How to Become A Good Speaker

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How to Become A Good Speaker

• Kai-Fu Lee
• Corporate Vice President
• Microsoft Corporation

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Why Be a Good Speaker?

• The man who can think and does not know how to
  express what he thinks is at the level of him who
  cannot think.
• Pericles
• Not just presentation, but also persuasion
• Get peoples mindshare
• Influence a friend, colleague, or boss
• Tell people what you did, and why it matters

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What Youll Learn Today
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First Topic Learn Speaking Skills
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Speaking Skills Are Important
Without effective delivery, a speech of the
highest mental capacity can be held in no
esteem.With effective delivery, even one with
moderate abilities may surpass those of the
highest talent. Cicero
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What Are Speaking Skills?

• 7
• 38
• 55

• Verbal (words spoken)
• Vocal (tone, range, appeal, credibility of
  voice)
• Visual (physical appearance, gestures, eye
  contact)

Delivery Skills
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Most Important Enthusiasm

• There is just one sure cure for bad speeches
  Get truly excited on the subject, and 99 percent
  of the faults of your speaking will
  disappear. Robert Montgomery
• Dont accept a talk without enthusiasm
• Could be from interest, experience, environment
• Example Martin Luther King
• I have a dream that one day this nation will
  rise uplive out the true meaning to its
  creed.We hold these truths to be
  self-evidentthat all men are created equal.
• Not how loud, but how sincere

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Verbal Skills Be Simple Clear

• Be simple and clear!
• Dont ramble
• Stop to think if you need to
• Example one Dan Quayle celebrates democracy
• Example two Dan Quayle trying to say A mind is
  a terrible thing to waste

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Verbal Skills Use simple words

• Speaking is not like writing!!!
• Use simple words
• Dont use complex sentences
• Can you understand this
• Text
• The development of this frightful means of
  destruction was ardently demanded by the perils
  of the time and situation. Simultaneously,
  however, a new paradoxical situation has been.
  is upon us continually. One cannot defend
  oneself effectively any more.
• -- Albert Einstein

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Vocal Skills Play your voice

• Project resonate your voice
• No UMs and ERs. (Pause instead)
• Tools silence, loudness, intonation, speed
• You are right. I am wrong. Stalin to
  Trotsky
• Ask not what your country can do for you ask
  what you can do for your country. -- John F.
  Kennedy
• I welcome this kind of examination, because
  people have to know whether their president is a
  crook. Well, Im not a crook. -- Richard M.
  Nixon
• Dont overdo it!!!

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VocalVerbal WordsIntonation

• John Kennedy
• You need to contribute to your country
• Ask not what your country can do for you ask
  what you can do for your country.
• Quayle vs. Benson Debate
• Quayle "I have as much experience in the
  Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the
  presidency."
• Answer 1 Jack Kennedy is better than you.
• Answer 2 "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy.
  I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend
  of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.

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Visual Skills

• US Election 1960 was won on visual skills
• Components of Visual Skills
• Eyes
• Body
• Hands
• Face

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Visual Skills Eyes

• Look forward at audience (trust)
• Dont shift eyeballs dont look in corner
• Dont look too much at computer screen or notes
• Look at peoples faces (not eyes)
• 3-6 seconds per person
• Shift randomly
• Nod, smile, use facial expression

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Visual Skills Body

• Stand up when talking
• Walk around informal
• Dont
• Rock, shake
• Lean too much

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Visual Skills Hands

• Gesture complements talk
• Should come naturally, without thinking
• Make sure they match!
• Need to exaggerate a little
• Especially with large audience
• Dont fidget or put in pocket
• Videotape whole talk watch
• Can improve hand gesturing!

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Visual Skills Face

• Show emotion!
• Most of the time
• I care a lot about this.
• I really believe in this.
• I love my work.
• Sometimes (in response to questions).
• This is the most outrageous thing Ive ever
  heard.
• I will have nothing to do with this.

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Next Topic Develop the talk
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The Key Point the Goal of the Talk

• The ONE clear walk-away message.
• The answer to the question How was the talk?
• The one thing people remember in 3 months

Persuasion
The Key Point (Where you took them)
The Origin Point (Where the audience was)
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Must Have Audience Benefit

• Put audience needs at heart
• Whats in it for you?
• Has to be their reason, not yours
• Must consider feeling, not just reaction
• Must have right you
• Good phrases to know
• This is important to you because
• Why am I telling you this? Because
• What does this mean for you? Let me tell you
• Know your audience
• Experience, knowledge, attitude

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Next Topic
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Organizing the Story

• Youre the salesman
• First lesson for salesmen

Tell them what youre going to say
Opening
Body
Say it
Ending
Tell them what you said
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The Opening

• You never get a second chance to make a first
  impression Jerry Weissman
• The opening
• A question
• Factoid
• Anecdote
• Quotation
• Analogy
• Joke (make it relevant!)
• Customize the opening
• Lead to the Key Point
• Give a (very short) outline/overview

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The Body
DONT!!!
Ready to write the slides?

• Brainstorming into data dump
• Connect the ideas into main themes
• Connect the teams using one logic flow

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Data Dump
Main Themes
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The Flow

• Possible flows
• Convincing logic order
• Smooth transitions
• Keep repeating the Key Point!

(See Presenting to Win by Jerry Weissman for
more examples)
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The Ending

• End with a BANG!
• Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger
  and called to defend freedom. Our grief has
  turned to anger, and anger to resolution.
  Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring
  justice to our enemies, justice will be served.
• George W. Bush
• Repeat the Key Point
• If you remember only one thing from this talk,
  then you should remember XXX
• Say thank you

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Review of Organizing Your Story
Opening ? Key Point
Tell them what youre going to say
Body (Repeat Key Point)
Say it
Closing ? Key Point
Tell them what you said
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Next Topic
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Design Graphics

• PowerPoint only supports your talk
• Spend more time on organization delivery!
• Design principles
• Keep it simple
• Apply psychology
• Make it easy to follow
• Make it attractive
• Your titles should tell your story

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Why Keep It Simple?

• Aim to develop a consistent style, using the
  standard stylesheet whenever possible.
• One concept per slide.
• The font that is being used should be very large
• 24 point or larger. I will now use smaller fonts
  to prove to you that it is a major strain to your
  eyes to read small fonts.
• The color of the font and the background should
  be in sharp contrast. If one is light, then the
  other should be dark. Otherwise it will be very
  hard to read.
• The use of bullets should be simple. Too many
  bullets distracts the user from listening to you.
• 3 big sub-ideas (or bullets) is the most you
  should have.
• The entire slide should have fewer than 8 bullets
  and sub-bullets.
• I will add a few more bullets to show this is not
  a good idea
• And one more
• And one more
• Keep the language used simple, so that the user
  doesnt have to think to understand your point.
• Each bullet should fit in one line, because the
  idea of a bullet is to convey idea, headline, and
  server as a reminder (or cue) for you to describe
  and amplify.
• Parallel wording means the bullets are roughly
  parallel, and contain similar grammatical
  constructs. This can save the user a lot of time
  trying to understand what you said.

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Keep It Simple

• Consistent look
• One concept per slide
• Readable
• gt20 point
• Avoid abbreviation
• Use shadow outline fonts
• Contrast font background
• Dont leave too much blank space

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Keep It Simple Bullets

• Headline, not sentence
• Reminder for you
• Concise
• lt4 top-level bullets
• lt10 total bullets sub-bullets
• Simple language
• One line per bullet
• Parallel wording

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Whats wrong with this?

• A good speech
• Clear point
• Understands what audience wants
• Organization based on logic
• Powerful opening
• Ending that people remember

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Instead, do this.

• A good speech
• Clear point
• Appealing audience benefit
• Logical flow
• Powerful opening
• Strong close

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Apply Psychology to Design

• Dont fight natural eye movements
• Move left to right
• Return to upper left corner
• Sweep to lower right corner
• Subliminal hints
• Graphics to match your key point
• Anticipation

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Apply Psychology to Design

• Dont fight natural eye movements
• Move left to right
• Return to upper left corner
• Sweep to lower right corner
• Subliminal hints
• Graphics to match your key point
• Anticipation
• Avoid bad signs

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Whats Wrong With This?

• Great financial results-- Revenue reached
  1,000,000-- Growth passed 20-- Profit
  exceeded 200,000

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Instead, do this

• Great financial results
• Revenue reached 1,000,000
• Growth passed 20
• Profit exceeded 200,000

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Whats Wrong With This?
Revenue
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Instead, do this
Revenue
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Make it Easy to Follow

• Use outline
• Highlight upcoming section
• Use builds
• Remind where you are
• General goal
• Dont make the audience think(Other than what
  youre saying)

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Make It Attractive

• 20 hours on preparation
• 10 hours on practice
• Why not spend 1 hour on attractive design?

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Instead of doing this

• Cost
• Satisfaction
• Productivity
• Revenue

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Why not do this
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Instead of doing this

• Bill Gates
• Brilliant Technologist
• Steve Ballmer
• Powerful Salesman
• Steve Jobs
• Passionate Evangelist
• Lou Gerstner
• Logical Businessman

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Why not do this
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Your Titles Should Tell the Story

• The man who can think and does not know how to
  express what he thinks is at the level of him who
  cannot think.
• Pericles
• Not just presentation, but persuasion
• Influence a friend, colleague, or boss.
• Tell people what you did, and why it matters.
• Get peoples mindshare.

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Next Topic
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Rehearsing Your Content

• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Customize the talk
• Within-talk references
• Repeat key point
• Repeat main themes
• Repeat your company (university) name
• Practice to use same word(s) per concept
• Practice transitions between slides

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Rehearsing Your Delivery

• Record listen to every talk at least twice!
• Best PowerPoint features
• OK Tape recorder
• Get the timing right
• Running out of time is a disaster
• Practice to an audience or record video
• Ask experienced speaker to critique
• Record video for critique

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Next Topic
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Delivering the Talk

• Confidence passion
• Overcoming language barrier
• Overcoming nervousness
• Humor
• Audience participation
• Be yourself

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Confidence Passion

• Make sure youre not too tired
• Get enough sleep the previous night
• Drink (up to) 3 cups of coffee!
• No milk
• Stand on left side of screen

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(No Transcript)
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Confidence Passion

• Make sure youre not too tired
• Get enough sleep the previous night
• Drink (up to) 3 cups of coffee!
• No milk
• Stand on left side of screen
• During your talk, do not apologize
• Sorry Im behind on time
• Sorry this slide is so hard to read

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Overcoming Language Barrier

• Know your limitations
• Dont use fancy words, complex sentences
• Dont take any chance of looking silly
• Prepare an outline/script
• Rehearse before the talk
• Dont have to use it
• Not OK to read your bullets
• But OK to read or memorize your speech
• Practice still required
• Proper vocal visual skills still required

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Overcoming Nervousness
Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is
certain. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

• It is possible to hide nervousness!
• Dont let the shaking show!
• Make a fist hold the lectern
• Speak loudly
• Take a deep breath
• Dont have to look at audiences eyes
• Look at a friendly face
• Look above peoples heads

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Humor

• Good humor
• Relevant
• Respectful
• Short
• How to tell a joke?
• Prepare audience
• Pause after punch line
• Move on naturally if no reaction!
• Plan your humor
• Remember what worked
• Use it again!

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Audience Participation
I hear and I forget I see and I remember I
do and I understand.

• Ask audience a question
• Anticipate their answer(s)!
• Respond with something interesting AND relevant
• Also OK to ask before talk include in talk

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Be Yourself

• Dont copy others styles
• Many styles could be effective
• You must be yourself to be credible
• Adapt your style, but stay within comfort zone

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Last Topic
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QA Opportunity to Amplify

• QA is your last chance to
• Amplify your points (particularly the Key Point)
• Increase your credibility
• If people are too shy, you start!
• Hard questions
• No need to answer directly
• But dont hide!
• Narrow questions
• Take offline

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QA Giving A Good Answer

• Respect the listener
• Dont argue or dismiss a question
• Right body language
• Answer to the entire audience
• Repeat the question
• Complete if people cannot hear
• Paraphrase to help amplify your point

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Conclusion

• Anyone can become a good speaker
• It just takes
• a little skill,
• and a lot of practice!

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Use of Demos / Multimedia

• Keeps the talk interesting
• Dont overdo it
• Should be tied to content
• Ordering
• 2,N, N-1, N-2,.3, 1