Messages That Move People: Three Ways That Public Speaking & Presentation Skills Can Grow Your Practice or Advance Your Skills as a Dental Professional

Episode #583 with Katherine Eitel Belt

Anyone can become a better speaker — and everyone should! Public speaking is one of the most important skills you can have, especially as a business owner. To help you go from an average to fantastic speaker, Kirk Behrendt brings in Katherine Eitel Belt, founder of LionSpeak, with tips to speak better, present better, and improve how you communicate with your audience. To learn how to present messages that move people, listen to Episode 583 of The Best Practices Show!

Episode Resources:

• LionSpeak: https://www.lionspeak.net
• LionSpeak Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionSpeak.net
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Links Mentioned in This Episode:

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Main Takeaways:

It matters that your message is clear.

Clarify your message in an inspirational way.

Be aware of your body language when presenting.

Learn the difference between a framework and a script.

Understand why public speaking is an important business skill.

Master the four-step “bookshelf framework” for clarity and memorability.

Use storytelling/story selling to communicate what you want your audience to know.

Quotes:

“Here’s the reality. Scripts work when people follow them. But they tend to be complicated. They tend to be, ‘Here is the step by step by step,’ and nobody can remember a hundred steps when the phones are ringing, and people are coming in and out. And it doesn't feel authentic because they didn't craft it. But one thing scripts did, whether it’s speaking from the platform or whether it’s on the phone, one thing scripts gave us was consistency of message if people followed it. And so, I like that. As a business owner, I don't want you to call my office and talk to Kelly and get one experience or one set of information, and then call and talk to Stacey and get something completely different. As a businesswoman, I want consistency of brand, of message, of information. But if we only look at scripting to give us consistency, we lose authenticity, that feeling that I'm actually talking to a human being who’s present in this moment, who is really getting me. But if we only follow on authenticity, then the conversations go wacky and wonky.” (5:43—7:00)

“I think a lot of people would never aspire to be a public speaker. And maybe they never will. But Warren Buffett said, someone asked him, ‘If you had to narrow it down to one professional skill that you think is essential to people being successful in business, what is it?’ And he said public speaking. Think about an owner of a practice. Whether it’s a solo practice or a large group or a DSO company, as an owner, our main job, in my opinion, is to make sure there's never a day that the people who work for me aren't clear on what we’re creating. And because of that, there's never a day where they're not clear what they should be focusing on to help us achieve that future vision. And so, the ability of an owner to stand up before a team and clarify where we’re going, why we’re going there, and what it’s going to take, and simultaneously do it in a way that inspires their team to want to get on board is a very, very important business skill, and I would say lucrative skill, for the owners that know how to do that.” (8:29—9:45)

“All communicators, we have two things we’re trying to create with patients, with team, with the public, with our families. That is clarity. Every time we speak, we’re hoping we’re creating clarity versus confusion. We’re also hoping that we can create that clarity in an inspirational way. In other words, people leave a conversation from me, and they're not confused about what I'm asking for. They’re super clear, but they're also inspired to take a step toward what I'm requesting. And if we can do both of those, we are an excellent communicator.” (9:45—10:20)

“If you're a hygienist, a dental assistant, or an administrator, and if you have any desire to advance your career in terms of your salary or in terms of your position, then the ability for you to clarify your message and inspire a team is an essential skill to be at the front of the line for that promotion and at the front of the line for salary increases. It’s a skill that owners and managers long for and they're willing to pay for. And they notice the people at a team meeting that are able to stand up, make their case for what they're wanting to say, and do it in a way that brings people together and doesn't drive them apart. That skill is something we all want, and we notice it in our employees.” (11:07—11:56)

“Sometimes, we are very passionate about a particular part of our work, and we wonder, what would it be like to help others understand it as deeply as we do, or be able to have the proficiency and mastery that we have? So, let's say a hygienist is particularly passionate and highly skilled with lasers, or a clinician is really passionate about implant placement, or an administrator is really passionate about a particular way of enrolling patients into treatment. There is an entire industry of people who have not mastered those skills. And a lot of dental professionals will take on a side gig, if you will, of speaking about the thing they're very good at and very passionate about, and they have this very fun, lucrative side gig of sharing their passion with the industry. So, I want to encourage people that it’s easier than they think, if that’s a goal, to do it, and that our industry really needs them.” (12:10—13:17)

“It matters that [your message] is clear. It matters that it’s inspirational. They don't have to be Tony Robbins, but they do have to talk about why we’re going here and why the team would want to accept the invitation to get on board.” (16:19—16:34)

“We’re cursed with something that I call the curse of knowledge. So, if we’re going to take the front of the room — that might be a stage, but it might just be the front of your team meeting — wherever that is, you're going to take the front of the room. It’s a leadership position. And we could all talk for days on the things we’re passionate about and that we know a lot about. But our audience can't listen for days, and they can't absorb it. And so, our goal is not to share with them everything we know about the subject. Our goal is to organize our content in a very tight and easy-to-understand way. I always say our job is to make the complex seem simple. It’s complex. Right? What you teach, what I teach, these technical things, they're complicated. But our job is not to show how much we know.” (17:30—18:26)

“We use something we call the bookshelf framework. It’s essentially a four-step — the quickest way to describe it is, I'll say to the people we’re coaching, ‘Imagine you have a shelf and some brackets, a pile of books, and two bookends, and your goal is to make a beautiful bookshelf on the wall. Out of that pile of supplies, what would you need to put on the wall first?’ Of course, it’s the shelf and the brackets. So, that's how we build the content structure of the speech. We organize our content using this. The shelf represents, in one sentence, what is this speech about? What is the thing I want my people to understand and take away in one sentence? If we can't get clear about that, we can't get our audience clear about that. So, that's actually the hardest thing about the whole bookshelf, is getting that clarity. Once we’ve got that, then we put the books on. The books are the containers. We say up to five — less is more. The books are the containers for the supporting concepts of our bookshelf, one-line, bottom-line. They hold the pieces, the examples, the data, the support, all of that. Now, all the books aren't the same size. They might have chapters and subchapters, depending on how much time you have. But once you get beyond five, people can't remember it and they tune out. So, we try to put everything we want to say inside these five books, and how deep we go in them depends on time.” (18:52—20:32)

“The best speech I ever heard — I still remember it. It was almost 20 years ago. I heard this speech at the National Speakers Association, and to this day I can tell you what that speech was about, what I did with the information, why I thought it was important then, and still now in my career. I remember he made us laugh, he made us cry, he made me think, he made me act . . . Joe Calloway. He had a 45-minute keynote to 2,500 professional speakers. That's a pretty big deal. He nailed it. And 20 years later, I can remember what he said. How many people listened to us, and 20 years later can say, ‘I remember what Katherine spoke about 20 years ago’?” (20:34—21:19)

“If you want your message to be memorable with your team, with an audience, with anyone, less is more. Clarity is everything.” (22:01—22:09)

“The two bookends [of the bookshelf framework] are the opening and the closing. How do we make those really, really stick and really memorable? So, organizing your content would be number one on my list.” (22:11—22:22)

“Number two on my list [of the bookshelf framework] would be story. So, if you think about the content as being the black-and-white information, then story, metaphors, examples, video clips, humor, all of that adds color to the black-and-white. It adds the color. Those are the pieces that make the content interesting and also memorable. And so, I would suggest people work on little things that happen in life that you say, ‘You know, when I went and picked up my dog from the groomer, the exchange I had with the clerk,’ that is essentially the same thing that happens over here. Start to think about, where can I find simple stories that are analogous to what I'm trying — what you're trying to say is, ‘Here’s the point I'm making in my presentation, and it’s just like this thing that happens in everyday life. It’s just like that.’ The stories make it more understandable and more relatable. So, stories would be something — learn to find them, learn where to put them, and learn how to tell them in an interesting way.” (22:22—23:37)

“If you want to be a great presenter, you've got to know what to do with your body on the stage. What we do with our body really communicates our level of confidence — our level of confidence in the subject, our level of confidence in ourselves as a professional, and our level of confidence in the exchange there. So, what we do with our feet, our hands, our eyes, all of that. People ask me all the time, ‘What should I do with my hands?’ And I say, ‘Well, I don't think you should worry about it too much, unless you're doing something weird, that your hands are jingling something in your pocket.’ I talk with my hands. I know a lot of people do. I don't worry so much about my hands, but I do worry a lot about where my feet are. Because pacing, backing up from the front of the stage, swaying, being cocked off to one side with your weight on one side, all of those things definitely communicate, ‘I'm not very comfortable up here.’ And so, I think handling that is probably my third. So, content, simplifying it, finding stories, putting some color on that, and then knowing how to move with confidence, move with ease on the stage, is important.” (23:40—25:04)

“Professional speakers and consultants — any professional — ends on time. They just do. There are some tricks of the trade, no doubt about it. We divide content into need-to-know and nice-to-know. So, once you have divided it in your mind and in your slides and handouts, then it’s pretty easy to glance down at the time, see you're maybe running a little behind, and put them in a little exercise where they turn away from you to do their exercise. You come over here, skip to the next need-to-know, and wrap this up. And they're never the wiser. The audience never knows what you skipped. But what they do notice is that you get to the end, and you go, ‘Oh! I've got . . .’ and you speedwalk through the slides, you speed talk through the content, and then you get them out late. They know that, and it’s not professional. And a lot of it comes from, we had too much to begin with.” (26:24—27:21)

“I usually have maybe 10 or 15 because the bookshelf outline is in my head. And if you do this long enough, your slides are going to go down anyway. There's going to be a time where the videos don't work, the slides don't work, whatever happens. And so, you have to know that bookshelf and be able to speak to it in the room without anything. When you can do that, you really have a sense of deep confidence about it. And that comes across to the audience, no doubt about it.” (27:25—27:54)

“[Professional speaking is] a wonderful, wonderful side gig. It’s a wonderful full-time career. I will say that you can make a living being a speaker. You absolutely can. But to make a good living being a speaker, you're going to have to be on the road a lot. That really is intriguing and fun for some people. For others, young parents, that may not work for the full lifestyle that they want. So, just know that if you're going to make a living from speaking honorariums and from the work of speaking, it only makes sense you're going to be travelling a lot.” (28:44—29:20)

“There are other reasons to be a speaker. Sometimes, it’s philanthropic, something we’re really passionate about and we want to — like, I know some people who speak on human trafficking, and they're not interested in the honorarium. They're really interested in making a difference in the world, and that's all they really want to do. So, it’s not about the money. Also, if you do have a business, professional speaking is a really great marketing tool. For me, it’s a fantastic marketing funnel for clients. And so, I care a little less about what I am compensated for for the speaking gig if it’s a perfect-fit audience for me. If it’s not a perfect-fit audience, then I do want my honorarium. So, I've made some business decisions around that because I don't want to be on the road all the time. I want to be on there just enough to spread the message that we’re passionate about, and for it to be a good adjunct to our business. So, I think there are those things to consider, the lifestyle to consider.” (29:22—30:23)

“Moving an audience to action and watching the lightbulbs go off, having people come up later, either at the speech or sometimes years later, and say, ‘That speech you gave two years ago changed my life,’ that is part of the reason that I love being a speaker, is watching and having and experiencing those moments of transformation in my audience. So, if that's something that is calling you, I think speaking is a great vehicle for that.” (30:24—30:57)

“If you've never been a speaker, get some coaching. Make sure your content is really good and that your speech is good. There are organizations that can help you get in front of meeting planners. There are showcases in our industry. I know Seattle Study Club has a showcase. Speaking Consulting Network. Lots of different organizations have some speaker showcases. Elijah Desmond on Dentistry’s Got Talent. They're like TED Talks. Short, 10, 20-minute talks. You can get on and get in front of meeting planners. They get to take a look at what you have to offer, and then decide if they want you on their program. So, some great ways to get started.” (30:59—31:40)

“I have heard a lot of things, and probably your listeners have too, of, ‘Take some deep yoga breaths into the diaphragm. Maybe do some jumping jacks outside the room. Or take the stairs to the room instead of the elevator.’ And those things can work. But they are, in my opinion, addressing the symptoms. What are the symptoms? Sweaty palms, dry mouth, racing heart, shaky hands, shaky knees. All of those are symptoms of a deeper cause. And so, the deep breaths and all of that stuff addresses the symptoms. I would rather think about addressing the cause and not having the symptoms. The symptoms are a result of adrenaline that is pumping through your blood. That is a fight-or-flight response from the amygdala in the brain, the primitive part of our brain, that says, ‘We perceive a threat here. There's a threat. You're not safe, so get the heck out of there. Run or fight!’ And it pumps this adrenaline to allow you to run really fast or fight. Well, we can't do either of those if we want to stay on the stage or we want to stay at the front of the room.” (32:48—34:04)

“I started thinking about, why do we view [public speaking] as a threat? What is the threat? Because without a threat, the amygdala isn't triggered. The threat is that we fear, essentially, judgment. We think of the audience, or we look at the audience, or we’re being introduced to come on, and we feel that heart rate start speeding up. It’s because our amygdala says, ‘These people are going to judge you. Are they going to like my content? Are they going to argue with it and disagree with it? Am I going to look foolish up here? Am I going to forget my words? What if they don't laugh at my jokes?’ And we build this up to, ‘I'm not going to be good enough. I'm not going to be safe up here. This is not going to be good,’ and the amygdala says, ‘Get out,’ and it pumps the adrenaline so you can. But because you don't run, it comes out in the shakes. That's all the adrenaline trying to work itself out.” (34:08—35:04)

“I was speaking before 150 of my peers. This was last weekend. It was a new speech because these people have all heard my other speeches, so I had to come up with something new. So, it was the first time I've done this speech. It’s been years, but all of a sudden, I've got the butterflies. I'm like, ‘Well, that's interesting.’ And I've learned to bless — first of all, I've learned to acknowledge it, to say, ‘Well, there you are.’ And then, I bless it, ‘Thank you for reminding me or alerting me,’ because I wouldn't be feeling this otherwise, ‘that I have framed this audience as a body of judgment. So, let me reframe it in the other thing I know it is.’ I mean, if we’re honest, there is some judgment in that room. They're waiting to see, ‘Are you going to be worth my time?’ So, I'm not going to say it isn't a body of judgment. But I'm going to say it is also something else. What it is also is a body of need. They're there because they're hoping against hope that you're going to say something...