I watched ‘Fair Game’ last night (with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts) which ended with a powerful movie speech. Powerful and short. In fact, the best movie speeches are only about 100 seconds. (The Gettysburg Address was about 2 min long).

Hopefully this will get you in the mood to produce powerful business presentations (most of which are longer than they need to be).

And by the way, the movie speakers don’t rush. There are long pauses. In fact, they generally speak at half the pace of most business presentations. Yet they convey so much.

You can say a lot in a minute or two if you clarify your ideas and craft your messages.

Enjoy.

Ali (2001)

(Less than a min) Ali was a master at getting a poetic rhythm in his speeches. Like a dance (which is the way he boxed). Here he defends his decision not to participate in the war in Vietnam. Watch this movie speech here.

“I ain’t draft-dodgin.’ I ain’t burnin’ no flag. And I ain’t runnin’ to Canada. I’m stayin’ right here.

You wanna send me to jail? Fine, you go right ahead. I’ve been in jail for 400 years. I can be there for 4 or 5 more.

But I ain’t goin’ no 10,000 miles to help murder and kill other poor people. If I wanna die, I’ll die right here, right now fightin’ you — if I wanna die.

You my enemy. Not no Chinese, no Viet Cong, no Japanese.

You my opposer — when I want freedom.

You my opposer — when I want justice.

You my opposer — when I want equality.

Want me to go to somewhere and I fight for you? You won’t even stand up for me right here in America for my rights and my religious beliefs. You won’t even stand up for me right here at home.”

A Beautiful Mind (2002)

(Just over 1 min) Movie speech where John Nash accepts the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Watch the movie speech here.

“I’ve always believed in numbers and the equations and logics that lead to reason.

But after a lifetime of such pursuits, I ask,

What truly is logic? Who decides reason?

My quest has taken me through the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional — and back. And I have made the most important discovery of my career, the most important discovery of my life: It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found.

I’m only here tonight because of you [wife, Alicia]. You are the reason I am. You are all my reasons. Thank you.”

Fair Game (2011)

(Less than 2 mins) Enlightening movie speech about the decision to go to war in iraq. Watch the movie speech here.

“How many of you know the 16 words in President Bush’s State of the Union Address that led us to war? (none) How many know my wife’s name? (everyone).

How can you know one, and not the other? When did the question move from ‘Why are we going to war?’ to ‘Who is this man’s wife?’

I asked the first question, and somebody else asked the second. And it worked. Because none of us know the truth. The offence that was committed was not committed against me, it was not committed against my wife – it was committed against you. All of you.

If that makes you angry or feel misrepresented, do something about it.

When Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall, just after the second draft of it, he was approached by a woman on the street, the woman said, ‘Mr Franklin, what manner of government have you bequeathed us? And Franklin said, ‘A Republic madam… if you can keep it.’

The responsibility of a country is not in the hands of a privileged few. We are strong and we are free from tyranny as long as each one of us remembers his or her duty as a citizen. Whether it’s to report a pothole at the top of your street, or lies in a State of The Union Address, speak out! Ask those questions. Demand that truth. Democracy is not a free ride man, I’m here to tell you.

But this is where we live. And if we do our job, this is where our children will live. God bless America.”

Wall street (1987)

(3 mins) One of the classic movie speeches where Gordon Ghekko convinces shareholders to vote for his business plan with his ‘Greed is good‘ message. Watch the movie speech here.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, we’re not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality. America has become a second-rate power. Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now, in the days of the free market, when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today, management has no stake in the company!

All together, these men sitting up here [Teldar management] own less than 3 percent of the company. And where does Mr. Cromwell[CEO] put his million-dollar salary? Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than 1 percent.

You own the company. That’s right — you, the stockholder.

Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents, each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can’t figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I’ll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents.

And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats, with their steak lunches, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.

The new law of evolution in corporate American seems to be survival of the un-fittest. Well in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I’ve been involved with there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pre-tax profit of 11 million dollars. I am not a destroyer of companies, I am a liberator of them!

The point is ladies and gentlemen that Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all of its forms. Greed for life, money, love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind, and greed – you mark my words – will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.

Thank you very much.”

“The Verdict” (1982)

(2 mins 45 seconds) Best movie speech: Frank Galvin’s closing argument to win the un-winnable case. Watch this great movie speech here.

“Well…You know, so much of the time we’re just lost. We say, “Please, God, tell us what is right. Tell us what is true.”

I mean there is no justice. The rich win; the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie. And after a time we become dead, a little dead. We think of ourselves as victims — and we become victims. We become weak; we doubt ourselves; we doubt our beliefs; we doubt our institutions; and we doubt the law.

But today you are the law. You are the law, not some book, not the lawyers, not a marble statue, or the trappings of the court. See, those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are, in fact, a prayer, I mean a fervent and a frightened prayer.

In my religion, they say, “Act as if you had faith; faith will be given to you.”

If we are to have faith in justice we need only to believe in ourselves and act with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts.”

Malice (1993)

(90 seconds) One of the most devious movie speeches; where Alec Baldwin plays a Doctor intentionally losing a malpractice suit to collect a share of the insurance money. Watch the  movie speech here.

“The question is, “Do I have a ‘God Complex’?

Which makes me wonder if this lawyer has any idea as to the kind of grades one has to receive in college to be accepted at a top medical school.

Or if you have the vaguest clue as to how talented someone has to be to lead a surgical team.

I have an M.D. from Harvard. I am board certified in cardiothoracic medicine and trauma surgery. I have been awarded citations from seven different medical boards in New England; and I am never, ever sick at sea.

So I ask you, when someone goes into that chapel and they fall on their knees and they pray to God that their wife doesn’t miscarry, or that their daughter doesn’t bleed to death, or that their mother doesn’t suffer acute neural trauma from postoperative shock, who do you think they’re praying to? Now, you go ahead and read your Bible, Dennis, and you go to your church and with any luck you might win the annual raffle. But if you’re looking for God, he was in operating room number two on November 17th, and he doesn’t like to be second guessed.

Let me tell you something:You ask me if I have a God complex?

I AM GOD.

….and this side show is over.”

Gandhi (1982)

(Less than 2 mins) Dramatic yet calm movie speech advocating a policy of non-violence while opposing an unjust law. Listen to the movie speech here.

Person from the large, angry audience: “In this cause, I would be willing to die!”

Gandhi: I praise such courage. I need such courage because in this cause I, too, am prepared to die. But, my friend, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us, we will attack no one, kill no one, but we will not give our fingerprints — not one of us.

They will imprison us, and they will fine us. They will seize our possessions, but they cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.

Audience Member: Have you been to prison?! They beat us and torture us! I say that we should –

Gandhi: I am asking you to fight! To fight against their anger, not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them. And through our pain we will make them see their injustice, and it will hurt — as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose. We cannot. They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then, they will have my dead body — not my obedience.

We are Hindu and Muslim, children of God, each one of us. Let us take a solemn oath, in His name, that come what may we will not submit to this law.”

The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

(2 mins) Great movie speech where Morgan Freeman’s character ‘Redding’ addresses the parole board for the final time. Watch the movie speech here.

Parole Board Interviewer: Please, sit down. Ellis Boyd Redding, your files say you’ve served 40 years of a life sentence. You feel you’ve been rehabilitated?

Redding: Rehabilitated? Well, now, let me see. You know, I don’t have any idea what that means.

Parole Board Interviewer: Uh, well, it means you’re ready to rejoin society.

Redding: I know what you think it means, sonny. To me, it’s just a made up word, a politician’s word, so that young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job. What do you really wanna know? Am I sorry for what I did?

Parole Board Interviewer: Well, are you?

Redding: There’s not a day goes by I don’t feel regret. Not because I’m in here, or because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then, a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I wanna talk to him. I wanna try to talk some sense to him — tell him the way things are. But I can’t. That kid’s long gone and this old man is all that’s left. I gotta live with that.

Rehabilitated? It’s just a bullshit word.

So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don’t give a shit.

Parole Board Interviewer: [Stamp: APPROVED]

Hawthorn Football Club have been using the Vivid Method for Public Speaking and Media Training since 2007.

AFL clubs get an incredible amount of media scrutiny and the Hawks have been very effective in managing their media messages and building communication skills in their people.

Luke Hodge, Hawks Captain.

Luke was comfortable when asked questions by journalists and on TV, but when he became capatain he had to do more public speaking and business presentations. This was a new experience. He talks about how he was able to relax on stage and get his message across.

“Spending more time with Cam has helped me work on my strengths as a speaker. At the start I was very nervous, I spoke very quickly. He put different things in place where I can relax on stage and be able to get my message across more effectively.”

Stuart Fox, CEO, Hawthorn Football Club

“In my role as CEO, I do a lot of presentations, discussions with the media and public speaking, so I’ve used Cam and the Vivid Method a lot. Basically to build confidence around how I present. He’s taught me to relax and be comfortable in myself. His strategy is around delivering a clear message – and what I’ve used a lot is the method of ‘chunking’. So when I’m preparing to talk I basically chunk up all the key messages I want to get across to our stakeholders and the community.

He’s been fantastic. And what we’ve done now is pushed that down to our middle management team, my senior managers use the procedure as well. We’re all singing from the same hymn book. So we’re using the same framework internally, every time.

I think it’s made a big difference and it’s certainty added to the overall professionalism of the Hawthorn Football Club.”

Alastair Clarkson, Premiership Coach, Hawthorn Football Club.

Talks about the power of messaging.

“We’ve been using the Vivid Method and Cam Barber for 5 or 6 years now. Probably the most significant thing we’ve found from his program is… you know with a club the size of ours, so many people from a playing level through to an administrative level, you need to make sure your messaging is all on the one page.

Cam has helped us enormously with making sure that the messages we send out about our football club, and the way we want to go about things, are all tied together and on the same page, whether it’s at board level, coaching level or at a playing level. And that’s been really important for our progress as a football club.”

Think about a typical person in your audience. Their mind is full of to-do lists and daydreams; and you walk on stage. They’ve sat through boring presentations in the past and wonder if yours will be interesting. They look at you… pondering how much attention to give.

How can you immerse them in your subject in the first few seconds and satisfy their uncertainty?

Human attention wanders. The way you open a presentation plays a big part in capturing it.

Start a speech with clarity and structure

Here are 2 principles to guide you;

• First, the human mind is programmed to respond to structure, sections, chunks. Something with a start, middle and end feels right. However, where there is no clear structure, the mind quickly gets lost.
• Second, all anxiety is caused by uncertainty. So any time the audience is uncertain where your presentation is going, or whether you will be covering things of interest to them, they feel uncomfortable. The flip side of this; when you make it clear where you are headed, and they see it is relevant to them, they feel strangely satisfied. This comfortable state helps them engage and makes them feel better about you as a speaker.

So how do you create this mood of respectful satisfaction?

Here are 5 ways to start a presentation that connects your audience:

1. Title

Have a compelling and relevant title. Sound too simplistic? It’s not. A title is a great opportunity to connect.

Does your title shine a light on your key issue or is it vague? Does it consist of words that resonate to the audience, or words that only have meaning to you? A good title is like a window to the interesting parts of your presentation.

For example:

• “How we’ll meet our sales targets” is better than “March update”
• “How the new system will save you time” is better than “The new system”.
• “Today I’m going to tell you 3 stories from my life.” (Steve Jobs Stanford Speech)

Test your title by saying: “This talk is about…(insert title here)”

Another test: Imagine your title on a list of 10 speeches at a conference. The reader has to decide whether to attend a speech based only on the title. Does yours illuminate the issue and entice them to attend?

2. Overview

State the 2, 3 or 4 areas you will cover (not the 20 points!) within your speech so people know what to expect. This takes about 10 seconds.

Some people call this this an agenda, an overview or an outline of your talk. Whatever you call it, this works best when it’s short; naming the headings or labels of the different sections/categories/issues you’ll be speaking about.

For example:

• “There are 4 steps; Find a business reason to call, Get a clear brief, Make a written offer and Ask for the business. (let’s have a look at them one-by-one).”
• “We’ll be covering 3 areas: The current system pitfalls, the timeline for new system implementation and the benefits to the user.”

Get the wording right. These headings are another opportunity to bring your listeners into your talk.

The combination of Title and Overview makes for a simple, reliable and powerful way to connect with your audience. It satisfies their need for structure and clarifies the destination, so they’ll get on board for the journey.

3. Paint a picture

With your unique understanding of the message and the audience, think of a way to pique their interest.

Open their eyes to an issue. Paint a picture of the problem or opportunity. With a story, a picture, chart, dramatic statement or example – so they understand the concept you are about to cover.

Be provocative. Ask a question or make a  statement. Challenge a belief. Even if they instantly disagree, they’ll stick with it long enough to find out where you got that crazy idea. You might start with your most dramatic assertion.

For example:

• “For first time in the history of the world we have the power to design human bodies”.
• “We will never run out of oil.”
• “Half of what you know about health is wrong.”
• “1 in 5 people will lose their job in the next 3 years due tot he changing economy (in this room that means someone you can reach with your arm in the chairs around you)”.
• “Imagine living 100 years ago…

• A presenter places a billiard ball on a piece of concrete, pulls out a sledge hammer, slams it onto the ball, and it doesn’t break. He then gives the title of his presentation; “Ceramics, the strongest material for manufacturing.”

The message of the presentation is that ceramics can be the harder then steel. This creative opening reinforced the central message.

4. Connect personally

Human emotion has great impact. Often a speaker is passionate, excited, angry about an issue but fails to express it. Of course, it may not be appropriate to express theses emotions. But where it is appropriate and will help get your message across, consider stating your personal view or give a personal story or anecdote.

If you have a strong opinion about the topic, or want the audience to understand it is especially important, tell them at the start.

For example:

• “Before I start, I’d like you to know that the team has really worked hard on this proposal. We’ve put in a lot of time and effort and are really proud and excited with what we’ve come up with.”
• “I think we have a problem. I’ve been reviewing the numbers and the sales figures are really disappointing. It breaks my heart after all the hard work we’ve put in. (pause). This presentation is about a smarter way to increase sales.”

Remember to pause

As I said at the start, people crave information structure. So pause after important parts like title and overview to isolate your opening. If it doesn’t stand out from the rest of your talk you won’t leverage the benefits of structure and the audience might perceive your talk as one big blob.

Don’t copy, work it out for yourself

There are many more options, but you get the idea. Use the first 30 to 60 seconds to start a speech in a way that connects with your audience and makes it clear where you are taking them. Only then will they relax and give you their full attention.

(Cam Barber developed the Vivid Method for Public Speaking, which outlines 3 steps to great speeches, presentations and media conversations).

Everybody has made mistakes, failed to achieve goals and been disappointed. So when you admit a negative, it creates a powerful connection with an audience.

It also provides instant (temporary) credibility that sets up your persuasive point. Admitting a downside helps persuade people to believe your other claims.

For example, the statement:

“Let me tell you about my great success”

is not as powerful as:

“I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but one great success was…”

Or:

“This car is cheap and reliable”

is not as engaging as:

“This car may not be fast, but it sure is cheap and reliable.”

Examples in a business presentation:

• ‘Our service is not very good at X, but if you want Y, we are the best you can get.’
• ‘This project won’t do X but it will give us the answers to Y.’

You get the idea. Find a downside in your business presentation. Admit it; as a preface to the upside.

The human mind likes this negative-positive rhythm. It’s a simple tool for persuasive communication in general.

And it will make your next business presentation more engaging.

We customise Presentation Skills training to your needs, and deliver in 4 formats:

• 1.5 day workshop,
• 1 day training course,
• Half-day seminar,
• Conference session,

Request a date, place a booking or ask for a proposal with the form at right. We run in-house training in Australia and most parts of Asia.

Presentation Skills Training:

We create a fun, stimulating and non-threatening in-house training environment.

You’ll learn the trusted Vivid Method for public speaking which demystifies presentation skills and shows you step-by-step how to prepare and deliver compelling presentations. There are 3 parts to the Vivid Method:

1. Master the six ClarityFirst Principles to manage nerves, focus your attention and think clearly.
2. Create a Speech Outline (presentation outline) in a few simple steps. Defines your core message, structures your ideas (and storyboards your slides).
3. Learn how to give great explanations. Engage an audience, handle questions easily and sell ideas.

Presentation Skills Benefits:

Many clients have stated this is the best presentation skills training in Australia. Learn WHAT to do and HOW to do it!

Manage nerves

• Be relaxed, confident and engaging when speaking.
• Control nerves by removing the uncertainty that creates anxiety.

Think clearly

• Use tools to clarify and structure compelling communication.
• Know how to be clear and succinct – even under time and other pressures.

Sell ideas

• Develop persuasive skills and get more support for ideas.
• Communicate vivid, memorable messages – so people take action.

Go to the next level

• Engage the audience with strong delivery skills.
• Manage audience interaction. Don’t get side-tracked.
• Use visual aids more effectively.

Save time

• Dramatically reduce the time and mental effort required to prepare.
• Isolate a compelling Transferable Message about the value of the plan or changes to be implemented.

Vivid Presentation Skills in-house training focuses on a clear message and natural style so that you can relax and get on with your talk.

Presentation Training Materials:

Practical tools: Hard-copy and software tools (the SpeechOutline.com App) that cut preparation time in half and function as a 24/7 reminder of the key skills after the training. Unique and powerful reinforcement tools.

We come to you – all over Australia and most of Asia.

Vivid Media Training ensures you make the most of media situations – from media releases to interviews (over the phone, face-to-face or in a studio).

For an increasing number of executives in Australia, a conversation with the media is an important avenue for communication. This is great news, because media exposure attracts more credibility than paid advertising.

Be prepared

Be prepared to respond effectively when in front of a journalist, microphone or TV camera and get the right message across.

Vivid Media Training, based in Melbourne, gives you practical ways to prepare for an interview, making the experience a positive one, rather than a painful exercise. People often complain, “I was taken out of context” or “I was misquoted.” This results in wasted opportunities – or worse.

Media Training in 3 formats:

Media training prepares you to create and leverage opportunities. We customise Media Training courses and deliver in 3 formats;

• Custom Media Coaching
• 1 Day Media Training Course
• Half-Day Media Training Seminar

Benefits:

• Get the right media message across
• Maximise a product launch
• Leverage a newspaper/radio/TV interview
• Learn how the media can work for you. Attract publicity
• Rehearse prior to an interview
• Save valuable time in preparing for crisis communication
• Learn how to say more with fewer words so they are actually published
• Take advantage of an issue currently in the media
• Learn how to respond to the interview request
• Be prepared to respond when in front of a journalist, microphone or TV camera.
• Get the right message across.
• Learn how to say more with fewer words.

New to facing camera’s or dealing with journalists questions? Vivid provide some of the best Media training in Australia; helping you prepare for an interview, navigate the tricks and traps and maintain control. We show you how to feel confident and clear by building on your natural style.

Those with media experience may wish to be grilled by a seasoned journalist to test and refine a message of practice navigating difficult situations.

Media Training – Key Principles

A conversation with the media is an important avenue for communication that attracts more credibility than paid advertising.

Maintain control during an interview

Key media skills include the ability to prepare for an interview, navigate the “tricks and traps” of the media, and maintain control during the conversation. Learn the easy way to control nerves and think clearly throughout the interview.

Get the right media message across

Being able to respond effectively when you are in front of a journalist, or a radio microphone or a TV camera, and get the right message across, helps you create and leverage media opportunities.

Be grilled by a journalist

Those with media skills experience may wish to be grilled by a seasoned journalist to test and refine a message or practice navigating difficult situations.

Master the studio environment

Get comfortable with microphones, lights, cameras and the unique elements of a studio so you have the confidence and credibility needed to leverage a radio or television interview.

Handle difficult questions

You should never be surprised by a question – learn how to prepare well, and manage questions effortlessly.

Connect with the interviewer

The ability to connect with the interviewer creates a positive impression with the audience and improves message retention.

Television

Professional television camera crews ‘shoot’ the practice interviews, allowing truly objective feedback.

• Find out how a studio environment works and what is expected of you.
• Take advantage of camera angles and learn the best way to position your body.
• Learn auto-cue reading techniques.
• Practice ad-libbing and answering questions.
• Review your video-taped interviews to assess impact and overall message transfer.

Print media

The newspaper journalist typically has more time than other journalists and may ask dozens of questions; so learn how to:

• Clarify your key messages in a few words.
• Ensure you message is in every answer you deliver.
• Answer questions freely and comfortably.
• Add ‘life’ and animation to your language with catchy quotes.
• Learn the value of the pre-amble chat with the journalist.
• And remember, there is no such thing as ‘off the record’.

Radio

Radio is immediate. A breaking story can be on the air in a minute and your message can be heard more than once across the day. The radio reporter has very little time. Interviews can be very short on music radio and a little longer on talk radio.

Learn:

• A quick method to prepare your thoughts.
• How to deliver a clear, tight sound bite.
• How to prepare for a live interview in as little as 10 minutes.
• The detrimental impact of jargon.
• What questions to ask the interviewer.
• How to deal with the pressures of live radio

Expert facilitators

Kim Sporton has an extensive background in broadcast media that included hosting television shows, many years on Sportsworld and as news reporter on Channels 7 and 9 in Melbourne. Kim has trained executives at all levels (Shell, Mercer, Nestle, Pitcher Partners, CSL and many others) and although Kim can ‘grill’ you as a journalist, her style has been described as helpful and down to earth.

Cam Barber is CEO Vivid Learning Pty Ltd. Formerly a radio executive, Cam has a business background and has coached thousands of executives (across many industries inc. Financial, Advertising, Manufacturing, Govt., Technology, Utilities, Entertainment, Retail, Franchising and others). He is exceptional at helping you refine and deliver a compelling message.

How to organise and facilitate meetings and workshops.

• 1-day meeting and Facilitation training course.
• Customised for 6-18 people.
• Involves practice, role plays and expert coaching to give participants certainty and direction when planning and conducting business meetings.

The Diamond Model – a Flexible Business Meeting Outline

The Vivid Diamond Model functions as a outline for a range of meetings and facilitated sessions. It’s the foundation of good business meeting training. The Diamond model follows 4 key stages for planning business meetings and workshops:

1. Preparation: Planning business meetings and workshops.
2. Opening: Providing a business meeting outline (the right way to do meeting icebreakers).
3. During: Navigating the challenges of conducting a business meeting.
4. Closing: Ensuring you and audience get the desired outcome.

This facilitation training course gives you the confidence and certainty to facilitate workshops and conduct business meetings. For example:

• Interactive business meetings.
• Focus groups.
• Strategy planning sessions.
• Project management review meetings.
• Researching, planning and managing in-house projects.
• Business Planning Workshops.
• etc.

Challenges when facilitating meetings and workshops

• Workshop digresses, people get off track (of topic).
• Strong personalities take over.
• People are sceptical about the benefits of being involved in the workshop. Don’t agree on reason for being there.
• Can’t get people started/enthusiastic about generating ideas.
• Negative personalities.
• It’s a challenge to interrupt and summarise while still encouraging discussion.

Benefits of Vivid’s Meeting Design & Facilitation workshop

Vivid’s Meeting Design & Facilitation Skills workshop not only teaches the theory, but brings it to life with practical examples. The session is designed to remove any obstacles to success, and to develop relaxed, credible facilitators who:

• Create an environment where people feel safe to contribute.
• Handle difficult questions and manage personality clashes.
• Keep people on track – and on time.
• Draw out ideas from the group.
• Have more confidence in the role of facilitator enjoy it more.
• Use simple strategies to plan effectively.
• Keep a group enthusiastic.
• Have tools to deal with ‘bossy’ or overbearing people.
• Know how to close a meeting/workshop.

Customised courses

We can create a program based on real world challenges/situations and integrate your current projects into the training. E-mail us for more information.

We decided on a unique approach; we would create a 5 minute standup comedy routine using the stories in the book.

Here’s Amy talking about the Coaching Project; how she was able to control nerves by refining the material and using a structure to sort the ideas.

Anybody making business presentations will see the value here. Specifically

1. Editing material to suit a specific audience
2. Getting really clear on the key points and being sure your wording conveys the meaning you intend
3. Wrapping your ideas in a reliable structure.

And here is Amy’s virgin standup comedy performance:

Note the tidy structure at the end:

Most stand-up comedians (and most presenters) don’t have an ending, they just hope the last joke is the funniest and leave the stage.

But can you see how professional Amy looks as she wraps up her session – and how satisfying it sounds to the audience to have a message at the end.

Key points

• Speaking in public can be an all-in-one fear
• Anxiety is directly linked to the amount of uncertainty we feel
• Deal with the cause (uncertainty), not the symptoms (nerves)!

Why do we get nervous?
Anxiety can take many forms – feeling sick, a shaky voice, sleepless nights, dry mouth – but they all come from the same source – uncertainty.

In fact, all anxiety is directly linked to the amount of uncertainty we feel.

It occurs when we feel we have an ‘incomplete knowledge of the situation’ and is made worse when we don’t know when the feeling will end.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to find things to be uncertain about… especially when it comes to presenting in front of an audience. Our mind can pose dozens of questions that can’t be answered simply, such as;

• How will I be judged?
• Will it go well?
• What if I forget something?
• etc.

Fortunately the problem comes with its own solution – take away the uncertainty and the nervousness disappears. Sound too simple? Well, the solution is simple, it’s just that it has many layers to it.

Remember that you’re in good company – even the best presenters get the shakes. Nerves are normal, even healthy. Sportspeople, singers, actors and professional speakers admit to being nervous. Many develop rituals to mentally prepare. So, why do so many obviously talented and experienced people suffer from nervousness?

The all-in one fear
Being the focus of attention while doing something you see as ‘important’ embodies many fears. These include a fear of failure, of embarrassment, of losing control, of being judged, of showing weakness, of exposing ignorance, or (and this is a BIG one) of disappointing other people or ourselves. It’s easy to see, then, how anyone can be uncertain about the quality of a presentation or the judgements of others.

So in a nutshell, we are nervous because we have an emotional investment in the outcome of an event and our brain registers the presentation to be an ‘important event.’ Now, guess what the brain does to help you with these events? It produces adrenaline and makes it available throughout the body, because adrenaline gives you energy. It figures you can use this energy to ensure your event goes well. Nice huh?

Unfortunately for many of us, we get more ‘help’ than we want. Virtually all the outward symptoms of anxiety are a result of this adrenaline.

Flip you perception for a relaxed response
So how do you respond? If you become overly affected when experiencing mild nervousness, the problem might be that you’re unaware it’s mild. For example, imagine your major symptom is that your hands shake. You can mentally respond in two ways;

Firstly, with some focus:
You observe your shaking hand and think; ‘This damn adrenaline, maybe I can move a bit and shake it out of my system, or maybe I’ll find something to lean on while I’m presenting or put my hands in my pocket – either way I know it’s normal. It’s not stopping me from getting my message across. The audience probably haven’t even noticed and they only really care about how the information will affect them anyway.’

Or, with uncertainty:
You observe your shaking hand and think; ‘Oh no, I’m losing control of my hand. I’m about to present in front of the Board and I’m losing control of my bodily functions – where will it end?! What if I lose control of other parts of my body? What if I go blank and look like an idiot? What if… What if…’

The second response is the more common reaction… bringing in new fears of the unknown such as, “When will this feeling end?” This sends more adrenaline through the system which can increase the physical symptoms and before you know it your nervousness is spiralling out of control.

So the problem is not the physical symptoms – which exist, but are minor – it is the way we perceive what is happening and the uncertainty-spiral we create. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to flip the perception – and the negative feelings – around.

Deal with the cause, not the symptoms
Nervousness is a normal, natural response to the body of a human being who wants to do well at a given event. Neither the nervousness nor the physical symptoms should frighten you. Deal with the cause of the fear – not the symptoms – by having more certainty about what is really happening. Altering your perception of anxiety will improve your presentations.

What does success look like for you?
Do you have a clear idea of what you believe is a good presentation for you? Most people don’t. If you don’t know what a good presentation is, it’s going to be difficult to achieve it. Having a plan with clear guidelines in your mind of what you want to achieve (and what you need to avoid) is simple. Yet it is this simple thing that will create your framework of certainty…and help nervousness evaporate.

Summary: Anxiety comes when we feel our knowledge of the situation is incomplete. This lack of knowledge leads to insecurity… and then to anxiety. Don’t focus on the physical symptoms; relax by dealing with the causes of uncertainty.

• You can choose to experience adrenaline as either energy or anxiety.
• Certainty of information (message) is the strongest foundation you can create.
• Focus on your message and become a natural presenter.

Do you choose fear or fun?

Psychologist Stanley Schacter has conducted experiments on the way people label the physical symptoms of anxiety. Using many inputs, including a drug similar to adrenaline, he set up two different scenarios.

Half the group were told to expect good feelings and given feedback that they were having the time of their lives. The other half were told to expect bad feelings and given feedback that the experience was negative. The inputs were the same, only the way the participants labelled the experience was different.

Excitement has very similar physical symptoms to nervous anxiety. Those who expected good feeling enjoyed the rush of adrenaline and felt energy, those who saw the feelings as negative labelled it anxiety.

You can alter your experience of a situation by changing the way you think. Once you know why the feelings and symptoms are there, you can choose to experience either energy or anxiety.

Hyper-vigilance is bad nerves

What do we focus our attention on? Hyper-vigilance means our attention is focused too intently on ourselves, not the true situation. This can magnify what would otherwise be minor things. For example, we mislabel a small change in our bodily reactions such as dry mouth or sweaty palms, as being dramatic.

Hyper-vigilance creates overreactions and drains the energy needed to comfortably complete your presentation. The good news is we can choose to focus our attention on the highest priorities.

Find your message and lose the ‘bucket’ of words

There are many techniques to reduce the nervous symptoms, but there is one that stands out. Gaining certainty of message, and the feeling of purpose it engenders, is by far the strongest foundation you can create for yourself. Think logically about how you could feel prepared and then work on those elements.

The goal of planning for a speech or presentation is to identify the intent of words, not to write down all the words you want to say. This gives you certainty about the idea, message or concept you want your listeners to accept. Without a planning template of some kind, your presentation can appear to be just a huge bunch of words.

When you find the message to be transferred to your listeners, your entire experience changes. A feeling of purpose develops. You can relax knowing you don’t need to memorise all the words as there are many combinations that will communicate the meaning of your message.

In addition, delivery elements such as the tone, inflection and emphasis of your voice start to flow naturally from your clarity of mind. Sorting the information in your head reduces nervousness and helps create a natural delivery style.

Good nerves and the performance myth

Our goal is not to eliminate nervousness – just to eliminate the fear and hyper-vigilance that magnifies it. The cure is to simply take away all of the clutter about ‘performing’ and focus on communicating information. The emphasis should be on getting the ideas across, not on the performance per se. Once the focus is on the information you want to share, you can find your natural style.

Your style is the right style! Change your perception of what’s going on, put anxiety to good use and discover the relaxed certainty that will make you a great speaker.

Summary

Adrenaline doesn’t have to create fear …it can be seen as energy. Gain certainty about your message and you’ll reduce anxiety and allow your “natural” presentation style to flow.