More than five weeks have passed since the offshore rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the lives of eleven men. As oil continues to billow beneath the surface from BP’s damaged well, political blood has been spreading in the water as well.
Consider the rhetoric that spilled onto the airways today:
“The President has hired everything in Washington. Someone has convinced them that BP is their partner. They’re not their partner. We need some action here.” (James Carville)
“Why does it take the President 37 days, 38 days? . . . He’ll be there on Day 39.” (John King/CNN)
“We were dealt an untruth by the Corps of Engineers, another group that’s paid with our tax dollars. How much more are we going to put up with?” (Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser)
“We’ve started taking matters into our own hands.” (Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal)
Negative comments, all. We might expect as much from the Republican politicians represented above. But from a Democratic consultant, and the host of a CNN news show? Just how big a disaster is this disaster shaping up to be for President Obama?
The environmental damage is not only gargantuan, but without discernible limit. The “Monster in the Gulf” bloats daily, like a sea-going version of Blob. The BP/Deepwater Horizon blowout has grown to 19 million gallons, perhaps as high as 39 million gallons. BP has now surpassed 1989’s Exxon Valdez as the coastline oil disaster of preeminence.
Inescapably, the current occupant of the White House is taking the heat. President Obama will travel to Louisiana this Friday—the “39th day,” as John King reminded us on his show—and today the President framed his administration’s response this way at a press conference:
“The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort.”
Those words certainly have a “the buck stops here” sound to them. Yet the American people can’t help but notice that this is the President’s first news conference in 308 days.
President Obama—like President Bush before him during the Katrina disaster—would do well to remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt, an earlier Chief Executive who once said: “I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds.”
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
"And I Owe It All to Television": Making Your Case in 30 Seconds or Less
Want to make the acquaintance of the world’s greatest communicator? Allow me to introduce you.
Ladies and gentlemen . . . meet television.
Dazzler of billions, appropriately nicknamed The Glass Teat (or Boob Tube), Baby-Sitter, Goggle Box, and The Eye, television is the master persuader of our age. And whether you agree with the late Ernie Kovacs that “television is a medium because it is neither rare nor well done,” the small screen has much to teach us when it comes to quick and efficient communication.
Television has been spectacularly successful in reducing people’s attention span, for instance—and then has plugged itself snugly into that smaller space. Equally important, T.V. has taught us that critical information succeeds when it is delivered vividly, with a visual kick.
As speakers who must convince listeners in short order—say, in the 30 seconds it takes for audiences to form judgments about us or to deliver an elevator speech—we can benefit from television’s techniques. We too can learn how to broadcast a message concisely yet powerfully and even include a visual component. Here are five ways to do so:
1. Decide on your objective. Let’s start with the persuasive tool par excellence of television: the commercial. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, commercials seduce and persuade like nobody’s business (except the advertiser’s). With extreme conciseness, sponsors show us how to home in on one’s objective and achieve it with maximum efficiency. Advertisers do this because they want to sell, right? Well, so do you! Whether it’s a product, service, idea, or vision, a crystal clear objective to make that “sale” will lead you to the influence you desire. In conceiving your message, give purpose precedence over sheer information.
2. Use an effective hook. Think of a commercial you enjoy (come on, I know you have one). The first time you saw it, weren’t you intrigued at the beginning of the spot? Didn’t the quirky, or startling, or funny, or outrageous nature of the ad pull you right in? Whatever your essential message is when you speak, it won’t resonate unless people are with you when you get to it. If you hook their interest at the start, they’ll be with you at the end. If you don’t, they won’t.
3. State the problem and its solution. Here’s a T.V. commercial of the type you’ve seen many times. It’s a series of visual images: (1) Four-year-old boy chasing the family’s new puppy, laughing and tumbling all over the front lawn. (2) Mom looking at his pants draped over her arm and frowning at the ground-in grass stains. (3) Shot of detergent box. (4) Mom smiling at the same pair of pants, now sparkling clean as she holds them at arm’s length. We get it all: a problem and its solution, presented as succinctly as possible. Television does this seamlessly with visuals. As a speaker, you need to use visuals too, though your brush consists of words. And so you must . . .
4. Paint word pictures. Studies have shown that visual stimuli can be the strongest elements of persuasive nonverbal communication. That means we must not only show visuals when we present our ideas, but speak in visuals as well. Paint a picture with words, and the image will captivate your listeners. Hamlet’s father’s ghost may have said this to the prince: “I could tell you how my own brother murdered me, but it would shock and horrify you too much.” Instead, Shakespeare had the character color his palette this way: “I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes start from their spheres [and] each particular hair to stand on end like quills upon the porcupine.” Which of those two short speeches packs a wallop?
5. Use stories that illustrate your point. When time is short or the opportunity is fleeting, state your point first then back it up with evidence. Of forms of evidence, stories are among the most powerful that exist. In casting your evidence in the form of a story, you’re saying, “Look, I know that was just data. Let me show you what I mean . . . .” Your illustration that follows, with people involved and a successful outcome will make your information come alive. Tell a story, and you’ll have your listener hooked—which is how you engaged him or her in the first place. Why let them off the hook now?
Ladies and gentlemen . . . meet television.
Dazzler of billions, appropriately nicknamed The Glass Teat (or Boob Tube), Baby-Sitter, Goggle Box, and The Eye, television is the master persuader of our age. And whether you agree with the late Ernie Kovacs that “television is a medium because it is neither rare nor well done,” the small screen has much to teach us when it comes to quick and efficient communication.
Television has been spectacularly successful in reducing people’s attention span, for instance—and then has plugged itself snugly into that smaller space. Equally important, T.V. has taught us that critical information succeeds when it is delivered vividly, with a visual kick.
As speakers who must convince listeners in short order—say, in the 30 seconds it takes for audiences to form judgments about us or to deliver an elevator speech—we can benefit from television’s techniques. We too can learn how to broadcast a message concisely yet powerfully and even include a visual component. Here are five ways to do so:
1. Decide on your objective. Let’s start with the persuasive tool par excellence of television: the commercial. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, commercials seduce and persuade like nobody’s business (except the advertiser’s). With extreme conciseness, sponsors show us how to home in on one’s objective and achieve it with maximum efficiency. Advertisers do this because they want to sell, right? Well, so do you! Whether it’s a product, service, idea, or vision, a crystal clear objective to make that “sale” will lead you to the influence you desire. In conceiving your message, give purpose precedence over sheer information.
2. Use an effective hook. Think of a commercial you enjoy (come on, I know you have one). The first time you saw it, weren’t you intrigued at the beginning of the spot? Didn’t the quirky, or startling, or funny, or outrageous nature of the ad pull you right in? Whatever your essential message is when you speak, it won’t resonate unless people are with you when you get to it. If you hook their interest at the start, they’ll be with you at the end. If you don’t, they won’t.
3. State the problem and its solution. Here’s a T.V. commercial of the type you’ve seen many times. It’s a series of visual images: (1) Four-year-old boy chasing the family’s new puppy, laughing and tumbling all over the front lawn. (2) Mom looking at his pants draped over her arm and frowning at the ground-in grass stains. (3) Shot of detergent box. (4) Mom smiling at the same pair of pants, now sparkling clean as she holds them at arm’s length. We get it all: a problem and its solution, presented as succinctly as possible. Television does this seamlessly with visuals. As a speaker, you need to use visuals too, though your brush consists of words. And so you must . . .
4. Paint word pictures. Studies have shown that visual stimuli can be the strongest elements of persuasive nonverbal communication. That means we must not only show visuals when we present our ideas, but speak in visuals as well. Paint a picture with words, and the image will captivate your listeners. Hamlet’s father’s ghost may have said this to the prince: “I could tell you how my own brother murdered me, but it would shock and horrify you too much.” Instead, Shakespeare had the character color his palette this way: “I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, make thy two eyes start from their spheres [and] each particular hair to stand on end like quills upon the porcupine.” Which of those two short speeches packs a wallop?
5. Use stories that illustrate your point. When time is short or the opportunity is fleeting, state your point first then back it up with evidence. Of forms of evidence, stories are among the most powerful that exist. In casting your evidence in the form of a story, you’re saying, “Look, I know that was just data. Let me show you what I mean . . . .” Your illustration that follows, with people involved and a successful outcome will make your information come alive. Tell a story, and you’ll have your listener hooked—which is how you engaged him or her in the first place. Why let them off the hook now?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
How to Speak from Notes or a Manuscript
Good speakers need to relate to their listeners even while reading from notes or a manuscript. Sound like a difficult task? It isn't really.
Why then do so many people read their speeches badly? It can’t be because speakers find it helpful to pretend no one is actually listening to them (though they sometimes seem to be in their own little world in that way). And they can’t possibly be aiming to have a closer relationship with a stack of speaking notes than with their audience (though that sometimes seems to be the case).
If the whole idea behind a presentation is to influence one’s listeners, and it is, a speaker had better find a way to establish rapport with that audience! After all, is anyone willing to be persuaded by someone who basically denies their existence?
What follows are six practical tips for speaking effectively while using a manuscript or notes. These suggestions will help you remain engaging and influential as a speaker while maintaining a conversational dynamic with your listeners.
1. Write to speak. Compose your talk for the ears of your listeners, not their eyes, as would be the case if they were reading your speech. Aim for the rhythms of conversation rather than the more formal style of memos and reports (or the barely-composed slang of e-mail messages). That means choosing simple words and short sentences. Use a tape recorder to listen to yourself to improve in this area.
2. Make it easy for you to read. Give yourself pages that can you see readily from the lectern. Use a large typeface, wide margins, and avoid the bottom of the page (otherwise your audience will see the top of your head too often).
3. Grab key phrases and run with them. You don’t want to spend more time with your text than with your listeners. So look down and “grab” key phrases or sentences. Then look up at your listeners and say them. Practice the technique to acquire a rhythm, for this is an essential skill for speakers. An important general rule: if you’re not LOOKING at your audience, nothing should be coming out of your mouth.
4. Use the pause that refreshes. That’s an old ad slogan, but it applies to public speakers, who must learn to use pauses! Pauses help shape a speech. They show that you’re confident enough to introduce an idea, then let it sink in. Pauses are refreshing for listeners. The adrenalin you're producing will be prodding you to speed up, but you must take your time. A speech without pauses seems to go on forever, regardless of its actual length.
5. Look at your listeners. This is the forest that some speakers don’t see because the trees that their manuscript is made up of get in the way. You should look up from your speech with every sentence you say. Audience members need eye contact to believe you’re talking to them; and none of us is persuaded by someone who won’t look us in the eye.
6. Hit your peaks. Remember that a speech or presentation needs shape in terms of both ideas and vocal delivery. A speech lacking a climax, for instance, is as formless and anonymous as an amoeba; and presentations without vocal variety are sheer torture for listeners. The tendency of our voice to “flatten out” increases when we read from notes or a manuscript rather than conversing with listeners. Remind yourself always that you are talking to people, not sheets of paper. People demand much more from you than squiggles on a page. Provided you breathe life into those words, your listeners will return the favor handsomely.
Why then do so many people read their speeches badly? It can’t be because speakers find it helpful to pretend no one is actually listening to them (though they sometimes seem to be in their own little world in that way). And they can’t possibly be aiming to have a closer relationship with a stack of speaking notes than with their audience (though that sometimes seems to be the case).
If the whole idea behind a presentation is to influence one’s listeners, and it is, a speaker had better find a way to establish rapport with that audience! After all, is anyone willing to be persuaded by someone who basically denies their existence?
What follows are six practical tips for speaking effectively while using a manuscript or notes. These suggestions will help you remain engaging and influential as a speaker while maintaining a conversational dynamic with your listeners.
1. Write to speak. Compose your talk for the ears of your listeners, not their eyes, as would be the case if they were reading your speech. Aim for the rhythms of conversation rather than the more formal style of memos and reports (or the barely-composed slang of e-mail messages). That means choosing simple words and short sentences. Use a tape recorder to listen to yourself to improve in this area.
2. Make it easy for you to read. Give yourself pages that can you see readily from the lectern. Use a large typeface, wide margins, and avoid the bottom of the page (otherwise your audience will see the top of your head too often).
3. Grab key phrases and run with them. You don’t want to spend more time with your text than with your listeners. So look down and “grab” key phrases or sentences. Then look up at your listeners and say them. Practice the technique to acquire a rhythm, for this is an essential skill for speakers. An important general rule: if you’re not LOOKING at your audience, nothing should be coming out of your mouth.
4. Use the pause that refreshes. That’s an old ad slogan, but it applies to public speakers, who must learn to use pauses! Pauses help shape a speech. They show that you’re confident enough to introduce an idea, then let it sink in. Pauses are refreshing for listeners. The adrenalin you're producing will be prodding you to speed up, but you must take your time. A speech without pauses seems to go on forever, regardless of its actual length.
5. Look at your listeners. This is the forest that some speakers don’t see because the trees that their manuscript is made up of get in the way. You should look up from your speech with every sentence you say. Audience members need eye contact to believe you’re talking to them; and none of us is persuaded by someone who won’t look us in the eye.
6. Hit your peaks. Remember that a speech or presentation needs shape in terms of both ideas and vocal delivery. A speech lacking a climax, for instance, is as formless and anonymous as an amoeba; and presentations without vocal variety are sheer torture for listeners. The tendency of our voice to “flatten out” increases when we read from notes or a manuscript rather than conversing with listeners. Remind yourself always that you are talking to people, not sheets of paper. People demand much more from you than squiggles on a page. Provided you breathe life into those words, your listeners will return the favor handsomely.
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