What does speaking well in public have to do with leadership?  Everything!  This weekend I was interviewed by leadership coach Judy Nelson about good and bad speeches and things that leaders can learn to make their communications better.   Here’s the link.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachJudyNelson/2009/05/16/Jean-Palmer-Heck-

I heard a very good speaker at a luncheon a few weeks ago, who gave us insights into the economy.  CNBC pundit, Joe Battipaglia, was the speaker.  A large man with a large personality, his energetic approach, even with the grim news, kept the audience interested.  Despite that positive assessment of his speaking style, I still have some comments that could improve his presentation … tips that you can put into use in your speeches, also.

He started his presentation with a  joke.  I really don’t like speeches that begin with jokes.  They can put an audience ill at ease.  You never know whether it will be funny, edgy, offensive, or delivered poorly. And, unlike Jay Leno, David Letterman and Joe Battipaglia, not everyone can deliver jokes well.  

Your own stories are better than a canned joke.  Later in his presentation he told about some interactions he had with his family about the economy.  They were much funnier and captured the audience attention better than his opening remarks.  

The other public speaking tip that applies to everyone relates to the use of audio visuals. He did not use any, but I wished he would have, especially because of the topic.  Joe dealt with very heady issues about the economy.  Those in the audience with financial backgrounds were fine with his information, but those in the crowd who did not have that expertise got lost a few times.  Some visual aids would have helped the audience retain the information much more easily.

And the audience is what public speaking is all about.

There’s been a lot of talk regarding Barack Obama’s use of TelePrompTers.  Many are surprised that he actually uses them in places where it seems like he should be speaking off the cuff.  I’m not here to debate that.

The purpose of this blog is to give you tips for how you can improve your presentations.  And there are times when you might use a TelePrompter. So how can you do it with style?  Here are some hints:

1.  Reading a teleprompter is like reading a book in many ways, but completely different in others. When you read a book, you occasionally laugh or smile at what you’re reading silently, but most often your face has no expression.  When you read a TelePrompTer, you must use expression.  It will help your voice and your comfort level.  You might pretend you are reading something of interest to a friend of yours.  That mental image will help.   

 2. You set the speed at which the TelePrompTer copy is moved.  You do, not the operator.  It’s a mistake of amateurs to speed up as the copy speeds up.  That results in the operator concurring that you want it to go faster, so they speed up even more.  It’s a never-ending process.  If the copy is moving too quickly for you, slow down.  The operator will adjust accordingly. 

3. How do you handle it when a podium has 2 or more TelePrompTers?  You should keep your eyes on the first one for an adequate amount of time before switching to the second.  How long is adequate?  I tell my clients to stay on one teleprompter for one complete sentence before switching.   

4. Don’t forget to use your body.   There’s nothing that says you have to stand still and stiff while reading.  Get comfortable. Tilt your head every now and then.  Lean closer to the camera.  It makes you look like an approachable person, not a mannequin.

If you’d like more information about other aspects of presenting on camera, email me for my special report, “5 Golden Rules if You’re on TV.”    jean@real-impact.com

Television is everywhere.  If you are a leader, chances are you will be on TV or the video-pervasive Internet soon.  Here are some hints I’ve put together.  They’re the 5 Golden Rules for Being on Television.  I’ve recorded them so you can download it and listen to them on your iPod.  A video version, naturally, will be coming soon.