Consumer Critique: Standing Ovation Presentations

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

Public speaking is important in a lot of careers and settings. In her new book, Standing Ovation Presentations, Robyn Hatcher shares a novel formula for mastering public speaking through ActorTypes. She uses her experience as a working actor and script-writer in theatre and TV to helps readers identify their primary communications style, or ActorType. You can then use your ActorType (Hero, Villain, Innocent, Sex Symbol, Curmudgeon, Whiz Kid, Super Hero, Buddy and Comic) to strengthen your public speaking skills.

Also available on SpeakEtc (where you can take a quick quiz to learn your ActorType) are other tools for public speaking improvement: a Vocal Workout CD that features voice training, breathing exercises, pronunciation practices and articulation and intonation drills; a Training and Coaching Workshop for improved presentations, public speaking and communications, and a dynamic and inspirational Keynote Speaker at all conferences or corporate meetings. 

"Public speaking is, simply put, a constant in our everyday lives and it's just not an option to take things for granted,” says Hatcher.  "Whether you're giving the presentation of your career, coaching a soccer team, or running for PTA president – honing your communication skills and playing to your ActorType is your key to success.”

I had a chance to interview Robyn to learn more.

 Why is it important for everyone to improve communication skills?

“The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” Many of us walk around talking without realizing that we may not be communicating or that we may be communicating things that we don’t want communicated. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What you do speaks so loud, I can not hear what you say.” And neuroscience now has the proof to back that up. In other words, your body language, vocal tone and unconscious biases often “communicate” things to your listeners that get in the way of the listener being able to understand or sometimes literally “hear” what you are saying. So if you want to create and/or improve relationships in business and in everyday life, learning how to polish and strengthen your communication skills is essential.

 

How do the ActorTypes fit into Public Speaking?

 

We all have unique communication styles and abilities based on both our nature and our nurture. Our physical stature & vocal timbre is going to evoke certain things in a listener just like the way we choose to dress and the words we chose to use are going to effect how. Some of these things are under our control and some are not. I believe that powerful presenting and communication happens when people know the strengths and weaknesses of their individual communication style and can effectively polish and leverage those strengths and minimize and cover up those weaknesses. And that’s where ActorTypes come in. ActorTypes identify and point out strengths and weaknesses of nine common communication styles. Communications styles we’ve seen our whole lives in movies and TV: The Hero, Buddy, Ingenue, Super Hero, Whiz Kid, Comic, Villain, Supermodel & Curmudgeon.

 

Knowing your Actortype is like getting the correct measurements taken at a tailors or getting an accurate assessment of your finances. Knowing exactly what you’ve got to work with makes it easier for you to improve and create brilliance. One of the most important things to realize about communicating is that listeners are looking for consistency between how you look, how you sound and what you say. When those three are inconsistent people will be less likely to trust or believe you. Knowing your ActorType helps make your presentation more authentic and more engaging to the audience.  Knowing about ActorTypes also gives you choices. During a presentation you might realize that you need to channel your inner Super Hero or tone down your innate Whiz Kid.

 

I do have to make one thing very clear.  Knowing your ActorType does not give you an excuse to hide behind that type and say, “well that’s just the way I am” “I can’t help it.” That’s why I use the term “default” type. You have the power and responsibility to override a default type if it is no longer working for you or if it is ineffective for the type of communication you need to share.

  

Can you give a few tips to giving a stellar presentation?

1. It can take as little as two seconds to make a first impression and 60 to 80% of that first impression is nonverbal. So it’s important to use confident body language. Standing: make sure your feet are hip distance apart, weight slightly forward & evenly distributed on both feet and don’t cover your torso by folding your arms or standing behind a podium.

 

2. The tone and inflection of your voice is the second most important part of your communication. (right behind the visual)  Habits like – Up speaking, - (making everything sound like a question) Drop speaking ( losing energy at the end of the sentence and Whatevering (using a boring sing song rhythm) weaken your message and make you sound less than confident.
 
3. Remember to think about WIIFT (What’s in it for Them) People take action based on logic and emotion. Emotional reasons often tend to have the most impact. Whenever you are trying to engage your listener, try to connect to an emotional need your listener may have and think about what you have to give them and not just what you need from them.

 
Robyn Hatcher is founder and principal of SpeakEtc., a boutique communications company that focuses on presentation training. She is an acclaimed actress, voiceover artist, writer, and expert communications guest for Huffpost Live. She is also a member of the prestigious New York Women in Communications, Inc. (NYWICI), Savor the Success, Step Up Women's Network, Writers Guild of America East, Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity and American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, and was an appointed member and committee chair of Manhattan's Board Five for six years.