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A Different Way to Present
Posted by Onlee Bowden on February 5th, 2010 at 10:04amFeb
5th
Sometimes it’s more effective to get away from traditional stand in front of your audience presentations. At this conference they did just that. We took traditional presentations and we adapted them to a sports center “cool Zone” theme – updates and messages were delivered in a question/answer format. Their audience enjoyed this refreshing approach.
Article for Duro-Last Conference “The Good News!”
Posted by Onlee Bowden on February 5th, 2010 at 10:34amFeb
5th
Just the thought of speaking in public can send a chill through even the most professional among us. When asked to choose, most people would select going to the dentist over speaking in public; at least the dentist provides Novocain after all! In fact, speaking in public is ranked right next to death as the most common fear. I think Seinfeld said it best, “People would rather die than speak in public, and this means the person delivering your eulogy would rather be you in the casket.” In your world you may say, “I would rather hit my thumb with a hammer than speak in public!”
Successful businesses grow by building relationships. So the real question is how do folks get to know you, your services, and begin to rely on you as a valuable resource? Answer: You have to be where your customers are and not just be where they are, you have to be in front of them… presenting at school board meetings, being a community leader, explaining your services to prospective clients, being an active member of your local chamber, co-presenting with architects and other professionals, accepting any opportunity to get on the radio or be a part of a panel discussion. Yet, how many times have you declined? How many times have you said, “No?”
If you have ever thought to yourself, “I wish I could just be myself when I’m speaking,” rest assured you’re not alone. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick fix. Changing your speaking habits takes work and time. However, there is no time like the present to begin, so here are a few ideas to get you on your way.
1. Give Yourself a Break
We are harder on ourselves than others are on us. Consequently, we waste too much time worrying what others think. Our mind races with sabotaging thoughts like, “I can’t believe I just said that, what an idiot!” Most audience members are extremely forgiving and are just plain happy that they aren’t the one giving the presentation. So relax, and give yourself some credit.
2. Get Organized and Stay Focused
Although we live in a time when multitasking is a highly valued skill, this is not the time to engage in it. You can’t be delivering a presentation and having a running commentary on how you’re doing at the same time. There is plenty of time after to evaluate how well you did later. Put all of your concentration on the here and now. The best way to stay focused is to organize your ideas and then commit to your organization. The time you put into preparation pays off.
3. Leave Them Wanting More
Probably the biggest mistake that speakers make is saying too much. My rule is no more than three main ideas. When people are listening to a presentation they only have one chance to hear what you’re saying and half the time they aren’t paying close attention. So don’t bombard your audience with a million little details. Too much information overwhelms the listener. Remember…leave them wanting more.
4. Speak From Your Heart
Think about the most compelling speaker you have heard. I bet you couldn’t tell me much about what they said, but you could tell me how they made you feel. Our world is already filled with enough trivia, so don’t add to it. Talk about topics that matter to you, and ask yourself why your audience should care. Even if you’re delivering a report, ask yourself why the information should matter to those listening. More importantly, when you speak from your heart you are more compelling… and that’s what people will remember.
5. Face Your Fears
Have you noticed the more you see your dentist the better your teeth become? The same holds true for public speaking. You can’t get better by avoiding it. The more you force yourself to speak in front of others, the better you will get. With a set of skill builders and practice, everyone can actually feel better about public speaking.
CONSIDER THIS: There are very few public speakers who were born great, in fact, without practice and training people rarely become good at anything. Most of us had to put our time in to get satisfying results. You didn’t become good at roofing or selling without some time and effort on your part and the same is true for speaking. Even as a speech coach and teacher I have my share of, “I can’t believe that I did that” stories.
NOW…Imagine yourself speaking in front of others and walking away feeling good because it went just fine… better than fine. You were organized, relaxed, and you spoke from your heart. It can happen. It takes determination and work, but the end result makes the journey worth while.
Thank you OneUpWeb for an awesome website!
Posted by Onlee Bowden on February 5th, 2010 at 9:02amFeb
5th
There is a time in everyone’s business that you want to move your company to the next great level. Before you invest in other forms of marketing or advertising spend time with the talented people from OneUpWeb Design. They have my back in so many ways… Thank you, Thank you.
Favorite Speakers: Angie words to Mom
Posted by Onlee Bowden on September 4th, 2009 at 6:09amSep
4th
People ask me who my favorite speakers are. I think I’m the most impressed with everyday people who rise up for whatever is calling to them. My daughter Angie comes to mind. About two years ago to the day my Mother passed away. My daughter asked to say a few words at her funeral. She’s never really spoken in front of people before this. She wrote out what was in her heart and with all the love in her being she spoke. My heart exploded as I listened to her carefully chosen words.
Before I lead us in prayer, I would like to say share a few thoughts.
Today you will hear the stories of my Grandmother’s life. Some of her journeys as a girl, then a young woman, a wife, a mother, and finally as a grandmother; but for a few minutes, I would like to share with you the moment when my Grandmother passed away.
During the time we waited for her strong willed body to finally lay it’s self to rest, there was always a family member there… holding and kissing her hands, running their fingers through her hair, and fussing over if she was comfy enough. The beautiful part is that all of her children were there telling childhood stories, laughing, weeping, and supporting each other through their time of need.
I read a saying once that said, “friends are God’s apology for family.” This may be true at times but it sure wasn’t the case here. I can say one thing for this family… when tragedy strikes, we all unite for comfort and a loving shoulder to cry on. I sure hope that when I pass, my boys show me the honor that Grandma’s children have given her.
Through all of this there is one special person I really want to capture… my Uncle Stanley.
Stanley never left his Mother’s side. We even had a hard time convincing him that it was alright to please go and brush his teeth! He stood next to her side frequently letting her know that she was loved, a wonderful Mother, and that we were all there with her. When her moment came, he was the only one with her and it warms my heart to the core to know that he wasn’t robbed of that very special moment. My Aunt Jane said it so true “we know Mom was waiting for her and Stanley to be alone, because that’s the way she would have wanted it.”
Grandma, as your grandchild I will miss your sugar coated pancakes and snuggles wrapped up in a towel after a bath when you would rock me singing, “I love you a bushel and a peck.” And now I can even say I will miss the “huge” hand made underwear you always sewed for us as children.
After everything is said and done, I sure hope there was a huge Madre Gras parade waiting for your grand arrival into heaven… “You bet your dirty neck I do.”
Help! I’m babbling and I can’t shut up.
Posted by Onlee Bowden on August 20th, 2009 at 6:53amAug
20th
So here’s the scene. You’re talking with your boss. You fully intend to sound smart and worth the paycheck. One problem, the words are spilling out of your mouth and you realize you can’t get to the point. For some uncontrollable reason, you just keep talking on and on and on and on. You pray that a bolt of lighting comes out of the sky and saps you silent.
You’re experiencing “the blithering idiot babbles” also known as the “I can’t shut my mouth syndrome.” Don’t worry it’s a pretty common condition, most people have been afflicted at some point or another.
So what to do? Try this; Narrow what you’re talking about down to no more than two or three ideas.
Here’s how it might sound:
When responding to a question begin with: “I have two thoughts on that topic,”
When you called the meeting try starting off with: “Thanks for meeting with me; I wanted to go over three proposals.”
Keep your ideas organized and clean, and remember a good idea well communicated naturally leaves people wanting more.
Thoughts on Audiences
Posted by Onlee Bowden on June 29th, 2008 at 11:53amJun
29th
When you boil it down, audience members are made up of individuals that for the most part are not paying close attention. I think of them this way… Audience members are listeners, and most people are poor listeners. Your goal should always be to have people remember your presentation. In order for this to happen, you will need to do the following:
- Be visually interesting and engaging.
- Get organized, stay organized, and speak your organization.
- Have something worthwhile to say, and say it with passion.
- Connect to your audience. Think about what they need and want.
- Be memorable.
Staying Inside Your Presentation
Posted by Onlee Bowden on June 29th, 2008 at 11:41amJun
29th
I’ve been asked to explain the idea of “staying inside your presentation.” It sounds sort of like a new age thing but it’s actually a concept that is as old as time… It means to stay focused on the present… the here and now. Not allowing your mind to race ahead or to play sideline commentary. It is the most important part of listening, as well as speaking, and probably the hardest for anyone to do, as it takes discipline and concentration.
The reason:
We have what’s called “thought speed” this is where our brains process information about three times faster than we speak. In essence, we have the ability to finish someone’s sentence and drift off into other subjects of greater importance, (such as what we need to pick up from the store,) way before the person actually finishes their idea.
The bottom line:
It makes us lazy listeners. Instead of using that “thought speed” time more productively by controlling our desire to drift and daydream while others our speaking, we usually just spend that time thinking about what we are going to say next.
In public speaking, the same problem occurs. Our brains can finish our thoughts much faster than we speak, allowing us to race ahead or to start engaging in self-talk. The problem is that our brains really can’t be in two places at once, at least not with respect to communication. As soon as any of us leave the present conversation, we have broken our concentration. More than any other reason, this is why people get lost when they are speaking in front of other. Not because they don’t know how to finish ideas but because they allowed their thoughts to race ahead.
A strategy:
Maintain your concentration on the very real here and now. Pay attention to how often you drift and daydream while others are speaking and challenge yourself to come back to the present.
Traverse City Business News: You are what you speak: Speech coach readies for national exposure
Posted by Onlee Bowden on June 20th, 2008 at 10:02amJun
20th
Article by Lynn Geiger
Traverse City – Tom Clynes is a journalist and photographer. He’s reported on Ebola outbreaks and armed conflicts in central Africa, and he’s retraced Sir Edmund Hillary’s climbs in New Zealand.
But in April, he was in Traverse City getting public speaking coaching from area consultant Onlee Bowden. He’s actually been to town before to visit his sister who lives here. So when he first met Bowden while sitting next to her on an airplane and they started talking, he decided this would be his next – perhaps not so exotic – adventure.
“I’m asked to speak quite a bit and I never felt that I was that good at it,” said Clynes, who lives in Vermont when he’s not traveling around the world.
After just three sessions with Bowden, Clynes said he noticed significant changes with the professionalism of his delivery, a more streamlined approach to his presentation and with a message that came more from the heart.
Speak for Yourself
Posted by Onlee Bowden on May 19th, 2008 at 9:58amMay
19th
It’s a large order to really speak for yourself. Many times we are more than willing to allow others to speak for us. It could be argued that we have become a society that is more comfortable observing than doing. We watch others living thier dream in movies and sports, we listen to the musican playing their music and think… boy I wish I could do that. This willingness to watch rather than do makes it harder to take risks. I say this… Explore.
