Here are some suggestions for handling unexpected situations that could occur during a presentation: - If interrupted with a question, acknowledge the question politely, finish your current thought, then invite the person to hold their question until the Q&A portion. - If a tornado warning sounds, remain calm and get guidance from event organizers on safety procedures. Keep audience informed of any delays or changes to the schedule. - If a video fails to play, acknowledge the technical issue, summarize what was supposed to be covered in the video, and adapt your speech to fill the allotted time without the visual aid. - For noise distractions, acknowledge but do not dwell on them. Speak louder if needed but maintain an engaging tone.

1. Welcome!
The Power of the Spoken Word
University of Industrial Distribution
March 11, 2013
Stephen D. Boyd
Welcome!

2. The difference between the right word, and
the almost right word is the difference
between lightning and the lightning bug.
~ Mark Twain

3. The greatest problem in communication is
the illusion that it has been accomplished.
~ George Bernard Shaw

4. Intrapersonal Communication:
communication with self

5. Call on your technical skills
when dealing with things and
your interpersonal skills when
dealing with people.

6. Communication Choices
Information to all: Email
Personal: In person or phone
Confidential: In person

7. Small talk at the beginning is
really not small talk.

8. Perception: the way we view the
world around us

10. Learn to perceive more
accurately:
 Do a perception check.
 Be aware of perceptions people have of
you.

11. Interpersonal Communication
Tips

12. Understanding precedes
persuasion

13. Serendipity: an unplanned
connection between two people

14. Positive Words
Use “I” statements
Use “and” instead of “but”
“I’ll be glad to” instead of “I have to”

16. Meaning is in the
PERSON
not the
WORD

17. FALSE ASSUMPTIONS
ABOUT WORDS
 That a word has only one meaning
 That a word has the same meaning
that it had years ago
 That we are giving enough
information

18. C.O.I.K. FALLACY
(Clear Only If Known)

19. Learn to listen more effectively.

24. From Listening Comes Wisdom
&
From Speaking Repentance.
Chinese Fortune Cookie

25. Fake attention
Interrupting the speaker
Respond to the wrong thing
Distractions
Avoid difficult material
Daydreaming
Superiority complex
Uninteresting subject matter

26. TORTOISE-HARE COMPLEX
Tortoise talkers —
Speak 150 WPM
Hare listeners —
Think 500 WPM

27. Use the thought/speech ratio to
concentrate
 Ask yourself, “What is the point?”
 Review what has been said
 Look for nonverbal cues
 Don’t be doing other things as you listen
 Pay attention

28. Tips for attentiveness
“Be present when you are present.”
Be physically alert.
Collect your thoughts before listening.
“I will learn something new.”

29. APATHY:
lack of feeling, interest, or concern
EMPATHY:
putting yourself in another person’s position,
but with separateness
SYMPATHY:
an overinvolvement in the emotion of another

30. Encourage the person to talk
Give the speaker space
Be pleasant
Use the pause

31. The more we know about
context, the better we can
empathize.

35. A EF HI KLMN T VWXY
BCD G J OPQRS U
Which line would the “Z” go on?

36.  Give others the right to their feelings.
 Recognize the significance of the
situation.
 Focus on the “here and now,” not the
“then and there.”
 Don’t give advice.
 Don’t “rain on the speaker’s parade.”

37. “Wow, that must be rough.”
“I think I’ve felt that way, too.”
“Looks like that really made your day.”
“This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
“I can see you feel strongly about that issue.”
“I can only imagine how you feel.”

38. Paraphrase
“Sounds like you are telling me…”
“In other words…”
“So what you are saying…”

39. Learn to ask skillful questions.

40. Ears look like question marks. When you
really listen, you ask questions.
~ Barry Lane

41. The person who talks the
most dominates the
conversation. The person
who asks the questions
controls the conversation.

42. Get information before
you give information

43. Closed questions have a “yes” or
“no” answer or some other brief
response.

44. A man is alone writing. There is
a power failure and he dies.

45. Open questions begin with
“What,” “How,” or “Why.”

46. Some answers are two or three
questions deep

47. Three powerful words in
questioning
Feel
Think
In your opinion

48. Competitive Edge
Important information is often 2-3 questions
deep
Ask one more question
Know the perception of your customer
about you
Rehearse important conversations
Be ready with an example

51. People buy on emotion and
justify with logic.

52. It is better to tell a lot about a
little than it is a little about a lot.
Lou Heckler

53. An experienced speaker is
audience-centered; the novice
speaker is self-centered.

54. Differences in Audiences: 2000
to 2012
Audiences expect more from the speaker
Audiences “bring the office” with them to
their seats
Attention more difficult to control
Control “mental surfing” the audience is
used to doing

55. I Am Sold Myself

57. “Which way did it go?”
“I knew I shouldn’t have had that
second helping.”
“Don't move! It’s crawling up your leg!”

58. If a person takes off sunglasses, I
can hear better.

59. Gestures
 Describe and reinforce
 Away from the face
 Toward the audience
 Don’t confuse energy with frenzy!
 Onomatopoeia with your body

61. That is the ugliest dog I have
ever seen.

62. I never said I stole money.

63. Speak where you are equal
distance from most members of
your audience.

64. Speak with Confidence
Practice 3 times

65. Practice
Walk through
Drive through
Fly through

66. Speak with Confidence
Practice 3 times
Use purposeful movement early
Have a “wow” factor every 10 minutes
Have a positive attitude about your speech
and your audience

67. Speak with Confidence (cont’d)
Open with “good stuff”
Be mentally alert by careful planning
Become familiar with your speaking space

71. Use deductive method
Go from general to specific—state your
conclusions first
Minimal structure required: point and
support
Assert your ideas
Value of “3s”

72. 3 The Rule of Three: 3
The human mind is strongly attracted to
3 things that come in “three’s.”
3
This principle calls for a speaker to say
something in groups of three: three
items, three points, three whatever.
3 3

73. Introduction
Body
Conclusion

74. Kinds of Transitions
1.Signposts — usually numbers
2.Internal summaries
3.Interjections — devices to draw attention to
an idea

75. Save the best until last.

76. Move to action: “What I want
you to do as a result of my
presentation is…”

77. Exit line: helps the speaker earn
the right to sit down
Quotation
Testimonial
Tie back to opening

78. Increase Your
Power of Persuasion

79. Let your confidence show
Feel good about your appearance
Know your audience
Develop your uniqueness
Choose material you believe in
Be willing to adjust as you speak

80. To Be Persuasive, General Statements
Should Be Followed With:
Examples: Stories/case studies to illustrate
point
Testimony: Opinion statements of experts
who agree with your point
Statistics: Recent numbers that support your
views

81. Special persuasive techniques
Show how what you advocate works
elsewhere
Use recent material
Use variety in evidence
Meet objections up front
Less required for readily accepted ideas

82. Use emotional appeals as well as
logical appeals

83. Learn to tell your own story. Be
a student of your own life.

84. Criteria for telling the story
Be specific
Be personal
Maintain a sense of direction
Use animation
Include dialogue when appropriate

85. That which holds attention
determines action.
~ William James

86. Just because you can does not
mean you should.

87. A presentation is not an essay on
its hind legs.
Norwood Brigance
So…write for the eye, but speak for
the ear!

88. Oral Style
More informal
Shorter sentences
More repetition

89. Echo words
She was well known but not known
well.

90. If you can’t be with the one you
love, love the one you’re with.
Stephen Stills

91. Alliteration
“…not be judged by the color of their
skin, but by the content of their
character.”

92. I quote others only the better to
express myself.
Michel de Montaigne

94. Handling the Question and
Answer Period
• Let the audience know up front
• Start with “What questions do you have?”
• Consider repeating
• Avoid “loaded” questions

95. Handling the Question and
Answer Period (cont’d)
• Make your answer concise
• “I don’t know” is an appropriate response
• Give everyone a chance
• Make eye contact with everyone
• Better at the end with limited time
• Don’t evaluate questions

96. Potpourri for Presentations

97. What should you do if…
Someone interrupts you with a question?
A tornado warning sounds during your
speech?
Your speech is supposed to follow a 10-
minute video, but the DVD doesn’t work?
Someone is mowing the lawn outside the
window?
Bad news precedes your speech?