In my presentation class, one of the exercises is designed to help students adjust their approach by reading their audience. For example, a student steps out of the room and we secretly plan that someone in the audience will begin to rummage through her papers and belongings. The student returns to the room, begins to speak to the group, and is supposed to be attentive enough to “read the audience,” spot the distraction, and effectively and diplomatically put an end to the distracting behavior.

Keep in mind that there are only about 12 people in the room, so it shouldn’t be difficult to read the audience. Often, when the speaking time is up, and I ask, “What distracting behavior did you notice?” the student will say, “I didn’t notice anything!” The rest of us are surprised, because the rummaging was certainly obvious to US!

The fact is, many of us are so SELF-conscious that we forget to be OTHER-conscious. But we need to be, because we are required — not only to deliver our message — but to control the environment for the sake of others.

Read your audience. Are they not quite settled yet? Do they need a break? Have you said something confusing? Are they feeling uneasy? After you read your audience, you should say what you see. “I see that you need a break.” “I see that I was confusing. Let me say that another way.”

Read your audience, and they will feel cared for and respected.

Here is an excerpt from the biography of Steve Jobs, sent to me by “sales resultant” Ron Martin, who dislikes PowerPoint as much as I do:

One of the first things Jobs did during the product review process was ban PowerPoint. “I hate the way people used slide presentations instead of thinking,” Jobs recalled. “People would confront a problem by creating a presentation. I wanted them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show a bunch of slides. People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint.”

I’ve seen hundreds of presentations which were driven by PowerPoint, and maybe six of them were good. One was about the universe; another was about an organic vegetable farm on the Big Island; one I saw yesterday was about Chinese dance performances. They were comprised of 95% images and 5% words.

If you’re going to use PP, start and end with YOU, and tell us how many slides you’re going to show. This way, you start with connection and you end with connection. And we know how much brain space to reserve for the PP portion of your presentation.

As guest speakers, how we are introduced to our audiences is our responsibility. I learned that the hard way when I was introduced by an otherwise charming 80+ year old man as “the gal who teaches people how to talk.” Oops. I guess he forgot to bring the written introduction I had sent a couple of weeks ahead of time. Oops. I guess I forgot to bring a copy with me and hand it to him so he could read it.

95% of the time, the person who introduces me stands behind the lectern and reads the bio that can be found on my website. Obviously, I approve of the content, since I’m the one who wrote it. This approach allows me to control the reciting of my credentials, thereby establishing me as an expert in my field.

But fate (a-hem: my carelessness) once again reminded me of a lesson worth sharing: always take charge of how you are presented to your audience.

Recently I was introduced by a leader who stood in front of his people, turned to me, and asked, “What’s your name again?” “Pam Chambers, presentation coach.” “Ok, well, she’s going to help us with our presentations.”

How we set the stage largely determines our outcome. In this case, the results were mediocre.

Each January, I encourage those in my circle to select a Word for the Year. This word should provide guidance and clarity as we make important decisions and choose courses of action. What if we went one step farther and chose a Word for the Year that would help us become better speakers?

Recently, at the first session of a Level I Presentation Course, I asked each participant to write one word that identified a trait they most wanted to develop. There were ten people in the class. Seven chose the word “Confident.” (The other words were “Commanding,” “Credible,” and “Approachable.”)

With sincere confidence I said, “If you come to each class and use the tools you’ll learn here, I can promise that you’ll get what you just asked for.”

And so it was.

If you have confidence as a speaker, you need never fret over such questions as: What if someone knows more than I do? What if someone walks out on me? What if I run out of time?

When you have the right tools and know how to use them, you will be a confident speaker.

As a speaker, what’s your Word for the Year?

I once read a fascinating report about a solo singer who performed before two different audiences. The first audience was instructed to slump back in their chairs as she sang. The second audience was instructed to lean forward. You know what happened: she performed better for the second audience.

If only audience members were aware of their power! I once entertained the idea of offering a workshop called, “How to Be a Better Audience Member,” but my most honest friends told me that the room would be empty. “They don’t care.” But they should care! After all, wouldn’t we all rather listen to a good speaker than one who is mediocre?

Here’s how you can help any speaker be better:

1. Lean in. Plug in. Become engaged.
2. If the speaker says something funny or surprising, make responsive sounds.
3. When the speaker asks questions, nod your head, raise your hand, or give a verbal response.

It’s that simple. Better audience members = better speakers.

You may wonder how public speakers are able to conduct all-day seminars and still have energy to spare. Some people think that speaking is draining and even exhausting. If that’s so, it’s because they haven’t learned about the “battery/alternator” relationship, and how well it works for getting (and staying) energized.

I don’t know much about cars, but I DO know that the alternator charges the battery, and that without an effective alternator, the battery gets drained and eventually dies.

Think of yourself  as the battery. Think of your audience as the alternator. Just as the alternator charges the battery, the audience charges the speaker. But audience members don’t automatically know that it is their job to energize you. You have to show them how!

The way to do that is by asking questions. If your questions are safe and clear, your audience will respond. If you respond cheerfully to their responses, they will want to respond even more. And soon, you will have created a “controlled conversation,” rather than a boring and tiring one-way lecture.

All of this is in my digital book, which is yours for the asking. Go to my website at www.pamchambers.com. On the home page, there is a place to “subscribe” to my newsletter. When you do that, you will receive my book, Life is a Presentation. You will also receive my not-too-frequent newsletters. You may unsubscribe at any time and still keep the digital book.

And now, go out and get energized by your audience!

Everyone is familiar with preparing a presentation on index cards, or writing it all out word-for-word. And these days, we see lots of words on powerpoint slides.

I say that there is a better, more creative way to prepare your presentation: don’t write it. DRAW it!

Notice the dock at the bottom of your computer screen. Those symbols instantly communicate what’s what: iTunes, address book, google earth, mail, etc.

Feel free to write your presentation. But then, transfer each idea into a symbol, just as you see on your dock. And draw it in color!

This creative way to prepare your presentation thus becomes your road-map for when you’re up in front of the room. Because there is nothing to READ, you will be able to connect with your audience instead of getting lost in written pages. Because the symbols are in color, the right side of your brain will be engaged (and that’s a good thing).

Your page of drawings is not a handout that you give your audience members. It is your guide for giving a presentation that is fresh, authentic, and in-the-moment. Try it!

If anyone spots it and says, “Hey, what’s that?” you can say, “It’s my creative way of preparing my presentation for you.”

Awhile ago I got a “Help Needed!” e-mail from a college student who had heard that I offer tips for giving effective presentations. We agreed on a time to chat over the phone and in about 12 minutes, she had some new tips to try when speaking in front of her peers.

Today I received this e-mail from her: “Aloha, Pam Chambers! I was asked to stand in front of the room and speak about a project that I am designing. I used your tips and they helped so much! I could feel the unneeded adrenaline leave my body until I was speaking comfortably in front of my peers. Thank you! Kaiya Clark.”

The most effective tip I shared with her is a method that helps unwanted adrenaline to leave your body. (That’s the chemical we need for “fight or flight,” but not for speaking.) Just before you stand up to speak, keep one arm in a natural position. Use your other arm to reach down and grasp the seat of your chair. Pull on the chair firmly and steadily for several seconds. This is exactly like letting too much air out of a tire. You’re sending the excess energy out of your body. This is a very effective tip for college students, CEOs, and anyone who feels nervous about speaking.

Are you a salesperson? Yes. We all are. All of us are selling our ideas, our products, or ourselves.

I came across a great presentation tip for salespeople. I credit its author, Jeffrey J. Fox. He suggests that we say these words to our potential customers: “Let’s try to find a solution that costs less than the problem.”

I think this is brilliant. Do you agree? This is a great presentation tip for salespeople.

Many speakers are likable. Many are trustworthy. But not all are connected.

If you want to be effective, you must quickly form a bridge between yourself and your audience. Here are five techniques:

1. Eye contact. The people in your audience want to believe that you notice them and are glad that they are there. In a random manner (as opposed to scanning like a lighthouse), give 2 or 3 seconds of eye contact to as many people as you can.
2. Universal topics. Include stories that everyone can relate to: conflicts, mistakes, unexpected wins, joyful events, lessons learned.
3. Show that you know who they are. Talk about their website, their recent successes or challenges, or a conversation you had with an audience member on the way in.
4. Tell a story about yourself. The story should reveal something about yourself when you knew less than you know now. “I used to quiver at the back of the room, knowing that I would have to walk down that aisle and introduce the keynote speaker.”
5. Another way to connect with your audience is through emotion. It’s OK to talk about how sad you are that . . . or how puzzled you are that . . .

You will be an effective speaker if you make it a priority to connect with your audience.