Who are you trying to help, and what do you want them to learn?

I am an advocate of reframing “training and communication” to “learning and engagement.” While the difference might seem subtle, I find “training and communication” is too focused on the process or intent, whereas “learning and engagement” is focused on the desired and actual outcome on the target audience. Even if you are a big-name speaker or the number one expert in your field, the focus of any talk or presentation is the audience. As the speaker, you need to ask yourself: How do I get the audience from where they are at the start of the presentation to where I want them to be at the end of the presentation? You need to have a clear understanding of who you are trying to help, what they need to know, and then be able to reduce that information to a very small number of key learning outcomes for your presentation.

A good way to test whether you have a clear understanding of who you are trying to help and the desired learning outcomes is to see if you can summarize your presentation into one or, at most, two sentences. I find it is useful to then incorporate that one-sentence summary into my presentation, including toward the beginning of my presentation (to introduce the audience to what we are going to cover) and at the end (as a reminder of the key aspects of what we covered). Here is an example of a one-sentence summary from a talk on the role of leadership in an effective compliance program that I have used at a few SCCE events: “Leaders, managers and supervisors—at all levels in an organization—play a significant role in helping to build and sustain a culture of ethics and compliance throughout an organization; this happens when they are engaged, regularly talk about compliance, and are incentivized to use their roles to drive integrity and compliance.”

Don’t hide behind slides (or read every word on the slides)

I rarely read verbatim from my slides and usually make a point for emphasis if I do. (“I know you can all see the words, but this part is so important to me, I hope you don’t mind if I read it out loud.”) There are some times when I want someone to narrate the text for me (if you ever hear me say I “read” a book, I probably mean I listened to the audiobook version), but I don’t go to presentations or conferences to hear someone read a script for me that I could otherwise read myself. The slides—if you even choose to use slides—are a tool to help you; don’t fall into the trap of having your audience think the slides are leading the presentation and you are simply there to nervously narrate large parts of the text. Google CEO, Sundar Pichair, once told a conference, “Since stories are best told with pictures, bullet points and text-heavy slides are increasingly avoided at Google.” I have yet to give any talks or presentations where I have only used pictures and no words, but challenge yourself to think about how your slides might be helping or hindering moving your audience to where you want them to be.

Manage your time

Like many other presenters, I have found myself say the words, “We are running out of time here, so I will move through this last part very quickly,” and “I know I said I was going to leave time for questions, but that’s all the time we have today.” Time management can be hard, but you have to practice and rehearse your presentation and have a plan for what to do if you are running behind or long on time. You are in control of the presentation and content, so practice to make sure that what you will cover will neatly fill the time you have.

Rehearse like a comedian

Comedians rarely test out new material on big crowds. Instead, they test material on smaller crowds and see what works and does not work—the big crowds will then only hear the jokes that got the big laughs in the small comedy clubs. If you have an important presentation coming up, don’t let that be the first time you give the presentation. Find a way in which you can give the presentation once or twice ahead of time and get feedback about what works and does not work. These practice sessions will also help you anticipate questions that your target audience might have, and you can work them into your presentation. Another way to rehearse is to use the “Rehearse with Coach” feature in PowerPoint (it’s under the Slide Show tab). This feature allows you to get feedback on your use of filler words, words spoken per minute, pitch, and whether you are simply reading the words on your slides.

Watch TED Talks

Have you ever seen TED Talks where the speaker starts by giving a lengthy introduction about themselves, including where they went to school, their past work experience, and their current title? Rather than starting with their biographies to justify why they are on stage, TED Talks speakers often open with a story. For example, Verna Myers opened her talk with, “I was on a long road trip this summer, and I was having a wonderful time listening to the amazing Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns”; Bill Gates opened his talk by saying, “When I was a kid, the disaster we worried about most was a nuclear war”; and Brene Brown opened her talk with, “So, I’ll start with this: A couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”

In an age where anyone can Google your name or look you up on LinkedIn, don’t use your opening moments to talk about your past or explain, “Today, I am going to talk to you about…” By being on stage, your audience is going to presume that you (like TED Talks speakers) are qualified and knowledgeable about your topic. The audience is starting with the presumption that you are knowledgeable and qualified; show them their presumption is accurate by wowing them with engaging content and skipping the traditional biographical introduction. You are the person who has the opportunity to move your audience from where they are at the start of the presentation to where you hope to get them by the end. Your opening comments are key to engaging them, and you want to do that with something directly relevant to the subject that will whet their intellectual appetite. This doesn’t mean that your background is not important or that you don’t need to have knowledge to present; instead, it is about letting your audience see your value and credibility from the way you can engage them on a topic.

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room

I had very mixed feelings before I spoke at my first SCCE conference several years ago. I was part of a panel with three other people who were—and continue to be—much smarter and more knowledgeable and experienced in ethics and compliance than I was. Some might say that it was a case of the “imposter syndrome,” but I actually did not have so much knowledge or experience at that time, and I think it was a combination of self-awareness, fear, and a touch of imposter syndrome. I debated not being part of the panel, but I realized that I did have some knowledge and ideas that might benefit the people in the audience. The session went much better than I had hoped, and it helped remind me that we all have knowledge and experience that is relevant to others. We don’t have to be the most experienced or knowledgeable person in the room. If we have information that can be valuable to others, we should be confident (without being overly confident) about wanting to share that knowledge and experience with others.

Don’t let the butterflies get into your head

Even though I have presented many times now, I still get nervous before every presentation I give. I have learned two simple tips along the way that have really helped turn those feelings from panic into positive energy.

The first tip might result in a few eye rolls and might not be for everyone, but here it is: Instead of telling yourself you are nervous, you can reframe that feeling as one of excitement. I still get butterflies in my stomach before I speak, but I let them stay in my stomach and not get into my head by telling myself, “I am excited to speak today and that is what that feeling is,” rather than “I am so nervous.”

The second tip to reframe your thoughts is to use a process called interrogative self-help. Rather than trying to get yourself or someone else going by saying, “You can do this,” you ask yourself, “Why can I do this?” and then list the reasons why you can do it. You are essentially interrogating yourself in a positive way and reminding yourself of why you can give the talk you are about to give.

Conclusion

Each of us is unique, and we all have knowledge and experience that can help others. Don’t let your fear of public speaking prevent your potential audiences from hearing your voice and the valuable insights you can offer. Whatever topic(s) you are knowledgeable and qualified to speak about, I hope you will find the confidence, audiences, and opportunities to let your voice and ideas be shared with the world.

Takeaways

• Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and a common social phobia.

• Public speaking is something that ethics and compliance professionals need to do and something we can all get more comfortable at doing.

• Learn how to use slides effectively and how to reframe negative thinking.

• Audiences will assume you have knowledge and credibility, so begin your presentation with something engaging and directly relevant to the topic rather than your bio.

• You don’t need to be a world-class expert to speak with confidence and credibility. Everyone has knowledge and experience that can help others.