2 Minute Talk Tips

2-Minute Tip: Stay in Your Line   When on stage, there’s pressure to have all the answers — to be the expert. And when we’re talking about the area of our expertise.   What do we do we aren’t the expert though?   There’s a lot of power in saying, “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you.”   Know what you can speak about and know what you shouldn’t speak about. Focus on your lane and the audience will respect you more.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Chandler Walker   There’s a temptation when we speak to throw more and more information at an audience. We see this manifest in unreadable slides; long, boring talks; and few opportunities for Q&A or other audience interaction. And I get it.   In the corporate world, we are under pressure to cover all the material possible to maximize the value of the audience’s time. Or we may have multiple sponsors for our talk who want to make sure we include all of “their” material.   The problem is when we focus on everything, we focus on nothing. We disregard the fact that the au

2-Minute Tip: Mine Social Media for Stories   We talk a lot about the importance of storytelling in talks. And I’m sure many of us have seen speakers who have a story for everything. How do you do that?   Review your social media. We tell stories throughout our day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a variety of other platforms. Then we often forget them.   So next time you need a story go ahead and mine your own social media to find some good ones. It’s likely filled with moments you wanted to remember and share. And those are the good stories.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Logan Rena   Logan Rena is just overflowing with energy, enthusiasm, and self-discipline. Her approach to life is about not asking for permission. But it’s not in a reckless manner. In fact, it’s highly disciplined because once you no longer ask for permission then you become responsible for your actions at a much deeper level.   Logan Renā is the Chief Creative Director of The Logan Design Project Affirmation Clothing company

2-Minute Tip: Practice Breathing   Breathing is, of course, an essential step in speaking. After all, it's how we make sounds. But it's more than that.   Getting adequate air into our lungs calms us down. It helps us counter act the nerves many speakers experience. It ensures our brain has the oxygen it needs to stay on task. And it enhances the volume and confidence with which we speak.   To practice breathing: Place 2 hands on your chest so your fingers barely touch. Inhale deeply until your fingers separate. Exhale Repeat 4 more times   Do this exercise 5 times a day for several weeks and your body will get used to breathing in a way that  maximizes effectiveness in speaking   Post Tip Discussion:  Meet Kim Baillie     Kim Baille fell into public speaking, like many of us do,  by simply not hating it. In many fields, being willing to speak means that colleagues will ask us to speak   Kim lives in Australia where she acquired her 30 years of experience coaching engineers, architects, senior executives, a

2-Minute Tip: Cross the Screw It Line   We can prepare and prepare all we want, but at a certain point before a talk, we’ve done all that we can do.   The anxiety we may feel in going out on stage is less helpful on stage.   There comes a point, where we just have to say to ourselves, “Screw it.” (Or a less family friendly version of that). At that point it’s time to go execute. You’ve done everything you could to be ready. Once you get to that line, you have to trust that you’ve done enough.   And if not? Well, screw it. You’ve got a job to do.   Post Tip discussion: Meet Phil Johnson   I like talking with comedians because they are not just interesting people to chat with. The one-on-one conversations may not be the laugh-fest you might think, especially considering how many are introverts.   But I really like talking with them because comedy is such a precise craft. It involves understanding language, timing, and storytelling at a deep level.   Most public speakers understand these topics at a basic level,

2-Minute Tip: Textiful   One way to avoid overwhelming and stressing your audience is to make resources available after the fact and to let your audience know those resources will, in fact, be available.   Ari Meisel recommends Textiful for this. With this tool, you can tell your audience to text a key phrase to a specific number. Now you have an automated dialog with the audience member. You can automatically email them your slides, add them to a newsletter mailing list, or set up other follow-up activities.   When you tell your audience about this at the beginning of your talk, that helps them focus more on understanding and thinking about you content instead of just trying to retain all the details.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Ari Meisel   Ari Meisel speaks around the country about being an Overwhelmologist and helping founders replace themselves in organizations. Regardless of your role in an organization, though, there is a lot of wisdom in Ari’s approach. Bio   Ari is the best-selling author of 

2-Minute Tip — Remove Filler Words   Filler or crutch words are the bane of many a speaker’s existence. The ums, ahs, likes, verys, you knows, and more clutter up our talks and conversation so much we don’t even notice them. They waste time, annoy the audience and distract from your message. So get rid of them.   Easier said than done.   One technique is to have a friend or colleague listen to you practice your talk and ring a bell every time they hear a filler word. Once you actually know you are using them in real time, it becomes easier to eliminate them and relish the power of silence   Post Tip Discussion — Meet John Rohe   One of the terms you hear in the training field (and likely other education related fields as well) is the “sage on the stage.”   In describes the lecture format in many education contexts. The wise experts stands on the stage at the front of the room and imparts knowledge on to the lucky audience members. It’s one way communication, and it has its place, but can have a certain amount

2-Minute Tip — Tempo   When things are going well or smoothly we often talk about being in a state of flow. We feel it in music; we feel it when we’re writing code; we feel it when we’re doing needlepoint; and we feel it on stage when we speak.   Part of what drives that rhythm is finding the right tempo, or pace, for ourselves and hour talk.   Tempo goes beyond just finishing on time (though that’s important, too). It’s about honing in on the natural way that you talk. If you naturally talk fast, that may be fine. I you talk fast because you’re nervous, then that’s something to worry about.   The length of your sentences, the words you choose, your phrasing, etc., all impacts your tempo.   When you find yourself giving a talk that just “feels right,” ask yourself what you were doing in that talk. Ideally you recorded it so you can go back and listen to it again a figure out what made it smooth.   You probably found your tempo. And when that happens, don’t fight it — lean into it. Embrace your tempo.   Your s

2-Minute Tip: Caring is key   People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.   As with so many strategies for success in speaking, it often comes down to the audience. How well do you know them? How well do you connect with them?   Most importantly, do they trust you?   Try to connect with the audience and make them feel you care and are listening to them and their concerns. Once you have established that level of rapport, they are much more likely to believe you when you speak to them.   Post-Tip Discussion: Meet Richard Kauffman   I do have a content warning for this episode. We do talk about both suicide and addiction. It’s a big part of Richard’s history and the journey of recovery he’s on today.   Richard Kauffman is a member of an elite group. He joins Nursepreneur Catie Harris (Http://2minutetalktips.com/Catie and Http://Strokecast.com/Catie) as only the second guest to appear on both 2-Minute Talk Tips and Strokecast.   I originally spoke with Richard in August of 2018 in Episo

2-Minute Tip: Identify Your Biggest Take Away   To deliver an effective presentation, first identify the biggest take away for the audience. If they remember only one thing, this is the thing it should be.   To figure that out, start by doing a brain dump on a piece of paper or whiteboard. Then go through all theses random ideas that are in someway related to your topic. What stands out? Which ideas are most important? What themes keep popping up?   As you do this, you'll likely discover the big idea for your talk. Once you have that, you can begin building everything else.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Julia Wojnar   In the theater you have to know your part and how your role fits into the rest of the show. You have to know your lines and be rehearsed.   Speaking is similar. You have to know your purpose. Why are you speaking? What is your role in this meeting? What is the purpose of your talk in the larger event or conference? What are you meant to accomplish.   You have to be prepared and rehearsed to be eff

2-Minute Tip: Build a Team   Sometimes to get better, you may need help, and that's okay. Hire a coach. Join Toastmasters. Ask a friend or colleague. Take an online course. Take a traditional course. Read a book. Subscribe to a podcast about public speaking   Or do all of the above. Or some combination of them.   The point is you can build expertise, or at the very least, competence in a skill by assembling your own team of experts. They can be in person or virtual. It can be a dialog or a 1-way process.   But you don't have to do it all alone. There's a community there you can build or be a part of.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Sandy Weiner   I think the best way to sum up Sandy Weiner's approach to speaking (and probably a lot of other things) is "Just jump in and do it -- but don't do it alone."   Sandy's first major talk was her TedX talk, which you can see here:   [embed]https://youtu.be/yvzUMIcrBYU[/embed]     While she may go straight for the deep end, she's successful because she prepares -- she work

2-Minute Tip: Challenge the Audience to Discover Truth   Immediately challenge the audience to discover a truth about themselves that proves the premise of your talk. If the group knows that you have an appreciation or understanding of their personal (or business) situation, they will engage. As a bonus, make them laugh within the first 30 seconds.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Amy Lyle   I always enjoy to talking to folks who follow a path similar to mine -- sales, training, speaking. The way our careers end up different despite a similar progression is fascinating and demonstrates the possibilities available to all of us. There is not one path to your destination and not one destination for a path.   Amy Lyle is one of those guests who followed a path similar to mine and has built the latest iteration of her career out of failure. Or rather, talking about failure -- her own and giving people an opportunity to share theirs. And she's funny! And compelling.   I really enjoyed hearing about the training sessions

    2-Minute Tip: You Know Your Stuff   Experienced speakers still feel anxiety and nerves before getting on stage, but there are a couple thing you can remind yourself of before you start speaking.   First, you know your stuff. The reason you earned that stage is that you are a subject matter expert (SME). You're likely speaking about your work or your passion. Or you're presenting material you've studied. Sure, there might be a question, you can't answer, but that's okay. You don't have to have all the answers at the tip of your tongue. Do your prep work. Rehearse your talk. And know your stuff.   The second thing to keep in mind is that people -- including your audience -- think about themselves 95% of the time. If you make a mistake, they likely won't even notice.   Remember, it's not about you. It's about your message and your audience.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet David Erickson   A lot of the speaking many mid-career professionals do is in the conference room or other small space. It might be pitching a

2-Minute Tip: Don't Memorize   Memorizing your speech is generally a bad idea. You want to internalize it, not memorize it.   There are 3 main problems with memorizing your talk.   First, it's a lot more nerve wracking. Second, if you forget a part you're more likely to get stuck and freeze. Third, your audience wants you to be real.   You want to practice and prepare of course. Memorizing word for word is not a good use of your time, though.   Post-Tip Discussion: Speaking, Purpose, and Hand Analysis with Jayne Sanders   I know that most members of my audience are career professionals looking to improve their speaking skills to advance their careers. You may or may not want to make the leap to the keynote stage.   That's one reason I love talking with guests like Jayne. She honed her public speaking skills in the halls and conference rooms of corporate America while doing her job. The message came first; the speaking was secondary. Speaking was secondary. Over time she grew to appreciate the power of it, t

2-Minute Tip: Create a Presence    Live everyday to create a presence that has presence when you're not present.   As a speaker, in order for your message to have impact, it has to be something that sticks with your audience when you are not there. You can do that by being a powerful, memorable speaker.    But that's not the only way.   Give clear guidance. Develop a simple, compelling message. Make sure your audience knows what you want them to do. Tell great stories.    All these techniques that we regularly talk about help you maintain that presence with the audience even when you're on your way to your next meeting.    Post Tip Discussion   As I recorded this conversation with Richard, a few things really jumped out at me.   Richard has an eye for the picture in life -- for prioritizing what will really make a difference for people. He also has a tremendous talent for putting structure to his thoughts. He makes a lot of points by breaking them out into simple lists that get to the core of the matter. I co

    2-Minute Tip: Use Click Bait-ey Titles   When you need a title for your talk, take a lesson from all those click-bait titles you see on Facebook and other social platforms. Make it short, compelling, and maybe a little edgy.   When you promise a talk with the "5 Secrets to Successful Penguin Petting," you also have a built-in structure for your talk that will keep you on the right path.   If you take this approach, though, make sure you deliver. You'll only get one shot.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Catherine Auman   Some of us become speakers because we just love it. We love the stage, the crowd, the power of sharing a message -- It's intoxicating.   Other folks build a speaking career as a tool to share their message and drive other parts of their business. That's what Catherine Auman has done -- used speaking to drive interests in her books and other resources around tantric dating.   What I really like about this conversation, besides the fact that tantric dating is now part of my vocabulary, is how Ca

2-Minute Tip: Don't Squander Water Cooler Talk   After winning or losing a big sale in a store there's tendency to brag or vent to colleagues around a literal or metaphorical water cooler. It happens after a big talk, too. We celebrate the brilliance or decry the stupidity of an audience.   Don't.   It's not effective. It won't help you win or save more sales in the future. And it has the tendency to hurt morale and reinforce negative -- and counterproductive -- attitudes.   Instead, take that time to dissect the talk or sale. What went well? How can you do more of that in the future?   What didn't go well? How can you avoid doing that again?   And learn how can you share those lessons with others.   That speech you just did is in the past. It's gone. It now time to learn lessons from it and get ready for the next talk.   Post Tip Discussion   Stuart Rice and I have similar paths, separated by a few years. We both started out selling consumer electronics before transitioning over to the vendor side of retail,

2-Minute Tip: Practice   To be successful, there is no substitution for preparation. Practice. Rehearse. Prepare. And then practice some more.   When you see speakers who make it look easy -- who effortlessly string together words and phrases and jokes and more -- it's usually not off the cuff. It's because they've practiced. Put in the time and know your stuff cold so that you can come up with it seamlessly when it's time to speak.   That's one of the beautiful things about speaking. It's not magic. It's just work.   On a related note, check out the documentary Comedian on Netflix. It's about the work and process that Jerry Seinfeld went through to develop a new set. It looks effortless when you see the final set, but it can take a year to get there -- even when you've been doing your trade for decades.   Post Tip Discussion: Brandin' buildin' and Boomin' with Joe Apfelbaum   Joe Apelbaum is a high-energy force of nature, and that really comes through in this episode.   Joe's professional focus is on B2B or

2-Minute Tip: Scientist-Philosopher-Author   To grow as a speaker, develop your path along 3 aspects. This is a framework you can use immediately to become more effective quickly.   You have to be a scientist, a philosopher, and an author.   Be a scientist and conduct experiments in your preparation and on stage. Figure out what works for you. What is the right level of energy? What gestures feel most natural? How do you relate most effectively with slides? You have to experiment to uncover what is most natural and effective for you on stage.   Be a philosopher and ask why. "Why?" is the most powerful question you can ask as you build a talk. Why are you speaking? Why you in particular? Why should your audience care? Why bring that up? If you can't answer those and similar questions well, then you have more work to do.   Finally, be an author, and chart the course of your life. We tell stories in our talks because it helps us connect with our audience. It can be bigger than that, though. You need to develop t

2-Minute Tip: Seek out Vulnerability     Vulnerability can be a powerful element in your speaking. Being vulnerable doesn't mean your weak. It's about having the confidence to acknowledge how you can grow today and how you have grown in the past. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable helps the audience connect with the most human aspects of your nature.   Post Tip Discussion   A lot of us got our first exposure to public speaking in school. It's a common theme that often sets the stage for how we may approach speaking later in life.   Sasha Laghonh moved nearly every year as a little kid and each new school meant standing up and introducing herself to a new group of kids.   It's a vulnerable time for a kid, and vulnerability is a theme that runs throughout this episode. It's not about being weak, but about exposes yourself so that you can have an impact on the audience.   We cover everything from vulnerability to boundaries to 90 day plans to the importance of gratitude and forgiveness.   Bio   Sasha Laghonh ( l

2-Minute Tip: Evaluate and Connect   Create a scoring sheet for your audience members, and ask them to complete in at the end of the talk. In the Learning and Development field, we call these smile sheets, and they are the first step in figuring out if training is effective.   In a speaking context, they can be a little different. One approach is to build the form in three sections.   Section 1 is a 5 category scoring rubric, and they audience members give you points in each 5 of those categories. Sure, this can be scary at first, but you won't know if you are successfully unless you ask. By using the same evaluation over time, you can eventually monitor trends in your scores. Are you getting better or worse? Did you make a change that impacted your score? This can be helpful to know.   Section 2 is a few open ended questions. This gives the audience a chance to say great things about you or offer testimonials. You can also find out what they think you did well or not well, and you can ask about what they wan