Any Questions?

Standard operating procedure is not usually standout. Especially when it comes to speaking or presenting. Take, for instance, the age-old closer: “Any questions?” Let’s be honest, “Any questions?” is quite simply the international “I’m-done-here-and-I-want-to-appear-to-be-open-to-it-but-please-don’t-ask-me-anything” signal.

Business people who have been through my training have had “Any questions?” purged from their repertoires. Not allowed. Why? Simple: It's way too vague and open-ended, and it's all too often insincere. A speaker will typically say it at the tail end of a meeting or presentation when everyone is ready to go. And so in any given audience there are people who are too intimidated to ask a question; they recognize the speaker is done, time has run out, and anyway they have 50 questions, not just one. A lot of audience members are thinking, “sheesh, where would I even begin?” And so they leave the room not entirely sure of what they are supposed to think or know or do. Another presentation is lost.

What, you ask, should replace “Any questions?”? Well, first off, it’s nice to reach into your audience (even, and especially, when it’s small) to ask for reflection back. As in, “tell me what you heard/remembered from my talk today?” Or, “is there anything about what I just covered that still leaves you puzzled?” And even better, “what else can I tell you or provide you with that will help complete your understanding?” These questions will give you incredible real-time feedback about how effective you were at getting your point(s) across.

And perhaps more importantly, these questions do not need to be saved until the very end. They can and should be sprinkled throughout a talk, especially when audience comprehension is critical … e.g. with clients! If you have to save questions for the very end, then please make every effort to leave ample time.

“Any questions?” is so very superficial, I fear it has become a throwaway line. Be better than that, connect, dig deeper, get real and get open about it. Ask something meatier and more specific.

So, with that, I won't ask "Any questions?" Instead, I'll ask if you would now feel comfortable switching it up and trying out something new, something more specific, the next time you speak to a group? And if not, how can I help you with that ... ?

It’s Super Bowl Time!

I am not a football fan, but I love the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. These weeks are rich with athletes talking on-camera about winning, losing, how they feel, what they were thinking, predictions for the future, etc. Their performances on-camera vary wildly … for me, it’s more fun to watch the interviews than the games!

Here’s what so often perplexes me, though. (Listen up, you office types, this applies to you too!) All too often the athletes seem unprepared for the questions. Really? You weren’t expecting that? I’m scratching my head … there are only two potential outcomes to an athletic competition, winning and not winning. And there’s a set of pretty predictable questions. Surely, an athlete can mentally prepare for at least minute to get his head around how he’d like to frame up each of those situations.

This is really true for most of us who are called upon to speak … maybe not into a TV camera, but certainly in meetings and in other typical venues. We act like we weren’t expecting to have to speak. Really? Why aren’t we always at-the-ready? Are we working on that project, are we responsible for that client, are we a member of the staff that is having the staff meeting? Well then, we need to buck up … and spend a minute or two getting our heads around what we’d like everyone to know and remember about our work.

On the field or in the office, I say plan for and play good offense ... playing defense is a lot harder!

Go up to 30,000 ft: Messages vs. Information

Making a good impression. Being memorable. Commanding respect and attention. Having an elevator pitch. All worthy, all very fleeting, opportunities. But how do you get there?

Get out of the weeds and go up to 30,000 ft., that's how!

Easier said than done, so let’s start with baby steps. First, challenge yourself to recognize the difference between a message and information. A message is a visionary, thematic, or bigger picture statement … it’s the super high-altitude stuff. A message conveys value or benefit or significance. Information is data, lists, or examples. Information conveys features … it’s the weeds. Information obviously is useful and often necessary, but it can get lost – and your point can get lost – if it’s not packaged and wrapped inside of a message. Think WHY vs. WHAT; and think about why first, and then what.

Take, for example, the all-important personal introduction or elevator pitch for yourself, your organization, or your project. Needs to be brief. Needs to make a good impression. Needs to be memorable. Needs to command respect and attention. Rather than introducing yourself with name, rank and serial number (all hardcore info), go up to 30,000 ft and introduce yourself with a statement of why, a statement of vision, or a statement of value. Time permitting, you can then layer on some information.

Going up to 30,000 ft. and “going big” on messaging is hard, it takes some thought and some work. It may even take some poking and prodding from a friend or a coach. But if you can get there, the impression you leave will be enormously improved.

Your professional role may or may not demand that you be at 30,000 ft all the time, but certainly when time is limited and you need to be brief, you have no choice but to get out of the weeds and go straight up to 30,000 ft.

The view of you will be better when you're up there!

Last Call for Talkers …

SmartTalkers, that is. SmartTalk (www.smartmouthgroup.com/events) begins on Wednesday, and I can’t wait!

Two groups of intrepid participants have signed up to try out this new pilot program I’m launching in Salt Lake City this year. SmartTalkers will do two things: they will learn how to bust through some of the mediocrity we all tolerate in presentations these days, and they will practice, practice, practice. It’ll be a workout for the brain and the mouth! And it’ll be fun, of course.

The SmartTalk groups comprise interesting and diverse professionals, yet all are successful and ambitious. I’m honored to be leading these groups and to have this opportunity to enhance some already very talented skill sets.

So watch out, there could be a professional in your office who starts to knock your socks off in the coming months! Let’s hope so …

Are You Really as Interesting as You Could Be?

Last week, I pooh-poohed the mirror, I know. And this week, I’m asking you to take a good look at yourself … Are you really as interesting as you could be?

A couple of litmus tests for when you’re preparing to address a group:

• 1. Do you have something super useful, meaningful, or beneficial to leave them with? Regardless of your topic, you need to think about and identify what that little nugget of value might be. A play on words to help you remember: Give your audience a present when you present.
• 2. Are you talking about yourself or them? And if it’s about you, are you relating it to them? They say that a person’s attention span is significantly heightened when they hear the sound of their own name. Take a lesson from that; people like to hear about themselves.
• 3. Have you found a way to be entertaining or memorable? Do you have some presentation bling? Have you thought about what that might be? Anything from stories to poetry to pictures works. Think about what you might have in your arsenal.

If you can pass these litmus tests, you’re probably pretty interesting, congrats! If not, give some thought to the above … and we’ll talk.