Shep Hyken: Memorable messages are now more important than ever, especially in today's virtual world. So, what techniques can lead you to the results that you want? Patricia Fripp is one of the world's foremost speech coaches working with executives from the Fortune 100 and the top professional speakers on how to make more powerful presentations, and Patricia joins us now in the studio to talk about how to get amazing results from your next presentation. Welcome to Be Amazing Or Go Home. I've got a number of questions here, and I just want to, first of all, say that, yes, you are the speech coach to the stars, both in the corporate world as well as the professional speaking world. Hall of fame speakers, speakers that have won awards have come to you to get their coaching, so we truly... including myself, by the way. I'm a proud client. I hope I've done you good service in all of this, but what... I guess let's start with this. Why are good presentation skills so important to business? Patricia Fripp:Leaders need to inspire action and commitment in their associates, their partners, their customers, and shareholders. That means they need to use powerful, reassuring words. I grew up listening to stories from my parents, tell me how Winston Churchill would get on the radio, and with the power of his words, people would fight in the street and feel inspired in the worst of times. He didn't have a PowerPoint. He used his words. Powerful words from well-intentioned leaders can change the whole feel of a company. Shep Hyken:So if you had a secret to share with somebody giving a presentation, any type of a speech, maybe it's an executive, what would that be? Patricia Fripp: Focus on who is the audience. For example, if an executive said, "Our new strategy will help the shareholder value," that's great if you're talking to the board of directors or shareholders. Unless your associates are shareholders, that isn't the right message. You need to adapt the message in that case to say, "With our new strategy, we'll increase sales. That means more job security." Same message to different audiences have to focus on who is the audience and why would they care. Shep Hyken:So the key is to know the audience, and I think perhaps the best way to go about that is to ask, do the research. How do you go about that? Patricia Fripp: It's not that complicated. If you are speaking at a conference and there were different disciplines and industries, at least some of your talking points has to allude to the different industries. If it is an executive, then... with my executive clients, I always make sure, who are some of the unsung, everyday heroes that you are going to include in your presentation? Shep Hyken:Let's talk about stories. Something you're very famous for, telling stories, creating stories, helping speakers write their stories. Is there any tips you can share with us about how to be a better storyteller in business? Patricia Fripp: Yes. With executives, I'm always trying to find the moments in their earlier lives that can tie to their messages. For example, with one executive, he was talking about the importance of strategy, and I said, "Bernard, when did you realize the importance of strategy?" He said, "I was a 14-year-old ball boy before the French Open, and people came in to see the match." Yes, and they didn't realize that they were going to have to watch a match of the ball boys first. He said, "I was playing against my best friend. We were equally matched in talent and experience. However, their ball boy was his friend's sister who wanted her brother to win. So she was trying to sabotage me. She threw the balls." Shep Hyken: Now, that's good strategy. Patricia Fripp: Yeah. Yes. Bernard said, "I was playing against equally matched talent, and I was at a disadvantage. That is when I realized the importance of strategy." All executives say, and I know they say to you, "Do people really want to hear these simple stories?" Yes, because we will fight in the street for the person. You respect the position. We like to hear what the characters say. So you deliver the dialogue rather than report on the dialogue. So, for example, the sales manager can say, "I was talking to Shep, and he said, 'John, I couldn't be more pleased with your customer service because,'" rather than, "I was talking to Shep, and he was happy with our service." Deliver the dialogue. Nothing will position you ahead of the crowd as much as being a powerful, persuasive presenter. Fripp VT as in Fripp Virtual Training. http:/frippvt.com
FrippVT.com can help you become a great speaker easily, conveniently & quickly. Sales presentation skills expert Patricia Fripp shares her techniques on how you can drive more sales by perfecting your sales conversations and presentations.
Memorable messages are now more important than ever,
especially in today's virtual world.
So what techniques can lead you
to the results that you want?
Patricia Fripp is one of the world's foremost speech coaches
working with executives from the Fortune 100
and the top professional speakers
on how to make more powerful presentations.
And Patricia joins us now in the studio
to talk about how to get amazing results
from your next presentation.
Welcome to Be Amazing or Go Home.
I'm always amazing when I'm with you.
Well, thank you.
So I've got a number of questions here.
And I just want to, first of all, say that, yes,
you are the speech coach to the stars,
both in the corporate world
as well as the professional speaking world.
Hall of Fame speakers, speakers that have won awards
have come to you to get their coaching.
So we truly, including myself, by the way,
I'm a proud client.
I hope I've done you good service and all of this.
And I guess let's start with this.
Why are good presentation skills so important to business?
Leaders need to inspire action and commitment
in their associates, their partners,
their customers, and shareholders.
And that means they need to use powerful, reassuring words.
I grew up listening to stories from my parents
tell me how Winston Churchill would get on the radio
and with the power of his words,
people would fight in the street
and feel inspired in the worst of times.
He didn't have a PowerPoint.
He used his words.
And powerful words from well-intentioned leaders
can change the whole feel of a company.
So if you had a secret to share
with somebody giving a presentation,
any type of a speech, maybe it's an executive,
what would that be?
Focus on who is the audience.
For example, if an executive said,
our new strategy will help the shareholder value,
that's great if you're talking
to the board of directors or shareholders.
Unless your associates are shareholders,
that isn't the right message.
You need to adapt the message in that case
to say with our new strategy, we'll increase sales.
That means more job security.
Same message to different audiences,
have to focus on who is the audience
and why would they care?
So the key is to know the audience
and I think perhaps the best way to go about that
is to ask, do the research, how do you go about that?
It's not that complicated.
If you are speaking at a conference
and there are different disciplines and industries,
at least some of your talking points
has to allude to the different industries.
If it is an executive, then with my executive clients,
I always make sure who are some
of the unsung everyday heroes
that you are going to include in your presentation?
So connect with the audience,
include people from the audience in your presentation.
That's gonna draw everybody a little bit closer together
but I think the key is to ask.
I know when I get ready to do a presentation,
I send out a pre-programmed questionnaire
and I ask, who is in the audience?
What are their positions?
I ask, what are their biggest concerns?
I wanna know, is there anything I need to stay away from?
Don't wanna make that mistake
because that could blow everything.
All right, let's talk about stories,
something you're very famous for,
telling stories, creating stories,
helping speakers write their stories.
Is there any tips you can share with us
about how to be a better storyteller in business?
Yes, with executives, I'm always trying to find
the moments in their earlier lives
that can tie to their messages.
For example, with one executive,
he was talking about the importance of strategy
and I said, Bernard, when did you realize
the importance of strategy?
And he said, I was a 14-year-old ball boy
before the French Open and people came in to see the match.
To the tennis French Open.
Yes, and they didn't realize that they were gonna have
to watch a match of the ball boys first.
And he said, I was playing against my best friend.
We were equally matched in talent and experience.
However, their ball boy was his friend's sister
who wanted her brother to win so she was trying
to sabotage the way she threw the balls.
Now that's good strategy.
Yes, and Bernard said, I was playing against
equally matched talent and I was at a disadvantage.
That is when I realized the importance of strategy.
And all executives say, and I know they say to you,
do people really wanna hear these simple stories?
Yes, because we will fight in the street for the person.
You respect the position.
So these personal stories, but stories are about people
and we like to hear what the characters say.
So you deliver the dialogue rather than report
on the dialogue.
So for example, the sales manager can say,
I was talking to Shep and he said, John,
I couldn't be more pleased with your customer service
because rather than I was talking to Shep
and he was happy with our service.
Deliver the dialogue.
Tell the story, use the dialogue.
So I know we're running out of time,
but I just wanna know, are there some major mistakes
that people make when they're giving presentations?
The major mistakes that I see mostly
are one, waiting to the last minute.
Two, focusing too much on slides rather than
what is the message I wanna get across
and what is the best way to say it.
And then thinking, once they've got the slides
and the outline, they're done.
No, they're halfway done.
As Michael Caine said, rehearsal is the work,
performance is the relaxation.
So when you've got your presentation,
now you have to get it in your body
so your words fall flawlessly from your lips.
When you coached me on a presentation,
I had five points I wanted to make.
And you said you need to learn those five points
so well that you could do them forwards, backwards,
mix them up in any order.
And when you can do that, then you can go on stage
and do it comfortably.
You are known for a famous phrase.
What is that phrase?
Share with our viewers.
Specificity builds credibility.
And the number one question I ask all my clients is,
if it weren't a thing, what would it be?
And I often hear, innovative upgrades, new strategy.
It's never a thing.
Yeah, and even numbers.
It's like a bunch of, well, give me the exact numbers.
Yes, a bunch is for fruits and vegetables.
All right, my final question.
One last nugget you wanna share with this audience.
What would it be?
Nothing will position you ahead of the crowd
as much as being a powerful, persuasive presenter.
Wow, all right.
Patricia Fripp, the famous one.
And I just wanna say that you are wonderful
to work with one-on-one,
but you also have an amazing online program.
And I'm just gonna throw this out there.
You weren't expecting me to do it,
but anybody that is interested in learning
about how to be a better speaker, go to Fripp On Demand.
Yes?
FrippVT.
FrippVT is in virtual training.
Virtual training.
Virtual training, FrippVT.com.
Learn about Patricia there.
And thank you so much for sharing your wisdom
on our show today.
My pleasure.
