Presentation Tip 4: Use "Outside" Techniques

Outside

How to Suit Your Audience:
What’s in the Cards for your Presentation?

Create balanced and various experiences for your audience. Doing so will enrich the learning retention and enhance audience engagement. Consider each “suit” to influence and inform your audience from the “outside.”

Clubs

How will you engage your audience in interactive and collaborative experiences?
Move bodies in activities to move minds.

Spades

What tools and techniques will you share with your audience in applying and implementing your topic?

Hearts

What stories will you deliver to your audience to evoke emotional connections with your topic? Practice describing the setting, narrating the situation and struggle, defining the solution, and identifying the significance of the story.

Diamonds

What insights and universals will you uncover for your audience? What “gems” do you want your audience to remember long after the presentation? These diamonds will provide the wealth of the information and its value to the audience.

Presentation Tip 3: Use "Inside" Techniques

“Show & Tell”
with Sensory Language

 Describe what you mean. Leave your audience with sensory impressions and images that they can access from memory, from “inside.” Each access is a chance to influence the audience participant.

See

sights, shapes, sizes, colors, shadows, pictures, photos, graphics, tables, visual composition…

Hear

sounds, noises, euphony, cacophony, tone, speed, volume, flow, cadence, rhythm, rhyme, assonance, consonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, parallelism…

Touch

temperatures, textures, sensations, movement, motion, action…

Taste

sweetness, sourness, bitterness, tartness, blandness, saltiness, savory, flavors…

Smell

odors, stink, musk, fragrances, aromas…

 Metaphors

How will use you a metaphor to explain an abstract concept or to instill a thematic image to thread throughout your presentation?

 Examples:

The brain is often called the body’s computer.

The image of a tree going through seasons connotes the passage of time.

That is a savory idea to digest!

Presentation Tip 2: The ACIDS Test (TM) Is your Call

End your presentation delivery with a direct call for your audience's attention in one of the directions listed in the "ACIDS Test"(TM). Your conclusion should include or imply your call. Call for Agreement or Action: Do you want a vote or the next step? Finding agreement is a precursor to identifying an appropriate plan of action. Call for Caution or Celebration: Do you want to reduce speed or reward? Determine if additional time, information, or other resources are necessary for an appropriate course. If all the resources are assembled, then a compelling vision and mission will inspire a following. Along the way to the goal and at the end of the goal, take time to acknowledge accomplishment and initiative with lunch or a party. Call for Information or Instruction: Do you need more data or a skill? Assess the situation and identify the missing links and performance gaps. Call for Discussion or Decision: Do you need more input or a plan? Determine if informed, reasonable progress comes next, or if more points of view and evidence are needed. Call for Sales or Solution: Do you encourage revenue or conclusion? Will you provide a service or product that serves the customer, or will you create a solution to resolve the current dilemma? Use the "ACIDS Test" in your next presentation conclusion.

Presentation Tip 1: Start with PIECE (TM) when Planning your Presentation

Presentations are designed to influence audiences. We use our spoken words to engage our listeners about our topic and our point of view. Many presenters fight anxiety while preparing to deliver their presentation. One way to quell the anxiety involves planning what the audience will deliver as a result of the presentation! Begin your presentation planning with the answers to the following questions. Persuade: What do you want your audience to do? If your audience is willing to agree, use a direct approach. If your audience is reluctant to agree, use an indirect approach. Inform: What do you want your audience to know? Tell them how this information will benefit them. Educate: What do you want your audience to understand? Tell them why you want them to understand. What is the benefit for them? Convince: What do you want your audience to believe? Use faith, facts, and feelings to arrive at the truth. Engage: What do you want your audience to feel? Take them through a pertinent experience to bring forth the emotions that drive your point. What "PIECE(TM)" of your topic will you serve your audience? You can reduce your anxiety by beginning here.

Greetings from Veterans' Day

After WWII, volunteer veterans were hailed as heroes. Korean Conflict veterans were confusing--was it a war or not? During Viet Nam, volunteer and conscripted veterans were dismissed, disgarded, and disregarded. In the past 20 years, distant wars in the Middle East have taken their toll on our veterans, including more women soldiers than ever before. One Vet of three wars, asked me if I thought Truman was correct in releasing the bombs over Japan to end WWII. He cared about my response. He had struggled to justify the deaths of innocents and agonized over how to stop the killing while preserving democracy and world stabilization. Nightmares plagued him. My father-in-law weeps seven decades after experiencing horrid events that haunt his memory. More Viet Nam Vets have killed themselves than those who died in action. US Vets are completing suicide every hour of every day. My brother has not spoken about his months on Viet Nam soil. We are just now understanding how important it is to recognize service and sacrifice in defense of our country and constitution, so we often say "Thank you."My step-son told me how proud he was when anyone stopped him on the street while he wore his uniform and said "thanks." Yet, he served state-side only, never went into battle. He sleeps pretty well at night. Finally, old evidence shared in VFW bars and VA hospitals is being published as new information on "Moral Injury" for civilians to read. The need for chaplains exceeds the need for psychotherapists with returning warriors. Perhaps "Thank you" creates a conflict within a soldier's conscience in today's warfare against non-uniformed enemies who can be any gender and age. If a soldier's action on duty has resulted in the death or injury of innocents, he or she may feel guilty when thanked. Perhaps, out of sentitivity, we should say, "I am glad you are alive and home again." Welcome home.

A Rare Sight

This week I am watching my college business communications class prepare for the semester final. The final exam is customized, individualized, and personalized, so there is no way to cheat. The test defies proving what each student does not know, as most tests are designed to do. Instead, each student records learnings that are applicable to one's own career choices from the array of concepts covered in 16 chapters and 8 weeks of discussions and activities. I am observing the epitome of teamwork: each individual feels supported by the team and contributes to the team's (the class's) success. The commitment to work together to ensure that everyone passes with a C or better is demonstrating peer teaching, taking inititive, asking for and receiving help and clarification, accepting and rejecting information accumulated, making affirmations, and showing empathy under the stress. Their continuing homework after the course ends is to influence all work groups in their futures to achieve this willing and trusting collaboration and cross-training in the name of excellence!

Let the Subject Line Work for You

Do you get tired of people ignoring your emails? Did you know that your subject line may be why? People are more likely to open emails that have effective and specific subject lines than those with a boring or confusing line. Essential components of your subject line include an action verb, an adjective and noun with a prepositional phrase (a qualifier or condition). Optional components include a code and multiple prepositional phrases. An example of a common subject line follows: "Budget Mtg." A revised line reads: "CPA: Attend 3rd Qtr Budget Mtg on 3/4 at 2:15 p.m. in rm 12 #." All CPAs are to attend the meeting at the date, time, and location given to discuss the third-quarter budget items and balances. If the full message is in the subject line, add "#" to indicate end of message. The quality of your subject lines can determine the quality and quantity of the reader responses you get.

Miscommunication by Omission

Recently, a young man I know was given aprescription for pain after injuring his knee. Being wary of medications, he minimized the dosage. The bottle label said "take for pain." Later, his sister, a registered nurse told him his prescfription was for pain as well as infamation. By reducing the dosage and enduring the pain, he prolonged his discomfort because the inflammation remained. It would certainly have been helpful to him if the doctor or the pharmacist had informed him of the anti-inflammatory propereties of the drug. That reminds me of a time when a friend was to undergo surgery. He had been told to avoid food for 12 hours before the surgery. He did so. He arrived for pre-surgery prepping and was scolded. The nurse saw him chewing gum, which stimulates the juices in the stomach and that can cause vomiting while under anestesia. A surprise to realize that gum is considered a food! When we know and assume so much more than we are telling, no wonder our receivers are clueless and feel betrayed by the information omissions. Errors of omission cause miscommunication--and mistrust.

Immigrant: Gift and Loss

The word immigrant plays a significant role in today's politics. I am grateful for the immigrants I have had the pleasure to meet in my college classes. A partial list includes a Russian medical doctor, a South Vietnamese general, two Muslim sisters, an Iraqi soldier, a Monrovian soldier, an Indian business manager, a Chinese dissident and entrepreneur, three Columbian cousins, a Congolese spiritual leader, an Ethiopian lottery winner, an Iranian wife and mother, an Afghani cab driver, a Mongolian exchange student, several Korean pastors, and a Ukrainian husband and wife. Granted, each of these students were self-motivated to learn the spoken and written language of a new homeland--whether for permanent or temporary residence. I recognize these people as well-educated, potential citizens of the United States. They are not looking for handouts, and they are playing by the immigration rules. Only one would distress me if they were to become neighbors--the Iraqi soldier had a serious and scary demeanor. It took me all semseter to get him to laugh! The Monrovian soldier fell in love with an Albanian woman one summer. How wonderful two people from warring countries could meet in the US and fall in love. Yet, he explained to me, he could not ever take her home to his family in Eastern Europe without one of them or both being killed. The cab driver honored me with an Afghani dinner--home made by him! The general, who had been tortured as a POW by the Viet Cong, led his entire class to sign a card for me at the end of the semester. The two sisters prayed for my father and family when he was dying; my mother had thought all Muslims were terrorists. The man from the Congo has been a great friend of mine for many years; One day I would like to travel to Africa with him. Each of theses people were national gifts. Yet, not all immigrants are well educated and legally living in the US. Ricardo, Chole, their three children and Rey, the brother, were not either. I am equally as honored to have been in their presence one summer in New Mexico. Chole could not speak English; I could not speak Spanish. Nonetheless, we discussed husbands, children, birth control, recipes, and cleaning tips! I discovered nonverbal communication between two dedicated friends crosses language barriers. I cried when her family left to look for work and a school for the children. I wished we could have found a way those 30 years ago to invite them into citizenship--their work ethic and honorable character would have given us several generations of productive, contributing citizens. That family was our national loss. I hope our immigration reform will include maximum gifts and minimal losses for us as a nation. I have learned much from these friends, and they have much dignity and diversity to share with all Americans.

Patronizing Attitudes

As she looked into the refrigerator, her husband said, "There are some great blueberries in there you are welcome to." Subtle but definite: A "Mad Men" moment, a flashback from the 1960s. A "permission granted by the generous patriarch of the house" attitude permeated those spoken words. Sometimes in an effort to be what the husband believes is polite, he sounds less than what a woman might believe is erudite. The couple both lived through the Mad Men decades, yet only the woman experienced the sexist inequities in family, education, and career. The husband has been an unaware observer. I recall a vivid scene in Children of a Lesser God in which Marlee Matlin's character confronts William Hurt's character who stops listening to his beloved music because she cannot enjoy it, hear it, with him. Then in Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts' character comments to Richard Gere's character, "You just did [treat me like a prostitute]." The kitchen scene and the movie scenes perpetuate the sexism and discrimination from an assumed power role, that of the man. Embedded attitudes die slowly.

Thank you, Actors

Movie and TV viewers owe a huge debt to courageous actors. Julie Andrews, Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Wesley Snipes, Morgan Freeman, Glenn Close, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Tom Hanks are among those who selected roles that stretch the viewer's comfort zones and imaginations. They increase our awareness of possibilities for gender identification, sexual orientation, gender-inclusive leaders and military personnel, and romantic matches. We had the chance to test out an ethnic president before we elected one in "24." We got to laugh at the relationship between the two husbands in "The Birdcage." We cried during the life review of a lawyer who dies from AIDS in "Philadelphia." We root for the action hero whose love interest is a different race, ethnic background, or national origin than the hero. We cheer for the female Navy Seal and the female Vice President. Possibilities that having been imagined and seen,can be made reality.

Watch Your Language

Attorneys warn managers in engineering/architectual firms to watch the language their employees use in conversations and emails. Specifically, words such as "ensure," "guarantee," and "expertise" can become problematic during a lawsuit. "Experts" have "experience" and never "guarantee" or "ensure" anything! Judges apparently equate "expertise" as prefect knowledge and performance. Anything short of perfection can cause a firm thousands or millions of dollars. Where is the responsibility of the buyer in realizing the possibility of materiel defects, weather delays, and computer glitches? Sure, we should all be accountable for our language and our behavior. Yet, it seems extreme to hold any uncontrollable lapse, gap, or condition against a person with "expertise" or "ensurance." When I hear "expert," I think of a reputable person who knows more in a field than most others--I do not think the person knows everything or that the person is perfect in all applicatble skills. I have watched enough television court cases over the years to know an expert witness for the prosecution is often countered by another expert witness for the defense! Language is not an exact science, any more than engineering or architecture are. Nonetheless, a good idea in any contract work is to define your terms.

Nonstandard Language

Yesterday a young man in his early thirties said "conversate." I challenged him, "That's not a word although it sounds as if it should be. Converse is the proper word." That reminded me of the time almost 20 years ago when I laughed with another young man in one of my college classes after he said "impactful," an adjective form which scholars would reject as nonstandard at best. (Scholars do not like "impact" being used as a verb either--originally it was a noun only.) I hear lots of well-educated people saying "impactful" now. After TV filled the airwaves with commercials for home products, advertisers created "glamourize" to describe shiny kitchen floors. Viewers accepted the new expression and now we have lots of words ending in -ize. A clever sales move to "impact" the language like that! "Orientate" for orient and "irregardless" for regardless also come to mind. People make up these expressions and think others will think they are articulate, rather than ignorant and under-educated. Scholars refuse to call these nonstandard expressions words; the expressions are referred to as terms--a lower status than an official word. Yet, given time and popularity with well-educated folks, terms can enter into the language as acceptable later. For now, however, terms and slang should be eliminated from professional conversations. If not, the speaker runs the obvious risk of sounding dumb--or, maybe, clever!

Language Evolution

I have noticed that even well-educated individuals omit the -ly from adverbs. Contemporary evidence in commercials include the following examples: Honda says, "What if it turned sharper?" Apple says, "Think Different." Safe Auto says, "Drive Safe." The teacher in me screams silently, but the business consultant in me watches with fascination as the American English language changes. "Who" is used for "whom." "Alright" is used for "all right." "Womens" is used for "Women's Room." We are losing the -ly form, whom, all right, and the possessive apostrophe. These, of course, are not official changes yet, but they are in the works. A few decades from now, things will be different. If Shakespeare were alive today, would scratch his head in confusion? Language is a communication tool; therefore, it must change to reflect the changes in society and technology so that we can continue to talk to and learn from one another.

How Many Ways Can You Say Garbage?

Garbage--trash--rubbish--debris--refuse--waste. Your eighth-grade English teacher would be proud of your to exercise your vocabulary with multiple synonyms in a narrative assignment about your chores or an expository assignment concerning the importance recycling. Yet, according to the waste management sources, each of those words has a different meaning. And sometimes "Definitions for the same waste may vary within government statutes, regulations, and legislation," according to the Zero Waste America's website today. Garbage means discarded animal and plant matter; garnish on a dish or in a drink; or worthless, inferior, perhaps false, communication. Trash means worthless or discarded material such as paper products, and can refer to people. Be careful when you ask your spouse or child to take out the garbage or trash. You might find the TV or the phone or a person missing! Defining your terms and being specific take on new priority! Others have learned this lesson and have infused their languages with precise choices. For instance, Eskimoan languages have approximately 180 words or word variations for snow and ice, and more than 1000 words for reindeer! Before giving your next speech at a conference, report to the Board of Directors, or lecture at the dinner table, consider what words you must define for clarity. Be precise and specific. Then be consistent by using the same word for the same meaning throughout the commmunication. Switching to a synonym may make your English teacher happy, but doing so in business or at home can confuse those around you into thinking you mean something different when you choose another word.

Foul Language

One of the "Mad Max" movies with young Mel Gibson came on TV earlier today. As a kid, my son Lans loved that series. We would rent the VHS and he would watch it six times over the weekend. I made him promise not to use the language--or there would be no more viewings. He loved watching the creative vehicles booming and screeching across the 13-inch screen of our only TV. (Lest you judge me too hasrshly, he won the Innovation Award in high school, and he has designed several construction tools.) He insisted the violence was make-believe and that I should not worry. Then the first "Beverly Hills Cop" with a young Eddie Murphy arrived, and a similar scenario occurred with the language and violence elements. For Christmas, I gave that same man-child the first and second seasons of "Deadwood." Not being HBO subscribers, none of us had seen the series. My son and I, like my father, study history. My son especially enjoys the 1800s in the story of the U.S. So, this series seemed like a good fit. Within minutes, he and I remarked about the foul language being depicted in the first episode. I indicated that I was not impressed with the writing reflected in the dialogue. Together we guessed the originators wanted to get the point across that few people were well educated and most people did not live long in that era. Sometimes the comments the characters made to one another severed their lives--sharp tongues and sharp knives do not mix well in conversations. Curious about the script, we watched the commentary. Ah-ha! The director said the script used at the beginning of the series was a sequence of events to be shown in the plot-line. The actors had to ad-lib the dialogue as each scene was filmed! I remember my dad, a college-educated military officer, saying, "Bad language is the sign of a lazy mind." In my childhood household, the worst word ever uttered was "damn," and "darn" was the preferred expletive for frustration or anger. When dad sat down to watch "Field of Dreams" with me, he arose within a couple of minutes and stormed out of the living room because he heard one cuss word--maybe the only one in the entire movie! He was not going to waste his time on such a movie that used body functions in the dialogue. I have told college composition classes that such language demonstrates an undereducated person who will not receive income-producing opportunities and promotions on the job. I asked my brother Scott, a master mechanic and parts manager, how he felt about four-letter words peppered in the truckers' vocabulary. He said, "I am not offended, but I do not use those words. I would not want a potential customer to hear me saying them." No matter how you characterize foul language, it remains unprofessional, inaccurate, and noncreative.

Service Awards

Today I received a service award for 25 years at a prestegious community college. I received a round, logo-emblazoned lapel pin with a tiny sparkle in the center (diamond? crystal? glass?). The college recently created a new logo that was introduced into its branding last semester. The logo on the pin is the old design. (Just an interesting observation--perhaps there was no value judgment intended, just prudent use of stored materials.) My name was printed in a program and listed on a screen as I walked with others to the front of the stage to shake the President's hand and those of a series of deans and directors. Actually, it was the first time I had seen the president in person, and he announced his departure from the college minutes later. (Again, I am sure, no connection intended.) There was no mention of the thousands of students I have taught and served and mentored, no mention of the quality of the post-secondary education and corporate training I have designed and delivered, and no mention of the value I have given the college in the advocacy and referrals I have made over the years. Just my name, a row of handshakes, and a pin. Thank heavens I have my students to affirm me! Interesting, too, that the lead speaker said, as educators, we must personalize our contacts with students, uncover their specific strengths, and encourage them to view a hopeful future for themselves. To do so will increase their productivity and success, the expert explained. Well, I am a professional educator who does personalize my teaching to accommodate learning styles, thinking preferences, multiple intelligences, personality indicators, individual skills levels, personal interests.... I guess the message is this: Use my teaching strengths to encourage myself to continue being creative, productive, and valuable! How might my experience reflect on you? Do you neglect to be specific when you recognize your coworkers, your employees, your customers, your students, your children? Tell them what they did that you noticed and admired. If they did a good job, tell them what made it good. If they exhibited calm behavior in a chaotic customer encounter, tell them why you appreciated their demeanor. If they are discouraged or distressed, affirm them and help them remove obstacles. Be specific when you do! Personalize the recognition: it is the best way to ensure continued productivity--even from dedicated professionals like me.

Entitlement

We have all heard discussions about entitlement--specifically, regarding the government social programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, and referring to youth and young adults who believe they are due certain considerations. Yet, recently, I have become aware of a new form of entitlement that appears to come out of amassed resources and ego-centric people. Example i: A public school principal who was proud of hoarding $800,000 while students who needed services such as federally funded breakfast were turned away because they were two minutes late to school and who ignored special education services for students whose undereducated parents did not have the wherewithal to put their requests in writing. Example 2: A construction company boss and multi-millionaire who berated his employees when his dog escaped from the building (and him), who failed to deliver on promises for bonuses, and who created a hostile work environment with unrealistic expectations and temper-tantrums. Example 3: The police officers who forget that not every citizen is a criminal and inmate and that all individuals being detained deserve to be treated with dignity, which includes receiving direct, honest answers to their questions. I have witnessed and countered each example listed above. Some people in power positions think and act like entitled professional bullies. Each of them should resign, and then invest in therapists and coaches to retrain as productive members of society.

Try the Back Door

Thanksgiving weekend 2012--a cold, gusty, gray day in a Minnesota residential playpark--a tiny brother and his small, big sister were swinging in adjacent infant swings. The sister asked to be removed from the swing. The woman with her, faced her and lifter her. The child's snow pants caught on the swing. The woman let the child down in the seat and then lifted her again. Still caught. Again they tried to no avail. Perplexed, the woman looked around for something to stand on as she hoped the extra height would give her leverage or other advantage. Alas, the benches were screwed into the concrete and the family Border Collie refused to be a stepping stool. Frustrated, the woman continued to push the crying brother in his swing to keep him preoccupied and contained while she worked through the dilemma. He was unhappy and unempathetic, and he did not feel the need to cooperate with two fumbling females. Finally, the woman walked around the little girl, said "If the front door doesn't work, try the back door," grabbed the child from behind and under her arms, lifted, and placed the little feet firmly on the playground pebbles. So easy! Now, "try the back door" is a battle cry for creative problem solving where the woman works and where the children live.

Biases: Love and Hate

When I married my second husband, I wanted to play a song by Dolly Parton for my children as part of the ceremony, to include and embrace them in an extended family experience. The Music Director at the church refused to play the song. That song was released in a musical production that starred Dolly and Burt Reynolds, entitled The Best Little Whore House in Texas. After Whitney Houston recorded the song for The Body Guard with Kevin Costner, the song became a great hit. It is the same song, same lyrics, same notes, same beautiful message to a loved one: "I Will Always Love You." How ironic that if I asked for that song today, that same Music Director would play it without reservation. Words can magnify our biases! So, I was pleased to hear my grown daughter tell her little daughter, "In this house, we do not say 'hate.' Think of another word to use to express your displeasure." I would like all homes, schools, and businesses to become hate-free word zones. It could be the beginning of hate-free life zones.

Chosen Words

The American English language continues to evolve to keep pace with our society's needs and technologies. We all use words as tools for connecting with other individuals and groups. As a young mom I asked my son to sweep the sidewalk. He was confused, so I suggested he take the broom and "broom" the sidewalk--which he did. Over the years, that expression remained part of the family lexicon. "Broom" joined waugan (water), ped-e-stare-i-an (pedestrian), pen-in-the-as (pain in the a--), and chevby (heavy). Afterall, many groups of people working under the same roof or in the same industry have a special language that they all understand and use: jargon. When my son was in high school, he and several friends entered the kitchen. "Mom, tell them that you can broom a sidewalk. They say 'broom' is not the correct word." My reply was "Oh, Honey, I am so sorry!" His friends laughed. Years later, my son became a superb concrete finisher and stone mason. Quite a craftsman. He can polish-finish an industrial concrete floor in a multilevel building structure, and he can broom a driveway or sidewalk or patio. You see, one kind of finish is a broom finish that is created with a broad-head broom. By the way, "concrete" (not "cement")is the product resulting from mixing cement (a bonding agent), sand, aggregate, and water. Another clarification: construction workers "pour" concrete while engineers and architects "place" concrete. The selected words demonstrate the preferred perspective: "pour" denotes more water in the mixture which makes it easier to move into place and "place" denotes less water to make the mixture strong and durable. Also, attorneys who advise those construction and engineering professionals warn them against using "expertise," preferring "experience." Apparently, in litigation, "expertise" can cost them a higher settlement with a dissatisfied client. The nuances of language serve specific and peculiar purposes. Choose your words carefully!