|
Last month in April 2019, I had the opportunity to be invited and presented the Essex-Kaplan Singapore "Symposium on Play and Pedagogy in Teaching". During the Questions and Answer segment, one of the participants asked, "How do I get the audience to ask questions after a lesson/ lecture?" I had similar experiences earlier in my speaking career. Throughout the years, I tried out many methods. And I realised that the basic way in a presentation is making connection and engagement with the audience. This is because human is a social creature. To answer the question above, one of the ways that could be done is to bring the audience on a journey. Start the session on "Gear One", get the audience slowly warm up, and end the session on a high-note. Once the audience are excited, the barrier to inhibitions are lowered, and audience will start asking questions. cheers
Hazriq Idrus Author, "The Stage Fright Antidote" + 8 other books Connect on: http://linkedin.com/in/hazriq http://facebook.com/hazriq It's always an honour (& grateful + memorable indeed!) to go back to the former organisation we once served and worked at; albeit this time in a different capacity as a speaker to share on the topic "Culture of Creativity: How to Wow & Engage the Clients & Customers." Thank you Bukit Batok Public Library (a branch of National Library Board) for the invitation. It's also nice indeed to reunite with some former colleagues & getting to know the new ones. Keep Moving Forward,
Hazriq Idrus Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd What a final! The Nationals Debate Finals organised by the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM) saw two finalists, Anderson Secondary School pitted against Commonwealth Secpndary School. A tough fight, I should say! In the end, Commonwealth Sec won, kudos to them. Congratulations also goes to Team Anderson Secondary who gave a tough fight in the final! You did the Anderson family and alumni proud, by being in three consecutive finals! Andersonians, the competition might have ended, but, this is the start of your journey! Cherish the learning process, for you will be asked to use those skills in time to come, albeit at a different platform. All in all, thank you, Anderson Sec, for entrusting me to coach the team these past three years and be part of your history. Keep moving forward,
Hazriq Idrus Author, "The Stage Fright Antidote" + 8 other books Connect on: http://linkedin.com/in/hazriq http://facebook.com/hazriq In partnership with Up Your Game (UYG) Personal Development Community, The Speaking Factory had the opportunity to share with the Muslim Kidney Action Association (MKAC) beneficiaries on the topic on "Overcoming Stress using Creativity" on 25 March 2019. For me, I did feel the 'stress' when I was invited to speak and share, especially when I found out that that the audience were going to be retirees. As the session progreesed, I was inspired by their humility, sheer grit and determination to learn. Some even attended after their dialysis session! They were very inquisitive. One of the audience, Mr Aziz, who claimed he's "27" years old (but i'm pretty sure he's 72!), said that "Learning never stops!" I admired them! Really! Keep moving forward,
Hazriq Idrus Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd  2018, what a year it has been! Started out slow, the year moved into fast momentum as the months moved along. In restrospect, here is the summary of my 3 learning points for this year: 1) Speaking professionally - it’s not about getting up the stage, take the mic and say the first thing that comes to your mind. Just like any other profession where learning and training are required to bring out the best in the profession, so do professional speaking. My speaker buddy, Jit Puru, reminded me of such when he made me diligently prepared before I could take the stage in his Ideas and Inspiration, a TED-like talk event. While my slot was slated for 16 October 2018, my mentorship under him started in July 2018! I would always be grateful to Jit for that opportunity to speak and be under his wings. 2) It’s all about giving - I learnt about this many years back, and had the best opportunities to do that when I met with another speaker buddy, Rahul Shah. Through his Up Your Game Personal Development community events, together with other speakers, we gave back to the community - doing what we are best at - speaking! At the various Southeast Asia’s UYG conference platforms, we travelled to Jakarta, Bangkok, Penang, and KL to speak (based on our expertise). And the events were free for the audience, especially suitable for those who would want to learn about personal development but cannot afford the fees. 3) The Power of Social Capital - one of my business mentors, Farid MN (who now runs a fintech firm, Walletku, in Jakarta) never stopped emphasising to me that in business, it is not enough if one has very good products. It is who you know, and more importantly, who knows you that will lead you to business growth. A very simple analogy, you don’t have to offer your services to Person A. Because Person A knows Person B who needs your kind of services, Person A’s recommendations could bring you to clients like Person B. When I applied this mindset in 2018, I pulled off two book projects where I co-authored with various other authors this year, making them my fifth and sixth books under my belt, something I never thought of when I first started in my speaking career. The power of Social Capital. How about you? What are your takeaways from 2018? Towards your continued success, Hazriq Idrus Applied Creativity & Public Speaking Strategist Author of 6 books, including "The Stage Fright Antidote" Hazriq Idrus is a stage actor-turned-professional speaker on Applied Creativity, Creative Leadership and Team Engagements. Using techniques from the theatre, Hazriq delivers keynote talks and training programmes that are interactive and experiential in nature. He founded The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd with a mission to help people and teams innovate and communicate with impact by tapping on their inner creative geniuses. Hazriq is contactable at [email protected].  Were you in the audience? Were you inspired?
I did! I must admit that those few moments before any speech, I still feel butterflies in the stomach. And I remembered what I learnt from theatre, “Do it for the audience. Appreciate their attendance, love them and you’ll be fine!” Such an amazing turnout and appreciative audience last evening. I must thank you, the audience, for being in attendance and being very supportive at the second edition of Ideas and Inspiration event at Lifelong Learning Institute’s Theatre, organised by Jit Puru and Company. For me, it was indeed an honour to be sharing the stage with such wonderful speakers, Peter Morgan, Anji Hallewell, Ori Takemura and Go Ashok Menon. (And I must add that the rehearsals we had before this kept us bonded in the process!) Even while waiting for my turn, I was blown away from the other speakers with their delivery and content (even though I had seen their presentations during rehearsals!), so much so that I took notes! Here are my take-aways from the other speakers: 1st Speaker: Peter Morgan - a retired police commissioner based in Hong Kong. He shared 3 main key points he learnt during his time in the police force: Look and assess situation before you take action and lead Learn to Ask; and you shall receive Leverage on our network while think out of the box to solve problems 2nd Speaker: Anji Hallewell - Mindfulness Coach/ Founder of Hidden Lava. Anji highlighted that life need not be perfect, but it is important to be real. For we can rise to our highest heights if we follow this system: Remember: Your journey and how far you have come Intention: Set it right, set it straight Stabalise: Stay focus and on track Engage: Execute without excuses 4th Speaker: Ori Takemura, founder of an interaction design & game studio QIXEN-P. Ori emphasised that designing success is akin to establishing system and taking repeatable steps. He de-constructed the famous Why-What-How into the following formula: (Why) x (Why) = need two strong whys to push us (internal and external motivations) What = Be clear on the target How = Break it down into small steps and repeat them 5th Speaker: Go Ashokh Menon, a change agent and a certified practitioner & master facilitator of the People Centred Implementation (PCI®) methodology. Ashokh emphasised that Leadership is not titlle, rather it is a moral duty to influence the team members. He recommended the following to achieve positive team outcomes: O: Oneness of workplace environment N: Narrative change from “carrot and stick thinking-system” to ‘focusing on team members’ strengths E: Empathise with team members’ challenges and render assistance proactively And, as the third speaker for the day, here was why I shared what I shared: Along the years, I have seen many great ideas were “shot down” by other people because of their “Yes, But …” responses. “Yes, But” is actually a polite way to telling No to someone, thus halting that someone’s idea to grow. In my message, I recommended the audience to make creativity a culture and to use the ‘Language’ of Creativity every time. The Language I was referring to is using “Yes, And” (instead of “Yes, But”). Because, when we use “Yes, And” as part of the creativity culture, three elements are present: A- Acceptance; Your idea, even how ridiculous it may sound, is accepted with open arms B- Build On; Use the first idea as trigger and build on from it into an even better idea C-Collaboration; In the process, people are more collaborative and cooperative, resulting in less conflict, more positive vibes and makes everyone adaptable to changing situations. Hope this article is useful for you as you value add your life. What do you think? Would love to hear from you. Towards your continued success, Hazriq Idrus Applied Creativity & Public Speaking Strategist Author of 5 books, including "The Stage Fright Antidote" Hazriq Idrus is a professional speaker on Applied Creativity, Creative Leadership and Creative Presentations. Using techniques from the theatre he learnt as a stage actor, Hazriq delivers keynote talks and training programmes that are interactive and experiential in nature. He founded The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd with a mission to help people and teams innovate and communicate with impact by tapping on their inner creative genius. Hazriq is contactable at [email protected].  7 Touch Points to Transform Your Next Presentation into a Performance
If you are running a corporate workshop, doing a business presentation, or sharing an information with the audience, it is key for your presentation memorable; only then the audience will find value to your presentation. To be memorable, your presentation needs to bring the audience into a journey of experiences. Here are 7 Touch-points that you might need to take note of so that you can create an experience for your audience in your presentation: 1) Pre-Presentation Ambience Before the audience arrive, pre-set the room with good lighting and play suitable music to create a nice ambience. Think like a 5-star hotel lobby. 2) Start with simple and good ice-breakers Warm the participants with a story or anecdotes. Human loves to listen to stories. Include simple activities that get the whole room to participate. Simple but good (not the ones that sabotages audience!). Let them loosen up. 3) Make Your Presentation Simple and Easy to Follow You may have all the content, but not everything can be digested in one presentation sitting. Do the audience a favour. Prioritise your contents and present the most important ones first. Don't rattle. 4) Use gestures When we speak to our close friends, we use gestures. It is only natural. Use the appropriate gestures when you present. 5) Maximise The Stage If you have the luxury of a large presentaion space, use them to your advantage. Move across the room deliberately as your present. This creates unconscious engagement with the audience. 6) Use humour or play Use humour where appropriate. This will get the audience to laugh and enjoy your presentation. Alternatively, plant activities that require the audience to play. This in itself could be a humour and triggers enjoyment. 7) Rehearse and obtain feedback Some of my contacts shared with me that they can present well without rehearsals and practise. And I would respond with "You can definitely create a more wonderful presentation for your audience when you rehearse." When you rehearse (and get someone to observe and provide feedback), it gives you the opportunity to improve certain areas of your presentations. This is because, feedback is the breakfast of champions. The ultimate results: The audience benefits from your presentation; and you look good as a presenter. Hope this tips help you as you prepare for your next presentation. Remember, don't make your next presentation just like any other presentation. Transform your presentation into a performance. Towards your continued success, Hazriq Idrus Business Creativity & Speaking Strategist Author of 3 books, including "The Stage Fright Antidote" Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd Tel: (65) 6100 2306 Email: [email protected] Web: www.thespeakingfactory.com Hazriq Idrus is Asia's Trusted Business Creativity and Speaking Strategist. He founded The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd with a mission to empower corporate professionals maximise their potentials and performance at the workplace. Hazriq is also the author of The Stage Fright Antidote and co-authored three other books. If you would like Hazriq to speak at your organisation, or would like to attend Hazriq's executive coaching sessions on presentation skills, please contact (65) 6100 2306 or send an email to [email protected] to check his availability. Occasionally, there will be somebody in the audience who seems to know more than you do - or rather they think they do. This are what I called the "self-proclaimed experts". What can we do to manage these people?
I had my fair share of "self-proclaimed experts" in my workshops. Once in one of my creative problem solving workshops, as soon as I opened the door for the participants to enter, an 50plus year-old man came in. He was one of the first to enter. He went straight to an empty chair and sat down. He looked around the room and started asking me questions. He sounded like an interrogator at first; asking me on my work experiences, how long I have been conducting training and various other kinds of questions. Some tough ones. I chatted with him while providing the answers he asked for. It turned out that he had been in the company for years and would be retiring in a few years' time. That was my cue "win" him over. So here are some tips that you can do if you face audience who are "self-proclaimed experts: 1) Chat and engage small talks with him/ her 2) Find out what are their strengths/ likes etc. 3) Acknowledge and lavishly (and sincerely) praise them on those areas 4) Get them to be on your side 5) Keep the conversations positive and professional throughout More often than not, these steps helped me in managing these situations. And back to the 50plus year-old participant I mentioned earlier, we turned out to be best of buddies during the session. He was very supportive of my presentation, willingly shared his experiences in the company to value-add my points which I shared and willingly offered to volunteer when I needed assistance to do some demonstrations. How about you? Do you face something familiar? Would like to hear from you too. Towards your speaking success, Hazriq Idrus Author, The Stage Fright Antidote! Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltds In any presentation, these 3 elements must exist.:
1) People The presence of people (audience) is an important factor before you go up and give your presentations. If there is no audience, there is no need to even put up a presentation! Having said that, it is important to know who your target audience are. You can use this checklist to help you determine your audience. a) Who are they? eg Working adults/ School kids/ Youths? b) What's in it for them listening to your speech? eg increase wellness, reduce debts c) What is the Call to Action for them after your speech? eg buy your books, enrol in your classes, join your emailing list By knowing who your audience are, it will help you prepare your content. 2) Presenter Once you know who are your target audience, you can then prepare your yourself as a presenter. You will have to decide two main factors - your message & the medium of delivery. You can use this checklist below to help you determine your message and medium: Message: a) Is your message going to inform/ educate/ persuade/ inspire the audience? Medium of delivery: b) Are you using slides/videos/ music/ or just you speaking on stage? 3) Place It is important to to know the location and type of room you are going to present. Knowing the place beforehand helps you to prepare your mind and energy. A big space requires you to exude more energy as compared to a smaller venue. You can use this checklist below to help you determine your presentation venue: - Is the presentation going to take place at the expo/workshop room/ seminar room/ on stage/ lecture hall Prior your next speaking engagements, ensure you have these primary information first. Hope these tips help. Towards a successful communications and creative confidence, Hazriq Idrus Author, The Stage Fright Antidote! Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd  Are you familiar with these?
- 3 Blind Mice - Goldilocks and the 3 Bears - 3 Little Pigs - Charlie's Angels - Bujang Lapok (if you grew up in the 1950s) If you are familiar with them, which I believe most of you are, when was the first time you heard of them? It could be many years down the road! But yet, you can still remember them. Why is this so? If you notice, all of them I mentioned above have a common number - 3! Charlie had 3 Angels; Bujang Lapok (the local version of the Three Stooges) had three characters in the movie; and Goldilocks met with 3 Bears in her journey. Our brains are hardwired to remember the number 3 (or any odd numbers) better, that's why. Since this is a very good method to remember, why not apply it in your presentation? In public speaking, we call it The Power of 3! Plan your presentation in pointers of threes; eg first point, second point and third point. Or Firstly, Secondly, and Lastly. After the presentation, recap with the audience what are the three pointers which you have shared and, better still, engage the audience by asking them what are the three points which you have just shared. Hope you have found the article useful. Do join our email list, if you havent done so, for latest updates and tips on public speaking and creativity. Till then, live fully, love entirely and make a difference in others today. Regards, Hazriq Idrus Author, The Stage Fright Antidote! Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd |
