'Working Wounded': Giving Good Speech

May 6, 2005 — -- DEAR WOUNDED: I recently read that giving a presentation is at the top of the list of people's fears. Well it is for me and I've got to give one in a couple of weeks. Help!

ANSWER: Whenever I think about giving a presentation I think of the German man who tried to provoke his neighbor's dog so he could report the animal for disturbing the peace. How would he do this? He played a tape of a barking dog to provoke the not barking dog, according to German police.

That man got busted for his provocative actions. However, there is one time where it almost always does pay to be provocative; when you are giving a speech. I've listed a series of ways to provoke your audience right from the start of you talk. For more, check out Mike Caruso's Web site http://EdisonHouse.com.

Do you offer your credentials in the first five minutes? ? Connect with people on a human level by using an "incidental credential." For example, you can say "When I was speaking in London last week I learned …" or "A CEO raised a great question in a speech I did last week in LA …" You establish that you are a speaker who gets around and who talks to the right people, without appearing too egomaniacal.

Do you ask them to do something in the first five minutes? The simple act of answering a question, doing an activity or writing something down sets an important precedent; it primes the pump for actions to follow. So do what you can to get your audience active and involved right from the very start.

Do you teach them something in the first five minutes? When a speaker tells me something I didn't know right from the start he or she often will maintain my interest through their entire speech. Why? Because I don't want to miss the next great fact or story that they may have in their bag of tricks.

Follow these tips and your next presentation won't be a dog.

We'd like to hear your strategy for giving a presentation. I'll give an autographed copy of "Working Wounded: Advice that adds insight to injury" (Warner, 2000) to the best submission. Send your entry, name & address via: http://workingwounded.com or via e-mail: bob@workingwounded.com. Entries must be received by Wednesday (May 4).

Here are the results from a recent workingwounded.com/ABCNEWS.com online ballot:
Which "P" is most important to you at work?

Our winning strategy for being happy at work comes from L.P. in Rochester, N.Y.
"The easiest way to be happy at work is to always have a sense of humor. Of course learning to deal with work and the people you work with this way, took a few years to figure out, in fact approximately 25 years. I've also never been overly worried about what others think of me as long as they respect my work. I keep clear of the gossip mills and away from people who don't have a positive attitude. I've also learned to act professionally towards the people who are miserable, hurtful and are mean spirited. I simply tolerate them but I don't allow them to affect me or my job."

From Fired, Laid Off or Forced Out!

Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. His newest best seller, "GRAY MATTERS: The Workplace Survival Guide" (Wiley, 2004), is a business comic book that trades cynicism for solutions. Ask Bob a question: bob@workingwounded.com or http://graymattersbook.com

ABCNEWS.com publishes a new Working Wounded column every Friday.