WAKE 'EM
UP!
Business
Presentations
A book on public speaking by Tom Antion
Learn how to use humor and other professional techniques to create alarmingly good Business Presentations.
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Fill 'em Up!
Using
Props
Improvise
Your Flipchart
Pay
Attention to Color
Dueling
Flip Charts
Screen
Size Approximation Chart
Frequency
Check
Fill 'em Up!
In my book on public
speaking you will learn that using visuals means having drawings
and pictures to show during your presentation. The best way to
project a photo or other image during your presentation is by
filling up the slide or overhead completely with the image.
Let me clarify that this does NOT mean you should fill the projection screen with lots of text!
This tip is only helpful when
applied to images. For example, you take a picture of a funny sign on a
pole. The sign is only about 12 inches tall. If you zoom in on the sign so
that it fills the entire frame, it will have a much
greater impact on the audience than if you took the picture farther back.
The same picture can have a much
greater impact on your audience if you frame it completely. Don't forget the impact of your visuals
during your presentation. It can really help to keep the audience awake.
back to top
Using Props
In my book on public speaking, I
will show you how to use props to add some fun to your presentation. The
term "prop" is actually a shortened version of the theatrical word
"property," which is used to describe any object that is handled or used by
an actor during a performance. Since professional public speaking is a type
of performance art, you as a speaker have an obligation to use whatever it
takes to get your message across in the right way.
Props are a kind of visual aid.
I define props as any physical item that is on stage with you. Your
flipchart is considered a prop. Your podium is a prop. Overhead projectors,
pointers, notes, chairs, markers, pens, and other audio/visual aids are all
types of props.
Why use these props?
Using props can help warm up the audience before your
presentation. They can be used as a replacement for notes that help trigger
your bits. They can help focus attention on the important points you are
trying to make while illustrating it for you. Using props can help you make
better connections than your words to the visually oriented members of your
audience. Props create interest, add variety, and make your points more
memorable.
Props can be used before the program even starts, to pass around to the audience in anticipation of the presentation. You see this in practice at large arenas when beach balls are being bounced around in the crowd. I pass out snacks or custom-designed crossword puzzles about the group that I made on my computer. The puzzles are great to get the audience to start interacting with each other to to help solve the questions.
Do you hate relying on notes? Props can be a substitute for written cheat sheets. For example, in one of my live seminars and television interviews I used three hats as an outline for my program. The first hat was a gag ball cap that has really long hair attached to it so that you look like a hippie when you wear it. The second hat was a black top hat. The third was a safari hat. Each hat prompted me to talk about a thoroughly rehearsed "bit or chunk" .
Putting on the longhaired ball cap reminded me to talk about when the company was young and aggressive. After that section was over I took off the ball cap (if you have a fun and playful audience, you could put it on an audience member's head), then put on the black top hat. The top hat prompted a section on the mature growth through the years of the company. I then put on the safari hat which kicked off a section on searching for new business. The whole speech is done without any notes at all. You only have to memorize your opening and closing and practice each of the sections independently as you will learn in my book on public speaking. When you read my book on public speaking you will see how all of these things come into practice.
Didn't someone once say a prop is worth a thousand words? Or maybe that was a picture. I guess its just about the same thing. Many times a well chosen prop will get your point across much better than what you say ever could. From my book on public speaking, you will learn that you must paint a picture in the minds of your audience, with words, with tone, with timing, with movements, and with props.
A prop also directs the attention completely on the point you are trying to make. People can zone out easily on your words, but a unique prop is hard to ignore. Also, the visually oriented people in your audience will perk up and get more value when you use props. That way you are "painting the picture" for people in the audience who are more visual learners.
Being remembered is another good reason to use props. People remember pictures far longer than words. Good public speakers know that the images will be remembered when the words are long forgotten. If you are not a great storyteller yet, you can use props to help create these pictures for the audience.
Types of props
There are many different forms of props that you can use to your advantage
while presenting. Extra large or extra small props are more funny.
Noisemakers are funny. Even though you are attacking the sense of hearing,
you are attacking it in a unique way that makes it almost unforgettable.
Costumes and magic tricks make good props.
I have a friend who does a presentation on using good telephone skills. He uses a giant telephone receiver to make a point about the importance of those phone skills. I used a clown prop to make the serious point that if we went through with this merger it would be like being in a thunderstorm with a clown umbrella (for those of you that do not know, a clown umbrella is only about 8 inches in diameter). In my book on public speaking you will learn how to creatively use props to convey your particular message.
Noisemakers are fun. I told a sales manager once to get one of those expressway revenge devices that makes machine gun, ray gun, and bomb noises when you press a button. If XYZ company gets in our way, this is what will do to them (he pressed the machine gun button while holding the device near the microphone). He got his point across and the audience had a good laugh.
I have worn gorilla costumes, brought full-size mannequins on stage and kicked them around. I have done simple magic tricks and many other things to get my point across in a more memorable and interesting fashion. Making a point, and making it memorable, are key aspects to interesting presentations.
You don't necessarily have to do wild things to use props. A very creative friend of mine, Carolyn Long, was going to speak about the keys to creativity. She opened by holding up keys, then discarded them in favor of a combination lock. Her point was made. The combination of your message, your passion, and using skills from my book on public speaking will unlock the future for you, and for your audiences.
Tips for using props
-
Normally you should keep your special props hidden until you are
ready to use them so not to distract the audience from what you are saying. -
Make sure the prop can be seen from every part of the room.
-
ALWAYS speak to the audience, not the prop (unless the prop is a
puppet). -
Make sure the audience is focused on surprise props before you
unleash the surprise.
(For example, if using a fake peanut can with pop out snakes, hold the
can in full view for an extra second before you open it so the audience
does not miss it). In other words, let the prop have its full effect.
Improvise Your Flipchart
At one of my public speaking
engagements I completely broke my own rules from my book on public speaking. I forgot to follow my preplanned checklist, Oops!
It was two minutes until the beginning of my presentation and I realized that I had no flipchart in the room. Uh oh! I had to think fast. I was not using an overhead projector either, so I could not simply write on a blank transparency. Now with one and 1/2 minutes left . . . . I thought to myself, "Never let 'em see you sweat." So, I went into the other room to sweat instead.
I saw a flipchart that was to be
used by the Air Force people who were in the next
room. I "borrowed" one piece of flipchart paper and went back into my room
(in truth, I never returned it).
Now there was one minute left. I put the paper on the floor still not having any idea how I was going to do use it. So I got on the stage and began my presentation. Thirty minutes into my speech was the moment of truth. Luckily I did have a spare marker in my prop box. Ok so far. I had masking tape too. . . . but the way the room was set up there was no place to put the piece of paper that would allow both sides of the room to see it.
I guess it was time to add some fun to the situation. I asked for three volunteers from the audience to BE my flipchart. I also stated that one person needed to have a black shirt (incase the marker leaked through the paper). This got a good laugh. I had the person with the black shirt turn their back to the audience. The other two helpers held the flipchart paper against the black shirt's back.
We had a blast! The three volunteers were laughing. The audience was laughing. Ad-libs were flying. The black shirt person was getting tickled with the point of the marker. And I still got the point across that I had planned all along. Now everyone was involved and participating and having fun. I kept my cool still made an impact.
OK, I'll admit I messed up by
not checking for the flipchart before
speaking. However, if you are willing and able to stay flexible in the
face of the inevitable challenges you will face as a fun public
speaker, a sticky situation can turn positive very quickly. As the old
saying goes "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."
Pay Attention to Color
Do colors convey a particular
message to us? I will show you in my book on public speaking that during your
presentation you can use certain colors to give a certain meaning or
impression to your audience.
Flip Chart Color
As a public speaker you can use color for maximum benefit...
=> Blue, black and green inks have the greatest visibility.
=> Blue
is the most pleasing color to look at with red coming in second
(note: pleasing to look at and visibility are not the same)
=> Do not do the whole chart in red ink.
=> Avoid purple ,brown ,pink and yellow inks.
=> Permanent markers give the
most vivid color but dry out faster if
you leave the cap off. They also frequently bleed thru to the next
page. Forget trying to get the ink out of your clothes.
=> Water colors are less vivid
and squeak when you write. Ink will wash
out of clothing.
Use Color Thoughtfully
Using the skills from my book on public speaking means you can catch
people's eyes by...
=> Using bright colors for small graphics to make them stand out.
=> Using subtle colors for large graphics so they don't overwhelm.
Use Color Psychologically
Using the skills learned from my book on public speaking means you can change
people's minds...
According to Greg Bandy in
Multimedia Presentation Design for the
Uninitiated certain colors evoke certain emotions.
=> PURPLE = Regal, Mysterious
=> GREEN = Organic, Healthy, New life, Go Money
=> ORANGE /YELLOW = Sunny, Bright, Warm
=> RED = Brutal, Dangerous, Hot, Stop!
=> DARK BLUE = Stable, Trustworthy, Calm
=> LIGHT BLUE = Cool, Refreshing
=> GRAY = Integrity, Neutral, Mature
=> WHITE (if I make the example
white you couldn't see it) = Pure,
Hopeful, Clean
=> BLACK
= Serious, Heavy, Profitable, Death
Dueling Flip Charts
Here is a cool way to use flip
charts in your presentation. Put one on both sides of the stage and jump
back and forth between the two of them while you are doing your presentation.
You can have someone from the audience volunteer to help at each flip chart
to record input from other audience members.
This has a tremendous "Wake em
Up" value because:
* You have audience members on stage,
* You are in the audience, and
* Audience members are providing the input.
When you have mastered this area from my book on public speaking, you are not limited to doing this with just flip charts. You could have two overhead projectors for bigger crowds. You could even have your PowerPoint on a screen in the middle of the stage. The mere fact the audience has to look this way and that, back and forth, will help keep them awake.
You could even have flip charts
placed all around the room so they are ready when you break up into smaller
groups. Then the results pages could be torn off and taped in a row on the
wall.
Screen Size Chart
Here is a good chart from my
book on public speaking that is a rough guide to use when someone asks you how
large of a screen you need.
3-5 people 21 inches diagonal
(53.34 cm)
5-9 people 29 inches diagonal (73.66 cm)
10-15 people 37 inches diagonal (93.98 cm)
16-35 people 60 inches diagonal (152.4 cm)
36-50 people 72 inches diagonal (182.88 cm)
51-140 people 120 inches diagonal (304.8 cm)
141-220 people 150 inches diagonal (381.0 cm)
221-390 people 200 inches diagonal (508.0 cm)
391+ people 300 inches diagonal (762.0 cm)
Keep this guide with you to use
when needed.
Frequency Check
When reading my book on public
speaking you will learn the importance of using wireless microphones.
Throughout your speaking career you will find that it is pretty common to
have many wireless microphones on during the same presentation. The AV crew
that sets everything up usually makes sure that they are all on different
frequencies so no cross over occurs. With that said you should still double
check the MIC just incase the AV crew missed something.
When I spoke in Thailand last month I ran into a situation that I had never encountered before and neither had the other presenter. We each had a Logitech Trackman RF Mouse. RF stands for "Radio Frequency" which means that the wireless mouse doesn't have to be in line of sight with the receiver like an infra red mouse would. It also means that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep my mouse from moving the cursor on the other presenters computer (the other guy was on right after me with no break in between).
We tried everything we could think of to fix it, but still didn't have any luck. We finally decided to shut my whole system down quickly after I was finished and boot his up as fast as we could while he made some opening comments to the audience. I will show you the best way to work with other presenters, as well as audio-visual technicians in my book on public speaking.
With more and more presenters using wireless technology you must thoroughly check out all systems and consider presenters who are on both before and after you. This is a reason to be there early and find out what is going on during other programs.
Had we not noticed this ahead of
time he would have had a really difficult time in the beginning to his
program . .. if the program were switched . . . it could have been me!
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