Presentations in Action - Jerry Weissman [57]
Interaction. Oprah listens carefully to her guests and responds warmly to their stories. The TV listings called Larry King “avuncular,” which described his affability but set him apart from his guests. The comedians who go for the laughs widen that gap.
Eye contact. Oprah spends most of her air time engaged directly with her guests, making eye contact. Her counterparts, because of their performance orientation, play to their studio audience or to the camera and, therefore, to the vast unseen universe of viewers, appearing glib but impersonal. Larry King was the one exception among the others; he spent most of his air time in eye contact with his guests. Eye contact creates sincerity; sincerity generates empathy.
Setting. Oprah sits on a comfortable upholstered chair facing her guests, with nothing but air between them. Most other talk show hosts, including Larry King, sit behind a desk, the perennial standard of talk show decor. A desk on a talk show is the equivalent of a lectern in a speech: a barrier that diminishes empathy.
Posture. Oprah sits relaxed and open in her chair. The desks force the other talk show hosts to either sit up ramrod straight or slouch on the desktop.
Gestures. Oprah rarely uses props, leaving her hands free to gesture expressively and expansively. Other talk show hosts handle coffee cups, pencils, pens, index cards, and photographs, which often lead to distracting mannerisms.
Smiles. Many of Oprah’s guests are the recipients of her generosity or the generosity of her sponsors. These “makeover” episodes produce smiles from the guests and Oprah smiles along empathically, radiating warmth both ways. Most of the other talk show hosts, observing the venerable show business rule of never laughing at one’s own jokes, play deadpan (except for Jon Stewart, who, as an actor and a comedian, is a man of many funny faces).
To paraphrase Stephen Covey, Oprah demonstrates seven habits of a highly effective person—and a television superstar. To apply Oprah’s seven habits to your presentations:
Be conversational. Follow the advice you’ve read several times throughout this book: Treat every presentation as a series of person-to-person conversations.
Interact. Read your audience as your presentation progresses, and be prepared to pause and adjust your content to keep them engaged. If you see disengagement or doubt, explain what you are saying or ask whether there is a question.
Make eye contact. As you proceed with your person-to-person conversations, look at each person until you see him or her look back at you.
Present seated. As you read in Chapter 52, “Presentation Advice from Titian,” present at eye level whenever you can, depending on the size of the audience and the sight lines. Being at eye level creates empathy and re-creates the conversational setting. A general rule of thumb for presenting seated or standing is ten people: You can usually see every person in a seated group of nine; more than that requires you to stand to be able to make eye contact with everyone.
Posture. Whether you present seated or standing, be sure that your posture is straight. One way to check is to try to make your shoulder blades touch several times during your presentation. This simple technique will elevate your head and chin and make you appear poised. Try it and feel it.
Gesture. Use gestures to illustrate your words, but don’t choreograph them. Do what comes naturally.
Smile. “When You’re Smiling, the Whole World Smiles with You” is an old song (F77.1) recorded first by Louis Armstrong in 1929 and since then by countless other singers. The lyrics are just as applicable today because they identify empathy, the science behind Ms. Winfrey’s