Saturday, April 4, 2009

The Imposter at the Podium

My client, Ken (not his real name, of course), has an enviable pedigree. He is a successful, highly billable consultant with a PhD, and he travels the U.S. to advise his clients -- A Who's Who of American corporations -- on how to merge their behemoth companies into a single culture. And yet he has come to me for advice on how to present to large groups.
I was bewildered by Ken's request. I asked him how successfully he has spoken to large groups over the course of his career. After all, I reminded him, he has developed a sterling reputation as a consultant over four decades. He is the go-to guy for bringing the best out of corporate leaders. Surely his work speaks for itself.
Actually, Ken explains, he functions much better one-on-one or in small groups of up to four people. But when he faces more people than that, he feels unworthy of any credibility. He becomes very serious and loses his humor in these situations. Ken has even been known to faint as a result of the anxiety he feels.

My advice to Ken is that his success with small groups indicates that he is an effective communicator. It is only the scale of speaking that we need to address. My analogy is driving cars. The mechanics of driving a car are essentially the same, whether you're controlling a Mini Cooper or a Hummer. The difference tends to be in the proportions of the driving: how wide the turns needs to be, how far you can see from your seat, etc. So if you can communicate with just a few people, you should also be effective with a larger group. More importantly, I shared with Ken my mantra about teaching people to be presenters:

Anyone can be an excellent speaker,
once you have identified that person's strengths
and then play to them.


In all my years in corporate America, I have found that to be true without exception. If a leader is authoritative, use that authority to make her a more commanding speaker. If the person is accessible and down-to-earth, play up his warmth which caries with it a certain believability. If his voice is a powerful instrument with resonance and diction, use it take charge of the room. But it is folly to make the arrogant, supercilious executive into Will Rogers. Nor seldom is the self-made, shoot-from-the-hip graduate from the College of Hard Knocks going to remind anyone of Orson Welles. The audience will see through these facades in a moment. So Ken and I will go through the following exercises in the coming weeks:
  1. We will work to determine his strengths. Based on his ability to deal with people in personal situation, as well as my own social contact with him, I believe that his personal warmth is the key.
  2. We will develop ways to display those strengths. Ken has confidence in his writing, and I trust him in that judgment. So I want him to write his own presentations. In that way, he will feel comfortable with the words coming out of his own mouth.
  3. Ken must be convinced that he is the authority. His education, rack record and references speak for themselves. Ken has things to say that are credible. He must believe it, too.
  4. Practice. There is no substitute for working on delivery and becoming comfortable with diction and movement. As Edwards Deming used to say, there is no instant pudding.
How about you? Do you feel like an empty suit when it is time to speak? If so, review your methodologies and your content. Get a coach, as Ken has done, and work through the details. I can assure you that your audience will believe in you once you believe in yourself.

1 comment:

  1. Pat,
    This helpful advice goes beyond one who presents to large groups, I believe. I think anyone in a position of authority, great or small, can use your tactics to convey their message and achieve the results they desire. I think I intuitively do this in my own job, but I plan to make more of a conscious effort to incorporate your ideas the next time I have an idea to sell! Thanks, hon!
    Marie

    ReplyDelete