Build Their Pain

Tired of all the rejections?
Want to stop getting rejected and get more sales?
Want to get a three step process that will allow you to make more money?
Read on...

Say that you are a salesperson in charge of selling a product which would help people save on their utility bills. Most people would pick up the phone and, after introducing themselves, would say something like this:

"I am calling to see if you would be interested in implementing our new product which will help you save money on your utility bills"

Such a sales-pitch is likely to result in plenty of rejections. If you want to cut the number of rejections and increase the number of sales, try this three step process instead.

Say this


(1) "I am calling because we believe that you are OVERPAYING on your bills"
Build the other person's pain by showing them how they are currently suffering. In this case, the potential client's problem is that they're paying more than they should be paying.
After you've given them the problem-statement, then go on and offer the solution:


(2) "We have a new service which will allow you to CUT THE EXCESS PAYMENTS."
Frame the solution in terms of something which will reduce their pain

(3) "Would be interested in getting together next weekend to see how we can help you SAVE OVER 30% on your bills?"
Finally, frame the solution in terms of benefits


Result of this three step method?
Fewer rejections, more sales :)

Sales/ Cold Calling Techniques

At the end of the cold call, instead of pressuring the other person, try to get their commitment by asking them this simple question:

Where do we go from here?

When asking for an appointment:

With your permission, would it be alright if I touched base with you tomorrow at 11am?

How to handle common objections, such as "We're already using somebody else" or "We don't have the budget"

That's not a problem.

 I wasn't looking to replace what you currently have. I was just wondering if you were willing to be open to a new perspective/opportunity that you may not have now. 

What to do when someone calls to ask for "more information"
That's not a problem. Would it make sense if we first figured out what are the two or three core problems you are trying to solve, then I can figure out how to best help you solve them.  

Use Dialogue, Not Narration

by Craig Valentine
http://www.craigvalentine.com/the-1-storytelling-mistake-speakers-make-and-3-ways-to-fix-it/

By far the most common mistake speakers make with their stories is having too much narration and not enough dialogue. For example, they’ll say something like the following:

“And the principal threw me out of the school and told me never to come back.” Now that’s narration. However, dialogue would go something like this:

“And the principal looked me directly in the eyes and said, ‘Mr. Valentine, you are expelled. Don’t ever step a foot back into this building.’” That’s dialogue.

3 Types of Dialogue:

Dialogue between Characters

The key to using dialogue in between characters is to set up the dialogue with a bit of narration. For example, the narration part was “I was so upset about this I called my friend Steve and I said…” That narration set up the dialogue of “Steve, you’re positive. Tell me something…". 

The other key to using dialogue between characters is to make sure we know which character is talking. To do this, you can put the recipient’s name in the line of dialogue (i.e. “Steve, tell me something…)

Inner Dialogue

Whereas dialogue between characters brings your audience into a scene, inner dialogue does something even greater. It brings your audience into your character’s mind. The key to using inner dialogue is to avoid the phrase “I thought to myself…” Whenever I hear someone use that phrase, I ask, “Well, who else are you going to think to?” Just say, “I thought…” or “I’m thinking…” Please remember that reactions tell the story

 

Audience Dialogue

This is one of the most important yet most neglected tools you can use as a speaker. Give the audience dialogue. This simply means, verbalize their thoughts in dialogue form:
For example, you might tell what seems like a crazy story and then say, “You’re probably saying, ‘Craig, that’s crazy!’”

Some of the phrases you can use to give your audience dialogue are the following:

• You’re looking at me as if to say, “Scott…(dialogue)”
• Now you might say, “Janet…(dialogue)”
• You say, “Craig…(dialogue)”

 

Turn Strangers into Customers: What Do You Do for A Living?

Anyone ever asked you what you do for a living?

Imagine this scenario. A woman who works in the Wealth Management Divison (lets call her Ms. Bank) and a mega-rich man (lets call him Mr. Money) meet for the first time at  a social gathering.

*After exchanging some greetings, here's how the conversation goes:

Mr. Money: What do you do for a living?
Ms. Bank: I work in the Wealth Management Department at Bank XYZ.
Mr. Money: Good for you.

Nothing wrong with that conversation. However, Ms. Bank could have potentially gotten another customer if she'd crafted a creative response to the question "What do you do for a living?". Here's how that conversation would go:

Mr. Money: What do you do for a living?
Ms. Bank: I help people increase their wealth so that they can enjoy a more enjoyable lifestyle without having to work harder.
Mr. Money: How do you do that?
Ms. Bank: Well, why don't you tell me what you do and I'll show you how what I do applies to you...
Mr. Money: All right. I am the CEO of Corporation XYZ.
Ms. Bank: Great! Well, what I do is to help CEOs such as yourself [show the person that you've helped people similar to them] create a customized retirement plan so that they can make their money work for them. In fact, we've had several CEOs who've doubled their wealth because of working with my company [give brief example of success stories. If you can mention the name of someone they know, even better].
Mr. Money: Wow, that's pretty impressive.
Ms. Bank: *Smile* You seem interested, and you're the right sort of customer who can benefit greatly from our services. Why don't we talk about this some other time? Here's my contact card. Why don't you give me yours- [make sure you ask for their contact details so that you can contact them later] so that we can meet up sometime next week to see if there's anything that we might be able to do for you...



Lesson:
Craft a creative response to the question 'What do you do for a living?'
Instead of simply stating your position/title/company name, highlight the benefit that you offer customers (e.g. a insurance salesman might say, "You know how there's so many things that happen in people's life that we don't plan for? Well, I help secure people against the financial risks of unforseen circumstances).

Find a creative way to highlight what you do for a living, and you'll be able to convert total strangers into customers!

Sales Influence

Cold Calling Technique: Why Don't I Drop That Off?
Cold-calling is scary, but if you learn to do it correct, it's also exhilarating.

Imagine this scenario.
You're on the phone and you're giving your best sales pitch. Halfway through, the person on the other end of the line says, "Why don't you send me the information and I'll look through it?"

What are the chances that that person will actually be waiting for your information? And that when it arrives, they'll remember you? And that they'll actually stop what they're doing and they'll read it? And then take the time to call you back and sign up for your offer?

Pretty slim. Probably zero.

So, next time someone such a scenario plays out, here's what your response should be:

Prospect: Why don't you send me the information, and I'll review it?
Your Response: I could do that, but I also know that you're still going to have questions. So why don't I stop by and drop off the information personally? Would Monday or Thursday work for you?

This response will allow you to set up a face-to-face appointment, which is an easier sell than a cold call.

Three tips for directing your audience's response

Three tips for directing your audience's response

by Speak Schmeak

 
1. Be specific.

You want to know how many of your audience members have performed a particular procedure recently. But "recently" is relative. Some people might think "recently" means "in the last two weeks." Some may think you're asking about the last six months.

2. Direct your question with clear words and concepts.

I have a client who wants to know what her audience thinks of when they hear the word "epilepsy." But what she really wants to know is what myths and beliefs they've heard about epilepsy and seizures. She's looking for responses like "frothing at the mouth," and "you have to put something between their teeth" and "they might swallow their tongue."
In order to phrase her question to get the answers she wants, she has to be very specific: "What are some of the popular beliefs about epilepsy and seizures," might be one way to go. She might also use visual words like "What do you picture/imagine/envision when you think about seizures?" This will help the audience recall the images and pictures they have in their minds.
 

 3. How to Ensure You Get Responses to Non-Rhetorical Questions:

Sometimes a speaker thinks he's asking a question of the audience and hopes for an answer, but doesn't get one. This is frequently due to how the question is phrased. For example, if you say, "How did we get into this situation?" your audience could perceive that as rhetorical, especially if you don't give them enough time to formulate their answers.

A better way to ask might be to say, "What do you think are some of the reasons we've ended up in this situation?" And then pause and stand ready with your flip chart and markers to write down the answers!

A similar kind of question is the one where you ask, "Have you ever experienced this?" or "Have you ever felt this way?" The audience may nod or smile, but if you actually want the question answered, say " How many of you have experienced this?" That way, you get an active response, a show of hands.

 

4-Step Formula for Making Your Speech Stick and Shine

4-Step Formula for Making Your Speech Stick and Shine
by Craig Valentine (http://www.craigvalentine.com/blog/)

The following is an excerpt from The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking book, which I wrote in 2005. It includes a 4-step formula you can use to make your messages stick and shine. I used this formula for several years and many of my students still use it with great success. 

State – Illustrate – Apply – Sell – Restate

State Your Point
First, I usually state the point I am going to make. However, sometimes I hide the point in the middle or the end of the story to keep my audience curious. Don’t worry, because  as long as you firmly establish the conflict (click here for more on this) in your story, your audience will stay with you.

Illustrate it with a Story/Activity/Analogy
Then I illustrate the point through a story or through some kind of quick example. Some humorous situations, activities, and visuals can help illustrate the points as well.

Apply it to the Life of Your Listener
Next I apply the point to the audience. In other words, I get them to see what this point has to do with them. This is the step most speakers neglect. You need to find ways to make your audience feel that they can use your message for their lives. They did not come to hear your verbal autobiography. They came to get lessons for their own lives.

Sell the BenefitsThen I sell the point using the push (what happens when they don’t adhere to your point), pull (what happens when they do adhere to your point), and passion and by thoroughly understanding and expressing what benefits or results they can receive.

Restate
Finally, I restate the point to drive it home and provide completeness to it. I may restate it using different words throughout the story but then I always eventually come back to repeating the actual Foundational Phrase I want my audience to remember.

From the Theoretical to the Practical (Provide a Technique)Depending on the type of speech it is and how much time I am given, I may or may not follow the sell section by giving a technique or strategy. Usually I do, because I believe that people will stay motivated if they have tangible things to do. You can have a longer-lasting effect on your audience if you provide techniques to go along with your theories. We should go from the theoretical to the practical and from the general to the specific. For example, after going through the story, the push and pull, and the benefits of using your imagination, I may say something like the following:

One way to sharpen your imagination is to write down your perfect day. Write it out in as much detail as possible. I did this several years ago and everything I wrote down is coming to pass. I said I wanted to be a full-time professional speaker; now I am a full-time professional speaker. I said I wanted to own my own business; now I own my own business. I said I wanted a white Mercedes Benz convertible; now I have a white… Honda Accord! I’m getting there!

This helps sell my audience on the technique of writing down their perfect day and it gives them something to do long after I have left the speaking platform. Give them something specific to do and watch as organizations remember you and keep bringing you back time and time again.

How to Open Your Speech

How to Open Your Speech
by Craig Valentine (http://www.craigvalentine.com/blog/)

1. Begin with a Powerful Question Specific to that Audience:

For example, if I’m speaking to an audience of small business owners, I can ask, “What do you think is the number one reason most small businesses cannot seem to get more customers?” If you were a small business owner, would you want to know the answer? Great, then you’re hooked with my first sentence.

If I’m speaking to a group of people who are in a self-development organization, I can ask, “What do you think is the number one obstacle standing between most people living their dreams?” I can tell you from their responses that they’re definitely interested in the answer. Therefore, I’ve hooked them with my very first sentence. Whatever you do, make sure you invest lots of time and energy in the way you phrase your question because those first 7 seconds are critical to the success of the rest of your speech.

2. Jump Right Into Your Story

Although opening with a powerful question is highly-effective, another great way to open is with a story. When I say “a story” I don’t mean that you begin with something like the following: “I’d like to tell you a story about a time…” No!  Don’t announce that you’re about to tell a story; just tell it. Jump right into the story from your very first words. For example, oftentimes the very first thing I used to say from the stage (after being introduced and the applause died down) was this:

When I was in prison…visiting, one of the inmates came up to me after my presentation and said…

This works well for two reasons:
First, it’s unexpected because audiences are usually expecting the speaker to say things like, “I’m glad to be here” or “Thanks for the opportunity.” Those are normal statements that make the audience think, “There will be nothing special about this speech.” However, when you jump right into your story, they jump right into your speech.
Next, when I open with the ”When I was in prison” statement above, I get a laugh within the first 5 words. This is critical because, within the first 7 seconds, we start building a bond.

Sell the Benefits/Results, not the Features

Excerpts from Craig Valentine's website: http://www.craigvalentine.com/blog/

Always Sell the Result

You heard the most important idea, which is this: never sell a product, service, or idea; always sell a result.
Let me give you some examples out of my own life. Instead of selling my Storytelling home-study course product, I sell you the result. What’s the result? Something like this:

“You’ll be able to keep every audience you have on the edge of their seats.”

Whenever you sell a product or a service or an idea, you need not focus on what you’re offering. Instead you need to focus on what your audience will get as a result.

E.g. instead of saying,

"This textbook has a more detailed history of the United States than any of the other books from the other companies.”

say something like this:

"Your students will pass the Maryland State Assessments at a much higher rate because the book is totally aligned with the Voluntary State Curriculum. "

Selling Yourself

Obviously in today’s times many people are looking for work. In addition, if you’re a speaker like me, you’re constantly generating new business and this requires being able to sell yourself. So what can you do? It’s the same as the car. Don’t sell yourself, sell the result. For example, don’t tell a prospect, “I have been speaking for 12 years and I have an MBA in Change Management.” Instead, first locate their pain and then say something like the following:

If you want to get your staff fired up to embrace the change that’s coming and be willing to let go of the old ways of doing things, that’s how they will feel after my presentation. 

Quickest Way to Connect to Your Audience?

Quickest Way to Connect to Your Audience?
by Craig Valentine

The quickest way to connect with your audience is to share your failures and flaws. Sometimes sharing your frustrations and firsts also helps.

Share Your Failures/Flaws/Frustrations/Firsts

Lots of people don’t care for motivational speakers because they’re used to hearing the kind that thinks a motivational speech should consist of bragging about their successes and then telling their audience members, “You can do it too!” Well guess what? If you just speak on your successes and not about your failures, your audience members will not believe they too can do it. They’ll simply believe you can do it.

Come across as Similar, Not Special

The absolute last thing you ever want an audience to think is that you are special. The very first thing you want them to think is that you are similar; similar to them. When they think you are similar, they will automatically realize you must have a special process that helped you succeed. As a result, they will want that same special process and that’s why you will be able to influence them to take the next step towards getting it.  What I am saying is this:

When you lift yourself up, you let your audience down

Those who are driven by their egos when speaking will end up on a dead-end road with little or no audience connection.

Fail First, then share the Process that helped you Succeed

Since I began to understand that there is power in pain, I started opening my speeches with a story about my own failure. This works well because it’s unexpected to my audience and lets them think, “Hey, I can relate to that.” But here’s what else it does. When I finally share one of my success stories (which you should definitely eventually share in your speech), my audience actually cares! That’s right, when they know you’ve failed, they care when you’ve won. That’s the beauty behind sharing a failure story early in your speech.

How to Review before you Wrap Up

How to Review before you Wrap Up (and get re-hired because of it)

by Craig Valentine

- Do NOT end with Q&A session. You want to have the last word, because the audience remembers the last thing they hear.

Most speakers will review by saying something like this:

So in conclusion, you must face reality, relinquish what is in the way, rely on the process, and reform to a better way.

And then they’ll close the speech with a story or in another powerful way. This is fine but there are issues with it.

1. The audience members are not involved as much as they should be
2. Your audience might still doubt your message
3. The energy might not be as high as it should be
4. It’s just content but not connection

Discuss and Debrief to Review

Use what I call the Discuss and Debrief method of reviewing your material. Here’s how it goes. I say something like the following:

Take the next 60 seconds, turn to a neighbor and tell him or her one or two ideas you got from this program.

This is the Discussion part of the Discuss and Debrief method. Then, once the 60 seconds are up, I say

Okay, times up. What did you come up with? Go ahead and shout out some of the ideas that stuck with you.

This is the Debrief part of the Discuss and Debrief formula.
It is absolutely amazing what happens when you do this method. Ideas start popping out in droves and you can barely capture them all. This is a good thing. For example, last week I gave a speech at the Illegal Substance Collections Unit (ISCU) in Washington DC and when I came to this review, twenty-one ideas popped out within a couple of minutes. In fact, the only reason we stopped is so I could move on to my closing.

So let’s take a quick look at the advantages of this method:

1. They feel validated because they have had time to check-in and discuss with their neighbors about what they picked up so the fear of shouting out the wrong answer goes away. That’s why the ideas pop out so fast.
2. They loosen up their minds during the discussion part. This is much better than simply turning to your audience (without having the discussion portion) and saying, “So what did you get from the program today?” I’ve seen many cases where very few ideas are shouted out and it makes the speaker look bad. Also, keep in mind the meeting planner is often looking at this and realizing that very little value has transferred.
3. They buy into the message more readily. I always remember Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art of Selling, saying the following (I am paraphrasing here): If I say it, they can doubt me, but if they say it it’s true. In other words, getting them to say the message is much more powerful than simply saying it myself.
4. You get re-hired more. Why? Because the meeting planner is often in the room watching this transference of value take place. For example, after my speech at the ISCU last week, the meeting planner approached me and said, “We are excited about using you again very soon.” Oftentimes when you look at the meeting planner during the review when all these ideas are resurfacing, he or she has a grin from ear to ear because the value is evident in the retention of the material.
5. Your audience retains more of your message. This is because audience members often miss points the first time around. However, when they hear that same point from another audience member (and perhaps they hear how that audience member plans to implement it), they can then underline that point and see possibilities for putting it into action too.
6. The energy rises. When you get this kind of activity, the energy increases, which is important because there should be high energy as you move into the closing of your speech.
7. They feel good about giving a good response!

Twos Key to Using this Discuss and Debrief Method for Maximum Impact

You now know to have your audience discuss with their neighbors and then debrief with you as a group. However, when you debrief, I suggest following two very important guidelines to help your audience internalize your message.

Guideline #1: Rephrase their responses.

For example, here are some of the responses people gave the other day at ISCU when we debriefed. After you see each of their responses, you’ll see how I rephrased it to help drive home the messages.
Again I started off by saying, “Okay, times up. What did you come up with? Go ahead and shout out some of the ideas that stuck with you.”

Them: “You said to make them feel important”
Me: “That’s right, because when you make them feel visible, they make you valuable”
Them: “Don’t make excuses for their behavior”
Me: “Absolutely, because when you make excuses for someone, you invite him never to change”
Them: “We have to get out of the way of change”
Me: “Because you’re either on the way or in the way”

The reason it is important to rephrase their responses is so that your Foundational Phrases will stick with them over time. Three days or three months down the line when they find themselves on the brink of making excuses for someone’s behavior, they should remember my Foundational Phrase and hopefully change their approach.

Guideline #2: Stop while they Pop
During the debrief part of the formula, you’re audience will shout out many ideas. One idea after another will pop out. So when do you stop the debriefing and move on to your closing? I suggest cutting them off while the ideas are still popping out. Why? Because, like the good magician, you want to leave them wanting more. This is much better than waiting until all the ideas pop out, which is followed by uncomfortable silence and brain strain. Stop it while they pop.
It’s like the other night when I made microwave popcorn and the directions said to turn off the microwave once the pops slowed down to 2 seconds in between each one. Otherwise, if you keep them popping, you’ll burn them. Likewise, once you see any kind of slowing down in how long it takes your audience to pop out ideas, stop and move to your closing. This keeps the energy high, doesn’t burn them out, and ensures they retain the ideas that truly mean the most to them.

Secrets to Spontaneity in Speaking

Secrets to Spontaneity in Speaking
by Craig Valentine

1. Think of a question you can ask your audience that is not rhetorical
2. Write down some of the responses you think you will receive. This will get easier overtime because you’ll actually be receiving responses and you can pick up the most common answers.
3. Construct replies for their most common responses.
4. Test your replies on your new audiences
5. Tweak your replies until they become short and humorous (if you desire humor in that moment).

P.S. Not all spontaneity involves a verbal response. Sometimes the very best spontaneous moments you can have simply involve a smile, facial expression, or gesture that lifts up and lightens a moment.

Three Caveats to Using Spontaneity?

1. Know when not to leave your speech in search of spontaneity. While there are many moments when it helps to jump on the spontaneity, there are some moments when you should not. For example, don’t leave a dramatic scene of your story in order to have a spontaneous conversation with your audience. That is a time when you should simply plug ahead with your speech, because you don’t want to relieve the story’s tension until you’re ready to relieve it. If it’s dramatic, keep it dramatic until you’re ready to bring us back up with humor. Make sense?
2. Try not to use so much spontaneity that it keeps you from ever finishing your message. That’s a sacrifice that will leave your audience disturbed. I have seen that happen to a speaker recently.
3. Don’t force it. The spontaneous moments will occur in every speech you give. You just have to look for them. It might be something someone in your audience says or does, or it might simply be a mistake you can turn into humor. However, don’t force it. If it’s not there, it’s not there.

4 Mistakes that Make You Lose Your Audience

4 Mistakes that Make You Lose Your Audience
by Craig Valentine

Mistake #1: They Tell the audience about themselves

Have you ever heard a speaker say something like, “We all have problems and challenges that we need to overcome.”? What’s wrong with that statement? Here it is. Your audience members do not want to be told about themselves. A statement like that makes them think, “You don’t know me! How are you going to tell me I have a problem or a challenge? Speak for yourself.” This is how you lose them.
Now here’s the key. Of course they have problems and challenges but that’s not the point. The point is you shouldn’t tell them about themselves. The solution is to follow this creed:

Ask, don’t tell

So instead of saying, “We all have problems and challenges that we need to overcome,” say, “Have you ever had a problem or challenge that was difficult to overcome?” Or say, “Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a problem or challenge that was difficult to overcome.” Then, once their hands go up, you’ve just qualified them and now you can move on with your message by saying something like, “Me too. In fact, in 1999…” Don’t tell;ask.

Mistake #2: Taking too long to get to the story

Another reason we lose our audience is by rambling on too much before we get to our stories. Make no mistake about it, stories are the hooks to our speeches. If you don’t get to the stories within the first few minutes of your presentation, you will lose your audience. In fact, the very best way to begin a presentation is to jump right into a story that sets up the rest of your talk. The sooner you get to the story, the quicker you’ll connect with your audience.

Mistake #3: Taking to long to get to the conflict

What if the Titanic never hit the iceberg? I’ll tell you what, that would have been a boring movie! Why? People are wired to want to see how a conflict is overcome and what tools and strategies are used. Perhaps we can use these tools for our own conflicts in life. Just as stories are the hooks for your speeches, conflict is the hook for your stories. The problem with many speeches is the speakers do not get to the conflict early enough. Instead they go on and on setting up characters and situations when they should already be at the conflict.

As soon as you introduce your characters, make sure to immediately throw them into a conflict. If you’ve been telling a story for more than 60 seconds and you haven’t reached the conflict yet, chances are you’re losing your audience one by one. Write this down: Establish your conflict early.

Mistake #4: They Don’t Tease

Finally, another reason for losing the audience is they don’t tease. To be an effective speaker, you must be a great tease. For example, instead of simply moving from point to point in your speech, it’s important to make your audience thirst for what’s coming next. This is done through effective transitions. For example, here’s what I say in one of my speeches:

“If you get this next idea and put it to use in your life, you’ll find yourself moving towards your goals, dreams, and aspirations even while you’re asleep.”

Another tease I give is towards the end of one of my speeches called the 4 Rs to Remarkable Results. I say,

“There is actually one final R. This R is the most important thing I’ve ever done for my own success and I can all but guarantee it will become the most important for yours as well. And it’s only one word. Ready? Okay…”

Now let me ask you, do you think I give them the final R immediately after saying that? Of course not. Instead, I invite them into my final story and let them uncover the R while they’re in it. The key is that they really want to know what that R is! And every time I get to it, I see their pens hit the paper and a look of satisfaction come across their faces. This is partly because they got good information and partly because they’re happy to have solved the mystery.

3 Staging Strategies to Help Your Audience Really SEE Your Speech

3 Staging Strategies to Help Your Audience Really SEE Your Speech
by Craig Valentine
http://www.craigvalentine.com/blog/

1. Let the action prompt your movements

The action in your story prompts your movement on stage. Let the action drive. If you’re telling a story about standing in line, guess what? You shouldn’t move much. In the video,  I let the action drive. When I said, “You should have been with my wife and me 7 years ago as we took our 6 month old daughter Tori to her doctor’s appointment,” you saw me physically walking into the doctor’s office. When I talked about me walking over the scale to step on it, you saw me physically walk over the where the scale was represented on stage and you saw me stand on it. It’s not enough to say it, I also had to show it.

2. Let Time Prompt your Movement on Stage

All stories involve the element of time, which means you can use the imaginary timeline on stage for greater impact. In North America we read a timeline from the left to the right. Therefore, imagine how I might move when giving this part of my speech:

Now fast-forward 10 years to today…2010. My re-hire rate has now reached above 93%.

When I say the phrase “Fast forward 10 years to today,” I physically walk from my audience’s left up the timeline to my audience’s right to symbolize the difference between the year 2000 and the year 2010. Why is this important? Two reasons:
1. It makes the scene more clear for my audience
2. It allows me to eventually do a visual AND verbal call back to places on the timeline.
For example, later in this message I say, “I’ll tell you what made the difference between my failure in 2000 and my success today. [I walk back down the timeline to my audience’s left where the year 2000 is represented]. After my embarrassment in the year 2000, I re-dedicated myself to the art of public speaking…” Then, as I explain what I did in between 2000 and 2010 (i.e. coaching, re-dedication, etc.), I slowly and subtly walk back up the timeline until I get to 2010. Make sense?
This call back is visual, verbal, emotional, and clear for my audience members all because I set the stage up as a timeline and walked it.

3. Remember where you placed everybody and everything on stage

In the video, it’s clear where my wife is represented on stage and where the scale is represented on stage. You should plan this all out ahead of time. Otherwise, you might have a situation I witnessed years ago.
Darren LaCroix (2001 World Champion of Public Speaking) and I were giving a speaking bootcamp in Vegas and we had one of our attendees rise up to make a speech. His story was very emotional and, in it, his uncle passed away. They held the funeral and had the casket on a particular spot on the stage. Later on in the story, this speaker went to that same exact spot on the stage to have lunch!  Darren and I looked at him and said, “Do you realize you’re having lunch on your uncle?!” Please know ahead of time where everything will be represented on your stage.

4. Step up to your point

After I gave my story about the scale, you saw me step forward slightly and look directly at my audience as I started asking questions and driving home my point. This subtle step forward (and the direct eye-contact with my audience) lets my audience know I’m now out of my story and into a conversation with them. Occassionally step forward to make your point. Sometimes it even helps to step out into the audience.

Final thoughts on Staging

Does staging really make that much of a difference in your speech? Yes. Here are three reasons why:

1. Good staging provides clarity to your story and your message. For example, when I have 3 points in my keynote speech, many times I’ll have each point be represented by a section on the stage. Then I can do visual/verbal call backs.
2. If you use staging correctly (i.e. visually and verbally calling back to spots and situations on the stage) it can bring forth emotions from your audience because they’ll still be able to remember what happened earlier in those spaces and scenes
3. Patricia Fripp told me (I’m paraphrasing here) that people won’t remember what you say as much as they’ll remember what they see when you say it. In other words, you have to make your speech very visual. Staging helps with this in a tremendously impactful way.

 Oh, one last thought. Everything you do staging-wise should be subtle. It should look natural and not forced. But keep this in mind, looking natural is on the far side of preparation…not the near side. When you prepare effectively, you won’t have to think about what you’re doing. It will become second-nature. In other words, it will be natural.

 Everything in speaking is about subtlety. If you’re being obvious about what you’re doing, it will break your connection with your audience. Therefore, when you move, make it subtle. I’ve seen some speakers move the entire length of the stage for their timeline. That’s not necessary. A few steps in one direction should suffice when moving to the future or back to the past. The same goes for characters in dialogue. Don’t travel so far between characters. A subtle head turn should suffice to allow us audience members to know which character is talking. Be subtle.

Stand Completely Still when Delivering Your MOST Important Phrases

However, when you get to your most important phrase (often your Foundational Phrase) it creates quite an impact when you stand  completely still, look directly at one individual in your audience, and hold his/her gaze for your entire Foundational Phrase.
For example, I scan the audience until I get to the phrase where I say, “Your dream is not for sale” and that’s when I look at one person and hold his/her gaze. Then, once I finish the phrase, I go back to scanning the room and moving if appropriate.  In other words, hold their gaze for your entire phrase.

3. Creating High-Impact, Memorable Presentations

Creating High Impact/ Memorable Presentations
http://www.douglaskruger.co.za/press_details.php?id=16

Use Metaphors and Similies to Create Visual Images
Using stories and metaphors is actually quite easy. It is simply the act of saying, “It’s like...”, and then creating a small series of mental pictures.
It’s certainly not a new idea. But it is a wonderfully effective way of taking a complex, abstract idea and turning it into something that people can ‘see,’ that they can ‘get’ quickly.
It’s the difference between saying,

“We’re a small company competing against big brand names,” ***
versus:
“We’re that four foot nothing martial artist that takes on the six foot boxers... and flattens them all!”*****

An American professional speaker describing what it’s like to speak for the Youth market:
“You have to smuggle your messages in-between stories. You have to be like a motivational ninja!” 

The Chief Financial Officer of an investment firm, after the Recession:
“This time last year, you were lost in the forest and you were afraid, and you turned to me for guidance. What you didn’t know was that I was equally scared. But that wasn’t good enough. So we dug deep, and pulled on a hundred years of experience, and sought real answers. We found a glimmer of light in one direction and led you that way. We are proud to say that we are now emerging from the forest, and the choice we made for you was borne out as the right one.”

2. Store Your 'Intro' and 'Outro' Online so you can Access them Anywhere

The following excerpts are from the article:
 
2. Just When You Think You're Prepared - By Lisa Braithwaite
http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2010/10/just-when-you-think-youre-prepared.html

The biggest annoyance of all: Forgot my introduction.

I have recently developed an introduction that is way better than the boring bio that is usually read by the person introducing me. It's funny, it's silly, it's totally me... and I have misplaced it or forgotten to bring it with me three times in the last six months.

So today, I am going to do two things. I'm going to print out yet another copy of my introduction and place it in my file box. I'm also going to paste it into Google Docs and Google Notebook so I can always access it, no matter where I am (already done!).
 

1. Get more marketing mileage out of presentations - Douglas Kruger

The following is interesting excerpts from an article by Douglas Kruger.
http://www.douglaskruger.co.za/press_details.php?id=20

How to Position Yourself for Success Before and After a Presentation

1. Get someone else to do your Intro and ‘Outtro’

An introduction is a marketing opportunity in itself. It’s also an opportunity to use humour, create rapport and get your audience to like you before you even step on stage, but let’s just focus on the marketing aspect for now. Scripting a good introduction is an opportunity to have another person effectively endorse you, but you can do more. Script an ‘outtro’ as well. Make it shorter, but include a call-to-action, such as, ‘If you enjoyed his presentation, don’t forget to:
- Sign up for his course
- Buy his books or CD’s
- Read his articles in a publication
- Visit his website

2. Record your talk

Get a video recording, if you can arrange it. But don’t forget that audio is good too, and easy enough to do with a mini digital recorder. Edit out a strong clip of, say, one minute, and use it on your website or in your marketing materials.
You can even turn the entire talk into a saleable product. Professional speakers do this as a matter of course, and can often make large margins on back-of-room sales of CD’s and DVD’s. But you don’t have to be a motivational speaker to use this idea; you could do it even do it with educational topic matter, such as a talk on financial trends, and have it endorsed and duplicated by your company.

3. Record live testimonials directly afterwards 

Would you like some truly enthusiastic endorsements? Get them on video directly after your talk. Your audiences, and the movers and shakers who may populate them, will generally be more willing to give you an incidental, on-the-fly endorsement than they would be to take the time and trouble to write them out. Also, the ‘fire’ has usually faded a little in the days following a talk, so catch them while the coals are hot!
Bear in mind that you don’t have to use these testimonials in video format either (although it is very powerful), but you can transcribe them into text and use them on documents too.

4. Use interesting leave-behind materials

Don’t give hand-outs to an audience at the beginning of your presentation. Don’t do it during, either; they distract from your performance; but certainly do make them available at the end. And make them memorable too; none of this bullet-point nonsense! When I use hand-outs after my keynote motivational talk, ‘Escape the Hamster Wheel,’ I use a visual of a little hamster with thought bubbles. Each thought bubble contains one of the ‘Rules of Hamster Thinking.’
People will keep an entertaining but useful and informative flier, especially one with great visuals and possibly a smattering of humour. And if they keep your flier, they keep the means to stay in touch with you.