Leadership Solutions

How to Respond to a Heckler in Your Audience

Hecklers can ruin a presentation. They distract the speaker and they upset the mood that the speaker wants to create.

Your response to a heckler depends upon many things, such as frequency & type of heckling, size of the audience, and the audience's reaction.

It's also complicated because if you try to counterattack (e.g., insult the heckler), the audience will leave you. This happens because people expect leaders to demonstrate exceptional levels of courtesy, control, and restraint.

At the same time, you must stop the heckler. The audience expects you to fix problems, such as maintaining order during your talk. So, here are some options, in order of increasing severity.

1) Make the person's comment part of your talk or use it as a transition to your next point. If possible, use humor. This may discourage more remarks.

2) If the heckler continues with silly nonsense, tell the audience, "I'm sure some of you have great ideas about this topic. And I'd like you to save them for after I finish."

3) If the heckler is stating complaints or disagreements, then tell the audience, "I'm sure some of you have other views on this. Please save them for after I finish. I'd welcome the opportunity to talk about them later."

4) Stop speaking, go to the heckler, and say privately, "Your remarks are making it hard for me to concentrate (or upsetting people in the audience). I want you to stop. Will you do that?" Then go back onstage and continue.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

PS Want to know more? Check out Create Success

How to Give Better Presentations

Here is a tip that will make you a better speaker.

Tip: Put as little information on your slides as possible.

Then two things happen.

1) You will sound more natural.

2) People will have to pay attention to what you say.

Today's Task: Eliminate half of the words (give or take a few) from your slides.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author

714-528-1300

How to Overcome Speaking Fear

Some people deserve to be afraid of public speaking.

Why?

They show up unprepared.

And so they know that they are about to embarrass themselves in public. This is enough to scare anybody.

So, here is one basic tip to manage speaking fear.

Be prepared.

Take the time to write an outline of key points and then rehearse your presentation. Practice while you walk about the office, perform chores, and work out.

Then you can go to that meeting with the confidence that you know what you'll say.

Today's Task: Take the time to prepare for your next presentation.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
Results Specialist
Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author

714-528-1300

When Not to Use PowerPoint

PowerPoint has spread like crab grass.

As a result, people feel compelled to use it for everything.

So here's a warning.

PowerPoint may not be suitable for the following:

1) Bed time stories for children younger than three

2) Marriage proposals (unless this is your sixth, in which case you may need it)

3) Eulogies attended by old people (generally the BC generation, those born Before Computers)

4) Disciplinary lectures to a teenager

5) Family picnics in remote locations

6) Arguments with relatives, unless they bring out a flip chart

7) Presentations where you want to make a good impression

Hey!

How did Number 7 get in there?

Well, here's a tip.

If you design a PowerPoint presentation that is more interesting than your talk, you may as well stay home. Just send your file and let the audience click through the slides.

Why?

The less you rely on PowerPoint, the more they have to rely on you. And that makes you a more interesting, more effective speaker.

Key Point: Use PowerPoint (or Keynote) only when it enhances your presentation.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Results Specialist

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of 119 Tips for Effective Meetings

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Business Presentations shows how to give presentations that get results.

Leaders: How to Speak at a Picnic

If you're an executive, you can expect this will happen.

You'll be enjoying yourself at the annual picnic, when suddenly someone will announce: "Our boss is here. Hey, come up here and say a few words."

Now you have an opportunity to advance your business -- or to cause permanent damage.

So here's how to make your talk memorable for the right reasons.

1) Be prepared.

Prepare as if you were speaking at the annual stockholder's meeting.

Yes, this small "informal" talk could have a huge influence upon the future of your business.

Thus, plan an outline of key points. Talk through your presentation with trusted friends, colleagues, or family members. Use their reactions to refine and polish your talk.

2) Be positive.

Recognize that you're speaking at a picnic (which is a happy event) to your employees AND their families. This matters because spouses and (especially) children will be brutally candid about what you say.

So, you want to avoid having your employee's six year old announce, "Wow, you really work for a jerk." Or the spouse saying, "You know dear, I think we should move."

Thus, use your talk to convey a positive message. Acknowledge the achievements, effort, and excellence of your employees. Talk about the wonderful future ahead. Express admiration and gratitude for the people who organized the picnic.

Similarly, do not criticize, complain, or admonish. Do not ask your employees to work harder. Do not talk about complex or controversial business issues.

Of course, no one would make these mistakes who had taken the time to prepare a few gracious remarks.

3) Be brief.

Recognize that they (the audience) are doing you a favor by listening to what you have to say. After all, your talk is replacing the play that they were enjoying.

Thus, your talk should last (at most) a few minutes. Speaking beyond that will cause people to become restless and bored.

Today's Task: Plan a basic picnic talk that you can use anytime that you're asked to say a few words.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on business presentations show leaders how to give talks that inspire.

Why Bother

This question comes up often.

Why bother to spend time preparing a presentation? Certainly, it's easier to just show up and talk. Right? You know that the words you need will appear. . . . Somehow.

Actually, there are two reasons for taking the time to be prepared.

1) Respect for your audience.

An unprepared presentation insults the audience. It tells them that you value their time so little that you're going to make sit through a haphazard (i.e., inefficient) presentation.

They know this, too. Thus, audiences become angry, which they show by asking hostile questions. Or they simply escape mentally into text messaging or daydreams.

2) Respect for yourself.

An unprepared presentation insults you, the speaker. It demonstrates that you care so little for your success that you're going to do a poor job, resulting in problems later.

You know this, too. Thus, unprepared speakers often feel terrified before a presentation.

Better: Always prepare for a presentation. Know your goal, and then design a presentation that makes logical progress toward accomplishing it.

Then you gain on both counts. The audience appreciates the respect that you showed them. And you know that you have shown respect for yourself by doing your best.

Much success,
 

Steve Kaye

Speaker, Meeting Facilitator, and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Business Presentations shows easy, time effective ways to prepare for a presentation.

Better Speaking

Here's a tip that will help you improve your next business presentation.

The next time that you're asked to give a presentation, organize a rehearsal presentation. Invite your boss and a few trusted colleagues.

This will help you in the following ways.

1) You will have to prepare your presentation at least a few days before you're scheduled to deliver it (for real).

2) Those who attend will give you ideas on how to improve.

3) You can study their reactions to your presentation. For example, your presentation may need changes if: a) Their attention drifts, b) They ask unexpected questions, or c) They appear dismayed.

4) You will be able to test if your presentation fits within the time allotted.

5) You will improve your fluency stating your ideas. This leads to a smoother, clearer presentation.

And then, here is a bonus idea: If a member of your staff has been scheduled to give a presentation, organize a rehearsal for that person.

After all, you want members of your staff to perform well. It helps them contribute effectively. And it reflects favorably on your leadership.

Today's Task: Plan a rehearsal presentation for your next talk.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

Leadership Expert and Author of Create Success

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

PS: My workshop on business presentations shows people how to give presentations that impress others.

Leadership: Audience Rant (a Poem)

Hey you!
 

Up there

on that stage.
 

Before you say a word,

we want you to know

we’ve heard the tapes,

seen the videos, and

read the books,

                     so,

what have you got

that’s new?

And one more thing:

we don’t care

if you’re glad to be here,

ate bran for breakfast,

or had crazy parents

because the last ten

speakers told us that.
 

We don’t care if you

wear clothes inside out,

leave socks on the floor,

or paint your nails green

because we’re not 

getting married.
 

We don’t care

if your flight was late,

they lost your bag, or

the cab smelled bad

because that happened

to us, too.
 

                     And

we really don’t care

how rich you are.

Nope. Not one bit.

All we care about

is if you can help us.
 

So take off the mask,

be a real human being,

and show us something

that works when we

get home.
 

- - -

Key Point: This will probably ruin the speaking business for 90% of the speakers out there. Of course, if you want something that works, call me. I can help.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Augghhhhh!

This one was bad.

But it had the promise of being good, which is why I felt so disappointed.

I'm writing about a presentation that I attended recently.

The presentation was delivered by an excellent speaker who had impressive credentials. The title was intriguing. The slides were well done. The stories were memorable.

All totaled, it was a wonderful collection of definitions, vocabulary, and facts.

Only one thing was missing.

Wisdom.

You see, an effective presentation causes a change.

That is, an effective presentation moves people to make decisions, take actions, or do something. In order to accomplish this, the speaker must talk about what to do and how to do it.

But this presentation was just words. The speaker could have recited numbers from a phone book.

Nevertheless, I took eight pages of notes.

About 20% consisted of facts, which I have already discarded. The rest consisted of ideas for articles and other things that came to mind while I was avoiding boredom.

So maybe this presentation really wasn't that bad. Because I am taking action as a result of it. For example, I just wrote this article.

Key Point: People want wisdom. They already know the rest.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop shows people how to give effective presentations that cause change.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership Solutions: Presentation Slides

Before you give your next presentation, answer these questions.

1) Can they read it?

Look at the slides on your computer from a distance of ten feet. Then eliminate every word that you are unable to read.

Why?

If you can't read it, no one can. And any information that people can't read is useless.

2) Does it matter?

Most people put too many words on their slides. In fact, some people put the entire text of their presentation on their slides. In that case, they can stay home and let the audience read the slides.

Eliminate all extra words. Your slides should contain a maximum of six lines with a maximum of seven words per line.

3) Is it correct?

Take care of the obvious.

Run a spell check on the text. Then show your slides to a colleague (or two). Ask them to proof read for typos, clarity, and consistency.

4) Will it fit?

First, recognize that people spend an average of three minutes talking about each slide. Of course, this depends upon the intent of the slide. Some title slides spend only seconds on the screen.

Then rehearse your presentation with a clock. Plan a time budget, if necessary, with milestones that you can use to check your progress.

5) Does it work?

Conduct a dry run in the meeting room with the equipment that is in the room. Make sure that your slides, computer, software, cables, . . . everything works.

6) Will they like it?

Invite your boss and a few colleagues to attend the dry run in #5. Then ask for their comments after you finish.

All of these tips will help you design slides that create a positive impression (which some people find useful).

Key Point: Make sure your slides support your presentation.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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