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PUBLIC SPEAKING and MEDIA EFFECTIVENESS

By on June 2, 2014

Your ability to present effectively, especially using videos posted on the Internet, can be invaluable in today’s media-centric world.

Here are a few short videos by speech and media coach Ruth Sherman, on simple ways to present professionally and with confidence — on-camera and off — regardless of your experience and comfort level.

Although Ruth has worked with top CEOs and Oscar-winning celebrities, her down-to-earth personality and practical techniques apply to all of us. They can quickly help boost your effectiveness and comfort in getting your message heard and understood.

Your first step in presenting effectively, is having a short effective “ELEVATOR SPEECH,” which is a brief introduction that quickly lets the listener understand who you are and what you offer.

Before you watch the videos below, notice Ruth’s own “ELEVATOR SPEECH” — her brief introduction of WHO she is, WHAT she does and WHO her ideal client is, at the beginning of every video. Understanding hers may help you create an effective introduction for yourself — of who you are and what you offer.

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Here’s Ruth’s elevator speech:

I’m Ruth Sherman, “CEO & Celebrity Speech and Media Coach,” but you don’t have to be famous to work with me. For more than 20 years, I’ve partnered with Oscar-winning Hollywood celebrities, top C-level executives and entrepreneurs to harness their unique CHARISMA to be not just good, but amazing on camera and on stage.

Ruth understands how important it can be to quickly summarize who she is at the outset of any talk or video she does. After all, despite her success, most people have no idea who she is and what she offers. Letting them know up-front, using an established and rehearsed introduction, will set an expectation in the listener that can be crucial to your effectiveness in whatever you are presenting.

To improve your own effectiveness on stage, on video or one-on-one, create your ELEVATOR SPEECH by answering these:

  • WHO you are __________________________________________
  • WHAT you do or offer ___________________________________
  • WHO your ideal client/customer is _________________________

 

Now, here are the videos. Enjoy!

Using Nonverbal Communication to Boost Your Effectiveness

In this video, Ruth  explains how nonverbal elements can help you grab your audience so they are attentive to your  message, such as:
– Your Voice and Vocal Variety,
– Your Hands — (using our hands also help us think on our feet),
– Your Body Language and Movement (posture, leaning forward, striding confidently on stage or into a room),
– Your Eyes and Eye-Contact,
– Your Facial Expression,
– Your Clothing and Adornments, and
– Standing versus Sitting Presentations.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM5gEBMljfA

Video On-Camera Do’s & Don’ts

In this video, Ruth explains:

– Backdrops… using a White Wall versus Being Out in Nature versus Using Your Office or Home as a background;
– How your face on camera can greatly improve the engagement power of your videos;
– Voice recording quality;
…and more.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-nATsUd964

 

Managing Stage Fright

In this video, Ruth discusses ways to overcome stage fright, and also, how to use it to your benefit.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP7P5LMxYy4

Ruth’s three Points to Managing Stage Fright:

  1. Stage fright is natural for everyone
  2. Stage fright can be your friend
  3. Preparation helps minimize stage fright

EXCERPTS FROM THE VIDEO

When new clients call me, it’s often because they want help with the nervousness and anxiety they feel when presenting or speaking in front of a group.

Public speaking can shake the confidence of even the most experienced professional. But it’s natural to feel nervous. After all, you’re “on-the-spot.” All eyes are upon you. You are being judged. The stakes are high. Stage Fright is your indication that you care about the outcome, that it’s important to you — nothing wrong with that.

Still, there are ways to think about Stage Fright that are very helpful and here are three principles to keep in mind before your palms begin to sweat and your voice starts to quiver:

Stage Fright goes with the territory. It is a form of “fight or flight,” the adaptive mechanism that helps us flee from or fight off danger. The heart pounds, to send blood to the large muscle groups, perspiration increases to keep you cool, and dry-mouth occurs, because digestion takes a back seat. Unfortunately, the body cannot differentiate between one type of threat and another, so when you get up on stage to speak, similar symptoms occur. Stop trying to banish it, which only makes it worse. Professional and experienced speakers actually embrace it, because they know…

Stage Fright is your friend. How is it possible for something that feels so unpleasant to be useful? It makes you more engaging to watch. You feel edgier, more awake and alive and that translates to your audience. Some of that newly directed blood supply goes to certain centers in your brain, helping you to pivot and to handle the things that inevitably go wrong during every presentation. But, only by preparing, which means…

Stage Fright can be managed. I’m going to save a big explanation about quick and efficient ways to practice, but for now, let’s go back to “fight or flight.” A person who, for example, has lifted weights or run marathons is going to be much better able to fight off or run away from danger than someone who is out of shape. By the same token, a speaker who has prepared well will be much better able to manage the Stage fright so it works for instead of against him or her.

Next time, more info on the benefits of preparation, rehearsal and practice and how to do it easily and efficiently.

Now, get up on stage and present because, Stage Fright is the last thing you should be afraid of.

 

Secrets to Effectively Rehearsing for an Important Speech

In this video, Ruth continues with methods about how to reduce your nervousness and improve your effectiveness through effective rehearsal.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_8klo_TECo

EXCERPTS FROM THE VIDEO

My last video was about the inevitable Stage Fright that arises during presenting and public speaking. I mentioned that managing it takes some work, so listen up: Preparation is where most people go wrong. It is the biggest obstacle my clients face, by far, and the most tedious and difficult part of the journey to becoming great at speaking and presenting. But it’s also the most necessary component of the process — the magic bullet — so don’t ignore it.
Practice (a.k.a. rehearsal) results in a lot of cool things. And by practice, I mean saying it out loud.

  • It lets you hear what you’re saying and opens your mind to new and better ways of saying it.
  • It allows you to learn without memorizing.
  • It is the antidote to stage fright.

Here is my best advice to making preparation and practice as painless as possible (yes, I do like the letter P):

  • Start to prepare the minute you get an assignment to speak or present. Work backward from the date of your speech. The closer you are, the more concentrated your prep time must be. Immediately begin to gather information: thoughts, facts, figures, stories, statistics, press reports, whatever. Jot down or record every thought that pops into your head because these thoughts can pop out just as quickly. You can edit later.
  • Organize your thoughts. Start arranging your thoughts. Main message should be at the top. Then list key messages and below each key message, your supporting points and data. There should be a “rhythm” to your talk, so pepper your data with those stories, stats, humor that you gathered during step 1.
  • Practice. There is no substitute for this. The best speakers set aside time to rehearse. Again, this means saying it out loud well in advance, not mouthing it on the plane, train or in the car on the way to the gig. That is way too late.
  • Practice more than you think you have to. I tell my clients to use a ratio of 10:1; for every hour of speaking, practice for 10 hours. Think that’s outrageous? I’m being conservative. Winston Churchill is said to have practiced one hour for every minute of speech! That’s what I and most other professional speakers do. The higher the stakes, the more you should practice. But take heart: I consider all work geared toward delivering a presentation to be practice. (You know all those people walking down the street talking to themselves? They’re not crazy — they’re practicing!). Furthermore, as you gain experience, your practicing will become cumulative and reduce the time necessary to allocate to it.
  • Use feedback tools. Practice using mirrors, audio/video recorders, or in front of a small group of trusted colleagues. Such tools won’t always be necessary, but as you gear up toward becoming a fantastic presenter, using they enable you to see yourself as others see you, a key strategy on the road to improving presentation skills.

Here’s a typical rehearsal schedule:

  • One month out: Spend the first week gathering data, organizing and getting it all ready to rehearse.
  • Three weeks out: Start saying pieces of it out loud. As the words roll off your tongue, be alert to how they feel. If, for example, a word or phrase feels awkward, change it.
  • Two weeks out: Say the entire thing every day. Sometimes, you should start in the middle and go to the end first, because that part always tends to get short shrift.
  • One week out: Every day, at least twice a day, say your speech out loud from beginning to end. Keep tweaking (you won’t be able to help it), but the bones should be there, so don’t make any major changes.

Is practice and rehearsal tedious and boring? Yes! But there is no other way to get really good at it.

These tips are just a start. There are many other considerations including assessing your audience, the venue, time of day, and level of formality. I’ll address these in a future blog.

The great actor, Michael Caine, is supposed to have said: “Rehearsal is the work, performance is the relaxation.”
I take that to heart and so should you.

 

I Was So Nervous – How Stage Fright Grabs Even Experienced Speakers

In this video, Ruth explains how — no matter how nerve racking it can be to speak on stage with major celebrities, with the right preparation, an effective presentation can still be given.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHFAR9sw28Q

EXCERPTS FROM THE VIDEO

Hi there, it’s Ruth Sherman, CEO and Celebrity Speech and Media coach, but you don’t have to be famous to work with me. I was so nervous. No, really, super nervous, like I hadn’t felt in a long time. So here’s the scoop. I attended this event with Suzanne Evans and Larry Winget. Suzanne is my coach and Larry is a well-known motivational speaker and Suzanne is a terrific presenter and speaker, too. Larry earns 30K per speech and he’s been doing it for 25 years.

This event was terrific in so many ways, but what really made it stand out were the activities. These were all learn by doing. So we walked in to register having been warned that registration would take a 35, 45 minutes and to come camera ready. First hint. During registration we were systematically and quickly shuttled through several different activities. First was makeup. I didn’t need any of that. Then, we were right into a photography line for a headshot. After that, we got in a short line and we were handed a laminated script to review – it reminded me of my old theatre and commercial audition days.

This was for a quick video, which was fun and, frankly, a piece of cake. The next two days packed with information and demonstrations. Larry gave his main keynote and dissected it for us to show us how every, single word and story was planned. It was fascinating. Suzanne told some amazing stories with and they both explained why they were so important and how to do them. We completed work sheets and handed them in.

Then, the 3rd day and the final evening, right before dinner, we were given an assignment. We were told that we’d be doing a 1-minute speech in front of everyone and we’d be judged and given a score. We’d be cut off after that 1 minute. So besides the time limit, there were content restrictions that had to fall within certain parameters.

So, of course, I licked my lips and went back to my room. I had M & Ms and Pringles for dinner and got to work. Now I know what you may be thinking, You may be thinking, “Ruth, you do this all the time. Couldn’t you easily come up with 60 seconds worth of speech?” Yeah, I could and I did. But it also had to fit those content rules and I always like to get an A. So I reviewed what I had and came up with a minute’s worth of material. I’ll tell you, I wasn’t crazy about it, but I felt I only had a short time to review, to polish, to rehearse it out loud, to time it, and then, dress up — oh, forgot to tell you that we had to look stage-ready.

As I sat there in the room with everybody, with my colleagues, and the judge, I found myself getting more and more nervous. My heart was beating like crazy. I also was ruminating on the content that I wasn’t crazy about, that I’d prepared. So, at the last minute, I decided to change it. I realized I needed something funny in there somewhere, make it more entertaining. So I silently went over a new script in my head (I know, I tell people that doesn’t count as rehearsal, saying it in your head, that is) and timed it with my my smart phone and I said it “out loud” in my head and I had said it out loud in many, many times, so I knew how it would come out.

Of course, my turn came sooner than I was ready and I felt the fog descend. The fog is what I call that out of body experience when you’re there, on-stage, but you’re not there. It’s like you’re on autopilot. I was ready. They handed me the mike, queued up the clocks, and just as I was about to speak, Suzanne and Larry walked into the room to “observe.” Oh. My. God.

The next thing I knew, I was walking back to my seat. Seriously, I’d had like a mind-melt. I really felt like I needed a drink.

Now, I got a perfect score. Which surprised me because I was so nervous, I didn’t feel I was at my best. But because I am so practiced at this, because it is muscle memory, and I have experience, I pulled it off. And, as I tell my clients, stage fright is helpful, but only if you’re prepared, and having experience is being prepared. So even my not the best was better than most. In fact, speaking to a number of people after that, I was surprised to hear they didn’t practice. They went to dinner. They just don’t know what it likes, or what it’s like, or what it looks like on the other side of that experience and rehearsal.

So that’s my story of extreme stage fright. It was kind of good to feel it again, actually. And it was also good to know that this stuff works.

And it can work for you, too.

 

Easy, Cheap, Professional Video Backdrops

In this video, Ruth gives some brief examples of a simple way to make your videos look professional.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9nRgQ-h9L4

 

The Key to a Fearless On-Camera Presentation

Ruth discusses the importance of keeping your energy level high, especially when on camera.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrwjYON6u5o

EXCERPTS FROM THE VIDEO

The key to effective speaking is… KEEP YOUR ENERGY HIGH, speaking passionately no matter how you feel.

I cannot stand it when I see someone presenting on-stage or on-camera who looks as if he or she would rather be any place but. The expectation that I would care about what kind of mood they’re in or sit still while they drone on or is anathema to me. It puts me in a bad mood. In today’s time-starved and highly competitive world, you need to look like you mean it and ramp up your energy. Attitude is contagious and we may as well pass along the high energy “virus” instead of the low energy one. Watch to learn more…

 

HOW You Present Can Be More Important Than WHAT You Present

In this video, Ruth explains how form may be more important than content, in the presentations you give. She gives an example of speakers with somewhat lame fact-based presentations, and how those who added “presentation” elements (body language, tonal variety, etc) were able to win over the audience more effectively than those who did not.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4YqFavJ5NY

EXCERPTS FROM THIS VIDEO

Presentation IS Everything

I was at an event this past weekend during which the title sentiment of this post was driven home to me.

The event featured opportunities for entrepreneurs to stand up and deliver their business pitch to a panel of experts and receive feedback. In one of these sessions, five experienced entrepreneurs took turns pitching.

The first three received some tough criticism. Their presentations came across as weak and timid. Their body language was hesitant and shy. They were inarticulate when describing their work. One even asked the panel if she should get some presentation coaching. The panel’s common critique for all three was that after listening to them, they still didn’t know what they did or how they made money.

The two others then had their turns. These entrepreneurs presented themselves well. They came across as sure of themselves, looking and sounding confident. They made direct eye contact and didn’t seem cowed or intimidated by the panel, who were subsequently complimentary.

Here’s what got my attention: These two entrepreneurs said virtually the same thing as the first three. The words were disjointed and not particularly well-organized. I did not know what these two did or how they made money, either. But because they said it in a more poised and polished way, the panel felt they had done a good job.

Their nonverbal behaviors made them more believable.

So, here’s what this means for you: All else being equal, a good presentation can make the difference between winning and losing. It can open doors and provide opportunities for a further look. Confidence in oneself instills confidence in others.

Presentation was everything.

 

How to Find the Good Side of Your Face for Video and Photography

In this video, Ruth explains how we all have facial flaws and asymmetries. Everyone has a “good side.” Watch this video to see how to know yours.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbcztwECT2U

 

To learn more about Ruth Sherman’s training, visit her site at:  http://www.videocharisma.com/

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