Speaker's Digest October 2004
In this issue:
A Final Thought on the Election: VOTE!
In recent issues, we've written quite a bit about candidates, conventions and stump speeches. Now, with the hotly contested election just days away, there doesn't seem to be much that we could add by discussing presentation styles and messages. So we'll leave you with this thought—make your opinions count on November 2nd. Make time to VOTE!
Being Nervous vs. Acting Nervous
There’s being nervous, and there’s ACTING nervous. Allow us to illustrate through a favorite old TV show:
In a classic episode from The Honeymooners, Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton (Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, respectively) concoct a plan to sell the Handy Housewife Helper, a device that performs many kitchen tasks.( “Can it core a apple?”) Their sales strategy includes performing a live television commercial. Ed, playing Chef of the Past, and Ralph, as Chef of the Future, rehearse their spot 15 times. When Ed owns up to feeling a little nervous, Ralph becomes convinced that his best friend will ruin everything, warning him: “Careful, nervous, you’ll get all Norton.” Honeymooner fans will recall that Ralph was the one who panicked, looking like a deer caught in the headlights the moment the cameras rolled.
Most people feel somewhat nervous when they begin to give their presentations. But here’s the good news—an audience can’t see inside of you and know how you feel. Many speakers tell us their legs are turning to jello, or that their knees are knocking together in fear. But we’ve seen hundreds of speakers, and we’ve never seen two knees actually make contact with each other.
But we have seen speakers who act nervous in different ways. Audiences sense nervousness, picking up signals from your approach, your gestures and body language that show your discomfort. Audiences get uncomfortable when they sense that a speaker is nervous, which distracts them from hearing all the great material that’s been prepared.
You’ll probably recognize these telltale signs of a speaker’s nervousness. Here are some ways that you can notice them in yourself, and make adjustments to overcome them:
Fidgeting Hands. Rubbing your hands, clenching and unclenching them, playing with, pulling and grabbing your fingers.
Solution: Use broad gestures. Get your hands away from your body and from each other. Use them to emphasize your main points. If you must, put one hand in your pocket—just don’t forget to remove it after a while!
Repetitive or Unconscious Movement. Rocking back and forth, shifting from hip to hip, pacing, shuffling feet, leaning, or pushing heels into the ground, which we call “drilling for oil.”
Solution: Plant your feet. We use an exercise we call “paper training.” We put down a large sheet of paper, and have the speaker stand on it with both feet. Practice talking with both feet planted. If you hear paper crinkling, then you need to stand still. Once you’ve mastered standing still, you can try moving around to fill up your space. But when you get to your next mark, stand still. (We hope that paper training turns out differently than if you have a puppy at home!)
Nervous Eyes. Shifting from side to side quickly, back to notes, back at slides, back to audience, staring up or down.
Solution: Look directly into audience members’ eyes one person at a time, and hold that contact for a complete thought, typically three to five seconds. Extending that eye contact for an extra moment can even help you emphasize your thoughts to your audience, as if to say “see what I mean?” Then, move that extended contact around the room randomly, communicating full thoughts as you go. Don’t leave out the people in the front and back corners.
Voice Quality. Shaky voice, too quiet, too fast, hard to hear, hoarse or breathy tone.
Solution: Turn up the volume. Explore the full range of your voice, high, low, loud, and soft. Speed up, slow down, and use different facial expressions to deliver your ideas. Smile. Adjust your posture. Pause and take a few deep breaths if you need to.
Practice a few of our solutions if you notice yourself exhibiting any of these or other nervous behaviors. We promise they’ll take you TO THE MOON!
Tough Crowd! Tough Crowd!
-Rodney Dangerfield
Comic legend Rodney Dangerfield, who died earlier this month, reminded us of the challenge of connecting with certain audiences. His now famous refrain, usually accompanied by a visible tweak of his tie, generally came when a joke didn’t get the laugh that he expected. But like most performers, Rodney could sometimes be less than perfect when his audience wasn’t as responsive.
Some audiences seem to be fully engaged. Everything sounds and looks interesting, every idea potentially huge, and each point convincing. Individuals seem alert, sitting up straight, and paying close attention. In these situations, the presenter, actor, performer, or speaker literally becomes energized, gains confidence, and does their best work.
Most of us spend more time as watchers or listeners than as presenters. But do we realize the impact that we can have on the performances of those in front of us? We can support—and even energize—friends, colleagues, associates, or strangers by being good listeners. We encourage them to do their best job, and the reward is that we see a better presentation.
The importance of the audience has been well documented. Think about how professional actors feel when they look in to the crowd as they first come on stage. As a ticket holder, you want them to perform at their best, to hit their spots and their notes, and to belt out their lines as if this show was their best ever. And as a performer, they want you to give them your eye contact, laugh in the right places, sit on the edge of your seat, and loudly demonstrate your appreciation for a job well done.
How can you show a presenter that you’re engaged in their speech? Here are some ways:
- Sitting straight or leaning forward
- Nodding, smiling, gesturing, reacting
- Responding to speaker’s cues
- Taking notes
Behavior that distracts and discourages:
- Scowling, dozing, or avoiding eye contact
- Talking to others
- Slouching in your seat
- Keeping a coat or jacket on
- Reacting inappropriately
Cara Heiden
Executive Vice President
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage