Championship Communication: Bates reveals tricks of the speaking trade in new book
Personality, principles and passion - mixed with large doses of preparation and practice. The result? A winning formula for great leaders and their speeches, says Suzanne Bates, Wellesley resident and author of "Speak Like a CEO." Whether you're the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a middle-level manager, or someone looking to fill any leadership role, the strategies outlined in her book can work for you. "There's no such thing as a natural speaker," explained Bates.
Foremost, a good speech should always reflect the authenticity and uniqueness of the speaker. Your personality, interests and personal style must shine through to connect with the audience and convince them to listen to your message. "You've got to be talking about the things that really matter to you," said Bates. You can learn the speaking techniques, "but you have to know who you are." An authentic leader is "someone who is as he or she appears to be." Personal stories and anecdotes will help the audience get to know you. The audience "will remember the stories. The beauty of the story is that if you remember the story you'll remember the point of the story." Humor is also a must: it relaxes the audience and allows them to see you as a real person.
The question to ask, before getting started, said Bates, is "What do you stand for?" You have a set of beliefs or values that should drive your speech. People "want to know someone is leading from a core set of beliefs." Bates mentioned George Bush, Mitt Romney and Colin Powell as examples of people who speak from their core [values]. She added that while you may not agree with them, you know what they stand for. Effective leaders also reflect the vision of their organization in their speeches. Employees and customers are energized when the CEO projects optimism and hope, along with a dose of realism. "Audiences want a leader to be more than a good speaker: they want a leader to tell them the truth, no matter what."
"Good speaking skills aren't in your blood; they're in your preparation," said Bates. One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is the assumption that they can avoid preparation and "wing" presentations, speeches, interviews and Q&A sessions. The results are usually disorganized and lack focus, often annoying the audience. "At the CEO level, clarity is king," she said.
"Not answering the questions" or "blowing the easy questions" are also pitfalls for the unprepared, according to Bates. The biggest mistake politicians and CEOs make in Q&A sessions is "when things aren't going well, they get scared of the answers." She continued, "A CEO or anybody leading anything [should] sit down and think about the questions" that might be asked after a speech or in an interview. "Learning to think like your toughest critics and most hard-nosed skeptics" will help you anticipate most of the questions.
Audiences hate long speeches - people have short attention spans. In most cases, a speech should not be longer than 20 minutes. You "need to say things in a concise, compelling way. You have but a few minutes to win over an audience," commented Bates. "Always quit while you're ahead. There are few things more annoying than a speaker who doesn't know when to sit down. A presentation is a 'present' to the audience - it's not about you."
Good speeches require practice. "Practice not only helps you perform better but also reduces anxiety because you are confident and prepared," Bates said. Rather than memorize a speech, internalize the key points. "Great speakers who look as if they are speaking off-the-cuff usually have practiced the main parts of their talk. Practice helps you make your points clearly and helps you avoid being too wordy or meandering. Toastmasters [and other speaking groups] are great ways to get up there and start speaking - experience and practice are the key. Prepare, prepare, prepare!"
"Speaking like a CEO is really all about projecting a set of qualities and doing it your way," concluded Bates. "You connect with people because you embody the qualities they want in a leader and they believe you are the real thing. Leading is all about communicating. The leader's job is generally not to do; it is to communicate what is to be done. You are the message and the message is you."
In TV broadcasting for 20 years, Bates interviewed more than ten thousand business leaders, politicians and celebrities. For them, "every day is in the spotlight" and some handled it better than others. Seeing a business opportunity and believing that "everyone should reinvent themselves at least once in their lives," Bates left broadcasting in 2000 to write a book and start her own executive coaching and consultation firm, Bates Communications, Inc. Launching her business right before 9-11 and the recession was tough, but she said it was good to start "in a down turn because you take nothing for granted."
Her company, based in Wellesley, includes two other consultants and provides executive coaching for clients worldwide.
Information on the book is available at www.speaklikeaceo.com.
Bates will be doing a book signing April 30 from 1-3 p.m. at the Wellesley Booksmith on Central Street.
The Eight Secrets of Successful Speaking: What CEOs and Leaders Know
- Talk about big ideas
- Speak in the moment
- Keep it simple
- Be a straight shooter
- Be an optimist
- Focus on the future
- Be real
- Stand for something