I’m going to use the “F” Word today.

I know I’ve already made some of you uncomfortable.

You don’t like that word directed at you.

If you direct it to others, it’s not well received.

The Truth: Failure Gets a Bad Rap!

We learn far more from our failures than things we do correctly the first time.  This certainly applies to Public Speaking and Presenting.

One of my mantras is:
“Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities.”
No one has everchallenged me on it.  Many agree they should take and make as many Speaking Opportunities as possible.  If they do, they will grow their businesses, advance their careers, and increase their leadership roles.

Speaking Opportunities are also Learning Opportunities.
Things we learn from public speaking are often not from
presentations going smoothly and without any flaws or snafus. Sometimes, it’s quite the opposite!

Many of the public speaking skills I have came about because I forgot, messed up, or didn’t even know about using them in presentations.

The Introduction

Examples:
I write my own Introduction.  It’s an integral part of the speech, and what every speaker should do.  Mine follows the guidelines of a good Introduction and does a nice job of setting me up as the next speaker.  There is some humor built into it and usually does a great job of connecting me to the audience before my Opening.

All morning I had been giving a number of small workshops at a manufacturing firm.  In the afternoon, the entire company gather together for the main meeting of the event.  I handed my Introduction to the VP of Sales who was to Introduce me.  He goes stage center, looks briefly at my Introduction, wads it up in his hands and says, “We all know Fred!  Come up and give us your presentation!”

Bummer!

I had to do some quick thinking and improvising because I never expected him not to read what I had given him!

That was a HUGE Lesson.  Ever since, I email the Introduction to the emcee in advance of the event, asking them to review it and contact me with any questions.  I explain that it is an important part of the presentation.  I make it a point to see them before the event and, again, ask if there are any questions.

I was delivering a presentation at a Chamber of Commerce Luncheon that consisted of thirty-six slides.  Everything was going smoothly until I pressed the button on my remote to advance the slide to number eight.  Suddenly, the screen went blank!

My computer was working fine, as was the projector.  Because this was a luncheon meeting with a tight schedule, I didn’t have time to reboot the equipment and see if that would fix the problem.

Keynote's Light Table View

Fortunately, as a backup, I always print my slides in Keynote’s Light Table View (for PowerPoint users, it’s called Slide Sorter View).   This option allows me to place up to forty-two slides on one sheet of paper.  Since I use mostly images, rather than bullet points and text, it was very easy to look at the image of the slide and know what to talk about.

I quickly found out that having a backup plan and using it is not as easy as I had hoped. (It was almost Big Sweat instead of No Sweat!) Luckily, I really know this material, and the presentation continued and was well received.

The lesson I learned was that having that “Plan B” was not enough.  I needed to practice with the Light Table View, also.

I’ve taken this concept a step further, and now have the Light Table View printout next to the computer when delivering presentations and find it gives me the “overview of where I am” better than looking just at the Presenter Display View on my mac.

Keynote's Presenter's Display View

Presenter Display View (Presenter Tools in PowerPoint) is a tremendous tool for presenting that I also learned by “not knowing” how to get the “screens arranged” correctly.

I was presenting in “mirror” mode, where the image on the screen is the image projected. This is nice, because the presenter can face the audience and not turn their back to see what the audience is seeing.  Better than this is the Presenter Display View which lets me see:
• What the audience sees.
• The next slide.
• Notes.
• The time or a timer.

You can see the advantage this view offers.  However, it took trial and error and research for me to figure out how to get the screens, mine and the one the audience sees, arranged correctly.  I’m not a techie and the learning was frustrating.  But the reward of having it work correctly – tremendous!  I’m able to deliver a far better presentation using this tool.

Failing to make this work initially, forced me out of my confort zone to learn something new – Good!

I read a quote once that rings true: “Learning begins at the edge of our comfort zone.”  It’s also a fact that when we get out of our comfort zone, it becomes larger!

Perhaps it is the word “Failure” that must be addressed.  It has a negative connotation.  If we substitute the word, “Experiment,” the “Failure” doesn’t seem like such a big deal.  We don’t expect “experiments” to always have positive outcomes.  A “failed experiment” takes us closer to the results we are seeking because it let’s us eliminate one process, idea or technique.  This is a good thing - correct?

Until we say, “Our experiment was successful because it brought us closer to a solution,” let’s

Embrace Failure!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.
He shows them how to
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter
314-517-8772

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Speaker If so,
We should have a conversation!

The Fear of Public Speaking holds many back from reaching their potential.  75% of the population, to one degree or another, has this fear.

One of my Presentations addresses:
• Why we have this fear and
• Gives specific nuggets for lessening it.

Another Talk adds:
• The Components, Parts and Elements of a Presentation.
• I Name them, Explain them, and Give Examples.

Bonus Tips:
• Subtle little differences that make all the difference can be added to either        presentation.

PowerPoint/Keynote Presentations are widely used today.
• They are usually not done very well.
• Many detract, rather than add, to helping convey the presenter’s message.
• I show how to reverse this!

The Research Shows:
     • Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
     • Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
     • Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

My presentations can be customized to meet your specific needs.  Programs can be expanded to include Workshops and/or Individual Executive Coaching.

Fees are individually negotiated.

It all starts with a conversation.
Call 314-517-8772 or Email and let me know what you want to accomplish.

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Professional PowerPoint and Keynote Slide Presentations.

Because many people are Visual Learners, Professional Slide Presentations can dramatically add to the goal of your audience GETTING IT!

Unfortunately, the majority of slide shows are designed with lots of text, bullet points and the occasional piece of cheap clip art.

Because your presentation is important – talk to me!

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Fred's Master Deck: 9 of 138 Slides

Audiences have different wants and needs. Most presentations have time restraints.  Not recognizing either of these can result in a less than stellar performance.

A properly customized presentation connects better with audiences than a one-size-fits-all one. Connecting with an audience increases the odds they’ll GET IT!

A large Master Deck of slides makes this customization easy.

All presentations don’t need PowerPoint or Keynote.  However, there are some benefits to using great slides.  The audience looks and listens to a presentation.  Utilizing slides with great visuals, combined with you providing the text, increases the understanding of your message.  (Presenting visual learning style + auditory learning style = Better Presenting!)

If you’re like me, you’re constantly adding to, and refining your Master Slide Deck. I’m regularly incorporating new slides with images, video clips and occasionally, text. (Text slides should be limited and used for very specific purposes.) I’m also repositioning some slides to better “tell the story” and eliminating ones that needed to be upgraded or refined.

My Master Deck has three “Modules”.

1. The Components, Parts, and Elements of a Presentation.
2. The Fear of Public Speaking and how to lessen it.
3. Bonus Tips to Improve Presentations.

Additional Tips:
Stuff Happens so be prepared!
Once I presented to a company that wouldn’t let me use my mac.  I had to use their PC. While I had converted my Keynote presentation to PowerPoint, some of the “Action Moves” didn’t transfer.  I also found the two video clips I wanted to show didn’t work on their system.  It wasn’t that big of a deal because I had practiced and was ready for “anything and everything,” but I would have made minor adjustments sooner if I had known the incompatibilities.

Don’t forget correct utilization of the “B” button that blanks the screen.
Remember, you are the presenter – not your deck!  Blanking the screen will take the attention of the audience’s eyes from the screen to you - where it should be!  (It’s the equivalent of removing a prop from view once it’s been used for its intended effect.  If left in view of the audience, it becomes a distraction.)

Continually work on that Master Deck!  Upgrade your graphics, add new slides as you expand your expertise on your subject, and delete those that no longer help “tell the story.”

Do the above, and your next presentation will be absolutely, positively – No Sweat!

This stuff works!

Thanks for visiting my Post!
For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book, “No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.
They also know: Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
He shows them how to Develop, Practice and Deliver Knock Your Socks Off Presentations! with -
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com

Related posts:

1. Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
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The P-A-U-S-E
A Major Element of Verbal Communication

How long could you read it and what would you understand?

Answer: Not Long and Not Much!

The same applies to your audience if you Talk, Talk, Talk and don’t PAUSE.

The people watching and listening to your presentation will never GET IT! if you don’t give them the opportunity to ingest and digest your material.  We think by associations and our brains need to take in and process what information we’re bringing in and determine what “files” in our brains they belong in.  That’s pretty hard to do if you don’t PAUSE every once in a while.

Claude Debussy, the famous French composer, said, “Music is the silence between the notes.”That analogy can also be applied to speaking.

Pausing lets the audience know you are in control, better keeps their attention, and increases the odds they’ll GET IT!

PAUSE:

• Before you Open your presentation.
  • PAUSE almost so long that people are starting to say, “He’s lost it!”
    • When you do speak, you will have their total attention.
• After stating something you want to sink in.
  • The silence forces this.
• Before repeating something for emphasis.
  • The PAUSE gives the repetition more emphasis.
• To separate thoughts and allow the audience to absorb it before moving on.
• If you want to build anticipation.
  • It will get the audience wondering, “What’s next?”
• Before answering a question.
  • You’re showing the audience:
    • It’s not a canned response.
    • You’ve thought about your reply before answering.
    • You’ll better have their attention.
• After asking the audience a question.
  • It makes them think and get more involved with your presentation.
• In delivering a Parenthetical Statement.
  • A Parenthetical Statement is a temporary departure from the main theme.  It is a statement that, if you were reading it, would be in parentheses.  In delivering your talk, you speak that thought to your audience.  It can add a new dimension to your presentation.
  • It can be an extremely effective way to step out of your speech, make a specific point, and reinforce your connection with your audience.
  • For instance, I might be talking about hard work, then PAUSE, and state, as if in parentheses: “Speaking of hard work, tonight’s program would have never happened had it not been for Jackson Smith’s untiring efforts and attention to detail.”

Consider using the Spontaneous Pause.
(It will seem spontaneous to the audience because you’ve rehearsed it so well!)
If you stop yourself part way into a statement, pause, then go in another direction, that next set of statements can be powerful.

Example: In the closing of one of my talks, I say, “The next time someone gives you the opportunity to speak, (Pause) Check that statement! Don’t wait for the opportunity – Seek it out! Look for it at your . . .”

PAUSING is not easy for most of us.

We’re often nervous, talk quicker than normal, and “want to get it over with!”   It’s also natural to want to fill “blank” air with something.  If it’s not continuing to talk, it’s speaking “fillers”:  um, ah, and like.  Those “fillers” can be very distracting, and if you drop them, you’ve picked up your PAUSE!

Practice PAUSING just like you practice all the other elements of verbal and nonverbal delivery.

OK?  Ready – Set - P-A-U-S-E!

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, an author and a coach.
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.
They also know: Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities.Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
He shows them how to Develop, Practice and Deliver Knock Your Socks Off Presentations! with -
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com

Photo credit: Nick Hiebert

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The Ultimate Book & Audio Guides to Delivering
‘Knock Your Socks Off!’ Presentations with – No Sweat!

Read Reviews on Amazon HERE!

Paperback and Electronic Version

Paperback – $15.00
Click below to add to cart.
Quantities can be adjusted in
Order Form before placing order.
 

Electronic Edition (PDF) – $9.00
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Here’s the audio, and a bit of commentary.
My Keynote Presentation, “No Sweat Public Speaking!”

Here’s a Sample from the Beginning of the Talk: Keynote

This Keynote Presentation covers the:

• Components, Parts and Elements of a presentation.
• Things to do that will lessen the “Fear of Public Speaking.”
• Bonus Tips – Subtle little differences will make all the difference in your presentation.

It’s a bit over 95 minutes in length.  You’ll want to play it over and over!

I’m offering it for only $9.95, with my
No BS Guarantee.
If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied, I’ll refund your purchase in full.  MP3 file will be sent by the next business day.

Related posts:

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2. What is Your Verbal Image? Nonverbal communication trumps verbal communication. Not seeing facial expressions, gestures,...
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If You’ve Been Asked, or Want to:

• Give a Presentation
• Deliver a Speech
• Present an Award
• Accept an Award
• Facilitate a Meeting
• Give a Toast
• Deliver a Eulogy

I can help You make that Important Presentation – with “No Sweat!”

I’ve worked with everyone from doctors and lawyers to students and auditors.

I know you can be a better presenter and I’ll teach you how!

From Introduction to a Strong Opening to a Powerful Closing – I’ll work with you to be certain the audience GETS IT!

If your important presentation is going to involve PowerPoint, I’ll help develop one that reinforces and doesn’t confuse, your message.

We discuss, and work on:

• Developing a Presentation
• Practicing a Presentation
• Delivering a Presentation
  • Verbal Communication
    • Vocal Enunciation and Pronunciation
    • Voice Projection
    • Voice Inflection
    • Vocal Cadence
    • Pausing, as an element of Verbal Communication
  • Non-Verbal Communication
    • Eye Contact
    • Facial Expressions
    • Gestures
    • Posture
    • Body Movement
• The Fear of Public Speaking
  • Why most people  have it
  • Techniques to lessen it
• Speaking and Presentation Tips
  • How to handle a Q&A Session
  • PowerPoint / Keynote Slide Presentations  (I’m really good at this!)
  • Taking the ‘Temperature’ of the audience
  • Handing Handouts
  • Humor
  • Props
  • Techniques for getting the audience to remember your message
  • Mind Mapping
    • A visual, non-linear technique that makes developing, practicing and delivering a presentation much easier.
  • What to avoid in a good presentation
• And much more!

If you’re already a good speaker, I’ll help you become a better presenter.

When is that next presentation? Let’s get started!

Contact me  and we’ll get the ball rolling!
Fred E. Miller 314-517-8772
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com

Coaching and Consulting Services

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Public Speaking and Delivering Presentations is a skill,
that many people, striving towards success, want to possess.

The ability to stand in front of an audience is a great confidence builder. Even if a person rarely speaks to groups, the ability to do so will greatly improve their one-on-one communications.

People know their careers can benefit if they are able to stand in front of a group and give a presentation.

Those who speak are perceived as experts.  Since perception is reality, those who speak get promoted and, if entrepreneurs, grow their businesses.

The Keynote or Breakout is delivered in a manner that educates, entertains and explains the components, parts, and elements of a great presentation.

The ‘No Sweat Public Speaking!’ Formula is presented with explanations and examples that leave the audience with the knowledge that they can lean this skill!

I present information on:

• Developing a Presentation
• Practicing a Presentation
• Delivering a Presentation
  • Verbal Communication
    • Vocal Enunciation and Pronunciation
    • Voice Projection
    • Voice Inflection
    • Vocal Cadence
    • Pausing, as an element of Verbal Communication
  • Non-Verbal Communication
    • Eye Contact
    • Facial Expressions
    • Gestures
    • Posture
    • Body Movement
• The Fear of Public Speaking
  • Why most people  have it
  • Techniques to lessen it
• Speaking and Presentation Tips
  • How to handle a Q&A Session
  • PowerPoint / Keynote Slide Presentations
  • Taking the ‘Temperature’ of the audience
  • Handing Handouts
  • Humor
  • Props
  • Techniques for getting the audience to remember your message
  • Mind Mapping
    • A visual, non-linear technique that makes developing, practicing and delivering a presentation much easier.
  • What to avoid in a good presentation
• And much more!

Contact me to discuss and we’ll get the ball rolling!
Fred E. Miller
314-517-8772
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com

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YOU Supply the Text!

If I project the slide on the right onto a screen, and at the same time say, “It’s time for you to leave!” – You ‘Get It!’

The slide, showing a door opening with an EXIT Sign above , is clean and simple.  My verbiage supplies the text - keeping the slide, and hence the message, clean and simple!

There is no need to have text, stating what I just said; flying, dropping or twisting in from one, two or more angles!  This only confuses the audience.  It actually lessens the understanding.

YOU are the star of your presentation - Not the slides!

It has been, at least for me, extremely tempting to use every fancy build-in, build-out, and cool transition offered in today’s PowerPoint/Keynote software programs.  I love that stuff!

Always wanting, but knowing it’s not best, to use the latest in ‘creative tools’ has been a challenge for me.  I’ve sometimes felt addicted to incorporating all the bells and whistles available in these programs.  (I probably should purchase the first edition of these programs and trash all the updates and upgrades!)

I’ve spent more time than I’ll admit, building presentations, that, I thought, smoked!

Once the presentation was developed, I made the observation –  I wasn’t needed.  Everything I should have been ‘saying’ was bullet pointed or written on the screen!

Sometimes it was almost like showing a movie to the audience.  However, because it was text and graphics, it didn’t communicate to people who are auditory in their learning.  And for the visual learners, it was much too much on the screen, and didn’t deliver my message well.

Sensing I was doing something wrong, I began researching PowerPoint/Keynote Presentations.  I read articles and spoke to people skilled in this field.  ‘Presentation Zen’ by Garr Reynolds, and a slideshare presentation, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs were great resources.

Our minds can only focus well on one thing at a time.  When we are looking at a screen, we see the image.  If there’s text on the screen, we see, and try to process that, also.  (One opinion is we see the text on the screen as images.) Add the presenter’s voice to this equation, and something is going to get missed, misconnected, or misunderstood.  The text on the screen does not reinforce the message – it competes, confuses, and complicates it!

(Text is OK to have in your ‘Presenter Notes’.  Printing them and using them as handouts, after you present, is acceptable.  The text notes will then reinforce the visual and auditory presentation you delivered.)

For examples, look at some television commercials.  Is everything the spokesperson saying already superimposed on the pictures, moving or still, you are viewing?  Not likely.

Here’s you takeaway from this post:
The best way to get your message across, in all communications, is to keep it S-I-M-P-L-E and C-L-E-A-N!

About the Author:
Fred E. Miller coaches, speaks and writes about Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
314-517-8772
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com

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• Personal Coaching
• Presenting a Keynote
• Conducting a Workshop,
• Leading a Breakout Session
• Emceeing an Event
• Facilitating a Meeting

Please contact me to schedule a meeting to discuss some of your speaking and presentation challenges (no cost or obligation). Coffee is on me!

I’ll customize a program to meet your specific needs.

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