The Working Week 14: Janet Howd
This week, Wayne explores the secrets of delivering a good presentation with professional singer, actress and vocal instructor, Janet Howd.
Janet has worked extensively in theatre in the UK and has created leading roles in London, at the Edinburgh festival and for the BBC. Her ideas on voice and presentational teaching have been successfully applied in situations ranging from small group work in small rooms to large gatherings in vast auditoriums.
Janet Howd is the founding director of The Voice Practice and author of Breath of Life or Kiss of Death: Your Voice and Your Presentation.
00:54 - New research shows that many businesses are not measuring whether their training and development delivers any return on investment. As Wayne points out, what is the point of training and development if you cannot measure its effectiveness?
01:14 - According to research by Cranfield School of Management, eight out of ten British employers are now struggling to fill job vacancies with the shortages being especially acute in engineering and computing firms.
02:14 - Finally Wayne wonders whether you listening to this podcast whilst dining “al desko” – a new term to throw into those games of buzzword bingo highlighted in a blog by Bryan Alaspa.
04:19 – Kicking off their conversation, Janet Howd, stresses that the most important thing for a presenter is to think abut their audience. “What would I feel like if I was sitting in the audience having to listen to myself”? asks Janet. It’s a good tactic.
05:45 - It’s a situation where you are completely isolated. Even great actors will say that the most worrying thing is to stand up and have to be themselves.
07:03 – Wayne asks what are some of the things that business presenters can do to show empathy and limit barriers with the audience?
08:01 - Have questions that you can ask an audience. This tactic releases tension in the audience. Make a sound that is different to the sounds in the room. This helps everyone to feel more comfortable. Janet provides some examples
10:46 - People expect that if you have the authority to speak people will expect something a little bit heroic, even magical.
12:27 - Another piece of advice from Janet is that you have to stand up as tall as you can. Stand comfortably with your knees a bit slack. Imagine yourself in front of the best group of friends that you’ve got.
12:24 - Finally, Wayne asks about sit down presentations. Janet responds. If you are at a table – you need to sit taller. Think of the phrase “sit up and take notice.” If you are slouched over your notes, your voice will simply go into the table.
