June 2011
Volume 10, No. 6

In this issue:

• The Screen Door Slams
• Pepsi, anyone?
• Brain-Based Presenting
• Distracting Glasses

Hello, again. Storms have worked their way through our city (and power has mercifully returned), the Sox have taken two of three from the cross-town rivals, and we're all doing our best to settle into the rhythms of summertime.

Will you quench your thirst this summer with an ice-cold Coke? Maybe not, if you watch the same speech we heard from the Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Corporation. We have seen few speakers who were less animated or interesting than Muhtar Kent, and in this issue we wonder how presentation skills are left off the job descriptions of so many executives. We also share some research on how the human brain responds to the information that speakers give out during presentations.

The Screen Door Slams

We want to begin this month by celebrating the life and career of Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons, who passed away last week. He was the well-known saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Many of you know we're diehard fans here at EMS, and Clarence's solos still bounce around these office walls on a daily basis. His music and his presence will be missed.

Springsteen himself shared these thoughts: "Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them want to love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every time he stepped on stage."

Here's to you, Big Man!

Pepsi, anyone?

Watching an online presentation by Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent, delivered last fall at Yale University, almost makes us want to switch to Pepsi!

For C-level executives, the ability to communicate well to multiple audiences—employees, shareholders and customers—is critical. Surely Mr. Kent possesses many business and personal skills to have gained his position at the top of one of the world's largest corporations and one of our most recognizable brands.

But his presentation skills clearly fall into the "Needs Improvement" category. We think it's downright embarrassing for executives at this level to present their ideas so ineffectively. Public speaking skills are teachable and make a huge difference. Why don't leaders invest the time to learn and practice them?

Muhtar, dressed stylishly in a sharp suit with matching tie, pocket hankie, and pressed shirt, clearly cared about his appearance. He (or his staff) took time to articulate forward-thinking remarks about the increasingly important role that women play in the global economy. Yet he couldn't have been a less impressive presenter. For example, he leaned on his lectern throughout the 38-minute speech he gave. He leaned so heavily that the few times (very few) he lifted his hands to make a gesture, he seemed so off-balance that he nearly fell over. (Closed circuit to EMS clients—hands off the lectern!)

Take time to watch a few minutes of his speech, (here's the link), and notice how his entire body is bent over so that he can keep his hands on the podium. Body language is so important to presenters, and clearly Mr. Kent's mother never reminded him to STAND UP STRAIGHT!

You'll also quickly detect his incredible overuse of non-words. He used "uh" and "um" as punctuation during his speech, as if they could double as commas. Our regular readers know that we sometimes keep count: we noticed 18-20 non-words per minute, or one every 3-4 seconds. Non-words blunt the impact of important thoughts, as in: "we face a great opportunity to, uhhhhhhh...."

And do we need to call your attention to the lack of energy, facial expression and personality in his delivery? All this brought to you by the company with such famous tag lines as "Have a Coke and a smile", "Can't beat the feeling" and "Open happiness"!

There's no excuse for management-level executives to be such poor presenters. If you know someone in need of help, send them in our direction. We'll turn them around in no time.

Brain-Based Presenting

In our work, we generally focus on ways that you, as a presenter, can use techniques like the Fundamentals of Public Speaking to make your presentations stand out from the crowd. A few weeks ago, one of our "correspondents" heard a speaker talk about the human brain, focusing on what happens in the minds of the audience during events.

Dan Yaman, who runs an event communications company in St. Paul called Live Spark, says that after 24 hours, our brains only retain 5% of information we hear in a typical presentation. Speaking to a group of event organizers, he spoke about ways to do a better job of engaging the human mind to improve this percentage. His message caught our attention.

Yaman says that our minds are full of all kinds of information all the time, and that presenters need to plan accordingly to help us differentiate between what we NEED to know and what is NICE to know. Our brains tune out things like long introductions and busy slides, he said, noting that most presenters provide way too much "noise" that drowns out the "signal."

What do our brains need to retain more of the message?

Me, first. People are attracted to importance and to novelty. In other words, they need the information to be both relevant and new. But presenters also must reach audience members' brains with an early response to the question "what's in it for ME?" If they don't, presenters will lose their attention quickly.

What was that middle thing? People remember beginnings and endings far more than the content in the middle of the presentation. Yaman calls this the "Jan Brady Principle," referring to the infamous middle child from our favorite '70s sitcom. We note that many presenters tend to put all their marbles in the middle. That's why we advocate opening with a POW! statement and ending with a strong summary. (Hmm...both Eric and Eliot were middle children. Does that make US forgettable??)

Re-Engage. According to a study cited by Yaman, the average adult human attention span lasts 5-7 minutes. This implies that the brain will tune out after that time unless the presenter does something to re-engage the audience. Stories, activities, changing speakers or lighting, humor, or music are all ways to re-engage one's brain. Interesting idea—don't leave your best point until minute #8!

Emotional recall. The brain responds heavily to emotion, Yaman says. Presenters who can appeal to audience emotions are more likely to engage their audience as well as increase retention of their material. Pictures, videos and music all can help.

Stories, Stories, Stories. Our readers and clients know that we're big believers in the power of telling stories. Yaman indicated that stories activate the brain, which is why they play such an important role for presenters.

Yaman's ideas are definitely in sync with many of the messages we share with readers and clients. For more on Live Spark, check out their website at www.live-spark.com.

Distracting Glasses

Muhtar Kent's presentation shows us how eyeglasses can be a distraction for the audience. We understand—if you need to use notes and you're over 40, you probably need glasses in order to read them. But be careful—listeners should hear your message, not notice your glasses.

Mr. Kent wore his reading glasses on the end of his nose. He used them to refer to his notes, then tried to look over them to see his audience. We commend him for trying to make good eye contact, but the glasses clearly got in the way. Looking over them as he did made him appear professorial and condescending.

What can you do as a presenter to keep the audience focused on your message? How about printing your notes in extra-large print so you can leave your glasses at home? Or, it may be less distracting to take them off to make a point or tell a story. Even a magnifier device might be a better way to see your notes.

There are so many ways to distract your audience—non-words, repetitive and unintentional movement, lip-smacking, and others. You need to be aware of how your audience sees and hears you, and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that your message comes through loudly and clearly. Be sure to practice your presentation with a trusted colleague nearby, and get their feedback before you step on stage in front of a live group.

Do your part in helping EMS "rid the world of boring presentations." When you find video of speakers doing it right or doing it wrong, forward the link to us. We'll be happy to share them with your fellow Digest readers. See you next month!

Pass it on!

Speaker's Digest now goes out to over 3000 readers every month. We welcome your thoughts on this publication, and appreciate whenever someone refers us to a new subscriber. Do you know someone who should be on our list, or do you have an idea for a story in an upcoming issue? Feel free to contact us with feedback at info@presentationtrainers.com.

If you like Speaker's Digest, please share it with a friend!