Connecting With Your Audience

Those in leadership can attest that on the whole, they love their jobs. Most of them, anyway. There are, however, certain tasks that fall to those at the helm that might not spark much joy. For many, public speaking and presentations are at the bottom of the list of things they enjoy. It simply doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and even seasoned professionals can have trouble really connecting with their audience. In steps a new article from Kellogg’s Insights blog to save the day. Michael Foley, Kellogg’s Clinical Assistant Professor and founder of Clarity Central, a consulting firm that specializes in communication skills, has some great tips on how presenters can do better.

Many leaders, states Foley, tend to use the same presentation over and over again, regardless of their audience. While this can lead to consistent expertise on the subject matter, it can also mean that certain audiences are bored half the time. Foley recommends asking yourself; “who is my audience?” and try to determine their motivations. For instance, entry-level recruits typically care more about workplace culture and advancement opportunities than compensation, while executive recruits’ concerns are typically the opposite. While this requires some work before hand, it’s worth it in the end. Spend some time researching how certain demographics respond to data and information in order to get the biggest return on your time.

Next, Foley recommends that presenters not rely wholly on either scripted notes or improvisation, but find a sweet spot in between. Reading directly from a script is too robotic for many audience members, making information seem cold and impersonal. On the flip side, winging it can make the presenter seem less prepared and less confident. Instead, aim to strike a balance. Here, Foley suggests using a 3x3 matrix: 3 main ideas supported by 2-3 subpoints, which are then supported by data, anecdotes, or examples.

Speaking of data, anecdotes, and examples, Foley’s next tip is to try and strike a balance between these supportive cases as well. Use a mix of both objective (data) and subjective (anecdotes) evidence to keep audiences engaged for the entire presentation. Objective evidence can help clarify context, while subjective evidence can provide connection.

Most importantly, says Foley, the goal should always be to educate the audience, not impress them. If a presenter’s goal is to impress or entertain, the focus is on them. Ultimately this can lead to nervousness on the part of the presenter, who is in danger of losing momentum. If the object is to educate, the focus remains on the audience. The presenter’s job is to teach them, therefore they are engaged with the audience throughout, with a more benevolent goal. Furthermore, Foley recommends practicing the presentation at least 4-5 times, ideally in front of a colleague. Check out the full article here for more examples on how to hit it out of the park the next time public speaking is on your calendar.

Overcoming Obstacles to Performance

We all have to perform in front of people at different times in our lives. Whether you are in the public eye or not, this can be a daunting task. In fact, it’s such a common phobia that it’s been given a name; Glossophobia. For those in leadership, addressing groups is a common task to be called to (and not always to deliver good news). Recently, Gretchen Rubin (of The Four Tendencies fame) and her podcast partner Elizabeth Craft released an episode about their own strategies to overcome stage fright and performance anxiety.

In this episode, Gretchen and Elizabeth both share tips and tricks to how they best addressed their own difficulties with public speaking after their most recent tour. Some examples include:

• Take a beta blocker! This can help if the public speaker is prone to shaking hands and a shaking voice. These work by blocking the beta receptors in your body that cause symptoms of anxiety. In fact, many surgeons take them prior to major operations to calm their nerves and have a successful procedure.

• Hold something in your hand. A pen, a cold water bottle, a mic, etc. Whatever it is, these can also help the shaky hands symptom of anxiety.

• Do 10 jumping jacks before your presentation/performance. A good cardio blast helps our bodies and minds to focus on our breath instead of our nerves. The anxious symptom of a racing heart beat will start to slow, and a good amount of blood will flow to the brain. Just watch out for sweating!

• Wear comfortable shoes. If you’re someone who doesn’t often wear heels, don’t choose your performance as a place to start doing so. Loads of people feel dizzy during or leading up to a presentation, and feeling off-balance due to your choice of footwear will only make it worse.

Check out the full episode here, and be ready to take good notes. It is chock full of helpful information for those who have speaking engagements coming up!

How to Captivate an Audience

Public speaking and presentations can be nerve-wracking even for the most experienced speakers. It just doesn’t come naturally to everyone, even those in leadership. Given that it’s already a common source of anxiety, the best we can hope for is that the audience will pay rapt attention. But in a world of ever-shortening attention spans, how do speakers go about maintaining the focus of the crowd? Matt Abrahams at HBR.org has a new article that will teach us to do just that.

Abrahams explains that capturing attention is not enough. One must maintain that engagement in order to get through to the audience. According to him, speakers must connect on physical, mental, and linguistic levels. First up, physical engagement. Having your audience do something with their bodies during a presentation will capture and maintain attention. Anything from standing up and stretching together for in-person meetings, to virtual introductions or reactions if the meeting is remote.

Second, engage mentally. Abrahams says there are three ways to do this: ask questions, incorporate provocative information, or introduce smart analogies. While asking questions may be an obvious choice, provocative information and analogies can be just as effective at keeping your audience mentally engaged. Third, and perhaps the most compelling, is linguistic engagement. What this looks like in practice is using inclusive words, time-traveling language, and references to shared experiences. For example, using statements like “think back to a time when”, or “picture this” are great ways to keep an audience from losing interest. Give the full article a read here for an in-depth review of how leaders put this into action, and see if it can improve the experience of both speaker and audience.

Speaking With Confidence

Whether preparing to speak to a large audience, or gearing up to have a difficult conversation with just one other person, we all want to be able to speak with confidence. It does not, however, come that easily to many of us. Even seasoned leaders are sometimes betrayed by faltering words or demeanors, and we could all use a lesson (or at least some reminders) in effectively getting our points across. So once again we turn to the amazing initiative out of Wharton, the nano-tools for leaders. These nano-tools are quick changes to the brain anyone can put into practice. Their latest is from associate professor Jonah Berger and concerns speaking with confidence.

Based on research from his new book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, Mr. Berger dives into four techniques that will change the way leaders use language to get their ideas across. Step one is what he calls “ditching hedges”. Hedges, of course, being words that call our ideas into question. Words like “maybe”, “presumably”, “arguably”, etc. can reflect uncertainty on the part of the speaker. If the speaker is not confident in their own ideas, who can be?

The second technique is the direct flip side of the first: use definites. Words like “clearly”, “undoubtedly”, “certainly” project that the speaker is entirely confident in what is being communicated. Small changes in adverbs can apparently make a big difference!

Third, and probably the most familiar piece of advice here, is to ditch hesitations or filler words. Words like “uh”, “um”, etc. are common verbal tics that cause the speaker to seem uncertain. Now, there is an argument to be made here that using these words sparingly is completely fine (see this HBR article from a few years back). Even the HBR folks agree, though, that excessive use of these words is harmful. Instead, argues Berger, try pausing. Pausing allows the speaker time to gather thoughts together without detracting from their argument.

Finally, Mr. Berger advises speakers to ditch the past-tense. Your idea didn’t “work” well, it “works” well. In order to truly change an audience’s minds, switching to the present tense creates an atmosphere of not only confidence, but comfort. You are comfortable with this ongoing success, and happy to share it with everyone. Give the full article a read here and see if you can adopt these techniques into your speaking routines.