Page 171 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

152 • CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

Just before you walk on stage, take deep breaths as if your chest
were a swinging screen door.
The optimal distance between your mouth and most microphones
is 1 inch, but the sound technician will adjust. A panel presentation
may not have the individual microphone setup, so it’s particularly
important to position yourself accordingly.
When you’re on stage or simply in front of people, don’t move about
a lot. Reposition only when movement is in harmony with the verbal
message, and then, slow it down.
People hear based on your words and physical presence more so
than just the words you say.
Make eye contact with individuals one at a time instead of scanning
the crowd. The one-on-one eye contact makes you feel less intimidated.
Remember that today you aren’t speaking to the room but to the
world, so watch what you say on and off the stage. (It could be on the
Internet before your closing comment.)
Use less time than allotted to you. You can always fill in the time with
Q&A. (Don’t cross your arms just before you ask for questions unless
you don’t want to get any.) Do restate the question so that everyone
hears it, but don’t answer to the person who asked it: Answer to
someone else so that you don’t invite a one-on-one conversation feel.
End long before the audience has had its fill.

Whether communicating one on one, to a group, on the phone, or
in the hallway, make it about what you hear instead of what you say.