How to use sound, video and images to make vivid presentations

‘If we do these things, we won’t end up like this’ A number of years ago, at one of my client’s off-site conferences, I was in the audience during the Managing Director’s opening keynote presentation. During the presentation the MD said ‘If we do these things, we won’t end up like this’ – while displaying on the presentation screen, a carcass on a butchers block with a chef’s knife lodged in it. A graphic image for sure.Continue reading

Obama’s special speaking sauce exposed

Why is Barack Obama such a captivating speaker? It’s because of many things, including:Mnnchen Flipchart yes we can

Owning and ‘extending’ time; lyrical, melodic voice usage, deft figure of speech usage (eg. anaphora*) , fluid carriage and movement of his body and the use of fresh, compelling metaphors.Continue reading

Here a step by step technique to speak like Barack Obama

What if you could have a practical, powerful process to notch-up your speaking impact through the modelling of an expert speaker?

Below is a description on how to do this.

GOAL
To produce a high level speaking performance that approximates the performance level of an expert speaker, while putting your individual ‘stamp’ on the performance.

RATIONALE
By being able to approximate the level of an expert speaker, you’ll upgrade your existing speaking skill. You’ll also have new ‘phrasing repertoires’ to embed into your speaking.

EQUIPMENT Needed
Access to the web
A camera to video record your speaking

THE PROCESS
1. Click on the following link of Barack Obama’s 2008 Grant Park speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K8GWCl7P7U
and Watch starting from ‘Hello Chicago’ at 55 seconds . . . to ‘The United States of America’ at 2:32

2. Take notes on the speech and form the notes into presentation notes/talking points for yourself.

3. Using your notes/points video record your delivery of the opening segment.

4. Playback and watch your recording and compare it to Obama’s.

5. Refine your words, cadence, voice, and body language, and then repeat steps 3, 4 until your performance approximates the expert level of Obama’s performance.

This is a proven process that my executive and business pitch clients have used to improve their speaking and presentation impact.
It’s worth the effort.