Yikes! I had to consciously restrain myself from shouting “Ditch that script, and get real”. If he intended to read word for word in front of his audience, he was headed straight to presentation hell. His audience would moan and groan and writhe in agony. Instead, he should use his slides to suggest conversation. He knows his stuff, so just talk it. If I were to join him at his table, I’m sure he could tell me all about the details of his topic, using the slides as triggers.

The main point is – use your notes or your slides as conversation triggers only. Do not read! And when you are at Chicago’s Midway airport – try the great burgers and enjoy the baseball memorabilia on the walls. I’m sure Harry Carey never read from a script while he was singing “Take Me out to the Ball Game”.

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Does everyone want a Bulldog?

I am very excited today, because I have just finished an enormous project. I’ve just shipped (well-emailed) my popular Sales Presentations Training Camp to Ireland. Soon it will become available to the other Certified Instructors in the US and around the World. I really enjoyed plunging into the depths of sales and researching the question,”why do people buy?”.

There is one secret that pops out – people buy for their reasons, not yours. So the key is to ask the #1 question: “What are your top-two priorities for choosing this product/service?” Then, in an interactive discussion, address those top-two priorities. Sounds simple, and it is.

Think about why you bought your last car. Was it because it was sporty? Fast? Great reputation? Big enough for your family of 5? Safety record? Ideal for hauling the boat? These are all very distinctive reasons. As a great salesperson, you need to unlock the buyer’s top-two priorities. My top two priorities in buying my last car were: a car dealership with a service center no more than 20 miles from my home (I live in a rural area), and a car that would be big enough for my 2 dogs and agility gear for competitions. The salesperson that keyed in on my needs received my business.

Does everyone want a Bulldog? Thinking that someone might want your product or service could be that farfetched…until you ask that person the magic question: What are your top-two priorities?

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It was very hard to say good-bye to Lorenzo – he made us feel like family. Venice is one-of-a-kind, and so is Lorenzo. His reviews on Trip Advisor highly recommend his establishment, and each one tries to explain why he is so special.

Just like any business, it’s not just about the product or service, but it’s the exceptional people behind them that create the wonder. We all need to become “Lorenzos” in our own industries. What are you doing today to create that memorable impression?

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Jessica, from New York, was one of last year's cash prize winners

Hurry! The contest ends at 5pm Pacific Standard Time, December 15. Ready, set, go…… and good luck! This will take no more than 5 minutes:

Prizes: $200, $100, $50

Rules: Answer 3 questions correctly and you will be entered in a random draw for the prizes. One entry per person. It’s OK to forward to your colleagues and friends, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Deadline: December 15, 2011 at 5pm Pacific Standard Time

Winners will be notified by email – December 16 and announced by initials on my blog

Hints: Be sure to use the helpful hints. They will save you lots of time. Have fun and happy hunting. Good luck!

To enter: click here

Please forward to your friends and colleagues

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When you Skype a potential client or current customer, what should you wear? The answer is very simple – wear what you think they would expect you to wear. Last week I Skyped a potential client in New Zealand. It was a very casual day for me at the office, but I actually changed into a business suit for the Skype date. I only had one shot at projecting the image I wanted and I had two choices:

1. A top-rated trainer worthy of her business (including a trip from New Zealand and a three-day training fee)

2. Someone who was having a nice casual day at work

Of course I chose Choice #1. I learned my lesson about a year ago on Facebook. Thinking that Facebook was a more casual meeting place, my profile picture included me wearing a pink top, holding my new Golden Retriever puppy in a beautiful fruit orchard. Someone from the Philippines sent me a personal email explaining that she was shocked by my Facebook photo – this was not the Sue Gaulke image that she saw on my website. Immediately I changed the profile picture to a corporate look. The lesson I learned was that image needs to be consistent throughout your cyber existence. People expect consistency. Imagine if Cheerios suddenly changed to a blue box!

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There’s a buzz in the air about the new Tony Robbins tv show, “Breakthrough,” and it reminded me of the time I attended a full-day motivational workshop – over 15 years ago. There are several things I remember from that day that are permanently branded in my system:

1. Be Authentic. There is no doubt in your mind that Tony is for real. His conversational style, his mesmerizing voice, and his wealth of real-life stories put the stamp on his sincerity.

2. Oh Yes! Tony explained that when he’s in his hotel room, getting pumped up for the session, he looks in the mirror, claps his hands, and says “Oh, yes!” I’ve told this story many times to nervous presenters. Belief + attitude will certainly help to put you in a positive frame of mind for your presentation.

3. The Back Rub. The session was held in a crowded hotel ballroom. Members of the audience were seated on very uncomfortable metal chairs. In order to keep the energy up in the afternoon, Tony had us take a back rub break every 20 minutes. Everyone would stand, pick a person standing nearby, and give him or her a very vigorous back rub (but only if you felt comfortable doing that), and then switch. If you wanted something a little less intimate, he suggested karate chops on the back. How fun! That was a great energizer and never failed to create lots of noise and laughter throughout the room. It worked! Great idea – always gauge the energy level of your audience and have some fun at the same time. You can create your own buzz.

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I have asked Kate Peters, voice coach and speaker, to share her favorite tips on developing a dynamic voice

A monotone voice is an audience’s nightmare. Too often, however, the speaker doesn’t know that their voice is boring. Perhaps worse yet, they know it’s boring, but they don’t know what to do about it. For example, what if you are in the 20% of the population that has trouble distinguishing one pitch from another, and your presentations coach keeps telling you to vary the pitch (which is a good idea if you can hear it!)?Here are three techniques to vary your sound without varying your pitch, that can take your voice from boring to soaring.

1. Vary the pace. When you want people to respond with energy, pick up the pace. When you want them to take in what you say and digest it completely, slow down. Create contrast for interest.
2. Vary the volume. Emphasize key phrases by either speaking more loudly or more softly. Create drama for interest.
3. Accentuate important words or ideas by elongating them, or clipping them short. Use consonants percussively and draw out your vowels from time to time for added interest. Create rhythm for interest.

Even if your kid does tell you not to sing when everyone else joins in with Happy Birthday, your voice is multi-dimensional. With awareness and practice, it can sound as interesting as you really are!

Bio: Kate Peters is a singer/actor, voice coach, and speaker, and the author of Can You Hear Me Now? Harnessing the power of your vocal impact in 31 days http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Hear-Me-Now/dp/0977640701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263322232&sr=1-1 Through her presentations, seminars, workshops and private coaching, Kate helps hundreds of executives, speakers, and performers find the strengths in their voices to better express themselves in their professional and personal lives. For more information, please visit Kates blog at www.katepeters.com/blog

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Clown raises the 4th arm of the cauldron in the Closing Ceremonies

Oh Canada – you did it! What a wonderful conclusion to the Olympic events. I was really excited about the humor and ingenuity used to fix the glitch of the questionable 4th arm of the cauldron that malfunctioned on the opening night. Congratulations to the event team for turning the glitch into a humorous situation: a clown fixed the problem to the delight of everyone. They not only poked fun at the situation (one of the best ways to handle a problem) – but they came full circle to the point of the beginning. That’s a great technique to use in your presentations, too – come back to the theme of the beginning. If you start your presentation with a story about your first day on the job – then come full circle in the close and tell another story about your first day on the job. It’s as though you’ve tied a ribbon around your presentation.

Sadly, the Olympics are over. I hope you have enjoyed this series of Presentation Olympics. Good luck, and may your next presentation be filled with the excitement of Shaun White, the grace of Lindsey Vonn, and the heart of the Canadian hockey team.

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He skis; he smiles; he waves; he does not win….. except in the hearts of the fans. African skier Kwame Nkrumah-Acheompong is known as “The Snow Leopard”….. coming from a land where skiing is almost non-existent. He’s already won a gold medal in charisma – here’s how:

1. His Goals are Real: According to Kwame, he has two goals: to finish the race, and to not finish last.

2. He is a Copy Cat. He calls himself a copy cat because he copies the styles of other skiers
As presenters, one of the fastest ways to improvement is to observe and practice the style skills of someone you admire.

3. He is “Mr. Charisma”: everywhere Kwame goes people flock to have their pictures taken with him. His smile, his personality, and his honesty shine through.

As a presenter – practice the techniques of “The Snow Leopard” – be realistic, copy the strong techniques of others better than you, and let your personality explode, and you, too will have a great run!

Go Kwame – nice guys don’t always finish last.

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