Eric Karofsky

Speaking in public is exhilarating. It’s a time to demonstrate expertise. It’s a time to entertain. It’s a time to lead. It’s a time to interact with the audience. Most of all, it’s a time to have fun.

The problem is that most people are terrified about speaking in public. There is no shortage of anecdotes, lessons, and groups to help people address their fears. I remember Marcia Brady’s instructions to Jan about imagining the audience in their underwear. Doing a quick search you can find plenty of tactics such as:

• Know your audience
• Before the speech practice, practice, practice
• Video yourself or tape record yourself [Eric: NO! don’t do this – see the last comment below)
• Use visually interesting slides
• Don’t use small type

I’ve been fortunate to have had plenty of varied experience speaking in public – and yes, experience is probably the most beneficial ingredient to success.

Experience and the common tactics above are great, however I’ve developed additional ones that I constantly think about before and during the presentation.

1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.
   • This could be added to the top list as it’s a clichéd tactic, but it is absolutely critical. Many people don’t listen – more importantly everyone absorbs information differently (see the next strategy).
2. Create the presentation yourself
   • I find it difficult to deliver someone else’s presentation. By creating the presentation myself, I am forcing myself to think about each slide and what I am trying to accomplish.
3. Believe the information
   • The greater you believe in the content, the greater you will engage your users.
4. Just keep going
   • If you make a mistake, chances are people won’t notice. If you stop and then stumble you are calling attention to the mistake. Just keep on going.
5. Clear the slide
   • When you have a busy slide, or one with graphs, explain the slide first before imparting the wisdom. e.g. “the x-axis shows time increasing, and the blue dots indicate…”
6. Involve the audience
   • Simply by inviting them into the conversation changes the tone and wakes people up.
7. Start out with a quick joke / anecdote, or something random
   • Getting a quick laugh often relaxes me, and connects me to the audience. Sometimes I’ll rave about the Boston sports teams knowing that I’ll get a reaction.
8. Graphics, text and speech should all illustrate the same issue
   • Some people are visual learners, some auditory, and some need to read. Make sure your message is understood by diverse learners.
9. Have a printout and a backup on a thumb-drive
   • Sometimes technology fails. Having a printout allows you to still deliver your presentation. Similarly having a backup file that is easily transportable allows flexibility so others can see it on their computer.
10. Don’t memorize
    • Memorizing creates a boring presentation, and doesn’t allow you to deviate from the script which is often necessary. Presentations should be engaging.

Nothing, however trumps experience. It will allow you to develop your own style one that will allow you to shine and demonstrate your smarts.

A last comment: Don’t record yourself! This will help a few people, but for most just makes them feel awkward and insecure. The point it to be comfortable.

“The worst financial crisis since the great depression” seems to be the headlines these days. What should financial services companies do? Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Many of the top financial services sites still have no mention, nor even a link, to their thoughts about the crisis. The media is consistently peppering the public about the state of the economy, yet clients are finding that the place that they entrust their money to, is silent!

Hey financial services companies: Clients and investors want to know what YOU think! They want to understand your company’s views of the markets, your investments, and what you think is going to happen. Even if there is no news, or bad news, keep people informed.
Don’t wait for the whitepaper to come out, or the official press release. Start the conversation early. Here are some ways this can be accomplished:

• Place some content on your home page: optionsXpress has a short paragraph with the title “A Safe Haven” to help bring confidence as clients log in
• Provide a link that builds confidence: Wells Fargo has a link to a CEO letter saying that they are “staying the course”.
• Start utilizing your corporate blog:
  • Allow an output for your experts to talk about the market – it allows clients to perceive they have access to the experts
  • Highlight discussions your executives are having with policy makers – it shows that you are in control and helping guide the US and the world
• Start monitoring twitter: it’s a great way to see how a segment of the market is talking about your brand

Overall, show empathy. People are nervous, frustrated, and annoyed. Being quiet only increases frustration. Start utilizing the tools that you have already invested in, and start communicating with your constituents.

What is your financial services company doing? What should they do to help you feel more informed, or confident?