Disastrous Opening to the Conference

It started 20 minutes late

A full day conference will likely get behind schedule at some point during the day. It starts with a three minute delay, then a presentation that’s five minutes too long, a break extends an extra 12 minutes,  unexpected announcements steal seven minutes, a sponsor drones on forever… Surprise, surprise – by late afternoon your conference is running 20 to 40 minutes behind schedule.

Imagine starting the day 20 minutes behind schedule. When the program finally started at 9:20am there was neither explanation nor an apology. That didn’t feel like a good start to the day. The audience could only wonder when the day might end.

“How are you guys?”

That was the opening statement from the conference chair at 9:20 am. That’s a ridiculous question at any time because no one can answer that question. No one can speak on behalf of the group. That question is usually posed to satisfy the speaker. The speaker will assume that everyone is happy simply because there is no answer and no one feels qualified to answer on behalf of the group.

I was tempted to shout out “I’m annoyed that you’re starting late without an apology and explanation. I’m also insulted that you posed such a ridiculous question. When you ask, ‘How are you?’ Do you really want the truth?” But I restricted that to my inside voice.

Naturally, there was no reply to his stupid question. He probably didn’t care or even realize that we might feel annoyed with the delayed opening.

The second annoying thing about his question was the phrase “You guys” because that’s trailer trash talk. The major portion of the audience was university students who expected to enter employment in the business world. If they hope to earn respect they will need to clean up their use of colloquial language. When speaking to a group the correct term is “you”.

The smaller portion of the audience was representatives from business.  To the students these people might become advisors, mentors, recruiters and future employers. They might already be judging the students based on first impressions.

20 Members of the Team Introduced Themselves

The conference chair then called upon each of his conference team to introduce themselves to the group. Perhaps he thought that portrayed him as a team player. Instead, it was an agonizing waste of time. I appreciate that they were volunteers and deserved recognition but this wasn’t the time or best way to recognize them. I believe this choice demonstrated poor leadership and decision making skills.

“Welcome Everyone”

After the lengthy round of self-introductions this was the next phrase from the conference chair.

If he wanted to welcome us then his first words should have been “Welcome”. That would have been more effective than “How are you guys?”

“We Worked Really Hard”

Instead of stating the benefits of attending the conference he delivered this lame claim of effort. That phrase is either an excuse or a plea for appreciation. Who cares how hard you worked? That’s not important.  What can you deliver? How will we benefit? What’s in it for us?

Hello

Finally, the opening keynote speaker was introduced. His opening slide was the word “Hello”. What a thoughtless opening slide! Perhaps this speaker had never delivered a keynote speech. Why was he the keynote speaker? Apparently he was the CEO of a successful advertising agency. During his presentation he chronicled his rise in the advertising industry through several agencies before launching his own company. He offered important insights about connecting with your market and delivering your message. He didn’t demonstrate that in his presentation.

“So, what I’m gonna try to do…”

After the Hello slide, this was his opening line. How terrible! The opening line of your presentation, especially a keynote speech must engage the audience and create anticipation to hear your message.

Would that line grab your attention? Would you immediately sit up in your seat and be poised to listen to the rest of the story?

There are several mistakes with that line.

It’s trash talk – starting with the word “so” and using the slang “gonna”.

It’s vague and a waste of seven words.

“Try” sounds apologetic and uncertain. Do you remember Yoda’s thoughts on the word Try?

“Do or do not. There is no try.”

Yoda

The speaker’s opening line was about himself and his efforts – not about the audience. You’d think that an advertising expert would know the importance of talking about your audience.

What do you do when you’re bored in a meeting? Perhaps you check the time or your messages. I glanced at my watch noticed that we were 58 minutes into the program. My consoling thought was “Good thing I wasn’t planning to stay all day”.

Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook  
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

 

And now a few words from our sponsors

How to get more visitors to your tradeshow booth

Each conference sponsor had a booth in the tradeshow room and they were invited to the main stage to say a few words. This was an important opportunity that many of the sponsors failed to recognize.

Several sponsors took their turn at the microphone and bored us. They were clearly unprepared. Then one sponsor caught my attention with his first words. I listened to every word he said. As I looked around, it seemed that he had caught the attention of the entire audience.

What did this sponsor do differently that made him stand out?

First read what he said and did and then study my analysis of why it worked so well. I’ve segmented his presentation into four parts and added my headings to illustrate the flow of his presentation.

Opening

He grabbed our attention with his first words, “Have you tried to talk with your kids lately?” Then a short pause. “Some days you might not know whether to reach them via SMS, Facebook or Twitter.”

Benefits

Then he explained what his company did to help organizations better manage communication with their customers especially with the demands of social media.

Introduction

Then he stated his company name and invited people to visit his booth to discuss the issues and their options.

Close

Then he stated his first name and again invited people to see him at his (company name) booth.

Now let’s look into the mechanics of what he did.

Opening

Most speakers make the mistake of stating their name first. That’s a bad way to start for three reasons:

1 The audience usually doesn’t hear the name because they aren’t fully listening yet.

2 If the name is unusual or not enunciated clearly the audiences doesn’t understand it and thus they don’t remember it. Plus they might be annoyed.

3 The speaker’s name isn’t of interest to the audience so the first words don’t grab the attention of the audience and that’s a bad way to start a presentation. Starting with your name also suggests that you are going to talk about you instead of the audience or their interests.

Notice how this sponsor grabbed immediate attention and interest with his first words. Why? Because he was talking about the audience and something personal that they related to. He didn’t start by talking about himself.

Benefits

After he knew he had the attention of the audience he explained what his company did and how it could help the listener. He made it relevant.

Introduction

At this point the audience might be interested to know his companies name. Remember that the purpose of this self introduction is to draw visitors to your tradeshow booth. They don’t need the person’s name. They need to know the company name on the booth. And you need to invite them to visit for a reason. State a clear call to action.

Close

Now you can state your first name because the audience is ready to hear it.. Don’t make it difficult for people by giving too much information too early in the conversation. The real conversation will begin when they stop by your booth. At this time simply state your first name to appear approachable. They don’t need to hear or know your last name. Restate the call to action and end by reinforcing your company name.

To finish nicely, end with a smile and a friendly wave.

Notice the four important stages of your short presentation. If you think that’s too much work just consider how much money you or your company invested as a sponsor.

Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook  
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

How to Close Your Presentation

The close to your presentation is the last thing that your audience hears. It is the last impression, therefore it could be memorable if you make it powerful.

The close to your presentation should direct people in the direction that you have been nudging them throughout your presentation.

Make it clear in your close what you want them to do next.

When writing the closing to your presentation consider that someone wakes up or arrives late and only hears your close. Will they know what to do next?

For those reasons it's good to include a summary or call to action in your closing statement.


Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

Where is the Emergency Exit?

When you are the presenter the audience expects that you know where the emergency exits are. It's part of your responsibility as the speaker.

When you speak the audience sees you as a leader - as least temporarily. With that leadership comes responsibility.

For the safety of your audience and yourself, check and be familiar with the emergency exits and to where they lead. When things go wrong appear calm and maintain control. Give clear instructions. There is nothing worse than a panic. Similarly be prepared to handle accidents and medical emergencies.

As the presenter you are responsible when things go wrong – especially an emergency. The group has granted you leadership status and expects you to take charge in an emergency.

Read

What to do when the fire alarm ring during your presentation

Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook
Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

Can We Really Trust Your Conference Speakers to Stay on Time

If you are organizing a conference, convention or corporate meeting this is the most difficult thing to do. Keep your speakers on time.

Every speaker believes that they need more time than you allot them. Every speaker believes that the audience loves them and wants to hear more.

Most of the time, you, the conference or meeting organizer, can not trust your speaker to stay on time – especially if your speaker is a non-professional. Perhaps you invited an industry expert or company spokesperson to speak because the price was right. They speak for free. That might satisfy your budget but will it present a logistics challenge for you?

Consider this: A speaker who agrees to speak for free with the intention of promoting his product or company will feel that you owe him the time you originally agreed to – and sometimes more.

As the event organizer you probably know that conferences and meetings seldom run on time – which means that someone must cut their presentation. A free speaker will seldom do that because:

• They don’t know how to truncate their presentation
• They promised their boss that they would speak for x minutes at your event
• They feel that you owe them their time - period

And yes we’ve all seen professional speakers abuse your time. Celebrity speakers seem to be the worst because they are basking in the glow of “It’s all about me”. Novice professional speakers make the mistake of going over time because they are still learning.

Every time before they go on stage, the best professional speakers will usually ask the MC or conference organizer, “When do you want me to finish?” And miraculously they will finish on time. Why? Because they have prepared to do that.

Here is a test you can use to see if your speaker understands the concept “Finish on Time”

Ask the speaker, “How will you ensure that you finish on time?”

Does the speaker have his own clock or he is aware of the clock in the room. It’s a bad sign if the answer to both these questions is “no”.

Ask the speaker, “Are you able to shorten your presentation to meet our shifting time limits?” Is the speaker prepared to leave something out?

If the speaker looks at you strange or starts to protest then your schedule is in trouble.

Ask the speaker, “What have you done to shorten your presentation when the schedule changed at a previous speaking engagement?”

  

If you want your speakers (professional or free) to adapt to your schedule, ask them these critical questions before you agree to book them for your special event.

Presentation Tips on Twitter Presentation Skills Club on Facebook Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

Wrong introduction - but you still smile

I inwardly cringed as the introducer read the wrong introduction for my speech.

But I forced a beaming smile because I was the only one that knew it was the wrong introduction. He was still saying nice things about me and I recognized that few people listen to the introduction.

The audience and the introducer did not need to know about the error so I didn't mention it. Your audience doesn't need to hear what your inner voice is screaming.

After the introduction, I smiled as I approached the stage and opened my presentation.

The purpose of an introduction is to make the audience feel good about the speaker and topic. If they feel good they will forget what was said - especially if the speech was good.


George Torok


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

What’s the difference between a speaker’s bio and an introduction?

Many people don’t realize the difference and often say bio when they mean introduction. And many non-professional speakers mistakenly supply their bio as an introduction.

There is a big difference between these two documents in their purpose and hence their form. Function always drives form.

Speaker Bio
The speaker’s bio (biography) is meant to be read silently. It is printed in the program and meant to impress readers with the credentials of the speaker and attract them to attend the presentation. The bio in it’s worst form looks and feels like a resume. The bio could easily be a full page or several hundred words.

Do not read the speaker’s bio to the audience. It will usually be boring. Not the right start to a presentation.

Speaker Introduction
The speaker's introduction is meant to be heard by the audience just before he starts to speak. It is meant to serve as an introduction to the presentation as delivered by this speaker.

The purpose of a good introduction is to get the audience interested in the topic and confirm the speaker as the best choice for this topic. After a good introduction the audience should feel eager to hear the speaker present on this topic. Also the speaker will feel welcomed by the introduction and audience reaction.

The ideal introduction would have 3 short paragraphs. The first one introduces the topic. The second reminds people why the topic is so important. The third one highlights the reason this speaker is qualified to speak on the topic. This third paragraph will be a selection of the most interesting points from the speaker’s bio. Print the introduction in large type double spaced to make it easier for the introducer to read.

It should take between 30 to 60 seconds for the introducer to read. Anything longer is wasting time. Don't put people to sleep before the speaker starts.

The more prominent the speaker, the shorter the introduction can be. For example “Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States”. The bio would be quite different from the introduction.

If you are the speaker, be sure to talk with your introducer before the introduction and ensure that she has the correct pronunciation of your name.

A bio is like a history report. An introduction opens new relationships.

Read "How to Introduce Your Guest Speaker"


George Torok

Motivational Business Speaker

Presentation Skills Coaching


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives

Why are Conference Speakers So Bad?

It was horrible. I watched the speakers at the conference. Their presentations were bad, very bad. They were boring, annoying and insulting. I left the room several times because I couldn’t stand it.

As the closing keynote speaker I wanted to hear as much as possible from the other speakers so I could tie things together in my presentation. So I forced myself to watch and listen. Cleary these weren’t professional speakers.

I spoke with most of the other speakers before or after their presentation. They each thought that they were very good. One claimed to be a long time college instructor. Another told me that normally he was a very good presenter but the topic that he was asked to present was boring – so it wasn’t his fault.

The conference speakers didn’t seem to be aware of the pain that they were inflicting on the audience. They were all at the first stage of learning – the unconscious incompetent. They didn’t know what they didn’t know. Some people never leave that stage. They die incompetent and ignorant. You can skip that stage by reading about these presentation horrors.


What mistakes did these speakers make?

Here is a menu of mistakes that the speakers made. Some mistakes were made by several speakers and all speakers made more than one mistake.

Time
Speakers ignored the schedule. They didn’t seem to be concerned about finishing on time or getting the conference back on schedule. They seemed more concerned with covering their material instead of respecting their audience. Speakers that were clearly running late even kept begging the audience to ask more questions.

PowerPoint
All presenters used PowerPoint. Most used slides that the audience couldn’t read but the speaker clearly needed to read. I know you can’t read this – that’s why I’m going to read it to you.

None of the speakers used a remote controlled mouse to advance their PowerPoint slides. Instead they conversed with, chastised and directed the person at the laptop to change slides – ahead or back. Even if the conference organizer didn’t arrange for a remote the speakers could have brought their own. If you present with PowerPoint get your own remote mouse.

The presenters shuffled around aimlessly while reading their PowerPoint slides. Sometimes the presenter moved in front of the projector blocking the screen and creating a splash of light on themselves.

Microphone
Speakers didn’t know how to properly use the hand held microphone. The volume was set too high. There didn’t seem to be an AV technician in the room to adjust the volume. The simple ways to adjust is to hold the microphone farther away and speak softer. Most were way too loud because they held the microphone too close and/or spoke too loudly.

One speaker, who I had warned about the loud volume, held the microphone well and spoke well but coughed frequently into the microphone. We didn’t want to hear your coughs amplified over the speakers.

Who Cares?
Speakers didn’t know what information to leave out of their presentations. Good writers have great editors. “The policy changed in 1967” Who cares? Good speakers also need to edit their material. Present only the information to your audience that is relevant to them.

Real
Speakers were not in the moment. They became automated robots delivering a presentation that perhaps was prepared by someone else. The presenters displayed no connection with the material. One speaker was introduced by the MC and then she said her name again. Why? She probably didn’t expect to be introduced and couldn’t adapt.

Introductions
On the topic of introductions, none of the speakers had a prepared introduction. That should be a 30-second printed introduction that clarifies their expertise that the MC can read. So they only received a lame introduction, “Here’s Bob Smith.”

Wasted Words
There was the usual serving of useless, vague and self-sabotaging words. We heard “that sort of thing”. One speaker used the word “Okay” as a statement-ending hammer. One speaker even introduced one portion of his talk with “I don’t know if you have any interest in this but…” Then he talked about the topic that he had just diminished.

Ending
All things must end and these presentations did end, but not well. Most of the speakers did not have a prepared close. The most common close was, “I think that’s it. Thank you.”


Now that you know some of the mistakes that bad presenters make you can skip the unconscious incompetent stage. You’re on your way to becoming a better presenter.


© George Torok is the Speech Coach for Executives. He helps business leaders deliver million dollar presentations. Discover more free presentation tips at www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com Arrange for speech coaching and presentation training at www.Torok.com To speak directly to George Torok call 905-335-1997

Why are Conference Speakers so Bad?

Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.

CAPS Convention 2009 Calgary

CAPS Convention 2009 in Calgary

If you are in the business of professional speaking then the event of the year is the annual convention of your national professional speakers' association.

As a Canadian speaker, I am an active member of the Canadian Assocation of Professional Speakers, (CAPS). I was there at the first CAPS convention in Toronto 14 years ago. I'm not sure of that date. Naturally I will attend the upcoming CAPS convention in Calgary this month.

Professional speakers include trainers, facilitators and keynote speakers. Many of our members also coach, consult and write. The common thread of CAPS is professional speaking. Many professional speakers are often referred to as motivational speakers. Although some speakers don't like that label the truth is that people need to feel motivated to listen, learn and act.

Attendance is open to non-members - but hurry it's this weekend in Calgary.

This is not the place to learn how to speak in public although presentation techniques are usually featured as one topic. The main reason to attend the CAPS convention is to learn more about improving your speaking business. You might be inspired by the keynote presentations, learn ideas from the workshops and especially pick up creative and effective ideas from the other speakers at this convention. As professional speakers we tend to share our best ideas openly.

Are you a professional speaker? Then in Canada this is the event for you.

See you at the CAPS convention.
See details about the CAPS convention here.

George Torok
Profesional Speaker
Canadian Business Speaker
Canadian Motivational Speaker
Past CAPS National Director


Executive Speech Coach, Business presentation tips from George Torok, the Speech Coach for Executives.