Public speaking tip: Shock ’em

When I was planning for my recent all day presentation I was considering the post lunch sleepiness that most audiences experience. I wanted to do something totally different that I knew would shock them out of their afternoon low.

So I bought a muskrat trap. I was talking about the "traps" AKA deep trouble you could get into by spam email marketing.

I set the trap with great care. Then I put a pencil into the trap to set it off. The pencil snapped showing the trap to be real . . . This got their attention.

I then reset the trap and talked about how learning what I was going to teach them in the next section would keep them from getting hurt in the email spam trap.Then, with lots of suspense building as I approached the trap, I set it off with my bare hand, I let out a fake Karate-like scream, the trap slammed on my hand and I held it up hanging from my fingers. . . . Believe me this got their attention!

DO NOT TRY THIS! DO NOT TRY THIS! DO NOT TRY THIS! I know how to do this without getting hurt. I am not responsible if you break your finger or get hurt in any way !!!

There are many other ways to shock people. You could put a needle through a balloon, you could stick a knife through one of their coats. Stop by any magic or gag shop for tons of ideas. Just don't get too outrageous and scare people unnecessarily.

 

From Tom Antion  Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

 

Public speaking – Adding Golf To Your Topic – even if you’re not a golfer

 

I'm not a golfer, but I can tell you one thing for sure.

Many people in your audiences are nuts over golf.

I've seen some speakers do their entire presentation using a golf metaphor. They would say things like, "In golf if your swing is off, you'll hit the ball into the woods . . . just like if your leadership technique is off you'll be in the "rough" .. .  and a lot more is at stake than just a bad scorecard." etc.

I've seen speakers carry their golf bag on stage and pull out some clubs just to have something to do with their hands.

I've seen speakers get audience members on stage to have a putting contest.

I've seen one speaker at a resort ride into his speech on a golf cart.

You don't even have to like golf to add a little bit about golf to your speeches.

I tease the golfers in the audience about all their crazy gadgets.

 

Tom Antion, Publisher "Great Speaking"  Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash

How to wow ’em like Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was the charismatic, driven CEO of Apple Computers and well known for his dynamic presentations.

 

Carmine Gallo has analysed Steve Job’s presentations in an article titled How to Wow 'Em Like Steve Jobs.

 

“Jobs,” he says, “learned a long time ago that a leader must be a company evangelist and brand spokesperson.”

He has distilled Job’s success into five tips, and I include here just the skeleton of what he wrote.

Sell the Benefit

Steve Jobs … sells an experience… “It's not about the technology, but what the technology can do for you.”

Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More

Jobs takes nothing for granted during product launches. He reviews and rehearses his material…. ‘Truth is, the sense of informality comes only after grueling hours of practice.’

Keep It Visual

… there are very few bullet points in a Jobs presentation. Each slide is highly visual. … Simple and visual. Take a cue from Jobs and help your listeners visualize the message.

Exude Passion, Energy, and Enthusiasm
Jobs has an infectious enthusiasm.

"And One More Thing..."
At the end of each presentation Jobs adds to the drama by saying, "and one more thing." He then adds a new product, new feature, or sometimes introduces a band. He approaches each presentation as an event, a production with a strong opening, product demonstrations in the middle, a strong conclusion, and an encore -- that "one more thing!"

It's Your Turn

Gallo is the author of  10 Simple Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators. Visit him online at http://www.carminegallo.com/

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Speaking to ESL audiences

When speaking to an audience that includes people who speak English as a second language, you may notice that some people keep whispering to the person sitting next to them.

They're probably not being rude or inattentive.

Indeed, the whispering may be a compliment: it is likely that the whisperer is translating for the person next to him or her.

When several people start whispering at once, it's your cue to rephrase whatever you just said.

-- Resli Costabell(Resli@Costabell.com)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash