By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

So you’ve been invited to be interviewed on TV or on a webcast for the first time. You’re excited and nervous! What can you do to prepare for this kind of situation so that you look and sound your best?

1. Prepare answers for the questions. Call the producer or the interviewer in advance to ask if you can get the questions that will be asked. Think in sound bites – I usually suggest that people speak an answer aloud and then rewrite it afterwards. Then you don’t have to worry about memorizing the exact wording from the start, but simply tweak the answer you would more naturally generate. Remember, you don’t want to talk for too long – 30-45 seconds is a fairly long answer.
2. Make up the questions. If you can’t get the questions in advance, compose a list of 10-15 questions and prepare answers for them. Doing this will mean that you are better able to improvise on camera because you will have thought through your content in advance.
3. Rehearse and tape yourself in advance. Try to re-create the set you will be on (sit or stand based on the show) and get a friend to role play with you. You can record yourself using a webcam. Nervous gestures like lip biting or fidgeting will show up immediately and you can practice focusing on eliminating them. Don’t forget to breathe before you speak!
4. Choose your wardrobe carefully. Wearing white close to your face washes you out on camera, fabrics with tight patterns like checks, stripes, herring bone and hounds tooth have a vibrating jumpy effect on the TV screen, and shiny or noisy bracelets/dangling earrings create audio and visual distraction. Go easy on the lip gloss or you’ll look like an 80’s throwback.
5. Dial-Up your energy. Although the camera visually expands us by 10 pounds, it also tends to compress our energy. In order to look engaging and interesting you need to be aiming for a delivery energy of an 8 on a scale of 1-10. You may feel like you are acting like Grover on Sesame St. but if you tape yourself then review it with the volume off, you will discover that you actually don’t look as crazy as you feel. (Makes you wonder what being around Ty Pennington must be like in real life!)

Hope to see you on YouTube!

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

Superbowl Sunday was over two weeks ago and although I’m not a sports fan, I know for certain what happened before the kick-off took place: Both teams warmed-up in order to play their best game.

I believe that giving a presentation is no different from a sporting event because it’s a physical event. You don’t just communicate with your mouth – you use your whole body and presence. So what can you do to warm-up before a presentation?

Stretch and Bend. To avoid muscle stiffness and locked knees it’s a good idea to do some side bends, calf stretches…anything that you might do before other sports to get the blood flowing. I often start at the top of the body with neck rolls and shoulder circles and arm stretches. Your gestures will be much more relaxed and you will feel more comfortable gesturing with your arms away from your body than if you are tight in the pecs and upper body.

Face Off.  Nothing like a blank, expressionless face at the front of the room delivering good news on the 4^th quarter sales results to inspire the troops. Facial relaxation exercises are important because sitting in front of a computer all day doesn’t encourage eyebrow, mouth and cheek movement. Say “Bee-Boh” slowly over and over while exaggerating your facial movements –make a wide smile on “Bee” and a long fish face on “Boh.” Do not do this in front of your audience.

Untie Your Tongue. My favorite tongue exercises are as follows: Count from 1-10, recite the days of the week and the months of the year while holding the following positions: biting the tip of your tongue so that only the back of your tongue can move, placing your tongue over your lower teeth and behind your lower lip as if you had a poppyseed stuck in your teeth, and hanging your tongue out of your mouth like Gene Simmons from KISS. (Have I just dated myself?) Doing these exercises will help relax and limber up your tongue so that if you have an early morning conference call you won’t sound slushy.

Just Breathe. Take in 3 or 4 slow breaths while sitting in crash position in a chair. You’ll feel your belt dig into your stomach. You’ll feel your ribs expand. Now sit up slowly and take 3 breaths while sitting up. This should calm you down.

Now get out there and win!

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

One of my favorite shows was (and still is) Sesame Street. The producers of Sesame Street have mastered the art of understanding what interests their audience (children)  and then delivering content to them in a clear and creative way. Are there ways to use the power of Sesame Street to improve the way you communicate with your audience?

Keep it Simple

 One of the most appealing aspects of this program to kids is that it talks to them at their level. Researchers found that when too many characters were involved in a scene or there were concepts that were too advanced for the target age range, kids would stop watching and play with their toys or tune out altogether. In today’s modern work environment, your co-workers’ busy brains appreciate when messages are clearly stated with plain language and the benefits are made plain. We’re in overwhelm much of the day – your slide deck shouldn’t make it worse.

2.      Use Visuals

 Sesame Street without visuals would be like a brownie without chocolate (can you tell it’s mid-winter as I write this?). What kind of props, pictures, movies or audio could you use to create more interest in what you are saying? I’ll never forget a Native American client of mine who opened a conference presentation on Aboriginal entrepreneurship by holding up a small dream catcher. In Native culture, he explained, they are used to capture dreams as we sleep. He then held up a dream catcher that was 3 feet wide and covered in beautiful, large feathers and told the audience he wanted them to dream big about the possibilities of their future and to use this conference to inspire them to dream these dreams. Powerful opening, relevant visual, big impact.

3.      Know The Street

Perhaps you have to communicate with an Oscar the Grouch in your office. If so, you know that you have to thoroughly think through all the objections and weak links in your arguments and present them up-front to demonstrate your thoroughness. Maybe you need to communicate with Grover who is so wired and distracted that your best bet for holding his attention is having a meeting while walking down a hallway. Remember: just because Cookie Monster and Grover are blue and furry doesn’t mean that we should talk to them the same way.

Did someone say cookie?

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

Probably the most common question I get asked by presenters is “What do I do with my hands?” Many people wave them around all the time while they talk while others clasp them modestly in front of them like a virtual fig leaf.  Some people are completely oblivious about what their hands are doing – like the man I coached once who had no idea that he had given the finger to his audience when counting off a series of ideas with one hand!

So what to do with your hands when presenting?

Aim high. If you are at a podium and want to gesture, you’ll have to gesture from your chest up to your head zone if your audience is going to actually see the gestures. For example, if you are counting on one hand, hold your hand high up to the side (not in front of your face) and hold it steady while you count off your points.

Do Karate. Rather than using soft, curved hand shapes and fluid movements (which are fine but tend to be more feminine and not as powerful) experiment with flat, straight hands and definitive gestures. For example, imagine you are holding a box in front of you with your elbows close to your body and your hands out straight – like a bad robot impersonation. If you were to say “It is CRITICAL…” you could then do a slight chopping motion with both your hands firmly and briefly as if you were putting the box on a table in front of you to emphasize the word CRITICAL.

Don’t point. Pointing at people makes you look like an angry librarian. Instead, use a flat open hand palm up and extend your arm just shy of its full extension to the person you are indicating.

Befriend your navel. The best place to park your hands when you are not using them is right about navel level. Folded, fingers lightly interlaced or clasped is fine. Choose what feels best for you. If it feels weird to hold them here, practice by holding a laptop at this level while talking. Then repeat without the laptop – your muscles will stay engaged and you won’t feel as awkward.

 And after you present, use your hands to give yourself a pat on the back!

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

On a cold day this past December I stood on Yonge St. and watched the Olympic flame as it passed by on its way downtown.  Seeing this symbolic act made me reflect on the importance of symbolism in communication and thought I would write a series about its importance and how you can use it to your advantage.

Body Position and Stance

If you are presenting to a U shaped set-up room, moving into the centre of the U to talk to the group can symbolically create more rapport and connection than if you stay at the front of the room close to the podium or the slide screen. On a large stage getting close to the edge of the stage can also signal intimacy, even if there are several hundred people in the room.

Standing during a presentation creates a more formal and authoritative impression. Clients often tell me that they prefer to sit because they feel less nervous and vulnerable. If they are trying to establish their credibility, especially among senior management who might be present, I encourage them to stand except when to do so would be seen as a disrespectful challenge to tradition or precedent. I have also deliberately used sitting when teaching my workshops when I have wanted to downplay my authority and get the participants to take the lead.

Sitting doesn’t always mean relinquishing power however. Years ago I was teaching a group of accountants and one of them, a man in his 40’s, was about to give his presentation to the group for feedback. I had noticed that he had been limping a bit through the morning – probably a weekend warrior who had a rough time on the soccer field I thought to myself. I had already stressed the importance of standing and posture when speaking when he approached me privately and asked if he might prop himself up by sitting on the table as he spoke. To my credit I listened to my gut I said yes and asked no questions. He then went on to make the most impactful presentation of the day about his battle with Multiple Sclerosis. He sat. He was powerful.  He was an Olympian in his own way. And in spite of breaking the “rule” he had us symbolically standing in awe.

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

Ahhh…cottage life: lake, sand, lemonade, and… pitch writing? Well yes -my friend Collette had joined me on vacation when the chance to pitch her services by email to a prospective client arose. This required a trip into town to access Wi-Fi for her and Kawartha Dairy ice cream for me. Yum! So I was motivated to help her.

Where do I start with a pitch? In her book “Words That Change Minds” by Shelle Rose Charvet , Shelle asks

“What will trigger a person into action? Do they move toward an objective or away from problems to be solved or prevented?”

This distinction can make a huge difference in how your message is received. People with a Toward pattern in a given context (and these patterns are very context-specific: you can be one, the other or a bit of both depending on the situation) are goal-focused. If you are a Toward pattern you will be stimulated by words like:

            have, get, achieve, attain, include, maximize

If you are an Away From pattern you are probably good at troubleshooting and words like

            avoid, prevent, eliminate, solve, get rid of, minimize

will resonate with you.

The prospective client had mentioned she wanted to

1. Attract more clients

2. Add on to their existing offerings

3. Increase cash flow through product sales

My verdict: this was a Toward pattern we were dealing with. The problem is that sometimes you can’t be certain whether someone is a Toward or Away From pattern. According to Shelle,

            40% of people are mainly Away From

            20% are equally Toward & Away from

            40% are mainly Toward

So it’s best to hedge your bets and use both kinds of language.

And what was my motivation in wanting to assist in this pitch-writing scenario? One was that I wanted to avoid spending the whole day watching my friend stress about writing the pitch while on vacation (Away From). I also mentioned earlier that it was necessary to go into town in order to email it and that meant a trip to the ice cream store which I definitely wanted (Towards). So the next time you’re asking your Significant Other to do something for you or you are trying to persuade your boss on a course of action try these patterns out. Depending on your motivation pattern you’ll get more success or reduce the chance of failure!

By Aurea Crotty

Imagine all you needed to do to achieve your greatest aspirations and realize your full potential was to reframe the words you use.

Can you recall every good moment that has ever happened to you?

According to Yvonne Oswald, author of Every Word Has Power: Switch On Your Language and Turn On Your Life, your subconscious does and will remind you of all those great moments just by meditating on the word good.

The reason for this, Yvonne tells us, is that each key word has a frequency, an energy that transcends beyond the word itself into an emotion which affects our physical and metaphysical existence.

“Powerful high-energy words such as excitement, joy, success, or love, vibrate higher and faster, thus increasing your “I feel good” feelings. Low-energy words, particularly words that have negative emotional associations such as sadness or guilt, resonate at a lower frequency. They make you feel less than great by literally lowering your energy levels. In fact, 20 percent of the words you use have strong emotional undertones, which cause you to react either negatively or positively.”*

Here are some common phrases we have all used, I have highlighted the “Key Words” our subconscious hears and reacts to:

No Problem

It just so hard

I’m so angry

I hate this

I feel sick

We can reframe these statements with high-energy words:

My pleasure

It’s just not easy

I’m not happy

I don’t love this

I don’t feel well

The idea is not that we are trying to rid ourselves of human emotions which include anger and frustration, but rather how we choose to handle and articulate them to our inner-self.

You may be wondering about the use of the words “Not” or “Don’t”. The subconscious mind does not know how to process “negative commands”

“Do not think of a white elephant. Do not think of a white elephant with pink spots –dancing on a stage. Do not remember the number 167. Which number are you not to remember? Your unconscious cannot process what is not. It simply responds to the key words you give it”.*

Some more food for thought…be cognizant of how you talk about other people as your subconscious mind believes you are talking about yourself!

The influence our words have on our emotions and life is a remarkable insight into our psyche and existence. Our perspective and outer expression of our mindset has everything to do with our experiences and success.  

Let us know what you think…do you think the words we use and think can change our life?

*Yvonne Oswald, Every Word Has Power: Switch On Your Language And Turn On Your Life. New York: Atria Books 2008.

I thought this book was a great read and has changed how I communicate! If you would like to read more click here

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

As we approach the middle of the summer many people are looking to the fall to resume a focused job-search and go for interviews. And successful interviews rely on your ability to talk positively about yourself.

Many people get hives when thinking about self-marketing. “I don’t want to look like an egomaniac” or “I don’t want to come across as bragging” are common concerns.

First of all, it is my general impression that the average Canadian female has a self-esteem deficit the size of Denmark when it comes to accurately appraising her value. Second, the intention behind your self-marketing (see Intention Paves the Way to Success for more on intention) is not to prove your superiority but to engage people and to let them get a positive, accurate view of your activities. People are going to make their own judgments anyway – why not give them good material to work with?

So here are 2 simple things you can do to make sure you communicate your greatness:

1. Minimizing is for Pores

“Just” is one of the words that falls into the category of “minimizer” along with “sort of” “I guess” and “kind of.”

E.g.

I guess that my greatest strength is…

Well, I just oversaw this 3 million dollar product launch…

I sort of pioneered the use of this system nationally…

Don’t think that only Valley Girls talk this way – I have heard literally hundreds of people including managers and executives pitch themselves in a minimizing or ambivalent-sounding way.

2. There is no “I” in “we”

One of the by-products of the corporate focus on teamwork is that people avoid using the word “I” when describing their accomplishments. Why? Fear of being branded “not a team player.” Even when *you* are the one who initiated the sales process, came up with the idea, or organized the database it is more than likely you are hiding your accomplishments behind the “we.” Try detoxing slowly, combining the 2 words in a 50/50 ratio so that you accurately communicate your true contribution along with your peers.

The bottom line for your interviews:  Avoid minimizers and you will maximize your impact!

Want to get some hands on experience and coaching from Liz?

Check out our Boot Camp this Fall

By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

In my last article I talked about how women can undermine their credibility when presenting by being so serious that they look like an “Angry Teacher.” This is a problematic situation to resolve because what works for men doesn’t always translate well for women at the front of the room. For example, in one study on the subject of smiley-ness,  pictures of unsmiling women were decoded as a sign of unhappiness while pictures of unsmiling men were seen as a sign of dominance. So then we should smile a lot, right?  Here’s the catch: too much smiling makes us appear unauthoritative and subservient. So what’s a gal to do when presenting to hit the right note?

Match Emotion to Subject

I will often hear a presenter say “The first quarter results are up 30%” and I will ask them “Is that good news or bad news?” They will usually look incredulous and say “Good news, of course!” The problem was that from the way they said it, I couldn’t tell the difference!  I encourage my clients to actually decide on an emotion for each slide or section of their presentation in advance so that they can practice communicating the emotion vocally AND visually  e.g. Slide 1 – Enthusiastic Slide 2 – Concerned Slide 3 – Frustrated Slide 4 – Proud etc. You can then choose strategically where a smile, or a furrowed brow, or raised eyebrows would help emphasize a point. Cammie Dunaway, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing at Nintendo’s E3 2009 press conference made  the mistake or being serious, sober and statistical for a gaming company launch – an event that gave her licence to be enthusiastic and more on the playful side.

Philosophical Professor vs Angry Teacher

One of the tips I often give to both men and women is to adopt a more philosophical tone when delivering a presentation. The vocal intonation that you would use for pondering “I wonder what would happen if…” is the kind of feeling I’m suggesting. Keep it light, not preachy. Alternate this tone with moments of conviction/passion and you will come across as more neutral and detached, thus preventing your audience from feeling like they are on the receiving end of a hard-sell or a scolding.

No Hand Jive

Waving an index finger or pointing can be perceived negatively by both male and female audience members. And using your hands too much when you talk can be distracting and reduce the impact of what you are saying. The Fix:  Practice presenting while holding a yellow pages or something equal in size and weight at navel level. Feel the heaviness at your centre and plant your feet firmly on the floor about 1’ apart. Then repeat without the phone book keeping your hands at waist level either clasped, or holding fingers lightly (watch Entertainment Tonight or The Weather Network for how on-air hosts do this). Now you are grounded and your hands are ready to gesture when needed.

Feel free to smile as much as you want when your audience applauds your passionate delivery – you deserve it!

Want to get some hands on presenting experience and coaching from Liz -Check out our Boot Camp this Fall