I hope that any one with an enquiring mind will find that this series of articles provides a few answers to many questions connected to hypnosis. It is for anyone who is fascinated by how the mind. The information I share comes from my research into the subject over many years.
Primarily, my research has been centred on how people learn, but inevitably my knowledge has increased in other areas too. One result is that I believe that hypnotism is being ignored as an important natural aid to healing, for no other reason than a lack of understanding of how it works.
The prime purpose of this series of articles, therefore, is to spread knowledge and a basic understanding of hypnotism, in the hope that it will become less marginalized and can be used to better effect for the benefit of everyone.
Let me start by asking this question - Who has seen the wind? Can we see the wind - or do we see only the objects it moves?
Most people accept that there is such a thing as electricity, even though it cannot be seen and is not universally understood. If only the same were true for hypnotism! A remarkable number of people refuse to accept the existence of hypnotism. They feel it is an invisible power, and they certainly do not understand it, so they reject it.
Let me make one thing perfectly clear from the beginning: hypnotism does exist. It is a natural phenomenon common to everyone. We all experience hypnotism on an almost daily basis.
Remember those occasions when you have woken up in a strange room and for a few seconds your brain tries to make sense of the situation? Remember an occasion when you had been watching television and your head had fallen forward and jolted you back to consciousness? During those moments you have experienced a brief state of hypnosis.
It is not magic, voodoo or any of the other crazy titles it is sometimes given. Moreover, it is perfectly safe when used with common sense. It is the misuse by individuals that makes otherwise innocent things dangerous. A ballpoint pen is not dangerous unless someone decides to poke it into the eye of another.
It can be to the benefit of some to keep to themselves knowledge of hypnotism and how it works, or even to shroud it in mystery. Some stage hypnotists, for example, would prefer you to think that they have special powers. Many stage hypnotists have little more understanding of hypnotism than that which you will glean by reading this article. What they have learnt is how to motivate and inspire members of an audience to believe they have a special ability to hypnotise.
The enormous benefits people can gain by having an understanding of what hypnotism is and how it works far outweighs the reasons people often give for maintaining the ‘secret’.
For decades tobacco companies hid the dangers of smoking from the public. It was only by others making people aware of those dangers that they could finally make an informed and intelligent decision as to whether they wished to continue smoking or not.
People-power is now making governments introduce legislation to ban smoking in public places. This only came about because the general public were made aware of the dangers of passive smoking.
It is not by creating mystery that we protect the public. It is by educating them and then giving them a choice.
In article two in this series I will describe how hypnotism was used to motivate and inspire others in history.
Monday, 14 January 2008
Manage, Motivate And Inspire Others - Learn How To (ARTICLE TWO)
Article Two
Use Your Imagination
I am going to ask you to use your imagination to conjure up some mental pictures. We can use them to make some valid points about management techniques.
Picture in your mind an airline pilot. Do you now have an image in your head? Describe him. How does he dress? Is his hair in a particular style? Does he wear a moustache or beard? Think about his uniform. Does he wear epaulets? Now, having created your mental picture, would it be fair to say that all airline pilots tend to look extremely similar? If so why is this?
Hold that thought for a while.
Now imagine a tramp, hobo or drunk lying half awake on a park bench.
Now answer this question. If he were to apply for a career as an airline pilot, would he get the job?
I suspect your answer is no. If this is the case I would now like you to consider why this is.
There is certainly an element of feeling comfortable about how the pilot appears. Most people would prefer to be in total control of their life. Unless you are a trained pilot you will need to relinquish control to some other person and obviously you would prefer that person to be totally reliable and dependable. Certainly not someone that might fall asleep at the controls.
Going back to your mental image of the typical airline pilot - a pilot wears a uniform to indicate he is adequately trained. This badge of office is the epaulet. Gold braid suggests quality. Numerous bars of gold braid indicate rank and experience.
It is hard to imagine the tramp, hobo or drunk making the transformation from Mr Unreliable to immaculate master of the skies. Our opinion of him is heavily coloured by his appearance.
Think about this for a moment. Who would you describe as your best friend? Picture that person now. Now answer this simple question: does your best friend like you?
This seems a blatantly obvious statement, yet it clarifies an important point in human behaviour. We tend to like people that like us. This same rule applies in the work environment. If your employees think you like them, they will like you.
If someone were to tell you that your best friend has been saying unpleasant things about you, then you will quickly begin to question how much you really like your so-called best friend.
Depending on the nature of the information you receive, you may relegate the person from best friend to just friend. If you are particularly low after hearing the comments supposedly said you could go so far as to drop your one time best friend to that of acquaintance.
Think back to the time when you last looked at a group photograph in which you appeared.
Perhaps a photograph taken showing a class you were in at school or university. Who was the first person you look for when initially viewing the picture? I would be surprised if you came up with a name other than your own. Of course you are extremely interested in yourself. We usually love ourselves. If we didn’t do so who would?
Unless our self-love becomes excessive it is perfectly normal. Narcissus was a mystical youth that was in love with his own image when seen reflected in water. To be deemed to be a narcissistic person you are generally considered to be uncaring towards other people and their feelings or needs. Such people tend to favour a ‘me first’ philosophy to the total exclusion of all others. I suspect you do care about others and enjoy the company of a partner or spouse.
Next time you are out and about town take particular attention of young teenage couples. Notice whether they dress in a similar way. Do they have similar physical features?
You will find that very often they do look alike in dress and appearance. You could be forgiven for thinking that they could be mistaken for brother or sister. The only way to be sure that they are not is to see if they are holding hands. Anyone who has teenage children will know from experience that it is impossible to get them to hold hands in public!
I remember my daughter taking her first educational holiday organised by the school. It also happened to be the first holiday without other members of her family.
She telephoned home so excitedly to tell everyone she arrived at the destination, the sun was shining and she was looking forward to a welcome break. After she had spoken to her mother and I, the telephone was passed to her brother who was then in his early teens.
He was at the time in his life where he was reluctant to speak with his sister if at all possible. I insisted he do so in the hope that he might say something nice, like he was missing her. He grudgingly grabbed the telephone to tell his sister, ‘I never knew you had so many interesting girly things hidden in your bedroom’.
Thankfully this awkward stage of adolescence does eventually pass and males acquire a more acceptable relationship and interest in the opposite sex.
People’s interest in potential partners is a fascinating area.
Have you ever considered what attracted you to your partner? Often we will choose a partner or spouse that looks a little like us. I do not mean that my wife wears a beard but that she had similar characteristics to me, which determined my initial interest.
In the United Kingdom teenagers tend to socialise in public bars. Men congregate together, often standing around in small groups and drink beer. Women also tend to socialise in the company of other women.
When I first met my wife it was in a pub in London. She was standing some distance from me chatting to other women. My initial attraction was to her physical appearance. Her nose looked familiar. No wonder, as it was similar to mine.
After the initial introduction pleasantries we then start looking for other similar characteristics. Is the person from a similar social background to me? Are they of a similar intellect, educational level, etc?
Square Pegs and Round Holes
So, in the above section we have run through a wide range of common sorts of behaviour. Now let’s transfer some of what we have been imagining and examining to the workplace. We need to see how the things we subconsciously make assessments on can affect the way we reach decisions and assessments concerning those around us.
It is obviously important to use mainly objective testing against relevant standards when attempting to assess a job applicant’s suitability. How often, in your experience has appearance been part of the criteria used? In its place, as part of an objective recruitment process, appearance has a role to play. Regrettably, I have known recruiters who place an over-emphasis on this aspect and let their personal prejudices skew their assessment of the candidate. It is one thing to have a requirement for a smart, sensible dress code, and quite another to be, for example, totally against all men who wear moustaches, or ladies with white handbags.
Have you ever considered why you were hired for your job? Spend a little time now and think about it.
Unfortunately, on many occasions candidates for a job are selected as they walk through the door of the interview room. As they enter, the interviewer thinks to himself, ‘this is the right person for the job.’ They then waste the next 30 to 45 minutes attempting to find evidence that will justify what was little more than a gut feeling.
Successful managers put some thought into the recruitment process and will understand the need for objectivity in making an assessment.
Let us assume that you have been tasked with finding a replacement for a receptionist who is leaving. Take a few moments at this point to consider what skills and abilities are necessary in the replacement.
You might be thinking along the lines of polite, friendly, reliable, good telephone manner, copes under pressure, works well with others, etc. I am sure you could come up with a much longer list if you spent longer on this.
Of course the one thing managers often lack is time itself. That is why good managers often delegate such tasks to others, who may in fact be better placed to decide the criteria needed.
Let me ask you another question. Whom do you consider to be best placed to list the skills and abilities that are necessary for the job of receptionist?
In many cases, the answer is another receptionist! After all, who knows most about the demands and requirements of the job?
A good manager may well ask employees to list what they consider to be the qualities and skills required for the job that they hold. If you do this as part of an annual assessment program, you will develop a useful insight into how each person sees their job. Naturally, you will need to review the information and adjust it as necessary in the light of your viewpoint as a manager. You may be aware of aspects of the job that you wish to develop in future, for example. If you can put together such a list, you will also have an interview aid that will assist you in checking whether a candidate has the necessary qualities to perform the job.
About the Author
Motivational and inspirational keynote speaker John Bell is recognised throughout the world as an authority on the mind.
He has been speaking professionally for over 25 years. John works full-time as an author and a conference, seminar and convention presenter.
In addition to motivating delegates, he teaches people how to harness the power of positive thought to succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
John is also extremely popular as an after dinner-speaker and has a unique style of delivery in that he often allows the audience to chose the topics of his talks. Only the most experienced of speakers, at the top of their profession, would have the courage, confidence and capability to adopt such a style.
He is the author of over 25 books including How to Manage and Motivate, How to Hypnotise, How to Acquire a Remarkable Memory, and, for those involved in sales, the best seller How to Negotiate.
Learn more about John at his website www.johnbellspeaker.com
Use Your Imagination
I am going to ask you to use your imagination to conjure up some mental pictures. We can use them to make some valid points about management techniques.
Picture in your mind an airline pilot. Do you now have an image in your head? Describe him. How does he dress? Is his hair in a particular style? Does he wear a moustache or beard? Think about his uniform. Does he wear epaulets? Now, having created your mental picture, would it be fair to say that all airline pilots tend to look extremely similar? If so why is this?
Hold that thought for a while.
Now imagine a tramp, hobo or drunk lying half awake on a park bench.
Now answer this question. If he were to apply for a career as an airline pilot, would he get the job?
I suspect your answer is no. If this is the case I would now like you to consider why this is.
There is certainly an element of feeling comfortable about how the pilot appears. Most people would prefer to be in total control of their life. Unless you are a trained pilot you will need to relinquish control to some other person and obviously you would prefer that person to be totally reliable and dependable. Certainly not someone that might fall asleep at the controls.
Going back to your mental image of the typical airline pilot - a pilot wears a uniform to indicate he is adequately trained. This badge of office is the epaulet. Gold braid suggests quality. Numerous bars of gold braid indicate rank and experience.
It is hard to imagine the tramp, hobo or drunk making the transformation from Mr Unreliable to immaculate master of the skies. Our opinion of him is heavily coloured by his appearance.
Think about this for a moment. Who would you describe as your best friend? Picture that person now. Now answer this simple question: does your best friend like you?
This seems a blatantly obvious statement, yet it clarifies an important point in human behaviour. We tend to like people that like us. This same rule applies in the work environment. If your employees think you like them, they will like you.
If someone were to tell you that your best friend has been saying unpleasant things about you, then you will quickly begin to question how much you really like your so-called best friend.
Depending on the nature of the information you receive, you may relegate the person from best friend to just friend. If you are particularly low after hearing the comments supposedly said you could go so far as to drop your one time best friend to that of acquaintance.
Think back to the time when you last looked at a group photograph in which you appeared.
Perhaps a photograph taken showing a class you were in at school or university. Who was the first person you look for when initially viewing the picture? I would be surprised if you came up with a name other than your own. Of course you are extremely interested in yourself. We usually love ourselves. If we didn’t do so who would?
Unless our self-love becomes excessive it is perfectly normal. Narcissus was a mystical youth that was in love with his own image when seen reflected in water. To be deemed to be a narcissistic person you are generally considered to be uncaring towards other people and their feelings or needs. Such people tend to favour a ‘me first’ philosophy to the total exclusion of all others. I suspect you do care about others and enjoy the company of a partner or spouse.
Next time you are out and about town take particular attention of young teenage couples. Notice whether they dress in a similar way. Do they have similar physical features?
You will find that very often they do look alike in dress and appearance. You could be forgiven for thinking that they could be mistaken for brother or sister. The only way to be sure that they are not is to see if they are holding hands. Anyone who has teenage children will know from experience that it is impossible to get them to hold hands in public!
I remember my daughter taking her first educational holiday organised by the school. It also happened to be the first holiday without other members of her family.
She telephoned home so excitedly to tell everyone she arrived at the destination, the sun was shining and she was looking forward to a welcome break. After she had spoken to her mother and I, the telephone was passed to her brother who was then in his early teens.
He was at the time in his life where he was reluctant to speak with his sister if at all possible. I insisted he do so in the hope that he might say something nice, like he was missing her. He grudgingly grabbed the telephone to tell his sister, ‘I never knew you had so many interesting girly things hidden in your bedroom’.
Thankfully this awkward stage of adolescence does eventually pass and males acquire a more acceptable relationship and interest in the opposite sex.
People’s interest in potential partners is a fascinating area.
Have you ever considered what attracted you to your partner? Often we will choose a partner or spouse that looks a little like us. I do not mean that my wife wears a beard but that she had similar characteristics to me, which determined my initial interest.
In the United Kingdom teenagers tend to socialise in public bars. Men congregate together, often standing around in small groups and drink beer. Women also tend to socialise in the company of other women.
When I first met my wife it was in a pub in London. She was standing some distance from me chatting to other women. My initial attraction was to her physical appearance. Her nose looked familiar. No wonder, as it was similar to mine.
After the initial introduction pleasantries we then start looking for other similar characteristics. Is the person from a similar social background to me? Are they of a similar intellect, educational level, etc?
Square Pegs and Round Holes
So, in the above section we have run through a wide range of common sorts of behaviour. Now let’s transfer some of what we have been imagining and examining to the workplace. We need to see how the things we subconsciously make assessments on can affect the way we reach decisions and assessments concerning those around us.
It is obviously important to use mainly objective testing against relevant standards when attempting to assess a job applicant’s suitability. How often, in your experience has appearance been part of the criteria used? In its place, as part of an objective recruitment process, appearance has a role to play. Regrettably, I have known recruiters who place an over-emphasis on this aspect and let their personal prejudices skew their assessment of the candidate. It is one thing to have a requirement for a smart, sensible dress code, and quite another to be, for example, totally against all men who wear moustaches, or ladies with white handbags.
Have you ever considered why you were hired for your job? Spend a little time now and think about it.
Unfortunately, on many occasions candidates for a job are selected as they walk through the door of the interview room. As they enter, the interviewer thinks to himself, ‘this is the right person for the job.’ They then waste the next 30 to 45 minutes attempting to find evidence that will justify what was little more than a gut feeling.
Successful managers put some thought into the recruitment process and will understand the need for objectivity in making an assessment.
Let us assume that you have been tasked with finding a replacement for a receptionist who is leaving. Take a few moments at this point to consider what skills and abilities are necessary in the replacement.
You might be thinking along the lines of polite, friendly, reliable, good telephone manner, copes under pressure, works well with others, etc. I am sure you could come up with a much longer list if you spent longer on this.
Of course the one thing managers often lack is time itself. That is why good managers often delegate such tasks to others, who may in fact be better placed to decide the criteria needed.
Let me ask you another question. Whom do you consider to be best placed to list the skills and abilities that are necessary for the job of receptionist?
In many cases, the answer is another receptionist! After all, who knows most about the demands and requirements of the job?
A good manager may well ask employees to list what they consider to be the qualities and skills required for the job that they hold. If you do this as part of an annual assessment program, you will develop a useful insight into how each person sees their job. Naturally, you will need to review the information and adjust it as necessary in the light of your viewpoint as a manager. You may be aware of aspects of the job that you wish to develop in future, for example. If you can put together such a list, you will also have an interview aid that will assist you in checking whether a candidate has the necessary qualities to perform the job.
About the Author
Motivational and inspirational keynote speaker John Bell is recognised throughout the world as an authority on the mind.
He has been speaking professionally for over 25 years. John works full-time as an author and a conference, seminar and convention presenter.
In addition to motivating delegates, he teaches people how to harness the power of positive thought to succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
John is also extremely popular as an after dinner-speaker and has a unique style of delivery in that he often allows the audience to chose the topics of his talks. Only the most experienced of speakers, at the top of their profession, would have the courage, confidence and capability to adopt such a style.
He is the author of over 25 books including How to Manage and Motivate, How to Hypnotise, How to Acquire a Remarkable Memory, and, for those involved in sales, the best seller How to Negotiate.
Learn more about John at his website www.johnbellspeaker.com
Manage, Motivate And Inspire Others - Learn How To (ARTICLE ONE)
Article One
It is sometimes assumed that some managers, having reached the heady heights of authority, feel that they don’t need to develop their skills. In reality nothing is further from the truth. The fact that you have begun reading this article shows that you understand the need for continual development. Successful managers are invariably the type of people who understand the benefits of advanced training - and it is this knowledge and enthusiasm that will ensure continued success and fulfilment.
Being a good manager is a bit of a balancing act, as you need to be different things to different people. Your loyalty can be pulled this way and that. You are a counsellor, confidant, friend, foe, enforcer, arbitrator and motivator, all before coffee; which leaves the rest of the day to get on with what you employer might call, ‘real work’.
This first in a series of articles by top motivational, inspirational speaker John Bell is intended for anyone who wants to get an overview of some of the most useful management techniques, as practiced by high achievers in many walks of life where teamwork is vital
Although John, for the most part, directed the examples found in the series of articles to the workplace the principles are the same for any place you might wish to motivate others.
Successful management is very much a matter of recognising that success in any situation is achieved through your greatest resource – your people.
Managing others efficiently depends on a good understanding of what makes people tick. The best managers don’t go around bawling and shouting. They have learnt the art of motivation and delegation practised by the documented management gurus. These articles will remind the reader of those principles and then develops the theory even further with useful examples.
We will look at an exciting learning technique called Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Managers, and how to use it to develop a fresh approach to supervising staff.
Building a well-motivated group of employees starts with the recruitment process. We will examine some of the ways that you can approach this vital activity so as to ensure you find the best candidates.
The articles will explains how to encourage and maintain a positive outlook and its importance in securing success.
You will be introduced to a powerful tool called the experiential development cycle and how to use it to constantly improve your own performance.
You will learn how to lead by empowering others.
By the end of the series of articles you will have a better understanding of the people you are responsible for, and I will leave you with some thought provoking ideas and a new determination to improve your working and home environment by becoming a better, motivated, inspirational manager of people.
About the Author
Motivational keynote speaker John Bell is recognised throughout the world as an authority on the mind. He has been speaking professionally for over 25 years. John works full-time as an author and a conference, seminar and convention presenter. In addition to motivating delegates, he teaches people how to harness the power of positive thought to succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
John is also extremely popular as an after dinner-speaker and has a unique style of delivery in that he often allows the audience to chose the topics of his talks. Only the most experienced of speakers, at the top of their profession, would have the courage, confidence and capability to adopt such a style.
He is the author of over 25 books including How to Manage and Motivate, How to Hypnotise, How to Acquire a Remarkable Memory, and, for those involved in sales, the best seller How to Negotiate.
It is sometimes assumed that some managers, having reached the heady heights of authority, feel that they don’t need to develop their skills. In reality nothing is further from the truth. The fact that you have begun reading this article shows that you understand the need for continual development. Successful managers are invariably the type of people who understand the benefits of advanced training - and it is this knowledge and enthusiasm that will ensure continued success and fulfilment.
Being a good manager is a bit of a balancing act, as you need to be different things to different people. Your loyalty can be pulled this way and that. You are a counsellor, confidant, friend, foe, enforcer, arbitrator and motivator, all before coffee; which leaves the rest of the day to get on with what you employer might call, ‘real work’.
This first in a series of articles by top motivational, inspirational speaker John Bell is intended for anyone who wants to get an overview of some of the most useful management techniques, as practiced by high achievers in many walks of life where teamwork is vital
Although John, for the most part, directed the examples found in the series of articles to the workplace the principles are the same for any place you might wish to motivate others.
Successful management is very much a matter of recognising that success in any situation is achieved through your greatest resource – your people.
Managing others efficiently depends on a good understanding of what makes people tick. The best managers don’t go around bawling and shouting. They have learnt the art of motivation and delegation practised by the documented management gurus. These articles will remind the reader of those principles and then develops the theory even further with useful examples.
We will look at an exciting learning technique called Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Managers, and how to use it to develop a fresh approach to supervising staff.
Building a well-motivated group of employees starts with the recruitment process. We will examine some of the ways that you can approach this vital activity so as to ensure you find the best candidates.
The articles will explains how to encourage and maintain a positive outlook and its importance in securing success.
You will be introduced to a powerful tool called the experiential development cycle and how to use it to constantly improve your own performance.
You will learn how to lead by empowering others.
By the end of the series of articles you will have a better understanding of the people you are responsible for, and I will leave you with some thought provoking ideas and a new determination to improve your working and home environment by becoming a better, motivated, inspirational manager of people.
About the Author
Motivational keynote speaker John Bell is recognised throughout the world as an authority on the mind. He has been speaking professionally for over 25 years. John works full-time as an author and a conference, seminar and convention presenter. In addition to motivating delegates, he teaches people how to harness the power of positive thought to succeed in both their personal and professional lives.
John is also extremely popular as an after dinner-speaker and has a unique style of delivery in that he often allows the audience to chose the topics of his talks. Only the most experienced of speakers, at the top of their profession, would have the courage, confidence and capability to adopt such a style.
He is the author of over 25 books including How to Manage and Motivate, How to Hypnotise, How to Acquire a Remarkable Memory, and, for those involved in sales, the best seller How to Negotiate.
Motivating and Inspiring Conference Audiences (Article Two)
ARTICLE TWO
Preparing the talk
Having established exactly what is required, you can then begin the task of preparing your presentation. The best method is to find a large table or desk and clear it of any clutter. Clutter causes calamities!
Take a pad of ‘Post-it’ notes (small sheets of note paper with a not-too-sticky glue patch on the rear side) and begin brainstorming - one idea per sheet.
As an example: perhaps you have been asked to give a talk with the title, ‘How New Improved Widgets Can Power-up Your Profits!’ You already have the title - next you need to think about the aim or objective of the presentation. The client has perhaps stated he wants delegates to leave the conference having acquired two or three key ideas that they can put into practice back in their place of work.
Write the title on a ‘Post-it' and stick it in the middle of the table or desk. Note key ideas on another three notes. You can now start your brainstorming session. Anything connected to your title should be written in brief note form on a ‘Post-it’ and positioned around the title. As you continue the title gets surrounded by other words or phrases describing the object of your talk and its attributes. In this case, it might be New - Improved - Quality - Price Advantage.
During this brainstorming don’t disturb the free flow of your ideas by focusing too much on a particular thought or idea. Just write brief notes, and stick them on your work surface. Getting into an analysis at this stage of whether or not a particular sub-topic should be included stifles the flow of good ideas. By all means try to place your notes next to related ideas so they form groups that represent a particular theme. By the end of your brainstorming session you should have a table covered in ‘Post-its’.
Time to cull
Assuming you have made some order of your ‘Post-it’ ideas, you must then begin culling them. I use the word culling because it can be hard to do away with ideas that you have nurtured. To watch some people perform this phase of the development of a talk you would think they were being asked to sacrifice living creatures! Of course, all you are doing is some objective editing. Get rid of anything that is not central to the objectives of your talk. It has to be done otherwise, all that you achieve will be a talk that clouds important points with an overload of information.
Worse still, you are likely to overrun your allocated time - much to the annoyance of your client, the chairperson for the day, and especially the next speaker, who will have to cut short their presentation because of your inconsideration.
At the same conferences the chairperson will discretely indicate to the speaker how much time is left with a show of fingers. If you overrun your allocated time four fingers drawn across the throat means you are unlikely to be invited to speak at the next conference!
Take an objective look at your notes. Consider the information carefully. If the content is not totally relevant, then remove the note. Discard material that you are not totally comfortable with. Check the agreed title. Does the information remaining on the table lie comfortably in the topic? Are you meeting the aims and objectives of your talk?
If you are unsure whether your client would or would not prefer a particular topic be addressed in your presentation - check. Just one phone call could be the difference between you getting additional work with that particular client in the future, or no!
Creating order
It is now time to create some a degree of order from your ideas. Every conference speech should have the same structure. The rule is exactly the same whether you are writing a book, a song or a talk. All talks or presentations must have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Your presentation should flow naturally, like a river on its journey towards the sea. Giving the talk structure aids your delivery, and also improves audience comprehension and enjoyment.
The beginning
The beginning of a talk needs to achieve two things. Firstly, you have to establish audience attention. This can be as simple as introducing yourself, saying how honoured you are to address the meeting. Such pleasantries are familiar and allow the audience to settle down and get used to the sound of your voice. Do not be tempted to try anything dramatic, such as making sudden movements or a loud sound. This is a crude way of grabbing attention and will not win you any friends in the audience. Secondly, you need to spend a few minutes, no more, on something that does not require too much mental agility from your audience. Including a few words on the history of your topic creates interest, covers familiar ground, and allows your listeners to appreciate by contrast how significant current advances are.
By way of example - I once gave a talk on a medical theme, and began by reflecting how only 100 years had passed since depression was being treated by cutting holes into the head of the poor patient to reduce pressure, it was though at the time to allow the escape of undesirable elements and facilitate recovery.
If you had found that fact interesting so probably would your delegates. By developing interest early you start to whet the appetite of your audience and it allows the talk to smoothly flow into the present day.
One last thing about opening your talk - never apologise! It does not matter if you think you have something to apologise about, never do it. If you have arrived a little late, the lighting or microphone has failed, your visual aids are a little poor, or the break-time coffee was cold, leave it to the chairperson to make the apology. You need to start on a positive note and nothing should detract from that.
The middle
The main part of your talk - this is where you ensure that you present the core points. However, this section requires its own special kind of introduction. It even has its own name - the ‘gestalt’. This is a German word for which a rough translation in this context would be ‘overview’. The most common textbook definition of a gestalt is ‘a whole which is larger than the sum of its parts.’
You need to tell the audience, in advance, and in brief summary, what you are about to tell them! It seems a slightly odd thing to do, but people listen better, and retain more, when they have a broad view of the direction you intend to take them.
In practical terms, you are creating an awareness of what is intended, and this awareness allows active co-operation. You will find that any audience reacts badly to a speaker who sets off without giving an overview.
As the bulk of this series of articles is concerned with how to deliver your talk, I am not going to say much more here other than this: be natural - talk to your audience as if they were your best friends. Of course, you will be using all sorts of presentation skills and techniques, but the point I am making is that the audience should feel that you are addressing each one of them as an individual. Be sure to make eye contact, and see to it that those at the back and the sides get their fair share of your attention.
The very best public speakers look as though they are behaving completely naturally - that is their consummate skill. They have learned how to make technique invisible, leaving only the personality and the message to shine through.
The end
Perhaps the most important lesson here is to make certain that you finish within your allocated time. You will have practised your speech, but bear in mind that it always takes longer to deliver for real than it does in front of the bedroom mirror. It is plain bad manners, and very unprofessional, to run over your time.
If there is no clock at the back of the hall, then take your watch off and place it where you can easily see it - on the lectern or table. Make sure that you are not seen to be checking it. Surreptitiously looking at your wristwatch is not the thing to do. You need to appear to be timing your speech as though you are using an internal body clock.
The imminent closing of your speech needs to be signalled to the audience. This gives them a chance to ease down their attention a little, and perhaps, if you intend to allow time for questions, gives them an opportunity to think of something appropriate.
The ending can take several forms. A popular one is to summarise the main points you have made. Another is to tell a little story. This needs to be appropriate and relevant, and if humour is appropriate, this is a good time to use it.
One technique that I use is to end a presentation with some thoughts for the future. This is when you can re-emphasise the points that your client has asked you to be sure to make. By doing a thorough job of getting the agreed aims and objectives across to the audience, you can dramatically increase the likelihood of future repeat work from that particular client.
Beware of falling into the trap of making the ending too long. I have lost count of the number of speakers I have heard who say something like, ‘ . . and in conclusion . .’, only to drivel on for another five or ten minutes.
When you get to the end - stop!
Do not be tempted to use the ending to get over a point you missed, or to say something unrehearsed. Simply thank the audience and the person chairing the event step back, and wait for the applause.
In Article Three I will be describing effective use of visual aids.
Preparing the talk
Having established exactly what is required, you can then begin the task of preparing your presentation. The best method is to find a large table or desk and clear it of any clutter. Clutter causes calamities!
Take a pad of ‘Post-it’ notes (small sheets of note paper with a not-too-sticky glue patch on the rear side) and begin brainstorming - one idea per sheet.
As an example: perhaps you have been asked to give a talk with the title, ‘How New Improved Widgets Can Power-up Your Profits!’ You already have the title - next you need to think about the aim or objective of the presentation. The client has perhaps stated he wants delegates to leave the conference having acquired two or three key ideas that they can put into practice back in their place of work.
Write the title on a ‘Post-it' and stick it in the middle of the table or desk. Note key ideas on another three notes. You can now start your brainstorming session. Anything connected to your title should be written in brief note form on a ‘Post-it’ and positioned around the title. As you continue the title gets surrounded by other words or phrases describing the object of your talk and its attributes. In this case, it might be New - Improved - Quality - Price Advantage.
During this brainstorming don’t disturb the free flow of your ideas by focusing too much on a particular thought or idea. Just write brief notes, and stick them on your work surface. Getting into an analysis at this stage of whether or not a particular sub-topic should be included stifles the flow of good ideas. By all means try to place your notes next to related ideas so they form groups that represent a particular theme. By the end of your brainstorming session you should have a table covered in ‘Post-its’.
Time to cull
Assuming you have made some order of your ‘Post-it’ ideas, you must then begin culling them. I use the word culling because it can be hard to do away with ideas that you have nurtured. To watch some people perform this phase of the development of a talk you would think they were being asked to sacrifice living creatures! Of course, all you are doing is some objective editing. Get rid of anything that is not central to the objectives of your talk. It has to be done otherwise, all that you achieve will be a talk that clouds important points with an overload of information.
Worse still, you are likely to overrun your allocated time - much to the annoyance of your client, the chairperson for the day, and especially the next speaker, who will have to cut short their presentation because of your inconsideration.
At the same conferences the chairperson will discretely indicate to the speaker how much time is left with a show of fingers. If you overrun your allocated time four fingers drawn across the throat means you are unlikely to be invited to speak at the next conference!
Take an objective look at your notes. Consider the information carefully. If the content is not totally relevant, then remove the note. Discard material that you are not totally comfortable with. Check the agreed title. Does the information remaining on the table lie comfortably in the topic? Are you meeting the aims and objectives of your talk?
If you are unsure whether your client would or would not prefer a particular topic be addressed in your presentation - check. Just one phone call could be the difference between you getting additional work with that particular client in the future, or no!
Creating order
It is now time to create some a degree of order from your ideas. Every conference speech should have the same structure. The rule is exactly the same whether you are writing a book, a song or a talk. All talks or presentations must have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Your presentation should flow naturally, like a river on its journey towards the sea. Giving the talk structure aids your delivery, and also improves audience comprehension and enjoyment.
The beginning
The beginning of a talk needs to achieve two things. Firstly, you have to establish audience attention. This can be as simple as introducing yourself, saying how honoured you are to address the meeting. Such pleasantries are familiar and allow the audience to settle down and get used to the sound of your voice. Do not be tempted to try anything dramatic, such as making sudden movements or a loud sound. This is a crude way of grabbing attention and will not win you any friends in the audience. Secondly, you need to spend a few minutes, no more, on something that does not require too much mental agility from your audience. Including a few words on the history of your topic creates interest, covers familiar ground, and allows your listeners to appreciate by contrast how significant current advances are.
By way of example - I once gave a talk on a medical theme, and began by reflecting how only 100 years had passed since depression was being treated by cutting holes into the head of the poor patient to reduce pressure, it was though at the time to allow the escape of undesirable elements and facilitate recovery.
If you had found that fact interesting so probably would your delegates. By developing interest early you start to whet the appetite of your audience and it allows the talk to smoothly flow into the present day.
One last thing about opening your talk - never apologise! It does not matter if you think you have something to apologise about, never do it. If you have arrived a little late, the lighting or microphone has failed, your visual aids are a little poor, or the break-time coffee was cold, leave it to the chairperson to make the apology. You need to start on a positive note and nothing should detract from that.
The middle
The main part of your talk - this is where you ensure that you present the core points. However, this section requires its own special kind of introduction. It even has its own name - the ‘gestalt’. This is a German word for which a rough translation in this context would be ‘overview’. The most common textbook definition of a gestalt is ‘a whole which is larger than the sum of its parts.’
You need to tell the audience, in advance, and in brief summary, what you are about to tell them! It seems a slightly odd thing to do, but people listen better, and retain more, when they have a broad view of the direction you intend to take them.
In practical terms, you are creating an awareness of what is intended, and this awareness allows active co-operation. You will find that any audience reacts badly to a speaker who sets off without giving an overview.
As the bulk of this series of articles is concerned with how to deliver your talk, I am not going to say much more here other than this: be natural - talk to your audience as if they were your best friends. Of course, you will be using all sorts of presentation skills and techniques, but the point I am making is that the audience should feel that you are addressing each one of them as an individual. Be sure to make eye contact, and see to it that those at the back and the sides get their fair share of your attention.
The very best public speakers look as though they are behaving completely naturally - that is their consummate skill. They have learned how to make technique invisible, leaving only the personality and the message to shine through.
The end
Perhaps the most important lesson here is to make certain that you finish within your allocated time. You will have practised your speech, but bear in mind that it always takes longer to deliver for real than it does in front of the bedroom mirror. It is plain bad manners, and very unprofessional, to run over your time.
If there is no clock at the back of the hall, then take your watch off and place it where you can easily see it - on the lectern or table. Make sure that you are not seen to be checking it. Surreptitiously looking at your wristwatch is not the thing to do. You need to appear to be timing your speech as though you are using an internal body clock.
The imminent closing of your speech needs to be signalled to the audience. This gives them a chance to ease down their attention a little, and perhaps, if you intend to allow time for questions, gives them an opportunity to think of something appropriate.
The ending can take several forms. A popular one is to summarise the main points you have made. Another is to tell a little story. This needs to be appropriate and relevant, and if humour is appropriate, this is a good time to use it.
One technique that I use is to end a presentation with some thoughts for the future. This is when you can re-emphasise the points that your client has asked you to be sure to make. By doing a thorough job of getting the agreed aims and objectives across to the audience, you can dramatically increase the likelihood of future repeat work from that particular client.
Beware of falling into the trap of making the ending too long. I have lost count of the number of speakers I have heard who say something like, ‘ . . and in conclusion . .’, only to drivel on for another five or ten minutes.
When you get to the end - stop!
Do not be tempted to use the ending to get over a point you missed, or to say something unrehearsed. Simply thank the audience and the person chairing the event step back, and wait for the applause.
In Article Three I will be describing effective use of visual aids.
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