Here’s something that’s been floating around in the back of my head for a number of months. When you get up and present are you acting? You might think that you’re not. But I’d suggest that if you’re not using acting and theatre techniques when you present, then you’re seriously missing out on taking your presentation skills to the next level.
This has been lingering with me since I entered the International Speech contest back in March 2008. In that speech, a version of which is viewable here, I briefly mention my background as an actor. For some reason this was an issue for some of the Toastmasters who were watching and it has continued to be an issue for Toastmasters who have seen it since.
Some peeps have said they feel that me being an actor is cheating somehow. That somehow, because I have tonnes of stage time earned elsewhere away from Toasties and the speaking platform that I’m somehow unworthy, or I have short-circuited the system because I wasn’t lacking in confidence when I did my Ice Breaker speech. Others have suggested that actors are dishonest and should be bracketed with lawyers and accountants. Nice. Good to know they’re supportive.
Once upon a time actors were branded as being rogues and vagabonds. But that was in the 1660s. These days actors are looked upon a bit better than that… But only a little.
There’s nothing to be afraid of. We don’t bite… often.
The thing is a lot of the really great presenters and speakers tap into the world of acting. They easily harness the techniques and bring in an element of theatricality, whether consciously or unconsciously, when they speak. People like Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Darren LaCroix, Barack Obama… and that’s just of the top of my head.
The danger is when speakers think that they’re actors. There is a difference. You can’t just attend some acting classes and call yourself an actor. It’s a whole other outlook entirely. I feel that the best acting involves you pretending to be someone else. Whereas, the best speaking involves you becoming the best version of you.
Here’s what I mean – we don’t want to see the real you. The pauses for thought, the hesitations, the reiterations, the slurred or stumbled word. We want all that edited out. So you’re presenting an edited and slightly heightened version of yourself. You’re performing.
You plus a bunch of people watching you is theatre, no matter how much you want to get away from that. The same as watching a sporting event like football (soccer to my American readers) has an element of ancient Greek Theatre to it.
So how do you embrace theatricality in your next presentation? Well, it depends upon when it is, if you have more time then you can do more. But…
1. A Class. You can take a basic acting or improvisation class in your area. This will get you loosened up and thinking about what you do in a different way. Plus, it will give you another stage time opportunity.
2. The Internet. You can surf YouTube for clips of some of the speakers I mentioned above and make notes of what they do differently to you. Is there anyway that you can incorporate any of those elements?
3. Storytelling. We’re often told that we should muse more stories in our presentations. If you think about it what do we do when we recount a story to a friend? We often act it out don’t we? We take on the persona, or voice or mannerism of one of the characters in the story (boss, partner, etc) and re-enact the joke or incident. So that’s something that we need to think about for our presentations. Those little moments are real and interesting and certainly something that we should bear in mind.
4. Technical. What about other areas such as using a piece of music to open your presentation (making sure that it relates to your topic would be preferable)? Or is there anyway that you might be able to adjust the lighting and add a gel to get a different colour effect in there? Or even just using audience music, that the audience listens to as they come in and take their seats.
Next time you have a presentation to do, have you considered the acting elements?
Jason Peck is a Humorist, Speaker and Consultant based in London, England. For public speaking tips and to learn how to add humor to your speeches and presentations to win over your listeners visit: Pro Humorist.
Category: Communication Skills
Oh no!!! Not another observational humor monologue!
I realize that few readers have an interest in writing observational humor monologues. And I also realize that because of the You-Had-To-Be-There factor, reading a transcript of a monologue from an event that you did not attend probably doesn’t make you laugh. So why do I publish them?
Writing about creating and using humor can easily result in something that looks and sounds like a lecture. Nothing but theory becomes an exercise in mental gymnastics. It’s not especially interesting and it’s difficult to link the theory to real-life examples. You’ve probably heard the E.B. White quote, “Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.”
So the question becomes, “how to teach and learn humor without feeling like you’re in a lecture hall?” I use observational humor monologues as a teaching tool. Hopefully it’s a vehicle which brings humor techniques to life with real-world examples of humor in action.
My improv troupe had a workshop last week. Ten of us met to practice the principles of good improv comedy. Nobody in the group has a dream of becoming a main-stage player at Second City or being discovered by Saturday Night Live. Most people take improv classes because they are fun, because they teach skills which apply to success in life, and because they help people become better public speakers. It’s not about the improv…it’s so much more than that.
Likewise, members of a Toastmasters Club did not join because they intend to become a professional speaker. They join for the fun and to gain some skills that will make them more productive and competitive in the workplace. It’s not primarily about public speaking, it’s about leadership, growth, and personal communication.
Within a Toastmasters Club, members have the opportunity to compete in several contests every year. It’s not about the contests, it’s not about winning. People participate in the contests to improve their skills.
You don’t enter a Cartoon Caption Contest or a Joke Contest with the intent of becoming a professional writer. You most likely do it to sharpen your creative skills. Maybe you do it just to have fun.
People don’t go to the gym to become a body builder. They go to the gym simply to be in a little better shape than they are today.
So it is with studying Observational Humor Monologues. It’s not about creating the monologue. It’s about discovering the Ah-Ha’s which help you make the connections needed to create your own fresh humor. It’s about the possibility of closing a PTA meeting with just one observational humor line. It’s about brightening a staff meeting with just one small quip which you create out of nothing. It’s about relaxing a prospect at a sales presentation because you can react naturally with humor, even if it’s only once. It’s about opening a speech with just one observational humor line. It’s about becoming better at using humor…just a little bit. Studying Observational Humor Monologues, you slowly begin to see how humor connections are made. One step at a time. We grow in baby steps. And the exciting thing is…the better you get…the faster you get better.
So remember, it’s not about the monologue. It’s about something much more important…you and your skills.
Eric Feng is the go-to guy if you want to learn how to impress your investors and customers through public speaking. For more tips and tactics that you can use immediately in your next presentation, visit The Public Speaking Blog.
Avoid the pain
Which would you prefer – root canal dental surgery without an anaesthetic or a bit of public speaking? According to the people who research these things, most of us would prefer the former.
Public speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and our kneecaps to start knocking lumps out of each other.
The problem is that Public Speaking catches up with many of us at some time both in our business and personal life. You’re asked to do a short talk at Fred’s “leaving do”. The
organisers of your business club want fifteen minutes on why you make “kafuffle” valves. A potential client wants a presentation on why they should give you the contract.
Of course there’s always the confident people who think “I’m real good at this, lead me to the podium.” The only thing is that some of these people could bore your socks off and do more for insomniacs than the strongest sleeping pills.
Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to be sent on a Public Speaking course by your enlightened employer. But more likely, when asked to make a presentation you’ll get hold of a book on
speaking, start writing the speech and lose sleep until the event.
Well, there’s no need for all of this because help is at hand. All you need to remember are your P’s and Q’s. Let’s start with the P’s
Preparation –
When you sit down to write what you’re going to say, bear in mind who you’ll be speaking to. Will they understand what you’re talking about; will they understand the technical stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying “Keep It Simple Stupid”. To quote Aristotle – “Think as the wise men do, but speak as the common man”.
Make sure that what you say has a beginning, a middle and an end. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story.
People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your audience. And always remember, people want to know what’s in it for them – so make sure you tell them!
Place –
Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It’s not always possible, however, even if you get there half an hour before, you can check out where you’ll be speaking.
Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine where the audience will be and check that they can see and hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where
you’ll be able to find it.
Personal Preparation –
Before any speaking event, think about what you are going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items of jewellery.
Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take
a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out, counting at the same time, try and get up to fifty and not pass out.
As part of your personal preparation, write your own introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person
introducing you to read it. Believe me they won’t object and will probably be pleased and impressed.
Poise and Posture –
Whenever you’re called to speak, stand up or walk to the front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your full height, stand tall and look like you own the place. Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies down. Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look likeable. Practise this in front of a mirror or your family; I’ve heard that children make pretty good critics.
Pretend –
I’m suggesting you pretend you’re not nervous because no doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind sharper and gives you energy. It also has the slight side effect of making you lighter through loss of body waste
materials. The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account tell your audience your nervous, you’ll only scare the living daylights out of them if they think you’re going to faint. Some of the tricks for dealing with nerves are:
Get lots of oxygen into your system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals. Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into thinking you’re talking to some friends. Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. Stick cotton wool on your kneecaps so people won’t hear them knocking.
One word of warning – do not drink alcohol. It might give you Dutch courage but your audience will end up thinking you’re speaking Dutch.
The Presentation –
This is it, the big moment when you tell your audience what a clever person you are and have them leap to their feet in thunderous applause. Okay, let’s step back a bit – if you want their applause then you’re going to have to work for it. Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their attention.
Don’t start by saying – “Good morning, my name is Fred Bloggs and I’m from Bloggs and Company.” Even if your name is Bloggs, it’s a dead boring way to start a presentation. Far better to start with some interesting facts or an anecdote that is relevant to your presentation.
Look at the audience as individuals; I appreciate that this can be difficult when some of them are downright ugly. However it grabs their attention if they think you’re talking to them individually.
Talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get the message. Funnily enough, it’s also good for your nerves.
PowerPoint –
And for those of you who haven’t heard of it, it’s a software programme that’s used to design stunning graphics and text for projection onto a screen. As a professional speaker, I’m not that struck on PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it takes over the presentation. After all, you’re the important factor here. If an audience is going to accept what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes. There needs to be a big focus on you,
not on the technology.
Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make sure you’re not just the person pushing the buttons.
Why not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart, lots of professionals do.
Passion –
This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is what makes them want to employ you; to accept what you’re proposing and make them want you to marry their son or daughter. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.
Just think of our old friend Adolph Hitler, boy could he move an audience to action. It’s just too bad he was selling something that wasn’t to everyone’s liking.
Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don’t start telling me – “I’m not that kind of person.”
There’s no need to go over the top but you’re doing a presentation to move people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your front room.
That’s the P’s finished with so let’s look at the Q’s.
Questions –
Decide when you’re going to take them and tell people at the start. In a short speech it’s best to take questions at the end. If you take them as you go then you may get waylaid
and your timing will get knocked out.
Never – never – never finish with questions; far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish.
Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat.
When you’re asked a question, repeat it to the whole audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look so clever and in control.
Quit –
Quit when you’re ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you’re asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not quantity.
One of the most famous speeches ever – “The Gettysburg Address”, by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes long.
Right, that’s my cue to quit when I’m ahead. Public Speaking will never be easy for most of us but we can all do it a whole lot better.
Alan Fairweather, ‘The Motivation Doctor,’ is an International Speaker, Author and Business Development Expert. To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com
Let’s set things straight. There is absolutely NO way you can learn how to swim or cook from just reading a book or attending a seminar unless you are a genius. Yes?
And there’s a reason why there are still a gazillion number of people who are not rich in spite of the number of books on how to get rich. Yes?
If you have realized by now, the fastest and most effective way in mastering a skill is by DOING it. As the saying goes:
“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skills is knowing how to do it and virtue is doing it.”
But Eric, I don’t deliver presentations everyday! No worries, you can still clock stage time if you adopt this insider strategy practiced by many top leaders and speakers in our world.
And here’s the barring truth – champions never turn down stage time. So instead of harping on it, I shall share with you 15 more ways to take the stage and sharpen your public speaking skills. If you have other brilliant ideas, please share them with me under the comments section.
1. Volunteer to emcee at your company’s event or your child’s birthday party
2. Give a toast at your friend’s wedding
3. Ask a question at a conference (during the Q&A session)
4. Join a Toastmasters meeting (speak at the Table Topics segment)
5. Conduct a mini workshop for your friends on a topic that you are an expert on (say cooking)
6. Speak up at your department’s meeting
7. Volunteer to deliver a presentation on behalf of your team in school
8. Attend a business networking event – find opportunities to speak up
9. Say hello to strangers on the way to work or school
10. Volunteer to teach at a non-profit organization
11. Videotaped yourself delivering a speech and then get professional feedback
12. Search for speeches and scripts on youtube and then recreate them.
13. Do a stand up comedy gig (warning: not for the faint hearted)
14. Have a boys or girls night out and take the chance to share some of your juicy stories with them.
15. Attend a public speaking program!
Eric Feng is the go-to guy if you want to learn how to impress your investors and customers through public speaking. For more tips and tactics that you can use immediately in your next presentation, visit The Public Speaking Blog.
Do you remember being told to use the “sandwich” technique when you needed to reprimand someone? Let me give you an example:
“Fred, I’m really pleased with how you’ve been progressing since you joined us and you’re doing a great job. However you’re not getting your reports in on time and we’re missing
deadlines. I’d like you to tighten up a bit on this. Anyway,thanks for all you’ve done so far and keep up the good work.”
Have you ever said something along these lines when managing your team? You probably needed Fred to sort out his reporting but you didn’t want to upset or demoralize him.
The only problem is that Fred may not get the message and the importance of it may be seriously diluted.
He may hear it as, “Fred, you’re doing a brilliant job, you just need to sort out the reporting bit but it’s not really that important.”
What happens then is, Fred continues to fail with his reports.
The “sandwich” technique doesn’t work, it lets you off the hook and it’s mealy mouthed. Be direct when managing your people and they’ll respect you more for it. You are also much more likely to get a change in behavior.
If you’re unhappy with some aspect of an employee’s performance then you need to tell them so. The skill is in doing it in a way that’s effective and doesn’t lower the morale of the individual.
Firstly, it’s not acceptable to speak to your people just when you’re unhappy about something. Tell them the good news as well. As Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson say in their book The One Minute Manager – “Catch people doing something right” and tell them about it.
Some managers and employers still have this strange notion that if people are doing things right then that’s what they’re paid for and they don’t need to be complimented.
Ask almost any employee in Industries throughout the world and they’ll tell you that they don’t feel appreciated by their manager.
When you notice someone doing something you do like, tell them about it. When you notice them doing something you don’t like, tell them about it. Whether it’s good news or bad, the same rules apply.
Do it as soon as possible. Acknowledgment of a job well done is not much good six months later. Also, if you don’t immediately call someone’s attention to something you are not happy about, then they’ll assume it’s okay. Either that or they’ll think you didn’t notice or you don’t care.
Do it in private. Why is it that some managers still feel it’s okay to reprimand someone in front of their colleagues? Even the mildest rebuke can have a negative effect on morale.
When you speak to the person use “I” messages. Say things like “I liked the way you did that” or “I think there is another way to do that.” Avoid “You” messages such as “You’re doing great.” That can come across as patronizing or insincere. “You’re doing that all wrong” may cause conflict, lower morale and may not sort the problem.
When your giving feedback, focus on one or two things. You’ll only confuse the person if you run off a whole list of attributes or misdemeanors. Be specific about job behavior, focus on what the person did or didn’t do, don’t make a personal attack.
Allow time for the message to sink in and allow the person to respond. You can then seek agreement as to what will happen in the future. If the person does not agree to take
corrective action then you need to move to another level. When they do agree to take corrective action then make sure that you monitor it and give encouraging feedback.
Being direct with your people is better for you, better for them and better for you business, so save your “sandwiches” for lunchtime.
Alan Fairweather, ‘The Motivation Doctor,’ is an International Speaker, Author and Business Development Expert. To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com