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publications
CW Bulletin
CW Bulletin is the e-newsletter supplement to CW magazine. Sent each month to all members, every issue of CW Bulletin presents articles, case studies and additional resources on timely topics in communication.
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Do You Sound Like a CEO Behind a Microphone?
By Joanna L. Krotz, Microsoft bCentral
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"You have two options when you walk into a room,"
says public speaking expert Richard Levick about the
art of giving speeches. "You can own the room.
Or it can own you."
An attorney and author, Levick runs a 25-person, four-year-old
public relations firm in Washington, D.C. that specializes
in legal clients. Levick Strategic Communications handled
media for law firms on both sides of the presidential
election debacle in Florida, for example. "I give
public speeches all over the world, so I get to hear
lots of speeches. You wouldn't believe how mediocre
some speakers are. They don't think through the process," he says.
Most entrepreneurs find speech making to be either terrifying
or a waste of time. "Too many CEOs see dealing
with the media or making presentations as an interruption,"
says Dian Griesel, founder of the Investor Relations
Group in New York, which represents small companies
to fund analysts and money managers. "But it's
as essential to doing business as customers."
If you can't deliver energetic and commanding speeches,
or polished and articulate interviews, then you're short-circuiting
your company's future. It's time to do something about
it.
The first step, as Levick points out, is to take the
process seriously. Donning a power suit instead of jeans
won't seal the deal, of course. But inept communication,
graceless moves and dress or being unable to put across
your message with convincing confidence can surely lose
it. "Don't underestimate the power of an image," cautions Sherry Maysonave, founder of Austin, Texas-based
Empowerment Enterprises, whose clients include nationally
known political candidates, celebrities and corporate
execs.
So how is a CEO supposed to look and talk? Like you,
actually. Only a heightened version.
Public Speaking Isn't Rocket Science
While your business model might be cutting edge, the
business of communicating is far more basic. Over and
over, media trainers and coaches advise CEOs to learn
how to be themselves while being on public display.
It's not easy.
"Receiving attention causes enormous tension and
paralyzes us," says Laurie Burton who runs Image
Development in Los Angeles and brings 30 years of experience
as an actor to communication coaching. "Most people
don't think they're interesting enough for an audience.
But you need to bring who you are to the speech. You
are the experience."
She tells of a Twentieth Century Fox sales executive
who was referred to her by a career coach. The executive's
speaking style was boring, withdrawn and wooden. "He'd
stand in the 'fig-leaf position,' with his hands clasped
in front of him, and talk," Burton says.
So she asked him what he was passionate about. The answer:
His two young daughters. Burton told him to take out
a photo of his children, hold the picture in front of
him and talk about his little girls.
The sales executive became entirely different. "He
grew passionate and animated. And he made the connection.
He got it," Burton says. That energy carried over
to his national sales conference speech, and he was
a big hit. Says Burton: "You have to trust in your
own ability."
Body language and eye contact communicate far more than
words -- some say 70 percent of all communication is
non-verbal. So don't hide behind tables or podiums. "Move into the audience, Oprah Winfrey-style. Ask
for a remote control for your PowerPoint program and
a clip-on mike and walk through the audience," Levick says.
Other Expert Tips:
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Practice, practice, practice,
but don't memorize. Rehearse your remarks before
a spouse, partner, friends, in the shower. Tape
or videotape your performance and then make corrections.
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Lower the pitch of your voice.
"When people get nervous, their vocal pitch
tends to go upward. That makes them sound unsure,"
says Wendy Weiss, a New York sales trainer.
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"Stick to three key messages,"
says Marilynn Mobley, who runs the Acorn Consulting
Group in Marietta, GA. "CEOs and entrepreneurs
are usually so knowledgeable about their subject
that they speak over the heads of their audience."
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Develop examples or stories for
each point you make. "We remember things
better that move us emotionally," says Susan
Harrow, a media coach and marketer in Oakland, Calif.
"Tap into emotion."
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Create images or pictures, especially
for statistics. "Don't say, 'It's big,'"
advises Levick. "Say, 'It's the size of Mt.
Everest.'" Similarly, don't clutter slides
and presentations with words and numbers -- and
never read from your slides. For a talk about how
legal firms develop branding and identity, for instance,
Levick throws up a picture of a biker with a tattoo
of Harley Davidson on his shoulder -- and no words
at all.
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Smile and be impeccably groomed.
"You need to look like a leader and an expert
on your own services. People like to be associated
with winners," Maysonave says.
Controlling the Interview
Fielding questions from the media and reporters demands
different types of skills. Remember, you're not in
charge. The interviewer gets to package your message
to the groups you want to reach: stakeholders, customers,
investors, the public. You can, however, shape the
story to a large degree.
Mobley also emphasizes ways to influence the message,
or what she calls "the power of bridging phrases."
When you feel a reporter moving on or changing the
subject before you're ready, she advises using specific
phrases to put the interview back on message. Such
as:
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"Before we get off that topic,
let me just add …"
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"Let me put that in perspective."
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"It's important to remember
that …"
Reprinted with permission of Microsoft bCentral.
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