Show Me Your Hands

To All Presenters:

Bill Clinton has always had a reputation for being a strong public speaker. However, when he was Governor of Arkansas he developed a bad habit where he would repeatedly point at his audience with the index finger of his right hand whilst speaking. Now, as your Mother always told you, it's very rude to point - in fact most cultures have at least one single-hand gesture which is considered offensive. So,when Bill kicked off his presidential campaign his staff new they had to put the kaibash on the future president's favorite nervous tick without throwing off his popular cadence.

The solution? They taught him to curl the offending pointer inwards, and clamp it down with his thumb. This way he was free to gesture towards his audience, sans offensive finger pointing. The aesthetic end result is the now famous Clinton "thumb point" - to see it for yourself view any of his speeches since he left the Governor's mansion. I particularly enjoy the, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" performance.

Body language represents 55%-65% of all communication - so what you say with your hands matters as much, if not more than what you say with your voice. For this reason superfluous gestures will detract measurably from your ability to deliver your message.

Use your hands to accentuate your performance with solid, intentional motions and emphasize main points with deliberate gestures. If using your hands to represent something related to your content remember, you have two hands - hence you can represent two somethings. More than that, and you start to lose the audience. New movements can be uncomfortable at first, practice your gestures when you reherse your perfromance so they are comfortable to you. And if you don't have something for your hands to say - have them say nothing.

Stage actors will typically keep their arms at their sides when their hands are not in use - it is a natural and relaxed position which does not distract the audience.

THE POINT: Your hands are the only prop you will never leave in the car - use them wisely.

And Santa is Sponsored by . . .

To All Presenters:

So, the modern interpretation of Santa Clause is a symbolic byproduct of a global corporate advertising campaign.

That's disappointing.

While many countries have their own histories concerning "Father Christmas" or "St. Nick" most evolutionary lines have evolved into the amalgamated common image of the modern "Santa Claus" - and from here, Santa has had an evolution of his own.

Prior to 1931 Santa Claus' appearance varied. He oft appeared as a strict looking elf and tall, gaunt, unhealthy looking man - at different points in his aesthetic history he was short, tall, fat and thin. He has worn a bishop's robe and a Norseman's hunting clothes. One of the earliest American representations was provided by Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast when he drew a figure labeled “Santa Claus” for Harper's Weekly in 1862. His Santa was depicted as a small elf-like figure who supported the Union, but dressed in neutral tan colors instead of Union blue. Over the subsequent 30 years Nast drew Santa, the color of his coat evolved to the now traditional red.

Coke Cola began advertising their product in 1920, publishing print ads in "The Saturday Evening Post." At this point Coke was perceived as a summer-time drink so the Coca-Cola Company began a campaign to remind people their product was a thirst quencher year round. This began with the 1922 slogan "Thirst Knows No Season", and continued with a campaign aligning a true winter icon with the sugary beverage. Coke's first corporate sponsored Santa imagery much resembled the stern old elf made popular by Nast.

After a seasonal few fits and starts Coke contracted with the D'Arcy Advertising who devised a campaign that would present a realistic human Santa who could convey all the symbolism of the holiday season. Coke then contracted with Michigan artist Haddon Sundblom to develop the campaign's imagery.

Sundblom based his Santa off the description provided by Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of chubby, happy old St. Nick led Sundblom to create an image of Santa that was jovial, rosy and very human (vs. literal elf). For the next 33 years, Sundblom painted portraits of Santa for Coke which, as part of their international advertising, solidified the now common interpretation of Santa in the minds of children worldwide.

So, this December 25th raise a glass of Coke in honor of a holiday tradition, after all - they paid for it.

THE POINT: Good marketing moves product, great marketing changes culture.

Great Minds Think Alike

To All Presenters:

In an article from "Wired" magazine Edward R. Tufte, professor emeritus of political science, computer science and statistics, and graphic design at Yale states:

"At a minimum, a presentation format should do no harm. Yet the PowerPoint style routinely disrupts, dominates, and trivializes content. Thus PowerPoint presentations too often resemble a school play -very loud, very slow, and very simple.

The practical conclusions are clear. PowerPoint is a competent slide manager and projector. But rather than supplementing a presentation, it has become a substitute for it. Such misuse ignores the most important rule of speaking: Respect your audience."

So . . . I must be smart, because smart people agree with me. That's good for the old ego.

Here is the link to the rest of the article:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html

And here is a link to an educational, inspiring and entertaining presentation by Sir Ken Robinson on the topic of creativity which doesn't use props or PowerPoint, and doesn't need them. Watch and repeat.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

THE POINT: PowerPoint is a crutch.

Behold . . .Twinkle Lights

To All Presenters:

I have many traditions, today I participated in two of them.

The first is called, "Getting Past my Ten Foot Roof Line With my Six Foot Ladder." The second is called, "Celebration Upon Returning to Earth After Having Not Fallen Off the Roof."

Both involve the annual hanging of Christmas lights, and it is very important to me these traditions operate in tandem.

Why is it perfectly rational people are compelled to risk blunt force trauma in the name of light pollution, and in an effort to raise their electrical bill a few extra cents, each winter?

Apparently, we should blame Edward Johnson. He lighted up a Christmas tree in New York City with eighty red, white and blue walnut-sized, hand-wired electric light bulbs in 1882. He was also a contemporary of Thomas Edison and served as Vice President of the Edison Electric Light Company, which is today ConEd. The fact the Christmas light phenomenon was inspired by a power company executive is, shall we say, noteworthy.

In 1895, U.S. President Grover Cleveland hosted the first electrically illuminated Christmas tree in the White House - it held more than a hundred multicolored lights. The first commercially produced Christmas tree lamps were manufactured in strings of eight sockets by the General Electric Company - each socket held a miniature carbon-filament lamp. By 1900, department stores started using the new Christmas lights for their Christmas displays. However, Christmas lights were too expensive for the average person, and so candles maintained a certain exclusivity until about 1930.

Though General Electric sponsored community lighting competitions during the 1920’s, decorating of houses (and the subsequent risk related traditions) didn't take off until the late 1950's and early 1960's. I suppose it's no small coincidence that tract housing got real popular about the same time.

So, while some will say these decorations symbolize the Star of Bethlehem . . . and others will say the lighting helps Santa find his way . . . it seems we actually risk our necks each year because ConEd and GE executives suckered us into it.

THE POINT: Great products are a part of everyday life, the subsequent cultural symbolism is a projection of the user.

PowerPoint 4

To All Presenters:

Effective immediately, all presenters must apply the Kawasaki formula when selecting a point size for text on PowerPoint slides:

A. ) Identify who the oldest person in the room will be . . .

B. ) Divide their age by 2.

The answer is the minimum point size allowed for your presentation.

THE POINT: If I fail your eye test, you fail to deliver your message.

Your Tie . . . it Speaks to me.

To All Presenters:

What does what you wear say about you?

Mark Twain once said, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."

While PETA may disagree with the oft-quoted Mr. Clemens - the fact remains, our attire is a symbology all its own.

And let’s forget context for a moment. Forego the application of rules which state donning a suit in an uber-casual business environment may actually attract the wrong kind of attention, or suggest you should dress for the job you want not the job you have. In the general man-on-the-street-operating-in-a-vacuum-sort-of-way, what does what you wear say about you?

John T. Malloy, author of "Dress for Success", panhandled money around the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Grand Central Station in New York City on two separate occasions. In each he would approach people and express his embarrassment at having left his wallet at home, then ask if he could have the 75 cent fare he needed to get home. Each time the experiment lasted 60 minutes, was performed during rush hour and on a business day.

During the first hour he wore a suit, but no tie and collected $7.23. In the second hour he added a tie to his ensemble and not only collected $26.00, but one fellow actually gave him extra money so he could buy a paper.

Mr. Malloy concludes, "No question then: The tie is a symbol of respectability and responsibility; it communicates to other people who you are, or reinforces or detracts from their conception of who you should be.” In regards to clothing in general – after performing numerous similar experiments Malloy opines, “We all wear uniforms and our uniforms are clear and distinct signs of class. We react to them accordingly."

Clothing is generally an aspect of all human physical appearance, and like other aspects of personal appearance it has social significance. All societies have largely unwritten but well-understood dress codes. Each having its own rules or signals which communicate a message based on an individual’s attire. This message may include indications of the person's class, wealth, occupation, religion, attitude and sexual orientation or availabilty. Clothes also state an individual’s willingness to conform or rebel against cultural mores and express their affection for comfort and functionality vs. trends and high-fashion.

As in all forms of communication, however, if the receiver's interpretation differs from the sender's intended communication, mistakes are made and confusion ensues.

In an attempt to express wealth or power one might wear custom clothes, expensive watches, cufflinks or jewlery. But if the receiver interprets this conspicuous consumption as a waste of money - message received could be very different from the message intended. Again, it comes down to the experiences of the interpreter.

So, a tie apparently makes you more respectable, while what your bling may say depends on who your bling is speaking to.

That’s just two elements of attire – and both could be considered accessories.

THE POINT: So, what does what you wear say about you? A lot.

Tear Down This Wall

To All Presenters:
I get it.

You perceive your audience to be a marauding army of angry Mongolians.

I just don’t know why.

In the mid 1400s the Ming Dynasty was having trouble with nomadic Mongolian tribes attacking the northern areas of what is now mainland China. To deflect the onslaught Ming emperors built (literally) on an idea conceived over one thousand years earlier by the Qin Dynasty. By adding miles of brick and mortar balustrades to an already established collection of “pounded Earth” embankments and natural defenses (cliffs, rivers, gorges, etc.) they created what we now call the “Great Wall of China”.

The wall was an effective means of preventing attack and providing security for the Chinese heartland.

It was, however an ineffective tool for public speaking.

You must see your audience the same way, as an angry Mongolian hoard, since you too have erected a wall separating yourself from us – the dreaded lectern.

From the Latin root meaning “to read” lecterns were designed to improve a presenter’s eye contact and posture. What seemed like a good idea at the time has evolved into a crutch used by persons who lack the confidence to actively engage their audience. It provides a visual barrier between speaker and spoken to which is unnecessary and contributes directly to the mediocrity inherent in so many presentations today. Furthermore, and let’s be honest here, any part of a presentation which involves the phrase “to read” instead of “to educate,” “to entertain,” or “to perform” is generally a bad thing.

Brothers and sisters, cast off the shackles of this outdated construct and be free to connect with the congregation. Step away from the lectern and engage! For few things are as tiresome as one who stands behind a piece of plywood whilst rambling, hoping their PowerPoint skills will distract the crowd.

Be as the Greek scholars, exposed in the amphitheater engaging their audience in dialogue and discussion, educating and entertaining with every exchange. Don’t place visual barriers between yourself and your audience, better to be open and accessible.

Rest assured, we will all be the better for it.

THE POINT: With this improved and more personal connection your audience is more likely to listen to your message, and you will seem like a stronger speaker who knows what they are doing.

Why do I Write This?

To All Presenters:

A blog about communication? Why?

I’m fascinated by the way we communicate with each other. How we present ideas and how we discuss them. How we promote products in a compelling way or distribute a message designed to modify behavior. I enjoy art and music and I explore the way creativity “speaks” to people. I observe communication dissonance, diagnose crossed-wires, cite failures to listen or failures to convey and seek resolution to all of the above.

I just find it interesting – we communicate constantly. The way we walk, talk or look conveys a message. We speak and listen, act and observe –every moment of everyday we send or receive signals. We are constantly encoding and decoding messages.

Sometimes our communication is effective, sometimes it fails. Sometimes it’s creative other times it’s mundane - but the means and methods by which we communicate are always interesting.

Communication is a skill-set, we can learn new skills and make existing ones stronger. We can see how others do right and mimic their behaviors just as we can see how others fail and learn from their mistakes.

Media and social interaction.

Art and advertising.

Politics and pop culture.

Listening and remembering.

Public speaking and private conversation.

Body language and the spoken word.

Images and sounds.

THE POINT: I find it all fascinating – and that’s why I write this blog.