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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Genius Techniques and Gimmicks
Columbo Technique
Use Flowers
Now I Lay Me Down . . . To Talk
Photographic Memory
Split Stories
Columbo Technique
Detective Columbo was a
softspoken, cigar smoking detective on the hit TV show Columbo. One
of Detective Columbo's trademarks on the show was when he started to leave
out the door he would stop and say, "Oh. Just one more thing." And deliver
an important message.
I teach a similar technique in
my book on public speaking (but without the cigar, it is hard to speak
while chomping). Here's how the Columbo technique works: Save one of your
really key points . . . maybe your most important . . . then suddenly leave
the topic you were on. . .and then come back and say "Oh. Just one
more thing" then deliver your important point. Using this technique properly
is part of what you will learn in this book on public speaking.
Unless you have practiced this out several times in front of an audience,
don't try this technique at the end of your presentation. Most people will
start shuffling their materials in anticipation of the presentation being
over if you say it at the end. This would cause too much distraction to have
it's full effect, and the point would be lost.
On the other hand, you could begin by using the technique just before a
major transition in your talk. That way you will eliminate the shuffling of
papers problem noted above. When you get comfortable with this, try this
skill before a break. Play with your wording so that you control the
audience. Don't say "Well before we take a break . . . " This will start
them shuffling. Say something like, "That's all on that topic . . . Oh. and
one more thing" . . . then give your main point. As you get really good at
controlling the crowd you can try this as your closing. Coming back with the
main point will be powerful and memorable.
Oh. Just one more thing . . . .use this technique only ONCE
per presentation. You don't want to overdo it.
Use Flowers
I teach in my book on public
speaking that sometimes you can use gimmicks to
make a lasting impression on your audience. A friend I know who is a
professional speaker made a unique deal with his local flower shop. That
special deal always helped him to make his lasting impression whenever he
spoke at a presentation. When he had a program coming up he would go to the
florist and buy at discount all the fresh flowers that hadn't been sold
yet.
He would then arrive and make a big entrance, throwing flowers into the crowd. Everyone in the audience got a flower to take home and depending on the size of the crowd, some would get a whole bouquet. He also sent big bunches as his thank you gift to the meeting organizer. He purposely sent so many that the organizer could not possibly take them all home. His good nature and his name was spread all over the company he was speaking for and made a good impression on his audience.
Now I Lay Me
Down................To Talk
In my book on public speaking, I try
out presenting in different ways. Don't be afraid to give your presentation
in some weird postures. Doing this can sometimes add more impact to the
point you are trying to make.
For example, Barbara Sanfilippo climbs a ladder while on stage during her presentation. Zig Zigler kneels. I have a friend Ron Culbertson who begins his presentation while standing on a table. I do presentations while sitting on a chair and have even sprawled myself across a table to make a point.
You might be amazed to know that I have seen speakers doing handstands, backflips, riding a bicycle and standing on their head, . Of course, I wouldn't do the whole talk standing on my head, but who knows. . . I might look better that way. ha ha ha ha
Photographic Memory
Here's a genius technique
straight out of my book on public speaking. When used properly this will impress
your audience by making you appear to have a photographic memory. Wouldn't
you enjoy having your audience look at you and be impressed?
While speaking in your presentation, refer to an article in a magazine or passage from a book in this way.
Pause in your speech and look up in the air as if you are remembering the particular picture or publication in your mind. Then refer to the article by page number, left or right-hand page, passage's position on the page, etc.
The audience will be impressed and think you have a photographic memory. However, you are just an accomplished presenter well trained from my book on public speaking, who memorized the information, practiced the technique, and delivered it to your audience to add a special WOW factor.
Split Stories
Here's another genius technique
from my book on public speaking. Try splitting your story. You do this by
starting a story at the beginning of your program, but not finishing it.
This will build anticipation in your audience when you cut off the story at
a key point or just before the expectant finish. Then finish the story at
the end of your talk.
When you use this genius technique, you will have every single person there at the end of your speech because they want to know what happened at the end of the story, as you weave the split parts back together.
Create a split, for positive tension, so they do not "mentally split" from your talk and fall asleep. (No ZZZs allowed.)
You want people hanging on the edge of their seats, so keep them curious.
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