July/August, 2020  

Speaking Strategies to Create Memorability While Working Remotely

Kay Fittes, August, 2020

A Forbes article cites a survey done by Prezi, the cloud-based presentation platform company, that 70% of employed Americans, who give presentations, agree that presentation skills are critical to their success at work.  Even though employees acknowledge the career boost great speaking skills afford, few love to present.  In fact, the Book of Lists cites fear of public speaking as the #1 fear people have, ahead of snakes, heights, and death!  Perhaps you have developed some skills around speaking but now with department meetings, quarterly meetings and conferences going virtual, you have not translated those skills on to Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other platforms.  Whether you are speaking online from your basement, extra bedroom, or your “real” office, you can translate those skills into a virtual presence.

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Kay’s Consulting Corner

Each month in this section, Kay offers actionable career consulting tips.

Steps to Maximize Your Credibility and Visibility in Online Presentations

1. Up close and personal.  When people are watching your online presentation, they mostly see your upper body.  Make sure there is something visually interesting in your appearance, without being overwhelming.  You may want to opt for solid color clothing, as prints can be distracting.  Your goal is to cut down on distractions.  If your jewelry is too amazing, it takes away from your message.  One other “beware”, showing a great deal of cleavage is certainly distracting and not the online image you want to convey.
   
   
2. One not many.  When giving online presentations, remember to present to one person, not the masses.  It helps to put a photo of a smiling person you know right behind your camera on your laptop.  It is much easier to make eye contact with that photo and be talking directly to that person rather than to imagine one person.  Your audience wants the experience of you talking just to them.
   
   
3. See the real deal.  To break up a monotonous slide show, which is a visual representation of some item or concept, try the real thing.  Let’s say you are a realtor giving a presentation on pitfalls to be aware of when buying your first house.  Normally you might show a photo of a red flag followed by bullets.  Instead try using a mini red flag prop.  Remember, you do need to keep that prop within a tight space on the screen.  Using an actual item can go a long way in putting variety in an online presentation.

Perhaps this issue about online speaking really stirs a desire in you to be a far more dynamic speaker to take your career to the next level.  Don’t try to figure this out all alone, call me at (513) 561-4288 or email me at kay@highheeledsuccess.com.

Client Testimonial – Linnie Kern

Kay Fittes and I initially met when she spoke at eWomen Network.  In November of 2019, I heard her speak at a Women’s Summit.  It was at that event I really felt connected to her.  Though I had taken some classes on public speaking in the past, I lacked confidence and really wanted one-on-one attention.  It was important to assess my current skills and determine what possibilities were open to me.

My goal was to master speaking at a level that would further my career and get more comfortable with speaking.  The experience with Kay was so positive.  I never felt like a fool, she acknowledged my positives and identified my small stumbling blocks to effectiveness.  For example, I don’t enjoy writing, which goes back to my school years when I never was an A+ writer.  To be a great speaker, it’s necessary to write well.  We overcame this hurdle by Kay verbalizing a possible option, I wrote THAT down and then tweaked it with my own words.  That was an easy transition because Kay really “got” what I was trying to say.  Ms. Fittes proved to me that I had more to offer an audience than I had previously believed and that I could say it in a magnetic way.

One of my greatest outcomes is having a structure that I can follow for presentations now and in the future.  I have a red file folder with all my speaking materials that has become my “guide” to all things presentation related.  In One Note I have compiled:  my Bio; my “Mission Monday” talk; my “Team Calls”; my “Story of Potential”; and three versions of my “30 Second Commercial”.

My confidence is so much greater and when this Pandemic is over, I will be ready to roll in a big way!  This coaching has brought clarity to my “voice” and message and enabled my team, customers and colleagues to understand me better.  Through my presentations, people within my company now know who I am and actually know me better.  Plus, internally I have better thoughts in my head, which is where all success starts.

Coaching is such a plus, to any career woman I would say, “Go for it!”  Kay is easy to work with and you are edified and your potential to better is grand.

Linnie Kern
Certified Wellness Educator
Kern and Associates – Shaklee Independent Distributor
https://www.kernandassociates.org/

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High-Heeled Success^® supports Dress for Success through donations of clothing, time and money.  We offer complimentary seats at every workshop for women participating in the Dress for Success program.

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