What Can Halloween Teach Us About Public Speaking?

Most of our members are no doubt aware that several parts of the western world are celebrating Halloween today. I believe that beneath the spooky costumes, candy corn, carved pumpkins, and tricks and treats, we can find a lesson to apply to public speaking.

Well, maybe not all the trappings of Halloween hold a lesson, but at least the costumes do (spooky, silly and otherwise). Have you ever noticed a shy child, or even adult, blossom right before your eyes upon donning a costume? I have seen it.

Something about dressing up as someone else seems to flip a switch in the mind that says it’s okay to act a certain way. To act silly. To act brave. And yes, unfortunately, to act quite literally like a monster! Many a homeowner will know this all too well when they awake tomorrow morning to find cracked eggs oozing down the glass of the windows, toilet paper strewn in the trees, or their prized front porch pumpkin smashed to pieces in the driveway!

Wearing a costume makes it easier for us to adopt the behaviors and assume the qualities represented by the costume. Am I suggesting you dress up as a pirate for your next presentation? No—unless it's part of your "shtick", of course. However, I would like to suggest that you might improve your presentations by “putting on” or “dressing up” in the qualities of great speakers you admire. For example, think of the most confident presenter you know. The most dynamic. Most engaging. Energetic. Funny. Powerful. What qualities of that speaker can you emulate in your own presentation?

I know what some of you are thinking: “No one should try to imitate another speaker! You need to find your own speaking style and be yourself!” Understood. But keep in mind that for those learning the art of speaking, part of finding one’s true platform persona entails experimenting with different styles, to see which come more naturally, or feel right. We learn to do anything new—whether it be swinging a baseball bat, baking a cake, or giving a speech—by watching, observing, and imitating others.

Let’s go a little deeper. We know from the field of psychology that we can adjust our attitudes by adjusting our physical actions. A simple example: smile a big, bright smile, with eyes open wide, and notice if you don’t feel a bit more joyful. Now tighten your face, furrow your eyebrows, and purse your lips into an angry face, and see if your emotions don’t follow suit. Several years ago I read a book called The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. Reinforcing my point, David writes, “Confident action produces confident thinking. So, to think confidently, act confidently. Act the way you want to feel.”

That bears repeating: To think confidently, act confidently. Act the way you want to feel. Powerful words. Even if you don’t feel confident about speaking, act like you are brimming with confidence and you will come across as much more confident at the podium. Think of a confident speaker you admire, and imagine yourself giving your speech in a similarly confident manner. Then, when you take the stage, put on that confident persona, and deliver that speech like it’s what you were born to do.

Halloween and public speaking. A stretch to connect the two? Maybe a little. But I hope the power of these ideas stay with you. May each ring of the door bell tonight, each “trick or treat”, and each piece of candy you pass out (or collect!) serve as a reminder that when it’s your turn to speak, you can be whomever you want to be at the lectern. Just put on those qualities you wish to display. And give the audience your best! They—and you—deserve nothing less.

Practice Makes...Perfect?

When I was ten years old, I attended a summer basketball camp. I remember the first day of camp. I had checked in, and was out on the court with about fifty other kids, shooting hoops before we officially began. I was excited to improve my game, and especially to increase the percentage of shots I could put though the hoop. After twenty minutes of this free-for-all, the coach blew the whistle, calling us all to attention. We gathered around the coach in a semi-circle, taking a seat on the cool gymnasium floor. The coach introduced himself, and gave us our first lesson.

“Practice makes…”, began the coach, pausing to prompt us to fill in the blanks.

“Perfect!” we all shouted back, eagerly and enthusiastically.

“Wrong!” cried the coach. How could this be wrong, I thought? Of course practice makes perfect! I’d heard that my whole life! This was clearly a moment of cognitive dissonance.

“Practice makes…,” began the coach again, pausing to pique our interest, and reel in our attention. No one made a sound. All eyeballs were on the coach, awaiting his revelation. He finally completed his sentence: “…Permanent!”

Permanent? What does that mean? Most of us were pretty confused.

The coach explained the concept further. Whatever we practice over and over becomes permanent. Even if it is the wrong thing. Practice only “makes perfect”, if we are practicing perfection. The coach explained that his goal was to teach us perfect techniques, that we could practice to make a permanent part of our play. To hammer home this point, the coach led us in a rousing repetition of this mantra that morning, and every morning that followed, for the rest of the camp.

Practice makes permanent. The words that sounded so strange and foreign when I first heard them, sunk deeply into my ten year old mind. And they have stayed with me over the years.

So let’s bring this concept to public speaking. We all know the importance of practice when it comes to delivering an excellent presentation. The question becomes, what are you practicing? Are you practicing perfection? Are you practicing the right techniques? Or are you practicing bad habits…over and over, and engraining them into your "play"? Here are some ideas to get the most out of your practice, and to ensure you are practicing speaking skills that will serve you and your audience well.

First, to borrow from Nike, “Just do it!” That is, actually practice your speech--out loud--as though you were giving it before a live audience. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Of course, but let’s be honest. Many of us, especially those of us who have been speaking for a while, tend to think we can get by “winging it”. And, indeed, many of us can “wing it well”. But how many times have you given a decent presentation that you didn’t rehearse, and thought to yourself, “Wow…I wonder how much better this could have gone if I had actually rehearsed it out loud beforehand?” Stop asking yourself that question, and find out the answer. Some may feel silly giving their speech in front of a non-existent audience. Or perhaps getting privacy at home is difficult—and there’s fear that the spouse and kids will overhear, or walk in. Enough with the excuses. What’s the bigger loss? Feeling embarrassed in front of yourself and your family at home, or feeling embarrassed in front of your audience (perhaps your boss and colleagues!) because you didn’t properly prepare? Practice: Just do it! For real.

If you have a video camera, record your practice. If you don’t have one, borrow one. Or at the very least, audio record your practice. Video recording your presentations is one of the best ways to improve the return on your investment of practice. The more clearly you can imagine there’s a live audience in front of you, the more “real” your presentation will become, and the better feedback you can collect. If you forget what you’re saying, don’t allow yourself the luxury of rewinding the tape and starting over, or pausing to fumble through your notes. Push through, the way you would if you were on stage, in front of a live audience. Play back the video, and watch it as your own audience member, as though you are seeing it for the first time. Does the presentation flow logically? Does everything make sense? Is your voice helping to convey the meaning and emotion behind what you’re saying? How is your physical presence? Are you calm and confident? Are you engaging in any nervous habits, such as fidgeting? Are you pacing back and forth, or moving with purpose? Watching and listening to yourself on video allows you to step back and see and hear how you are coming across, from the perspective of an audience member.

While practice is good, and recording your practice is great, getting feedback from a warm, breathing human being is excellent. Practice your presentations in front of a trusted friend or colleague. Find a friend who’s also interested in improving their presentation skills, and agree to coach each other with frank feedback. If you aren’t close to someone interested in improving their speaking skills, at least find someone who cares about you enough to help you reach your goals, and to give honest feedback, even when it stings a little. Yes, it can be awkward and uncomfortable. But it is worth every moment of discomfort you may feel in making yourself vulnerable to this person. And it gets easier with time. The person you choose to give feedback need not be a Toastmaster or a public speaking skills expert. But if they are, then all the better. However, anyone who can sit though your presentation, and evaluate honestly and critically, like an audience member would, will work. A friend with whom I often practice speeches in front of recently pointed out to me an awkward mannerism. No one had ever even mentioned it to me after over 5 years in Toastmasters! And I had never even noticed it on the videos of my rehearsals or live presentations! I had been making this mistake for so long, it started to look and feel normal. Once it had been brought to my attention, I became aware whenever I started to do it, and could self-correct before it turned into a distraction. Never underestimate the value of a trusted friend, who cares enough to watch and listen carefully, and tell you the truth that is sometimes too close for you to see yourself.

Practice your presentations. Record your practice. Practice in front of a friend. And be sure to practice as perfectly as you can. After all, practice makes…permanent!

Know Your Material, Know Your Message

Most public speaking experts agree that “Knowing Your Material” is one of the most important critical success factors for any presentation. Knowing your material is about more than simply reading your notes over and over before the big gig. It goes much further than remembering or memorizing your content.

Knowing your material is the result of much study, thought, and reflection. You have figuratively held your material up to the light, and examined it from all angles. You have wrestled with it, and engaged in countless rounds of devil’s advocate. When you truly know your material, you thoroughly understand the topic. You have lived with it for a while, and let it sink deep within you. It has become, in a sense, a part of you.

“But wait!”, you protest. “The material I’m presenting is the third quarter financial reports. There’s nothing ‘zen-like’ about that!”

Ok, fair enough. That is where “Knowing Your Message” comes into play. Knowing your message is integral to knowing your material. Your message saturates your content; it influences and informs everything you say and do in your presentation.

You must know what you want to communicate, and what you want your audience to think, feel or believe as a result of having listened to you. What is the key point-- or points--you want them to take home? Is it a decision to take action on your proposal? Do you want them to shift their opinion on a particular topic or issue? Rally their support? Or are you simply looking to make a warm human connection--to evoke a feeling or an emotional response deep within your audience? Only you know the answers to these questions. And if you don’t know, you need to find out. Then you can direct everything in your presentation toward that goal.

If you don’t know your message (and the answers to the above questions) then ask: “Why am I going to speak?” If it’s a presentation you were asked to give for work, then “because my boss told me I have to” doesn’t count! If that happens to be the reality of your situation, ask yourself why your boss asked you to speak. Consider your audience and their needs and concerns. You may need to sit down with your boss and discuss this. Here’s a tip to “get it right” and impress your boss at the same time! Share with your boss what you believe is the key message to convey, and tell the boss you want to ensure your emphasis aligns with his/her agenda.

When you know your message, preparing your speech becomes easier, because anything that doesn’t serve the purpose of furthering your message goes out the window. When you thoroughly know your content, and your message, you will truly know your material. Your presentation will then have a more definite impact on your audience!