Does anyone know of an expert in starting ad networks? I am looking to start an ad network focusing on web sites that deal with the following topics: speaking, public speaking, presentations, powerpoint and media training. If you know of anyone, please have them contact me at tj@tjwalker.com.
The following comes from TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience”. Consistently, the worst advice speakers and presenters get, comes from everyone who is NOT your audience. The following gives examples of some of the WORST advice people are often given. It is followed by the advice of your audience. Listen to them. They are your true judge and jury.
Should I give a PowerPoint presentation?
Your Corporate Communications Department: “Yes, use the PowerPoint so that we can maintain a consistency of message. This way everyone will be seeing the same thing and we can maintain control.”
You: “Yes, I should use a PowerPoint. This will make it really easy for me to give the speech. This way, I don’t have to remember anything or practice, because all my points will be in front of me.”
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Your Audience: “If you are going to give a Powerpoint the way most people do, i.e., do a boring data dump of bullet points, then please, for the love of God, please, please spare us! But if you are going to use interesting visuals, pictures, or graphs that are genuinely interesting and relevant, then, by all means, use a PowerPoint.”
From TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience”
How many Points should I cover in my speech?
Your Marketing Department: “Between all of our major accomplishments last quarter, plus our general corporate message, I’d say no more than 35 key messages.”
Your Speech Writer: “Limit yourself to ten key points.”
You: “I had better cover my a*&. If I list every accomplishment of the last year, every product innovation for the next year, and then cover our company’s entire history, then no one can criticize me for leaving anything out. About 95 points should it.”
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Your Audience “Unless you are our teacher and have the ability to flunk us, you are smoking crack if you think we are going to remember more than 5 key messages. We don’t remember a single message from most speakers we hear because they just do boring data dumps. Occasionally we remember 2-3 messages from speakers who use interesting stories and examples. On very rare occasions we can remember a handful of key points because the speaker took the time to paint pictures with words and to tell relevant stories and case studies.”
The following comes from TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience” (The best advice always comes from your speaking audience)
What is the best way to begin my speech?
Your Director of Communications: “Start by thanking your hosts or order of rank.”
Your Marketing Director: “Be sure to weave in our branding slogan in the first 30 seconds. Then tell people about all of our locations.”
Your director of new business: “Tell people about all of our locations and branches.”
Your mother, “Tell people how humbled you are by the nice introduction you received.”
Your inner voice: “Good morning. As you heard, my name is ___ and my title is ___. I’m happy to be here today. Thank you for that lovely introduction. Before I begin today, let me tell you about the incredibly boring history of my company starting back to its founding in 1923. Next, I’d like to tell you about all of the cities we are in (that you couldn’t possibly care about, because you aren’t in those cities.)
*****
Your Audience: “Stop boring us to death! We don’t care if you are happy to be here; we don’t know you well enough to care yet. We already know your name and title; the person introducing you told us–we aren’t stupid!!! Stop talking about you, you, you. We don’t care about you at this stage of our relationship. Instead, tell us something interesting and relevant to us. We care about ourselves. If you address our needs, we’ll be more likely to pay attention to the rest of your speech!”
Doug Simon does a great job of posting regular video stating his views on everything from how the writers’ strike will be resolved to who will be the next President. Simon has long been a leader in the video communications arena—his company DS Simon has been a leader in video news releases since forever. Yes, Simon has text on his blog, but video is his default medium—something I predict we will see more and more of as people get used to creating and appearing on video.
Garr Reynolds new book Presentation Zen is a mastery of style and substance. Reynolds cuts through a lot of the silly noise about PowerPoint and gets right to how it can be used effectively, memorably and beautifully. Plus, Reynolds puts his own ego aside and puts a strong spotlight on other speaking masters like Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. If you’ve been putting off creating your next PowerPoint presentation, then put if off one more day and run to your nearest bookstore and buy Presentation Zen.
I’ve just gone through a list of 70 of the top public speaking blogs. I was struck by how few actually had experts speaking about speaking in a video or audio format.
As much as youtube and internet video get attention these days, text is still the default medium for people who wish to communicate ideas on the web. How much longer will this be the case? I started doing an Internet radio talk show in 1998—nobody listened. In 2000 I started a daily video and audio political blog—no one watched. Three years ago, I started doing daily speaking video segments on The Speaking Channel. The audience has been, shall we charitably say, less than Superbowl sized.
I continue to do daily videos at the Speaking Channel, but now I am about to start new regular video and audio segments here at TJWalker.com. Even though it is easier to simply type, I find that speaking is always going to be the best medium for talking about speaking. Please let me know what video segments you would find most helpful in a blog about public speaking. Either post a comment below or send me an email directly to tj@tjwalker.com.
Comedians as a class of people are great observers of and students of body language. Exaggeration is the stock in trade of comedians; nonetheless, Jim Carrey hits some true–and-funny–notes in this 1991 standup bit.
I am fine-tuning a new rating system for evaluating public speakers. Here is a sneak-preview. If you have somone you wnat me to rate. Send me a note and a video link to tj@tjwalker.com.
The WalkerSpeak™ Rating (0-50 rating)
Movement
Message
Memorablity
Motivation
eMotion
The WalkerSpeak™ Rating system judges speakers based on five criteria:
1. Movement. Does the speaker move his/her body/hands/face/eyebrows/voice in a natural, comfortable and confident manner? (0-10 pts)
2. Message. Does the speaker have a clear, understandable and relevant message for the audience? (0-10 pts)
3. Memorablity. Does the speaker use memorable stories, case studies and examples or does the speaker dump data and remain abstract? If the person uses PowerPoint slides, video clips, or other media, does the speaker use the media in a visual, memorable manner (i.e. images only and one idea per slide or image) or does the speaker use the media as a boring crutch for holding text and bullet points. (0-10 pts)
4. Motivation. Does the speaker motivate the audience to take a specific action? (Note: the speaker is not being judged by the standards of a cheesy “motivational speaker.”) (0-10 pts)
5. eMotion. Does the speaker connect with the audience on not just an intellectual level but an emotional level? (0-10 pts)
General Ratings
40-50. An outstanding speaker who communicates substance with style
39-32. A competent, above-average speaker
31-26. An adequate speaker
25-21. Not a painful speaker to listen to, but little communication occurs
20 and below. A problem speaker who needs major improvement in style and substance
The WalkerSpeak™ Rating was created by TJ Walker, founder of The Speaking Channel www.speakingchannel.tv and the CEO of Media Training Worldwide. Walker has conducted presentation training for thousands of executives, CEOs. Prime Ministers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Miss Universes, athletes and celebrities since 1984.
Because of all the types of speaking, motivational speaking, in the classic sense, is the easiest to devolve into meaningless clichés and useless abstractions. Personally, whenever I hear most motivational speakers, all I hear is Chris Farley’s absurd satire of a motivational speaker in his Matt Foley skit on Saturday Night Live. If you want three minutes of pure joy and a lifetime of future chuckles at other motivational speakers, then watch this Chris Farley video on youtube here.
