It’s been an interesting experience watching the Democratic National Convention over the last couple of evenings from the perspective of a speaking coach and trainer. The first night, I was impressed by 3 speakers in particular:

1. Maya Soetero-Ng, Barack Obama’s half sister.
2. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Illinois
3. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts

1) Maya Soetero-Ng seemed very relaxed and expressive, which was remarkable from a Honolulu high school history teacher speaking on a national stage with millions of people watching. Her deep, strong voice projected well without her having to shout, as many speakers had to do to be heard over the noise of the crowd.

She used pause well and looked directly into the camera so the viewer felt that she was speaking to them directly and personally. She offered personal stories about her brother and the role he played in her life, helping the audience make a connection with Obama.

2) Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., a real high note during the first evening of the convention, has a square jaw and a confident demeanor rich in gravitas. He exhibited a strong, resonant voice and a compelling speaking style.

Though less showy than his father’s rhyming Southern Preacher style, he clearly learned the lessons of driving rhythms and cadence. He reminded me more of Muhammed Ali than his father, in terms of rhythm and emphasis. His pace of delivery was a major strong point in his style. He used silence and pause to great effect.

He opened strongly with a reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech (“I am sure that Dr. King is looking down on us here in Denver noting this is the first political convention in history to take place within sight of a mountain top.”) which reminded the audience of the historical significance of the first African American man to run for president. That opening was followed by a raucous ovation from the DNC audience.

His references to “Lexington and Concord … Appomattox … Selma, Alabama” provided further historical references to demonstrate our progress as a nation and remind us of the consistently satisfying rhythm of phrases true to the Rule of Three.

He used emphatic gesture well at 5 minutes and 5 seconds on the phrase, “… we all have a stake in each other.”

He also looked directly into the camera at times. He clearly stirred the audience and received several ovations.

He returned to his opening theme effectively with “Let freedom ring … never rung from a higher mountain top …” - a powerful conclusion that prompted a standing ovation from the audience.

3) I was quite moved by the segment focused on Ted Kennedy who closed the evening and was moved again reviewing it for this blog.

The introductory speech from Caroline Kennedy, was strong in content but was not well-served by her lackluster, low-energy style. She does get points for her warm and charming smile.

The video tribute to Ted Kennedy directed by Ken Burns was beautifully crafted with a subtle but palpable emotional punch and moved me to tears thinking of the profound legacy of the Kennedy family.

Finally, Ted Kennedy’s feisty and warm speech added even more emotional impact thinking of his long service as a Senator and a leader in the senate and ESPECIALLY in light of his recent surgery for brain cancer. In fact, I was told that he was in the hospital with kidney stones before his speech and was transported via ambulance to the convention site in Denver. Which would explain why Maria Shriver can be seen wiping away a tear during his speech. That’s dedication!

The video is well worth watching and reminds me of the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi who said, “If you want something really important to be done you must not merely satisfy the reason, you must move the heart also.”

Imagine a classroom, then imagine thirty children sitting still and quiet. Imagine these children imagining loving kindness on the playground. The peaceful ring of a Tibetan singing bowl – no shouting, no laughing, no airborne paper objects. In a New York Times article by Patricia Leigh Brown, she explains the unlikely practice of mindful awareness being practiced by kids in an Oakland school. For this practice, a coach visits the school bi-weekly to lead fifteen-minute sessions on how to have "gentle breaths and still bodies."

While a fairly new concept in schools, the practice of mindfulness has been used widely and successfully in hospitals and businesses, sports teams and even in prisons. In the article, the principal of Piedmont says, "If we can help children slow down and think, they have the answers within themselves."

Another very handy place to use this technique is in the practice of presentations. It’s all very well to be prepared, but if something goes awry (a cell phone rings, the wrong slide pops up), it’s easy to panic. Anxiety, and stress = sweaty palms, physical tremors, accelerated heart rate and more. When this happens, we begin to focus on the feeling of anxiety and not what’s happened to interrupt the presentation. This self-misguided focus exacerbates the problem as we berate ourselves inside, then wish we could just disappear completely.

Instead of all this panic, we need to develop a mind that’s still and settled ,so that we can think clearly and communicate effectively. Think of the mind as a pond – a still, quiet pond. Then suddenly a rock plops into the pond and breaks up the calm, still surface. In response to this, in our panic and frustration, we hurl a handful of pebbles into the pond and shout, "Hey, you stupid pond! Settle down!"

We can keep going on this frustrating cycle of thought and stress and continue on, taking it further, thus spiraling downward into deeper and deeper levels of Hell. Or we can follow a simpler, better way of handling things. A five-step process known as mindfulness:

1) Be Aware. You become aware there’s a problem (that annoying cell phone, etc.)

2) Practice Stillness and Silence. Stop moving and speaking. DON’T comment on what’s happening with inane remarks like, "Whoops – What was I saying? No laughing or face-making. Just be still and silent. This takes discipline and practice but will pay off. The audience won’t pay much attention to that cell phone ring if you appear poised.

3) Remember to Breathe. In moments of stress, a typical human reaction is tension and shallow breathing. Our brain is the body part which depends most on a constant fresh supply oxygen so if you’re not breathing correctly, your thinking will suffer and you’ll make poor decisions.

4) Think. Ask yourself, "How can I recover from this without making it seem important? Without the audience knowing this wasn’t in the script?" Even better, ask, "How can I turn this into an opportunity?" Often the best moments in presentations happen as a result of a creative recovery from a mistake or interruption.

5) Speak. (After you’ve made a rational decision about how to proceed.) Go ahead; now that you’ve recovered in a mindful way, give it your best, and much-improved, shot.

More on The Path to Presentation Peace: Mindfulness and Stillness

A powerful example of how well-chosen language has the power to move people to act. 

This one is a message I could not pass up. It reminds me of the classic "Cinema Paradiso" in some way (turn on speakers if you have them). 

HISTORIA-DE-UN-LETRERO-THE-STORY

Fourth annual Short Film Online Competition - Cannes 2008. The NFB, in association with the Cannes Short Film Corner and partner YouTube, is proud to announce that the winner of the NFB Online Competition Cannes 2008 is Alonso Alvarez Barreda for his short film Historia de un Letrero (The Story of a Sign) produced in Mexico/U.S.A.

Director : Alonso Alvarez Barreda
Running Time : 04:50
Year : 2007
Country : Mexico/ U.S.A
Category : Short film

With a stroke of the pen, a stranger transforms the afternoon for another man in this emotionally stirring short film by Alonso Alvarez.

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Editor's Note: This is guest post from Jonathan Bernstein of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc.

In Keeping the Wolves at Bay: A Media Training Manual, I have a section called "Attitude is Everything." It explains the importance of non-verbal communication in ensuring that your audiences receive your messages effectively.

Since the last draft of that publication, I've started to emphasize this point even more strongly while media training my clients. I was taught, back when we all still used typewriters to compose a document, that up to 80 percent of communication was non-verbal - voice tone/quality, body language, etc. While there are differing opinions on that statistic, I believe that non-verbal communication plays a particularly important role in how an individual's character is assessed by observers.

Digging further, I even found an incredibly useful and insightful publication, The Nonverbal Dictionary, with definitions available online.

How does this relate to media interviews or public presentations during times of crisis, where spoken message delivery becomes so critical to the welfare of the organization or individual in crisis? I came up with a simple way to remember the non-verbal attitude which should accompany the spoken message.

The Three C's of Credibility

During a crisis, effective spokespersons must, primarily through their non-verbal cues, leave their audiences with the impression that they are:

Compassionate…Competent…and Confident

Think "Rudy Giuliani" on and after 9-11. It was his attitude, his non-verbal cues, which gave his audiences comfort. If he had delivered the same messages in a stereotypical governmental manner, the amount of fear and anxiety felt by listeners would have been dramatically higher. Instead, what they clearly felt, for the most part, was "However horrible this situation is, Mayor Giuliani is going to get us through it, he's doing the right thing, in the right way." He actually delivered little substance, initially, because so little was known. But he won over his audience (not to mention laying the groundwork for his future ventures).

If stakeholders perceive you as Compassionate, Competent and Confident, they are far more likely to believe your messages. In fact, if you're really good at projecting the "Three C's," you can get away with some messaging errors and still win over your audience.

For more from guest author Jonathan Bernstein, read his Internet Newsletter, Crisis Manager.

In the event of a crisis or a disaster, and if you happen to be the manager of a company facing that crisis or disaster, it’s best to be mentally prepared. Crises can happen any time. Just like they can in our personal lives. And like our own individual preparedness for disaster, a good manager should be prepared to handle an internal or external crisis effectively. To help counter the bad taste a mistake or disaster may leave in the mouths of clients, the best approach for dealing with the situation is to explain things calmly and with authenticity.

When a mine owned by Murray Energy Corporation collapsed, CEO Robert Murray rushed to a private jet to the scene as soon as he heard of the collapse, appearing at the disaster within hours. He took command of the rescue operation. He provided the media with constant updates. He responded to the crisis with excellent textbook public relations. The presence of the concerned CEO at the scene has been crucial ever since the Valdez , Alaska oil spill in1989 – one of history’s worst environmental disasters — when Exxon’s CEO took far too long to appear on the scene, thereby intensifying public anger at the company.

So Murray was ahead of the game and ready for the next step when he appeared at the site of the mine collapse. But soon after, his crisis communication broke down. He denounced the media and blamed union organizers for suggesting that the dangerous practice of "retreat mining" had led to the collapse. He erroneously blamed an earthquake (tremors actually caused by the mine collapse) and blasted environmentalists for their crusade against global warming, calling it an affront to the coal industry and to the American economy. Suddenly, although he was physically there, he didn’t appear "there" for the trapped miners or their families. Then, after three rescuers were killed in a cave-in, he seemingly disappeared from the scene altogether.

Despite all these negatives, Murray ’s actions were noted in a positive vein by one writer who described his candor and refreshing authenticity. In Shades of Gray, a public relations blog by David Murray (no relation), he writes that "Despite [ Murray ’s] occasional moments of near-insanity, I suspect he’s better liked by the general public than he would be if he’d gone by the crisis communication book." Because of his authentic approach.

The Murray example shows that, in times of crisis, spokespeople (especially CEOs) should trust in the redeeming power of honesty and authenticity in the actions they take. The public will immediately empathize with the leader who bravely steps up and takes charge at the scene of a disaster. Those waiting for action and a solution will feel cared for and relieved. Forgiveness for the leader’s other faults will come naturally and readily toward that person as long as they feel the spokesperson is being truthful.

More on Authenticity in the Face of Crisis: Business Management

When you think audience energy might be flagging, or if you wish to orchestrate a collective experience, ask questions which require a physical response. Physical responses have maximum impact.

A collective expression of audience viewpoint builds rapport, makes the experience more memorable and paves the way for higher receptivity to your message.

What do you do if and when the audience questions you?

First of all, a question indicates that at least someone in the audience is interested in your subject, so – embrace it.

1. Show respect for the question and the questioner. Step in toward the questioner and smile receptively.
2. Pause before answering.
3. Repeat the question, in your own words, to make sure you understand it correctly.
4. Maintain dual eye contact – balancing eye contact with the questioner and with the rest of the audience.
5. Answer the question, then confirm with, "Have I answered your question?"

When we connect with something, we bind it to us. Before you start feeding information to your audience, take in some information from them. They are always talking to you – non-verbally. Ask them questions and involve them in the process. Really listen to their questions; paraphrase them for understanding.

To influence an audience, thereby getting your message to them, they must trust you. We all tend to trust people we feel connected to. In your presentations, create a sense of shared experience with your audience, so you’ll both get something out of it.

Also see Connect Through Questions: An Overview Strategy >>

I recently came across an interesting article in Fortune magazine where they interviewed 25 accomplished people asking them what was the best piece of advice they ever received. These people ranged from CEO’s, to mayors, to members of the military. Several I found unenlightening, reiterating the “just do it” attitude. However, a few stuck with me.

One of the pieces of advice came from Indra Nooyi, the CEO of Pepsico. Her father taught her to always assume positive intent from strangers. As she summarized:

"When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response. You don’t get defensive. You don’t scream. You are trying to understand and listen because at your basic core you are saying, “Maybe they are saying something to me that I’m not hearing."

This is a great piece of advice. If we assume that people are trying to help us (which is 95% of the time), we will be more receptive to feedback and their unique point of view. This is true of business and presentations as well as our personal life.

Since feedback is the primary tool we use to help bring more awareness to our dialogue, it always important to be grateful when people give us feedback. This is often difficult: our natural response when we hear criticism is to go on the defensive. However, if we approach the situation assuming that the person criticizing us is doing so to try and help us, then it becomes much easier to see their point of view. Always work to accept the feedback as possibly correct. Use the 1% rule: assume that all of the feedback is at least partially true, at least 1%.

More on Great Advice on Business Relationships