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Las presentaciones conversacionales: un diálogo con la audiencia

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Las presentaciones conversacionales: un diálogo con la audiencia

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Me gusta más hablar de "presentación conversacional" o "charla" en vez de "presentación" a secas, porque me hace pensar en un espacio de intercambio, donde el "orador" también escucha, también indaga. Si bien, en la etapa de preparación, podemos y debemos investigar quién es la audiencia (cómo son, qué les interesa, qué están esperando, qué formación tienen, cómo van a recibir lo que les vamos a decir), no hay momento más valioso para conocerla que el momento en que la exposición empieza y estás ahí frente a ellos.

El ida y vuelta con la audiencia comienza desde la preparación de lo que vamos a decir, pero se afianza en el momento de empezar, cuando mostramos nuestro interés por ellos; cuando, más allá de los tiempos planificados, sabemos priorizar lo importante para nosotros (ese nosotros inclusivo, donde están ellos y yo, donde nuestro mensaje se termina de moldear). Por eso es bueno comenzar haciéndoles preguntas, aquellas que te sirvan para conocerlos más, que te permitan estar más cerca de ellos, que te den pistas sobre quiénes son realmente y cómo podés ayudarlos, cómo podés hacer para que tu mensaje ancle en ellos de una forma personal.

Además, cuando los hacemos hablar de una forma auténtica, porque les hacemos preguntas en las que les demostramos nuestro interés, ellos se involucran y ─mágicamente─ nuestros nervios desaparecen. Dejamos de estar expuestos para estar con ellos, y lo único importante, entonces, es cómo moldear nuestro mensaje para que llegue de la mejor forma a ese grupo en particular. Los grandes oradores sintonizan con la audiencia, como directores de orquesta, le dan matices al discurso: emocionan, calman, comprometen, hacen reír, hacen pensar. Pueden hacer que la gente empatice con ellos y sus causas.

Los mensajes se completan con la audiencia, con ella se terminan de moldear. Y para esto es bueno que el orador use las preguntas desde el inicio, y abra el canal para que el diálogo surja. Y no solo hay diálogo con palabras, también hay diálogo con miradas, posturas, silencios. Tan importante como preparar nuestro mensaje es aprender a interactuar con las audiencias, aprender a hacer las preguntas importantes para ellos y para nosotros, aprender a escucharlos, aprender a leer sus caras, entender sus tiempos.

Si comenzamos con las preguntas importantes para indagar y saber a quién le estamos hablando, debemos continuar con el canal abierto para que ellos nos puedan preguntar en cualquier momento. La regla: "Las preguntas al final" es para congresos, jornadas, convenciones donde el tiempo es limitado y la audiencia multitudinaria. En una típica presentación, en un curso o en una clase, es contraproducente que nuestra audiencia no pueda interactuar cuando lo necesite. Estamos ahí para ellos, no para nosotros; ¿de qué sirve nuestro mensaje si realmente no les llega a ellos? En caso de que sean difíciles, hostiles, inesperadas, podremos lidiar con ellas de distintas formas; pero este punto lo dejo para otro artículo.

Si te acostumbrás a dialogar, vas a necesitar que pregunten, que se expongan, que cuestionen. Es mejor un cuestionamiento dicho que uno no dicho, nos da la oportunidad de un ida y vuelta, de que nuestro discurso se complete con el otro, que no sea un monólogo que zarpe para naufragar.

De los cuadros de este artículo

El encuentro

Buscando imágenes para este artículo, encontré este cuadro de Johannes Itten. Ya no sé cómo llegué a él, había puesto en el buscador: pregunta, puente, audiencia, sintonía, ida y vuelta. ¡No se imaginan la cantidad de imágenes que vi! Una vez que lo encontré, no me convenció ninguna otra.

En el cuadro veía nítidamente ese ida y vuelta, el diálogo de los colores, la complementariedad, y ese signo de pregunta que había buscado ansiosamente.

Me sorprendió que se llamara "El encuentro", porque estaba en sintonía con lo que yo quería decir. Aunque no había usado la palabra encuentro en texto, estaba subyaciendo todo el tiempo. No hay ida y vuelta si no hay encuentro, si no logramos conectarnos.

El otro cuadro también es de Ittem. Lo saqué de Theosophy and Bauhaus. No encontré cómo se llama, pero seguiré buscando. Si sabés su nombre, te agradezco el dato. Me gustó por el juego de perfiles y su yuxtaposición. En el encuentro con la audiencia, ni imponemos ni perdemos nuestras identidades: dialogamos.

Published By

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De presentaciones conversacionales, charlas, e ida y vuelta

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Me gusta más hablar de "presentación conversacional" o "charla" en vez de "presentación" a secas, porque me hace pensar en un espacio de intercambio, donde el "orador" también escucha, también indaga. Si bien, en la etapa de preparación, podemos y debemos investigar quién es la audiencia (cómo son,

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Muy buenos consejos de Esmeralda Diaz-Aroca

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Muy buenos consejos de Esmeralda Diaz-Aroca

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Si alguna vez tuviste que proponer una solución a un problema y no supiste cómo escribirla o presentarla, acá te cuento un orden de ideas muy bueno para argumentar y persuadir. Rápidamente pone al receptor en tema, dándole la información procesada. Si lográs internalizar el esquema, podrás desarrollar rápidamente las comunicaciones y serás más persuasivo.

Veamos un ejemplo del orden lógico en acción:

A veces, somos ingenuos a la hora de comunicarnos, ya sea cuando hablamos o escribimos. Caemos en la mala práctica de no pensar estratégicamente las comunicaciones, porque creemos que alcanza con decir la verdad y porque nuestra formación en cómo persuadir y convencer es deficiente. El riesgo es que no logremos convencer, involucrar, llevar adelante nuestros proyectos, que no nos registren como profesionales, que nos dejen hablar solos o escribir textos que nadie lea. La solución es aprender a diseñar estratégicamente las comunicaciones. Y para eso, la organización de ideas es clave.

Si te fijás en el ejemplo anterior, tenemos las cuatro partes de este orden: problema, causa, riesgo y solución. No sé si las notaste cuando estabas leyendo el párrafo o si te dejaste llevar por la hilación de las ideas. Una característica de este orden es que las ideas fluyen de una forma lógica y fácil de entender.

Veamos ahora otro ejemplo, que podría ser el cuerpo de un mail:

Actualmente, estamos recibiendo un promedio de 10 reclamos semanales de clientes ( problema) porque no entregamos los equipos dentro de las 48 horas ( causa). La competencia está entregando dentro de ese plazoy estamos corriendo el riesgo de perder 80 clientes por mes ( riesgo). Por lo cual, proponemos, revisar, en conjunto con el área de Entregas, el proceso actual para mejorarlo y evitar los retrasos ( solución).

Podríamos expandir este ejemplo con datos que ilustren cada uno de estos elementos; pero la esencia del mensaje y la secuencia sería la misma.

Cuando tengas que proponer una solución a un problema existente, pensá primero estas cuatro preguntas que te llevarán a desarrollar tu mensaje:

1. ¿Cuál es el PROBLEMA?

2. ¿Cuál fue la CAUSA que lo provocó?

3. ¿Qué va a pasar si no lo solucionamos? ¿Qué es lo que queremos evitar que pase? (RIESGO)

4. ¿Cuál es la SOLUCIÓN que proponemos?

¿Qué detalles hay que tener en cuenta para aplicar este orden?

Lo primero que hay que hacer es identificar el alcance del problema a tratar porque estamos mencionando varios problemas: la causa fue un problema y el riesgo va a ser un problema. Por otro lado, si te cuesta identificar cuál es el alcance del problema, pensá cuál es la solución que vas a proponer (problema y solución funcionan como dos caras de una misma moneda). Te recomiendo que, antes de redactar un texto con este orden, te hagas un esquema de cuál es el problema; cuál, la causa; cuál, el riesgo; y cuál, la solución. Esto evitará que se mezclen en el momento de la escritura.

Por otro lado, nunca pierdas de foco quién es tu receptor. Saber quién es, qué piensa, qué objeciones y sentimientos tiene respecto de lo que vas a comunicar te va a servir para definir si abordar la causa o no, y elegir el riesgo que te permita convencerlo de adoptar la solución.

Hace poco, unos docentes de primaria me contaban un caso puntual que habían tenido con un grupo de chicos de segundo grado que eran agresivos (problema) porque no tenían recursos para trabajar con sus emociones (causa). En la reunión de padres habían tenido que convencer a los padres para que, juntos con el colegio, ayudaran a los chicos a manejar sus emociones (solución).

Situación difícil de exponer si tenés en cuenta todas las suceptibilidades que entran en juego en este tipo de comunicación (a ningún padre le gusta escuchar que su hijo de 7 años es agresivo). Además, los docentes sabían que esos mismos padres eran quienes generaban y validaban la agresión con los comentarios negativos que les hacían a sus hijos de los otros niños. Sin conocer a esos receptores, es fácil imaginarse que podrían sentirse amenazados y querrían protegerse (los agresivos son los otros, nunca mi hijo, y menos si eso implica que yo tenga cierta responsabilidad de que no sepa manejar sus emociones).

El caso daba perfecto para este orden, porque hay un problema y una solución (las dos caras de la misma moneda que hablaba antes); hay una causa concreta que puedo decir sin herir suceptibilidades: no saben manejar las emociones (acá no me conviene entrar en el tema de por qué no saben); y hay un riesgo concreto que me puede ayudar a convencer a los padres.

Si tenés en claro qué es lo que más le duele a tu receptor, vas a saber cuáles son los riesgos más apropiados para comunicar. Para convencer a los padres, podríamos decir que la emoción no encauzada (la agresión) puede generar grandes problemas a corto plazo, desde imposibilidad de compartir, colaborar, interactuar hasta problemas académicos, incluso la posibilidad de que en algún momento pasen de la agresión verbal a la física. Ahora estamos a tiempo de resolver un problema que sería enorme si lo dejamos avanzar (riesgo).

Tenemos que conocer al otro para saber cuál es el riesgo que nos va a permitir convencerlo. Si el padre es consciente de la emocionalidad de su hijo, quizás alcance con decirle que esto lo está haciendo sufrir y le impide crecer sano. No obstante, este riesgo puede ser insuficiente para convencer a un padre agresivo. En este caso, tendremos que apelar a otros tipos de riesgo: que lo suspendan, que no aprenda, que lo expulsen, que en el futuro no consiga trabajo, que termine siendo un delincuente y podríamos seguir, pero no hace falta apelar a tanto; es más, estos últimos podrían hacernos perder credibilidad.

Tené en cuenta que siempre hablamos del riesgo que queremos evitar que pase; lo que ya está pasando es parte del problema. Si volvemos al terreno de las empresas, los riesgos que convencen son económicos, por ejemplo, cuánta plata vamos a perder. Mi consejo es que no des por sentado los riesgos; en general son conocidos y uno cree que el receptor los tiene presentes, pero si realmente fuera así, ya hubiera actuado. El riesgo o lo que queremos evitar que pase es una razón poderosa para actuar. No dejes que el receptor la deduzca, decísela directamente.

Según el tipo de trabajo que tengas, puede ser que ya conozcas este orden. Los consultores suelen utilizarlo cuando ya vienen trabajando en un proyecto y detectan nuevos problemas, para los cuales proponen soluciones. Las áreas de Seguridad lo usan cuando analizan los accidentes y proponen soluciones para evitar más accidentes a futuro. Las auditorías suelen usar este orden con otras palabras: observación, riesgo, recomendación. En este caso no suelen indicar la causa, pero el esquema sigue siendo el mismo.

Desde mails a propuestas escritas u orales, este orden te permitirá aclarar tus ideas para transmitir tu mensaje de forma persuasiva. La secuencia lógica es un hilo argumental fácil de seguir y focaliza solo lo importante, y profesionalizará tu comunicación (no serás alguien que no sabe cómo decir las cosas, que va y viene sin orden, sino alguien que tiene las cosas claras y dice lo que es necesario para convencer al receptor con datos reales). Te aseguro que incorporar este orden para las comunicaciones escritas y orales es un diferencial.

Si tenés algún ejemplo en que lo hayas usado, te invito a compartirlo en los comentarios. Es una buena forma de que los que aún no lo conocen puedan incorporarlo.

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Organización de ideas: un camino para ir del problema a la solución

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Si alguna vez tuviste que proponer una solución a un problema y no supiste cómo escribirla o presentarla, acá te cuento un orden de ideas muy bueno para argumentar y persuadir. Rápidamente pone al receptor en tema, dándole la información procesada.

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Un ejemplo concreto de cómo usar mensajes en los títulos.

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Un ejemplo concreto de cómo usar mensajes en los títulos.

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At SlideRabbit, we help our clients communicate their ideas more clearly. Titles, or headlines, are a crucial element to making better presentation slides. Titles should communicate your main point and the takeaway to the audience. Here are three tips to make sure your titles are working for you.

Don't label

Using the title space to label the content is a missed opportunity. Titles that simply label are redundant to the content below.
The title is typically the biggest text on the slide, use it as a headline.
Be argumentative

Instead of labeling, use the headline to argue the point. What should the audience conclude from the content? What do you want them to take away?
Use the title space to make your argument unmistakeable.
Be concise

Reduce wordiness in headlines so that your content can stand out and prove the point.
Aim for pithy, memorable writing.
Need help making better presentation slides or tuning up your headlines? Drop us a line.

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3 Tips on Titles for Better Presentation Slides

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3 Tips on Titles for Better Presentation Slides At SlideRabbit, we help our clients communicate their ideas more clearly. Titles, or headlines, are a crucial element to making better presentation slides. Titles should communicate your main point and the takeaway to the audience.

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Usé esta presentación en un encuentro virtual de Chicas TIC. Tiene los principales pasos para planificar una charla que conecte con la audiencia

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Usé esta presentación en un encuentro virtual de Chicas TIC. Tiene los principales pasos para planificar una charla que conecte con la audiencia

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Ejemplo de Elevator Pitch para presentarte tú o un proyecto

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Pixar is arguably one of the greatest storytellers of our generation.

Over the years, they've won 13 Academy Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 11 Grammys.

Effective storytelling involves a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology in order to truly move an audience.

Luckily, storytelling is something we all do naturally, starting at a very young age. But there's a difference between good storytelling and great storytelling.

I recently stumbled across Pixar's 22 rules of storytelling - here are the top six we can all learn from.

"Storytelling is the greatest technology that humans have ever created." - Jon Westenberg

1. Great stories are universal

Great storytelling is about taking a piece of the human condition (so things like birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict) and conveying it in a unique situation.

Acclaimed Pixar director Pete Docter puts it perfectly:

"What you're trying to do, when you tell a story, is to write about an event in your life that made you feel some particular way. And what you're trying to do, when you tell a story, is to get the audience to have that same feeling."

One way you can do this is to pull apart the stories you like.

Break down every little element about what you love about them. Those are real feelings you're having and you have to recognize them in detail in order to tell a great story yourself.
In other words, self knowledge and awareness are at the the root of all great storytelling.
You are part of the human condition and people will relate to that.

2. Great stories have a clear structure and purpose
Part A (Structure)
One of my favorite ways to develop a compelling story is to use " The Story Spine " formula created by professional playwright and improvisor Kenn Adams.

Pixar has used this story structure to create so many films we know and love today.

It goes:
Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].
The Story Spine - Emma Coats

Give the Story Spine a shot to help develop a truly unique story to tell.
Part B (Purpose)
As Pixar writes:

Why must you tell THIS story?

What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of?

What greater purpose does this serve? What does it teach?

That's the heart of really great storytelling.
By crafting a story that you are passionate to tell because it serves a real purpose, your stories will have bigger impact on the world.
I think that gets lost a lot of the time.

3. Great stories have a character to root for (an underdog)

Believe it or not, people want to root for you (the main character).

AND they love a good underdog.

This might seem straightforward but it's worth keeping in mind anytime you're creating a story.

Pixar explains that we as the audience admire a character for trying more than for their success. In other words, it's more about the character's journey than it is their actual destination.

When your character is battling against all odds, facing adversity, or their back is against the wall, well then, you have yourself the makings of great story.
In our modern society, for example, everyone loves a good "rags to riches" story. How many times has Forbes published an article about the fearless entreprenuer that dropped everything, almost failed dozens of times along the way, yet still managed to create a multi-million dollar business?

Give the people an unexpected hero to root for.

4. Great stories appeal to our deepest emotions

Psychologists generally agree that there are six basic emotions: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise.

If you ever watched the Pixar movie Inside Out, you'll recognize these emotions as characters in the movie.

The more you understand how/when your own emotional levers are pulled, the more you'll appreciate how that works in other people (and the more you'll be able to hone those emotions in your stories).

Consciously being to recognize these various emotions in yourself -and think about the "why".
Why are you feeling a certain way? How might you be able to take the "why" behind your emotions and tell a story?
Continuously question yourself in order to understand your own emotional reactions to stories so that you can learn to tell more authentic stories that reach and move people where it counts.

5. Great stories are surprising and unexpected

We've all seen the classic "fairytale" storyline: a helpless princess in need and a charming prince swooping in to save the day.
Boring (and totally outdated). What makes modern stories compelling are when our perceptions of reality are challenged or changed in some way.
Creators like Pixar and Walt Disney use animated movies as vehicles to address real-life phenomenons, issues, stereotypes, and norms.

Movies such as Brave, Coco, Tangled, and Moana help us to understand and reflect on big, human-centered topics that we might not otherwise take time out of our day to think about.

Many times those topics or themes are surprising and unexpected, leaving the audience thinking about the story well after it is over.

If you're stuck on coming up with something truly unique, Pixar recommends to get rid of the 1st thing that comes to mind - and then the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.

Challenge yourself to dig deep.

6. Great stories are simple and focused

We as audiences know a good story when we see or hear one.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where you had to keep asking yourself (or someone else) what was happening in the plot?

Not a great experience.
As creators, we naturally want to include as much information as possible in our stories. We want to pack the story full of characters and plot twists and dialogue.
And often times we might not even realize that we're adding layers that don't need to be there.

Pixar's advice here is to "combine characters and hop over detours."

While you as the creator may feel like you're losing lots of valuable stuff, it'll set you free in the end and will allow your audience to get lost in the narrative.

One way to find out if your story is easy to follow is to tell it to a friend or family member who has never heard it before. Watch their face as you read it and try to see where they pause and what questions they might have.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

22 Rules for Storytelling by Pixar
6 Rules for Great Storytelling originally appeared on the Buffer Podcast:

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6 Rules of Great Storytelling (As Told by Pixar)

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Effective storytelling involves a deep understanding of human emotions, motivations, and psychology in order to truly move an audience. Luckily, storytelling is something we all do naturally...

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En este post del blog Manner of Speaking, John Simmer, comparte la facililtación gráfica de su Escuela de verano de retórica. 

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En este post del blog Manner of Speaking, John Simmer, comparte la facililtación gráfica de su Escuela de verano de retórica. 

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Este es el link al primero de una serie. Los ejemplos de facilitación gráfica son excelentes.

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On 6 June 2019, I had the pleasure of giving a workshop on public speaking and presentations skills in Hämeenlinna, Finland, at the Summer School of Rhetoric. It is an excellent event, held every summer, at a beautiful location in the idyllic Finnish countryside. It was my second time speaking there; the first was in 2014 when I gave a keynote address.

The event is held over two days. On the first day, there is a workshop for approximately 30 or so people. The second day is a full day of keynotes related to public speaking. It is informative and a great networking opportunity for 250 to 300 people.

The Summer School of Rhetoric, which is bilingual (Finnish-English), was founded by my friend, Antti Mustakallio. He has done a terrific job at developing it and making it a sought-after event in Finland every year.

Among the participants in my workshop was the talented Linda Saukko-Rauta, a graphic recorder who works with businesses to producing real-time “sketchnoting”, animated videos and strategic illustrations. She made some wonderful sketches of the different themes that I discussed during my workshop. I thought I’d share them with you here.

Over the coming days, I will post Linda’s sketches. While I don’t expect everything in them to be clear if you did not attend my workshop, you should still get a sense of what I covered (and how good Linda is).

Today’s sketch is about preparation and some of the key issues you always need to think about before you deliver a speech or presentation.

For the next sketch in the series, please click here.

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Sketches from my workshop on public speaking and presentations skills in Hämeenlinna, Finland, at the Summer School of Rhetoric.

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Excelente este video de Alicia Ro para pensar la comunicación en público

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Excelente este video de Alicia Ro para pensar la comunicación en público

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Descubre el tipo de Comunicación en Público que triunfa

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Me encanta este artículo de Art Markman. ¿Cómo hacer para que la gente recuerde más nuestra presentación?

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Me encanta este artículo de Art Markman. ¿Cómo hacer para que la gente recuerde más nuestra presentación?

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Tres claves concretas.

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Getting an Audience to Remember Your Presentation

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Designing better presentations with cognitive science.

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Excelente artículo de Carmine Gallo sobre la retórica aristotélica (cómo persuadir cuando hablamos en público)

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Excelente artículo de Carmine Gallo sobre la retórica aristotélica (cómo persuadir cuando hablamos en público)

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Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century. The ability to persuade, to change hearts and minds, is perhaps the single greatest skill that will give you a competitive edge in the knowledge economy - an age where ideas matter more than ever.

Some economists believe that persuasion is responsible for generating one-quarter or more of America's total national income. As our economy has evolved from an agrarian to an industrial to a knowledge-based one, successful people in nearly every profession have become those capable of convincing others to take action on their ideas. Think about the role of persuasion in our daily lives:

Entrepreneurs persuade investors to back their startups.

Job candidates persuade recruiters to hire them.

Politicians persuade people to vote for them.

Leaders persuade employees to take specific plans of action.

CEOs persuade analysts to write favorable reports about their companies.

Salespeople persuade customers to choose their product over a competitor's offering.

In short, persuasion is no longer a "soft skill"- it is a fundamental skill that can help you attract investors, sell products, build brands, inspire teams, and trigger movements. Persuasion is so important to billionaire Warren Buffett that the only diploma he proudly displays in his office is a public-speaking certificate from a Dale Carnegie course. He once told business students that improving their communication skills would boost their professional value by 50% - instantly.

Words and ideas created the modern world, and words and ideas have the potential to make you a star in your field, as long as you can persuade someone else to act on them. Following the tactics of one ancient Greek philosopher can help.

More than 2,000 years ago Aristotle outlined a formula on how to master the art of persuasion in his work . Many great communicators have used it throughout the ages to deliver some of the most influential speeches, presentations, and share their ideas with the world.

To become a master of persuasion yourself and successfully sell your own ideas, try using these five rhetorical devices that Aristotle identified in your next speech or presentation:

1) Ethos or "Character"

To me, ethos represents the part of a speech or presentation when your audience gains some insight into your credibility. Aristotle believed that if a speaker's actions didn't back their words, they would lose credibility, and ultimately, weaken their argument.

For example, in a now famous TED Talk on reforming the criminal justice system, Human Rights Attorney Bryan Stevenson begins, "I spend most of my time in jails, in prisons, on death row. I spend most of my time in very low-income communities in the projects and places where there's a great deal of hopelessness." You'll notice that Stevenson does not list his degrees, accomplishments, and awards like he might on a résumé. Instead, he establishes his character for those in the audience who don't know him. By doing so, he is building a sense of trust between himself and his listeners.

As humans, we are hardwired to search for reasons to trust another person, and we do so quickly. After all, our ancestors had an instant to determine whether a stranger was friend or foe. A simple reminder that you are committed to the welfare of others will build your credibility before you lay out your argument.

2) Logos or "Reason"

Once ethos is established, it's time to make a logical appeal to reason. Why should your audience care about your idea? If it will save your audience money, for example, they'll want to know how much it will save them and how the savings will be accomplished. The same reasoning applies to making money. How will your idea help your listeners earn a profit? What steps do they have to take next? These are all logical appeals that will help you gain support. Use data, evidence, and facts to form a rational argument.

3) Pathos or "Emotion"

According to Aristotle, persuasion cannot occur in the absence of emotion. People are moved to action by how a speaker makes them feel. Aristotle believed the best way to transfer emotion from one person to another is through the rhetorical device of storytelling. More than 2,000 years later, neuroscientists have found his thesis accurate. Studies have found that narratives trigger a rush of neurochemicals in the brain, notably oxytocin, the " moral molecule " that connects people on a deeper, emotional level.

In my analysis of 500 of the most popular TED Talks of all time, I found that stories made up 65% of the average speaker's talk, wheres 25% went to logos, and 10% went to ethos. In other words, the winning formula for a popular TED talk is to wrap the big idea in a story.

What kind of story? TED curator, Chris Anderson, explains, "The stories that can generate the best connection are stories about you personally or about people close to you. Tales of failure, awkwardness, misfortune, danger or disaster, told authentically, hastens deep engagement." The most personal content is the most relatable.

4) Metaphor

Aristotle believed that metaphor gives language its verbal beauty. "To be a master of metaphor is the greatest thing by far," he wrote. When you use a metaphor or analogy to compare a new idea to something that is familiar to your audience, it clarifies your idea by turning the abstract into something concrete.

Let's return to the example of Warren Buffett, one of the savviest practitioners of persuasion. Buffett rarely gives an interview without using metaphor to make his point. When you hear investors say they look for companies surrounded by a moat, for example, it's a reference to a popular metaphor he established. Buffett has said repeatedly that he looks for companies that are "economic castles" surrounded by moats that make it hard for competitors to enter the industry.

More recently, Buffett gave a speech at the 2017 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, stating that the growth in healthcare spending is the "tapeworm" of the American economy. Through this visceral metaphor, Warren accurately described a serious problem eating away at the foundation of our economic system. Buffett didn't have to explain what happens when the tapeworm grows bigger. Newspapers and blogs covering the event used "tapeworm" in their headlines.

Those who master the metaphor have the ability to turn words into images that help others gain a clearer understanding of their ideas - but more importantly, remember and share them. It is a powerful tool to have.

5) Brevity

Here again, Aristotle was ahead of his time. "Aristotle had discovered that there are fairly universal limits to the amount of information which any human can absorb and retain," writes Kings College professor Edith Hall in Aristotle's Way. "When it comes to persuasion, less is always more."

Brevity is a crucial element in making a persuasive speech. An argument, Aristotle said, should be expressed "as compactly and in as few words as possible." He also observed that the opening of a person's speech is the most important since "attention slackens everywhere else rather than at the beginning." The lesson here is: start with your strongest point.

The good news for communicators is that Aristotle believed that persuasion can be learned. In fact, according to Hall, he was viewed as "quite threatening" to the political class in ancient Greece when he made the tools of rhetoric available to the masses. They wanted to keep the formula a closely held secret. But Aristotle wanted everyone to have access to it. He championed the idea that a person's ability to speak and write well, and to use rhetorical devices to change another's perspective, could unleash human potential and maximize happiness. While the tools we use to communicate ideas have changed in the past two thousand years, the human brain has not. The same formula that worked then will work now.

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The Art of Persuasion Hasn't Changed in 2,000 Years

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More than 2,000 years ago Aristotle outlined a formula on how to become a master of persuasion in his work Rhetoric. To successfully sell your next idea, try using these five rhetorical devices that he identified in your next speech or presentation: The first is egos or "character."

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Aristóteles explicado muy claro por Nacho Téllez.

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Aristóteles explicado muy claro por Nacho Téllez.

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Ethos, Pathos, Logos. La retórica de Aristóteles para persuadir | Nacho Tellez

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Hace 2.300 años Aristóteles escribiió Retórica, un libro dónde mostraba los secretos de la persuasión. ¿Quieres saber qué significa ethos, logos y pathos?

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Un clásico: si solo pudieras leer un libro sobre Oratoria. Sin lugar a dudas, es este el indicado. Existe en español, aunque en Argentina no se consigue. Pero la versión multimedia vale la pena (tiene links a videos).

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I'm so excited to release a free multimedia version of my book Resonate. As the first author to release a business book on interactive platforms, I'm hoping to change the way readers experience content.

I understand the media conundrum authors are facing: visual books are extremely popular, but publishers haven't figured out how to turn them into compelling digital experiences. I found that there wasn't one single distribution platform that works on desktop and devices that's easy to build in or to use. We're in an era when publishers need to become their own agencies, and agencies need to be publishers. I believe so deeply in presenting content in a way that's customized to the reader that I decided to offer this version of Resonate free of charge.

The multimedia version includes immersive video, beautiful graphics, audio, quizzes and interactive widgets that let you interact with the analysis of famous speeches.

My hope is that as you dig in and get caught up in the power of story, you'll be changed like I was when I wrote it.

Click here to explore the book!

Receive a complimentary eCourse module: After reading Resonate, put your skills to the test and dive into creating your own presentations by accessing a module from the new Duarte eCourse. Sign up here to receive a free enrollment key.

Watch an interview with me about the release:

Learn more about the unique features of the multimedia version of Resonate:

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FREE Multimedia Version of Resonate - Duarte

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I'm so excited to release a free multimedia version of my book Resonate. As the first author to release a business book on interactive platforms, I'm hoping to change the way readers experience content. I understand the media conundrum authors are facing: visual books are extremely popular, but publishers haven't figured out how to turn them [...]

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Si te gusta TED, ni lo dudes. Chris Anderson desarrolla todos los temas con muchos ejemplos de TED.

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Si te gusta TED, ni lo dudes. Chris Anderson desarrolla todos los temas con muchos ejemplos de TED.

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Storytelling según un guionista de Pixar.

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Storytelling según un guionista de Pixar.

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Filmmaker Andrew Stanton (“Toy Story,” “WALL-E”) shares what he knows about storytelling -- starting at the end and working back to the beginning. Contains graphic language ... (Note: this talk is not available for download.)

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Cómo ser asertivo.

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Elevator pitch. Tienes 20 segundos - eduCaixa

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En las vídeoreuniones, como en las presenciales, hay quien brilla, influye en el resto, dirige acertadamente o hace aportaciones memorables. Y hay otros que pasan desapercibidos, que parecen simples espectadores obligados o evidencian su desconocimiento del medio. ¿De qué tipo eres tú?

Hemos migrado masiva y obligatoriamente al entorno virtual e incluso los más torpes, los escépticos y los detractores se han sumado a la práctica de las videoreuniones.

Es un buen momento para adaptarse al medio y ganar presencia e influencia.

Te digo cómo.

1.    Prepara la reunión. Como debería ser siempre. Pero ahora más. Estudia los temas a tratar. Si eres quién la convoca y dirige, tener un orden del día y los temas bien trabajados es inexcusable.

2.    Escribe tus comentarios y opiniones. Piensa tus preguntas. Elige bien las palabras y las frases para que sean claras, concretas e impactantes. Puedes tener tu guion, esquema o lista de frases en la mesa, a mano para cuando las necesites.

3.    La puntualiad es sagrada. Llegar tarde es imperdonable en cualquier reunión pero en las virtuales es mucho más evidente y no hay excusa. Si la tienes, entonces avisa al moderador para que informe a los demás de tu incorporación más adelante.

4.    Preséntate, si hay muchas personas y no las conoces. Ten claro qué vas a decir y no improvises.

5.    Participa en la reunión cuando sea oportuno, haz preguntas y comentarios para mostrar que estás escuchando, demostrar tu interés e implicación en el tema. Utiliza el chat para proponer temas, comentar o pedir la palabra.

6.    Habla claro y alto, en un tono de presentación y no de conversación privada. Sin muletillas, dudas, retrocesos, rodeos innecesarios… esto podrás haacerlo si cumples con los puntos anteriores y entrenas tu voz, dicción y seguridad en el habla.

7.    Habla a la cámara. No mires el teclado del ordenador ni la cara de tus compañeros. Para que ellos vean que les estás mirando tienes que dirigirte a la cámara. Los rostros que tú ves no son personas, son pura ilusión óptica. Alterna la mirada a cámara con examinar la expresión de sus rostros para saber cómo reciben la información y escanear su actitud y emociones.

8.    Concéntrate. Apaga el sonido del móvil y apártalo de tu vista.

9.    Garantiza la confidencialidad. Aunque hay situaciones complicadas ahora mismo en casa y también en espacios de trabajo compartidos, deberíamos acostumbrarnos a reunirnos virtualmente en espacios privados y confidenciales. Ver cómo pasan por detrás parejas, niños, compañeros, etc. no da sensación de privacidad a los demás asistentes en la reunión.

10. Aprovecha las ventajas del micro. Conéctalo cuando sea necesario o déjalo en “mute” para evitar que se oigan sonidos de ambiente u otras conversaciones de la sala donde estás.

11. Aprende a compartir ficheros, imágenes y gráficos para apoyar tus intervenciones.

12. Elige un buen fondo. Que sea lo más profesional -o neutro, por lo menos- posible. Ni hablar de fondos virtuales con playas del Caribe.

13. El plano perfecto. No cortes tu cabeza. Ni por arriba ni por por los lados. No te coloques muy lejos de la cámara. La pantalla debería encuadrar tu cabeza la parte superior del tronco. Si se ve el pecho, ya estás demasiado lejos.

14. Ilumina bien tu rostro. No te pongas en un rincón oscuro o a contraluz. Si tu rostro es de facciones muy suaves puedes maquillarte discretamente para resaltar tus ojos (también si eres chico). Evita brillos secándote con un pañuelo o con polvos matizadores.

16. Vístete para la cámara y para tus compañeros de reunión. Aunque estés en casa estás trabajando: por lo tanto procura dar la imagen más profesional y adecuada a tu sector. Utiliza colores que te favorezcan y que te permitan destacar.

17. No comas ni bebas (agua, se admite). No es momento de la merienda. Es una reunión de trabajo. Y aquí no se puede compartir ni se puede invitar.

18. Controla tus gestos. Se ven mucho más en presencial. No olvides que los demás te ven en primer plano. Y, sobre todo, no te toques, rasques, juegues con tu pelo. Hay una falsa sensación de estar en casa y solo que nos puede traicionar.

Y un último consejo que, aunque parezca mentira, es necesario para muchas personas. Me lo ha recordado Juan David Lozano y lo transcribo a continuación:

19. "Sonreír. Debemos ser conscientes de la expresión que transmitimos en cada momento y de ser coherentes con la conversación. Si estamos pendientes de nuestra sonrisa nos daremos cuenta en seguida de cuándo hay que ponerse serios o transmitir una concentración extra en un momento concreto."

Lo cierto es que las reuniones virtuales pueden ser mucho más productivas que las presenciales pues se eliminan muchas distracciones y los diálogos particulares.

Cuando te acostumbras a esta tecnología y al nuevo escenario, incorporas nuevas rutinas a tu comunicación profesional. Y este es un buen momento para ganar visibilidad y autoridad en las reuniones.

Si eres mujer y quieres ganar más visibilidad y autoridad en todo tipo de situaciones profesionales te interesa este training gratuito.

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Todo lo que tienes que dominar para tener más presencia y buena imagen en una videoconferencia múltiple

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En las vídeoreuniones, como en las presenciales, hay quien brilla, influye en el resto, dirige acertadamente o hace aportaciones memorables. Y hay otros que pasan desapercibidos, que parecen simples espectadores obligados o evidencian su desconocimiento del medio.

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Un artículo mío sobre cómo  mirar a tu audiencia

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Un artículo mío sobre cómo  mirar a tu audiencia

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¿Qué nos cuentan las miradas de Cary Grant y Roslind Russell?Seducción, complicidad, atracción. Un mensaje que se construye entre dos. Si pensamos en la mirada de los oradores (imaginémonos charlas, presentaciones o cursos con poca gente), cómo debería ser esta mirada para que el mensaje no fuera unidireccional, para que la audiencia estuviera atrapada en el fluir de la charla, involucrada en el mensaje, construyéndolo junto al orador.

En los talleres de oratoria se habla mucho sobre si conviene mirar o no mirar a la audiencia. Están los que dicen que se desconcentran si miran; los que creen que incomodan; los que no son conscientes de qué hacen con los ojos; los que solo miran a los que les generan confianza; los que no miran a los que están haciendo algo (por ejemplo, usando la computadora o el teléfono, porque creen que "ya están perdidos"; los que miran la frente en vez de los ojos; los que simulan mirar enfocando a la audiencia, pero no mirando a nadie; los que miran la pantalla en vez de a la gente.

A veces sentimos que, si no miramos, nos preservamos de la exposición, parece que podemos escondernos y guardarnos dentro de nosotros (como cuando los chiquitos se esconden tras sus manos y creen que nadie los ve), pero estamos ahí, expuestos, frente a todos, y lo único que logramos es perdernos la oportunidad de estar con ellos.

No hay como la mirada correspondida, esa mirada que nos dice que están con nosotros y nosotros estamos con ellos, la mirada de la conexión, donde demostrás qué tanto te importa el otro y lo mirás para atraerlo a tu territorio, para incluirlo en tu discurso, para que él sepa que le dedicás tu mensaje. Esa mirada de conexión que lo compromete, lo atrapa, que te vincula, que comunica más allá de las palabras. Esa mirada que te calma, porque completa tu mensaje, le da sentido a lo que estás diciendo, porque te da una devolución. Esa mirada que te dice que no estás solo en el frente, sino que estás con ellos.

Benjamin Zander, en su charla Ted, dice:

El director de una orquesta no emite sonido... su poder depende de su habilidad para hacer poderosos a otros... Descubrí que mi tarea era despertar posibilidades en otros. Y por supuesto quería saber si lo estaba haciendo. ¿Y saben cómo se descubre? Mirándolos a los ojos. Si sus ojos están brillando, sabes que lo estás logrando. Benjamin Zander, charla TED: The transformative power of classical music

Y Benjamin Zander atrapa al público con su mirada, entusiasma, posibilita, dedica, cuenta con ellos. Y el mensaje ya no es exclusivo del orador, el mensaje es de todos, del que habla, y del que recibe y devuelve con su mirada.

Cuando exponemos, no hay que mirar porque debemos hacerlo, hay que mirar para demostrar que nos importan, para ver cómo llega el mensaje, para involucrarlos, comprometerlos, atraparlos, para demostrarles lo importante que ellos son para nosotros.

Y sí, habrá que practicar, pero te aseguro que cuando te acostumbres a hablarles a cada uno de ellos, ya no podrás dejar de mirarlos y ellos no dejarán de mirarte a vos.

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Hacele saber a la audiencia que es importante: mirala

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¿Qué nos cuentan las miradas de Cary Grant y Roslind Russell? Seducción, complicidad, atracción. Un mensaje que se construye entre dos.

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No suele  haber mucho sobre organización de ideas. Acá podés interiorizarte sobre cuatro formatos clásicos.

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No suele  haber mucho sobre organización de ideas. Acá podés interiorizarte sobre cuatro formatos clásicos.

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Built to Last: 4 Classic Formats for Organizing a Presentation

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You know your audience and purpose. Now, how do you organize your thoughts? Here are four classic formats for building a speech that’s meant to last!

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Una charla imperdible. Cómo comunican los grandes líderes.

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Una charla imperdible. Cómo comunican los grandes líderes.

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Simon Sinek: Cómo los grandes líderes inspiran la acción (subtitulos español)

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Cuando imparto conferencias y cursos o participo en reuniones, suelo enfrentarme a una competencia desleal: portátiles, tablets, smartphones, ... Tu audiencia estará más pendiente de una pantalla que de tus palabras... ¡a no ser que los enganches desde el inicio! Para que exista la comunicación es necesario contar en primer lugar con la atención de la audiencia. En los primeros segundos te la ganas... o la pierdes.
Los primeros instantes de una charla resultan críticos a la hora de determinar si la audiencia te concederá su atención plena
No empieces tu presentación de forma débil, con balbuceos, circunloquios, disculpas, excusas, eternos listados de temas a cubrir, etc. Atrapa la atención de la audiencia desde las primeras palabras. Consigue con 10 palabras que dejen a un lado sus pantallas.

La experta en presentaciones Patricia Fripp propone la siguiente lista de ideas para la frase de apertura:

1. Me habría gustado que hubierais podido estar allí...

2. Nunca olvidaré la primera (última) vez que...

3. Fue uno de los días más excitantes de mi vida...

4. Fue el momento más terrorífico de mi vida...

5. No era exactamente lo que yo esperaba...

6. Qué sería hoy del mundo sin...

7. Me encanta vuestro tema...

8. Si pudiera haceros una pregunta...

9. Quién habría pensado que...

10. ¿Recordáis aquellos viejos tiempos en que...?

11. Era uno de aquellos días en los que...

12. Nunca deja de asombrarme que...

13. ¿Os asustaría/asombraría/sorprendería/interesaría saber que...?

14. Poseéis una responsabilidad extraordinaria...

15. Igual que vosotros yo también llegué a creer que...

16. Retroceded conmigo a...

17. Imaginad que...

18. Empecemos con una lección de historia/historia de amor...

19. Corría el año...

20. De repente... y entonces todo cobró sentido...

21. Cuando era niño, mi padre/madre/profesor solía decirme...

22. Ya sabéis lo que se siente cuando...

23. Para situar este informe en una perspectiva histórica...

24. Con qué frecuencia habéis experimentado...

25. Quién de entre nosotros no ha...

Cuando arrancas a hablar dispones del 100% de la atención de la audiencia. ¡No desaproveches esa oportunidad de causar una impresión favorable! El arranque de tu presentación determinará en buena medida que la audiencia te acepte a ti y a tu mensaje.

ENTRADAS RELACIONADAS

Siete aperturas clásicas para empezar con fuerza tu presentación (y ganar la partida)

Aperturas heterodoxas que no encontrarás en ningún manual

El orden de las ideas sí altera el resultado de la presentación

DIÁLOGO ABIERTO

¿Cuál es la mejor frase de apertura que hayas escuchado nunca en una presentación?

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Las primeras 10 palabras de tu presentación son tan importantes como las 10.000 siguientes

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Cuando imparto conferencias y cursos o participo en reuniones, suelo enfrentarme a una competencia desleal: portátiles, tablets, smartphones, ... Tu audiencia estará más pendiente de una pantalla que de tus palabras... ¡a no ser que los enganches desde el inicio! Para que exista la comunicación es necesario contar en primer lugar con la atención de la audiencia.

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Questions? Not Just for the End of the Presentation

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Questions? Not Just for the End of the Presentation

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/questions-just-end-presentation-stephanie-scotti/

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"Muchos oradores no necesitan introducción. Lo que necesitan son conclusiones."-Christopher Witt

La conclusión de una presentación constituye su momento culminante, es el gran recordatorio del tema tratado. Proporciona el mensaje para llevar a casa, a menudo lo único que será recordado de toda la charla. Determina la impresión final y el impacto que tu presentación tendrá sobre la audiencia.

Una vez terminado el cuerpo de tu intervención, conviene poner de nuevo el trabajo en perspectiva mostrando una vez más la gran foto. Así se le ayuda a la audiencia a apreciar mejor el trabajo dentro de un contexto más amplio. Se le debe avisar a la audiencia de que el cuerpo de la presentación ha llegado a su fin y de que ahora se encuentra en la tercera y última parte.
No diluyas las ideas importantes de tu presentación
La conclusión de una presentación siempre debería ser firme y decisiva. La conclusión debería reducirse a una única frase concisa, que incluya la idea clave de la presentación y tu punto de vista. Esta frase debería formularse cuidadosamente, memorizarse bien y ensayarse repetidamente.

Las dos frases más importantes de una presentación son aquella con la que la inicias y aquella con la que la terminas. Tristemente, casi nadie las prepara: las improvisan sobre la marcha con pobres resultados. A menudo, las presentaciones terminan con varias transparencias de conclusiones. Es imposible para una audiencia absorber una lista de conclusiones.
La conclusión debería consistir en una única frase
Esta frase que encapsula la idea final de tu presentación debe expresarse enfáticamente. Así como el énfasis debe estar presente en los momentos clave de la presentación, la conclusión es el momento clave por antonomasia. Leer unas transparencias llenas de listas de viñetas constituye lo opuesto a una buena conclusión.

Recurre a tus mejores armas de expresión de entusiasmo. Puedes reforzar la conclusión con tu lenguaje corporal: acercándote al público, sonriendo sinceramente, mediante un gesto inclusivo de los brazos, ... Siempre y cuando contribuya a reforzar el mensaje y fomentar su recuerdo, estará bien empleado.
La conclusión es el colofón, el broche de la presentación
Una vez expresada la conclusión, debes decir "Gracias" o similar y callarte. Punto. Todo lo que digas de más distraerá a la audiencia de la conclusión final y dañará la presentación. La conclusión debería delimitar con toda claridad el final de la presentación.

Nunca termines diciendo "Bien, y eso es todo" o "Bueno, con esto he terminado, espero que hayan entendido" o finales igualmente desafortunados. Utiliza un final con gancho.

Mejora el impacto de las referencias en tus presentaciones

Si tu presentación me aburre, no te prestaré más de 10 minutos de atención

¿Cómo terminas tus presentaciones? ¿Qué recursos usas a modo de conclusión?

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Cómo concluir con fuerza una presentación

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"Muchos oradores no necesitan introducción. Lo que necesitan son conclusiones." -Christopher Witt La conclusión de una presentación constituye su momento culminante, es el gran recordatorio del tema tratado. Proporciona el mensaje para llevar a casa, a menudo lo único que será recordado de toda la charla.

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En este Slideshare encontrarás las bases de Oratoria con ilustraciones excelentes. 

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En este Slideshare encontrarás las bases de Oratoria con ilustraciones excelentes. 

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FAIL TO REHEARSE, FAIL TO PREPARE Find someone neutral to tell you how you come across

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Why storytelling matters | Garr Reynolds | TEDxKyoto

there's a beginning and a middle and an end.

0:00

15:10

5:32 / 15:10•Watch full video

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Why storytelling matters | Garr Reynolds | TEDxKyoto

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Why you're not using enough gestures in your presentations

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No, you won't look nervous by incorporating more hand movements. In fact, they'll probably make your audience trust you more.

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Consejos de TED para hacer ayudas visuales.

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Consejos de TED para hacer ayudas visuales.

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Insights from Our Office

Aaron Weyenberg is the master of slide decks. Our UX Lead creates Keynote presentations that are both slick and charming-the kind that pull you in and keep you captivated, but in an understated way that helps you focus on what's actually being said. He does this for his own presentations and for lots of other folks in the office. Yes, his coworkers ask him to design their slides, because he's just that good.

We asked Aaron to bottle his Keynote mojo so that others could benefit from it. Here, 10 tips for making an effective slide deck, split into two parts: the big, overarching goals, and the little tips and tricks that make your presentation sing.

The big picture...

1. Think about your slides last. Building your slides should be the tail end of developing your presentation. Think about your main message, structure its supporting points, practice it and time it-and then start thinking about your slides. The presentation needs to stand on its own; the slides are just something you layer over it to enhance the listener experience. Too often, I see slide decks that feel more like presenter notes, but I think it's far more effective when the slides are for the audience to give them a visual experience that adds to the words.
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2. Create a consistent look and feel. In a good slide deck, each slide feels like part of the same story. That means using the same or related typography, colors and imagery across all your slides. Using pre-built master slides can be a good way to do that, but it can feel restrictive and lead to me-too decks. I like to create a few slides to hold sample graphic elements and type, then copy what I need from those slides as I go.
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3. Think about topic transitions. It can be easy to go too far in the direction of consistency, though. You don't want each slide to look exactly the same. I like to create one style for the slides that are the meat of what I'm saying, and then another style for the transitions between topics. For example, if my general slides have a dark background with light text, I'll try transition slides that have a light background with dark text. That way they feel like part of the same family, but the presentation has texture-and the audience gets a visual cue that we're moving onto a new topic.
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4. With text, less is almost always more. One thing to avoid-slides with a lot of text, especially if it's a repeat of what you're saying out loud. It's like if you give a paper handout in a meeting-everyone's head goes down and they read, rather than staying heads-up and listening. If there are a lot of words on your slide, you're asking your audience to split their attention between what they're reading and what they're hearing. That's really hard for a brain to do, and it compromises the effectiveness of both your slide text and your spoken words. If you can't avoid having text-y slides, try to progressively reveal text (like unveiling bullet points one by one) as you need it.
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5. Use photos that enhance meaning. I love using simple, punchy photos in presentations, because they help what you're saying resonate in your audience's mind without pulling their attention from your spoken words. Look for photos that (1) speak strongly to the concept you're talking about and (2) aren't compositionally complex. Your photo could be a metaphor or something more literal, but it should be clear why the audience is looking at it, and why it's paired with what you're saying. For example, I recently used the image above-a photo of a container ship about to tip over (it eventually sank)-to lead off a co-worker's deck about failure preparation. And below is another example of a photo I used in a deck to talk about the launch of the new TED.com. The point I was making was that a launch isn't the end of a project-it's the beginning of something new. We'll learn, adapt, change and grow.

And now some tactical tips...

1. Go easy on the effects and transitions. Keynote and Powerpoint come with a lot of effects and transitions. In my opinion, most of these don't do much to enhance the audience experience. At worst, they subtly suggest that the content of your slides is so uninteresting that a page flip or droplet transition will snap the audience out of their lethargy. If you must use them, use the most subtle ones, and keep it consistent.
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2. Use masking to direct attention in images. If you want to point something out in a photo, you could use a big arrow. Or you could do what I call a dupe-and-mask. I do this a lot when showing new page designs, particularly when I don't want the audience to see the whole design until I'm finished talking about individual components of it. Here's the original image. Here's the process for masking it. (1) Set the image transparency to something less than 100. (2) Duplicate that image so there is one directly over the top of the other. (3) Set the dup'd image transparency back to 100. and (4) Follow the technique here to mask the dup'd image. You'll end up with something that looks like this. You can use this technique to call out anything you want in a screenshot. A single word, a photo, a section of content-whatever you want your audience to focus on.
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3. Try panning large images. Often, I want to show screen shot of an entire web page in my presentations. There's a great Chrome extension to capture these-but these images are oftentimes much longer than the canvas size of the presentation. Rather than scaling the image to an illegible size, or cropping it, you can pan it vertically as you talk about it. In Keynote, this is done with a Move effect, which you can apply from an object's action panel.
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4. For video, don't use autoplay. It's super easy to insert video in Keynote and Powerpoint-you just drag a Quicktime file onto the slide. And when you advance the deck to the slide with the video that autoplays, sometimes it can take a moment for the machine to actually start playing it. So often I've seen presenters click again in an attempt to start the video during this delay, causing the deck to go to the next slide. Instead, set the video to click to play. That way you have more predictable control over the video start time, and even select a poster frame to show before starting.
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5. Reproduce simple charts and graphs. Dropping an image of a chart into a presentation is fine, but it almost always disrupts the feel of a deck in unsightly fashion. If the graph data is simple enough (and you have some extra time) there's a way to make it much more easy on the eyes. You could redraw it in the native presentation application. That sounds like needless work, and it might be for your purposes, but it can really make your presentation feel consistent and thought-through, of one flavor from soup to nuts. You'll have control over colors, typography, and more. Here are some examples.
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Lastly, I'd love to leave you with a couple book recommendations. The first is Resonate, by Nancy Duarte. It's not so much about slides, but about public speaking in general - which is the foundation for any presentation, regardless of how great your slides are. In it, she breaks down the anatomy of what makes a great presentation, how to establish a central message and structure your talk, and more. (One of her case studies comes from Benjamin Zander's charming TED Talk about classical music, a talk that captivated the audience from start to finish.) Think of this as prerequisite reading for my second recommendation, also by Duarte: Slide:ology. This is more focused on presentation visuals and slides.

Happy slide-making.

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Insights from Our Office Aaron Weyenberg is the master of slide decks. Our UX Lead creates Keynote presentations that are both slick and charming-the kind that pull you in and keep you captivated, but in an understated way that helps you focus on what's actually being said.

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How to Display Data the Right Way in Presentations

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Learn to display data in a powerful way.

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Usás muchas viñetas. Acá tenés pautas sobre cómo trabajarlas para no saturar.

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Usás muchas viñetas. Acá tenés pautas sobre cómo trabajarlas para no saturar.

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¿Querés manejar la voz mejor? Esta charla de Emma Rodero es excelente, superdidáctica.

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¿Querés manejar la voz mejor? Esta charla de Emma Rodero es excelente, superdidáctica.

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Persuade con tu voz. Estrategias para sonar creíble. | Emma Rodero | TEDxMalagueta

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Impresionante el manejo de la voz de Treasure cuando habla justamente de la caja de herramientas que tenemos con la voz.

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Impresionante el manejo de la voz de Treasure cuando habla justamente de la caja de herramientas que tenemos con la voz.

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How to speak so that people want to listen

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Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but nobody is listening? Here’s Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to’s of powerful speaking -- from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.

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Want to sound like a leader? Start by saying your name right | Laura Sicola | TEDxPenn

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La importancia de las pausas cuando hablamos

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La importancia de las pausas cuando hablamos

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Pausing is an important skill for all public speakers to master

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Pausing is an importance skill to learn for any speaker. Knowing when and how to pause will greatly enhance our effectiveness.

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Jesús, dándose cuenta de la mala intención que llevaban, les dijo:-Enseñadme un denario. ¿De quién es la imagen y el nombre aquí escrito? Le contestaron:-Del césar. Jesús les dijo:-Pues dad al césar lo que es del césar, y a Dios lo que es de Dios.

Si no sabemos responder de manera profesional, una pregunta difícil puede echar por tierra una buena presentación, arruinar la credibilidad de una persona o causar daños irreparables en la imagen de una organización. Si no respondemos bien a la primera pregunta, la siguiente puede ser peor. Te propongo seis trucos para gestionar con éxito preguntas difíciles o nasty questions.
1) Amortigua
Hay preguntas buenas y malas, inteligentes y tontas, bien y malintencionadas. Pero ante unas y otras, lo que nunca debemos hacer es responder sin pensar. Siempre debemos dar una buena respuesta y necesitamos tiempo para pensar cuál. Amortiguar la pregunta sirve para parar el golpe, ganar tiempo y atemperar nuestra actitud inicial si la pregunta es agresiva.

Pero si te quedas callado mucho tiempo pensando, das imagen de inseguridad. El amortiguador implica empezar a hablar inmediatamente, pero sin responder todavía a la pregunta, con frases y recursos tales como:

"Veo que este asunto despierta mucho interés en la sala, de hecho en los últimos meses...".

"A menudo me hacen esta pregunta porque este tema se presta a una malinterpretación...".

Beber agua de la mesa con lentitud deliberada.

Tomar notas en un papel.

Una vez ganados con elegancia esos preciosos segundos para pensar, hay que responder. ¿Cómo?
2) Pregunta
Responde con una pregunta: "¿Me puede concretar cuál es la pregunta?", "No me ha quedado claro lo que pregunta, ¿puede repetirla?", "¿Podría explicar lo que quiere decir cuando usa la palabra ...?". La mejor manera de salir de un conflicto es con una pregunta.
3) Acepta
Si es verdad lo que te dicen, aunque parezca negativo, acéptalo y luego explica por qué es así.
4) Revierte
Si nos proponen en la pregunta un argumento negativo, debemos darle la vuelta y usarlo como favorable. "Sí, es verdad que somos una empresa pequeña, y ahí radica nuestra fuerza: en nuestra agilidad y capacidad de respuesta...".
5) Explica
A menudo pueden pedirte explicaciones sobre algo. Anticipa estas peticiones y lleva prepradas las respuestas. La explicación debe ser convincente, apoyada con evidencias: hechos, datos, estadísticas, pruebas documentales, etc.
6) Niega
Niega si es mentira y luego explica por qué. Hazlo con calma, sin crisparte, nunca entres al trapo. No caigas en trampas verbales, no te pongas a la defensiva ni pases al ataque o descalificación personal. ¡Es justo lo que quieren!

Tu objetivo es transmitir tu mensaje, tu idea, nunca hablar de más por mucho que insistan, no morder el anzuelo, sin salirte nunca de tu mensaje.

Y por último, no olvides que tienes derecho a no contestar.

21 trucos para salir airoso de la sesión de preguntas y respuestas tras tu presentación

¿Cómo reaccionas ante las preguntas difíciles, las "nasty questions"?

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6 trucos para gestionar con éxito preguntas difíciles

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Jesús, dándose cuenta de la mala intención que llevaban, les dijo: -Enseñadme un denario. ¿De quién es la imagen y el nombre aquí escrito? Le contestaron: -Del césar. Jesús les dijo: -Pues dad al césar lo que es del césar, y a Dios lo que es de Dios.

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How to Understand and Impress Your Audience

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How to Understand and Impress Your Audience

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Gary Genard

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This article originally appeared on The Genard Method.
To get people to see your point of view, you shouldn't look in the mirror. Here's how to understand your audience for an impressive persuasive speech.
Do you see both sides of important questions-or is your point of view the only one that could ever really matter? Even aside from today's toxic political climate which tends toward the latter, there are clear advantages to being able to imagine how others feel.

That's so even though a character in one of America's greatest plays considered that ability a curse. The play is Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, and the character is Larry Slade. "I was born condemned to be one of those who has to see all sides of a question," says Larry. If you ever catch the amazing 1973 film of the play, you'll understand what end-of-the-world bitterness the great Robert Ryan brings to that line.

But O'Neill has stacked the deck here (he has a habit of doing that). Larry may be in pain because of his particular talent, but it's what allows him to understand everything around him with absolute clarity.

As it happens, I got to consider the matter myself. When I was an undergraduate, majoring in Speech and Theater, the department chair shocked me one day by asking: "Did you ever consider being a mediator? You always see both sides of a question." Convinced that I was born for the theater, I didn't give it any thought. The fact that I now use theater-based techniques for public speaking training, though, says something about this connection.

Be a performer as speaker! Learn how in "Six Rules of Effective Public Speaking."

Many of us make the same mistake-and not only in our undergraduate years. Focused on the ideas and values we are passionate about, we don't consider enough what's activating others. That's a Marley-sized ball-and-chain to be dragging along when you communicate with people.

The Secret of Successful Communication

Whether you're in a negotiation, delivering a persuasive speech (or other form of persuasion), or just trying to get your ideas heard, know that the secret of successful communication is not expressing yourself, it's being understood.

Isn't that the same thing? No, it's not. When communicating to important audiences, it's natural to marshal every tool at your disposal to say exactly what you intend. But that places you in the same spot most speakers find themselves: focused on themselves, leaving the audience out of the picture. When you consider that the whole reason you're up there talking is to reach and move people, you can see how too much self-concern will actually undermine your success.

The solution is simple (if not always easy to practice): understand how to motivate an audience.That means turning your focus on them. When you see things from their point of view, you'll begin to experience your talk on their terms. And that's a vantage point you need to occupy.

Persuading People Means Living in Their World

I call it living in the audience's world. And the concept works just as well if you change that next-to-last word to 'listener,' 'partner,' 'family member,' 'colleague,' or 'boss'. If your job is to show others how you experience the topic so you can get through to them, doesn't it make sense to ask yourself how they might be perceiving you?

When you 'give' a speech or share a thought, it's exactly that: a gift. It's a selfless act: you giving of yourself to help others in some way. And you can't really help them unless you make the effort to understand their needs along with the best way to get through to them.

Ask yourself what really interests them, and how you can tap into that. Are their values the same as yours? If not, how do you bridge the gap? (You might be amazed at how productive it can be to acknowledge your differences up front. In effect, to say: "I know we disagree. But I've come here to give you my side's point of view. Will you at least listen and judge for yourself?") If you're going to be an effective communicator, you should always be thinking of how your ideas will be received-from the planning phase of your speech right through your performance.

Yes, you should be concerned about that performance. After all, that's why you do your research, prepare carefully, practice, and even get a little nervous. Those are all signs you care about your listeners' responses. But by all means, let the balance tip away from "How can I best express myself?," and toward "How can I help them with this?"

Gary Genard is the author of How to Give a Speech and Fearless Speaking. In 2019 for the sixth consecutive year, he has been ranked by Global Gurus as one of "The World's Top 30 Communication Professionals."
Want to transform your communication abilities? Ready to command your stage or media appearance? The Genard Method trains leaders, spokespersons, and brand ambassadors worldwide in speaking for leadership.

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How to Understand and Impress Your Audience

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This article originally appeared on The Genard Method. To get people to see your point of view, you shouldn't look in the mirror.

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Can you spot a first-time presenter a mile away? If not, you might be presenting like one. Need to bring your presentation game up a level? Or simply trying to not look like a noob at your next meeting? Read on to get out of the "rookie" zone and into presentation mastery. Eliminate the following mistakes, and you'll be well on your way.

1. Neglecting to identify your audience to tailor your content

One of the gravest sins of any presenter is to think that they can create one presentation for any audience. Before delivering any presentation, it's important to know your audiences' wants, needs, and potential pain points. The more you prepare your content based on your audience, the better it arms you with leverage to persuade them.

Solution: You can determine who your audience is by asking your event organizer or meeting coordinator the following questions:

Who is going to be in the crowd?

When and where are you presenting?

What's the main thing the audience desires from you?

What experiences can you share that would resonate with your audience?

What do you have to say to positively challenge the audience's way of thinking?

2. Delivering data that isn't relatable to the audience

Jargon, acronyms, and data dumping: the fast track to overwhelming your audience and bringing on a snoozefest. When giving presentations, always ask, "so what" after delivering a data point. Why does this data matter to the audience? Can we humanize this data to become more relatable? For example, when the Apple iPod came out, Steve Jobs listed all the specs and storage space info for the engineers in the room. The engineers were amazed but it really didn't move the marketers. It wasn't until he announced the amount of songs the iPod could hold that the room truly came alive with excitement. By highlighting specs of the device by conveying the possibilities, Jobs knew that he could enchant everyone in the room.

Solution: It's important to understand who your audience is when delivering data points. Once you know who your audience is, find ways to make your points interesting by explaining how this data impacts them. You can do this by:

Translating the impact of the data in a way that's relevant to the audience (see iPod example)

Giving an analogy (it's X miles, that's like going to Los Angeles to New York City X times and back)

Breaking down the data metric (it costs X, which means if you save X amount of dollars you can buy this product in X amount of time).

3. Reading off your slides

This is self-explanatory: you don't know your material and you have to rely on your slides. The minimal damage is that your audience loses faith in your competency of your information. The worst is that if the slides don't work due to a technical malfunction the show doesn't happen. Great presenters always make sure the show goes on.

Advice: Be so prepared that you don't need your slides.

4. Using verbal disfluencies like "umm", "aah", and "you know what I'm saying"

It is very frustrating when you hear a presenter trip over their words constantly with verbal tics. The "umm" or "aah" grates against your ears after hearing it over and over and begins distracting you from hearing the presenter's message.

Advice: Record yourself when you rehearse. You'll be able to catch your verbal disfluencies much easier and see which parts of your presentation trip you up.

5. Ignoring the room structure in which you're presenting

Have you ever designed a presentation that looked strange due to the projector in the room? Ever present in a room that's totally different from what you're expecting? Both of these scenarios can throw even the most seasoned presenter off her game.

Advice: Try to get a look at the room beforehand or get information on the room layout. Knowing ahead if you're presenting in a conference room, on a stage, or dinner-style can help you plan ahead on how you want to pace the room and engage with the audience. If you're able, test out the equipment beforehand! Keep in mind that if anything goes wrong with the presentation and you can't go on, it's still your fault.

6. Losing control over your tone

Presenters that cannot control their energy level might make the audience feel like they are either indifferent about the subject or that they are disingenuous. If you've ever heard a presenter who was speeding, monotone, or dragging on, you know what we're talking about.

Advice: Record and watch yourself present. At the parts you feel like you're speeding up, breathe and input pauses. To the audience this can seem like you are emphasizing certain points of your content. If you are too slow and monotone, speed up and raise your voice slightly when emphasizing critical points in your presentation. This all of course takes practice and heavy self-awareness. The usual gut check is if you can stand watching your own recorded presentations. In our 10 commandments of presentations, we always encourage presenters never to give a presentation they wouldn't want to deliver themselves.

7. Conveying insincere body language

Crossing legs. Lack of eye contact. No smile. Closed arms. All these things make you appear either disingenuous to the audience or extremely nervous. Regardless, the minimal result is distraction.

Advice: Get a friend or test audience to watch you practice a presentation. Give them criteria to judge your body language. Did you smile? Did you have an open posture? How about maintaining eye contact? Body language can never be underestimated in giving great presentations and it's a critical factor in winning the trust of others. See here for our blog on five tips for good body language.

8. Forgetting your presentation's focus and structure

A presentation that has a clear big idea and structure helps guide the audience.

Advice: Mind map your presentation. Identifying your central argument, your call to action, main takeaways, and your opener helps you write your presentation with the end in mind. Check this post out here on the Big Fish Presentation mind map presentation process. It can be used for any type of presentation!

9. Opening your presentation without a relevant attention-getter

Opening your presentation powerfully is a great way to hook your audience, facilitate bonding, and build rapport. While we recommend working with your presentation opener last, we strongly suggest you put significant time into its development as it's your presentation's first impression.

Advice: We find that there are five typical ways you can open your presenter. Choose the opener that resonates best with your audience based on the information you gathered about them. Our rule of thumb on this? When in doubt, tell a story.

10. Forgetting the call to action

It's truly a sad thing when you experience a great presentation and have no clear next steps from the presenter. If consider yourself a great speaker, but frequently neglect telling your audience the next step, we've got news for you: you're still a rookie.

Advice: Always have a call to action in your presentation that moves your audience beyond your presentation. We discuss the three different types of call to actions in our Slideshare, The Importance of A Call to Action: the demand, offer, and the ask.

11. Exceeding your allotted time

Going over your time can say many things about a presenter. Are they underprepared? Are they overloading the audience with information? Or are they simply blind to the audience cues of fidgeting? Either way, you can tell that neither answer leads to positive impressions. Always rehearse and work towards delivering your presentation underneath your allotted time (I find 5-10 minutes early works). On game day, you're more likely able to recover from distractions, extra requested content and/or tangents if you're prepared to deliver your presentation in a shorter amount of time than expected.

Advice: Keep things short. No one is going to get mad if you finish your talk early as long as you delivered on what you came to do. It's better if audiences want more of you, than less of you.

Now your on the road to presenting like a pro! Do you have any thoughts about rookie mistakes presenters commonly make? Let us know in the comments! And don't forget to subscribe to our blog to keep posted for our future writings on all things presentations.

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Can you spot a first-time presenter a mile away? If not, you might be presenting like one. Need to bring your presentation game up a level? Or simply trying to not look like a noob at your next meeting? Read on to get out of the "rookie" zone and into presentation mastery.

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Esta charla te da una herramienta concreta para minimizar los nervios antes de una exposición.

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Esta charla te da una herramienta concreta para minimizar los nervios antes de una exposición.

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Please [contact us](https://www.ted.com/contact) and let us know what happened.

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Un video supersencillo sobre los pasos par amar un presentación.

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Un video supersencillo sobre los pasos par amar un presentación.

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Basado en Nancy Duarte

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Video

Watch the latest explainer videos, case study discussions, and whiteboard sessions, featuring ideas and practical advice for leaders.

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It all starts with sticky notes. Based on the work of Nancy Duarte.

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Pauses in a speech: Why, when and how - Manner of speaking

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Pauses in a speech are critical. This post examines why they are important, when you should use them during your speech and how you can practice pausing.

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Vocal coaches do not just coach those who sing. Just as people who want to improve their singing voice will seek out voice coaches to help them learn how to match pitch, sing out, and increase their range, vocal lessons can also be utilized for those who wish to improve their speaking voice, work on their stage presence, or learn how to speak more clearly and effectively in front of an audience. Public speakers train to use the stage in almost the same way as a singer, and there are several ways that a voice coach can help make a difference in your public speaking.

1) Warm-Up Exercises

When taking voice lessons, one of the first things that every singer does is warm up their voice by doing a series of exercises with their coach. Think of this as stretching out your voice to prepare it, like how a runner might before starting a race. This technique is highly important because warming up your vocal cords and folds helps to get your voice ready to project and fluctuate. The more warm-ups you're able to do to work the voice, the better it will feel when it is time for you to deliver a speech, making it easier to talk for long periods of time without your voice feeling strained or tired. Warm-ups are something that you should do every day with your voice to consistently improve and strengthen it.

2) Diction, Enunciation, and Speech Limitations

Another aspect of voice lessons that can help the public speaker is proper diction. When you are speaking in public, the words you say are the key ingredient to your success. So it makes sense that every single word you say needs to be heard. If you are a fast talker or don't take enough breaths before getting all of the words out, the ends of your sentences will fall short and people won't be able to hear what you're saying.

Tracy Reina, a professional vocal coach in New York City through Music To Your Home, says that:

"Diction is probably one of the most missed practices in vocal coaching. If your words aren't heard, the story is completely lost by your audience, and they will miss the message."

In many cases, people who have speech "impediments" or aspects of the voice they find limiting can be corrected or sometimes completely eradicated through the use of a vocal coach. Some speech limitations can be adjusted with a simple placement of the tongue (if someone speaks with a lisp), or the use of corrective breathing and reduction of tension in the mouth/jaw. There are numerous technical exercises a vocal coach can introduce to someone with limitations, like in this clip from the movie The King's Speech.

3) Conviction and Purpose

Not only is it important to get your words across, but you should do so with feeling. You need to believe that what you are saying holds value and that those who hear it need to appreciate that value as well. Vocal coaches will teach singers how to connect with their songs in order to pour the right emotion into it, and the same goes for public speakers. You need to speak with a true conviction to get your point across because it will grab the attention of your listeners when they can feel how passionate you are when you speak.

4) Connection

Along with having conviction and purpose, connection (not just with words) is something you should have with those you are speaking to. Roger Love is a voice coach who has not only trained singers but worked with some influential and powerful public speakers like Tony Robbins and Suze Orman. He stresses how important it is to connect to your audience through various tactics, like knowing where to look and to establish good eye contact, because engaging them in a visual way helps people to feel included and more likely to take in what you are saying.

His advice on establishing connections with the audience is to "Gaze at one person for a count of one, two, three; then move on to another person." He also emphasizes the importance of dressing the part, because if you dress confidently, it helps you to feel confident; and using notes to help you but to not memorize the speech, because then it doesn't feel genuine.

5) Posture and Breathing

Voice coaches will also take time to stress on using proper posture, especially for breathing. When you sing or speak, you need to engage your diaphragm to take in a good breath that will support your phrases. This also helps you to not be "gulping" air in and allows you to deliver your speech without fading out towards the end of sentences.

Think of your speech like a performance. It is similar to performing a song, you're just only using words. You want to move about your stage or area with purpose, as well as have a commanding presence. Training to have good posture and work on breathing techniques will aid you in feeling more relaxed and confident for your presentations.

6) Pitch and Expression (Dynamics)

One of the things that a vocal coach can help you identify is the best pitch for your speaking voice, or, what range you are most comfortable speaking in. This will help because the habits we establish for speaking don't always use our optimum sound or where our comfort zone necessarily is. When you are able to find that desired pitch and tone for a more natural sound that is unique to you, it will help you to feel more relaxed and be more likely to attract attention as you speak.

Expression is something you will also be trained in because nobody likes to listen to the same mundane sound over and over. It is important to create some color in your voice so that it catches your listeners attention, and provides a rich sound. Think about when you talk to your friends or family about something that truly excites you - your voice changes. That's what voice coaches note as inflection - where you utilize dynamics within the voice and engage the audience with your expression.

7) Practice, and Practice Some More

Voice coaches will encourage practicing not just within the lessons, but outside of your lessons as well. This is important especially if you are more of an introvert, because the practice is going to help you with overcoming that fear of public speaking. It is most beneficial for you as a speaker to constantly practice your craft. Taking voice lessons is one of the best ways to keep up with your practice regime, but the more you can do to keep improving and developing your voice, the better.

Your public speaking skills can be greatly improved with the help of a vocal coach, so it is beneficial for you to look into finding a coach that can work with you and provide you with the best tools and techniques for finding your true voice, and delivering your speeches with confidence. They will guide you with methods for speaking with passion and expression that reach your audience in a way you might not have imagined, as well as practices to keep your voice in the best shape for speaking, especially if you speak (or plan on speaking) often.

If you like this, you might also like
10 Tips for...Using Your Voice What Do You Think About Having Notes When You Present? Do You Read from a Script? Should You? How to Decide When You Should Talk Fast or Slow

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7 Ways a Voice Coach Will Make You a Better Public Speaker

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Vocal coaches do not just coach those who sing. Just as people who want to improve their singing voice will seek out voice coaches to help them learn how to match pitch, sing out, and increase their range, vocal lessons can also be utilized for those who wish to improve their speaking voice, work on [...]

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What Aristotle and Joshua Bell can teach us about persuasion - Conor Neill

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As a marketer, you know all too well the pain of building a presentation. Sure, you develop your own presentations, but you're likely also the default creator of presentations for conferences, webinars, employee meetings, board meeting... Even sales decks.

It can be easy to slip into the routine of cutting and pasting relevant content into a PowerPoint, adding some stock images, and calling it good. But doing that will kill your presentations. Instead, with a few simple design tips, you can create more convincing and engaging presentations and to avoid the dreaded "Death by PowerPoint."
1. Hook them in the first slide
Think of your presentation as a story. If readers are not hooked from the first page of the book, chances are they won't keep reading. It's the same with your presentation's first slide. If you manage to get your audience's attention right from the start, you have a much better chance of retaining it for the rest of the presentation.

In the words of the former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki, your presentation should start with the "shock and awe." Don't begin with the background story. Go right into the coolest stuff that your product or service can do or make a provocative statement.

Another winning strategy is to pull them in with a question. Asking something such as "How many of you have ever done X?" or "What would you do when Y happens?" immediately engages your audience. It's even better if the question comes with an element of surprise. For example, ask a question and give three possible answers, then surprise them by saying none is the correct. Your audience will be already engaged (they've been thinking about the answer) and intrigued to learn more.
2. Follow the billboard rule
Chances are that you've heard about the 5-5-5 rule for PowerPoint: no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide, or five text-heavy slides in a row. It's about time to put this rule to bed, since that's content overkill for today's distracted audiences.

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Five Tips to Take Your Marketing Presentations From Good Enough to Great

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As a marketer, you know all too well the pain of building a presentation. Sure, you develop your own presentations, but you're likely also the default creator of presentations for conferences, webinars, employee meetings, board meeting... Even sales decks.

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Si le dedicas 8 minutos a leer esto y otros 15 a ponerlo en práctica, serás capaz de hacer el mejor elevator pitch que tu audiencia haya oído en el último mes.

En este post te voy a mostrar cómo hacer un elevator pitch que te permita presentarte como una empresa atractiva, un emprendedor interesante o una persona a la que apetece contratar.

Qué es el elevator pitch

El elevator pitch -o elevator speech- es un discurso de presentación sobre un proyecto. Ese proyecto puede ser la presentación de una empresa, de una idea o de una persona que quiere venderse en una entrevista de trabajo.

Tradicionalmente se ha asociado a las start up's o los emprendedores, pero es algo que existe en las ventas, en la publicidad o en cualquier estrategia de posicionamiento.

De dónde viene el nombre

Se dice que en el Hollywood de los 80', si querías presentar una idea para una película, el primer paso era proponérsela a algún productor. Como los productores no aceptaban citas con facilidad, las opciones se reducían a aprovechar un posible encuentro casual. Uno de esos encuentros se daba al coincidir en un ascensor del mismo edificio. De ahí su nombre, elevator pitch, que podría traducirse como "discurso de ascensor."

El plan era aprovechar ese momento para presentar una idea, generar interés y hacer que el productor de turno te sacase del cajón de los don nadie y te pusiese en el de "posible alguien" cita mediante.

Para cumplir el objetivo, debía ser un discurso corto, que llamase la atención y que abriese la puerta a un encuentro futuro en el que desarrollar la idea con algo más de tiempo.

Si la persona a la que te dirigías pensaba: "Cuéntame más", tu elevator pitch había sido un éxito.

En general, el elevator pitch debe durar menos de un minuto, siendo los 30 segundos la duración más habitual.

Para qué sirve el elevator pitch

Dependerá del contexto, pero como normal general el objetivo del elevator pitch es suscitar el interés del interlocutor.

¿Alguna vez te han preguntado qué haces?

No me refiero a cuando le diste ese beso no solicitado sino cuando conoces a alguien nuevo en una fiesta, cuando asistes a una cena en la que hay desconocidos o cuando te presentas a uno de esos eventos de networking.

Las tres respuestas más habituales a ese "qué haces" son:

Soy X. Dónde X es contable, panadero o piloto de avión.

Soy PM, CTO, KAM, CEO, CFO, CIO, CMO o cualesquiera otras siglas. La respuesta de los que tienen un trabajo aburrido e intentan esconderlo tras unas siglas misteriosas.

Bueno, lo que hacemos en mi empresa es, estoooo, tratamos con varios proveedores de automoción y también de otros muchos sectores y es como si nos sub-contratasen alguna de sus funciones operativas para mejorar el rendimiento y optimizar los recursos.

El elevator pitch sirve para dar una respuesta C más clara y atractiva.

Así que si eres contable, panadero o piloto de avión, no lo necesitas.

Cómo hacer cualquier pitch de ventas

El elevator pitch es un pitch de ventas. Lo que vendes es tu idea, tu proyecto, tu proceso, tus habilidades...

La mayoría de nosotros vendemos a personas. Si bien algunas de ellas parecen robots, dentro, aunque frío y desapasionado, tienen un corazón.

¿Qué significa eso?

Que responden a una serie de estímulos.

Igual que no puedes evitar que la gravedad atraiga un bolígrafo cuando se cae de tu mesa, las personas no podemos evitar reaccionar de una manera determinada ante ciertos estímulos.

Y tú y yo vamos aprovechar eso.

La estructura que te propongo sirve para cualquier pitch comercial: tu speech de ventas por teléfono, la propuesta de un proyecto de empresa o cualquier discurso de presentación de un producto o servicio.

Consta de 5 pasos:

1. Llama su atención

2. Crea la necesidad

3. Satisface esa necesidad

4. Muestra los beneficios

5. Enuncia el CTA

1-Llama su atención

Puedes hacerlo de mil maneras; mis tres preferidas son una pregunta, una estadística impactante y relevante o una anécdota personal. Si escoges esta última es posible que tu elevator pitch sea un poco más largo de lo que planeabas.

Algunos ejemplos:

¿Sabías que en [tu país] la gente pasa más tiempo durmiendo que trabajando? Hola, Soy Nacho Téllez de EcoRelax y...

7 de cada 10 personas se despiertan, al menos, una vez por la noche y tienen un sueño irregular. Hola, me llamo Nacho Téllez y....

Mi vecino ha tenido gemelos hace poco; de día son monísimos pero de noche son peor que Lucifer. Llevo dos semanas sin dormir y, buscando soluciones, me he encontrado con varios estudios que aseguran que la mayoría de las personas no duermen bien. Yo tengo la excusa de los gemelos, pero ¿por qué los demás no le ponen solución?

2- Crea la necesidad

Aquí debes sacar a la luz el problema que tú les vas a resolver.

Ejemplo:
Un estudio de Harvard asegura que las horas de sueño son la variable que mejor ayuda a predecir la productividad del día y la mayoría de adultos no duerme el mínimo recomendable. Los datos dicen que cuando dormimos poco, no aprovechamos el día, estamos más irritables y pensamos más veces en cuando acabará. Si hubiese algo que asegurase dormir bien cada día, ¿no le gustaría tenerlo?
3- Satisface la necesidad

Este es el momento de presentar tu solución. Puedes aderezarlo con urgencia o escasez si quieres potenciar la persuasión.

Ejemplo:
En Ecorelax, hemos desarrollado unas nuevas almohadas que activan la hormona del sueño -la melatonina- al contacto con el cuello para inducirlo de forma natural. El usuario medio se duerme entre 8 y 12 minutos después de reposar la cabeza sobre ellas y asegura un descanso ininterrumpido y un mejor día.
4- Muestra los beneficios

¿Qué pasará cuando hagan lo qué dices? ¿Cómo cambiará su situación actual? Hazles ver el cambio que ellos van a sentir.

Ejemplo:
Cuando uno usa la almohada MTN soft de noche, empieza el día con las horas de sueño adecuadas. Eso lo convierte en una persona con más energía, más productiva y con un mejor humor.
5- Call to action

Ya que la idea del elevator pitch es fomentar el interés y conseguir una reunión futura, necesitarás una llamada a la acción. Debe ser clara y concisa. Debes pedirles exactamente lo que quieres que hagan. Puede ser aceptar una visita futura, firmar en un documento, darte su correo, etc. Los mejores CTA son los más concretos.

Ejemplo:
Si quiere probarla, mañana le puedo traer una a su asistente. Si aún quiere oír más, estaré encantado de hablarle 20 minutos sobre nuestra empresa en general y sobre la almohada MTN soft en particular. Mañana estaré todo el día en la ciudad. ¿Le iría mejor por la mañana o por la tarde?
Cómo hacer un elevator pitch paso a paso

Ahora es cuestión de aplicar estos pasos en tu propio elevator pitch.

Antes, un pequeño consejo sobre la longitud.

Si quieres que tu elevator pitch dure 30 segundos, éste deberá tener alrededor de 60-85 palabras. Si quieres que dure 1 minuto, entre 120 y 170.

Vamos allá.

1-Une tus ideas
Ejemplo elevator pitch 1
7 de cada 10 personas se despiertan, al menos, una vez por la noche y tienen un sueño irregular. Un estudio de Harvard asegura que las horas de sueño son la variable que mejor ayuda a predecir la productividad del día. Los datos dicen que cuando dormimos poco, no aprovechamos el día, estamos más irritables y pensamos más veces en cuando acabará.
Si hubiese algo que asegurase dormir bien cada día, ¿no le gustaría tenerlo? Hola, soy Nacho Téllez de Ecorelax y hemos desarrollado unas nuevas almohadas -las MTN soft - que activan la hormona del sueño -la melatonina- al contacto con el cuello para inducirlo de forma natural. El usuario medio se duerme entre 8 y 12 minutos después de reposar la cabeza sobre ellas y asegura un descanso ininterrumpido y un mejor día. Cuando uno usa la MTN soft de noche, empieza el día con las horas de sueño adecuadas. Eso lo convierte en una persona con más energía, más productiva y con un mejor humor. Si quiere probarla, mañana le puedo traer una a su asistente. Si aún quiere oír más, estaré encantado de hablarle 20 minutos sobre nuestra empresa en general y sobre la almohada MTN soft en particular. Mañana estaré todo el día en la ciudad. ¿Le iría mejor por la mañana o por la tarde?
2-Elimina lo innecesario

Ahora tenemos 216 palabras lo que nos llevaría casi dos minutos, debemos reducirlo lo máximo posible.

La estrategia que usamos para llamar la atención se parece mucho a al tramo para crear la necesidad. En este caso -y en muchos otros- podemos unirlos en un único apartado.

7 de cada 10 personas tienen un sueño irregular . Según un estudio de Harvard esa es la receta para ser poco productivo y estar irritable. Nosotros vamos a cambiar eso. Soy Nacho Téllez de Eco relax y...

Para satisfacer la necesidad también podemos ahorrarnos algunas palabras.
Nuestras almohadas MTN soft, activan la melatonina al contacto con el cuello e inducen el sueño de forma natural.
La enumeración de beneficios ya era corta en nuestro anterior ejemplo de elevator pitch pero siempre podemos eliminar alguna parte.
Eso le hará dormir más horas, con menos interrupciones y le convertirá en alguien más productivo y con mejor humor.
Por último, el call to action puede ser reformulado para acortar el número de palabras total.
Si quiere probarla, mañana le puedo traer una a su asistente. Si prefiere que le cuente más, puedo visitarle el 18. ¿Le encaja más la mañana o la tarde?
Con estos cambios nos quedaría un elevator pitch genérico que ha pasado de 216 a 105 palabras:
Ejemplo elevator pitch 2
7 de cada 10 personas tienen un sueño irregular. Según un estudio de Harvard esa es la receta para ser poco productivo y estar irritable. Nosotros vamos a cambiar eso. Soy Nacho Téllez de Eco relax y nuestras almohadas MTN soft, activan la melatonina al contacto con el cuello e inducen el sueño de forma natural. Eso le hará dormir más horas, con menos interrupciones y le convertirá en alguien más productivo y con mejor humor.
Si quiere probarla, mañana le puedo traer una a su asistente. Si prefiere que le cuente más, puedo visitarle el 18. ¿Le encaja más la mañana o la tarde?
3- Crea variaciones

Depende del contexto en el que uses tu elevator pitch, puede que algunas partes o estilos tengan más sentido que otras.

Por ejemplo, si en esa fiesta el panadero te pregunta "qué haces" parece que cerrar con un call to action no sea lo más adecuado ya que no es un perfil que, a priori, vaya a invertir en tu idea de negocio. En ese caso tal vez el siguiente elevator pitch tendría más sentido:
Ejemplo elevator pitch 3 Según un estudio de Harvard la receta para ser poco productivo y estar irritable es dormir poco y mal. Dado que 7 de cada 10 adultos duermen así, hemos creado una almohada que aumenta la melatonina e induce el sueño de manera natural. Así todas esas personas descansan mejor y al día siguiente son más productivas y están de mejor humor. Yo soy el que vende esas almohadas.
Aquí, con menos de 70 palabras podrías dar una idea clara y atractiva de lo que haces.

Si estás en un evento de networking y se te acerca ese inversor que tienes super localizado puede que te interese ser algo más agresivo.
Ejemplo elevator pitch 4 Dormir menos de 7h asegura una baja productividad y una alta irritabilidad. Para ayudar a ese 70% de la población que duerme mal hemos creado la almohada MTN soft que aumenta la melatonina e induce el sueño de manera natural. Así todas esas personas descansan mejor y al día siguiente son más productivas y están de mejor humor. Soy Nacho Téllez de EcoRelax y me encantaría darle una para que la pruebe usted mismo o ¿prefiere que le cuente más sobre nosotros?
No tardarías más de 30 segundos en soltar estas 82 palabras y el call to action aumenta las posibilidades de tener una segunda comunicación que es lo que buscas.

4-Practica y pule

No preparar tu elevator pitch a pesar de necesitarlo es malo.

Prepararlo y no ponerlo en práctica es peor.

Además de obtener cero resultados habrás perdido tiempo.

Cuando tengas listo tu elevator pitch ponlo a prueba. Hazlo con ese nuevo amigo que te presentan, con tu nuevo compañero de oficina o díselo a tus padres cuando te pregunten qué haces ahora.

Evalúa las reacciones y modifica lo que tienes hecho.

Si un amigo se ríe puede que ese tono que hayas usado sea demasiado formal para un encuentro casual.

Si tu madre no se entera puede que estés usando demasiado argot en tu explicación.

Revalúa y modifica.

En resumen

1. Llama su atención

2. Crea la necesidad

3. Satisface esa necesidad

4. Muestra los beneficios

5. Enuncia el CTA

Cuando lo tengas listo:

1. Une todos los puntos

2. Elimina lo innecesario

3. Crea variaciones

4. Practica y pule

Sigue las sugerencias que has visto en los ejemplos de elevator pitch que te he mostrado y en 15 minutos tendrás una propuesta más que atractiva.

No te conformes con leer este post. Escribe tu propio elevator pitch y moldéalo a tu gusto y a tu tiempo disponible.

Cuando lo tengas, sal y pruébalo. Observar la reacción de la gente hará que te des cuenta de lo bueno y de lo que se puede mejorar.

Si tu interlocutor quiere saber más o te pide una almohada de prueba, es que tienes un buen elevator pitch entre manos. 🙂

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cómo hacer un elevator pitch paso a paso

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Cómo hacer el mejor elevator pitch del planeta | Nacho Tellez

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Si le dedicas 8 minutos a leer esto y otros 15 a ponerlo en práctica, serás capaz de hacer el mejor elevator pitch que tu audiencia haya oído en el último mes. En este post te voy a mostrar cómo hacer un elevator pitch que te permita presentarte como una empresa atractiva, un emprendedor interesante o una persona a la que apetece contratar.

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Alicia Ro es genial dando consejos para grabar videos.

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Why to NEVER Give an Elevator Speech & What to Say Instead

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Ah, the elevator pitch. A favorite tool of the networking masses. A rite of passage of sorts. You've heard the scenario: you step into an elevator and go up one floor. The elevator doors open and in walks the client of your dreams. They start some small talk and ask, "What do you do?" and you've got the rest of the elevator ride to respond. How do you answer that in 20 seconds in such a way that gets them interested? The answer is simple. You need an elevator pitch for your elevator pitch.

Today, you're getting both my word-for-word elevator pitch, my elevator pitch's elevator pitch, and the secrets behind what makes it all so effective. It all starts when someone asks me...

"What do you do?"

"You mean, in addition to being an international bodybuilding champion?" (I'm 5'10" and a buck thirty-five, soaking wet. When I step on ants, they live. It's painfully obvious that I'm not an international bodybuilding champion.)

Usually, they laugh. Usually, I laugh too. Then I continue...

"Well, you know how email and texting and social media have pretty much taken over how we communicate?"

"Yes."

"We're more connected than ever, but yet...more disconnected than ever. So I teach managers the secrets of true connection in a way that gets immediate results."

" How do you do that?" (or "What do you mean?" or "What kind of results?")

"Well, here's an example. A company hired me because their management staff wasn't connecting with their employees. It wasn't their fault, they've just never been taught the right way to do it, right? So I went to their management retreat, taught everyone my 4-part formula, and now morale is up and productivity is up 38%. That's why I'm constantly on the lookout for managers who don't know the formula. They're easy enough to spot. They don't feel like managers, they feel like babysitters. They say things like, 'This job would be so easy if it weren't for the people.' And they don't have enough time to deal with all that people stuff and get their own job done so they can make the kind of money they deserve and have the kind of time and lifestyle that they don't even realize they've been missing out on. So when you ask me what I do, I give managers their lives back. Life is too short for two out of every three Americans to hate their jobs. I get the feeling you know people like that though, right?"

Now obviously, this elevator pitch is a lot longer than 20 seconds. But here's why I don't buy the "20 second" rule.

When people ask "What do you do?" they're just making polite conversation. With rare exceptions, they don't really care. If you can't make them care, then 20 seconds of their attention is generous. But if you do pique their interest, they'll hold the elevator door and listen to you all day long. So don't try to cram everything into 20 seconds. Instead, the best use of that first grace period is to make a bid for an attention extension. Now that you've seen how I do it, here's how it works:

Start with a verbal slap. First things first. You've got to break their expectations. Most people answer the "What do you do" question with a single, predictable sentence: "I am an architect." But the human brain only pays attention to interesting things. If you want to be interesting, you need to stand out. Giving them a verbal slap in the face helps break the patterned thought process that made them ask the question in the first place. Patterns, by their very nature, don't contain anything that stands out. Pattern thinking is why there is almost a zero chance they will remember you.

To "wake them up" you probably won't be able to use my self-deprecating, bodybuilding joke. That's the point. You've got to say something DIFFERENT - something authentic. Something so totally "you" that they are forced to realize that you are a unique human and not just another "normal" interaction that their robot brain can coast them through. I'd write this for you if I could, but I can't. Nobody can.

Then ask a problem question. Once you've verbally shaken them awake, your next goal is to pose a problem that you suspect they will identify with. This must be spoken as a question. Questions have always been, and always will be, far more engaging than statements. The problem question from my elevator pitch is, "Do you know how email, texting, and social media have kind of taken over how we communicate?"

Some respond with a simple "yes" and some launch into a diatribe about how awful modern technology is. That's okay, I let them talk. Either way, I'm aligning myself with them against a common enemy. This is one of the most powerful rapport-building strategies there is, besides maybe shared laughter. However, if there is any doubt that I've just made a new BFF, I throw in one last rapport builder...

Go to the noddable. A noddable is an inspirational or wise quote that is so catchy and agreeable, it gets just about everyone nodding. People will agree with these so strongly that they may even let an audible, "Mmm!" or an "Amen!" escape their lips. If you want to know if your statement is a noddable, post it as a text image or "meme" on Facebook and see if it produces a response on the like and share buttons, or if the comments below it end with "#truth".

My noddable is: "We're more connected than ever, but yet...more disconnected than ever." (I know... deep.) For additional rapport points, try this advanced technique: pause after the word "yet." This allows your listener's own brain to fill in the punchline even before you say it. When they do that, they have ownership of the quote and a small part of them is convinced that they thought of it themselves. Then when you say aloud what they're thinking, it creates a moment of "great minds think alike" bonding.

So at this point, I've already broken their expectations and built some strong rapport very quickly - and I still haven't even answered their question. That's coming next. Kind of.

Finish with the curiosity statement. This is where you pretend to answer the "what do you do?" question. However, your answer will only want to make them ask another question. Here's the simple formula for a good curiosity statement:

"I help/teach ________ (ideal client) to ________ (feature) so they can _________ (benefit)."

Mine was, "I teach managers the secrets of true connection in a way that gets immediate results." This is so much more powerful than "I'm a speaker and author." Also, the intriguing vagueness of "secrets" and "results" almost forces them to ask some kind of follow-up question. The hard work is done. Now that rapport and curiosity have been built up, you can deliver your true elevator pitch and make it almost as long as you want.

What about that actual elevator pitch? Even though the heart of this article is really about the elevator pitch before the elevator pitch, below is included a brief overview of the thinking behind my actual pitch too. It's not perfect, but it has served me very well.

The first thing you'll notice is that mine is long. It's at least twice as long as the 20 second so-called "limit." It starts with a true, results-based story of an individual or company I was able to help in a measurable way. It's peppered with persuasive language and what I call "hidden salesmanship." Then it mentions exactly who I'm "on the lookout" for. "They're usually easy enough to spot because..." then I insert three pain points that my target market will identify with. All the while I'm building my level of enthusiasm and using rhythm, tone, and body language to do the exact opposite of a "verbal slap" - I'm putting them back into patterned behavior. Only this time, it's a pattern of agreement and not a pattern of resistance.

By the time it's their turn to talk again, I've taught them exactly the type of referrals I'm looking for. In addition, if they're in need of my services, they'll be feeling just the right amount of pain that will likely motivate them to begin describing their situation. When they do, I'll get a meeting by saying, "Hmm, that sounds important enough for us to maybe sit down and talk about." Surprise, surprise. They agree.

But the last thing you want to do is to make them feel like they're being pitched to. If you get the sense that it's turning into a commercial instead of a conversation, then you're doing it wrong. Stop pitching and ask another question. You should only be doing between 15-20% of the talking.

A final caveat: the number one rule with any communication is to be authentic. Feel free to model my pitch, but unless you make it fit your personality, it will come across as phony and manipulative. And nothing ruins a pitch faster.

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Your Elevator Pitch Needs an Elevator Pitch

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Ah, the elevator pitch. A favorite tool of the networking masses. A rite of passage of sorts. You've heard the scenario: you step into an elevator and go up one floor. The elevator doors open and in walks the client of your dreams. They start some small talk and ask, "What do you do?"

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Showeet - Plantillas PowerPoint Gratis y Creativas

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Plantillas PowerPoint Gratis y Creativas - Showeet

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Colección de plantillas para PowerPoint creativas y gratis para impresionar a su público. Diseños fascinantes de mayor calidad para sus presentaciones PPT.

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You've crafted the message and created the slides for your next presentation. Now it's time to wow the audience. How you look and sound are going to make a big impression - and your audience will form opinions quickly.

Research shows that people form impressions about a leader's competence in as little as half a minute. This means, within seconds, listeners will decide whether you are trustworthy, and they will do it based on your body language and vocal attributes. What you say and how you say it are equally important.

The good news is that there is plenty of hard evidence that explains how you can give the appearance of confidence and competence - even if you're nervous or timid on the inside.

How to Look Confident

Make eye contact. Making eye contact is the first step to building trust with your listeners. "Eyes play a key role in human social encounters," according to one research report. "When humans observe others' faces, eyes are typically the first features that are scanned for information."

There's a simple way to get better at this, but it takes a little work: Record yourself practicing your presentation in front of a small audience. Watch the recording, noting all of the times you look at your slides instead of at your audience. Practice, and record again. Every time you do, try to spend less time talking to the slides and more time making eye contact with your listeners. Rehearse until you have the presentation down cold.

Keep an open posture. Open posture means that there's no barrier between you and the audience. This includes your arms. An uncomfortable speaker might unconsciously cross their arms, forming a defensive pose without being aware that they're doing it. Confident speakers, by contrast, keep their arms uncrossed with their palms turned up.

But your hands and arms are just one barrier. There are others to eliminate.

A lectern is a barrier. Stand away from it. A laptop between you and your listener is a barrier. Set it to the side. If you keep your hands in your pockets, take them out. An open posture takes up more space and makes you feel more confident. If you feel confident, you'll look confident.

Use gestures. Confident speakers use gestures to reinforce their key points. One study found that entrepreneurs pitching investors were more persuasive when they used a combination of figurative language (stories, metaphors) and gestures to emphasize their message.

Find areas of your presentation where gestures will come across as natural, and use them to highlight key points or emphasize a concept. If you're listing a number of items, use your fingers to count them off. If you're talking about something that's wide or expansive, stretch your arms and hands apart. One of popular TED speakers, like Brené Brown and Tony Robbins, found that they tend to bring their hands to their heart when sharing personal stories. Your gestures will reflect your feeling toward the topic you're discussing and invite the audience to engage with you on a deeper, emotional level.

How to Sound Confident

Eliminate filler words. Avoid words that serve no purpose except to fill the space between sentences. These are words like ? Excessive filler words can be irritating to listeners, and make speakers sound unsure of themselves. Eliminating them is also one of the simplest habits to fix.

Start by studying the verbal delivery of sports commentators. The ones who are at the top of their game rarely use filler words. Instead, before speaking, they think about what they want to communicate next, and deliver their comments precisely and concisely. Listen to Jim Nantz calling a golf event, Bob Costas calling the Olympics, or Al Michaels calling a football game for great examples. After years of practice, these announcers have become skilled at delivering just the words they want you to hear.

How did they get there? By spending hours in front of the television, reviewing videos of their performances.

Use this same strategy. Turn on the video or microphone of your smartphone and record yourself presenting. Play it back. Your goal is to gain awareness around the filler words you use most. Write them down, and practice again. When you catch yourself about to use one, err on silence instead to develop a smoother, polished delivery.

Take time to pause. Most people use filler words because they're afraid of silence. It takes confidence to use dramatic pauses. A pause is like the period in a written sentence. It gives your audience a break between thoughts.

A recent story in the New York Times, for example, calls attention to the silence in between notes of a classical music piece, explaining why short pauses draw so much attention. As social beings, we are hard-wired to pay attention to breaks in the flow of communication. "We recognize the pregnant pause, the stunned silence, the expectant hush," the author writes. "A one-beat delay on an answer can reveal hesitation or hurt, or play us for laughs."

Pauses are interpreted as eloquence - in music and in public speech. A simple way to learn the power of the pause is to choose one or two phrases in your next presentation that express the key message you want to leave your audience with. Pause before you deliver those lines. For example, "The most important thing I'd like you to remember is this..." Pause for two beats before you complete the sentence. Whatever you say next will be instantly memorable.

Vary your pace. Confident speakers vary the pace of their verbal delivery. They slow down and speed up to accentuate their most important points.

Audiobooks are recorded at a moderate pace of 150 to 160 words per minute. It's slow enough to be understood, but not so fast that the listener has a hard time keeping up. TED speakers, similarly, speak around 163 words per minute, right in the sweet spot.

But here's the trick. The best speakers speed up to around 220 words a minute when they want to embellish a certain story detail and keep listeners engaged. When they want to accentuate a certain message, they pause, then deliver their words at a slower pace.

Take TED speaker and human rights attorney, Bryan Stevenson. He delivered a presentation that earned the longest standing ovation in TED history. Stevenson is a masterful public speaker. He constantly varies his pace to keep the audience riveted. In one anecdote about meeting civil rights hero, Rosa Parks, Stevenson sped up when he rattled off a long list of what his non-profit intended to accomplish.

I began giving her my rap. I said, "Well, we're trying to challenge injustice. We're trying to help people who have been wrongly convicted. We're trying to confront bias and discrimination in the administration of criminal justice. We're trying to end life without parole sentences for children. We're trying to do something about the death penalty. We're trying to reduce the prison population. We're trying to end mass incarceration."

Stevenson then dramatically slowed down the pace of his speech to deliver Park's response: "She looked at me and she said, Mmm mmm mmm. That's going to make you tired, tired, tired."

The audience laughed, touched by the story. Stevenson's varied and controlled delivery made a story that could have been dry and predictable, poignant and humorous. He never leaves his delivery to chance.

How can you master this skill? Let the story you are trying to tell guide you. Don't force it, but if there's a part in your presentation or speech where it makes sense to rattle off a series of words or sentences - perhaps a section in which you need to run through a list of details - try speeding it up. Then, slow it down as you approach your main point.

It's the rare presenter who's mastered all six principles of confident speaking. In fact, many speakers are unaware of them. Now that you know the secrets to looking confident in front of a crowd - practice, practice, practice. Don't be hard on yourself if it takes more time than you expect. Some of these tactics will take a couple of run-throughs to get right, while others - like pacing - require hours of work and advanced delivery skills to nail down. Keep at it. There is nothing more influential than the power of your presence matching the power of your ideas.

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How to Look and Sound Confident During a Presentation

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How you look and sound during a speech or presentation are going to make a big impression on your audience. Within seconds, listeners will decide whether you are trustworthy, and they will do it based on your body language and vocal attributes.

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Long before your favorite movie made it to a theater near you, it was presented in a pitch meeting. Hollywood screenwriters typically get three to five minutes to propose an idea, but it takes only around 45 seconds for producers to know if they want to invest. Specifically, producers are listening for a logline: one or two sentences that explain what the movie is about. If there is no logline, more often than not, there is no sale.

A winning pitch starts with a winning logline - a valuable lesson for innovators in any field. The most valuable innovations offer novel solutions to challenging problems. But without the support of investors, even the best ideas might never get off the ground. To influence the people who can turn your idea into a reality, you need to deliver your pitch in an exciting and straightforward way. All this starts with the logline - an art that screenwriters have mastered.

When asked what their movie is about, successful screenwriters have a ready answer that is clear, concise, and engaging. Business leaders are asked a version of this same question throughout their careers:

What is your presentation about?

What does your startup or product do?

What's your idea?

If you can answer in one compelling sentence, you can hook your audience. According to molecular biologist John Medina of the University of Washington School of Medicine, the human brain craves meaning before details. When a listener doesn't understand the overarching idea being presented in a pitch, they have a hard time digesting the information. A logline will help you paint the big picture for your audience.

You and Your Team Series

Public Speaking

In Hollywood cinema, one of the greatest loglines of all time belongs to the iconic thriller that kept kids out of the ocean during the summer of 1975:
A police chief, with a phobia for open water, battles a gigantic shark with an appetite for swimmers and boat captains, in spite of a greedy town council who demands that the beach stay open.
What makes it work? The logline for Jaws identifies the key elements of the story: the hero, his weakness, his conflict, and the hurdles he must overcome - all in one sentence. It depicts the overarching storyline in an interesting, straightforward way, rather than focusing on details that might seem meaningless without the context of the bigger picture.

Business leaders can use loglines in a similar manner to clearly explain a complex idea. If mastered, this can be a powerful and influential tool. But communicating your point in a simple, digestible way is hard. It's actually easier to add clutter to business presentations than it is to eliminate unnecessary details and condense. Though mastering the logline is challenging, there are steps you can take to do so.

Keep it short. In his book , venture capital investor Michael Moritz tells the story of two Stanford graduate students who walked into his office at Sequoia Capital and delivered the most concise business plan he had ever heard. Sergey Brin and Larry Page told Moritz: "Google organizes the world's information and makes it universally accessible." In 10 words, that logline led to Google's first major round of funding. Moritz said the pitch was clear and had a sense of purpose.

A logline should be easy to say and easy to remember. As an exercise, challenge yourself to keep it under 140 characters, short enough to post on the old version of Twitter (before the platform allowed 280 characters per tweet). At 77 characters, the Google pitch makes the grade.

Identify one thing you want your audience to remember. Steve Jobs was a genius at identifying the one thing he wanted us to remember about a new product. In 2001 it was that the original iPod allowed you to carry "1,000 songs in your pocket." In 2008 it was that the MacBook Air was "the world's thinnest notebook." Apple still uses this strategy today. Executives repeat a one-sentence description when presenting new products. This same logline goes on to appear on the Apple website and in the company's press releases.

The "one thing" should cater to the needs of your audience. A sales professional for a large tech company recently told me a logline that he uses to address the needs of his audience - IT buyers: "Our product will reduce your company's cell phone bill by 80%." With one sentence, his customers want to know more because his logline solves a specific problem and will make them look like heroes to their bosses. Above all, the logline is easy to remember and gives people a story they can take to other decision makers in their organizations.

Make sure your team is on the same page. Every person who speaks on behalf of your company or sells your product should deliver the same logline. For example, I worked with top leaders at SanDisk, the flash memory company, to prepare them for a major financial analyst conference. Seven executives delivered five hours of presentations. I suggested that - before going into nitty-gritty financial details - each person should deliver the same logline at the beginning of their presentations, and then end their presentations by repeating it once more. As a group we decided on the logline: "In the coming decade, flash will be bigger than you think."

The logline was meant to stir up excitement for all the products flash memory would enable, like iPads, laptops, smartphones, and cloud services. As the conference concluded, the first financial blog post that appeared carried the headline: "Flash will be bigger than you think." Loglines attract attention; consistent loglines are memorable and repeatable.

If you can't communicate your pitch in one short sentence, don't give up. Sometimes the language will come to you immediately, other times it might take more practice. Be patient. Once you master the logline, you will be able to easily clarify your ideas and help the audience retain, remember, and act on them.

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Hollywood screenwriters typically get three to five minutes to pitch their movie ideas, but it takes only around 45 seconds for producers to know if they want to invest. Specifically, producers are listening for a logline: one or two sentences that explain what the movie is about.

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Analysis of Speeches - Manner of speaking

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These speech analyses are designed to help people think critically about their public speaking. Analyzing a speech helps us improve.

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5 trucos de oratoria que usa Trump en su discurso para mover masas | Nacho Tellez

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Donald Trump tiene una legión de seguidores. Eso a pesar de lo cortante, duro y directo que suele sonar su discurso. ¿Cómo lo consigue?

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Many of you know I've been writing a series of posts about the campaign messaging skills, strategies and successes (or lack thereof) of the candidates from the first round of debates for the Democratic primary race leading up to the 2020 presidential election. (I'll do the same for any Republican contenders later in the game, if there are any.) A week or so ago I posted a video in which I focused on the communication effectiveness of the six women candidates, specifically, and the response was overwhelming, with one request: Break it up into bite-sized videos by candidate. Your wish is my command!

This week, each day I'll post one mini-video about a single candidate. Today, I want to take a look at Kamala Harris. In this first round of debates, Harris stood out as a leader, comparatively, due to her speaking skills and leadership presence.

Here's my quick take video on where she excelled and why, and where she missed the mark along with the rest of her counterparts:

Harris told clear, relatable, compelling stories, and spoke with a vocal style and body language that conveyed confidence and competence.

Her one weaknesses was that she failed to heed Rule #1 as I explained in my previous LI post: speak in easily digestible, memorable, and repeatable sound bites.

Watch the video for strengths and weaknesses in how she communicates her campaign promises and establishes herself as a contender.

Don't forget to (a) share your comments, and (b) share the link with your connections! All are welcome to join in civil dialogue -- it's how we all become great.

Stay tuned, as each day I'll send a new video evaluating another female candidate's performance in the debate, what they did to propel themselves to the forefront... or to hold themselves back, and lessons we can all learn from it regarding speaking to lead. Tomorrow: Elizabeth Warren.

Here's to your success,

Laura

PS: If you really can't wait and want to see the full analysis of all six female candidates NOW, click here.

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Messaging Lessons from Women in the Campaign: Kamala Harris

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Many of you know I've been writing a series of posts about the campaign messaging skills, strategies and successes (or lack thereof) of the candidates from the first round of debates for the Democratic primary race leading up to the 2020 presidential election.

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¿Yo a qué vine? | César Silveyra | TEDxRíodelaPlata

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Over on the past several months, I’ve written about some of the things anyone can do to make better presentations and e-learning courses.

Want to rock your next presentation? Don’t build slides until you’ve done these two critical steps

Think your slides are great? Better ask your audience!

How Handouts Make You a Better Presenter
This also applies to instructional design and e-learning projects.

Fastest Way to Rehab Boring Slides

A recent discussion prompted a thought that it might be helpful to assemble a ‘starter kit’ of resources for anyone involved with these types of projects. Here are a few of the things that have helped me over the years and which will give anyone doing these types of projects a good head start.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you’re looking at this in any type of training context, be sure to look at the “21 Questions to Ask Before Starting Any Training Program” before moving on to the following steps.

Understanding Your Audience

Getting to know your audience significantly increases the odds you’re work will have a meaningful impact. This important step can help you glean the insights and context required to truly connect with your audience.

“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: To Whom It May Concern.”

– Ken Haemer, former Presentation Research Manager, AT&T

To help with this, here are Nancy Duarte’s (@nancyduarte) “Seven Questions to Knowing Your Audience” from her book, Resonate.

Grab a copy of Nancy Duarte’s Audience Needs Map here.

Organizing Your Message

Overloading your audience with too much information leads to LESS understanding – not more! Nobody enjoys the dreaded data dump and telling them everything means they won’t remember anything.

As you consider what to include, be sure to do it in a way that gives you the confidence your audience will easily be able to answer these two questions:

What three points do you want them to remember?

What do you want them to do?

One of my favorite ways wrangle the messy pile of random thoughts into a cohesive structure built around this context is the Beyond Bullet Points story template. Unlike native PowerPoint templates, Cliff Atkinson’s (@cliffatkinson) super helpful approach is based on brain science to help get your message through and move your audience to action.

Looks really DO matter!

First impressions are critical for capturing attention and establishing credibility. While we might not always admit it, we do judge things based on what they look like. Our lizard brains can make snap judgments in as little as 17 milliseconds. Literally faster than the blink of an eye! (Your eye is a relative slowpoke taking 300-400 milliseconds to blink.) In some studies, as much as 94% of the factors involved in judging credibility were design-related.

People regularly make credibility judgments “based on the content presentation rather then by evaluating the content’s or creator’s authority, trustworthiness, reputation, or expertise.” source

For many, finding the right look and feel for their content can a challenge. Wisely selecting from a seemingly endless set of possibilities for fonts, colors, icons, and images is not easy.

Fortunately, David Anderson (@elearning) has got you covered with a visual analysis process that makes it easy for anyone to quickly identify the right visual elements that make up the “visual voice” of your project.

Grab David’s visual design mapping template here or take a deeper dive over on the Articulate site.

https://community.articulate.com/series/how-do-i-get-the-right-look-and-feel-for-this-course/articles/visual-analysis-for-designing-custom-courses

Putting It All Together

Once you’re armed with a relevant, focused message tailored to your audience and a vision for the appropriate look and feel, you’re ready to start building. That means you’re going to need design assets like photos, fonts, icons, etc.

The majority of us working on these types of projects are faced with the additional constraint of having a limited budget….or often no budget at all. To help you over that hurdle, I’ve collected my favorites into this free e-book.

Download your own free copy of “Filling Your Design Toolkit: Premium Assets on Shoestring Budget”

If you’re not the type of person who likes to wade through that many options, here are three of my favorites to get you started. (But bookmark those resources anyway in case you ever anything else in the future.)

Photos: Everypixel

Save time and money by simultaneously searching multiple free and paid sites for stock photos, vectors and graphics.

https://everypixel.com/

Icons:
Noun Project

Over a million icons and counting plus apps for PowerPoint, Google Slides, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and more.

https://thenounproject.com/

Fonts:
Google Fonts

Google’s catalog of free and open source fonts is a great way to make beautiful type accessible to anyone for any project.

https://fonts.google.com/

If you would like to take a deeper dive or to get notified about new discoveries, plug-in to this more extensive collection of the best free and inexpensive design assets that I curate.

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Over on the past several months, I’ve written about some of the things anyone can do to make better presentations and e-learning courses. Want to rock your next presentation? Don’t build slid…

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Te voy a contar un secreto. Cuando me subo a un escenario y tengo público delante, ¡¡no puedo evitar ponerles a bostezar!! Tengo un amigo que dice que el bostezo es el gran secreto de la neurociencia por la cantidad de beneficios que tiene, y yo misma los puedo comprobar cada vez que tengo una graba

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The next time you're preparing to speak to a group, remember to keep your audience at the center of your communication, says Briar Goldberg, the director of speaker coaching at TED. One way to do this is to ask yourself: "What gift are you giving to your audience?"
TED recently partnered with Marriott Hotels to offer a special day-long seminar on public speaking for Marriott Bonvoy members. Briar Goldberg - TED's director of speaker coaching who has helped prepare hundreds of people for the TED stage - gave them tips and tools to be better communicators in their own lives. Below, she takes a deeper dive into one aspect of public speaking that many of us overlook when drafting our speeches and presentations: our audience.
Let's be honest, there's no shortage of public speaking advice out there. There are countless books, blog posts and YouTube videos offering you instructions on how to tell engaging stories, make eye contact, use hand gestures, and more. I think that's great, although I'll admit I'm biased. I've spent my career teaching public speaking and coaching executives, and since 2015, I've been working with TED speakers. I truly believe that everyone benefits when we communicate more effectively.

But even with so much advice available, I still see one big communication mistake made all of the time. It's this:Most people communicate in the wrong direction.

What is the wrong direction? Too many of us write our scripts, build our decks, or compile our talking points before we think about our audience and what they need or expect to get out of our communication. This has serious consequences. When your audience doesn't feel like your words apply to them, when they don't understand what you're trying to say, or, worse yet, they don't care about your ideas, then your carefully-crafted slides, agenda or jokes simply don't matter.

My earliest mentor in this work, Jim Wagstaffe always tells speakers to practice their ABCs: Audience Before Content. I love that acronym so much because it captures the essence of what communication is really all about - it's not about you, the speaker; it's always about your audience. Your audience's needs should always be your central focus.

At TED, when we're helping speakers prepare their talks, we ask them to identify the "gift" they're giving the audience. In my opinion, this is what every communicator should be asking themselves before any kind of communication - whether it's a keynote or a TED Talk or something smaller like a pitch to your boss or a statement at a community meeting. What gift are you giving the audience?

The good news is, understanding how to put your audience at the center of your communication isn't rocket science. And when you do it correctly, I can almost guarantee that your next speech, presentation or meeting will be a success.
What does it really mean to know your audience?
You've probably heard the phrase "know your audience." I've even seen lists floating around that offer a series of questions designed to help you do this, with queries such as: "What's the gender breakdown of your audience?" "Are they executives or middle-managers?" "Where are they from?"

While demographic information like this is important - for example, you should probably rethink a joke about swiping right if the average age of your audience is 76 - the kind of knowledge I'm talking about goes much deeper. It goes beyond the superficial to zoom in on these two key things: "What are my audience's goals?" and "How do they make decisions?"
How to really understand your audience's goals
This means you'll need to ask a different set of questions - ones that get at your audience's needs and expectations. These include:

"Why are these people taking time out of their busy schedules to listen to me speak?"

"What do they hope (or need) to gain from this presentation/speech/address/meeting?"

"What are their expectations coming in?"

"What can I say in order to meet or exceed those expectations?"

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can craft a communication that is tailored to your audience; when you do, your audience is more likely to stay focused, remember what you said, pass on the information you shared, and remember you as a good speaker.
But what happens if your goals as a speaker don't align with the audience's goals?
As a communicator, you will have your own goals. Perhaps you're an executive and you have an important message that you need the rest of the company to hear. Maybe you've designed a new product that you want your customers to get excited about. Getting clear on your own communication goals is important because then you can evaluate if your goals line up with your audience's goals. If they do, that's great - and you can start crafting your communication.

But sometimes they won't. When this happens, it's your job to figure out how to close the gap and persuade the audience that your goals can - and should - be their goals, too. I'm not talking about manipulation or asking you to trick people into thinking something different. What I am advocating is that you work to understand your audience well enough to know how they make decisions and what kind of information they need to have to be persuaded of their own accord.

One of the most persuasive TED Talks this year was delivered by sleep expert Matt Walker. Everyone has different goals when they decide to watch a talk about sleep. But Matt was clear on his goal: to convince people to prioritize sleep above all else. To get the audience on his side, he had to persuade them that getting enough sleep is the single most important thing they could do with our time.
Understand how your audience makes decisions
You can't effectively persuade anyone unless you know what kind of information they need to make a decision. Think about it this way: If a salesperson was trying to sell you a new computer, you wouldn't decide to buy it until they told you the price. With your audience, you can't expect to influence them until you provide them with the information they need to decide if they want to change their minds.

But every audience is different. How do you know what kind of information you need to offer in order to sway them? There are entire bodies of research that cover audience persuasion strategies. But let me offer a simple framework to get you started.

In general, audiences can be broken down into three types: expert, novice and mixed. An expert audience understands your topic and they might already know you, the speaker. If you're a real-estate broker addressing an annual meeting of the nation's realtors, you're speaking to an expert audience. A novice audience doesn't know much about the topic and doesn't know anything about you. An example of this would be a real-estate broker speaking at an open-house for community residents interested in buying a first home. But more often than not, your audience will be a mix of experts, novices and everyone in-between. The large, international TED audience is a perfect example of a mixed audience.
When you're speaking to an expert audience: Use logical/quantitative arguments to persuade them.
In general, expert audiences are more likely to be persuaded by logical arguments and quantitative information. If you're a real-estate broker trying to convince your expert audience to invest in a new kind of property, you're more likely to be successful if your presentation is built around data and statistics that support this plan.
When you're speaking to a novice audience: Lean into your own credibility.
Because a novice audience doesn't know much about you or your topic, they tend to make decisions based on your credibility and the credibility of your sources. Therefore, it can be important to build up your reputation and credentials so they'll trust what you're saying and follow your recommendations.

When I'm giving a lecture on public speaking to a group who doesn't know me, I always mention the universities I've taught at and some of the names of executives I've coached. This isn't to brag - and let me be clear, you'll need to use your judgement to figure out how much information to give so it doesn't sound like you're bragging - but it's a quick way for me to get my audience to accept that I'm a solid source of communication advice and that they should listen to me. In some cases, I'll tell my audience where a particular piece of information in my lecture came from. By saying "Harvard published this study last year..." I'm referencing a respected source, which reinforces my credibility as a speaker.
When you're speaking to a mixed audience: Appeal to their emotions.
Emotional appeals can be very persuasive, especially when you're speaking to a mixed audience. After all, everyone has made a decision based on their emotions at one point or another in their lives. Last year, TED speaker Nora McInerny shared her own experience with death to teach us about moving forward with grief. It was an A+ example of an emotional appeal.

OK great, but how do I find out all this information about my audience?

Well, that's part of the fun. OK, maybe it's not always fun but it is your responsibility to take a deep dive into your audience, their needs, and their motivations and - trust me - this work will pay off ten-fold. If you're speaking at an official conference or meeting, I recommend starting with the person or organization who asked you to speak. What can they tell you about the audience? Are they willing to share any of registration information? How did they market the event? If you're speaking on an earnings call, what about the analysts who follow your company - have you ever asked them what they need or want? If you're speaking at your company's town hall, can you talk to your team and find out what they expect to hear from you? If you're speaking at an event in another country, can you find a translator or local who can help you better understand the expectations of that audience?

The information is out there - you just need to find and use it. You'll know when you've done it right, because your audience will stay engaged and, when you're done speaking, they'll help pass your message along.
This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.

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Before your next presentation or speech, here's the first thing you must think about

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The next time you're preparing to speak to a group, remember to keep your audience at the center of your communication, says Briar Goldberg, the director of speaking coaching at TED. One way ...

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Domina tu Lenguaje Corporal y Comunicación No Verbal (Teresa Baró)

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Los 5 pasos para ensayar presentaciones exitosas

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Cómo ensayar para hablar en público con naturalidad. ¿Te falta confianza y naturalidad cuando hablas en público? ¿Temes quedarte en blanco? ¿No controlas el tiempo? Quiero explicarte una de las prácticas que los grandes comunicadores realizan obligatoriamente para brillar en sus presentaciones.

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3 helpful ways to give feedback on a presentation

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When you discuss these 3 things, you help someone else take their presentation to the next level.

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Este es mi segundo artículo que publico referido a la herramienta Powerpoint. El primero que publiqué se titulaba ¿Por qué no utilizo Powerpoint en clase? Efectivamente, llevo años sin usar esta herramienta de presentaciones en clase. Entonces, ¿por qué escribir otro artículo sobre Powerpoint? Pues, porque por motivos profesionales me he visto en la tesitura de utilizar este programa. Al ser un tipo de programa con el que nunca me he sentido cómodo, recurrí en busca de los mejores profesionales para que me enseñaran a sacar lo mejor de esta herramienta. Si hay algo que desde hace un tiempo tengo claro es que sólo se puede ser el mejor aprendiendo de los mejores.
Imagen extraída de Shutterstock
Este artículo le debe mucho o todo a un libro que se ha convertido en un auténtico referente en el campo de las presentaciones. Se trata del libro [easyazon_link asin="8498752205″ locale="ES" new_window="default" nofollow="default" tag="justifiture05-21″ add_to_cart="default" cloaking="default" localization="default" popups="default"]El arte de presentar: Cómo planificar, estructurar, diseñar y exponer presentaciones[/easyazon_link] , de Gonzalo Álvarez Marañón.

El libro en cuestión aborda múltiples facetas de las presentaciones. En este artículo únicamente me detendré en los aspectos relacionados con el diseño. Pero antes me gustaría que le echaras un vistazo a esta maravilla:

10 Consejos de diseño a tener en cuenta en la elaboración de un Powerpoint.

1. Usa la Regla del Cuatro. Menos es más. Cuanto menos información des, más serán capaces de recordar tus oyentes. Evita la sobrecarga de información. Para ello nunca incluyas más de cuatro conceptos o imágenes en una misma diapositiva. Esta es la cantidad de información que se puede almacenar en la memoria de trabajo. Para saber más sobre los tipos de memoria te recomiendo la lectura del artículo La memoria. Cómo enseñar para no olvidar.

2. Deja un espacio vacío. Debes dejar un vacío en la diapositiva para que esta pueda respirar. No tiene que ser necesariamente un espacio en blanco. Simplemente se trata de localizar una zona que permita descargar de contenido y armonizar el mensaje. Lo que ganarás con ello será una mejor comprensión. Si quieres ver un ejemplo pulsa en este enlace.

3. Aplica la navaja de Ockham. La navaja de Ockhan es un principio de la economía. La presentación más sencilla suele ser la más correcta. Aplicar este principio al diseño de tus presentaciones hará que te preguntes en cada diapositiva qué puedes eliminar de esta, qué elementos son innecesarios, cómo puedes simplificar la información. Si sigues este principio te pasará algo que para mí es esencial. Dejarás de leer tus powerpoints y pasarás a enseñar el contenido de los mismos. Otra vez la máxima de menos es más. Así que reduce, elimina, simplifica al máximo manteniendo siempre el contenido que quieras transmitir. Si quieres ver un ejemplo pulsa en este enlace.

4. Conecta todos los elementos entre sí. En una diapositiva nada es arbitrario, todo es pertinente, es decir, todos los elementos que conforman una diapositiva deben tener una relación, una conexión visual. De esta forma harás que la suma de elementos formen parte de un todo.

5. Alinea los elementos. La armonía es esencial para la comprensión de un mensaje. Por ello, tus diapositivas deben estar alineadas correctamente, no sólo por estética, sino porque aumentará la concentración y la atención, y facilitará la comprensión del mensaje que quieres transmitir.

6. Usa la regla de los tercios. La regla de los tercios es una forma de composición muy común en pintura, fotografía y diseño. Consiste en ordenar objetos dentro de una imagen. Esta regla divide una imagen en nueve partes iguales, es decir, forma una cuadrilla invisible de nueve rectángulos y cuatro puntos de intersección. A través de esta regla lo que conseguirás será armonizar y compensar los elementos en una diapositiva. Si quieres ver un ejemplo pulsa en el enlace.

7. Usa rejillas para estructurar la información. Junto con la regla de los tercios, puedes optar también por un sistema de rejillas que te permitirá dividir la diapositiva por secciones. Gracias a esta rejilla tendrás muchas más opciones a la hora de componer y organizar los elementos que conformarán la diapositiva. La rejilla ya no será de nueve rectángulos, sino que dispondrá de dieciséis. Esto te permitirá aumentar la variedad de posiciones de tus elementos.

8. Usa el contraste. El contraste te da la opción de marcar la diferencia en una diapositiva. Con el contraste conseguirás llamar la atención. ¿Cómo conseguirlo? A través del tamaño, la forma, el tono o color, la posición, la textura y la tipografía.

9. Usa una buena plantilla. Debes insistir en el aspecto armónico de la diapositiva. Define cuál será tu plantilla para la presentación y define bien los elementos que repetirás en cada una de las diapositivas, sin olvidar nunca que debe incluir lo esencial. En la plantilla de una presentación debe haber siempre una homogeneidad en cuanto a la tipografía, los tamaños, los colores, así como otros aspectos también importantes como imágenes, transiciones, alineaciones, etc.

10. Maximiza la señal y minimiza el ruido. ¿Qué significa esto? Muy sencillo. No dejes nunca que la señal (la información) ceda terreno al ruido (elementos superfluos). Estos elementos superfluos deben suprimirse usando la navaja de Ockham. Debes minimizar al máximo todo lo que no sea estrictamente información o guarde una relación con esta. Algunos ejemplos de ruidos serían las líneas gruesas de una tabla de contenidos, imágenes con una mera finalidad decorativa, símbolos de difícil interpretación, letra ilegible por su reducido tamaño, etc. Si quieres ver varios ejemplos pulsa en el siguiente enlace.

No puedo acabar hoy de otra manera que no sea con una cita relacionada con el diseño. Concretamente, se trata de una cita de Joe Sparano y reza así:
El buen diseño es obvio. El gran diseño es transparente.

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10 Trucos geniales de diseño para realizar un Powerpoint perfecto

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Este es mi segundo artículo que publico referido a la herramienta Powerpoint. El primero que publiqué se titulaba ¿Por qué no utilizo Powerpoint en clase? Efectivamente, llevo años sin usar esta herramienta de presentaciones en clase. Entonces, ¿por qué escribir otro artículo sobre Powerpoint?

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Vivimos en un momento en el que las historias pueden ser la diferencia entre quienes sobresalen y quienes simplemente sobreviven.

Yo me considero una persona humilde pero con grandes sueños y ambiciones. Siempre creí que si trabajaba duro y hacía cosas extraordinarias que la gente se daría cuenta y que serían ellos quienes me ayudarían a contar mi historia. Me parecía engreído y ególatra encargarme de esa tarea yo mismo.

Pero con el tiempo me di cuenta que esa expectativa era ingenua. Las ideas extraordinarias son difíciles de identificar, especialmente si están enfocadas en el futuro o adelantadas a su época. Yo siempre digo que las personas estamos tan ocupadas e inmersas en nuestros problemas que no reconocemos el futuro cuando lo tenemos en frente.

Las buenas ideas, si no las sabemos comunicar, si nadie las ve ni las entiende, son irrelevantes.

La única forma en la que podemos lograr que las personas nos ayuden a contar nuestra historía, es si somos nosotros quienes la contamos primero. Necesitamos ayudarle al mundo a ver el valor de nuestro trabajo. Las buenas ideas, si no las sabemos explicar, si nadie las ve o nadie las entiende, son irrelevantes.

Las historias son la moneda de intercambio en nuestra vida, especialmente en un mundo hyper conectado. Nos mantienen informados e interesaos los unos en los otros y nos ayuda a comunicar nuestro valor y nuestro propósito en la vida.

Una forma simple y poderosa de contar una historia es siguiendo tres pasos básicos:

1. Escoge un punto de vista.

Nuestra historia la podemos contar desde diferentes puntos de vista:

Personal. Esto es cuando contamos nuestra experiencia de vida, el contexto en el que crecimos, los retos que hemos enfrentado

Empresa. Cuando explicamos por qué existe nuestra organización, cuál es su propósito y por qué es importante. O cómo se formó, cómo identificaste la oportunidad, cómo ha crecido.

Idea. Cuando buscamos lanzar un nuevo producto o servicio y mostrarle al mercado nuevas formas de satisfacer sus necesidades.

Futuro. Cuando buscamos hablar de nuestra visión del futuro y del impacto que buscamos tener con estros productos o servicios.

2. Escoge un tipo de narrativa.

También hay diferentes tipos de narrativas que podemos usar para contar nuestra historia dependiendo del objetivo que queremos lograr:

Nuestra experiencia. Consiste en mostrar que nuestra experiencia de vida nos hace más fuertes.

Superando obstáculos. Sirve para mostrar nuestra resilencia y nuestra habilidad de salir adelante.

Evolución constante. Con esta narrativa demostramos nuestra adaptabilidad y nuestra capacidad de ser flexibles y adaptarnos a las condiciones cambiantes del mundo.

Manteniendo la escencia. Es útil cuando queremos mostrar cómo nuestros valores nos hacen únicos y guían nuestras decisiones.

Renacimiento. Consiste en mostrar que podemos "pivotear" cambiando de dirección aprendiendo de nuestros errores.

3. Escoge y acomoda elementos.

Si examinamos las historias más interesantes, suelen tener componentes particulares. Estos componentes pueden facilitar increíblemente nuestra capacidad de contar historias.

Contexto. La apertura dramática de una historia, que da contexto y nos ayuda a comprender dónde comienza y qué esta pasando.

Perspectiva. El lente desde el cual estamos contando la historia; el punto de vista desde el que la queremos contar.

Personajes. Los heroes, los villanos y los extras que le dan color a tu historia.

Retos. Las situaciones complejas que los personajes enfrentan.

Dilema. Las decisiones difíciles y conflictivas que los personajes enfrentan en el contexto de los retos.

Drama. Los sentimientos y emociones que estos personajes experimentan.

Lecciones. Los aprendizajes que estos personajes adquieren a lo largo de la trama.

Posibilidades. Los nuevos mindsets o visión del mundo que adquieren los personajes a lo largo de la historia.

Desenlace. Cómo termina la historia, cuál es la moraleja y por que es importante para la audiencia.

Una historia puede estar compuesta de todos o de algunos de estos componentes. El primer draft lo podemos hacer escribiendo lo que queremos decir en cada uno de estos y luego acomodándolos en el orden que mejor se acomode al objetivo que buscamos lograr.

Una vez que hemos escogido nuestro punto de vista, nuestra narrativa y hemos escogido los componentes es mucho más fácil el articular nuestra historia, presentarla al mundo, y engancharlo.

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Vivimos en un momento en el que las historias pueden ser la diferencia entre quienes sobresalen y quienes simplemente sobreviven. Yo me considero una persona humilde pero con grandes sueños y ambiciones. Siempre creí que si trabajaba duro y hacía cosas extraordinarias que la gente se daría cuenta y que serían ellos quienes me ayudarían a contar mi historia.

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8 Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations

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If you want to structure your speech to keep your audience engaged throughout, try these 8 storytelling techniques for a presentation that wows.

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Anna Parini

Cuando no existían las empresas, ni las marcas, ni los psicólogos, y solo había hogueras y humanos alrededor, ya hacíamos uso del arte de la narración para transmitir valores, ideas o proyectos. Es lo que ahora se conoce como storytelling (narración, en inglés). Y si este arte ha permanecido, por más que algunas cosas hayan cambiado tanto, es porque nuestro cerebro se implica de forma diferente cuando explicamos una historia que cuando nos limitamos a enumerar acontecimientos. Por ejemplo, al leer simples datos se activan en nuestro cerebro solamente las partes del lenguaje encargadas de descifrar su significado. Sin embargo, cuando esas mismas referencias forman parte de un relato o de una metáfora que va más allá de la mera descripción, también se activan las partes que el cerebro usa cuando estamos viviendo una experiencia real. Las historias consiguen involucrarnos, nos emocionan, desarrollamos una mayor empatía, así como habilidades sociales complejas. Además, consiguen que el mensaje perdure, se entienda mejor e incluso que se esté más dispuesto a actuar. Estos valores nos pueden ayudar, por ejemplo, en una entrevista de trabajo donde tenemos que explicar nuestra trayectoria y convencer de que somos el candidato ideal para el puesto. También pueden ser útiles para aconsejar a un buen amigo o para liderar un grupo de trabajo. Sea como sea, el arte del storytelling es un arma poderosa.
El marketing ha descubierto los beneficios de contar historias. En un mundo saturado de mensajes y clichés, el poder de un cuento es algo que las empresas no están dispuestas a desperdiciar. La ciencia, además, ha corroborado que las palabras son muy parecidas a la magia. Tal vez por eso los conjuros y los hechizos se construyen con palabras. Y tal vez por eso también debemos saber usarlas, combinarlas e hilarlas para que digan lo que queremos decir. Para que nos ayuden a explicarnos y a ser entendidos.

Puede que el nombre de Andrew Stanton no nos suene demasiado. Sin embargo, si decimos que es el guionista de las tres entregas de Toy Story y de Wall-E, entre otras maravillas del cine de animación, seguro que despierta en usted una gran simpatía. Stanton ha sido uno de los responsables de actualizar la narrativa actual. Es difícil escapar del embrujo que generan algunas de las obras maestras de la factoría Pixar. De repente, el cine infantil conectó no solo con los niños, sino con la infancia que espera agazapada dentro de cualquier persona. Y si pudieron conseguirlo fue por esa manera tan original de contar las historias de siempre.

La fórmula secreta de Pixar permaneció bien guardada hasta que en 2012 Stanton dio una conferencia en una charla TED (tecnología, entretenimiento y diseño) titulada Las claves de una gran historia. En aquella exposición, el cineasta compartió su manera de ver el storytelling. En síntesis, Stanton explicaba los caminos para mantener a la tribu alrededor de la hoguera, atentos y con ganas de saber qué pasará después. Nosotros, en nuestro día a día, también podemos usar algunas de las técnicas del guionista estadounidense. Porque a todos nos gusta contar lo que nos ha pasado en el trabajo. O la anécdota que acabamos de vivir en el autobús. O que nuestro jefe tenga en cuenta nuestros puntos de vista... Lo importante es que cuando tengamos que explicar algo, con la intención que sea, no lo expliquemos. Contémoslo. Para que nuestras historias cuenten para los demás, es bueno seguir algunos consejos.

Un principio y un final. Narrar es como contar un chiste. Para que tenga gracia, hay que tener claro cómo se empieza y cómo se acaba. Es posible dejarse llevar durante el desarrollo, pero el principio y el final no se improvisan. Hay que tenerlos en mente y estar preparados para provocar el efecto deseado.

Empiece con una promesa. Porque todo relato es una esperanza. No se trata de mentir ni de exagerar, sino de extraer lo excepcional que encierra cualquier acontecimiento para que el interlocutor nos preste algo tan valioso que nunca se da: su atención.

Haga que le importe. Esta es una de las reglas de oro de Pixar. Andrew Stanton nos anima diciendo: "Quizá sea el mandamiento más grande de la narrativa. Por favor, ¡haz que me importe! En lo emocional, en lo intelectual, lo estético..., haz que me importe. Y todos sabemos qué es lo que no nos importa". Al final, no somos tan distintos. Si miramos dentro de cada uno de nosotros, sabremos ver no solo qué es interesante explicar y qué no, sino cómo sería interesante contarlo.

2+2 es muy distinto que 4. Es decir, hay que involucrar al otro, y para ello es necesario ir dejando espacio a su inteligencia. No es conveniente resolver todo el misterio de golpe.

Use lo que sabe. O lo que vive. Todos tenemos a nuestro alrededor personas que siempre tienen algo que contar. En la gran mayoría de los casos no es que hayan vivido más, simplemente han estado más atentos a las cosas. Si hacemos lo mismo, nuestra vida será un pozo sin fondo de historias de todo tipo.

Además de pensar lo que se quiere narrar y darle una estructura interna al relato, para convertirse en un gran contador de historias hay que usar todos los recursos que tenemos a nuestro alcance.

El cuerpo. Tiene su propio lenguaje. Si no se usa más, sobre todo al hablar en público, es porque es fácil cohibirse. ¡Fuera complejos! Dejémonos llevar por la narración. El cuerpo reaccionará por sí mismo y será capaz de completar las sutilezas que a veces se le escapan a las palabras.

Los ojos. Hay que mirar a los demás. La expresión de la cara se ilumina con una mirada cargada de intención.

El tono de voz. Básico para darle valor a las palabras. Alzarlo o bajarlo. Acelerarlo o ralentizarlo. Lo ideal es cambiarlo cuando aparezcan nuevos personajes en nuestro relato. Le podemos poner intensidad o, simplemente, interrumpir con un silencio. Un excelente relato acompañado por una buena interpretación de tono es un artefacto infalible.

Si se tienen en cuenta todas estas cosas, es más que probable que descubramos el increíble poder de conexión que hay en las narraciones. "Cada una de ellas confirma alguna verdad que profundiza nuestra comprensión de lo que somos como humanos. Nos encantan las historias. Nacimos para esto. Las historias afirman quiénes somos. Todos queremos confirmar que nuestras vidas tienen sentido. Y nada nos reafirma más que conectarnos mediante historias. Porque pueden atravesar las barreras del tiempo: pasado, presente y futuro; y nos permiten experimentar las similitudes entre nosotros y con los demás, reales e imaginarias", sostiene Stanton.

Hay que empezar a comunicarse a través de historias. Dejar de explicar meros hechos, más o menos aburridos. Da igual que los relatos puedan ser escritos o hablados. Lo importante es que sean de verdad. Que hablen de nosotros y que, al hacerlo, nos hablemos a nosotros mismos. Pero también es fundamental escuchar los cuentos de los demás. Ya sea en directo, leyendo un libro, frente a la pantalla de la televisión o en una sesión de cine. Llenarse de buenas narraciones. De cuentos. De fábulas. Hacer un esfuerzo para estar cerca de los buenos narradores y dejarse llevar. Escuchar como lo hacíamos cuando éramos niños. Con los oídos, pero con los ojos también. Con todo el cuerpo.

Si hemos tenido la fortuna de estar en una sesión de cuentacuentos y nos hemos fijado en los niños, entenderemos que esa es la única manera de estar atentos a un relato. Con los ojos tan abiertos como si realmente fueran ventanas para que entre aire fresco.
elpaissemanal@elpais.es

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Cuando no existían las empresas, ni las marcas, ni los psicólogos, y solo había hogueras y humanos alrededor, ya hacíamos uso del arte de la narración para transmitir valores, ideas o proyectos. Es lo que ahora se conoce como storytelling (narración, en inglés).

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The magical science of storytelling | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholm

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El poder de las historias | Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón | TEDxRiodelaPlataED

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A todos nos encantan las películas de Pixar, cada una de ellas nos ha hecho sentir diferentes emociones que nos han terminado atrapando. Quién no recuerda el viaje emocionante de Marlin buscando a su hijo Nemo, o la famosa frase de Buzz Lightyear: "Hasta el Infinito y más allá..." y quién no se ha emocionado con el anciano de UP. Todas ellas comparten un mismo patrón, una fórmula que les ha reportado su éxito actual y que hace un tiempo Emma Coats, guionista de Pixar, desveló para todo el mundo a través de su cuenta de twitter: https://twitter.com/lawnrocket.

¿Y por qué hablamos aquí de una fórmula de éxito en películas de animación? Pues porque como ya se encargó de popularizar Daniel Pink, en su libro "To Sell is Human", la fórmula del éxito de Pixar también la puedes aplicar a tu negocio. Y nosotros desde Autentia te vamos a indicar cómo utilizamos esta técnica para mejorar con nuestros clientes.

El origen del Pixar Pitch lo encontramos en el Story Telling. En la actualidad las famosas charlas TED, las keynotes de Apple o cualquier persona de renombre en los Open Space utilizan el Story Telling para contar su idea, para contar su historia.

Esto es así por el valor que aportan las historias, desde tiempos inmemoriales los hechos y conocimientos se transmitían generación tras generación mediante ellas. ¿Y por qué nos gustan tanto las historias? Porque crean una emoción positiva que inspiran a las personas a tomar acciones, enseña valores, virtudes, humanidad y una moraleja. Desde Autentia damos soporte para crear ese Story Telling que ayude a crear emociones que inspiren a los clientes y a ganar su confianza.

El Pixar Pitch está formado por la siguiente estructura de 6 frases secuenciales:

Esto es así ya que nuestra mente procesa mejor la información si viene de forma estructurada.

Veamos cómo lo utiliza Pixar en sus películas con el ejemplo de "Buscando a Nemo":
4.- "Debido a esto...es capturado por un buceador y acaba en la pecera de un dentista en Sidney." 5.- "A causa de esto...Marlin pone en marcha un plan para recuperar a Nemo, consiguiendo la ayuda de otras criaturas marinas a lo largo del viaje."
Ahora vamos a mostrar un ejemplo, donde se busca una mejora, como en Autentia empleamos la técnica del Pixar Pitch para la definición de HdU y como herramienta para las sesiones de Retrospectiva.

Usando el Pixar Pitch para mostrar la funcionalidad a desarrollar y el entendimiento de las Historias de Usuario, dando pie a la conversación que nos dará el detalle de la Historia de Usuario:

Además, la técnica puede ser usada para obtener un resumen del Sprint en la Retrospectiva, veamos el ejemplo:

Existen numerosos estudios sobre la memoria humana, te dejo el siguiente de Soledad Ballesteros: http://www.psicothema.com/psicothema.asp?id=323, cuyos resultados arrojan que nuestra mente procesa y reproduce la información mucho mejor cuando se presenta de forma estructurada. Seis valores es el máximo que estamos dispuestos a escuchar y leer (por ello los números de teléfono se suelen componer de un prefijo de provincia más los 6 números que identifican el teléfono), casualmente el Pixar Pitch presenta esta característica, a lo largo de 6 frases representa una lógica que lo hace más fácil para convencer.

¿Te atreves a crear tu propio Pixar Pitch y compartirlo con nosotros?

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A todos nos encantan las películas de Pixar, cada una de ellas nos ha hecho sentir diferentes emociones que nos han terminado atrapando. Quién no recuerda el viaje emocionante de Marlin buscando a su hijo Nemo, o la famosa frase de Buzz Lightyear: "Hasta el Infinito y más allá..."

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Excelente este artículo en el que analiza una escena de Mad Men

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Excelente este artículo en el que analiza una escena de Mad Men

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My recent post in which I had some fun with the hit TV series, Breaking Bad, reminded me of a clip from another popular series, Mad Men.

If you who don’t know the show, Mad Men is set in the 1960s and is focused on the people who work for a fictitious advertising agency known as Sterling Cooper.

In the clip below, two executives from Kodak are visiting Sterling Cooper to hear the agency’s proposal for a new slide projector that Kodak has invented. Up to this point, Kodak has insisted on incorporating the concept of a wheel into the ad campaign. However, Sterling Cooper has another idea.

Pleasantries exchanged, they get down to business. The job falls to Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), one of Sterling Cooper’s star admen, to explain his strategy for the Kodak ad campaign.

We can learn several powerful public speaking lessons from this scene.

1. Emotion is powerful.

“Well, technology is a glittering lure. But there’s the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product.”

———

“But he also talked about a deeper bon d with the product: nostalgia.”

2. Stories are powerful.

“My first job, I was in-house at a fur company, with this old pro copywriter. Greek, named Teddy. And Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising is ‘new’.”

3. Metaphors are powerful.

“Creates an itch. You simply put your product in there as a kind of … calamine lotion.”

———

“This device isn’t a spaceship. It’s a time machine. It goes backwards, forwards. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.”

4. Interesting facts are powerful.

“Teddy told me that in Greek, “nostalgia” literally means, “the pain from an old wound”. It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone.”

5. Rhetorical devices are powerful.

“It’s not called the Wheel. It’s called the Carousel.”

6. Images are powerful.

[The slides in the projector.]

7. Pauses are powerful.

“It’s delicate … but potent.”

———

“It lets us travel the way … a child travels … around and around, and back home again … to a place where we know we are loved.”

———

These are only a few examples. Play the clip again and count how many pauses, long and short, there are.

You don’t have to work at an advertising agency to incorporate the above techniques when you speak. Try using two or three the next time you present; your audience will go “mad” for it.

14 Replies to “Seven Powerful Public Speaking Lessons from "Mad Men"”

1. Love this!!!! Fabulous post. Mad Men is such an interesting show.
I hope you have a beautiful day!!! <3

1. Thanks very much for the comment.

2. Brilliant post, John, also from the standpoint of the storyteller. Show, don’t tell, don’t over dramatize and go straight to the heart without detours. thanks for a great post.

1. Thanks for the comment, Bob. I like post like this where all the work is essentially done for me. It is a great scene.

3. naturally powerful….sincerity analysed to understand effect as opposed to an attempt to construct sincerity… I’m not ashamed to say this pulled a tear from my eye. Thanks for sharing John…you are my ‘virtual mentor’ un abbraccio da Italia caro amico

1. Mille grazie, Andy! Sono stato a Verona la scorsa settimana, lavorando con rappresentanti di aziende italiane. I hope to go back to Italy soon. And yes, that scene is emotional!

4. Hi John,

Thanks for your post. This is a good example to use, and certainly one of the most memorable scenes from Mad Men. It is particularly poignant because of what is happening in Don Draper’s life.

You should definitely have this series on your list to watch. It is brilliant.

Best,

Ian

1. Hi Ian. Thanks for the comment. You’re not the first person to tell me I should watch the series. I am resisting in the interests of time management! For now, at least.

5. As a child of the 60’s, this scene is even more effective, since we had a Kodak Carousel. Mad Men’s writing is outstanding, it is a series well-worth watching from start to finish, John.

1. Thanks, Eric. We had a Carousel too! And I know that Mad Men is a great show but I hesitate to start watching it as I don’t want to invest all that time. Maybe one day.

6. I love how you show and tell with every post you write. I haven’t watched Mad Men, yet! I must, as it’s more than entertainment when you work in messages and communication!

1. Thank you, Sandra! Much appreciated. I have actually started to watch the series and there is a lot that you can learn about persuasion from it. I’m taking notes.

7. El poder del Storytelling.

1. Gracias, Natalia.

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Seven Powerful Public Speaking Lessons from "Mad Men"

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From emotion to storytelling to pauses, this short scene from Mad Men contains seven powerful public speaking lessons for anyone who has to present.

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Persuasion is the centerpiece of business activity. Customers must be convinced to buy your company's products or services, employees and colleagues to go along with a new strategic plan or reorganization, investors to buy (or not to sell) your stock, and partners to sign the next deal. But despite the critical importance of persuasion, most executives struggle to communicate, let alone inspire. Too often, they get lost in the accoutrements of companyspeak: PowerPoint slides, dry memos, and hyperbolic missives from the corporate communications department. Even the most carefully researched and considered efforts are routinely greeted with cynicism, lassitude, or outright dismissal.

Why is persuasion so difficult, and what can you do to set people on fire? In search of answers to those questions, HBR senior editor Bronwyn Fryer paid a visit to Robert McKee, the world's best-known and most respected screenwriting lecturer, at his home in Los Angeles. An award-winning writer and director, McKee moved to California after studying for his Ph.D. in cinema arts at the University of Michigan. He then taught at the University of Southern California's School of Cinema and Television before forming his own company, Two-Arts, to take his lectures on the art of storytelling worldwide to an audience of writers, directors, producers, actors, and entertainment executives.

McKee's students have written, directed, and produced hundreds of hit films, including Forrest Gump, Erin Brockovich, The Color Purple, Gandhi, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Sleepless in Seattle, Toy Story, and Nixon. They have won 18 Academy Awards, 109 Emmy Awards, 19 Writers Guild Awards, and 16 Directors Guild of America Awards. Emmy Award winner Brian Cox portrays McKee in the 2002 film Adaptation, which follows the life of a screenwriter trying to adapt the book The Orchid Thief. McKee also serves as a project consultant to film and television production companies such as Disney, Pixar, and Paramount as well as major corporations, including Microsoft, which regularly send their entire creative staffs to his lectures.

McKee believes that executives can engage listeners on a whole new level if they toss their PowerPoint slides and learn to tell good stories instead. In his best-selling book Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, published in 1997 by Harper-Collins, McKee argues that stories "fulfill a profound human need to grasp the patterns of living-not merely as an intellectual exercise, but within a very personal, emotional experience." What follows is an edited and abridged transcript of McKee's conversation with HBR.

Why should a CEO or a manager pay attention to a screenwriter?

A big part of a CEO's job is to motivate people to reach certain goals. To do that, he or she must engage their emotions, and the key to their hearts is story. There are two ways to persuade people. The first is by using conventional rhetoric, which is what most executives are trained in. It's an intellectual process, and in the business world it usually consists of a PowerPoint slide presentation in which you say, "Here is our company's biggest challenge, and here is what we need to do to prosper." And you build your case by giving statistics and facts and quotes from authorities. But there are two problems with rhetoric. First, the people you're talking to have their own set of authorities, statistics, and experiences. While you're trying to persuade them, they are arguing with you in their heads. Second, if you do succeed in persuading them, you've done so only on an intellectual basis. That's not good enough, because people are not inspired to act by reason alone.

The other way to persuade people-and ultimately a much more powerful way-is by uniting an idea with an emotion. The best way to do that is by telling a compelling story. In a story, you not only weave a lot of information into the telling but you also arouse your listener's emotions and energy. Persuading with a story is hard. Any intelligent person can sit down and make lists. It takes rationality but little creativity to design an argument using conventional rhetoric. But it demands vivid insight and storytelling skill to present an idea that packs enough emotional power to be memorable. If you can harness imagination and the principles of a well-told story, then you get people rising to their feet amid thunderous applause instead of yawning and ignoring you.

So What is a story?

Essentially, a story expresses how and why life changes. It begins with a situation in which life is relatively in balance: You come to work day after day, week after week, and everything's fine. You expect it will go on that way. But then there's an event-in screenwriting, we call it the "inciting incident"-that throws life out of balance. You get a new job, or the boss dies of a heart attack, or a big customer threatens to leave. The story goes on to describe how, in an effort to restore balance, the protagonist's subjective expectations crash into an uncooperative objective reality. A good storyteller describes what it's like to deal with these opposing forces, calling on the protagonist to dig deeper, work with scarce resources, make difficult decisions, take action despite risks, and ultimately discover the truth. All great storytellers since the dawn of time-from the ancient Greeks through Shakespeare and up to the present day-have dealt with this fundamental conflict between subjective expectation and cruel reality.

How would an executive learn to tell stories?

Stories have been implanted in you thousands of times since your mother took you on her knee. You've read good books, seen movies, attended plays. What's more, human beings naturally want to work through stories. Cognitive psychologists describe how the human mind, in its attempt to understand and remember, assembles the bits and pieces of experience into a story, beginning with a personal desire, a life objective, and then portraying the struggle against the forces that block that desire. Stories are how we remember; we tend to forget lists and bullet points.

Businesspeople not only have to understand their companies' past, but then they must project the future. And how do you imagine the future? As a story. You create scenarios in your head of possible future events to try to anticipate the life of your company or your own personal life. So, if a businessperson understands that his or her own mind naturally wants to frame experience in a story, the key to moving an audience is not to resist this impulse but to embrace it by telling a good story.

What makes a good story?

You emphatically do not want to tell a beginning-to-end tale describing how results meet expectations. This is boring and banal. Instead, you want to display the struggle between expectation and reality in all its nastiness.

For example, let's imagine the story of a biotech start-up we'll call Chemcorp, whose CEO has to persuade some Wall Street bankers to invest in the company. He could tell them that Chemcorp has discovered a chemical compound that prevents heart attacks and offer up a lot of slides showing them the size of the market, the business plan, the organizational chart, and so on. The bankers would nod politely and stifle yawns while thinking of all the other companies better positioned in Chemcorp's market.

Alternatively, the CEO could turn his pitch into a story, beginning with someone close to him-say, his father-who died of a heart attack. So nature itself is the first antagonist that the CEO-as-protagonist must overcome. The story might unfold like this: In his grief, he realizes that if there had been some chemical indication of heart disease, his father's death could have been prevented. His company discovers a protein that's present in the blood just before heart attacks and develops an easy-to-administer, low-cost test.

But now it faces a new antagonist: the FDA. The approval process is fraught with risks and dangers. The FDA turns down the first application, but new research reveals that the test performs even better than anyone had expected, so the agency approves a second application. Meanwhile, Chemcorp is running out of money, and a key partner drops out and goes off to start his own company. Now Chemcorp is in a fight-to-the-finish patent race.

This accumulation of antagonists creates great suspense. The protagonist has raised the idea in the bankers' heads that the story might not have a happy ending. By now, he has them on the edges of their seats, and he says, "We won the race, we got the patent, we're poised to go public and save a quarter-million lives a year." And the bankers just throw money at him.

A version of this article appeared in the June 2003 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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Persuasion is the centerpiece of business activity. Customers must be convinced to buy your company's products or services, employees and colleagues to go along with a new strategic plan or reorganization, investors to buy (or not to sell) your stock, and partners to sign the next deal.

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En este artículo se relaciona la estructura de la retórica con la explicación de las neurociencias. Muy bueno para pensar el porqué del orden de los discursos.

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En este artículo se relaciona la estructura de la retórica con la explicación de las neurociencias. Muy bueno para pensar el porqué del orden de los discursos.

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Actualmente, no existe en nuestra enseñanza una asignatura relacionada con la Oratoria, que enseñe a construir discursos persuasivos y a pronunciarlos en público. Esa labor correspondió durante siglos a la Retórica.

Una enseñanza tradicional

La Retórica formó parte de la enseñanza europea desde la Antigüedad hasta la consolidación del Romanticismo.

En sus orígenes, se ocupaba de todos los aspectos relacionados con el arte de hablar en público. Con el tiempo, se fue limitando a un simple tratado de las figuras retóricas, lo que condujo a su desprestigio.

Y en el Romanticismo se produjo un rechazo de la Retórica, que llevó a su desaparición de la enseñanza. Desde entonces, el término retórica se emplea despectivamente para referirse a un lenguaje vacío y falto de contenido.

Sin embargo, es mucho más que un simple tratado de figuras retóricas. Y en la actualidad se está tratando de recuperarla en su sentido original, pues sus normas siguen siendo muy útiles para hablar bien en público.

Las operaciones retóricas

La Retórica contempla cinco operaciones. Las tres primeras (la invención, la disposición y la elocución) enseñan a construir el discurso.

1. La invención consiste en el hallazgo de las pruebas racionales y de los recursos emocionales.

2. La disposición distribuye esos hallazgos en las distintas partes del discurso.

3. Y la elocución adorna el discurso por medio de recursos estilísticos, de figuras retóricas y de tropos, haciéndolo más atractivo.

La activación de esas tres operaciones permite escribir un discurso perfectamente argumentado, estructurado y adornado.

Una vez que el discurso está escrito, se activan las dos restantes operaciones retóricas: la memoria y la acción o pronunciación:

4. La memoria da consejos que ayudan a memorizar el discurso, para pronunciarlo como si se estuviera improvisando.

5. Y la acción/ pronunciación facilita normas para su exposición ante el auditorio. La acción se relaciona con la vestimenta, la postura del cuerpo y el empleo de los gestos y de la mirada por parte del orador, y la pronunciación con el uso de su voz. Los gestos deben adecuarse siempre a la voz y al contenido del discurso, reforzando su significado.

Las partes del discurso

La Retórica establecía también las partes del discurso: el exordio, la narración, la argumentación y la peroración.

* El exordio, o inicio del discurso, intenta provocar la atención y la curiosidad de los oyentes, incluye un breve resumen del tema del discurso e intenta influir emocionalmente en el auditorio.

* La narración es un relato breve de los hechos que se juzgan o comentan.

* La argumentación es la parte más racional del discurso, en la que el orador expone los argumentos favorables a su causa y trata de refutar los de la parte contraria.

* Y la peroración o epílogo resume lo expuesto y hace uso nuevamente de recursos emocionales, para ganarse afectivamente al auditorio. Así pues, los recursos emocionales se situaban en el inicio y en el final del discurso, y la parte racional en su parte central.

Retórica y neurociencia: razón y emoción

La moderna neurociencia ha refrendado la intuición de la Retórica sobre las partes del discurso.

Los neurocientíficos han mostrado cómo tomamos decisiones en la vida normal.

En un primer momento, y como ha explicado Antonio Damasio, las emociones nos ayudan a descartar algunas posibilidades, reduciendo el número de opciones.

Posteriormente, entra en juego la razón, que sopesa la larga lista de pros y contras de las opciones seleccionadas. Esta lista suele ser larga y equilibrada, y por sí sola nunca nos llevaría a tomar una decisión.

Finalmente, vuelven a aparecer las emociones, haciendo que nos inclinemos por una postura determinada.

Si no fuera por las emociones, que aparecen al principio y al final del proceso, no podríamos tomar decisiones.

Esa distribución coincide con las partes del discurso retórico.

El discurso comienza con el exordio, que intenta influir emocionalmente en el auditorio. Le siguen después dos partes racionales, la narración y la argumentación, en la que se exponen los hechos y los argumentos. Y, finalmente, se recurre otra vez a las emociones en la peroración, para animar a los oyentes a que tomen su decisión.

Retórica y neuronas espejo

El reciente descubrimiento de las neuronas espejo confirma la importancia que la Retórica otorga a la acción/ pronunciación.

Las neuronas espejo son unas neuronas motoras que no solo se activan cuando realizamos una acción, sino también cuando vemos a otras personas realizarla. Y eso nos permite comprender de forma sencilla e inconsciente las intenciones de los demás.

Al ver a otras personas realizar un movimiento, se activan en nuestro cerebro las neuronas espejo que se activarían si nosotros mismos realizáramos ese movimiento, pero sin llegar físicamente a realizarlo. Así entendemos la intención que nosotros mismos tendríamos si hiciéramos ese movimiento, comprendiendo las intenciones de los demás.

Las neuronas espejo también nos permiten entender las emociones ajenas.

Al ver a una persona triste o alegre, se activan en nuestro cerebro las neuronas espejo que se activarían si nosotros mismos estuviéramos tristes o alegres, y eso nos permite comprender el estado de ánimo de la otra persona.

En su libro Las neuronas espejo, Marco Iacoboni explica cómo funcionan las neuronas espejo en relación con la oratoria.

Los gestos bien empleados ayudan al orador a expresar lo que quiere comunicar, y también ayudan a que su audiencia le entienda.

Cuando vemos los gestos de un orador, se activan en nuestro cerebro las neuronas espejo que se activarían si fuéramos nosotros mismos quienes los hiciéramos. Así comprendemos sin esfuerzo lo que el orador quiere decir con sus gestos.

El descubrimiento de las neuronas espejo ha demostrado la gran importancia que tienen los gestos para potenciar el contenido del discurso, como ha defendido siempre la acción/pronunciación de la Retórica.

La recuperación de la Retórica

Las normas de la Retórica tradicional siguen siendo perfectamente válidas en la sociedad actual. Hablar en público y persuadir es necesario en muchas actividades y profesiones (docencia, abogacía, política, relaciones públicas, publicidad, actividad empresarial...).

Sin embargo, el rechazo romántico de la Retórica supuso que se dejara de enseñar algo tan fundamental como es hablar bien en público.

La recuperación de la Retórica, cuya validez ha sido refrendada por la neurociencia, solucionaría fácilmente esa carencia.

Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation. Lea el original.

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Persuadir con la palabra: oratoria y neurociencia

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Actualmente, no existe en nuestra enseñanza una asignatura relacionada con la Oratoria, que enseñe a construir discursos persuasivos y a pronunciarlos en público. Esa labor correspondió durante siglos a la Retórica. Una enseñanza tradicional La Retórica formó parte de la enseñanza europea desde la Antigüedad hasta la consolidación del Romanticismo.

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"Los que creen que conocen todas las respuestas es porque todavía no les han hecho todas las preguntas."
-Christopher Witt, "Real leaders don't do PowerPoint"

Una de las mayores ventajas de las presentaciones como actos vivos de comunicación es que ofrecen la posibilidad de interactuar directamente con el público. Aquí te ofrezco 21 trucos que te ayudarán a salir airoso de la sesión de preguntas y respuestas:
ANTES
1. Planifica cuidadosamente la sesión, también forma parte de tu presentación: prepara las respuestas a las preguntas más deseadas, más probables y más temidas. Especialmente anticipa lo peor que te puedan preguntar. Lleva incluso transparencias para responder a esas preguntas, pero no las uses durante tu presentación.

2. Dicta las reglas al principio: si te pueden interrumpir, si harás una pausa a mitad para preguntas o si esperarás hasta el final.

3. Limita el tiempo asignado a preguntas y respuestas.

4. Termina dentro de la hora prevista: así permitirás la existencia de la sesión de preguntas y respuestas.

5. Cuando empiece la sesión, no la abras con "¿Alguna pregunta?" o "¿Alguien tiene una pregunta?", porque dejas la puerta abierta a que respondan que no. En su lugar, iníciala con "¿Quién tiene la primera pregunta?" o frases similares.

6. Si nadie se anima a preguntar, suele ser más por timidez que por desinterés. En ese caso, hazte tú mismo la pregunta: "Algo que suelen preguntarme es..." y respóndete. Después, anuncia: "¿Quién quiere hacer la siguiente pregunta?". Habrás roto el hielo y el público se sentirá más cómodo para preguntar.
DURANTE
7. Escucha la pregunta entera: no interrumpas al que te la hace porque ya imaginas lo que va a preguntar.

8. Asegúrate de haberla entendido: por ejemplo reformulándola con tus propias palabras.

9. Repítela para toda la audiencia: a veces no pueden oír las preguntas de los demás.

10. Permite que todos pregunten: no dejes que una sola persona domine la sesión. Deja la puerta abierta también a preguntas recibidas a través del backchannel.

11. Dirígete primero a quien hizo la pregunta, luego a toda la audiencia.

12. Evita ironía, sarcasmo, crítica mordaz, arrogancia, etc. Demuestra tu talla en cómo te comportas ante las preguntas buenas... y las malas. De todo hay.

13. Agradece la pregunta: con cortesía, pero sin excesos.

14. Pospón preguntas largas para el final de la sesión o para responder en privado.

15. Responde con brevedad: no se trata de que des una segunda conferencia ante cada nueva pregunta.

16. Si no sabes la respuesta, admítelo abiertamente e invita a otros a que respondan la pregunta. Nadie espera que conozcas todas las respuestas. Si es posible, promete enviarle la respuesta más tarde.

17. Discute en particular: no entres en público en bucles infinitos ni te enzarces en discusiones estériles delante de toda la audiencia.

18. No respondas preguntas off-topic: centra el tema y vuelve siempre a él.

19. Corta cuando sea necesario. Algunos no preguntan, dan su propio discurso. Cuando divaguen, pídeles que por favor formulen la pregunta.
DESPUÉS
20. No termines la sesión con la respuesta a la última pregunta, termina siempre repitiendo por última vez tu conclusión.

21. Analiza: una vez terminada, haz una valoración de la sesión. Revisa también las preguntas y comentarios del backchannel. Habrás escuchado las auténticas inquietudes de la audiencia. Ahora sabrás cuáles son sus verdaderos intereses. Gracias a esta interacción podrás enfocar mejor tu próxima presentación.

8 preguntas sobre la audiencia que debes responder antes de una presentación

Profundidad de procesamiento en tus presentaciones

La Maldición del Conocimiento: cuanto más sabes, peor te explicas

¿Cómo sueles gestionar las sesiones de preguntas y respuestas? ¿Pones en práctica otros trucos que no haya mencionado?

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21 trucos para salir airoso de la sesión de preguntas y respuestas tras tu presentación

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"Los que creen que conocen todas las respuestas es porque todavía no les han hecho todas las preguntas." -Christopher Witt, "Real leaders don't do PowerPoint" Una de las mayores ventajas de las presentaciones como actos vivos de comunicación es que ofrecen la posibilidad de interactuar directamente con el público.

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Excelente ejemplo y análisis de un video

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Excelente ejemplo y análisis de un video

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Estos días nos está llegando material de todo tipo a través del móvil y las redes sociales sobre el mismo tema: Coronavirus. Hay un vídeo viral que me ha llamado especialmente la atención y que quiero destacar porque me parece un ejemplo de Comunicación frente a la Cámara clara, valiosa y efectiva. Su protagonista no es periodista ni político, sino profesional de protección civil. ¡Chapó por él!

Vídeo Viral sobre cómo quitarse los guantes de látex

La persona que aparece hablando en este vídeo viral es miembro de Protección Civil de Cubas de la Sagra, un pueblo de Madrid. Me encantaría saber su nombre para poder citarlo y darle las gracias por este estupendo contenido, pero no lo he encontrado.

10 razones por las que este vídeo viral es un ejemplo de comunicación

La verdad es que no pensaba escribir sobre el Coronavirus en mi blog. Pero en cuanto llegó este vídeo viral a mis manos y lo vi, rápido me vinieron dos palabras a la cabeza: "vaya crack". Me pareció que su mensaje está muy bien explicado y que este miembro de protección civil pone en práctica muchas pautas que yo enseño para comunicar frente a la cámara.

Aquí van los 10 motivos por los que considero que este vídeo es un buen ejemplo de comunicación clara, valiosa y efectiva:

1. Aporta Valor

El ingrediente más importante de una buena comunicación es que el contenido sea valioso y útil. Aportar algo rico que realmente sirva para algo. En este caso esta regla de oro se cumple al 100%. Su explicación de cómo quitarse los guantes de látex para evitar contaminar las manos es puro contenido de valor.

2. Va al grano

Aunque el protagonista saluda y hace una pequeña introducción para situar al espectador (ambas cosas recomendables, por cierto), rápido va al grano con la idea central. No se anda por las ramas, ni da rodeos, ni cuenta más datos de los necesarios.

3. Emplea un lenguaje sencillo

Este miembro de protección civil tiene claro el público al que se dirige y le habla con un lenguaje que pueda entender. Su objetivo es llegar a las personas de la calle, no al personal sanitario. Por eso utiliza palabras sencillas, cotidianas, cercanas y coloquiales. Huye de tecnicismos y de un argot más elevado.

4. Explica un proceso paso a paso

Si hay algo que funciona bien en un vídeo es explicar un proceso paso a paso, desde el principio hasta el final. Cuanto más fácil y corto sea, mejor. En este caso, el mensaje principal consiste en eso: contar con detalle cómo quitarse los guantes de látex de las dos manos.

5. Demuestra lo que explica

El protagonista del vídeo apoya su explicación con una demostración en directo de cómo se hace. Esto resulta muy ilustrativo y es más fácil de comprender (y de retener) por parte de la audiencia.

6. Utiliza el humor de forma sutil

Quiero aclarar que el humor NO es el hilo conductor de este vídeo. Esto no tendría sentido en un contexto serio como el que vivimos. Además, el propio contenido requiere un tono responsable para transmitir credibilidad y confianza. Pero en un momento concreto (minuto 1:20) y de manera muy natural, este miembro de protección civil bromea con un gesto conocido como "el dedo de la peineta". Esto ayuda a "desengrasar" la situación y, sobre todo, genera complicidad y cercanía con el espectador.

7. Maneja los silencios

Su discurso es rico en matices, enfatiza determinadas palabras, juega con el volumen en momentos puntuales y hace breves pausas o silencios. Todo ello de una manera natural y auténtica. NO es lineal, plano, monótono y aburrido. Habla de forma tranquila pero con intención y con ganas de que su mensaje llegue al público.

8. Los gestos acompañan el mensaje

Algo que suele ocurrir con frecuencia en personas que no están acostumbradas a hablar frente a la cámara es que, cuando se ponen delante de un objetivo, se quedan rígidas. No saben qué hacer con sus brazos. Esto NO pasa en el vídeo que estamos poniendo como ejemplo, más bien todo lo contrario. Los brazos y las manos adquieren un papel protagonista desde el principio, acompañando y remarcando de manera orgánica lo que se cuenta, y teniendo un gran peso durante la demostración. Sin excesos, en su justa medida y de forma normal.

9. Tiene una duración ideal para Internet

La duración es "de libro". Hay estudios que demuestran que los usuarios que consumen vídeos online, desde el móvil, la tablet o el ordenador, pierden su atención y desconectan a partir de los 2 minutos 50 segundos (2:50). Esta cifra, por supuesto, es muy general y se trata de una media, pero se puede tomar como referencia. Sobre todo para los vídeos que consisten, básicamente, en una persona hablando a cámara.

10. Localización adecuada

Normalmente recomiendo que el espacio elegido para grabar los vídeos tenga una conexión con las ideas transmitidas y una coherencia con el "perfil" de la persona que comunica. El hecho de que este miembro de protección civil haya decidido grabar su contenido dentro de lo que parece ser una ambulancia y con su uniforme de trabajo, le aporta credibilidad y autoridad. Si hubiera elegido hacerlo en su casa y con ropa de calle, el impacto de su mensaje hubiera sido menor.

Y lo mejor: ¡pone en acción al espectador!

Me lo he reservado para el final porque, quizá, sea lo más importante: este vídeo consigue poner en acción al espectador. Estoy convencida de que un alto porcentaje de personas que lo ha visto, y que ha salido al supermercado a comprar, ha seguido los maravillosos consejos de este miembro de la Protección Civil y se ha quitado los guantes como él recomienda. ¿Qué opinas? ¿Tú lo has hecho?

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Vídeo Viral sobre el Coronavirus: ejemplo de comunicación

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Estos días nos está llegando material de todo tipo a través del móvil y las redes sociales sobre el mismo tema: Coronavirus. Hay un vídeo viral que me ha llamado especialmente la atención y que quiero destacar porque me parece un ejemplo de Comunicación frente a la Cámara clara, valiosa y efectiva.

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ADI IGNATIUS: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I'm Adi Ignatius. This is "Real Leaders," a special series examining the lives of some of the world's most compelling and effective leaders, past and present, and the lessons they offer today. In our first two episodes we profiled the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and then writer and environmentalist Rachel Carson. This week, Abraham Lincoln.

NANCY KOEHN: "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free."

NANCY KOEHN: "The mystic chords of memory stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land will yet swell the course of the Union when again touched as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature."

NANCY KOEHN: "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

ADI IGNATIUS: The words of Abraham Lincoln have endured. He gave those three iconic speeches in the prelude to the Civil War and during the war itself. At that time Lincoln was struggling to lead the U.S. through its greatest crisis, and he was widely hated. Now, of course, he's revered as the leader who saved the Nation. Today we'll explore Lincoln's life and how he made himself into such an effective and enduring leader. I'm Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief of Harvard Business Review. And I'm here with Nancy Koehn, the great historian at Harvard Business School, who has researched Lincoln's life and work. Hello, Nancy.

NANCY KOEHN: Hello, there.

ADI IGNATIUS: Nancy, thank you for reading those speeches. We had them printed out for you, but it looked like you were actually reciting most of those from memory.

NANCY KOEHN: I have learned most of Lincoln's most famous speeches from memory, mostly on long dog walks with my spaniels. And it's been just a wonderful thing for me. It's like a library I carry around in my head that I can refer to.

ADI IGNATIUS: So you can assume that these speeches were part of his efforts at political persuasion. Is that accurate? Is that fair? Or, was there more going on than that?

NANCY KOEHN: Lincoln used the English language as a really critical tool of his leadership. He was using it to inform people. He was using it to help people understand the larger frame of the moment, what was at stake. He was using it to help inspire people, particularly in moments like the Second Inaugural at the end of the war and the Gettysburg Address, in the middle at the critical moment in the war. He was using it to help lead.

ADI IGNATIUS: So I find rereading Lincoln's speeches, it's like reading Shakespeare. You're reading a play and you're suddenly, "Oh my god, that's where that amazing line came from." And there are so many, you know: "a house divided against itself cannot stand," "the better angels of our nature," "four score and seven years..." I mean all these things. And at the same time he had a blue streak. I mean he -

NANCY KOEHN: - He was a master storyteller. He could tell very funny, very dirty, very bawdy jokes. He went high and he went low.

ADI IGNATIUS: Is there a Lincoln joke you've got in your back pocket?

NANCY KOEHN: When Lincoln was debating Stephen Douglas for the Senate seat from Illinois, they were outside of Galesburg, Illinois, at a college and a huge windstorm came up and they had to move the dais over to the edge of a building. So to get to the dais, he and Douglas had to clamber through a window onto the platform and Lincoln clambered through and said, "Well, now I can say I've been through college."

ADI IGNATIUS: What I also like from the Lincoln-Douglas debate is when Douglas made one of his arguments, and Lincoln said Douglas's argument, and I'm going to read this: "was as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death." That's pretty good.

NANCY KOEHN: That is really good, and I can't believe you picked that out because it's one of my favorite Lincoln quotes.

ADI IGNATIUS: All right so let's do some quick context setting. Lincoln was born into fairly modest circumstances, suffered some tough blows as a child including the death of his mother. How did these early experiences shape his values and create the resilience that we would see throughout his life?

NANCY KOEHN: The death of his mother is just an incredibly traumatic event for him. They were living in Indiana. His father goes back to Kentucky to find a wife, and the two kids are left alone. He and his sister just kind of fend for themselves. They're eating nuts. They're trying to kill squirrels. That's an important moment because he has to somehow figure out, "How do I keep going?" He doesn't turn inward and into victimhood. He doesn't say, "I'm going to let this get the better of me." He finds a way to move forward, and that's really a huge part the story of a lot of Lincoln's life. I mean he failed so many more times than he succeeded. He suffered so much disappointment. And I just really believe that all those experiences, including the bouts with depression, were moments in which he developed muscles of resilience and grit that were critical to his ability to hold the line during the Civil War and continue to lead and really almost insurmountable circumstances.

ADI IGNATIUS: So Lincoln made his career as a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois. He and his partner tried something like 4,000 cases which, I mean that's really the essence of who he was as a professional. Then Lincoln was tempted by political office. What's interesting to me is he lost a lot of elections, including a lot of critical ones. It's easy in hindsight to say, "OK, those loses motivated him." But my question, I guess for you, is what's going on in Lincoln's head? Those victories, those losses, his constant return to the political battle after these losses. What's going on here?

NANCY KOEHN: So, he loses a number of really critical elections. He loses his first election for State Legislature when he was a young man in his early 20s. He loses a party battle in Central Illinois to get nominated for Congress. Eventually he would get to Congress for a term of two years in the 1840s, in which he will do anything but distinguish himself and he will come back depressed and sure that his political fortunes have fallen, which they had. He will then try and run for Senate a couple of times and get nowhere and lose the nominating battle. At each of these points, he's discouraged. It's not that the losses motivated him. It's quite the opposite. He gets depressed. He says at one point, "I don't expect anyone to ever remember me for anything." And I think each loss and the corresponding time in the canyon of self-flagellation and depression - it's both, in his case. Not all depression is self-flagellating, but his is. Gives him time to think and refine himself and he was always a great student of "what could I do better next time?" He was self-aware and he was a fabulous steward of his self-awareness to make himself better.

ADI IGNATIUS: So Lincoln has this amazing reservoir of resilience and capacity for growth and self-improvement. Where does this drive come from?

NANCY KOEHN: One of the most interesting aspects of Lincoln's making as a leader, and it's a lesson of leadership as well, is Lincoln's ability to teach himself all along his life's journey. He has less than a year of formal schooling. And yet, he is constantly involved in a series of surgical strike, self-teaching adventures, or self-teaching missions. When he's young it's about reading and writing and arithmetic. When he gets to New Salem, which is the first place he goes after he leaves his father's home, a small village outside of Springfield which is becoming the capital of Illinois, he teaches himself surveying to earn a living. He teaches himself geometry because he thinks it will help him think and reason better. He teaches himself the law. He teaches himself how to do public speaking by reading Shakespeare and reciting passages of Shakespeare out loud. He teaches himself the laws of debate because he joins the New Salem Debating Society. He keeps taking these issues or these aspects that he thinks will help him do something and teaches himself that. And that's a lesson of leadership. So when you don't know something and you believe it's critical to your mission, or critical to the next place you need to reach on your journey, you can teach yourself those things.

ADI IGNATIUS: I think one of the reasons people like reading about Lincoln so much is it's partly his greatness and partly just the story, but partly the humanity. To what extent does depression define Abraham Lincoln?

NANCY KOEHN: Lincoln was a person and he is no more easily defined by one aspect of our particular preoccupations than he is by anything else. He was a very complicated person, like most of us. But depression was very important particularly in his young adult life because he didn't just sort of slip into a dark place. I mean his early depressions, people were so worried about him, friends were so worried, that they'd take his razors away. They'd go on vigils watching him.

ADI IGNATIUS: The treatment then was, I was reading, was -

NANCY KOEHN: Leeches.

ADI IGNATIUS: Leeches, mustard -

NANCY KOEHN: Mustard. Plasters, yup -

ADI IGNATIUS: And cold baths --

NANCY KOEHN: And cold baths. When he was President his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton his second Secretary of War, with whom he formed a very close working relationship and Stanton thought of Lincoln as a good friend, was worried about Lincoln's kind of self-image at certain moments, when he grew dark. He was like, "We gotta keep the President safe. We can't risk that he's going to jump into the Potomac or do something harmful." That was a real conversation at a couple of junctures. Not a lot and not for very long. So, this was real. I think what's important about it is not that it defines Lincoln in some sense more than any other particular aspect, it's how he used it. A reporter who's written about this, a journalist, Joshua Shenk, who's written about this in a book called Lincoln's Melancholy, I think makes a very good case. I agree with it completely. That because of his own experience and particularly the suffering, he develops great powers of empathy. And I think that's exactly right. He was a sensitive person to begin with, always - as a young boy, as a young adult, as President. But he then develops a sense of empathy that we can see, say in these last paragraph of the Second Inaugural [speech] - "with malice towards none, with charity toward all." And that becomes very, very important - not only in connecting people, not only in reaching out to individuals, but also in his political life of trying to influence others. That was, I think, very much related to his depression.

ADI IGNATIUS: So Lincoln's big opening politically came in 1858 when he was running against Stephen Douglas for Senator in Illinois. They had a series of debates where Lincoln became a national figure, and he was essentially arguing against slavery, I think more forcefully than he had. But I want to sort of talk about Lincoln and slavery now because his views evolved over time, they were nuanced, they were complicated. Help us understand Lincoln's views on African-Americans and slavery.

NANCY KOEHN: Lincoln's position on slavery, which evolved throughout his life, was all the way to the time he won the White House, including his first Inaugural, was what today we would consider tepid at best and immoral at worse because his public position was we can't interfere with the law of the United States which says that slavery is legal in these places, and it should not be enlarged to other places. It should not be made legal in new territories that become States. It should not be expanded, but we cannot legally abolish it. That is the position Lincoln made his name on. That is the position the Republican Party was born on. Not that we're going to eliminate slavery, but we're going to restrict its territorial enlargement because we don't believe it's right and we can't allow it to expand. And it's protected in the Constitution.

ADI IGNATIUS: Lincoln also said things about Blacks that really identified Blacks as inferior to Whites.

NANCY KOEHN: I think Lincoln probably thought African-Americans, I think his views changed, but I think for most of Lincoln's life he had no reason to think differently than most White Americans that he was exposed to, which were African-Americans were inferior. And he says at one point, "I would never marry an African-American woman and just because I don't want slavery to expand doesn't mean I think Blacks and Whites should intermarry." So again, from our sensibilities today, this seems egregious. But it wouldn't have seemed similarly egregious if we parachuted back into political debates of people that had office or had reasonable chances of assuming elected office locally at the state level or the national level, in America in the 1850s. Now, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, lots of other folks, Charles Sumner, the Senator from Massachusetts, were saying something very different and much more radical - that African-Americans are exactly equal in all ways to White Americans and we can't possibly tolerate the morally reprehensible practice of enslaving Americans by other Americans.

ADI IGNATIUS: So for all the nuance and equivocation on Lincoln's part, by the time he's elected President in 1860, the slave-holding South views that as a sign that the economy that is built on slave owning.

NANCY KOEHN: The social structure.

ADI IGNATIUS: The social structure that is built on slave owning, suddenly is a great risk.

NANCY KOEHN: Absolutely.

ADI IGNATIUS: And boom. What happens?

NANCY KOEHN: As soon as he's elected President, states start seceding from the Union, saying we're not playing on this tennis court anymore. We're out.

ADI IGNATIUS: Coming up after the break, the American Civil War begins. We'll analyze Lincoln's leadership during that momentous political crisis.

ADI IGNATIUS: Welcome back to "Real Leaders," a special series of the HBR IdeaCast. I'm Adi Ignatius with Nancy Koehn. Hello again, Nancy.

NANCY KOEHN: Hey, there.

ADI IGNATIUS: So the Civil War begins in April of 1961. No one at that time could imagine that this will continue for another four Aprils. So, talk about what's happening broadly and, in particularly for Lincoln, as the war starts.

NANCY KOEHN: Really quickly it's clear that this war's not going to be over anytime soon, and the casualty counts start growing. But you can chart the process of Lincoln's growing capacity to think, to see the big picture, to consult lots and lots of people - not unlike JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis. And then make his decisions with that kind of consultative material.

ADI IGNATIUS: So let's break down a little bit. So Lincoln's handling of the Civil War - to what extent does that look like other presidential crisis we've seen, like, say, JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis?

NANCY KOEHN: So, one of the really important aspects that both John Kennedy and Lincoln shared in the moments of crisis leadership was what today we would call forbearance or emotional discipline. Even though my emotions and a lot of influence around me says I need to do something right now. So what Kennedy does is to just slow everything down and say, "Wait a minute. Let's not get too hot under the collar because if we do that, we'll lose control of events and the repercussions of that are not fully well understand and they may be very, very dangerous."

ADI IGNATIUS: So what about Lincoln? Did he manage similarly to maintain his patience and self-control as he is conducting the Civil War?

NANCY KOEHN: With Lincoln, he learned this in his adult life. I'm not exactly sure when. But we see it in his presidency at lots and lots of junctures. The most striking one, or the most telling one is one that happens right around the Battle of Gettysburg, which occurs in the first three days of July 1863 in this Pennsylvania town. And it's this crucial battle, so they knew it was crucial. Lee - Robert E. Lee, who led the Army of Northern Virginia, the biggest Confederate fighting force - had invaded the North. On the opposing side, in this small town in Pennsylvania, is George Meade, who's the commander of the largest Northern fighting force, the Army of the Potomac. The two armies duke it out over two and a half extraordinary days of fighting. Lee loses, turns his army around, and immediately begins moving his men and a wagon train of Confederate wounded that was 17 miles long back South, heading South. Meade makes a critical decision that afternoon and confirms it the next day - that he's not going to pursue Lee. So the Northern General decides, "My soldiers are too exhausted. We can't have another big military clash right now." And Lincoln gets this news from Meade and he is absolutely enraged. He thinks that if Meade can pursue and squash Lee's army the war will effectively be over - and there was good reason to think that. But [Lincoln is] furious. And he begins to write a letter. All of us can just imagine how we feel when we get a particular piece of news and we need to react by getting on our computer, or our phone and start tapping out a text or an email in response. And Lincoln starts writing this letter saying things like, "Your decision not to pursue General Lee's army has extended the war immeasurably. Thousands more will die. You have made a huge mistake and I am immeasurably distressed and disappointed." And then, here's the kicker. He folds the letter up. He puts it in an envelope and he writes on the envelope: "To George Meade, from Abraham Lincoln, July 5th, 1863. Never signed, never sent." And he puts in in a cubbyhole in his desk, where it's found after he died. And that's Lincoln. Lincoln used that power to discipline himself to think ahead, to just take a breath and let his emotions cool over and over and over again. And it's such an important lesson for our time.

ADI IGNATIUS: Alright, but for a long time, and especially around the Battle of Gettysburg, the War is not going very well for Lincoln.

NANCY KOEHN: Right. This is being photographed for the first time in history. It's being talked about. The casualty counts are telegraphed. The carnage and the outrage and the incredible criticism coming at Lincoln because the North can't win, seemed to move the pendulum of military advantage decidedly to its own side, is extraordinary. The pressures on him.

ADI IGNATIUS: So this one is fair to say Lincoln is proving to be an unsuccessful President, unsuccessful war leader.

NANCY KOEHN: Unsuccessful decision maker. Unsuccessful politician. I mean it's not really until the summer of 1864 at the beginning of August that it looks like the Union will truly win the war. Because that happens Lincoln is constantly under a barrage of attack, not to mention all these other pressures he's dealing with. I mean he is, during his presidency, the most hated person in American history. No question. Hated by friends, hated by foes, hated by everyone in the South - hated by every White person in the South.

ADI IGNATIUS: So, all right. Let's look for a lesson here. I mean this is leading a country, in this case. But leading an enterprise in an extended, dark, often hopeless seeming moment. How do you prevail? How do you continue? How do you lead in a situation like that?

NANCY KOEHN: So, it's like a great change leader in an organization - where you're not just trying to make the changes, restructure the business, reorganize your workforce, transform your organization while keeping it alive. You've also got to tell people what you're doing and why because if you don't do that, no one will keep fighting because it's just too hard. No one will keep changing. The Gettysburg Address is the greatest change leadership speech ever given in English.

ADI IGNATIUS: How so?

NANCY KOEHN: So, what's he doing in those 200, depending on which draft, 200 and 74 words. He's framing the stakes of the change and he's convincing people why it's worth to doing. So the first paragraph is, who are we and where did we come from and why do we exist? The second paragraph is just a brilliant kind of movement of the camera, the narrative camera, to say now we are engaged - we're engaged in a great civil war and we're testing whether we really believe that and we can continue to exist based on that. Then he takes the lens and he clicks it down closer to the ground and he says, we've met on a great battlefield, to dedicate a portion of the field for the men who died fighting for that. We're doing that because it's fitting and proper, but the most important thing is not that we consecrate this land - they've already done that. The most important thing is that we try to understand what this struggle has been about. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. So these men died. They died for a big deal. It's an important deal. It's who we are. And by the way, even though they died, it is up to us to commit ourselves to continue that fight because it's so important. That's what that critical fourth paragraph really is. That this nation, we commit ourselves, we dedicate ourselves to the proposition that these men will not have died in vain and that this nation under God will have a new birth of freedom. He doesn't say we'll return to where we were. He doesn't say, we'll rediscover the power of the original proposition. He says, "This nation under God will have a new birth of freedom." And that democracy, government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish. So he's framing the stakes. He's saying this is terrible this change process, but we have to, in spite of the obstacles, in spite of the tradeoffs, we all have to carry on.

ADI IGNATIUS: So he's basically changing the definition of the struggle, what's at stake. In hindsight it seems brilliant. There's no guarantee that anyone is going to be listening and is going to allow the debate to be reframed because of his oratorical skills.

NANCY KOEHN: Well Lincoln was a master calculator, politically. He's always calculating, calculating, calculating. He would never have made that speech if he didn't think the political capital was growing and viable in the North. He has enough capital to say, this war is about slavery, and we're going to end slavery. So that was incredibly important. It was incredibly important. The war stopped being a war solely to save the Union on the basis in which it entered the war with the territorial, with the legal -

ADI IGNATIUS: With the South, North -

NANCY KOEHN: With the South, North, and the legalization of slavery in certain places. And now became a war to fundamentally change the terms of the American experiment and to restore what Lincoln believed to be its true defining principle, as codified in the Declaration of Independence - that all men are created equal and all men are free.

ADI IGNATIUS: So it meant compromise was probably impossible, or -

NANCY KOEHN: It meant that there could never be a brokered peace. Slavery would be over and the war would be over, or the Southerners would win and they would have their own country.

ADI IGNATIUS: So that's an interesting question about leadership because there were also articulate voices saying, "Too many people are dying." The final total I think was 600,000 killed. Insane number and people saying, "We have to stop the fighting." And in essence Lincoln had come up with this position that was tactical, that was principled - but was sort of absolute. What does that say about leadership? I mean you could say he won so it was a good thing. But you could say he also kind of limited his flexibility at that point.

NANCY KOEHN: He certainly did. He thought that's where the nation had arrived - that it was that stark. And by the way lots and lots of other people did it on both sides of the issue. So there were people in 1863, lots of folks in the North that thought we got to end the bloodshed. But there were just as many people and, I think perhaps more, who thought this war's got to be about more than saving the Union. It's got to be about transforming the Union and ending the moral cancer, which was a common term for slavery.

ADI IGNATIUS: So when thinking about the deepest leadership lessons we can all draw from Lincoln, part of it is holding firm. But part of it seems in his life is that he evolved. He evolved as a thinker, as a human, as a leader, as a tactician. We don't all do that.

NANCY KOEHN: But we all have the opportunity to do it. It's given to us by our free will. A powerful leadership lesson from Lincoln is how he moves from "my life is about Abraham Lincoln's political career" to "Abraham Lincoln is about saving and transforming the nation." That's why his death is so truly tragic because if he had lived - a man who saw the big picture, who himself had been transformed and chastened and irrevocably changed in the experience of leading the nation through the Civil War - I think he was absolutely trying to knit the nation together with "malice toward none, with charity for all." These words don't come from just a skilled wordsmith, just a man who became a master of rhetoric. They come from a person whose soul had been truly tormented and transformed in the extraordinary crucible of what he experienced at the center of the perfect storm.

ADI IGNATIUS: Next time on "Real Leaders," Nancy Koehn and I will be talking about Oprah Winfrey. She's not just a tremendously successful businesswoman, she's probably one of the most influential people on the planet. And Nancy, you actually know her.

NANCY KOEHN: Yes. I met her by surprise when she paid an unexpected visit to my class many years ago - the first time I taught the Harvard Business School case that I'd written about her. My students, and many students who heard about it from outside my classroom, who just poured into the classroom to see her, were incredibly impressed with her - her warmth, her intelligence, and a piece of the extraordinary story of her life.

ADI IGNATIUS: This episode was produced by Anne Saini and edited by Curt Nickisch. We get technical help from Rob Eckhardt, and Adam Buchholz is our audio product manager. I'm Adi Ignatius, Editor and Chief of Harvard Business Review. Thanks for listening to "Real Leaders," a special series of the HBR IdeaCast.

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Real Leaders: Abraham Lincoln and the Power of Emotional Discipline

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ADI IGNATIUS: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I'm Adi Ignatius. This is "Real Leaders," a special series examining the lives of some of the world's most compelling and effective leaders, past and present, and the lessons they offer today.

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Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, listens during a meeting with hotel and tourism ... [+]
AFP via Getty Images

Authentic leadership is, by definition, real and genuine. Authenticity is more than a management buzzword. It's a way of acting and communicating that inspires loyalty.

Marriott International CEO, Arne Sorenson, is an authentic leader and he proved it this week with the release of a 6-minute video to Marriott employees, shareholders, and customers.

"This is what leadership sounds like," one person said after watching the video on Twitter. Others said Sorenson's video was "heartfelt and inspiring." Yet another Twitter said, "a master class in leadership."

What, exactly, did Sorenson do that elicited such an outpouring of favorable comments?

In short, Sorenson lowered the shield. He was candid, vulnerable, humble, emotional and hopeful.

Deliver bad news 'face-to-face.'

In the unusual case of the coronavirus outbreak, face-to-face communication means video. According to Sorenson, some members of his team expressed concern about posting a video after his cancer treatment. Sorenson openly acknowledges the sensitive discussions.

"Hello Marriott associates...because of the profound impact COVID-19 is having on so many of us around the world, this is the most difficult video message we have ever pulled together," Sorenson begins.

"Our team was a bit concerned about using a video today because of my new bald look. Let me just say that my new look is exactly what was expected as a result of my medical treatments. I feel good and my team and I are 100% focused on overcoming the common crisis we face. Now let's talk about that crisis."

By making an appearance on video, Sorenson demonstrates vulnerability and humility, two qualities that connect human beings to one another.

Tear off the band-aid quickly.

Authentic leaders deliver the bad news up front. Sorenson says:

"COVID-19 is like nothing we've ever seen before. For a company that's 92-years-old-that's borne witness to the Great Depression, World War II ,and many other economic and global crisees-that's saying something. But here are the facts..."

Sorenson then delivers the facts without sugarcoating them. He places the numbers in perspective that leave no room for confusion.

"COVID-19 is having a more severe and sudden financial impact on our business than 9/11 and the 2009 financial crisis-combined...In most markets, our businesses is already running 75% below normal levels... The restrictions on travel and required social distancing is having an immediate impact by depressing demand for our hotels."

Show shared sacrifice.

Great military leaders earn the troop's trust by fighting alongside them or suffering along with them. In a war against the virus and its implications on business, employees want to know that their leaders are sharing the sacrifice. Sorenson caught the attention of the business media with this statement:

"Both Mr. Marriott and I will not be taking any salary for the balance of 2020, and my executive team will be taking a 50% cut in pay."

This statement shows that Sorenson is fighting in the trenches alongside his teammates. Employees are often disengaged when they feel as though their leadership is detached. Announcing that he's not taking a salary for the rest of the year communicates shared sacrifice.

Show genuine emotion.

I'm glad Sorenson overruled members of his team who expressed reluctance about having him appear on video. The final 60-seconds of the video is impossible to capture in an email. Choking back tears, Sorenson says:

"I can tell you that I have never had a more difficult moment than this one. There is simply nothing worse than telling highly valued associates-people who are the very heart of this company-that their roles are being impacted by events completely outside of their control."

For the past fifteen years, I've advised CEOs on how to handle major crisis situations-in many cases, events that you've read about it and have seen on television news.

"If you want me to help you craft a message, that's not enough," I often say. "You've got to be a leader who has walked the talk long before this crisis hit."

People have a built-in radar for empty rhetoric. Employees, especially, watch their leaders carefully. They recognize when a CEO's words are inconsistent with their actions.

Sorenson has built up a mountain of good will. Chief Executive Magazine named Sorenson the CEO of the year for 2019. "Putting people first has always been the cornerstone of our success," Sorenson once said.

If your actions don't match your words, your crisis messaging will fall on deaf ears.

End on a hopeful note.

The vast majorities of successful CEOs are optimists. Optimism is an essential ingredient of successful leadership. After Sorenson gets the bad news out of the way, Sorenson ends on a hopeful note.

"While it's impossible to know how long this crisis will last, I know we, as a global community ,will come through the other side. And when we do our guests will be eager to travel this beautiful world again. When that great day comes, we will be there to welcome them with the warmth and care we are known for the world over...Together we can and we will overcome this and we'll thrive once again."

Every crisis brings out the best in people-and brings the best leaders to the foreground.

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Marriott's CEO Demonstrates Truly Authentic Leadership In A Remarkably Emotional Video

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Authentic leadership is, by definition, real and genuine. Authenticity is more than a management buzzword. It's a way of acting and communicating that inspires loyalty. Marriott International CEO, Arne Sorenson, is an authentic leader and he proved it this week with the release of a 6-minute video to Marriott employees, shareholders, and customers.

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Lenguaje claro, perspectiva y empatía: claves para la comunicación en tiempos de crisis

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Lenguaje claro, perspectiva y empatía: claves para la comunicación en tiempos de crisis

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3 PowerPoint Lessons From Andrew Cuomo’s Briefings

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New York governor Andrew Cuomo demonstrates the cardinal rule of PowerPoint: Create slides that are simple, clear, and compelling.

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We love to hate meetings, especially virtual meetings. Probably with good reason. Here are 25 tips for online meetings (and the workflows around them) with zero extra fluff.

1. Edit the system-generated meeting invite to include meeting-relevant information

2. Let people know in advance that they'll be on camera

3. Include a link to a time zone converter

4. Teach presenters only what they need to know

5. Know what attendees are seeing so you can help guide their experience

6. Save time by scheduling recurring meetings

7. Teach attendees how to mute/unmute themselves

8. Let participants know you're recording

9. Design the "user experience" of your meeting with mobile users in mind

10. Save meeting chat digitally to save re-typing notes

11. Turn features on and off to keep participants focused

12. Pause your screen to avoid sharing private information

13. Use chat to share a hot (web) link

14. Verbally instruct people how to use a tool or feature

15. Keep presentation or speaking segments shorter than in-person

16. Ask people explicitly to avoid multitasking

17. Use speaking indicators to call on people by name

18. Change your display name to how you want people to refer to you

19. Use a Word document (or equivalent) as an editable working agenda

20. Adjust gestures and expressions for the camera's eye

21. Be aware of what's behind you to avoid distracting participants

22. Collaborate on a single document by sharing keyboard/mouse control

23. Use USB headsets instead of computer microphone and speakers

24. Know the system requirements for the meeting recording

25. Combine the follow up email with an invitation for the next meeting

***

Curious about the context of any of these - how it applies in your technical environment or how to execute in your team or organizational setting? Give me a shout.

Roger Courville is the first speaker in the world to earn his Certified Speaking Professional designation with a predominantly virtual business model. Once dubbed "The Michael Jordan of Virtual Presentations," Roger is a multi-book author, award winning writer, and multi-company entrepreneur. His consulting and training clients include organizations as diverse as FedEx, Australia Institute of Training and Development, American Management Association, US Bank and, of course, that little company down the street that you've never heard about but who rocks the world every day. And he loves habaneros.

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25 not-so-average tips for better-than-average online meetings

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We love to hate meetings, especially virtual meetings. Probably with good reason. Here are 25 tips for online meetings (and the workflows around them) with zero extra fluff. 1. Edit the system-generated meeting invite to include meeting-relevant information 2. Let people know in advance that they'll be on camera 3.

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This post was authored by Rachel Cossar and Joe Navarro.

COVID-19 has done a number on person-to-person contact. Presently, and for the foreseeable future, many companies have sanctioned working from home and converting in-person meetings into telephone calls or video conferencing. What can we do to increase the efficiency of our online communication and maintain as high a level of connection as possible?

As you will see, many — if not all — of the same elements of nonverbal communication that are integral to a successful in-person meeting are important for video conferencing as I note in my book, When You Can't Meet in Person: A guide to Mastering Virtual Presence and Communication (Kindle) .

Setting the Stage

Similar to the way you would set your stage prior to an in-person meeting, the level of attention to detail that goes into preparation for your online meeting is crucial.

Let’s say, for instance, you moved your in-person client meeting to a Zoom meeting.

Orient your device so that your client has a clear, well-lit view of your face: The light source should be in front of you. Avoid being backlit, which means you should not have a window behind you.

Your Device: Make sure your laptop or digital device is on a firm surface. Laptops held on legs or pillows will shake and make for an unsteady and distracting presentation.

Declutter your workspace: Yes, this means silencing or turning off other devices. This will also help with your own focus while working remotely.

Close or even lock the doors to your room to avoid distractions.

Virtual Backgrounds: The preferred colors are neutral, and blue is always a favorite. Remember that you want to be taken seriously, so be careful what you choose. Keep in mind that if you use a virtual background you will have to be very still, because of the digital halo that takes place when you move.

Microphone and Speaker: For the sake of quality we recommend using either a clip-on microphone or a headset so you can maximize your voice and avoid an echo of your voice on an open speaker.

Make sure your attire is professional and you are well-groomed: Just because you are home does not mean you shouldn't take the usual steps to present a neat self.

Your face should take up no more than one-third of the screen: Take a cue from newscasters, your face should be somewhere between a quarter and a third of the screen and no more.

Image location: Set the onscreen image you will be talking to as close to the device camera as you can so that you look into the camera more naturally than when it's off to the side.

These things may seem simple, but properly setting your stage will determine the tone of your conversation. The nonverbals of an organized and streamlined setup sends a strong first impression. Importantly, it has the power of reminding your client that you are just as committed to the relationship as if the meeting were happening in person.

Harness Your Posture

In most video conferencing set ups, you see the upper body and face. This does not mean that you can stop paying attention to the messages your body might be sending. In fact, videos tend to accentuate the messages our bodies send because there are fewer distractions to focus on in general.

When you are on a video call, bring awareness to the following areas of your physicality to ensure you are not sending unintended messages:

Facial Expressions

Beware the tendency to let your face go slack when you are listening to your client/partner talk. They can still see you.

Don’t hesitate to nod with approval just as if the person were in front of you.

Head tilt is always useful to communicate you are interested in what is being said.

Upper Body Posture

Maintain an open body posture and don’t be afraid to lean in when something interesting is being shared.

Avoid hunching over your laptop. This gives an exaggerated impression of being tired and/or tense.

Pro-tip! Build your open body posture from the ground up. Ensure your feet are firmly placed on the ground. If available, use a chair with armrests or place your hands on the table in front of you.

Body Gestures and Proxemics

In nonverbal parlance, paying attention to the space between you and your audience is a key element in understanding how big your gestures should be. For example, with an intimate audience of one, you will have a reduced amplification of arm movements compared to when you are presenting in front of an audience of 1,000.

In video conferencing, the lens is the filter through which your movements will carry. Give yourself enough space so that you can move freely, but not so much space that you lose the important details of facial expression. In particular:

Be wary of exaggerated arm movements. If your connection is lagging, this can make for a bit of a ridiculous impression.

Give your movements more weight. This will help translate and provide a buffer in case you do have a lag.

And once more, you want to lean forward but not be too close to the lens.

Recently I had students raise their hand on screen to let me know if they had a question — useful when it is a small group or gathering.

Other Key Tips

Eye contact remains a crucial way to signal to your audience that you see and hear them. It can be tricky with video calls to know where to look. One thing for sure, don’t look at yourself. If you have set up properly, you should be confident enough to close down your self-view (this is an option on Zoom) and free yourself up to connect more directly with your audience.

Active listening goes a long way over skype or Zoom. A slight head tilt and occasional head nods will let your audience know you are very much with them and not thousands of miles away. You can also use arched eyebrows to signal silently when someone makes a good point.

Close down all distractions. I’ll repeat it again: minimize open tabs, close down your email alerts, and put your phone on silent.

Mute as a habit. Get used to muting when in a gathering so you can cough, clear your throat, and avoid unexpected background noise like a blaring siren. This advice extends to your video as well, if you need to do something, and you are just listening, better to mute the video than to distract the audience.

Here is a good overview from a recent interview with the Harvard Business Review.

Conclusion: Video conferencing is the present and the future. How we perform, how attentive we are to the small details, including our nonverbals matter. What was once envisioned as science fiction is now here on our desks and even our smartphones. Everyone is seemingly doing it—what a great opportunity to get it right.

***

Rachel Cossar is a former internationally ranked athlete and professional ballet dancer. She is the Founder and CEO of Choreography for Business, a global communications and presence consulting firm and the author of When You Can't Meet in Person: A guide to Mastering Virtual Presence and Communication (Kindle) Visit her online virtual presence assessment platform for personal guidance.

Joe Navarro, M.A. is 25-year veteran of the FBI and is the author of What Every BODY is Saying, as well as Louder Than Words and Dangerous Personalities.

Copyright © 2020 Rachel Cossar and Joe Navarro

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Tips for Improving Communication During Video Conferencing

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Do’s and don’ts for a more professional video-conference.

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You're sharing space with kids, pets, partners, housemates. You're joining work meetings, maybe from your phone, wearing your pajama pants, and possibly contorted into whatever corner of your bedroom, kitchen or front porch has the best Wi-Fi connection. You're using the same platform to meet with your colleagues that you use to attend concerts, happy hours and toddler birthday parties. When it comes to remote meetings in the age of COVID-19, the boundaries are blurred. And for now, that's OK.

"We are moving toward more of a come-as-you-are feeling in virtual meetings," says Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at the Graduate School of Business and host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart. But while the level of formality may be changing in some cases, he says, the principles for good communication still apply. Here are a few tips from Stanford experts for smoother, more productive Zoom meetings.

Talk less.

Online meetings are both more taxing and more boring than face-to-face meetings, says organizational behavior professor Bob Sutton. Keep meetings shorter than usual, if possible, he says, and try not to talk too long. "In small meetings, if you go more than five minutes without giving others the chance to speak, ask questions, add input on chat or whatever, they are going to start tuning out."

Establish ground rules.

If you're hosting, share the rules for participation at the beginning of the meeting. Sutton is sending "Zorms"-a term coined to describe Zoom meeting norms-to students in his spring-quarter class Organizational Behavior: Evidence in Action. Some examples: Join meetings with video on and audio muted, use the hand-raise feature when you have a comment or question, introduce yourself before speaking, and use the mute button when you're not speaking.

Hear from everyone.

If you're the meeting facilitator, says Margaret Neale, the GSB's Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emerita, start the meeting by checking in with each participant. At multiple points in the meeting, invite people to speak (and pause so they can). "It's easier to get disengaged in virtual meetings and harder to break into the discussion," Neale says, "so the facilitator needs to be mindful of engaging members who are reticent and managing those who love to speak."

Chat a little.

One of the problems with working from home in the COVID-19 crisis is the social isolation, says economics professor Nicholas Bloom. So while meetings may have been all business Before Coronavirus, it's important now to take time for informal checking in. "I do that with my research team-Zoom meetings once a week for one hour, with 30 minutes to chat and 30 minutes to talk about research."

Keep your chin up.

When speaking, you may be tempted to look at your notes; when listening, you'll be tempted to look anywhere else. Looking directly at the camera, says Abrahams, is like looking your fellow participants in the eye and makes a big difference in how engaged you seem.

Use your inside voice.

Try to vary your tone of voice so that you avoid speaking in a monotone, says Abrahams, to keep listeners from zoning out. And there's no need to shout. If you happen to have a good microphone lying around, plug it in-it will pick up your normal speaking volume better than the mic on your laptop.

Be patient.

"Remember that communication, especially with people you don't have a prior face-to-face relationship with, is likely to be missing subtle nuances and also to be frustrating" in video meetings, says Sutton. "So it is extra important to assume the best about people when you are starting to get annoyed or angry with them."

Put your best background forward.

You can hide the fact that you're attending morning check-in from your unmade bed by using a custom background image. "Cool background images are great, and talking about them could even be a nice icebreaker," says Abrahams. ( One of these Stanford backgrounds shows your heart is on the Farm; a NASA image might suggest you're serious about taking social distancing to the next level.)

Assign roles.

To make big meetings go more smoothly, designate a co-host who can take over for you if you have tech problems, a moderator to monitor and respond to chats, and a coordinator to keep track of time and take notes, advises Stanford University IT.

Keep out trolls.

After news of "Zoombombing" broke, the platform offered these tips for keeping uninvited guests from hijacking meetings. Good to know: The host can disable participants' screen-share option before the meeting starts. (Bonus for you, the participant: You won't accidentally show your colleagues that you're checking whether toilet paper is back in stock.) It's also possible to password-protect entry.

Interrupt smoothly.

A good way to break into the discussion is by paraphrasing what you're reacting to, says Abrahams. "Be thinking to yourself, as you're listening, 'the bottom line here is . . .'" he says. "That way, if you want to insert yourself in the conversation, you can lead with a paraphrase of what's being said to show 'I heard you' as you take the floor."

Charity Ferreira is a contributing editor at Stanford. Email her at stanford.magazine@stanford.edu.

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11 Tips for More Effective, Less Annoying Remote Meetings

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You're sharing space with kids, pets, partners, housemates. You're joining work meetings, maybe from your phone, wearing your pajama pants, and possibly contorted into whatever corner of your bedroom, kitchen or front porch has the best Wi-Fi connection. You're using the same platform to meet with your colleagues that you use to attend concerts, happy hours and toddler birthday parties.

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In these difficult times, we've made a number of our coronavirus articles free for all readers. To get all of HBR's content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis started, 5.3% of Americans - more than 8.2 million people - worked from home, according to a 2018 U.S. Census report. And with the outbreak turning more office workers into work-from-home employees, video conferences are becoming more routine for a wide range of business purposes, from staff meetings to brainstorming sessions to major announcements.

But communication tactics that work well among colleagues in a conference room may not translate seamlessly to Brady-Bunch-style quadrants on a computer screen. Organizational behavior professor Andy Molinsky recommends seeing virtual meetings as "an entirely different context, not simply an in-person meeting or a class on a screen."

Elevating both your point and your presence in a Zoom, Skype, or similar virtual meeting, requires not only engaging in video conference-friendly tactics but also disabusing yourself of potentially detrimental misconceptions about the medium.

To help keep your impact actual when your presence is virtual, consider these six recommendations:

1. Focus on your camera, not your colleagues

Every presentation coach will tell you that direct eye contact is a vital way to reinforce your point. In a video conference, this means looking into the video camera, not at the smiling faces of Marcia, Greg, Cindy, Peter, Jan, and Bobby. Speaking into a cold black circle will not feel natural or comfortable - as humans, we're trained to look at the people we're talking to - but know that entertainers and politicians have been doing it for decades.

It's challenging to focus on your camera for an entire meeting - especially while others are talking - but know that you increase the impact of your points when you look deep into the dot.

Practice looking into your camera during video conferences when you speak, even for brief moments. The more you use it, the more comfortable you'll become with it.

2. Maintain a strong voice

I always counsel my students and clients to use a louder-than-usual voice because, in addition to being audible, strong voices convey authority, credibility, and confidence. This concept is just as true in virtual conferences as it is in actual ones. So even though you're using an external or internal microphone and thus may be tempted to speak at a conversational volume, maintain a strong, clear voice as if you're in a large conference room.

Using a loud voice will also keep you from mumbling and from speaking too quickly due to the amount of breath required.

3. Frame yourself wisely

Proximity plays a big part in how audiences perceive you as a communicator. The farther away or more obscured you appear, the less engaging you will be. In a video conference, your head and the top of your shoulders should dominate the screen.

If your head is cut off at the top or bottom, you're too close. If your entire torso is in view, you're too far away. If only half of your head is in sight, please adjust the camera.

Also be mindful of your background. Cluttered rooms make communicators seem disorganized. Distracting elements will pull attention away from you. Find an environment where the background is simple, reflecting your professionalism.

Preparation is critical, so take time before the meeting to pick your location and put your head fully in frame to ensure you're putting your best face forward.

4. Be present and mindful

In a conventional meeting, participants are typically very mindful of their presence. But in a video conference where you're muted (and maybe in your pajama pants), it's easy to forget you're still being watched. You may be tempted to check your email or attend to other work, but multi-tasking is perilous because you don't want to be caught unprepared if asked a sudden question.

Even if you don't need to be fully engaged in the meeting, your professional reputation can suffer if it even looks like you're not paying attention. So close those other windows, turn your phone upside down, and remember that you're always "on camera."

Because you're less aware of social cues in a virtual meeting, it's also important to be mindful of how long and how often you speak, if you interrupt other people, and if you make a comment that might offend someone present but out of sight. My advice: Don't consider yourself "at home." Consider yourself "at work." Your behavior may follow.

5. Don't become your own distraction

In a live meeting, you never have to worry about talking while muted, annoying ambient noise, or the interference of pets and children. But these are all common pitfalls of virtual meetings, and they can quickly sabotage your point. Your job is to make sure you're remembered for what you did right, not what went wrong, so be mindful of the power you have over both your virtual and physical environments.

Start by training yourself to stay on mute whenever you're not speaking and unmuting yourself only when you do speak. Staying on mute shuts out sudden noises as well as routine noises you may not be aware of, like the ticking of a wall clock, the clickety-clack of your typing, or even your own breathing. Unmuting yourself obviously enables you to speak, but - perhaps more importantly - saves you from being on the receiving end of the embarrassing colleague chorus, "You're on mute!"

Make sure to turn off your camera when you're doing something visually distracting as well, such as moving to another room or eating. (Drinking is not very distracting, but chewing is another story).

Finally, if boisterous children (or pets) want to participate in your call, your colleagues will probably laugh or relate, so don't be worried about or embarrassed by spontaneous distractions. However, if you're tasked with giving a major presentation, try to have someone supervise them in another room, far from the temptation of your presence, or at least create an engrossing activity for them. Parenting and presenting cannot happen simultaneously, and truly important messages require not only your colleagues' full attention, but yours as well.

6. Use the chat window as your partner

Consider the chat window as not just a discussion platform, but a presentational appendage. When you refer to an article or shared document, link to it in the chat. If you run the meeting, put a link to the agenda in the chat. When others are speaking, respond with support or questions in the chat. The chat window is a unique opportunity in virtual meetings to elevate your presence, add dimensions to your ideas, and demonstrate that you're fully present.

Whether you've been participating in virtual meetings for years or just started this month, it's important to realize that a video conference isn't just a conference over video - it's an entirely new interactive experience, which requires adapting your perspective, habits, and tactics to make it work effectively for you.

If our content helps you to contend with coronavirus and other challenges, please consider subscribing to HBR. A subscription purchase is the best way to support the creation of these resources.

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How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting

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Communication tactics that work well among colleagues in a conference room may not translate seamlessly to a virtual meeting. Elevating both your point and your presence in a Zoom, Skype, or similar virtual meeting requires engaging in video conference-friendly tactics. Every presentation coach will tell you that direct eye contact is a vital way to reinforce your point.

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Muy buen análisis de una oradora que comunica en tiempos de coronavirus

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Muy buen análisis de una oradora que comunica en tiempos de coronavirus

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Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Health Department.

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Opinion | The Leader We Wish We All Had (Published 2020)

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A look at the style of Dr. Amy Acton, who has earned praise for her daily briefings on the pandemic.

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Tres competencias básicas para el futuro | Pablo Heinig | TEDxCordoba

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If you give a lot of speeches or presentations, there is a good chance that you have experienced dry mouth (also known as cotton mouth) - that parched, sticky sensation that makes your mouth and throat feel like cracked soil in a drought.

The technical term is xerostomia. It's a condition in which the salivary glands in your mouth don't produce enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. There are several causes of xerostomia, some of which are serious. For many people, however, dry mouth is a temporary condition brought on by stress or nerves, something which every public speaker has experienced.

You know the symptoms: a dry, sticky mouth; a sore throat; difficulty swallowing; a heavy pasty tongue. Not fun and, if you are speaking to an audience, not helpful. So what can you do about it?

Ten Tips to Deal with Dry Mouth

1. Drink plenty of water the night before. Yes, you will be going to the washroom more often than usual, but all that water will hydrate your cells.

2. Sip water regularly in the hour or so before you speak to stay hydrated. Be sure to go to the washroom before you take the stage.

3. Chew citrus-flavoured gum or a lozenge before speaking, but don't forget go spit it out before going on stage!

4. Have water handy on stage so that you can take a sip if necessary. Two important things to remember about water:

(a) It should be room temperature. Cold water constricts the vocal chords.

(b) It should be flat, not sparkling. Bubble have a way of coming back up!

5. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco before you speak because these substances worsen dry mouth.

6. If you use mouthwash, choose a brand without alcohol.

7. Try an oral rinse that is designed to counteract dry mouth. Such rinses usually contain xylitol, which helps stimulate saliva. I have used this brand and found it works well.

8. Avoid antihistamines and decongestants as they tend to exacerbate dry mouth.

9. Sleep with a humidifier.

10. Prepare well. This will help you feel more confident, which will help you feel less nervous, which in turn will help minimize dry mouth.

For more of my posts on public speaking and presentation skills, please visit Manner of Speaking.

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10 tips for dealing wth dry mouth when you speak

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If you give a lot of speeches or presentations, there is a good chance that you have experienced dry mouth (also known as cotton mouth) - that parched, sticky sensation that makes your mouth and throat feel like cracked soil in a drought. The technical term is xerostomia.

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Storytelling is key to a strong brand and culture - if it's done right. Having a corporate folklorist on staff helps to convey an organization's purpose and values through stories and artifacts. But since it's a relatively new function, it could use a credo to inform and inspire good work.

Physicians have the Hippocratic Oath, reporters have the Journalist's Creed, and military recruits have the Oath of Enlistment. Even as a little kid, I had to abide by the Girl Scouts Law (and sell a wagonload of Thin Mints to someone other than my dad) if I wanted to add badges to my Brownie sash.

What would the folklorist's credo include? Here are some principles that guide my own work, gleaned from market research, social science, and storytelling best practices.

Ask Lots of Questions

There's a story in every situation, and it's the corporate folklorist's job to find that juicy little nugget of narrative.

Ask your interview subjects (executives or worker bees, customers or partners, whomever they may be) open-ended, I've-got-no-agenda kinds of questions.

Simple prompts like "How did you get started in this work?" or "Tell me about the first time you attempted to do this" can unearth a deep narrative vein that branches off in multiple directions.

Then probe for truths that expose underlying values:

What did they try and fail before discovering the right path?

Where did they find the courage to persist?

How did that shape their values later on?

Let the phrase "say more about that" weave its magic and then follow that thread as far as it goes.

Trust But Verify

Storytellers often have a reputation for stretching the truth (at least in my family), and dramatic license certainly can make a story more lively.

But as folklorists, we aren't writing novels; we're documenting history. So, facts matter as much as entertainment value.

We need to capture the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of a story and corroborate those claims with multiple sources (eyewitness perspectives, third-party coverage, public records, and so on) for a more complete account.

For instance, when my colleagues and I crafted a corporate narrative for a life science firm, we gathered anecdotes from R&D and sales leaders about how their company's technology had been used by health care firms across the country.

But we supplemented their accounts with first-person perspectives obtained directly from customers, along with news coverage about the disease outbreaks that their technology had helped to stem.

Tell the Whole Truth

Every story has many sides, and the folklorist should represent them all truthfully.

Including multiple points of view makes a story well-rounded and believable. What if stories are unflattering to a particular person or product, or to the company as a whole? Tell them anyway, because they may contain lessons that somebody needs to hear.

For instance, the history of a major product launch should include the flawed prototypes, missed deadlines, customer complaints, or competitive countermoves that taught the launch team hard lessons and made the product stronger in the end.

Learning from that past helps prevent bad decisions on other products and builds confidence that leaders in the company have the skills to handle tough situations in the future.

Make it Interesting

Folklore may be an important source of learning, but it won't get its point across if it's dull.

This is where the art of storytelling comes into play. It's not a natural language for analytical thinkers, but you can guide them into a dramatic frame of mind and set the stage for a high-impact story by probing for details about a specific moment.

A few years ago, I worked with a college educator who explained to me - in a logical (and dull) narrative devoid of conflict - how he had radically restructured his school's curriculum. He happened to mention that he tested his initial ideas with new students (who loved the changes) and tenured staff (who hated the changes) over a series of meals that led to increasingly heated debate.

I saw those events as the turning points in an emotionally charged story that pitted idealistic students against jaded teachers in a battle over the future of education. I then shaped his anecdotes into a classic three-act structure - likeable hero encounters obstacles and emerges transformed - to convert a factual account into an engaging tale.

Share the Lore

Folklore is more than content; it's the corporate conscience.

The stories you tell about your company's mission and values, including successes and failures, reveal the soul of the organization and the character of its people. Don't allow them to be reduced to meaningless, jargon-filled platitudes.

Instead, teach your leaders and employees how to share stories about your values in a personal, emotionally rich way.

Companies like Mars, Boeing, and Esri embed storytelling into their culture by training employees to document and present their stories. Nike goes a step further by cataloguing stories about their maxims in video form.

At Duarte, we ask functional teams to stand up at all-staff meetings and tell stories about situations when they embodied one of our core values.

Regardless of what form your lore takes, the corporate folklorist role demands rigor. As Voltaire and Spiderman's Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's time we took a pledge to use our power well.
Illustrated by Jonathan Valiente A version of this blog post was originally published in HBR.

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Storytelling is key to a strong brand and culture - if it's done right. Having a corporate folklorist on staff helps to convey an organization's purpose and values through stories and artifacts. But since it's a relatively new function, it could use a credo to inform and inspire good work.

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After a nearly 30-year career in acting, Matthew McConaughey has learned the art of pitching an idea. His tips will help you sell your next idea or product.

McConaughey recently joined the faculty at Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas, Austin. He participated in a video series that covered topics in advertising, marketing and public relations.

McConaughey packs a lot of information in his video titled, "Crafting a story to sell your product." Here are three points that stood out for me.

1. Know your audience.

When McConaughey pitches a movie, he explains it differently to his wife, a studio head or his kids. "Pick your target, study your target and sell your product the best way they will understand it," he says.

This is a key point that I stress with all the entrepreneurs I've coached. A concise elevator pitch should be relatable to a particular audience. Consider age, educational level, and experience in your industry.

Think back to your favorite high school or college class--and the ones you didn't like. Your favorite teachers didn't use jargon that went above your head. They made the topic come alive by making it relevant to where you were in your life, using contemporary examples and analogies.

2. Start with why.

McConaughey says a great pitch should start by answering why questions: Why is your product needed?

"What problem are you fixing? How are you making someone's life better? Is your product more convenient, more sustainable, more enjoyable? Help me understand why I need it as a consumer," says McConaughey.

I was thinking about the why when I read about America's fastest-growing privately held companies. OneTrust tops the Inc. 5000. Technically, OneTrust builds a platform to operationalize privacy and security. There's a lot of jargon in the space. For example, privacy laws are an alphabet soup of compliance regulations: CCPA, GDPR, ISO27001, etc.

Founder Kabir Barday explains why his product is useful for thousands of customers before he dives into the details.

According to Barday, OneTrust builds a suite of digital tools that gives companies a clearer view of all the user data they gather. "This enables them to comply with privacy laws, like the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that give consumers greater control of how and whether companies use their data."

Giving your investors and prospects a clear picture of why your product is needed will help them understand how the product works.

3. Tell a story.

"To get to the head you've got to go through the heart," says McConaughey. "You've got to make people feel before people think and choose act on something."

This is where most business pitches fall short. All too often, entrepreneurs assume that investors want to see data, numbers, charts and forecasts. While that's true, investors are skeptical of numbers--like potential sales numbers-- because they know there's a fair amount of guesswork in creating those numbers.

Stories are more powerful than numbers in early stage companies because they help investors and potential partners understand where the idea or product fits in the world. One customer story speaks volumes.

If you have a product you believe in, build a story around it that's relevant to your audience. You'll be far more successful in selling it.

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How to Pitch an Idea, According to an Oscar-Winning Actor

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After a nearly 30-year career in acting, Matthew McConaughey has learned the art of pitching an idea. His tips will help you sell your next idea or product. McConaughey recently joined the faculty at Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas, Austin.

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4 tips to improve your voice skills on #virtualmeetings and #zoommeetings - Carmine Gallo on LinkedIn | 23 comments

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4 tips to improve your voice skills on #virtualmeetings and #zoommeetings #skillbuilding #virtualcommunication... 23 comments on LinkedIn

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La importancia de la respiración y  una aplicación para practicarla (confieso que no la usé, pero resulta interesante)

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La importancia de la respiración y  una aplicación para practicarla (confieso que no la usé, pero resulta interesante)

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People were bored before I ever walked onto the stage. The person who introduced me had copied-and-pasted various tidbits from the About Page on my website. He then proceded to read what he had written without even looking at the audience once.

I stood backstage, shaking my head, as I heard a monotone voice say...

"I'm excited to introduce our keynote speaker today...(uh oh) He went to college at...(blah, blah) He received this degree in this year...(snore) He's written this and spoken there...(yawn) He lives with his family near Seattle... (zzzzzz) Please welcome...Keith Ferrin." (Insert polite clapping here.)

Here's a question: Have you ever - even once - been excited to hear someone read another person's bio?

Second question: If everyone hates the intro-by-bio, why do we use this method 95% of the time?

Below is a simple method I teach my clients that will work in almost any situation where you will be giving your microphone or platform to another person. Keynote speakers. Presenters at meetings. Guests on podcasts or interviews.

I call it the 3 Question Intro.

Question 1: What are we going to accomplish with the time?

Notice that you don't even start with the person who will be speaking. Begin with what you foresee happening in the next 20, 30, or 60 minutes (or however long the session is).

"Over the next hour, we are going to learn how to work more efficiently."

"I am excited to spend this session dreaming together."

"We will come to the other side of this half-day workshop with a clear plan of action for the new fiscal year."

This positions the audience to see what's in it for them. This is huge.

If the audience wants what you are offering, they will be engaged from the start.

Question 2: Why is this person the best one to help us accomplish this?

Now is the time to transition to introducing the person who will be speaking. You are moving from What you are going to be doing (the goal) to How you are going to do it (the speaker).

This transition can be as simple as saying, "I can think of no better person to help us accomplish XYZ than..."

At that point, you can - and should - include some bio information. But only include the information that sets this person up as the person who answers Question 2. If the speaker has an educational background specific to your desired outcome, share it. If not, leave it out.

Remember...

No one cares what education or knowledge you have unless that education or knowledge can help them get what they want or need.

Bring in the elements of their bio that set the stage for a successful session. Did she write a book on the topic? Let the audience know. (Or better yet, give them a copy at the end of the session.) Has he helped other companies solve the problem your company needs to solve? Share it. Has she come recommended by organizers of conferences similar to yours? Include it.

A quick caveat before moving on to Question 3. It is perfectly ok to include one or two personal nuggets to remind the audience that the speaker is an actual person! Does she love skydiving? Did he spend two years living on the other side of the planet? Go ahead and mention a couple unique pieces and maybe where they flew in from. (It shouldn't matter, but traveling far to speak somewhere increases "perceived value" in the eyes of most audiences.)

Question 3: How did you meet (or become aware of) them?

Answering Question 3 is beneficial if - and only if - the person doing the introducing is known and respected by the audience. (E.g. If the person doing the introducing is simply an emcee who is unknown to the audience, skip this question. It will be seen as inauthentic and negate what you've just accomplished by answering the first two questions.)

Did you see this person speak at another conference?

Did you attend the exact breakout session they are about to deliver?

Were you impressed after sharing a meal with them?

Did you read their book and then reach out?

Answering Question 3 is something I like to refer to as "lending your authority." If the audience knows and respects you...and you know and respect the speaker...the audience will be more likely to approach the session with open eyes and ears.

One final thought. Memorize the answer to Question 1. This will allow you to make eye contact with the audience. In essence, you are the speaker's opening line! You need to connect with them.

Question 1 is all about what you plan and hope to be the outcome of the session. If you have to read the goal of the session off a notecard, the audience is going to assume this isn't very important to you. You don't have to memorize the entire opening (although it's fantastic if you do). You do have to be connected to the audience. Memorizing at least the first 30 seconds will help you do it.

Give the 3 Question Intro a try. I would love to hear how it goes!

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How to Introduce Someone (Hint: It's not by reading their bio.)

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People were bored before I ever walked onto the stage. The person who introduced me had copied-and-pasted various tidbits from the About Page on my website.

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5 Tips For Giving The Perfect Toast No Matter The Occasion

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Not sure what to say? Keep these rules in mind and you'll nail it.

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3 ejemplares muestras de la pausa en un discurso

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Aunque te suene contradictorio, uno de los elementos capitales en cualquier presentación o charla es el silencio. En primer lugar, como orador, es un momento importante porque te sirve para respirar. Tú y tu discurso necesitáis pausas en las que tomar aire y dosificar energías. Pero también es el aire para tus ideas.