Talk to the Human™

Do you know why we “wait” for the fist day of the new year to declare a resolution? There are quite a few theories out there, some of which are better than others. The important question is, how can we be successful in our resolutions?

You’ve no doubt heard a plethora of statistics that tell you that you shouldn’t bother with a resolution, since they don’t work anyway. Stories about full parking lots at the local gym in January followed by front-row availability in February are commonplace, and clearly have a ring of truth. Seriously though, if there was a secret way to avoid being a February dropout, would you want to know it?

Before we discuss that, let’s examine the reasoning behind the failure of New Year’s resolutions. You probly think it took 57,000 PhD’s over a million hours of painstaking research, not to mention your tax dollars, to come up with a working theory that could be tested in a double-blind 4-out-of-5 dentists surveyed statistical ballyhoo to be presented to President Obama in time for the next state of the Union Address, right? I bet some of that is right.

Actually, in a not-so-random sampling of humans that I know, I’ve uncovered the truth. The shocking fact is that there is no secret code, no genetic disposition, no other-guys-fault crap behind it. It’s all under our control, and the reason so many of us fail at a new year’s resolution is simple: It’s Artificial.

Yup, that’s it. Any resolution or whatever you want to call it made based on an artificial criteria, such as New Years, is naturally artificial itself. And by the way, it’s not just New Years that qualifies as artificial. See if any of these sound familiar:

“I’ll quit smoking as soon as I finish this carton”
“I’ll start eating healthier after my birthday”
“I”ll start working out when the gym has it’s next deal”
“I’ll go back to college after the kids move out”
“I’ll join Toastmasters after I finish my class”
“I’ll retire when I have enough in the bank”

The truth is, the only way to stay with a resolution is to mean it from the start. More importantly, if you mean it, you’ll start today, not wait for the 1st of never to make that move.

The advantage is this: If you start now, you can get a jump on all of the temporary heros you’ll meet in early January. Even better, you won’t be the noob (gamer talk for new person) in the room trying to figure out the difference between 10 and 15 lbs dumbbells.

If you’ve been thinking about that next one thing you want to work on, stop thinking and do it!

I picked this book up after hearing the author and other World Champions of Public Speaking on a CD set I had purchased last year. All of those on the CD set, including author Craig Valentine, had very professional styles and believed in providing valuable information in their products.

I picked this up, hoping it would give me a few insights into being a better speaker. I hadn’t even considered the marketing portion to be relevant, or something I needed to know. After all, if I’m good enough, people will find me and ask me to come to their organization to speak, right?

Like most budding professionals, I didn’t simply undervalue the concept of marketing. I ignored it. Lucky for me, Craig (with co-author Mitch Meyerson) did an amazing job of integrating the concept of marketing with his topic of being a world class speaker.

In fact, reading this book helped me see the integration of speaking and marketing (impossible to be successful in one without the other) and put me on the road to understanding not only the need for marketing, but how to do it right and with a very limited budget.

After I read this book, I was fortunate enough to meet Craig and hear him speak. Not only does he practice what he writes, not only does he teach what he writes, but he is absolutely fantastic as a speaker and trainer.

As a Toastmaster myself, I have been consistently working to improve my speaking, and where Toastmasters shaves years off of your learning curve, Craig’s methods in this book will take you to the next level. Plus, if speaking for a living is what you want to do, this book will also cut significant time off of that learning curve as well.

Like others who posted reviews on Amazon, this book took me a while to get through. There was so much I wanted to try as I went through it. After reading it, I have used it multiple times as a reference when developing presentations.

What’s great about this book:
Lots of specific tips that you can use right away
Serves as a great reference for both speaking skills and marketing ideas

Limiting Factors:
Not a “single-sitting” read – I had to stop to take notes many, many times
You’ll need to be willing to learn a lot

Great Quotes:
Do not leave money on the table
Marketing is not an event – it’s a process

Recommendations:
This book is truly in my top 10. If you’re thinking at all about taking your speaking skills to the next level, make this one of the first books you read. Same if you want to go pro, and need some marketing ideas (and if you’re a human, you probably do).

Did you wake up at 4am on Black Friday to get a jump on the holiday shopping? You may thing that only a crazy few of us were out there driving in the dark, but you’d be wrong. One CNN report estimates 134 million shoppers were out yesterday, although better stats are expected in the coming days.

For me, standing in line at Target awaiting the 5:00am opening gave me some free time to reflect (since there wasn’t any light to read by) and think about the power of preparation, and how preparing for your next speech could be much like preparing for the onslaught of customers looking for a deal.

First- Make a promise

At Target, they had to decide what to put on sale. This included:
Determining inventory
Anticipating demand (not everyone was waiting in line for a $3.99 copy of Elf)
Chosing their time frames (opening time, length of certain sales, etc.)
Getting the word out – those pervasive sales circulars

For you it’s about determining what your topic will be:
What’s in your inventory?
What does your audience need to hear?
How long do you have to say it?
How will you get an audience to show up?

Second-  Preparation

At Target:
Building set-up – prepositioning expected hot sellers (like the Westinghouse TV that I missed by about 10 spaces in line)
Provided externals – map of the store and some free eco-shopping bags (I was too far back in line, but it was a looong line)
Staff clearly prepared to answer about any sales item…I bet they had to take a quiz or something

You:
Room set-up
Visuals and hand-outs ready to go
Rehearse and internalize your topic – don’t memorize it…know it

Third- Execution

Target:
Open the doors on time (5:00am)
Every checkout stand open (I was out with my purchase by 5:20am)
People pre-positioned throughout the store to answer questions

You:
Stay within your allotted time
Use the stage, not just one sopt
Be able to handle the odd question/unexpected remark with professionalism

Of course, there were some other great examples I saw, such as JC Penny’s (Snow Globe!), Best Buy (love my new netbook) and Wal-Mart. There were also some less-prepared stores, but I won’t mention them by name (one was the place I expected to by my netbook…a whole nother post).

For the speakers out there, these tips aren’t the only things you need to make a great presentation, but they are some things you can think about when getting that next speech off of the ground. After all, Target wasn’t built in a day…right?

As of today, 27 Nov, I’ve moved my blog over to the www.talktothehuman.com URL, instead of being on WordPress’ site. This is still a wordpress blog, but now hosted on my web site. Enjoy!

Have you ever heard someone tell you that you shouldn’t use notes in a speech? It almost sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Imagine having to give a lengthy presentation, and you suddenly draw a blank. How do you handle it without a reference to where you should be? Here’s the secret: Go ahead and use notes. But wait, that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Let me guess, right now you’re thinking that Toastmasters tells you not to use notes, right?

Wrong.

Again, I know what you’re thinking. Yup. You’re thinking that the last objective in Project 3 of the Competent Communicator manual says “Strive not to use notes”, right? You’re right, it does say that! You might also be thinking that CC Speech #9 says “Avoid using notes…” on page 46 and again in Speech #10′s description on page 50. Right again. Sounds like you really know your stuff.

So, was I wrong when I said Wrong? No.

FAQ: Toastmasters helps people to be confident and competent speakers by (among other things) helping eliminate the reading of their speeches and the unnecessary use of notes. Some people translate that to mean “Toastmasters says don’t use notes.” 

I disagree. I believe the concept is to instill good habits in the CC process, such as organizing your speeches, improving yor delivery (voice, gestures, etc.) and reducing your dependency on notes. After all, after just a little experience you should be able to practice and deliver a 5-7 minute speech without needing notes.  Editors note: One important time to avoid notes is in Toastmasters contests. There is no rule about it, but in my experience judges tend to be less impressed by a contest speaker using notes.

Now for the real-world application:

Let’s say you need to present a 30-minute talk to a group of college students on preparing for their first interview. Let’s use a simple breakdown:

3-5 minutes – opening: Connect, deliver your promise, cover the roadmap (tell your 3-main points)
5-7 minutes – first main point: Research the company
5-7 minutes – second main point: Prepare your message
5-7 minutes – third main point: Dress the part
2-3 minutes – closing: wrap up

How would your notes look? This is a partial example that should serve to make the point work for you.

Opening:
Story of my first interview
Promise: “in just 20-minutes you’ll have the foundation you need to prepare for that first interview”
Roadmap: Research, Preparation, Presence
Transition: “in order to be present, you must do your homework”

First point:
Question: “Have you picked a place to work yet?”
Discussion: You need to know them as bad as they need to know you
Transition: Now that you know your audience, let’s prepare your message  

Second point:
Story about the interviewee that couldn’t answer the question”Why do you want to work here?”
Question: “Would you hire someone who said they were just in it for the money?”
Topic points: 3-keys to your personal brand
Transition: Your brand won’t impress if your clothes are unpressed

Third point:
Demonstration of two well dressed candidates and two less dressed candidates (PowerPoint)
Topic points: The right colors, the “half step up” rule, local resources
Transition to close: how the 3 points fit together

Conclusion:
Finish first interview story – I received an offer
Recap the Roadmap: Research, Preparation, Presence
Final thought: Know your audience, know yourself, and know your shoes and you will be the one that gets that offer everyone is hoping for. 

You may be able to get by without even glancing at these notes at all. However, if something distracts you and throws you off course, all you have to do is glance at the notes and see what is next. For instance, if you look at the beginning of the second point, you know to launch into that story of the kid that said “I wanna get paid”. Also, if you notice you’re running behind in point two, you can glance down and mentally line out “The right colors” in point three to help you recover some of that time.

Remember, notes shouldn’t be a crutch or something you read. Notes are a tool to help you stay on track and provide the best content possible. After all, you goal isn’t to win “memorizer of the year”. Your goal is likely to be to help the audience with the topic you’re speaking on. If it means you glance down once in a while…so be it. Better to glance down occasionally and get it right, instead of missing a main point you were expected to cover, and then never being asked back.

Notes aren’t the enemy. Practice those 5-7 minute Toastmasters speeches without them, but then when your rep is on the line at work or on the stage, use the tools you need to be successful. Trust me, all the best speakers have used them at one time or another.

Bonus tip: If your speaking in an environment where others will speak before you, have a couple of spare note cards to jot down things you may be able to call back to in your speech.

At this weekend’s Toastmasters District 22 Fall Conference in Topeka Kansas, many people had the opportunity to see some outstanding presentations, including some fantastic contest speeches. Watching these marvelous efforts, the question came to my mind of how these contestants handle that “next speech” in their home club after working so hard to give a contest-quality speech. 

I didn’t just think of this myself…oh no. During the conference, I was approached by a fairly new Toastmaster (pre-CC) who had competed and won her Club and Area Humorous Speech Contests this fall. That sort of thing happens when you wear a Tuxedo to dinner.

She asked my opinion about how to handle new expectations in her club environment, now that she was an Area speech contest winner. Listening to her question, I felt like she was concerned that if she were to deliver a speech in her club that was not a potential contest winning speech, she might lose some of the respect of her club members.

I have to admit when I look at it from her point of view, it seems like a pretty reasonable concern. After all, she had raised her own personal bar, so to speak, and was now struggling with whether or not she could consistently meet or exceed those new standards.

Are you wondering about the long answer, or do you just want to hear the short version?

Of course, you’re going to be able to read both (and if you read aloud, you’ll hear both too).

The short answer: “Don’t worry about it.”

That’s it? Don’t worry about it? That’s all you’ve got?

No.

The less-short answer: Remember that the Toastmasters program includes an incredible assortment of resources to allow you to learn and grow as a speaker and leader at your own pace. As you earn that first Competent Communicator (CC) award, you improve those basic delivery skills such as using gestures, vocal variety, and organization. With the Advance Communicator (AC) manuals, you develop and fine tune such critical competencies as storytelling, facilitating, and persuading (among many other skills).

As you develop those skills, some of your own shortcomings are going to be revealed to your club. The strength of your club environment is that your fellow members understand and even expect this (they’ve been through it too). They are not there to judge you, but to support you in becoming a better speaker and leader throughout each speech you give.

That means in this environment, you are actually not expected to make every single speech better than the last one. That’s right! You have permission…no no.. encouragement to take a step back once in a while. Why? Because doing so will help you take two steps forward. I speak the truth!

I understand the very real concern of that next speech not being what you’ve come to expect from yourself. After all, you practiced and prepared for the recent contest with great effort and conviction. That’s what your Toastmasters club is there for, after all. There you are, getting the opportunity to stretch your abilities and practice that next skill you need to reach another level.

Just remember that each speaking opportunity should include a goal (i.e. learning how to use visual aides, handling Q&A on controversial topics, or breaking the ice, etc.) and sometimes by stretching yourself, you’ll find the greatest opportunity for improvement. Hey, you may even surprise yourself with how amazing you become.

You just may not surprise your club, because they already know you’re going to get better. Just watch and see!

Sweet!

With the Toastmasters Conference this weekend, this week’s book review will be a couple of days late….stay tuned!

I just received Darren LaCroix’s two new CDs, Secrets from a World Champion Speaker Coach and Speak Outside of Your Club for Fun, Profit, and Club Building. Both are single CDs and less than an hour each. This means I should be able to listen to both of them on my drive to Topeka tomorrow morning, bright and early.

This weekend is our Toastmaster District 22 Fall Conference, and we’re featuring another World Champion, Ed Tate. Ed will be our opening keynote speaker on Saturday morning, present an educational session in the afternoon, and lead a Breakfast with a Champ question and answer session Sunday morning.

During the day tomorrow, I’ll be working with our International Director and accompanying him on a club visit to the Veterans Center in Topeka, and for a Radio Interview on WIBW 580 AM at 1:35pm, 20 November. I’ll add the podcast link here as a note after the interview. The talk show is the Raubin and Megan show.
Update: Here is the link to the podcast (MP3).

If you’re in the area and interested, you can find info on the conference at our district’s website. Meals are probably sold out, but you can still attend the events, educational sessions, and contests.

I’ll post on Ed Tate’s speeches and the overall events on Sunday night, weather permitting…

Over the past week or so, I’ve been reading the CD version of Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book, What the Dog Saw in my car. If you’re a fan of Gladwell’s, you won’t be disappointed in this work. He does a fantastic job of analyzing some commonly held beliefs and reported stories, giving the reader a unique point of view into those issues and events.

In other reviews, you may read how some don’t believe this represents the Author’s best work. Some folks are so entrenched in the style of his other three books that they find this disappointing in comparison. Others point out that this is great work when you take it for what it is.

For me, I found many of the stories to be quite interesting, and the book as a whole was very engaging and carried a common theme: If we look at what we are have been told from a different point of view, we may see there is a “rest of the story” in many of our widely held beliefs. This is not news in and of itself, but it may be news in some of the specific examples (i.e. how to fix homelessness).

One of the things I really found provocative was the comparison of the difficulty in picking quarterbacks from college that will succeed in the NFL and the difficulty in selecting good teachers for our schools. As always, there is a plethora of research used and referenced throughout the book, and in this example he has sat with an NFL scout to discuss the Quarterback dilemma the NFL faces year after year (i.e. Ryan Leaf…Tim Couch…etc…) with judging how “great” college quarterbacks will fare in the pros. Then, working with experts on teaching, he shows how that analogy fits with understanding the success (or not) of teachers in our school systems.

Interestingly enough, I get the idea that the way the NFL currently handles the Quarterback problem is one that the school system should consider using as well. Cut the poor performers.

What’s great about this book:
Where to start? Malcolm is always engaging and interesting and does a thorough job of researching his topics.
Wide coverage of topics. Enron, Breast Cancer, RonCo, Military Intelligence, Teachers, Quarterbacks, Ketchup, Birth Control Pills, Talent vs. Results, JFK Jr.’s Plane Crash, Homelessness and more. Some of the comparisons are unexpected and unique.
We can solve some very tough problems, if we stop looking at them in the same way we currently do.

Limiting Factors:
The story are compiled from the author’s best work in The New Yorker from 1996 to 2008. Some of the information may seem a bit dated.
If you’re a regular reader of his articles, you may not want to spend the money on this compilation.
You may end up learning something…which I know is not for everyone.

Great Quotes:
It’s better to have a great teacher in a bad school than an average teacher in a great school (paraphrased)
To a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish

Recommendations:
This book is better read than listened too. I’m not regretting my decision to buy the CD version, but it makes going back to specific passages more difficult, which is something I would value doing in this book.

If you haven’t read The Tipping Point, Blink, or Outliers that’s okay. You can read What the Dog Saw first, or…

If you want to save a few bucks, start with The Tipping Point (free at the library – and a classic) and work your way through his first three books. I know the first two are in paperback, and you can get any of them pretty reasonably from Amazon.com or down the street at Barnes and Noble.

Wednesday evening I gave an 8-minute speech titled ACE your Conclusion for my Toastmaster’s club, the Boeing Acievers #3990. Take a look right here.

The speech was from the Entertaining Speaker manual, speech #2 – resources for entertainment. In this project I  was supposed to use examples from other sources, so I chose information from Craig Valentine and Ed Tate, both World Champion Speakers.

Specifically, I talked about two common mistakes many speakers make in their conclusions and three ways to give a better conclusion to your speech. See for yourself and let me know what you think.