2 Minute Talk Tips

  2-Minute Tip -- Know You can do It   The first thing to know about a talk is that this IS something you can do. You can get out on stage. You can move around deliberately to make the points that you want to make. If you're not comfortable with eye contact, that's fine. You can come up with a solution.   But regardless of the challenges, go into it knowing that you can do this.   Post Tip Discussion -- Meet Denise Vaughan   Denise and I were both members of the Carroll College Talking Saints Speech and Debate team back in the early 90s. Being a part of that team was a powerful experience that had a major impact on the person I am today. The things I learned and skills I acquired as part of that experience are the ones that I still use today.   Denise and I recently met up in real life for the first time since college to catch up and talk about public speaking, speech and debate, and the power of rhetoric.   We recorded this episode at one of my favorite interview locations -- the Wayward Coffeehouse in Seat

[bctt tweet="'I'm all about trying to live my life to the fullest. You only get one, right? So, do all the things.' -- @hilary_Billings #publicspeaking" username="CurrentlyBill"]   2-Minute Tip: Focus on how you make your audience feel   [bctt tweet="'I'm all about trying to live my life to the fullest. You only get one, right? So, do all the things.' -- @hilary_Billings #publicspeaking" username="CurrentlyBill"]   Hilary tells us about her experience interviewing mega-star interviewer, host, and generally larger-than-life character Ryan Seacrest. It's intimidating to talk to someone that big for the first time. An experience like that can overwhelm the content of the actual conversation. But when she described her experience, the main thing Ryan did was help her feel at ease. He was nice, accommodating, and respectful of an up-and-coming interviewer.   Focus on the feeling you want your audience to take away from the talk you are giving because that's what will stick with them. Tell a story,. Share an emotio

2-Minute Tip   Influencing dozens or hundreds or thousands of people can be intimidating. That's a lot of work, and it's a lot of minds to change. So how do you do that when the public speaking jitters start rattling your stomach? Don't.   Think about influencing one person in your audience, instead. Then that person can influence others and help spread your message.   The interesting thing about this mindset is that the bigger the crowd, the less intimidating the goal. Influencing one person in a group of five is tough. Influencing one person in a group of 500 is easy.   Post Tip Discussion   Patricia Missakian is the founder of the Akashic Records Institute. While Akashic Records as a concept has hundreds of years as a spiritual element, for our purposes, it can be thought of simply as the collection of conscious and unconscious memories we start building the day we are born.   Those memories -- our early wins and traumas help form the adults we grow up to be. Those memories and patterns can block our succe

2-Minute Tip: Make Eye Contact   Making eye contact with your audience is a great way to show them that you care and are interested in their success. It's much more effective than looking down and a script or shuffling note cards around.   Bonus Tip: Watch the Air Quality   Before you go someplace to speak, check the air quality in the city. A simple web search should bring up the latest data. For example, the air quality in Seattle right now is 153. That's unhealthy. Good air quality is between 0 and 50. In our case, it's because of forest fires throughout the US and Canada.   This means speakers who spend a lot of time outdoors may have problems with the throat. A speaker may find themselves sneezing a lot more or generally stuffed up. We may fatigue more. Our lung capacity may seem lower because we're inhaling so much more than just air.   Plan for local air quality. That may mean you bring more tissues or lozenges. You should probably drink more water. Consider wearing a mask while out and about. Reduce y

  2-Minute Tip: Write it Down   In the run up to a talk, our minds can go all over the place. Thoughts come and go, and it can get pretty loud inside our heads. It becomes hard to focus on what we need to do and to be present like we ought to be to maximize our success.   One way to deal with this is to write down all those thoughts on a piece (or pieces) of paper. That gets them out of your head and your brain can let them go since you can deal with them later if you choose.   I find this helpful at other times, too, when I get overwhelmed with stress or my mind starts racing. Just write it all down and get on with the things you need to do.   Post Tip Discussion   Victoria and I talked about this focus and the importance of being present for the audience and in conversation. We also talked about the power of speaking to an audience and the possibilities with podcasting today. Victoria Mavis is worldwide one of only a few professional female magicians. She started doing magic at the age of 4 and had her fir

2-Minute Tip: Use a Checklist Everyday, thousands of airline pilots around the world pull out the same task list them read hundred or thousands of times and it out loud to their colleague. Even though they have the whole thing memorized by now, they still refer back to that list to nearly guarantee they don't forget anything. The consequences of failure are huge. Forgetting one thing can cost hundreds of lives and millions of dollars in damage. So the use a check list.   The consequences for skipping a step in your talk are not nearly as serious. No one is going to die if we make a mistake. That doesn't mean we should skip check lists as speakers, though. Working from a checklist as we prepare a talk, pack our bag, and wrap-up an event can make a big difference in our effectiveness. We come across as more professional when we have those procedures in place, and we get to off load some of the cognitive load from our brains. We don't have to remember to not forget things because we can work from the list.   Sam

  2-Minute Tip: Connect with your Audience   Often you don't need to adopt a high energy approach and dance around the stage. Focus instead on making a connection with your audience. Share stories. Help them see the things they have in common with you. That makes your presentation more credible and memorable.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet NursePreneur Catie Harris   I connected initially with Catie Harris through the work I do with Strokecast.   Catie has a background in nursing, specializing in neuro patients, like stroke survivors. After working in a clinical setting for years she decided to leverage that experience to pursue other opportunities in transitional care, and now in helping other nurses pursue the next chapter of their lives as business owners. Speaking has played a key role in her career both at the hospital and in her current endeavors.   Theses are the 4 most important lessons to come out of this episode:    Speaking helps establish your credibility. If you want to be seen as an expert, lookin

  2-Minute Tip   Much of the communication we have with folks is non-verbal, and facial expressions play a big part in that.   When we conduct a presentation, though, we lose much of that subtlety because we are further from our audience. Instead of 2 feet away we are 10 or 20 feet away. To make up for that, we need to use much bigger and more dramatic facial expressions. Smile bigger. Open your eyes wider. Exaggerate your head tilt.   In practice it may feel like you are going too far and becoming silly. That's okay. Your probably still not going far enough.   When you use bigger expressions on stage, folks will see you as more lively and will pick up more on your meaning, even if they're not sure why.   Post Tip Discussion: How to Memorize a Speech   Generally -- don't. Don't memorize, internalize. Know your material well enough that you can generate the speech each time you rehearse or give it.   Of course there are some parts you should memorize. Intro Conclusion Structure Quotes.   There are some exce

  2-Minute Tip -- Know the thing that lights you on fire   Melissa Bird explains that the key to success is to know what lights you on fire. When you know that fire and can speak to your passion, it becomes so much easier to let your voice through regardless of the audience size.   But how do you figure out what your fire is if you don't already know? Here's where I think pen and paper and a quiet corner or coffee shop can help.   Give yourself 15 minutes and write down the answers to these questions. Don't worry about getting it "right" or making it presentable. All you want is ink or graphite on paper. What do you talk about with friends? What do you post about most on social media? What angers you most in the news? What is your go-to advice for folks?   Odds are something you are passionate about will be on that list.   That's great for personal stuff, but I know most folks want to improve their speaking skill at work and prefer to keep politics and life issues separate because they may not be directly r

2-Minute Tip: 3-Fer   This week's tip comes from our special guest, Pradeepa Narayanaswamy and is a 3-pack of tips.   Wear comfortable clothes. That doesn't necessarily mean loose. It means clothes in which you feel comfortable and powerful. Practice power poses and do vocal warm ups before going on stage. You can check out Amy Cuddy's work for more details on poses. For vocal exercises, go ahead and make sounds and loosen up to get comfortable. You can even step into the bathroom before you speak to do this. Bonus: you may end up with an entire public restroom to yourself as you make theses sounds to loosen up. When someone asks if you're nervous, say instead, "I'm excited." Even announce on stage how excited you are. The body responds similarly to nervousness and excitement so embrace the mindset that best prepares you for success.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Pradeepa Narayanaswamy   Pradeepa is a corporate trainer, speaker, and fertility coach whose mission in life is "to help men's women's, and couples

2-Minute Tip: Raise Your Energy   One of the most powerful things you can do to conduct an effective presentation is to raise your energy and dominate your stage. There are a lot of ways you can do that. You can channel your inner Lady Gaga or try running in place. Regardless of how you do it, a high energy level will put you in a position to let your message burst through.   Post-Tip Discussion: Meet Melanie Childers Melanie is a coach focused on helping progressive women run for political office or other wise change the world through advocacy. Her own experience surviving cancer helped her chart this new path to make her world a better place. We have a wide-ranging discussion this week that covers topics like confidence, focusing on a message, the challenges women face in running for office that often men do not, the nature of neuroplasticity, depression, suicide, authenticity, and mindset to name a few. I first encountered Melanie through Lyn Henderson's Inside Knowledge podcast. It was a great discussion

2-Minute Tip: Poll the Audience   A simple way to increase audience engagement and inter action is to poll the audience. Ask them if they've had some sort of experience, like dealing with a tough customer or a misunderstanding with a boss. You already know the answer (probably) so you can use that to lead right in to your next point.   When you poll the audience be sure to tell the how to answer. Do you want the to say, "Yes!" Or do you want them to clap? Or do you want them to nod silently? If you don't make the choice for them, you never know what you'll get.    A great choice is to ask them to raise their hand. And demonstrate this behavior when you ask for it. This way you get them moving physically plus you get points for using gestures.   Post Tip Discussion: The Power of Limits   People often think they want total freedom, and it's a nice idea. In reality, though, we do our best and most creative work within constraints or within limits. Those limits force us to make the best use of an avail

  2-Minute Tip: Practice in the Shower   The shower can be a great place to practice your talk. It's a comfortable, warm environment. You don't need to pay too much attention to your other activities. You are less likely to be distracted by other folks and tasks. In general, the environment really helps you shift your mindset in a way that allows you to mentally prepare and visualize yourself conducting a great presentation.    Plus, it also forces you to go through your content without using your slides (just because you can take a waterproof laptop in there doesn't mean you should).   Meet Mario Porreca We're all Unique. We're all perfect at our core. We all have something to bring to the world. What is your something? -- Mario Porreca   Mario Porreca joins us this week. Mario Porreca is a performer, chef, author, TV personality, speaker, and mindset performance strategist. Mario’s main focus is coaching busy achievers to align their mindset, purpose, and passion to experience life at a deeper more profou

  2-Minute Tip: Close to Open   In retail, management coaches employees to Close to Open. That means to get the store clean, stocked and signed at closing time so it's ready to open up the next day and get right to business.   If you are doing a series of presentations, you can do "Future You" a big favor by taking the same approach. Close to open.   That means when you're done, you don't just throw everything in your bag and run out the door. Take the time to: Reset your PC to presentation state. Wrap up your cables. Pack your extension cord and presentation remote where you will find them. Fold up your branded table cloth. Reset any visual aides you have Etc.   Don't leave your self with a tangled mess to deal with the next day. You don't need that stress, and you don't need that hassle. Close to Open.   Post Tip Discussion: Presentation Translator   Presentation Translator is a free add in for PowerPoint that you can get from Microsoft. It requires a recent version of PowerPoint, a Windows PC, an interne

2-Minute Tip: Prepare Talking Points   It's one thing to plan your presentation when you are leading the discussion. It's another when you're not. During informal presentations like interviews and panel discussions you may not be driving the whole discussion. That's why you need to prepare talking points ahead of time and review them before the talk.   Pick 2-3 key points you want to make during your limited time. What do you want the audience to know? What do you want them to do? How can you make sure your appearance at this event has value for both you and your audience?   Just as important as crafting them is reviewing them before the event. You want them top of mind so when the discussion comes around to you, you are prepared to address these key points without forgetting them.     Post Tip Discussion: What Happens When You Don't Care?   We don't always have the luxury of speaking about things we are passionate about. Sometime, a customer, boss, or colleague may ask us to speak about a topic w

2-Minute Tip: Use PowerPoint Online Photos   PowerPoint has some great tools for sourcing images online. In the version for Windows that comes as part of Office 365 (and possibly other versions), PowerPoint content layout frames include an option to insert online images. If you are working without layouts, you can reach this same function through the Insert menu.     Once you choose that option, you will get a search box that includes categories of photos, drawings, and graphics, along with the search option.  Type your search term and PowerPoint will use either Bing Image search or OneDrive search functions to find the pictures you need. It searches for images that folks are generally allowed to use under a Creative Commons license. Simply click the image you want, and it drops right onto your slide.   Now there is no excuse not to use graphics in your slides.   Post Tip Discussion: 6 Observations From a Talk   I spoke to a stroke support group recently. I had several weeks to prepare so my

  2-Minute Tip: Tell a Story to Add Value   When presenting, we are often selling something. It may be a product, a service, or an idea. To be effective, though, don't just go through a barrage of features or details. It's the story that you can connect with your topic that gives it value. It's the story you tell that your audience will respond to and remember.   It's the story you tell that makes your subject rise above the fray.     Post Tip Discussion: Meet Iszi Lawrence The human brain is designed to listen to voices and designed to understand stories. -- Iszi Lawrence   Iszi Lawrence is a British comedian, podcaster, presenter, radio personality, and public speaking coach. She has more than a decade of experience talking in places from nightclubs to boardroom to the Oxford Union to the Tedx stage in Southhampton. You can learn more about Iszi by visiting Iszi.com.     I met Iszi through a Facebook discussion group. We had a wide ranging conversation about the comedy and speaking scene

2-Minute Tip: Prewire your big meetings   I first learned about the idea of Prewiring a meeting from the folks at Manager Tool. Check out their podcast for a deeper discussion. I also talked about it in the early days of this 2-Minute Talk Tips in Episode 7 (Empty Your Pockets and Prepare Your Audience).   Basically, to prewire your audience before a big proposal, meet with your stakeholders one-on-one to brief them on what you want to do, get their feedback, address their concerns, and answer their questions in the days and weeks leading up to your presentation.   By doing so, you increase your odds of success because everyone is better prepared for the discussion.     Post Tip Discussion: Bad Boss Advice   When your boss gives you bad advice about speaking, what should you do? Generally, comply.   You may want  to dig a little deeper. Ask for more information about the advice. Try to understand the context and details around it. What is the problem your boss hopes to address with this advice?

    2-Minute Tip: Always Assume Your Screen is Showing   I think we've all been in that meeting at one point where someone's PC is connected to the projector and suddenly an embarrassing IM pops up. Or the meeting gets derailed by a 5-minute discussion about they're wallpaper.   There are lots of notifications that popup on our devices -- meeting reminders, email previews, Skype notices, Windows 10 Action Center updates, etc. Sometimes we just have assorted files scattered across folders or our desktop.   And sometimes we forget folks can see that stuff because we're just conducting our presentation. That's when it's easy to get into trouble.   Always assume your desktop is showing when connected to a projector, and make sure the only stuff on there is stuff it's okay for your audience to see.   Program note: Amazon Echo Skills   Both 2-Minute Talk Tips and Strokecast now have Amazon Alexa skills. You can listen to every episode from theses nifty speakers around your home.   Just go up to you

    2-Minute Tip: Believe Them   When your audience members tell you that you did a good job, believe them.   In our zeal to be the best we can be, many speakers have an inaccurate and often negative view of our own performances. Often we see how it could have been better. Or we notice a mistake no one in the audience did. We can obsess over those "failures" no one else saw. But it's not about us.   It's about the audience. When audience members tell you that you did a good job, take their word for it. Respect their opinion. Believe them.     Post Tip Discussion: 8 Questions to Ask After Your Talk   There are stories we tell ourselves that keep us small. -- Emma Gibbs-Ng Lyn Henderson's Inside Knowledge Podcast   Evaluating our performance after a presentation is good, but simply asking, "How was I?" is not good enough. It makes it all about us again and doesn't give us the actionable data we need to get better. Instead, we ought to ask these 8 questions after a talk:    How was the ti