Delivery: Inspired By Performers

Tags

delivery, Garr Reynolds, inspired by performers, The Naked Presenter

In The Naked Presenter, Garr Reynolds explains that 99% of us aren’t performers.  We aren’t actors or actresses.  However, we do all possess the ability to have a conversation with a friend or a group of friends.  Delivery, then, should be modeled after that calm, natural, conversational style we all possess.  This technique makes delivery more accessible because it then becomes something we all have the power to do well.

Earlier today, I posted about my love for the Seattle band Pickwick.  Occasionally, people are confused that I talk about my favorite actors/actresses and musical artists on a blog dedicated to public speaking and presentation.  However, incorporating what we learn from our favorite performers into our delivery is absolutely essential!

Garr Reynolds explains that even though we should never try to be someone we’re not or to put on an act when delivering a speech, we can definitely take cues from our favorite performers.  What is it about Pickwick’s live performance that makes me passionate about listening to and watching them?  How can watching Walt and Jesse on Breaking Bad  make me a stronger public speaker?  Analyzing why we gravitate toward certain performers is important.  We can pick apart those nonverbal communication clues that signal passion, dynamism, and energy and use similar techniques in our own speeches.  The more passion we can convey to our audiences, the more likely we are to persuade and the more likely our message is to resonate.

Who are your favorite performers, and how can you take their inspiration into consideration when delivering your next presentation?

Currently Listening To: Pickwick

Tags

currently listening to, in the news, Myths, Pickwick, The Round

2011 is coming to a close, so news outlets are releasing their “Best Of 2011″ lists.  NPR recently wrote an article called “5 Artists You Should Know in 2011,” and I immediately fell in love with Seattle’s Pickwick.  Check out “The Round” from Myths:

Source

Myths is a concept record, and Pickwick explains that “the lyrics of each song connect to conspiracies, tragedies or myths surrounding the personal lives of various performers” (Source).  ”The Round” is one of two songs on Myths, Vol. 2, and you can purchase the album here.  Check out Myths, Vol. 1 and Myths, Vol. 3 here.  NPR says, “Pickwick creates joyous, exuberant, blue-eyed folk-soul. Its insidious, slinky jams worm their way into your brain and plant their unshakeable melodies and grooves” (Source).  I also highly recommend listening to “Hacienda Motel” and “Up All Night” on the same KEXP YouTube channel as the video above.

What are your must-listen artists for 2011?

Review: Resonate

Tags

currently reading, Currently..., Nancy Duarte, resonate, review

resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte is one of my presentation bibles.  Since I mention resonate so often, I thought I’d finally write my review of the text in order to explain why it is so incredible.  Here are my five key takeaways from resonate:

1.  The presenter is not the star of the show but, rather, acts as a supporting character to the star: the audience.  The presenter’s role is that of guide, adviser, instructor, teacher.  When we get away from “me-centered” behavior and instead focus on the audience needs, presentations resonate.

2.  Duarte created the Sparkline as an analysis tool for speeches.  The Sparkline is a shape that moves back and forth between the present, the “what is,” and the future, the “what could be.”  Duarte explains the Sparkline shape in her TEDxEast Talk.  Watch here.

3.  The first few chapters emphasize storytelling in all presentations as the medium that connects and resonates with audiences.  Duarte uses the Hero Cycle to explain the process the audience goes through during a presentation.

4.  Duarte defines the necessary components of a speech introduction and explains that the three modes of persuasion, ethos, pathos, and logos, must be used in order to effectively persuade.

5.  My fifth takeaway from resonate is the process of creating a presentation from the “generating ideas” phase to the “visualize message” phase.  Duarte does a masterful job of explaining this process.

For those of you who love resonate as much as I do: what are your favorite lessons from the text?  Purchase your copy of resonate here.

Sketching To Communicate, Share Stories, and Solve Problems

Tags

communicating, Kelsey Ruger, problem solving, sketching, slideshare, storytelling

Source

I was instantly attracted to Kelsey Ruger‘s slideshow because of the font: Love Ya Like A Sister.  Download it for free here and use it in your own presentations.