Articles

A CEO I spoke with recently said she’d like to be inspiring and quotable at her company annual meeting. I agree this is the ultimate goal of any great speaker. Yet the great speaker knows that inspiration begins with a complete mastery of the basics. The pros have the basics down first.

Without an understanding of audience focus, practice, and flexible delivery, it’s hard to be more innovative and still be successful. For the pro, the basics are like brushing teeth in the morning – so ingrained that they no longer take concerted thought. A current example of a pro at the basics is our new President Barack Obama. Most of the time audiences are assured that he’s not going to disappoint them with eye contact, volume, pause, stance and emphasis. These are ingrained and habitual characteristics of the pro.

The creative storytelling, innovative audience engagement and ability to go with the flow all happen well after the basics are mastered.

Master the basics first: research your audience to the absolute best of your ability; craft a talk responsive to that research; practice the talk responsibly; seek feedback on any bad habits you may have developed. Practice it again. The basics will become second-nature. Now you’re on your way to being quotable. What keeps you from mastering the basics as well as you’d like? Let me know!

As a lifelong urbanite I have never cared much for pigeons. They’re annoying and there are just too many of them. But an unfolding saga in a nearby lakefront park shelter changed my attitude.

During good weather, I jogged by Lake Michigan daily and stopped in the park shelter regularly. So did the area pigeons – who found the roof beams, alcoves and restroom interiors a perfect place to hang out. In fact, you could hardly enter the place without moving pigeons first.

But then last spring the city put some pigeon proofers up; on every possible horizontal area there were now rows and rows of plastic spikes to prevent nesting and perching. Sure enough, the spikes worked and the pigeons left – all except a few who struggled to maintain their territory on any un-spiked surface, looking strangely forlorn.

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It’s time for magazines and newspapers to ply us with those  typical year-end columns on “the best of” 2008. I usually skim a few and move onward, but The Chicago Tribune’s Top Ten Chicagoans of 2008 grabbed my attention with the inspirational story of  Nancy Gianni, whose third child, Gigi, was born with Down Syndrome. Nancy, citing a need for more playful, social resources for Down Syndrome children, began Gigi’s Playhouse – an activity and learning center for such children – now with four locations in the Chicago area, all run by volunteers. 

This struck me as  a great example of an idea made significant. As a result of her efforts and her ability to Speak Up, hundreds and thousands of us are made more aware of the world of parents with children with special needs. Significance is defined as “importance”, “meaning” or “of value”  – attributes that are hidden in the potential of many of our ideas. But it is the person who speaks up who turns potential into significant action. I hope in 2009 I can do more of that. How about you?

As the  e-vites arrive and the company holiday party flyers go up, you may be thinking, “Yikes!” Most people find holiday mingling challenging, yet now is the absolute best time to Show up and Speak Up!  May I suggest a few tips?

1. Go to everything. If you don’t go to everything, how will you know who you missed? I call this the “Ya Never Know” theory. Sometimes the smallest gatherings reap the most benefits – the church coffee hour, the neighborhood cookie exchange, or the brunch with old high school friends who are back in town.

2. Wear what you feel great in. Wear the same thing to all events if you want. If different people will be there, who cares? Professional speakers have a few great jackets that travel the country; if you’ve got one great turtleneck, shirt or blouse that inspires your outgoing self, wear it.

3. To begin mingling, ask “How was your day?” rather than, “How are you?” as this question will get you to specfics more quickly. Next, ask about where the person works, or their project or family or whatever clues you pick up in their answer.

Holiday mingling is THE BEST FREE WAY TO NETWORK AND CONNECT. This is the season of light. Let yours shine!

Browse our site www.cyndimaxey.com for over 46 free articles and how to order our new book, Speak Up! A Woman’s Guide to Presenting Like a Pro (St. Martin’s Press 2008) coauthored with Kevin E. O’Connor and endorsed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Highlights from an interview with the author and Justin Brustino for ASTD INFOLINE’s “Great Presentations”  Issue (ASTD Press, September 2008). Available for purchase at www.astd.org.

What is the one bit of advice you would give to the novice presenter?

Don’t get bogged down with TMI—too much information! As you sit down, like many novices do, to write your speech using the PowerPoint program, ask yourself one question: “Why have I been asked to speak, really?” No matter your age, experience, or status, you bring something special to the picture.

Try this. Quit PowerPoint and write your reason for speaking on a piece of paper. Then write the goal—the desired outcome you want the audience to leave with as a result of your talk. Last, list three main points—things you need to say to reach that desired outcome. Then, and only then, open the PowerPoint program—and only if you really need visual support. Rarely will the audience remember all the “stuff” on your slides, anyway. The real message is not on the slides; it is in the mood you create and the unique examples you give.
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By Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O’Connor - First published in Pharmaceutical Representative Magazine, June 2008

The way you relate to different aged customers and contacts is becoming more and more important in today’s pharmaceutical sales environment.

In Chicago, there is an upscale restaurant where each newly seated table of diners is greeted with: “How you cats doin’ tonight?”—not by a waiter, but by Michael Carlson, the owner and chef. He greets customers as he cooks, waits tables, and even cleans up at his tiny upscale restaurant, Schwa. At Schwa, all the cooks wait tables (or maybe all the waiters cook) and definitely all wash the dishes. Regardless, in the hustle bustle, we “cats” of all ages are greeted the same; this sets a unique tone for the evening, and as diners, we feel part of the fun; we play the part.

The tone of the pharmaceutical sale is a bit different. Can you imagine greeting your physicians (or perhaps more importantly) their gatekeeper nurses and office managers with “How you cats doin?” Hardly! But we ask you to seriously consider: Do you sometimes refer to everyone (regardless of age and gender) as “you guys” or say “hello” with a casual “hey” or “what’s up?” Your younger contacts may find this perfectly normal, older others will be irritated, some will simply write you off immediately—and none will tell you! And what they don’t tell you will hurt you. It will hurt your credibility, your connectivity, and their perception of your competence. Ask your parents how they feel when a waiter greets them with “Hi guys!” None will openly object, but the tip amount has just become questionable. Continue Reading →

Want to get outstanding results from your next presentation? The best presenters are able to pull, not push, ideas. Use the P-U-L-L strategies every time you want to connect with and influence any size audience. Here’s how—a two-minute read….

P–PRACTICE

Even with a short amount of time, you can find practice opportunities in the shower, the car, while jogging, or as you eat breakfast the day of your presentation. The key here is to either review the words in your mind or say the words aloud when nobody else is around. You are most audience-aware and most nervous at the beginning of your talk, so knowing those opening sentences will give you a boost.

This helps you immediately PULL in the audience because you can make better eye contact with them and connect immediately.

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Most training and development professionals enter the field knowing that their role entails a considerable amount of work in front of learning groups. While today’s learners participate in a realm of online, blended, and web-based programs as well as classroom training, they expect the learning leader to be an accomplished presenter—no matter the format! Continue Reading →

By Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O’Connor

“And now a few words from….” As a leader, you represent lots of people all the time—and you are going to be called on to “say a few words.” It is natural for you to be a frequent and integral part of peoples’ achievements, milestones, and gatherings. For these spontaneous speaking opportunities, your first priority is to make the other person look great. A little known second opportunity is to look very good yourself. This is what the audience wants. This contributes to their experience. So consider these pointers to help you manage the next spontaneous opportunity you have at the microphone. Continue Reading →