Part III Let’s Talk Business
Pulling It Out of Thin Air - What to say when you forget what to say
It's like when a plane hits an air pocket-your intestines throb in your brain-pan. You're flowing smoothly through your presentation (without notes or with bulleted notes that suddenly no longer make sense) and wham! You go blank. There's nothing upstairs. Nothing on-line. Your mind is as blank as a blackboard in August.
You lick your lips, clear your throat, and say "uh" enough times to jumpstart an outboard. Your eyes begin to dart about in desperation, and as the internal pressure mounts, the real signals of distress pour out: giggling, blushing, and embarrassing true confessions of just how lost you really are, revealing only your lack of preparation and diminished professionalism.
WHAT TO DO
First, use an ounce of prevention. Rehearse out loud frequently enough to internalize your message. Strangely, if you try to memorize your remarks, you're almost sure to go blank. Understand why you're speaking the words you choose, and say them in rehearsal until you have a gut feeling for the essence of your message.
Use your visuals as a road map, if possible. Using graphic images or bullet points, rely on your visuals to keep you on track. Visuals should not serve as a script, but rather as a series of trigger points that generate discourse.
Keep your notes nearby. Make sure they're written in large, colorful writing. They'll be easy to read when you're under pressure.
Focus your eyes on one person in the audience when you go blank. They'll think you're being forceful and dramatic. Then, after about four seconds, move your eyes to another person. Do it again. Keep doing this through the silence until your brain comes back to life.
Repeat what you just said. Using repetition is a good speaking technique anyway. Keep repeating yourself until your mind clicks into gear. Or say something that parallels your subject, and chances are, within seconds, you'll be back on track.
Ask the audience a question if it's a small group. "Marilyn, what are your thoughts so far?" Make it an open-ended question so Marilyn can't say simply "yes" or "no." That way, you get more time to think as Marilyn speaks. If you're speaking to a large group, ask a rhetorical question. Again, you'll probably wake yourself up quickly.
Ask for help. "Where was I?" is not a shameful thing to say. Most audiences will be sympathetic. Everyone knows the pressure of speaking. Just don't do it repeatedly or make a big deal out of it.
Part IIII Exercises and Discussion
☆ Look at the sample presentation below and:
- Try to identify those four parts mentioned in Part Two
- In case the presenter here went blank right after the third paragraph, any suggestions from you to save the poor guy from embarrassment?
The DC Autodialler
A voice controlled data recorder and automatic telephone dialer.
Main features
Speech analyzer
Large memory
Large display
Lithium batteries
Good afternoon. Today I’d like to tell you about our latest product, the DC Autodialler. The DC Autodialler lets you record telephone numbers by speaking. It can also dial telephone numbers automatically. We expect it to be a very popular product.
First, I’ll tell you the main features of the ‘autodialler. Then I’ll describe its physical characteristics. Finally, I’ll explain how to see it.
The Autodialler has four important features. It has a very sophisticated speech analyzer which allows it to record names and telephone numbers. It can recognize up to 5000 common North American names. It has a large memory which lets you record up to 2500 names and telephone numbers. It has a 4-centimeter by 2-centimeter liquid crystal display which provides a sharp image. Ti uses lithium batteries which last for two year.
The Autodialler is very compact. It measures 10 centimeters by 5 centimeters by 0.5 centimeters. It’s made of very light but hard plastic, and weights only 150 grams. It comes in three colors: black, silver and wine red.
Now, I’ll show you how easy the Autodialler is to use. There are only three buttons: a “new” button, a “find” button, and a “dial” button. To enter a new name and phone number, press the “new” button. Then say the person’s name. When the name is displayed say the telephone number. To find a name, press the “find” button and say the person’s name. When the name is displayed you may dial the number, change the name or telephone number, or delete the information. To dial the number, point the Autodialler at your telephone and press the “dial” button.
As you can see, the Autodialler has many useful features, it’s very compacted, and it’s easy to use. I’m sure you’ll agree that there will be a large market for it.
Thank you.
☆ Check out one infomercial you really hate to see. Try to transform it into a 3-minute long business presentation by using some language references in part five.
