Are You Cool, or Hot Stuff?

Let's face it: You're hot stuff as a speaker, even if you do say so yourself.

You have everything your audience needs, don't you? You're knowledgeable on your topic. You're dedicated. You have great experience. And you're totally committed to getting this message across to your listeners.

Unfortunately, however, audiences aren't mind readers! Your listeners can't crawl into your mind and see what you're thinking and feeling (thank goodness, you might say!). They won't be moved by you and your vision unless you demonstrate what you're talking about.

That means using the nonverbal tools of movement, gesture, and especially, voice.

As a communications consultant said recently: you have to show them, not tell them.

Too many professionals neglect the tools of vocal dynamics--pitch inflection, voice quality, tempo, rhythm, pause . . . the components that create the music of our language. Instead, we have to allow audiences to hear what we're thinking and feeling through our voice.

It's really all about emotion. And that thought is really a helpful shortcut to vocal success: Let your emotions "show" in your voice. When you do, your presentation will come alive for your audience. Listeners will get what you're saying, you'll establish rapport with them, and they'll be on your wavelength.

It's cool to be cool. But not when we're speaking to influence others.

Who's the King of Spin?

Would you trust a candidate for president who's a master at spinning the truth?

Perhaps you prefer a presidential candidate who has the potential to depress you every time he opens his mouth.

These are among the conclusions being reported in the current issue of the magazine New Scientist. They are part of a story entitled "Software Spots the Spin in Political Speeches," which became available today online.

According to the article, a mathematics and computer science researcher in Canada has developed an algorithm that spots what Mark Twain called "stretchers" in conversation or speeches. Word selection, frequency of usage, and use of action verbs supposedly reveal when a speech is high on spin. The researcher analyzed speeches by John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Guess who wins the King of Spin Award?

Obama. And by a huge margin.

The Democratic candidate's spin total was 6.7 on a scale where 0 equals an average level of spin. Hillary Clinton scored a 0.15. At the bottom of the spin scale was John McCain, whose score was an ultra-straight talking - 7.58.

All of this is about as believable as a claim that pigs actually wear lipstick.

Politicians wouldn't be politicians if they didn't spin facts and their positions on issues. It's the nature of the game, and garnering votes always mean walking a high wire while balancing truth and credibility. A simplistic survey of syntax may say something about a candidate and speechwriter's style. But only in the most unsophisticated campaign would it be a reliable indicator of truth or falsehood.

The same article goes on to dissect John McCain by way of a psychological profile and "auditory analysis software" used by a psychologist in Switzerland. This researcher finds that McCain looks and sounds like a person who is clinically depressed. Apparently, lack of pitch inflection and inappropriate smiling are the giveaways with this candidate.

Yet lack of pitch variety is the number one issue I work on with clients for whom vocal improvement is necessary. Unless a person has a background as an actor, there is virtually no opportunity for that person to have had training in using the vocal instrument well. And it is perfectly possible--even common--for that professional to make great strides in improved pitch inflection in a very short period of time with proper exposure to good vocal techniques.

As to whether smiling is a sure-fire indicator of poor mental health, well, that thought makes me too depressed to even write about it.

As Usual, Yogi Berra Said It Best!

"You can't think and hit at the same time," the great philosopher Yogi Berra once advised.

Actually, the Yogi-ism was better than that. He said: "Think? How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"

That's terrific advice for public speaking as well. Our practice time is valuable, but the techniques we work on can't be the focus of our actual presentation. By then, we either have them under our belt or we don't.

When we speak, our focus must be on three things: 1) the needs of our listeners, 2) our essential message, and 3) whether the audience is engaged and receiving that message loud and clear. Too much analysis, on any issues outside that laser-like focus, will only weaken the dynamism of our presentation.

I've been mulling over questions like this lately, as I've been reading Gerd Gigerenzer's book Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious. The author, a psychologist, points out that expert motor skills (like golf swings) are carried out unconsciously. Thinking too much about how the skills are applied actually inhibits performance.

We forget, after all, that as speakers, we are embodied. We're not talking heads--we use our bodies, and move in our bodies, as we speak. Vocal production itself is, of course, a physical act. And even a "talking head" is part of a body!

So, trust yourself when you speak. Believe that the strengths you've tried to build in your preparation and practice will "be there" when you give your speech or presentation. The present moment is rich with both challenges and opportunities for speakers. Live within them, and the experience will be enriched for both you and your audience.

Remember: The future ain't what it used to be.* It's the present that counts.

* Yeah . . . he said that, too.

Who's Speaking in This Election, Anyway?

Have you been following John McCain and Barack Obama's speeches lately? Of course you have!

As the seemingly endless 2008 presidential campaign hurtles toward its conclusion, we are rightly focused on the effectiveness of the candidates' campaign appearances. And though it may be a tough assignment, let's try to get beyond partisan viewpoints and take a look at the contrasting style of each man. At least, let's get a snapshot.

(Full disclosure: One of the hats I wear is as a speech coach to political candidates. I've coached Democrats and Republicans at the state and national levels--in fact, just about in equal measure for each side. Fortunately, both major parties realize that good communication skills are not party-specific, and they don't exclude speech coaches on that basis!)

What's the buzz on Obama vs. McCain regarding their speaking styles?

Mr. Teleprompter vs. The Old Fart? Razzle-Dazzle vs. Tried-and-True? Rock-Star-in-a-Stadium vs. Straight-Flying-and-Talking-Pilot? And for goodness sake, which of these candidates sounds like he really represents change?

Perhaps the most interesting moments we've seen so far in the campaign have to do with UNSCRIPTED remarks by the candidates. (Speaking of which, we might be in for some fireworks when the untested Sarah Palin meets Joe Biden, whose public remarks must often puzzle even himself!) The campaigns are quite expert at displaying the candidates they've carefully groomed behind the scenes. But when "57 states" meets a politician who can't remember how many houses he owns, well, things get a lot more fun for all of us!

I for one am looking forward to the debates, when Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama must untie their lifelines tethering them to their campaigns, and wade out into unchartered waters. We may truly see, at last, how the charismatic Obama handles himself without a teleprompter--not just in incidental appearances, but in the pressure cooker--and whether McCain can marry experience, eloquence, and emotional control. . . . Hey, wait a minute: isn't that last one bigamy?

Stay tuned!