Bill Gove, legendary professional speaker from the United States, who has now passed on, advised that to make a connection with an audience, at the start of a presentation, you should ‘let the little boy or girl in you come out to play’. What does this mean? It means to bring some of the excitement, energy and exuberance you had as a child (think of yourself as a four year old here) into your speaking and presentation.Continue reading
Cut the cheese Kristina – Barry is like wet lettuce
How to speak so people listen. William Strunk jnr and E.B. White
The versatile ‘Consider this, what if . . .’ opening hook explained
Consider this – what if you could have a versatile opening phrase that you could plug into any speaking interaction or presentation to ‘hook’ people to listen to you? The ‘Consider this – what if?’ opening is one such phrase. Continue reading
Strategies by mining your life to hook an audience to listn
A simple, brief story that you can tie into your key message is a good way to hook your audience. The challenge is how to find a story that is not overdone and staid (eg. the Colonel Sander’s Kentucky Fried Chicken story. It’s usually used as an example of how to be successful by persevering) and that you can tie into your key message.Continue reading
A classice simple structure for your presentation/pitch
One simple structure for a presentation/pitch is 1. Hook them to listen, 2. Deliver your key message(s) 3. Cover housekeeping 4. Share principles that support your key message. 5. Summarize your key messages. 6. Handle questions. 7. Close with your key message/call to action.Continue reading
Good Questions to Ask When Hiring Sales People
I was listening to a Voice of Experience CD from the National Speakers Association (in the USA) this week and Zemira Jones, CEO/President of All American Management Group, shared several things to keep in mind regarding hiring sales people. Let me share what impressed me from Jones’ insight – specifically one of his key points, and a few of his interview questions to ask sales person, candidates.
‘Always be hiring’: Continue reading
Julia Gillard tears and Tony Abbott’s limited speaking explained
The emotion, waver in the voice and tears of Julia Gillard this week, were real. The episode with the Australian flag given to her by the helicopter pilots and the Jordan Rice matter touched her deeply. Her performance must be viewed with the backdrop and context of one of her first Queensland floods, media performances, and with the realities of politics.
Gillard’s political minders would have seen the condolence speech as a way to repair Gillard’s woodenness and tone deafness in her first Queensland floods press conference – where she came across, through her emotional tone, more like she was giving a litany of budget cuts versus expressing unvarnished, human compassion for the monumental losses of people.Continue reading
Body language reveals Gallop – Stewart tension
An example of using a prop in winning a pitch
A number of years ago I suggested to a client that they buy a crystal ball (they paid $500 for one) to be used in their multi-million dollar pitch presentation to a prospective client. I’m not suggesting you do the same when you’re pitching for a significant piece of business, but do suggest you think about what prop, or other device or image you could use that would be positively memorable in the mind of the prospect – and that could give you the edge in winning the business.Continue reading