When All's Said

                 

Speakers tend to collect quotations. It’s a sign of respect when quoting someone, to state where you heard or read a person’s comments. In the political arena, this courtesy is violated so often, an entire industry devotes itself to fact-checking. Too often fact checkers report a quotation was taken out of context, or twisted into what amounts to a lie, or actually is a lie. It’s so common that we hear people confess with the euphemism, “I misspoke.”

Don’t assume an audience, jaded by their knowledge of speakers’ deliberate lies and half-truths, will believe you. Offer proof. If practical, hold up a book, state its title and show marked pages when you quote an author. Offer handouts with citations listed. For references on creating a citations handout, type bibliography or citations in a search box. The Purdue Owl (Online Writing Lab) is good, but you’ll find so many choices, it’s dizzying.

Your handout, properly done, will not only add to your credibility, but also to your professionalism.

It’s impolite to bore your audience with lengthy quotations. Paraphrase. If compelled to quote a long passage word for word, include that in your handout. But be aware of the “fair use” clause in copyright laws. Crediting an author does not give you the right to copy and distribute their work with abandon.

In presenting material, talk. That’s what a presenter does. Use visuals only as necessary. For example,  the use of illustrations in a discussion of historic architecture would be appropriate, and perhaps the only way to clarify a point,.

If you must say it in pictures, make sure you have the right to use another’s artwork or photography. Look for “exceptions” on websites that offer free use of artwork. “Free” might apply to non-commercial use only. Think about it. You did not receive compensation for a speech, but gave the presentation in an effort to build your reputation as a speaker. Isn't that advertising? Isn't that commercial?

Think about this: you worked hard to prepare a presentation, and you engaged your audience. You fulfilled your purpose to teach, entertain, or inspire them. In crediting others for their artistic work, you've gained a reputation for integrity.

   

When all’s said, members of your once-jaded audience will respect you and recommend you to their associates. You'll discover the best quotations to collect: customer's endorsements.

(c) 2013, Bernice W. Simpson

Your Time to Shine: Help in Gaining Audience Acceptance

“Plan your work and work your plan.” Remember that saying? Writers who want book buyers must get into the promotion mode and work their marketing plans.

In my blog Your Time to Shine: Appropriate Attire When Marketing Your Book, I explained the importance of what to wear when speaking to an audience. Follow that advice, and you will make a good impression. But if you hope to sell your products, audience approval must include interest in, and acceptance of what you say. Do you need help with delivering effective presentations? The site, www.speakingaboutpresenting.com, is a place to start.  

Speaking about Presenting contains a review of a book our group, FAB, is studying. A recent assignment: state three things you liked about Nancy Duarte’s book, Resonate. Following is my report.  

Whether you agree with all she says, or not, you must give Nancy Duarte credit for her research. In addition to three pages devoted to chapter-by-chapter references, the book is indexed—something we expect from nonfiction books, but do not always find. She encourages you to expand your understanding by reading books she mentions, as well as making full use of online materials. One example: a case study of Benjamin Zander via Internet video.

I respect thorough preparation, and if readers get nothing else from Resonate, they will know a presenter who stands up and starts yammering is a pretender and not a presenter. Speakers agree it helps to know their audience. Ms. Duarte turns the subject of knowing from it helps to you must. As part of your preparation, you must know your audience in order to feel connected to it. And, yes, she does give suggestions on how to accomplish that task. “It’s tough to influence people you don’t know,” she says. She follows that statement with research methods, that if followed, should give you a sound idea of who your audience is, and how various segments will feel about your topic as they gather to hear you. Armed with such information, you can plan a speech tailored to “what your audience cares about and link it to your idea.”

A preparation tool on page 108 tells how to collect and catalogue a ready supply of anecdotes that add emotional appeal to your ideas. Your personal, human interest stories, which put life into your presentations, can be recycled to fit varied audiences and occasions.

As a writer, I took special note of how to construct an elevator speech. Nancy Duarte calls it “the big idea.” Among other things, she tells why you must state your main message in complete sentences. On the surface, it’s a simple “how-to” hint, but her explanation helps you see the importance of the sentence versus sentence fragments. Writers need an elevator speech for their business and each of their writing projects. For most of us, preparing that bare-bones talk is the toughest thing we’ll ever write.

Related to the “as a writer” appreciation: on page 82 is a neat list of word pairs that are opposites. Examples: chaos/structure, improvise/plan, resist/yield, and many more. In Resonate the list helps to illustrate what kinds of audience attitudes might exist before and after a presentation. And that’s good. As for me, I simply like words and word lists.

© 2012, Bernice W. Simpson

Your Time to Shine: Appropriate Attire When Marketing Your Book

Are you ready to take center stage?  When a publisher accepts your book, you must move into the spotlight. Perhaps spotlight is a bit dramatic, but you will leave your computer for a more public arena to market your masterpiece.

Marketing is business. While writing in your faded jeans or discount store cotton flannels, did you forget the term business dress? What will you wear to your signings, presentations, and other events? Does it matter?

Yes. Your clothing makes a statement about you. What do you want it to say? For example, what do jeans say?  Jeans match a western author’s genre, or how-to books on hunting or fishing. But if jeans don’t somehow tie into the book’s subject, they could send this message: “I’m not a business professional, and after all, it’s Saturday afternoon.”  

Treat all forms of publicity like a job, and remember the cliché: “dress for the job you want.” A civic club’s program chair could pick up your card from the signing table. A pressed shirt, creased pants, and polished shoes tell him or her you will not show up at their lunch meeting in athletic shoes and a tee-shirt removed from the dryer after wrinkles have set. Of course, when that program chair calls you, it’s still smart to ask questions about what their speakers usually wear.

In preparation for a talk, questions concerning appropriate dress are as important as learning about the microphones and other needed equipment at the meeting site. But the answers you receive may be incorrect. A group’s membership may be large, but their all-volunteer board can change from year to year. If a spokesperson tells you casual dress is fine, what exactly does that mean? And do that person’s standards reflect the membership at large?

At the Saturday meetings of the Panhandle Professional Writers, for example, probably half in attendance wear the Texas weekend uniform—jeans and a casual shirt. Chris Stewart, a copyright attorney who has spoken at several meetings, always arrives in business dress—a dark suit, light-colored dress shirt, tie, and dark lace-up shoes. Conversely, the attire of a recent speaker fit right in—neat enough, clean-looking, but ultra casual. She delivered an excellent workshop; nonetheless, certain members expect a level of professionalism that at least includes what is known in the business world as business casual. For some the perception of super casual translates to a lack of respect.

When speaking to a group, conservative dress is a wise choice. Women have more latitude than men.  They can choose between a knee-length skirt or slacks, and often pantsuit or pants worn with a classy sweater set. But women must be careful not to fall into a fashion trap. Ruffles, a tight fit, or low-cut necklines, send the wrong message.  Also, women should be aware of what distracts their audience. You want listeners to remember you, not your swinging necklace, floating fabric, or sequined material.

According to studies by Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA, nonverbal communication is more important than our words. What that means to you: what you wear helps you sell yourself, which helps you sell your books. And that's what you want, isn't it?

(c) 2012, Bernice W. Simpson