NSA Speakers Academycontent.nsaspeaker.org/Chapters/Academy/07Platform... · 2014-04-09 · 1. Know your projector. If you use your own projector, there really is no excuse for not

Module 7: Platform Mechanics

NSASpeakersAcademy

Platform Mechanics

© 2012 National Speakers Association 1


Before You Get On the PlatformWhereas the Presenting and Performing module focused on what you will present,this module focuses on how to present it. In fact, it’s not just your speech that is offocus here, but the mechanics of your entire presentation, which begins when youarrive on-site and sometimes even before. Let’s start with how clients interact withyour office.

These are the basics of what you will need in your office, which will affect howpotential clients perceive you. More of this information is covered in the MANAGINGYOUR BUSINESS Module.

Circle those elements or pieces of equipment you have in your office.

Basic Professional Speaker Equipment:

• Telephone with professional voicemail

• Computer, printer, email and accounting system

• Fax machine or digital/online facsimile program

• Filing system (administration, presentations, prospects, clients)

• Calendar with a system to indicate holds and confirmed dates

• Website

• Digital recorder for continual improvement and to put sound clips on website

What else would you add to your list of “office mechanics” that you might needto ensure your programs go off without a hitch?

Have you considered creating a Pre-Program Questionnaire?

2 © 2012 National Speakers Association


When You ArriveYour presentation begins when you pull into the parking lot of the venue or land at the airport. What you do even BEFORE you get on the stage may change whether your audience views you as a sage or that person who stood at the hotelregistration desk in outrage. You want them to hear your message, not remembersomething silly they saw you do. That’s why we suggest the following for the day of your presentation:

1. Always ask the client for an “onsite” contact number because once they are at the conference, they won’t be in their office.

2. Consider calling or texting your contact when you arrive so they know you are on property.

3. On same-day presentations, arrive as early as an hour ahead of time to attend to logistics and be well prepared.

4. Make every effort to view your room prior to arriving to speak in it.

5. Check in with audio visual team members, and conduct a sound check if possible.

6. Take a copy of your contract/agreement letter in case of questions.

7. Bring copies of your introduction even if you sent it ahead to the introducer,and plan for them to lose the first one you gave them while on-site.

8. Act with humility, and remember you are one piece of the meeting.

9. Demonstrate flexibility, and be easy to work with (as well as desirable torehire).

10. Meet with, get to know and coach your introducer to read your introductionas written.

11. Meet and greet as many audience members as possible. Then you will have ready support.

12. Remove your nametag, if applicable, before you speak.

P ti i t

Which room setup allows participants to talk freely and potentially get out of control without facilitation techniques?

Which room setup is best for your speaking style?

Which room setup best accommodates your audio or visual needs?

Have you considered creating an A/V Needs List?

Room to MoveWhile it is good to see your room before you speak, it is even better to know whattype of room setup to request when you schedule the engagement or during pre-meeting planning conversations. These are the most common room set-up styles.Circle your preference.





It is Now My Pleasure to Introduce …Isn’t that a wonderful sound? Your introducer is cued up and delighted to shareinformation about you so that the audience is eagerly anticipating your arrival.Believe it or not, this is another element in which you are integrally involved.Speakers who make it look easy aren’t naturals at something you’re not; they mightsimply be better prepared. Preparation for your presentation also includes yourintroduction.

“I wrote my speech. You mean I have to write my intro, too?”

Yes. That is, unless you want the meeting planner to make it up, pull potentiallyoutdated snippets from something they found on the Internet, or stand there andread your entire bio. What the introducer says about you will endear or disappointyour audience. This is also your chance to introduce new products, a product tablein the back of the room or highlight key experience or facts relevant to this audiencethat may not specifically be in your bio.

Intro Tips and Tricks:

• Write on your bio “Not an Introduction” so meeting planners are clear on howto use your bio.

• Use large type and double-space your introduction.

• Put your introduction on your letterhead for brand continuity.

• Avoid difficult words that people may mispronounce.

• Answer who you are, why you speak on this topic and why you are speakingto this audience.

• Include publications or any media attention you have received relevant to thistopic or this audience.

• Keep it brief.

• Finish with “Please help me welcome ___________________________________!”

And now, please help me welcome your speaker, Certified Speaking Professional …

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OPENING:

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WHO YOU ARE:

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WHY YOU SPEAK TO THIS AUDIENCE AND WHY ARE YOU SPEAKING ON THIS TOPIC:

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Please help me welcome!

Your IntroductionTake this opportunity to create your own introduction

and bounce ideas off your classmates.





What ARE you wearing?

• Where can you learn more about color psychology? • Do you have the right hair, clothing and makeup? • Does your appearance have any “credibility robbers”?

How will I CONNECT with the audience?

• What are ways to connect with your audience in a small room?

• What are ways to connect with your audience in a big room?

• What are ways to connect with your small audience?

• What are ways to connect with your big audience?

Where IS the power button for the projector?

Technology has invaded the speaking platform much as it has every other aspect of our lives. Whether you use slides, audio, an automated white board or static-cling “flip-chart paper” sheets, the next few pages of technology tips will prove invaluable.

Taking the StageThe stage is set, your introduction has been made, your props are in place and nowyou’re ready to speak. And it’s all that work that helps the speech go well. But nowthat we’re talking about your speech, there are just a few more things to considerthat become much more important once you’re on that stage.

1. Know your projector. If you use your own projector, there really is no excuse for not knowing how to operate it. They’re all different and it’s unlikely someone at the event will be able to get you out of a pickle if you’re not able to hook it up, turn it on, and adjust the zoom and focus. Also, make sure you know how to use the keystone control.

2. Guard and take care of your computer. Keep bottles and glasses of water far away.

3. Know how to access your display panel on your computer. This challenge tends to occur

more with Windows than Mac, but both platforms have a display panel that lets you adjust the screen setting for projection. You should know the difference between “mirroring” your screens and “extending” your desktop and know how to switch back and forth. (Laptops typically have both an external monitor as well as the display panel you see as you work. Mirroring means that both panels will display the same image. If you extend your desktop, though, you can have different images on each one. This allows you to show the full screen image in PowerPoint, for example, on the external monitor (projected on the screen) as you view your notes and the upcoming slide on your computer monitor.)

4. There is a preferred placement for the screen. It should never be in the center of the stage.

You are the most important thing on the stage and you should command the center. (If you imagine being in the audience, the preferred location is to the right side of the stage (or “stage left,” as it’s properly called). That’s because when we watch the stage, we perceive that things that move to the left go backward in time. Things that move right, move forward. (Forward is also “positive.”)

5. Sound capabilities aren’t always a given, so it’s important to ask well ahead of time. You can

bring your own speakers (or speaker system), but they will need to be powerful enough for the audience. In a situation in which there’s a sound system in the room, a sound cable can be attached to your computer to take sound to the sound mixer.

6. Don’t let someone sit down in front of the audience to control slides or other technical issues. Computers should always be managed from “off stage.” A person sitting in front of the stage controlling the computer for the speaker staring back at the audience is hugely distracting. All eyes should be on the speaker; therefore, other technicians should be off to the side.

7. Skype is being used more and more to bring speakers to a meeting electronically. Skype

(using both video and audio) requires a very large amount of bandwidth, so use caution when trying to use wireless technology, as it is much slower than an Ethernet line attached to the computer.

Technology Tips for the Stage and Beyond



8. If bandwidth is a problem, here are some Skype solutions:

Two-way video is the biggest user of bandwidth. If the speaker does not need to see the audience, turn off his or her camera feed. Keep your Skype sessions to 20 minutes or less if it’s a formal presentation. Even though the speaker may be a professional and hugely compelling in person, that energy and charisma is difficult to transfer over a distance. Twenty minutes is about the maximum attention span of the audience in this circumstance. Consider plugging a microphone into the computer input so that you can have a conversation with the speaker. This would allow you to break up the session with a question and answer segment.

9. Enlighten your technician early. If you’re working with an audio/visual technician, make sure you show up long before your performance and have a conversation with him or her as soon as you can. On the day of a show, there’s usually more to do than time allows. So the more organized (and early) you are, the more the technicians will “go to the wall” to make sure you have everything you need.

10. Learn how to speak into a microphone—the tool speakers commonly use improperly. Many at the lectern lean over and speak into it. However, microphones are designed to pick up sound from a distance. An appropriate distance is six to 10 for a lectern microphone. If there’s a sound engineer in the room, don’t worry; he or she will take care of the sound level. You just have to speak normally. (Lavaliere (clip-on) microphones should be pinned on the upper chest as close to the center as possible. Often, speakers pin them on the left or right lapel and then when they turn in the opposite direction to speak, they’re “off-mic” and hard to hear.) Make sure you wear appropriate clothing if you know you’re going to be wired with a microphone.

11. What’s on the screen is important—always! If multiple performers are going to be using PowerPoint or Keynote, think about how you’re going to switch between them. Many projectors require the computer to be booted up before the projector recognizes it and adjusts. This can be a problem (downtime) if you’re not prepared. Many projectors have two inputs for just this reason. Two computers can be hooked up to one projector to allow for a seamless transfer with the click of a remote. If this isn’t an option, think about having a break between speakers to allow the technology to “adjust itself.”

12. Test your remote control well before your performance and again just before you go on. Check your batteries before each event, carry extras, and test your remote often.




13. If you’re using a Mac, make sure you bring along the proper connector. If you’re new to a Mac, you’ll soon find out that different versions have different connectors, so you always have to have the proper one in tow.

14. Before you go on, turn off everything but the technology you’re using. This means email, the

Internet (unless you’re going to use it) and any other software that might “hog” memory. At a recent performance using sound, the audience kept hearing the ding of the email program as new emails were received! throughout the speech.

Reprinted with permission from Peter Temple of www.presentationsforbusiness.com

What other tips have you heard or—even more powerful—learned the hard way?

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Vocal Health – Soup to Nuts s it soup that is good for you and nuts that are bad, or the opposite? Is milk bad and chocolate good? How about lemon or Altoids? Is artificial sweetener bad, or

should we really just eat meat and cheese? In this day and age, we are all so incredibly conscious of what we are eating, it verges on ridiculous. And how does all of this affect our bodies and our singing? My teacher in Austria used to tell me that the oldest trick in the book, if you were an understudy, was to offer the person in the role a handful of nuts about a half hour before performance. In no time at all, they would be completely unable to sing and you would have your big chance at the stage! I never tried it, but it makes for a good premise for this little chapter on health. I am not a medical doctor. I have been to many. I have several who are my friends and bail me (and my singers) out of precarious situations with our vocal health from time to time. This little chapter on health is not meant for you to take as the Bible of Remedies. It has some suggestions gleaned from many sources and checked out with friends including pharmacists, nurses and physician’s assistant. Do not take my word for any of this. Use it as a reference only. Ask your own doctor for specific diagnoses and prescriptions. Most vocal problems result from 1. Short-term upper respiratory illnesses,

such as cold, flu, sinus, allergies, etc. 2. Gastric issues 3. Vocal misuse and abuse 4. Voice irritants: POLLEN!

5. Inhaled irritants: smoke, chemical fumes 6. Ingested irritants: food, drink, drugs 7. Body irritants: reflux gastritis, phlegm,

adrenalin

When you are sick with an upper respiratory illness, treatment, for the most part, is only to keep you more comfortable while your body fights off colds, flu, sinus, etc. For example, rather than the shotgun approach of simply picking up something over the counter that will cover it all, be specific in your treatment:. Use a cough suppressant for coughing. Use a decongestant to unclog head stuffiness. Use an expectorant to release sub glottal mucus. Use herbal teas for the specific ailments they help. Use an antihistamine in worst-case scenarios (see below). Rest, stay warm, minimize stress, keep humidity at 40 to 50 percent, take vitamins, eat well, stop talking, HYDRATE. If your doctor does not know you are a singer [or speaker], tell him/her. They may be prescribing medication to dry you out not knowing you need something to counter that. Nasal Decongestants may be the least damaging to your vocal folds to keep the secretions to a minimum. Guaifenesin is your friend. This is an expectorant that will help loosen phlegm and thin mucus secretions. It is found in most over-the- counter medications

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Your VoiceOnce your technology is intact, there is the one piece of the presentation that wehaven’t discussed that will literally make or break what the audience hears. That is, ifthey can hear you. Taking care of your voice is even more important than takingcare of your computer or slides, because without your voice, you might need a newcareer. Reprinted with permission from his book, The Perfect Blend: Over 100Seriously Fun Vocal Warm-Ups, this excerpt by Dr. Timothy Seelig provides acomprehensive guide to maintaining, and not straining, your vocal health.

that say “Non-drying.” The best is Mucinex. It is also found in its purest form in Robitussin with no letters. Entex is a name-brand drug that is sometimes given in tandem with drying medication. It contains guaifenesin. Antihistamines: If you are suffering genuine allergies to substances (as opposed to sinus issues or a normal cold), you may indeed need an antihistamine. If so, use only a second-generation antihistamine such as Tavist Allergy (Tavist Sinus is a decongestant). Do not use first-generation antihistamines such as Benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton. These are simply too drying. They not only dry up the problem area but every other single moist fleshy surface in your body, especially the focal folds. The new nose sprays are great for allergies (Astelin, Rhinocort) Recommendation to think about: When you begin having abnormal drainage, feel a cold coming on, have pain or pressure in your head, begin a cough, etc. and it is absolutely necessary to stop or slow it, use one of the accepted medications above at night to keep the continual drainage off your vocal folds during sleep. As soon as you get up in the morning, begin the hydration process to replace the moisture that’s been sucked out of your body by the medication. If you can avoid taking the medication during the day, it would be best. Never take drying medication and then sing for an extended period. You will lose your voice. Nyquil at night is a wonderful thing. Hydration: You cannot drink enough water. Hydration does not happen in the 15 minutes before a lesson or a performance. That is too late. You must drink consistently for several hours prior to singing to make any difference. A drink of water just prior to singing will not affect your vocal folds at all. It just helps with dry mouth. Only gargling will actually affect your vocal folds. Hold water in your mouth until it is body temperature, then gargle to remove thick mucus from the folds. The pharmacist also sells alcohol, a nondrying, noninvasive gargle that can be used as well. (The admonition is to “pee pale.” If your urine is not

as clear as water, you are not drinking enough water). Gastric Reflux: This is the latest diagnosis in probably 50 percent of all voice problems. It is the backward or return flow of stomach contents into the esophagus or throat. LPRD (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease) is reflux that makes it all the way into the back of the throat where it burns the sensitive tissues. Treatment: 1. Get rid of stress in your life. 2. Pay close attention to reactions your body

has to certain foods. This would include spicy, acidic, fatty (fast) foods. It also includes such beloved things as caffeine, alcohol, peppermint and chocolate.

3. Do not eat late at night. 4. Lose weight. 5. Elevate the head of your bed with boards

or bricks. Simply using more pillows is not the best way to elevate your head.

6. Stop smoking. 7. Medications such as proton pump

inhibitors like Prilosec and Nexium may be prescribed.

8. Rolaids and Tums help, but they contain calcium, which causes the stomach to produce more acid to counterbalance it. Gaviscon does not.

Personal Humidifier (not vaporizer): At your local grocery store, you can purchase an individual humidifier. This is an incredible tool when humidifying your entire home is not an option. This is a simple device that provides steam just for you with a mask to cover your nose and mouth. A vaporizer with warm steam can cause problems because they grow mold and are seldom cleaned often enough. PPaarrttiicciippaanntt

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Sinus/Nasal Flush: This is a last resort when things are really, really bad. For many, many years, a simple nasal snort of salt water has been a recommendation. This can also be done with a bulb purchased from the drug store. But for the real deal, here is your last resort. Purchase a disposable Fleet saline enema at the store. Drain and save three quarters of the liquid. Replace with distilled water. Leaning over the sink, or the bathtub, or in the shower leaning over, insert nozzle in one nostril, closing the other off. Squeeze bottle as you inhale through the nose. Hold the liquid inside for a moment. Alternate nostrils until the bottle is empty. This will evacuate mucous as well as eliminate infection. Chicken Soup, Hot Tea, Honey, Lemon, Whisky: These old wives’ tales are pretty much just that. However, they are not completely without merit. Hot liquid passing through the throat causes the blood flow to that area to increase, which in turn speeds healing. Hot drinks are wonderfully soothing. Chicken soup has the

added benefit of nutrients to help fight off the illness. Honey and lemon are tasty and can soothe the back of the throat as well as increase saliva. Whisky really doesn’t do anything except make you not care so much that you are sick. If you are a bad patient, perhaps your caregivers are the ones who need the whisky more. None of these have direct impact on the actual vocal folds or larynx because they travel down the esophagus, not past the folds to the trachea! Hydrate: I know I already said this, but it needs repeating. All caffeine products are drying and will counteract your attempts to hydrate. Pee pale. Emergency: If you are sick and simply must sing in a day or two, ask your doctor for: Medrol Dosepak: Cortisone Z-pak: Antibiotic.



The following is an excerpt on applause from a fellow Academy leader. Do you take your applause?

It was the end of a tremendously polished presentation. The audience burst into applause. The speaker, without even a moment of hesitation, scurried off the stage.

At every one of our Charbonneau Academy monthly programs, one or two of the participants deliver an eight-minute showcase presentation. Almost every speech ends with me reminding the speaker to “take your applause!” It seems there is a bit of an epidemic of speakers ending their speech and then not waiting for the audience to show their appreciation. Please take your applause.

You see, applause is one of the only outlets the audience members have to show that they’ve heard your words, been touched by your stories and moved by your message. Only a small handful of folks will have the time afterward to visit with you. The rest must rely on the long-time tradition of clapping their hands at the end of the speech to enthusiastically let you know how they feel.

What we all have to remember is that from the moment the meeting planner begins your introduction, to the moment the audience begins to leave the room, you are on stage. The audience is watching you and taking in everything you say and do. When you choose to run off before they’ve had a chance to finish the ovation, you’re telling them you don’t value their opinion. You’re saying that the gift they are giving (their appreciation for your expertise, passion and authenticity) is not one you are interested in accepting. You are showing disrespect to the audience.

So, take your moment in the spotlight. Take your applause!

By Gary Rifkin, NSA-North Texas Reprinted with

permission

Take Your Applause





Platform Mechanics Homework

Congratulations on the completion of your PLATFORM MECHANICS Module. Your journey may have begun today or sometime ago. Wherever you began, chances are you now have homework to keep up the momentum.

My homework from this session is:

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Congratulations on the cojourney may have begun today or sometime ago. Wherever you began, chances are you now have homework to keep up the momentum.

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Platform Mechanics HomeworkCongratulations on the completion of your PLATFORM MECHANICS Module. Your journey may have begun today or sometime ago. Wherever you began, chances are you now have homework to keep up the momentum.

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Platform Mechanics Homeworkmpletion of your PLATFORM MECHANICS Module. Your

journey may have begun today or sometime ago. Wherever you began, chances are you now have homework to keep up the momentum.

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mpletion of your PLATFORM MECHANICS Module. Your journey may have begun today or sometime ago. Wherever you began, chances are

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Documents

NSA Speakers Academycontent.nsaspeaker.org/Chapters/Academy/07Platform... · 2014-04-09 · 1. Know your projector. If you use your own projector, there really is no excuse for not