Are You Missing Out on a Great Way to Improve Your Presentations?

๐’๐จ๐œ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ฌ said, โ€œ๐Š๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฅ๐Ÿ.โ€

Patricia Fripp (thatโ€™s me!) says, โ€œPut your words under the magnifying glass.โ€

๐ˆ๐Ÿ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐š๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž all of ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, just follow these simple steps.

If you have a video of a presentation that you felt went really well, sit down and watch it. However, change your perspective.

Imagine you are a high-priced speech coach. Pretend that โ€˜this speakerโ€™ is not you. When we focus on ourselves, we have a tendency to get distracted by a wrinkle in our jacket or that strand of hair that is out of place. ย Then, look at โ€˜that speakerโ€™ and think, โ€œWhat is that speaker doing superbly well?โ€ You must find something. Did they have a good grasp of their content? Did they move well on stage? Did they smile at the audience?

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Help! How Do I Deliver a Great Presentation? Lose Your Sloppy Language

Patricia Fripp explains that specificity builds credibility through Fripp Virtual Training.
Executive Speech Coach Patricia Fripp explains the importance of specificity The World is Full of Sloppy speakers through Fripp Virtual Training.

The World is Full of Sloppy Speakers…You Do Not Want to Become One

Many excellent presentations sound “conversational.”ย  However, be aware that there is a distinct difference between an ordinary conversation (with run-on sentences, unfinished thoughts,ย sloppy language) and a presentation delivered in a conversational style.

The best way to improve formal presentations and reports is to clean up your daily language used in informal interactions.

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Do Your Irritate Your Audience With Non-Words

Great Advice I Have GiverDo Your Irritate Your Audience?

Whenever you open your mouth whether your audience is one person or one thousand, you want to get a specific message across. Maybe you want your opinions heard at a meeting or you will be giving a formal talk. Perhaps you deliver sales presentations. To present, persuade, and propel with the spoken word, be aware of this major pitfall: irritating non-words.

“Ur, um, hr, u know, kinda, um, ya know…”ย ย 

Pay attention to whether you are unconsciously using these common non-words.

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โ€œFeedback is the Breakfast of Champions.โ€ Is it Really? Think Carefully

Is breakfast the breakfast of champions? That depends. ย 

Who is delivering the feedback? Are they qualified to give it?

What is requested or unsolicited?

Many years ago, I accepted an invitation to speak at my local Toastmasters Spring Conference. They considered me a local celebrity, I had already been elected the first woman President of the National Speakers Association, and my speaking career was on the rise.

After delivering my well-received keynote I was on my way to set up for the first of my two interactive breakouts. A Toastmaster with an unknown amount of experience asked, โ€œCan I give you some constructive criticism?โ€ I replied, โ€œNo.โ€ His reply was โ€œPlease.โ€ Again, I replied, โ€œNo.โ€ He asked, โ€œWhy?โ€ โ€œBecause you will irritate me. I do not want to run the risk that my irritation will take away from the experience of my next two audiences.โ€

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You Have Achieved Great Success. How Do You Talk About It Without Showing Off?

How to talk about yourself without feeling immodest.
When you’re asked to talk about yourself and your career history, how do you avoid coming across as dull and self-absorbed?

Have you noticed; some people are very uncomfortable talking about themselves even when they are very successful?

This may be because when you were young, your parents told you to not “Show Off.” Or you are uncomfortable when someone else drones on about themselves and all their much-exaggerated accomplishments.

I understand. However, from time to time we are all inevitably required to introduce ourselves to new colleagues, coworkers, or team members and share our career history.

What can you do to avoid coming across as overbearing and self-absorbed?

Present your career history as a story and give credit to parents, mentors, or role models. Think of everyone who helped you become who you are, what advice did they give?ย  Who modeled how to become successful?ย  Who offered encouragement when you most needed it.

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Techniques Behind Memorable Stories

Hall of Fame speaker and author Scott McKain is reading how to improve stories in Deliver Unforgettable Presentations

Techniques Behind Memorable Stories

Many presenters make the mistake of thinking that a story must be dramatic and life-changing to be memorable. In reality, we can garner meaning from simple, everyday-life stories, and that makes them relatable.

Then-Now-How Formula

This is where I was; this is where I am now; this is how I got there.

Hollywood movies have a formula for successful storytelling that we can use. The hero or protagonist in your story is not necessarily a heroic character โ€“ just the person through whose eyes we see the story. This might be you or another person.

For that, we need to provide a backstory: enough information for your audience to see the character, identify with them, relate to their emotions or situation, and empathize with them. A good way to do that is to offer โ€œa day in the life.โ€

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Want to Get Ahead? Here are 6 Characteristics that Will Help

  1. Take advantage of every opportunity.

I began my career as a hairstylist. Now that I am decades into my next career, I am often asked, โ€œPatricia, how did you become a speaker, author, and executive speech coach?โ€ The simple answer is by noticing and taking advantage of every chance that turned up, that seemed interesting and intriguing. Opportunity does not knock just once. It knocks all the time, though you may not recognize the sound. One opportunity is to learn from successful people by finding out how they achieved their success. Behind the hairstyling chair, I learned from my clients. As a speaker, I learned about the companies and industries I was hired to speak to. Now, as an executive speech coach, I learn how innovative executives build their companies and how marketing executives design and promote campaigns. And get paid! What a bonus. The secret is to be genuinely interested and ask questions.

  1. The key to connection is conversation. The secret of conversation is to ask questions.

    Ask good questions.

Successful people will share their knowledge and experiences with you if you ask good questions that stimulate their thinking and responses. The quality of the information you receive depends on the quality of your questions. The key to connecting with others is conversation, and the secret of conversation is to ask the right questions. A conversation can lead to a relationship, and a nurtured relationship can produce amazing results.

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Are You Looking for the Best Ways to Get Ahead of Your Competition?

All I’ve ever wanted in business is an unfair advantage.

Patricia Fripp presentation expert
Presentation expert Patricia Fripp tells us how to succeed in business.

Before you raise your eyebrows, let me define the term. An unfair advantage is not lying, cheating, or stealing. Itโ€™s exactly the opposite. You get an unfair advantage by doing everything just a little bit better than your competition. Even if youโ€™ve been in business for many years and youโ€™re at the top of your profession, in a competitive world you also need to do everything just a little bit better today than you did yesterday. Thatโ€™s your unfair advantage.

Itโ€™s not always easy. We often look at others and admire their skills, expertise, and accomplishments and devalue our own.

For many of us mere mortals, the dedication and discipline we commit to in order to become great in one discipline leads us to feel that we do not have time to master other skills. The principles in one discipline, however, are exactly the same as in others. What makes us great in one area can be transferred to others.

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The Genius of Teamwork

The Real Magic of Teamwork

Letโ€™s get real about teamwork. Itโ€™s not just a buzzword; itโ€™s like rocket fuel for any organization.

You know what Iโ€™m talking aboutโ€”if youโ€™ve ever been part of a great team, youโ€™ve felt that electrifying energy. Itโ€™s more than just folks sharing office space or flashing the same company logo. Itโ€™s a crew of people, who are different in many ways, yet absolutely on the same page about accomplishing goals for their organization, each other, and their clients.

No More Silos, Folks

Hereโ€™s a game-changer: We need to stop thinking of our companies as isolated departments or divisions. Weโ€™re all part of a bigger mission, and sometimes that might even mean teaming up with competitors.

Are We Smarter Together? Absolutely.

My friend Bob Treadway, whoโ€™s a brilliant futurist and speaker, once told me about a fascinating experiment he conducted. He gave the Mensa IQ Test to seminar attendees and discovered something amazing. Average Joes and Janes, when they come together as a team, suddenly start performing at genius levels. How? Some are brainstormers, some go solo and then loop back, and the magic happens when everyone unites. This is one of the ways he helped his clients build legendary teams.

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