Tell ’em what you’re gonna tell ’em. Tell ’em. Then, tell ’em what you told ’em.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here’s just one of the many<\/em> reasons why …<\/p>\n What is the most fun you can imagine? What activity could you do this Friday that would lift your spirits? What would make you smile?<\/p>\n \u00a0I can’t wait. I’m going to go sit in a room and listen to someone tell<\/strong> me something.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let me guess. That isn’t what you imagined. Public speaking is not what most people consider a “good time.”<\/p>\n Get in here. I have to tell<\/strong> you something.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Does that sound like a lecture that the thirteen-year-old you wants to attend?<\/p>\n What if your lover quietly approaches you and says:<\/p>\n We have to talk … I need to tell\u00a0<\/strong>you something.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Are you looking forward to what she\/he has to say?<\/p>\n “Telling” is usually a punishment!<\/p>\n You see,\u00a0TELL<\/strong> is a four letter word of the worst kind. If you follow the typical advice you “tell<\/strong> ’em what you’re gonna tell<\/strong> ’em” and then you “tell<\/strong> ’em” and then you add insult to injury by “tell<\/strong>ing ’em what you told<\/strong> ’em.”<\/p>\n I hate to tell you this but if you approach a presentation as a medium to “tell<\/strong>” the listener something, then you are mind-numbingly BORING. Nobody likes\u00a0to be “told” off.<\/p>\n TELLING is not anywhere on the list of essential presentation skills.<\/p>\n If you want to tell<\/strong> them something, write a book. If you want to be a great\u00a0speaker, a great teacher, or an influential leader, then you have to learn better presentation skills.<\/p>\n Let’s work through each of the\u00a08 SpeechDeck principles<\/a>\u00a0and find an alternative communication technique.<\/p>\n For the following examples, let’s suppose I want to tell you this black and white message:<\/p>\n People\u00a0should brush their teeth every day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nobody wants to be\u00a0“told<\/strong>” to brush their teeth,\u00a0even if they need to be told. The principles of color are where we see the real alternatives.<\/p>\n Creating anticipation is exactly the opposite of “tell<\/strong>ing.”<\/p>\n You can tell ’em WHY you’re gonna tell ’em. You can tell ’em HOW you’re gonna say it.\u00a0You can even tell ’em what you’re NOT going to say. Just don’t tell ’em WHAT you’re gonna tell ’em.<\/p>\n Let’s create a transition or introduction that is a WHY statement that withholds the message we want to tell:<\/p>\n Let’s talk about a way to improve your reputation, improve your health, and improve your relationships.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Suddenly, nobody is being “told off,” and the audience actually wants to listen.<\/p>\n The relationship principle is all about finding common ground.\u00a0Phrase your “tell” as something that is a group norm:<\/p>\n Everybody in this room shares the same 2 minutes every evening … We all brush our teeth.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If they\u00a0already brush their teeth at night, you’ll bond. If they don’t, they will want to, because everybody else does.\u00a0In other words, don’t tell–share!<\/p>\n Revealing part of yourself takes the pressure off the listener. You’re not telling them what they<\/span> should do, you’re revealing WHY you<\/span> care.<\/p>\n One time I went to the dentist and it cost me a $600 surprise. I want to save you my misfortune.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Telling is a one way lecture from speaker to audience. Participation works the other way, get the audience to do the telling.<\/p>\n Raise your hand and tell the group what you think is the best reason to brush your teeth.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Participation means you can command, ask, or incentivize the audience to do the talking–and comply.<\/p>\n To empower someone, you must get personal.<\/p>\n Imagine you<\/span>\u00a0have molars removed. Imagine you<\/span> stare into your<\/span> loved ones face with missing teeth. Imagine\u00a0you<\/span> have a\u00a0$3,000 bill for just one false tooth. Imagine\u00a0you<\/span> have bleeding gums and you<\/span> can’t chew your<\/span> favorite meal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When it’s personal, you don’t have to tell ’em. They tell themselves.<\/p>\n Use the space in your theater to show pictures, videos, and physical demonstrations:<\/p>\n Look at this picture of an abscessed tooth.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don’t tell em, show em.<\/p>\n A subconscious impression cannot result from telling mere words, only from real\u00a0experience. That means that after any of the above examples you have to stop talking long enough for the listener to feel<\/em> it.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, good public speaking does require\u00a0some amount of “telling.”\u00a0I can’t ask you to\u00a0eliminate telling all together. \u00a0However, I do ask you to\u00a0approach your presentations differently.<\/p>\nThe worst four letter word<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Better yet, imagine you’re 13 years old and your mother sternly calls you to the kitchen:<\/p>\nThe alternative<\/h2>\n
C<\/span> Clarify Your Content<\/h3>\n
<\/a>The Content principle is the telling part. That’s why it’s “black and white.”\u00a0Just remember the point of this principle is not to tell just for the sake of telling. The point is to clarify it so well that the listener can remember.<\/strong><\/p>\nA<\/span> Inject Anticipation<\/h3>\n
R<\/span> Develop Relationships<\/h3>\n
M<\/span> Reveal the Messenger<\/h3>\n
P<\/span> Encourage Participation<\/h3>\n
I<\/span> Empower the Individual<\/h3>\n
T<\/span> Manage the Theater<\/h3>\n
A<\/span> Engage the Subconscious<\/h3>\n
The best four letter words<\/h2>\n