|
|  |
| |
|
| | The Public Speaking - The Essential Skill Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | Views: 1214 | | Nov 11, 2006 5:49 pm | | How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Mitch Mitchell | | I gave a presentation yesterday for a consultant's group I belong to. Thing is, it wasn't on a topic that's part of my business, but something that's become more of a hobby of mine, for my own benefit, yet could help others. I put it together last minute, on Thursday, working for 7 hours on it. I did it because the speaker for the organization had to drop out suddenly, leaving the group without a presenter and the possibility of having to cancel the meeting.
The presentation went well, and all the members not only thanked me for it, but said they learned more than they could have ever imagined, and were amazed that I could put together such a presentation so fast. I had to use powerpoint because, unlike a regular speaking engagement, I didn't have time to memorize almost anything, plus, since I wanted to show examples, all I really felt I needed to do was remember why I put in each slide I did have.
The question is how many folks out there would feel comfortable putting on a presentation or speaking engagement without a lot of time to prepare? Just a month ago, there was a chance to present to a big group associated with a university in Connecticut, but I was only contacted on a Tuesday and they needed someone to present that Saturday, and I turned it down because I didn't think I could do it justice, then kicked myself later, wondering if I'd lost out on a big opportunity, while also wondering, if I'd done it and did it badly, if that would have hurt me long term.
Anyone have any thoughts on any of these things?
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 11, 2006 7:22 pm | | re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Carole Cross | | Mitch -
Sounds like you were in the "zone" with your talk. That is when the best messages are delivered. Something we have passion and knowledge about. My toastmaster's speeches take a week to prepare. Only because I'm new and nervous about public speaking. However, my best speeches have been ones where I loved the subject, wanted to share with the audience, and just totally got into the "now" during the speech.
My 2cents worth! :)
Success and Blessings!
Carole Cross
Life Without Limits
http://www.winningedgeenterprises.com/home/cc.aspPrivate Reply to Carole Cross | | Nov 11, 2006 7:27 pm | | re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Steve Reed | | Mitch,
Good question. Having been involved in Toastmasters for almost 15 years, preparation and practice are two of the most important things a speaker can do to do a quality presentation. We have a saying in our club, "give me 5 minutes to prepare and I can speak for an hour, give me an hour to prepare and I can speak for 5 minutes". It is much more difficult to do a short speech than a long one.
As far as memorizing goes, I do a lot of presentations with PowerPoint. That takes care of two different issues. First, many people can only learn if they see something, not just hearing it. The PowerPoint gives them a visual. Second, it is my notes. All I do is bullet points and almost never fill up the page with text. Less is best when projecting it. With the PowerPoint, I don't need to memorize word for word. I insert stories to support my points.
I am always working on my next presentation whether I have one booked or not. I just want to be prepared to do something at the last minute.
Hope this helps.
StevePrivate Reply to Steve Reed | | Nov 11, 2006 8:57 pm | | re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
>> Barry Caplan - Start Your Future Today | | I don't know if I agree with Steve - I had several thousand on air hours on radio in my college days, and as a result I don't mind speaking extemporaneously on almost any topic in front of any size crowd - 2 to 10,000.
As for preparation of materials, they are nice to have, but they don't need to be whiz-bang, so not much time, and frankly, I find if I can make the materials *as I talk* if I need them, then that is *very very effective*.
I *never* work on memorizing a speech,or anything beyond a few phrases for FAQs in an investor presentation.
When I speak at conferences, I hate having to submit materials months in advance because I am very likely not going ot have the same thngs to say 3 months from now as I do now.
Best,
BarryPrivate Reply to >> Barry Caplan - Start Your Future Today | | Nov 11, 2006 11:56 pm | | Barry: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Mitch Mitchell | | Barry,
I agree with you on the thing regarding sending materials out way before you get there. I hav enever put a presentation together that far in advance, though, I suppose, if I've already given that presentation and someone asked for the same exact thing, I could supply it.
I don't fully memorize a speech either, because I know my words are going to be different each time, but I do memorize concepts that I want to get across, which helps me to tell my tale, so to speak. But I also have to say that it depends on the type of presentation as to how I'm going to perform an engagement.
For instance, the first presentation of the week, though I had handouts and put it on powerpoint (by the way, this was the first week ever that I even attempted to use powerpoint; very cumbersome), I knew the material because it's in my field of expertise, so I didn't have to refer to any of the printed material, only to make sure they were on the slide I was talking about at the time. For the second presentation, it had to be visual because I knew they didn't understand or know the topic until I was presenting it, and I had to show them, in essence the metamorphosis of the fruits of my efforts. I wonder if I'd done it differently if I'd had at least a week to work on it, but the presentation I gave them had lots of energy because of when I'd put it all together. I might have been more practiced, but who knows if it would have come across as honest.
Good stuff.
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 12, 2006 2:45 am | | re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | And I have to disagree with Steve. No matter how good you are at speaking extemporaneously, you will be BETTER if you prepare.
I was ranked second in the nation in Impromptu speaking in the pretty rigorous world of collegiate competitive speaking and I would still never dream of going into a high stakes communcation scenario without preparing as much as possible.
If you read biographies of famous broadcasters like Cronkite, Murrow and Rather, even they prepared extensively for the "unscripted" portions of the program...
To be able to speak off the cuff is an admirable skill but it even more important to be able say something of value. and that will not happen consistently without good ole' fashion preparation.
I have never met a speaker who did not benefit from extensive preparation.
Now the great thing about extensive preparation is that you get better and more efficient the more you do it. After a while, it should only take you about an hour to "script" out a 15 minute speech and then a bit longer to practice it a few times.
Great discussion!Private Reply to LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | Nov 12, 2006 4:06 am | | re: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Steve Reed | | The first thing I said was that preparation and practice are the most important things you can do to give a good speech. However, there are times when you simply don't have a lot of time to prepare. The crazy thing is that we are all preparing speaches all the time by collecting materials and stories. All we really need to do is assemble them in some sort of order and then practice.
As far as impromptu speaking goes, there is a time and place for it. Some people are good at it, some should avoid it at all costs.
Most of the presentations I do these days, outside of Toastmasters, are anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Even though I have done the presentations over and over, I still rehearse them multiple times prior to the actual presentation. I also generally have someone with me that takes notes on ways to improve as well as what worked especially well.
I go to church with Zig Ziglar, the #1 motivational speaker in the country. I have heard him talk about how long he prepares for a speech, it is hours, even if it is a speech he has done countless times. We should all take a cue from the top dog.
StevePrivate Reply to Steve Reed | | Nov 12, 2006 1:51 pm | | re: re: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | ooops! I meant to write "agree with Steve"... obviously we are on the same page... sorry about the confusion! Private Reply to LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | Nov 13, 2006 5:04 pm | | re: re: re: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
>> Barry Caplan - Start Your Future Today | | Hi Leaundra and Steve -
What is an impromptu speaking contest? Sounds interesting - do you have some links to info?
I think there are way more impromptu speakers then you guys give ccredit for. And I think the reason people are afraid to speak is because they have (perhaps for an entire lifetime) put *artificial* boundaries and limits around thmselves and then called it "fear of speaking". As though there is such a thing!
First off, we all speak impromptu when we have a conversation. How often do you rehearse a conversation?
Talk show hosts on radio and TV speak extemporaneously, so do interviewers, and many more I am sure you can find if you look for them. Churches and other houses of worship are a good place to look for fantastic public speaking skills. So are classrooms, although you might find som bad examples there too :) Comics and comedians often perform unrehearsed or semi-rehearsed.
Mext, consider the purpose of a speech you might give - it is simply a chance to engage in a conversation of some sort with an audience. Usually you want to persuade them of a specific point or to take a specific action. That's all, no differnt form a regular conversation! Understand the tools of persuasin for the type of conversation you are having, and the reast is gravy.
There are lots of ways to do that, and they vary from rote performances to totally impromptu presentations. In between you might find a jazz-like presentatin where basic themes and approaches are rehearsed, but they are strung together extemporaneously.
I don't believe that Zig Ziglar practices his speech many times for each of his performances. I do believe he reshearses like a play or a band about to go ont he road, but after that, any rehearsal is probably spent making sure the is comfortable with the venue when he gets there. That is my guess anyway.
I do think speakers of all sorts can benefit from reheasal, but rather then making sure you can perform by rote - which is gonna leave you high and dry should circumstances change, which they will in the question and answer period, or when the projector doesn't work, or there is a heckler, etc., I think it is better to use your rehearsal time to practice your body language, your delivery pace, your comfort with various rhetorical techniques.
Me, I'd secretly love to be comfortable to give a speech in the exhortative style of a fundamentalist preacher...not that I would very often, but it seems like fun to be able to caall on that type of rhthym and rhetoric as though it is natural! I do wonder what the conversation with the audience would be like using such emotional rhetoric instead of a more traditional rational one.
As for the lenght of a speech one can give in an impromptu fashion, I don't think there is a limit. I was once called on to be a last minute replacement for a 2 day (16 hours!) corporate training for a technical matter out of state. I didn't prepare the material, or even have a chance to see it until I was in the hotel the morning of the first day. I did not know the background of the audience (about 50 people), or their preferred styles of learning.
Worse yet, it turns out the slides were woefully incomplete for a 2 day presentation - better suited for 4 hours tops - maybe. That meant I had to fill in a lot of details off the top of my head, and manage the timing over two days while doing so. And not look like I was winging it as the customer was probably paying a pretty penny.
While it wasn't the best presentation I ever gave, I never hesitated, and the students learned what they needed to learn while I shared my experiences on the topics at hand.
So I don't really think 30 minutes or two hours or any limit really exists for how long an impromptu presentation can be sustained.
Best,
BarryPrivate Reply to >> Barry Caplan - Start Your Future Today | | Nov 15, 2006 3:04 am | | LeeAundra: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Mitch Mitchell | | Thanks LeeAundra. I'm actually proudest that I got you to comment; been missing your writing! :-)
I agree with what both you and Steve said about preparation. I have to admit, though, that I got a bounce of juice from giving the presentation I did last Friday without any time to prepare whatsoever. I don't think I would have been effective without the visible presentation, though, because the concepts I talked about, as it turns out, were totally alien to the group I was presenting to. And, in the time I had, there's no way I could have just told them everything, even with prep time, and had them understand it.
So, I'm glad I showed myself that I could do it, as it will help me approach other events where I might not have as much prep time as I need with some confidence. But I'll still prefer some actual lead time in the future.
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 15, 2006 3:06 am | | Barry: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Mitch Mitchell | | "I don't believe that Zig Ziglar practices his speech many times for each of his performances. I do believe he reshearses like a play or a band about to go ont he road, but after that, any rehearsal is probably spent making sure the is comfortable with the venue when he gets there. That is my guess anyway."
Hi Barry,
Depending on whether you believe ol' Zig or not, in his CD set "A View From The Top", he actually said he rehearses every single presentation he gives, even if it's a topic he's very familiar with, because he also takes time to learn things about each specific group he's going to speak to in order to make sure everything he says is relevant to his audience. He said he spents upwards of 3 hours practicing every time before presenting.
So, you got it right from the horse's mouth; well, by extension anyway.
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 17, 2006 4:00 am | | re: Barry: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Larina Kase | | This is an interesting discussion, thanks to all who've posted.
Another interesting piece of info...There's research data that nervous speakers tend to prepare differently than confident speakers. The direction most likely goes both ways: anxious speakers are anxious because they ineffectively prepare and people who ineffectively prepare are more nervous.
People who fear public speaking tend to under-prepare (because preparation makes them think about speaking which makes them uncomfortable so they avoid practicing) or over-prepare (because they're afraid they won't do well if they don't practice a ton, memorize things, etc.)
The problem with under-preparation is obvious, yet over-preparation can be problematic too because people sound artificial and are so stuck on trying to remember their memorized speech that they neglect to connect with their audience, the most important part of public speaking.
I believe there is an ideal quantity (and quality for that matter) of preparation and that it differs based on the talk. As a professional speaker I have workshops that I've given several times so I just go through them a couple times before the live event. A new talk or a keynote, on the other hand, I may rehearse 10-15 times. I also sometimes videotape myself to see which gestures and postures work and which ones don't.
Larina
---------------------
Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA
Author, Anxious 9 to 5: How to Beat Worry, Stop Second Guessing Yourself, and Work with Confidence (New Harbinger, 2006)
Get an assessment and sample chapter: http://www.anxious9to5.com
Private Reply to Larina Kase | | Nov 17, 2006 4:53 am | | re: re: Barry: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Julie Hock | | Larina,
Being new to network marketing, I am still working on getting over my fear of speaking to people about my company. In a presentation I think I tend to over prepare, which leads to nothing but stress and anxiety. However, if I know the subject extremely well I can present without notes or preparation time. I think for some folks it depends on the topic and the audience.
Julie
Let Arbonne help take care of you!
Julie Hock
Arbonne International - Independent Consultant
720-851-8908Private Reply to Julie Hock | | Nov 17, 2006 2:56 pm | | re: re: re: Barry: re: re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Larina Kase | | Hi Julie,
Thanks for sharing that. I definitely agree, and have a similar experience.
I've also found that things didn't go so well when I don't prepare at all and try to wing-it for a formal presentation.
A lot of speach trainers say that there can never be too much preparation but I disagree based on research data and my experience helping hundreds of people with speaking anxiety. I think that one reason over-preparation is destructive is that it sends a subtle message to ourselves that we aren't capable so we need to over-compensate.
It seems that the right amount of preparation is a function of the type of talk, audience, knowledge and comfort with the topic, and many other factors.
If anyone would like a brief (and free) article on 6 steps to building confidence as a speaker, here's one:
http://www.anxious9to5.com/social-anxiety-articles.htm#6-Steps
Larina
---------------------
Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA
Author, Anxious 9 to 5: How to Beat Worry, Stop Second Guessing Yourself, and Work with Confidence (New Harbinger, 2006)
Get an assessment and sample chapter: http://www.anxious9to5.com Private Reply to Larina Kase | | Nov 17, 2006 3:49 pm | | How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | Thanks for your comments Larina. If you could provide the source for the research you cite, I would appreciate it. I'm having trouble finding valid studies of this subject and it sounds as if you've found them.
In my experience as a coach, I've have found a few people who I needed to rein back in terms of preparation but not many... However, you hit the nail on the head when you said "ineffective preparation" - people need to learn HOW to prepare! And like I said once you know how to prepare correctly and do it a few times, you only need a few hours to get ready. But those few hours are critical to success.
Only a few extraordinary people can be consistently successful "winging it".
Barry: "Impromptu Speaking" was one of the categories offered in collegiate public speaking competitions or "forensics". I participated in the National Forensics Association and was privledged to compete with some of the most accomplished and effective speakers I have ever seen.
Even today when I watch professional speakers who are paid thousands of dollars to speak, I can only say that the people in the top ranks of forensics could speak circles around them.
It was a uniquely rigorous and edifying experience and I heartily encourage everyone here with college age kids or friends to encourage them to get involved in their college forensics team.
Private Reply to LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | Nov 17, 2006 5:19 pm | | re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Larina Kase | | Hi LeeAundra,
Yes, there’s a lot of great research, but unfortunately it’s clinical in nature (about social anxiety, of which speaking anxiety is a subset) so it isn’t terribly accessible or specific to speaking skills. Nonetheless, some great resources include an article by my colleagues at Penn and great book, especially the chapter by David Clark:
Huppert, J. D., D. A. Roth, and E. B. Foa. 2003. Cognitive-behavioral treatments of social phobia: New advances. Current Psychiatry Reports 5: 189-196.
Clark, D. M. 2001. A cognitive perspective on social phobia. In International Handbook of Social Anxiety: Concepts, Research, and Interventions Related to the Self and Shyness, edited by Crozier, W.R. and L. E. Alden. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Because there is a gap in the literature taking the latest research findings and applying them to speaking skills and reduction of speaking anxiety, a colleague and I wrote a book, The Confident Speaker, which is published by McGraw-Hill (available for pre-order on Amazon.com and due out March ’07). I cover speaking anxiety in my book (Anxious 9 to 5) but just a couple chapters of the book are devoted to that.
Thanks for the pointers on the collegiate clubs- something I'd love my kids to someday do!
Larina
---------------------
Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA
Author, Anxious 9 to 5: How to Beat Worry, Stop Second Guessing Yourself, and Work with Confidence (New Harbinger, 2006)
Get an assessment and sample chapter: http://www.anxious9to5.com
Private Reply to Larina Kase | | Nov 17, 2006 8:34 pm | | re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Deepak Morris | | Okay Mitch, if I may bring this discussion back to what you originally asked:
"The question is how many folks out there would feel comfortable putting on a presentation or speaking engagement without a lot of time to prepare?"
My answer is, if you haven't spent your life (or what you can remember of it) already preparing, the question, in the words of Joey from "Friends", is 'Moo' - it's not worth a cow.
Speakers speak. Whenever and wherever they can. Among friends, at a cafeteria, standing up to thank the guest speaker, speakers speak.
In my opinion, every waking moment of a speaker's life (and perhaps all of the dreaming hours as well) is preparation. You hear a joke you like? The speaker in you files it in that vast mental file and tags it with "start" or "end" or "help" or whatever.
To get back to your question, I believe the vast majority of speakers would feel comfortable speaking extemporaneously. Some of us delight in the challenge so much, we (okay, I) often walk out in front of an audience and say, "Okay, give me a topic."
Did you lose an opportunity by turning down the invite? I'm putting my money where my ample mouth is and saying, "Yes, you did." However, that's not the end of the world.
The end of the world is a phrase like, "if I did it badly".
Whoa there, podner! "IF"? "BADLY"?
Can you sign your name?
Sure you can. You might even be able to do it in your sleep. Why not make public speaking your signature? There is no question of "if" you can sign your name. You just sign and there it is.
So just speak and there it is.
DeepakPrivate Reply to Deepak Morris | | Nov 19, 2006 3:52 pm | | Deepak: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Mitch Mitchell | | Hi Deepak,
Welcome to the discussion. Course, I have some comments on your comments, if I may.
"Speakers speak. Whenever and wherever they can. Among friends, at a cafeteria, standing up to thank the guest speaker, speakers speak."
True, but so does everyone else.
"To get back to your question, I believe the vast majority of speakers would feel comfortable speaking extemporaneously. Some of us delight in the challenge so much, we (okay, I) often walk out in front of an audience and say, "Okay, give me a topic.""
Okay, this one gets more comment. Not that many of us couldn't do this to some degree, but if you're getting paid well for it, doesn't the audience deserve at least some forethought? If I'm getting paid $3,000 to speak to a group and I haven't prepared, thinking I can just go out there and ramble, I'm insulting the audience, as well as making sure I never get asked to present again. I was part of a panel presentation once, and I was the only one who prepared material. I gave handouts, whereas the other two didn't present anything. The final presenter basically walked around the room for 15 minutes just talking. When it was time for questions, the first one he got was "where did you learn to speak so well?" Every other question was for me, because I'd actually given them something tangible to talk about. I had totally stayed on topic for about 30 minutes; I had given them what was asked for. To me, that was extremely important; I take pride like that.
"Did you lose an opportunity by turning down the invite? I'm putting my money where my ample mouth is and saying, "Yes, you did." However, that's not the end of the world."
No, it wasn't the end of the world, and yes, I thought about it later and said the money might have been nice, but there's that reputation thing again. I'm not at Bill Clinton's level, which means he can walk in, talk about anything, and have people fawning over him because he speaks nicely. I'm still at that level in my career where content really is an important as delivery style. When I give a presentation, it's with my mind's eye saying I want to be good enough that they'll want to invite me again. If I can't do that, if I can't make them feel that they got something extra special, then I'm not going to do it.
And, it's not just about talking; it's not just about speaking. It's about projecting professionalism. Yeah, in a pinch people might say they're not expecting top notch; but they are.
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 19, 2006 8:13 pm | | re: Deepak: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Deepak Morris | | Of course you may, to which I have comments, of course.
"True, but so does everyone else."
No, they don't. Most people are blinking scared of speaking up. Look around you. See that scared-looking guy in the corner? He never speaks up. He's rarely noticed because the speakers are speaking.
"but if you're getting paid well for it, doesn't the audience deserve at least some forethought?"
Who ever said you have to speak badly or "unpreparedly" in front of that audience? The point is to be able to speak well - meaning, coherently, concisely and, well, just WELL, in front of any audience.
If you know the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway" you'll know what I mean. Not just that the audience has to be entertained but that there is a degree of preparedness that comes naturally to a good speaker/performer.
This preparedness may be in the form of knowledge - some speakers seem to absorb knowledge from the atmosphere, almost. It may be in the form of entertainment. It may be in the form of kickstarting a discussion and keeping it going.
In my opinion, it's a matter of finding ones strengths and using them in front of any audience. Never taking the audience for granted but always confident that one has something of value to offer.
Here's the kicker for me:
If I don't believe I have something to offer that is of Universal value, I shall not speak. I am convinced that I, personally, have something of tremendous value to offer. I may seek input from time to time on various aspects of it but at the core, I believe that I have something of tremendous value to offer. That something is something that changed my life and I firmly believe every audience will benefit from my sharing of my experience or my advice or both.
And so I believe that every speaker worth his salt has something of tremendous value to offer, or he would not be putting himself out there, open to all sorts of criticism. It's not about putting one over the audience, it's about taking every opportunity to put before every audience something one believes is of tremendous value, in a manner that makes the audience sit up and listen.
DeepakPrivate Reply to Deepak Morris | | Nov 23, 2006 2:59 am | | Deepak: re: Deepak: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Mitch Mitchell | | Hi Deepak,
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems we're not communicating well here, which isn't good in a public speaking network. So, I'm going to try something different, then we'll see where you stand on it.
I know nothing about cars. If I were asked to speak in front of a group of car manufacturers, I'd have to decline because I don't believe I could learn enough about cars to give a presentation that would be worthwhile. It wouldn't matter if I've spoken to audiences for 25 years, I couldn't speak to this group on cars. If I were asked to speak to this group about leadership, management, diversity, customer service, or just be motivational, that would be a different story, but I would still want to talk to someone beforehand to find otu some of the issues they have within their industry. Where do you stand on that?
Two, so now I've been asked to speak in front of this group of car manufacturers on leadership. I could walk into the room and speak on leadership in general, but without knowing nothing specific about making cars, how thrilling do I think the conversation might be? If it were a general audience and they knew they were coming to a seminar on leadership, that's one thing; but if it's a specific type of group, and I've found that they relate better when you can introduce things happening in their industry, AND I've been asked to present with only two days to spare, and that middle day is a travel day, would I be injuring my reputation to go ahead and give the presentation, even though I could probably give a legitimate reason in saying that I was the last minute presenter, or would reputation suffer because they wouldn't enjoy it or get anything out of it because nothing I said related to what they do, or at least that's how they took it? Where do you stand on that?
I agree with the last thing you said, to whit: "It's not about putting one over the audience, it's about taking every opportunity to put before every audience something one believes is of tremendous value, in a manner that makes the audience sit up and listen." I have gone to presentations where someone was a professional speaker, but because they didn't even try to stay on topic, I was left thinking I didn't come close to getting my money's worth, and was irritated as all get out. I also remember partaking in a series of management training sessions at my last employer, where the guy putting them on knew nothing about how healthcare worked and instead gave a presentation that was more geared towards sales people than healthcare workers; totally inappropriate stuff, yet this guy thought his stuff would be universal; I told him weeks later, after we had a confrontation, how wrong he was.
Okay, your turn again.
Mitch Mitchell
T. T. Mitchell Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com
http://www.servicesandstuff.com
http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog
Changing Attitudes and Perceptions for Unlimited GrowthPrivate Reply to Mitch Mitchell | | Nov 23, 2006 4:35 am | | re: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | A few thoughts:
There is NO ONE, not even good extemporaneous speakers, who won't do a BETTER job if they prepared.
"Preparation" doesn't have to take hours and hours. It simply means taking whatever time you have to think about your message, your audience, your organization, etc.
Let's take a cue from the internet and remember Content is King. Delivery will only get you so far... Private Reply to LeeAundra Keany, Executive Communications Coach | | Nov 23, 2006 8:17 pm | | re: Deepak: re: Deepak: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Deepak Morris | | Thank you, Mitch.
I think LeeAundra puts it well where she says, "Let's take a cue from the internet and remember Content is King."
Give me ten minutes with an internet connection and I'll have enough information to tune my presentation to whichever audience I'm expected to address.
I think the issue is to focus on the audience. I was once asked, "Can you think of nothing else but the audience?" I had to admit that I couldn't think of anything but the audience. Of course, this was in relation to my plays but I think it holds true in any situation where a performer (again, I cannot think of a speaker as being anything less than a performer) must deliver content to an audience.
I urge you to put yourself out there. You'll be astounded at your true ability. I have been astounded, when clients have asked for creative input (it's amazing how clients take for granted that whatever they ask, the agency will provide) and I have come up with concepts and even complete scripts that I had never thought I could provide. The combination of client expectation, personal and professional experience and the desire to make the client (audience) go "wow!" produced some pretty fantastic work, even if I say so myself. Any time I got stuck, there was the internet to provide input.
You'll have to admit that even this discussion, which may convince you of one path or the opposite, would not be possible without the internet. Why not take it further and use it (okay, use "them", internet and internet-enabled discussion) to deliver to the audience a package that is of use?
DeepakPrivate Reply to Deepak Morris | | Nov 28, 2006 8:55 pm | | re: re: Deepak: re: Deepak: re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Ira Stoller | | Very interesting discussion. Some parts remind me of the number of years an entertainer has to prepare before becoming an "overnight sensation."
"I know nothing about cars. If I were asked to speak in front of a group of car manufacturers, I'd have to decline because I don't believe I could learn enough about cars to give a presentation that would be worthwhile."
Fran Tarkenton knows nothing about cars; he's an ex-football player. Yet he's in demand to speak to car manufacturers. Oh, I'm sure he couldn't address engine design, how to make cars more energy efficient, or recent advances in rustproofing, but the audiences he's asked to speak to are probably not interested in those topics either, nor would the organizers of a presentation on such technical topics be foolish enough to engage a Fran Tarkenton.
"So now I've been asked to speak in front of this group of car manufacturers on leadership. I could walk into the room and speak on leadership in general, but without knowing nothing specific about making cars, how thrilling do I think the conversation might be?"
And that speaks to my point - knowing your qualifications (or lack thereof) they would never engage you to speak about making cars. However, they might want to engage you to speak on how executives can motivate their staffs to make cars better, more efficient, etc. You could be their Fran Tarkenton.
You know, we talk about how speakers must know who they will be speaking to. How about those who engage speakers. They have to know both their audiences and their presenters. Would I hire a musician to speak to a group of engineers about recent developments in voice over IP (VoIP)? No! Of course not! But if that musician had organized several groups, headed his own recording studio, and represented a number of performers, I might hire him or her to speak to a group of VoIP executives on leadership in general.
Getting back to "preparation," we have to define our terms. We all spend a lifetime preparing for tomorrow, and we have all learned a little about a lot, and a lot about a little. Even if we know our topic cold, preparation is still necessary. Even if it's the same talk we gave last week, or even last night, wouldn't we all want to go over our material one last time, or mabe two?
If you know your topic you might not have to spend weeks to learn it, and you'll probably have spoken with the event organizer about what is expected of you. That's all part of preparation. Now you'll know what to prepare. If you don't know enough about your topic, or even if it's been too long since you gave a presentation on it, preparation might take a bit longer, or even quite a bit longer. Private Reply to Ira Stoller | | Nov 29, 2006 3:41 am | | How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # |
Anbusivam (www.anbusivam.com) | | Hello All,
Very interesting and valuable discussion. Thank You Mitch, for starting this.
I joined a Toastmasters recently and I was asked to give my first Ice breaker talk. As I am used to talking in my office meetings, I thought I don't need any preperation as I am going to talk on my ownself, education, family background and personal details.
But when I stood in the front, I could talk nothing except telling my name. I completed my speech in less than 2mins which was supposed to be for 4-5 mins. I did the same excercise after 2 weeks with a lot of homework...and I got that "WOW!" from my club members.
I understand Profound content, Understanding the audience and Excellent preparation are the key to sucessful Public Speaking.
Cheers,
Sivu Private Reply to Anbusivam (www.anbusivam.com) | | Mar 16, 2007 1:27 am | | re: How Long Do You Need To Prepare? | # | 
Lisa Braithwaite | | Each person has her/his own way of preparing. No matter what the research says, I'm going to prepare in the way that works best for me. Of course, I've been speaking and training professionally for many years, and I know myself and what works best. Ultimately, this comes with experience - for every speaker. I'm a bit of a procrastinator, as you'll see if you read my blog post mentioned below.
For new speakers, I suggest having the opening and closing of your talk memorized, just so you know exactly how you're going to grab the audience at the beginning, and leave a memorable impression at the end. For the body of the talk/presentation, I recommend using notes and NOT memorizing, in order to keep it fresh and spontaneous.
I would not use PowerPoint as my notes; that creates a barrier between you and the audience every time you turn around to read your PowerPoint. For that matter, my PowerPoints don't have a single bullet point on them. But that's another story. . . I do not want the audience focusing on the PowerPoint instead of me!
Keep your notes on one page, close at hand so you can look at them if you need to. All you need on your notes page is bullets or an outline to trigger the information that should already be in your head if you are well-prepared (by knowing your topic and the progression/structure of your presentation).
Back to Mitch's question: would I feel comfortable giving a presentation with little notice? If it were in my topic area, of course I would, because I've spent many years developing my knowledge about my topics. I wouldn't be happy about it, but I could put something together very quickly and deliver it well.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is to be authentic, be passionate about your topic, and have a good time with it. If you have to look at your notes occasionally, who cares? The audience wants to relate to and connect with a real person, not a robot. They do NOT want to hear a memorized speech.
I recently wrote about my (procrastination-style) preparation on my blog, Speak Schmeak; check it out if you're interested.
LB
Lisa Braithwaite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find Your Voice With Public Speaking Coaching!
* Check out my public speaking blog for tips and insights *
www.coachlisab.com * newsletter signup
Private Reply to Lisa Braithwaite | | |
| |
| |
