Observations from the Audience

by: George Bounacos Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

NEW YORK - MARCH 10: New York Governor Eliot ...

Even if you didn't do what he did, learn how to be comfortable when speaking in public. Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Presenters at SES and other online marketing trade shows fall into two camps: accomplished, smooth and informative or hesitant, unfocused and amateurish.

But these folks aren’t amateurs, and their message is often dismissed by audiences who expect a smoother presentation.

In two cases last week at Search Engine Strategies, I watched people who had quality information to share lose their audience’s attention for the crime of poorly done PowerPoint decks and a lack of training on mic technique.

I have a friend who is a great public speaker. I suspect this isn’t always the case because he is an avid Toastmasters booster. I thought I was a great speaker too until I learned my slides were a research paper in bullets and I never engaged the audience except through enthusiasm. Watching yourself on video with a professional hired to make you a better speaker is amazing. Just watching how decks are constructed on Slideshare is a good start to learning how to get your own message across.

These people, one of them employed by a search engine and speaking at a search engine conference, lost their audience. The first case was one where an engineer/developer was allowed to create visuals. The deck was a thick chunk of black text on a white background. I can’t recall if there was an image because I was watching the audience’s reaction to misspelled words and non-American idioms from someone who clearly didn’t have English as a first language.

In the second case, a panelist who had decent information to impart, ran over her allotted time and still had far to go. Her vocal dynamics changed as soon as she saw the yellow caution light. Her voice was thin to start with and she was amplified by a good sound system. Instead of projecting, breathing properly and slowing down, she made the mistake of trying to cram the rest of her deck into the time.

She didn’t make her limit, of course, and her voice rose ever higher as she struggled to get out words without the deep breathing necessary to convey authority through an amplified voice. The result was that she sounded whiny. She wasn’t whining — she couldn’t breathe!

Don’t make these mistakes. As a small businessperson, you are likely the only spokesperson you’ll have when asked a question by media, asked to give a toast or a few remarks at a Chamber or other civic luncheon or to make a sales presentation in person.

Learn how to do those things. I know several firms who train folks, and they’re not inexpensive, but the investment can pay off in ways you can’t even imagine today.