Archive for July, 2007

PowerPoints Are NOT Your Presentation

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 29th, 2007 \| 16 Comments \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 29th, 2007 | 16 Comments | Tweet This

Many major conferences ask their speakers to send in their PowerPoints in advance. Why? They are NOT their presentation! (This just happened to me, and I did it because the client IS the client.)

Unfortunately in 95% of the cases for most speakers in business today their PowerPoints (PP’s, which could also be Keynote’s for MAC folks) are the centerpiece of their message. They create their content around their PP’s, rather than figuring out what they want to say, and then using PP’s, (and videos, and exercises, and SHARP’s, etc.) to SUPPORT their presentation.

When it comes to persuasive impact in our communications, it is not through technology, but only with it. YOU are always the centerpiece of your presentation, and no graphically dazzling slide should ever replace you.

With all the advances in technology, we must continuously emphasize the critical importance of human confidence in the delivery as well as in the tools of delivery – the primary tool being yourself. With greater "high tech" we need a corresponding increase in "high touch." Otherwise, advanced technology will just make our mistakes stand out even more.

That’s exactly why Steve Jobs presentations are so powerful. (He led our Top Ten Communicators of 2005 list, even before the famous iPhone announcement.) While he uses elegantly simple slides and perfectly timed and executed demos, he remains the center of the presentation. Often, he will completely clear the screen (using a black slide – that’s the way to do it) to keep the audience’s attention on his energy, on his enthusiasm, and on his words. Not the PowerPoint’s. (Or Keynote’s in this case.)

Remembering that you are the presentation, develop visuals that enhance your point of view. After all, visuals are important:

55% of believability comes through the visual
A 500% average increase in retention occurs when visuals are used in a presentation
83% of what we know is learned by seeing and observing

For your own personal and visual impact, see yourself on video. And when you get to support, for great tips on presentation design, check out Garr Reynold’s blog Presentation Zen .

Always keep in mind that you are your most important visual aid. Train yourself first so that you have a confidence that never quits in the face of new technology.

Categories: Communication Skills, PowerPoint Abuse - Avoid It
Tags: PowerPoints, Presentation skills, Steve Jobs

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Innovative Video Use

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 22nd, 2007 \| 1 Comment \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 22nd, 2007 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

This continues to be the year of the Video Revolution with another ‘new use.’

This from the campaign of Barack Obama (I subscribe to many sites from BOTH sides and try to be somewhat unbiased on my blog.) He has used the internet brilliantly, and along with Hillary Obama is the leader in the use of video. (Although Hillary’s "Soprano’s" effort perhaps put her into the lead with video.)

But this is the first time I’ve seen the ‘casual’ and informal video documentary style used in a massive way – very effective in showing Obama in a different way. Could never do that with paid media, and it communicates well.

Categories: Video - Use It
Tags: hillary, Obama, Presentation skills, Video revolution

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The Dobson Experience 2

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 15th, 2007 \| 1 Comment \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 15th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Dr. James Dobson is an icon to many millions – founder of Focus On The Family with a daily radio broadcast that is one of the largest in the world. (Also author of a dozen books, and national spokesperson for Christian causes on all of the major TV talk shows.) This past week I was privileged to spend some time listening to him in a few different settings – and I’m not sure whether I was more impressed when we were chatting on the tender of our cruise ship berthing in Sitka, Alaska, or when he was speaking to 1,000 people about the passion of his heart – the importance of the family.

The Hard-Soft Surprise
A tall man at 6’3", Jim Dobson is soft spoken, and mild in manner. He LOOKS approachable, and even in the formal setting of speaking to thousands he jokes, and kids and gives asides. In two major addresses he started with some pictures of his first grandson – the pride and love was palpable. And then a story or two of hunting, or his recent visit with Prince Charles, or how he had to kill a bear to save his life. He is an interesting man, to say the least.
(He’s also the author of the mega best selling "Dare To Discipline.")

But then Dr. Dobson is called Jim by people who don’t know him well (including me) because he acts ……

Read the rest of this entry »

Categories: Leadership and Communications, Musings, Public Speaking, Speakers
Tags: Focus On The Family, Jim Dobson, Presentation skills, Public Speaking

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The Dobson Experience

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 12th, 2007 \| Leave a Comment \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 12th, 2007 | Leave a Comment | Tweet This

At Sea…
Always wanted to do a post from a cruise ship – I’m in Alaska cruising the Inside Passage. It’s supposed to be vacation, but I feel compelled to do a short post on the experience here with Dr. James Dobson. He’s the founder of Focus On The Family and is a superb communicator – so good he is controversial because of his passion and the impact of his books and speaking.

Because of minimum internet access here, this will be short – but stay tuned for Monday’s post where I’ll have links and I’ll talk about Jim Dobson of The Hard-Soft Surprise and Core Communicating. And know also that he is the rare individual who is just as engaging in the formal presentation as in the casual and personal communication.

In the meantime this is also an excuse to show off the benefits of my iPhone pictures – above of Dr. Dobson speaking and here a pic of the Dr. and yours truly – captured on the A Deck before he was about to go salmon fishing today.

More later…

Categories: Leadership and Communications, Musings, Public Speaking, Speakers

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The Likeability Factor

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 5th, 2007 \| 1 Comment \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 5th, 2007 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

This most important communications skill is also the title of Tim Sanders great book. The Likeability Factor is one of those books filled with stories, thus immensely readable, and will bring great value to the reader.

This seems like a "soft" subject, but it’s not. I’ve found in over 25 years in the communications and speaking business that one of the three critical skills in connection and influence is ‘likeability.’ (Or likability – it can be spelled either way. I used likability in my book "You’ve Got To Be Believed To Be Heard" but since this is Tim’s time we’ll use his spelling here.)

Likeability breeds connection, and there are basically three ways to grow your likeability:

Your smile (and as ‘soft’ as this sounds, it is also one of the three most important behavioral skills to bring to the conscious level, and that we emphasize in our training programs.)
Your voice (with the plethora of cell phones and conference calls, likeability is most often communicated, or not, by the sound of our voice.)
Your attitude. And it is here that Tim excels in his research, ideas and concepts.

What is most interesting about The Likeability Factor is not that it is filled with entertaining and insightful stories (and thus ‘likeable’,) but that it is based on extensive research Tim did with over one hundred people in indepth interviews. And what they said and what he found is revealing and important:

One of Tim’s first experiences was with a disc jockey who’s life changed when Tim worked with him to increase his ‘L-Factor.’ It was that experience that made Tim say "Someone had to evangelize the importance of being likeable."

There are four factors everyone can work on to increase their own L-Factor:

Friendliness
Relevance
Empathy
Realness

My son Sam Decker had Tim Sanders speak at his Austin based Texchange awhile back, and he did a great and lengthy post on the emotional connection that Tim talks about.

Probably the one concept you can take out and use today is paraphrased from the late great master of communication connection Dale Carnegie and his classic "How to Win Friends and Influence People." (It’s still #118 on Amazon’s top sellers!) He said:

‘You will win more friends in the next two months developing a sincere interest in two people than you will ever win in the next two years trying to get two people interested in you.’

Three of many good thoughts from Tim:

"Have you made someone smile today?"
"Be a storyteller."
"The only reason to give a speech is to change the world." (That from one of his speeches – you can see him in many clips on YouTube.)

Categories: Communication Skills, Great Books, SHARPs and Stories, Speakers
Tags: Communication Skills, Likability, Presentation skills, Tim Sanders

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The iPhone Communication Experience

	Posted by Bert Decker \| July 2nd, 2007 \| 2 Comments \| Tweet This

Posted by Bert Decker | July 2nd, 2007 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

It was the iPhone weekend – and I’m not about to add to all the millions of words and opinions that the technical blogs are spouting about this phone/ipod/pda. But I do want to add a postscript on the communications aspect of this phenomenon.

And let me say I AM delighted I got MY iPhone – it is an amazing machine, and I think it will do very well commercially. (By the way I’ve used the Treo and Blackberry extensively and they continue to be amazing machines with their own unique benefits.)

For this iPhone craze on Friday I was fortunate enough to have a friend stand in line for awhile, and then I took over and was one of the last to get one of the 8 gig models. And I’ve been having fun learning it ever since.

But it was no fun in line, as I was at an AT&T store. What a remarkable difference in the communication experience between the Apple stores and the AT&T stores – or so it seems from all news reports and my personal experience.

This was the chance for AT&T to ride the wave of Steve Jobs genius and the surf on the Apple tide. But they blew it. It started with the boring presentation by AT&T CEO Stan Sigman back at MacWorld Expo when Jobs announced the iPhone (what a unique missed opportunity for making a communications impact.) Then there was the customer experience at the stores, and finally on the extensive telephone trees for callers, and the many long delays for online activation. All were bad, and although I won’t go into detail here – let me give one example.

At my AT&T store on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco there were about 100 in line – and those of us near the front found out they were shipped 40 phones with 8 gigs and 20 with 6 gigs. But do you think AT&T would let people know – instead we heard “Our responsibility is in the store, we can’t do anything about the lines.” I beg your pardon! If you’re the manager of the store you MANAGE THE COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE. Like giving out numbers in line so people won’t cut in (which they did, almost causing fights.) Like giving regular updates and talking to the customers in line. Like welcoming them in the store rather than acting aloof and clueless in a celebratory environment.

AT&T had a unique opportunity to take advantage of the momentum that the Steve Jobs and Apple set up – to make a corporate giant seem fast on their feet – a great asset in this highly competitive environment. They stumbled – actually tripped and fell. I think only the performance and demand of the iPhone will help them get up off the ground – and it will.

Categories: Musings

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