Your Introduction is Key

Your Introduction is Key!

You’re ready to step on the stage in the front of the room and begin your presentation. You may be the last speaker of the day, and the audience is tired. You take a few breaths as your introduction is being read.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a good introduction. A great introduction will excite the audience and cause them to look forward to your talk. While you need to show credibility in your introduction, there are ways to do this without your intro reading like a resume or laundry list of all your accomplishments.

Here is a quick example. Denise Galloni is the owner of DG Training Solutions Inc. and has been in business for four years. She has delivered over 500 career presentations and is the creator, producer and host of a TV show called Empowering Women. Okay, while this intro does give me credibility, is it really that exciting? Will the audience be excited to hear what I have to say as soon as I walk out on the stage?

Let’s use the same biographical information and add to it and make it memorable while still providing credibility.

Voted the quietest girl in her senior class, Denise never had much to say. Today she will tell us how she went from that young quiet girl to starting her own business four years ago called DG Training Solutions Inc. She is the creator, producer and host of a monthly TV show called Empowering Women and has delivered over 500 career presentations.

Basically, both intros have the same information. Which one sounds more intriguing to you? Did I have the same credibility in both? Which one make you want to hear what I have to say?

Tailor your introduction to the audience you are speaking to. Always give the person introducing you your typed introduction. Ask your introducer to read it as written because you will refer to it in your presentation. You can even add some details about your presentation or questions for the audience.

These tips will have the audience anticipating your presentation before you even open your mouth.

Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

YouTube – Empowering Women TV Show:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkS-fsSVzGlE5SI_yg3I8ZAGn3GB4DglO

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Would you prefer Handouts or Slides?

It never fails, when I do a presentation someone in the audience asks me for a copy of my slide deck. Does this happen to you?

Most of the time I do not give out my slides. There are a few reasons why. Reason #1, I prefer to give out handouts with the important material on the pages. Sometimes if it is a long presentation and people want the slides, it is too many pages to give out at the event. Reason #2, even if I print them out and email to the attendees afterwards, they may not know or remember what the slide signifies. I try to use less words but more pictures or symbols to achieve my message. Unless I am explaining why they are there, someone will not understand my intent. And reason #3, the slides are my intellectual property that I designed and created. I don't want to share them and have someone share them as their own.

For the reasons above, this is why I rarely provide my slides to an audience. Handouts or slides, which if any do you give out?

Until the next blog or vlog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

YouTube – Empowering Women TV Show:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkS-fsSVzGlE5SI_yg3I8ZAGn3GB4DglO

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Narrow Down Your Topic

Last month I wrote about making sure you know exactly how long you will be speaking when doing a presentation. I also explained why you should have extra information if your time is extended or how to cut out information if your time runs out.

If you are preparing to speak, you most likely already have your topic. Hopefully it is a topic you know a lot about. Here lies the problem, how much information do you provide to the audience? Sometimes we want to give so much value we overwhelm the audience or confuse them with too many details. How do you narrow down all the information you know about the subject to fit into those time limits?

In most cases, you should be able to pick three main points and build your presentation from there. You can add as much detail as your audience needs or time allows. Choosing only three main points allows you to tell the audience during your introduction what they will hear. An example would be "Today I am going to tell you how to prepare a room to paint, pick a color for the walls, and the most efficient way to get the room painted". The audience knows in advance what they will learn.

Once you have your main points, you can add the details. In our example, the first main point would be preparing the room.  You can then add any supporting information such as supplies you will need, how to properly prepare, why it is so important, etc. You would continue with each point and keep building on those main points. How much detail do you need? It really depends how on how much you want to add to your presentation to fill the time and educate your audience.

Next month I will give you suggestions to polish your presentation.


Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

YouTube – Empowering Women TV Show:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkS-fsSVzGlE5SI_yg3I8ZAGn3GB4DglO

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Blog:  http://DGTrainingsolutionsinc.blogspot.com

Timing is Everything

You have been asked to give a presentation. You are excited because you have so much information to share. This is a big moment for you. Then the thought enters your mind, how do I narrow this down?

Before you start working on your presentation, here are a few tips to keep you from stressing out the day of the event. First, make sure you ask how long you will have to speak. Have them be specific about the layout of the program.  People may say the presentation is an hour, but often they conduct some business before you speak, wait until most people have arrived, give a longer introduction or want to have time to wrap up the event. After all this is done, your speaking time may be forty-five minutes. Fifteen minutes may not sound like a big deal, but if you timed your presentation for sixty minutes and after forty minutes you are getting the sign to wrap it up, it is very stressful, and the audience will see you struggling.

Have you ever been listening to a speaker and they fast forward through the end of the presentation and you can’t even keep up? Guess what happened? They either ran out of time, or thought they had more time to speak.

Since we are talking about timing, after your presentation is written, practice your timing so you can fit your presentation into the allotted time you have to speak. Go slowly when practicing and allow time for laughter (if your presentation is humorous), questions, etc. You can fill time easier at the end than struggling to get all your information in before you run out of time. Remember if you tell them you are going to tell them something, you better have time to tell them. If you are a few minutes early, it shouldn’t be a problem. Overtime, big problem and the audience will let you know by their body language.

Only after you have all the details of the presentation, can you start to prepare your presentation. Tips on narrowing your topic and planning your presentation will be next month.

Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise
Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President
DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com
Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc7d1KUEIqZTUBlSzMSm9eA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

It Is Good to Be Different!

I have a confession to make…I am a serial networker. I love networking and meeting new people. I love to be able to refer them to others I know and help build beneficial relationships.

I started networking in 2007 while trying to find an opportunity in the training and development industry. I had just finished my master’s degree and was ready to get my dream job. But changing careers and especially industries, isn’t easy. You have to get out there and meet people. That is why in 2007, I started networking and have never stopped.

One thing I notice when I network is certain industries have many people networking and trying to obtain clients. Recently at a networking event, I noticed a few real estate agents, insurance agents and financial advisors. And this was all in one room! As they each gave me their “60 second commercial” I had the same thought, I would not remember one from the other tomorrow morning.

A mistake I see is people not taking the time to show how they are different from others in the same industries. Don’t just say, I can help you plan for your financial future. Mention something that will get their attention. “Wouldn’t it be nice to visit your children and grandchildren across the country without having to worry about the additional expenses on your tight budget after retirement”? This would stand out in my mind more than “I can help you plan for your financial future”. Draw a picture they can see, and remember. This will distinguish you from the others in the room.

It is good to be different! Tell your prospective clients why you are different and what you can do for them. Once you get into the habit of reframing your commercial to include this strategy, you will be surprised at the reactions you receive.

Coco Chanel once said, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different”.


Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Meetup:  https://www.meetup.com/DG-Training-Solutions-Professional-Development-Meetup/

Of course it makes perfect sense!

I remember it as it happened yesterday.  I was sitting in the audience at a Toastmasters function listening to the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, presenting a workshop.  Darren was speaking about trying to break into the business of stand-up comedy. His mentor told him never pass up an opportunity to perform.

Darren calls this “Stage Time, Stage Time, Stage Time” and this is his mantra in which he strongly believes. 

Of course, this makes perfect sense.  If you want to be great, you need to practice, practice, and practice.  If you want to be great in public speaking, you need stage time.

I never pass up an opportunity to speak in public.  It may be at my Toastmasters club when they ask if anyone can fill in and do an impromptu speech, or it may only be at a board meeting when I have to address my fellow board of directors.  It may be reading the past minutes from a meeting in a business networking group that I am a member.  This is all stage time.

To be an effective public speaker, you need to be a great communicator.  Hence…stage time, stage time, stage time as fellow Toastmaster Darren tells everyone.

Public Speaking means a variety of things to different people.  You may not have any aspirations to stand up in front of an audience of 1,000 people.  Public Speaking to you may mean teaching a workshop, giving a presentation during a staff meeting in your organization, or standing up in front of your congregation and reading scripture.  This is all public speaking!

Practice, practice, practice and you will see improvement.  But better yet, others will see your improvement.

Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Blog:  http://DGTrainingsolutionsinc.blogspot.com

Meetup:  https://www.meetup.com/DG-Training-Solutions-Professional-Development-Meetup/

Be Like Batman: Be Recognizable

I was at a celebrity autograph convention a few years ago, and was lucky enough to meet Adam West (aka Batman from the 60’s television show).  He was very funny and entertaining while answering the audience questions. When he walked into the room everyone yelled Batman.

A year or so later, I was watching The Big Bang Theory and Adam West was a guest star.  The guys on the show were driving Adam West somewhere when they started to discuss the various actors who have played Batman.  When they asked him what he thought about the actors he replied, “They walk into a room and say:  I am Batman. I never had to do that. I walked into a room and everyone knew I was Batman”.

What happens when you walk into a room? Do people say there’s Denise she does something with training and talks to people or do they say she works with organizations training their employees and teaches workshops to help people grow their skills?  Do people know what you do?  Do you know what you do?  Okay, you know what you do, but do you explain it to the people you meet so they can understand what you do?

If you have more than one business, do you confuse people by giving them too much information about all your businesses and they can’t remember what you do at all? Or do you customize what you say when you meet someone anticipating their needs? When you meet a potential client, only give the information you think they will need or want to hear that is applicable to them.

When we think about Batman, we can visualize what he looks like and what he can do.  Be like Batman, make yourself clear and concise when you are explaining your business and you will be remembered.  “Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane” …okay just kidding!

Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni

Keep Your Audience Talking

I recently did a presentation for a company with twelve people in attendance.  The topic was communication.  While this was a new topic I was presenting, I have been in front of audiences of all sizes for many years and have been able to engage them through questions and examples.

There were only two ladies in the group that would answer the questions I would ask.  A third woman would make negative comments throughout the presentation.  It was a difficult presentation and I struggled to get interaction, which I found surprising.  I would ask a question, wait for a response and not hear a thing.  What really made the whole presentation worse was one evaluation form I received back had a comment that I could not engage the audience!

What!! I wanted to scream when I read this comment later that night.  I did everything but stand on my head to get participation.

An audience that responds to the trainer will gain more from the presentation.  The trainer isn't asking questions to have a break from talking or cannot fill the allotted time.  The trainer wants the audience to be engaged to increase their comprehension of how the information can be used back in their work environment and how their fellow participants are processing the information.

Later that evening I thought about what else I could have done to encourage the rest of the group to participate.  I went through my experience: asking open ended questions, relate the information to their industry, ask how they could apply this information to their positions, give my personal examples, and listen to clues where some of the questions were leading.  Check to all the above, I did these things.

I realized some people will not say anything in a group.  I also realized some people just want to be heard and will try to hijack the presentation from the speaker.  It can be a challenge to find the balance.

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you cannot keep an audience talking.  What other ways do you get an audience to keep talking?


Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni


 

 

 

 

But Why Are You Different?

I attend a lot of networking events.  Some of the networking events and groups I belong to are women only, and some include men.  I have noticed a trend whenever I hear someone give their one-minute commercial (or elevator speech).  Now with complete honestly, I must admit I was also guilty of this until I changed my strategy.

Whether you are giving your one-minute commercial or giving your elevator speech consider this, like myself there are people in attendance who participate in multiple networking events and groups.  Most of us hear the same commercial each time.

Hello my name is (insert name).  I work for (insert company).  If you would ever need (insert service or good they are trying to sell), I would love to meet with you and be of assistance.  Now sometimes the commercial is not verbatim, but close enough to what I just said.

Okay what do you think is wrong with this?  It doesn't stand out and people will not remember it.  I run into many insurance salespeople, financial advisors, and direct sales people all the time.  Explain why you are different from everyone else out there in your industry who is also trying to obtain my business.

I mentioned in the beginning of this blog I was guilty of this myself.  Here is my new commercial:
"Hello everyone.  My name is Denise Galloni and I am the owner and president of DG Training Solutions, Inc. My company will assist your organization in maximizing employee potential through training and development (this is my mission statement I use every time I talk about my company).  I can create a training plan including videos, manuals and on-site employee training.  I can also help your organization with standardization, process improvement or branding.  I work with my clients for 8 hours, 8 days or 8 months, whatever is needed to succeed in their goals.  This will increase your profits and save you money by contracting with me short term rather than bringing a new employee onboard."

Did you see the difference in the scripts?  It may take a few times to really get this to flow when you are introducing yourself, but it is worth the effort to tell everyone why you are different!


Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President
DG Training Solutions, Inc.
Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni
Blog:  http://DGTrainingsolutionsinc.blogspot.com

Am I a Trainer, a Presenter or an Actress?

Besides Trainer, Presenter, or Actress, I can add other labels to the title of this blog.  A Facilitator, Speaker, Teacher….the list can go on and on.

You may be wondering what acting has to do with anything.  Am I acting like I know what I am talking about?  No, that is not what I mean.  When I say I am an actress in front of an audience I mean that I step out of being just Denise to being engaging Denise to my audience.  I learned this many years ago and have always kept this in the back of my mind.

Let me give you an example.  Twenty years ago I was a Tupperware lady.  At this time you had to order Tupperware from a Tupperware representative.  We didn’t have online ordering, probably because we didn’t have online at the time.  There was no website.  I would drive all over and conduct Tupperware parties for my hostesses.  I used to have a great time and lots of fun doing this.  I had a sign on my display that said “I get paid to party at work”.

I noticed when I wasn’t feeling well or in a bad mood the sales of my parties reflected this.  Since I made a percentage on the Tupperware I sold, this was an issue.  It took a few unsuccessful parties before I realized something.  I had a moment of clarity:  the hostess and her friends didn’t care if I was having a bad day, going through a difficult situation or not feeling well.  They were there to have fun, socialize with their friends, and buy Tupperware.

An audience feels the same way.  They want to be engaged.  Think back to the last presentation you sat through and thought to yourself this speaker would rather be anywhere else.  How did you feel as a member of the audience?  You gave up your time and money to be there and the speaker didn’t engage, motivate you, or even want to be there.

I’m an actress in a sense that I perform in front of my audience, classroom, and colleagues.  I’m not over the top with drama or wild with hand gestures.  I am positive, energetic, and engaging.  The audience would never know anything about how my day was going or how I felt.

How do I know this is true?  While giving a speech at my local Toastmaster club, I started to get a migraine.  My migraines cause me to have visual auras which means the room changes colors, flashes of lights (similar to strobe lights), and waves run in front of my eyes.  I kept right on delivering my speech without any reaction even though I could no longer make out the faces of the audience.  When I sat down someone commented that I am always smiling, positive and in a good mood.  They had no idea I was in the middle of a terrible migraine while delivering the speech.

Yes I am a Trainer, a Presenter, and an Actress!

Until the next blog, Keep Speaking!

Denise

Denise Ann Galloni, Owner & President

DG Training Solutions, Inc.

Website:  https://www.DGTrainingsolutionsinc.com

 Email:  dgtrainingsolutionsinc@gmail.com

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/deniseanng

 Facebook:  www.facebook.com/DGTrainingSolutionsInc

 LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/deniseanngalloni