One Flew Over the Cubicle's Nest

Why Steve Jobs is a Great Speaker (and you can be too)

Why are most corporate presentations and speeches generally weak? I"ve wondered this for years. Despite all the fancy Powerpoint graphics, consultants and all the money spent, most presentations fall short of the mark. It can all be avoided by following a few simple steps--I'll mention seven key ones here. I'm intentionally skipping over delivery techniques, which I'll cover later.

* Have a clear message: many speakers start in reverse, by loading their speeches with content. They start with content--data, product information, etc--and it gets weighted down before it starts. Better to think on one clear message you want to deliver, or perhaps three-and build everything around it. The simpler, the better (think about the theme of The Tipping Point. Simple). If they don't remember anything else, what is the one message you want them to remember when they leave?

* Have something to say: Develop a strong opinion on an issue, state it clearly, and never meander or apologize for it. Audiences respect someone with a clear, single-minded point of view, even if they don't agree with it. Be interesting, engaging, and stick by your guns. And think big. Jobs talks about revolutionizing the music and entertainment business--how much bigger can you get than that?

* Wrap it around a story. People quickly forget facts and statistics, but a well delivered story will stay with them a long time. The story has to be on message, well thought out, and delivered in a punchy fashion-- make it impactful. Practice it until you have every word and pause memorized,and then practice some more. Sometimes it can be as simple as an experience with a customer, or on the baseball field--but it has to make a clear point and resonate with the audience. Stories are the soul of your speech. The best speakers are great story-tellers.

Managing the "Bush Twitch"

I was watching President Bush late last week on a news (press) conference, speaking about Rumsfeld, the Iraqi war and other related subjects, when it dawned on me why his poll numbers have been dropping this year. It's "the twitch." Just as he approached the podium, put his papers down and started to speak, Bush quickly cocked his head to the side and back. It was only an instant but to a speech (or media) coach, it says volumes. The subconscious message, along with some other slightly off-key mannerisms, is that George Bush isn't in complete command--or something is off track. By comparison, think of Colin Powell  or Ronald Reagan--steady as  a rock, no fidgeting or rocking.

We all have our little quirks that subtract from our presence. If you doubt it, tape your next presentation. Watch for the little things--the strange gesture, the odd grimace, etc. Of course, TV exaggerates everything. The little grin becomes a smirk, the quick look away makes it look like you're darting your eyes, suspiciously. Sometimes people on camera will actually nod their heads when a news person is attacking them. They're doing this to show they're listening, but it appears they're agreeing with the attack: "Yes, I did cook the books."

The Bush thing is perplexing to me. I met him many years ago when I was writing a story on a Texas financier, Richard Rainwater. Bush was in Rainwaters' Fort Worth office, and we spoke briefly. He came across gregariously, and amicably, a friendly fellow with a quick laugh. But his appearances since becoming president seem anything but natural. The smirks, strange facial twitches and other odd mannerisms detract from his message.

The one exception was during one of the debates with Kerry, where they spoke in front of a live audience. Bush had been beat like a drum the last debate, but this time, he came out swinging. His messages and lines may have been memorized, but he seemed more at ease, more natural in his delivery, connecting with audience the way he should. He cracked some jokes, and spoke directly and simply--no funny gestures or expressions. I had the feeling that he put all the coaching and personal handlers aside, and just delivered from gut instinct. It's too bad we couldn't see more of the "real George," or any politician for that matter.

Failing Faster

When I was a green college kid, struggling to get through my first class in Journalism school at the University of Texas, one teacher came down on me particularly hard. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't break a "C," and once even got a D on a reporting assignment. "You might want to think about another field,"  the professor sniffed.

Clearly I was failing in my first journalism class, but I wasn't about to cave in.  I was pretty stubborn, and equally important, a poor college kid. I had to get through to survive, and I had something to prove. I plowed ahead, working harder than ever, joining the school newspaper as a cub reporter and learning from everyone around me.

My persistence eventually paid off. I managed to eventually carve out a solid career as a journalist, even making it to the "big leagues" to write for national magazines and publish a book later. 

The reason I succeeded wasn't just talent, it was persistence--and the willingness to get up off the ground after falling on my face. I'm convinced that the willingness to fail and bounce back separates the winners from the losers (I've had plenty of practice during my crazy career). Losers don't like to fail, so they don't try. Winners fail and fail again, and eventually succeed. Given this, we'd be better off to accelerate the process, to "fail faster," as one business consultant put it.

This may explain why people have such a hard time mastering public speaking. Most of us, by our later 20s, like to think of ourselves as "fully baked" and established, and we're not eager to show our faults in front of our peers. No matter how you do it, learning to speak involves showing flaws and  failing along the way.

It's similar to skiing. Kids seem to relish crashing into the snow, and bouncing back up to soar down the mountain. Adults, by comparison, are thinking about broken legs, hospital bills and missed mortgage payments. They'll naturally stiffen up, which ironically, makes it more likely they'll fall.

With speaking, people are afraid to fail so they refuse to leave their comfort zones. They refuse to get coached or join a group like Toastmasters, where they can practice. The only way to get better, of course,is to practice--to speak at every opportunity. Schools, business meetings, churches, civic groups--each is an opportunity to practice your speaking.

Until one gets over the fear of failing, they'll never master speaking. No wonder speaking in front of crowds is still believed to be the number one fear among Americans, ranking higher than death. If that's true, as Seinfeld once said, it means the average American at a funeral would rather be in that casket than giving the eulogy.

Don't go to your grave with your song still inside.

Dare to fail.

Technorati tags: public speaking

The Art of Small Talk

Mastering small talk is harder than it looks. When we were interviewing people for a sales job recently, it dawned on me after a few candidates came through that most people had trouble making small talk; that is, carrying on an interesting conversation that had little to do with their job.

I began wondering whether it was because we were so dependent on computers and technology. Had we forgotten the art of small talk? Then along came a more seasoned candidate. Not only did he nail the job interview, but he smoothly moved into small talk, chatting about issues ranging from kids to the economy. It was refreshingly entertaining as he danced across several subjects, easing the tension.

People who can make conversation easily with strangers tend to be more successful, studies show, but where to start? Many of the same speaking tips apply to making small talk: good eye contact, smooth body language and gestures, speak directly and simply, pause and so on. And of course it helps to have something to say, a list of interesting subjects. But there are other factors as well. The author of Never Eat Alone  suggests sharing information, opening up and even showing vulnerability--"expose your interests and concerns," he suggests.

The book addresses the so-called  Johari  Window, which has to do with the level at which people will open up and share. Some people are introverted (think engineers) and more closed; others (think salespeople) are more open, chatty and sharing. The idea is to be aware of the different styles and adapt to who you're interacting with--in other words, align the windows. It doesn't help to come across like a showboat if the person across the table is closed as a clam.

Last, be sincere. Some books suggest laughing at all their jokes and faking sincerity. But people can smell a phony. And, oh yes, remember their names. Forget their name and the best speaking skills in the world won't save you.

Technorati Tags: small talk

George Bush & Conquering Q&As

President Bush has recently shifted gears on the media front, going directly to live audiences with his message. Today, speaking in Cleveland about the Iraqi war, he opened the floor to questions--and he got plenty, non of them apparently pre-screened. Given his lowly ratings (36 percent favorable ratings by one poll), Bush would seem to have nothing to lose. But anytime a public figure opens up to an unfiltered Q&A, there are risks. Sure enough, there were some hard hitting questions, particularly about the Iraqi war. USA Today article on Bush speech

For politicians or corporate executives who do Q&As, there are some basic tips to keep in mind:

• Try to anticipate every possible question, write them down, and practice your answers.
• Repeat the question so everyone can hear it.
• Avoid being defensive. Answer the question as directly as possible. Sometimes it helps to confront the question head-on. Leaders who do it right get more respect than dodging the question.  When I was at Intel, and the company was under fire, I watched as CEO Andy Grove took a series of hardball questions during a "town hall" employee meeting. The stock was plunging at the time. "Don't we have a PR department?" one wise guy engineer asked. "You're talking to the top PR guy at the company," Grove shot back. 'And believe me, we're working on it." 

(By the way, Grove was one of the execs who loved to spar with people and the press when it was an issue he believed in. And in his case, it usually worked).

Jobs vs Gates

Link: Presentation Zen.
If you think we're entering a new Golden Age of presentations in the corporate world, where beauty and simplicy reign, check out this site and you'll see an interesting contrast of two styles of presentations: Jobs vs Gates. Microsoft vs Apple.  Clutter vs Simplicity. Confusion vs Clarity.   
Yes it's easy to poke fun at Bill. And we all know that often "less is more." But try getting that across to a room of engineer speakers in Silicon Valley. Several years ago when I created an advanced presentation skills course at Intel, we ran through several groups of engineers as part of the "pilot test." Much as we pushed to encourage them to reduce content, they resisted. "We know it looks better graphically," said one engineer. "But my boss is going to want to see the data on the screen or he thinks I'm not doing my job." We tried to talk them into putting the data on handouts, hoping to reduce the torture. But that went nowhere.  We finally compromised on fewer bullets and an occasional visual slide.

Presentations are getting better across corporate America, including Intel. But progress is slow, and uneven. Some companies are still badly lagging. So it raises the question: Why hasn't the art and craft of PowerPoint presentations advanced more? One thing is clear: technology isn't the answer. Just as giving everyone a desktop publishing program back in the 80's didn't improve the overall quality of newsletters, giving everyone a laptop and the latest version of PowerPoint isn't going to turn everyone into a Steve Jobs presenter.

The solution is painfully simple. Teach people how to present better first--without slides. Then begin working with them with slides. I've mentioned Toastmasters before; it's a great place to practice stand up speeches (no slides). When I was at Intel each site had its own club. I watched mid level managers who could barely present, over time, become competent speakers. But it takes time, something in short supply. Much easier to just throw together some slides and "present" the data.

Eventually maybe we'll see a movement to turn the tide. For now, we have to take it in stride and do our best. Check out the "what if" Microsoft redesigned the iPod video (YouTube). This is a real classic, right up there with Gone with the Wind. Microsoft iPod video Thanks to Robert Scoble for finding this one, and Garth for posting the nice visual comparisons. Long  live the  iPod.