three people in the audience.  The presenter quickly rearranged the chairs and joined the members in the seats.  I pulled up a chair and joined the group, noticing how the presenter still maintained a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

This is not always easy to do.  Once I gave two identical presentations to undergraduate students at the University of Detroit Mercy.  During the first presentation, I stood at the front of the room, moved around a bit, and felt like I had a lot of energy.  A week later, I gave the presentation a second time,  this time to only about two or three people.  It felt odd to stand in front of such a small group, so I sat while I presented.  It wasn't the same.  I wasn't the same.  My energy level had dropped and I felt off my game.

Sitting while presenting to a small group can be quite effective and it will create a level of intimacy and familiarity that can really energize an otherwise stand-offish presentation.  Just be careful to not let your energy, volume or enthusiasm drop too much.

Better Without the Sound

I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a video playing, without the sound.  At first I thought it was a late night host doing a monologue. It looked like Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel standing in front of one of their brightly colored sets.  The hand gestures and body mannerisms were confident and casual.  Like a performer. 

I did a double take.  It was actually Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking in front of the crowd gathered at the opening of the 2017 Invictus Games.

I clicked on it so that I could hear the sound.  And I didn't like what I heard.  He was speaking in English when the sound came on and his voice sounded high pitched and thin.  Or maybe it just sounded artificial to me - like he was trying to rev up the crowd by speaking more loudly.  I'm used to listening to Trudeau speak to either a smaller gathering or in a recorded video message while seated and speaking to a camera.  It was my first time hearing Trudeau as he tried to rally a crowd of thousands in a large arena.

When he switched to French, the timber of his voice didn't appear as high but I admit it was probably my own bias since I couldn't understand the French.  You can listen to his remarks here.

It's not advisable to try to lower your voice by projecting from the lower part of your throat.  This can be damaging to your vocal cords.  Rather, by practicing on breathing from your diaphragm (and not your chest), you can ever so slightly lower your pitch.  Aside from that, it is always best to use your natural voice and to make sure you are injecting your words with expression and warmth.

Yes, I'm probably being overly critical, but I think I prefer his voice when he's not trying to shout. But I would still give him a passing grade.

Hark! Who Goes There?

If you're a regular Brady Bunch viewer, you remember the episode when Marcia got the part of Juliet in the school play, Romeo and Juliet.  The real stars of that episode were Jan and Peter.  They were excited to have bit parts as guards.  Their big line was "Hark!  Who goes there?"

There was one scene when Jan and Peter were struggling with how to deliver their line.  They didn't know which word to emphasize and so they rehearsed with a variety of ways, over zealously emphasizing a different word each time.  I know what you're thinking: "Oh those cornball Brady kids!"

But there's nothing corny about taking the time to experiment with the right way to deliver a line.  Especially if it's a pivotal or important part of your message.  Jan and Peter played around with which word to emphasize by means of saying it LOUDLY.  Or, as I like to say LOUD AND PROUD.  It's a simple way to emphasize a part of your message.  You don't want to overdo it, but if there's a word or phrase you don't want your audience to miss, it's a simple way to add emphasis.

And the only way to know for sure how it will sound is to rehearse it.  Out loud.  Try it a few different ways.  As Jan and Peter did.  You may feel silly but you'll appreciate the rehearsal once you realize that all variations are not created equal.  It will sound better one particular way.  You'll only know if you give a few options a try.

So how did Jan and Peter do on opening night?  Not so well.  One of them belted out "Who goes there?" before the other one could say "Hark!"  And this time, you're right by thinking, "Oh those cornball Brady kids!"