Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Danielle Cobo: Does the mere thought of presenting in front of your colleagues make your stomach quiver and your buckle at the knees. Do you wanna sound more confident, influential, incredible, putting wow. Into your communication and presentation might be what you need to stand out in your career. Imagine if you had a message to inspire and motivate others to achieve their.
Danielle Cobo: Convince and persuade teams towards a common goal and drive more sales. In this episode, we're discussing how to deliver a memorable and persuasive presentations. Patricia F is a hall of fame speaker award-winning speech writer, and in demand executive speech coach. My guest is one of my professional colleagues in the national speaker association.
Danielle Cobo: And the first woman president her latest book is deliver unforgettable presentations. Thank you so much for joining us today, Patricia. My pleasure. You have had a unique story from where you started into where you're at today and I don't wanna spoil it. will you please share with our audience, your career journey?
Patricia Fripp: A snapshot is born in England. Became a hair styling apprentice at 15, came to America at 20 with no job, nowhere to live. Didn't know anyone. $500 worked in the Mark Hopkins hotel, beauty salon, where I met people from all over the country and all over the world. Then I worked in one of the first men's hair, styling salons, very posh in the financial district of San Francisco.
Patricia Fripp: When men's hair styling was a new industry. then I opened my own salon. And started traveling nationwide for a hair product company, delivering seminars for hair stylists and my clients who were executives and movers and shakers in the financial district said, Patricia, oh, you are speaking. come talk to my rotary club, Wan's club, breakfast club being the star of my Dale conge class and going to a Toastmasters.
Patricia Fripp: I knew how to frame my presentation. So I had notes, but they were in my head. So I never used notes. Use my personality. I'd go over ruffle guy's hair. But anyway, cut long story short after two free talks. To service clubs. I realized not only is this fun, this is the least expensive way I can promote my business because people who heard me speak came in my salon and what I would do, I would have a drawing, which meant I had everyone's business cards This was long before internets and, and contact management systems, but had their cards. And I would have a drawing for a free haircut. And next week called the week after they had their free haircut in my salon, I knew they would go back there, say, oh, you won the haircut. Let's see how you look. What was it like?
Patricia Fripp: Is there a salon fun? that was a great way to promote my business. Now with my pals in the Dale Carnegie class, my good friends, they were six of us. We called ourselves the future millionaire breakfast. And we went to every seminar and every rally we heard about, I heard about the national speakers association and a professional speaker who I'd heard was kind enough to meet with me and talk to me.
Patricia Fripp: he said, Patricia, you must go to the national speakers association convention. I'm a great believer. If someone you admire and wish to emulate gives you advice. You don't say, well, how much does it cost you go? When I arrived, I was 32 years old, two years into a 10 year lease on my salon. I thought, no, one's gonna want to talk to me.
Patricia Fripp: I only talked to rotary gloves and hairdressers, and two situations appeared one because I started at 15 as an apprentice. When my lease was up, I'd be. and I realized I would certainly, I could renew my lease. I could do something else in the hair styling industry. However, after 25 years, I knew there would be other options.
Patricia Fripp: And I thought, well, maybe, maybe, I don't know, but maybe speaking would be an option. And then to cut long story short. I got discovered by a big time promoter who booked me to speak to 2000 people on the same program with some of the most famous speakers at that time, seven years later, I became the first woman president of NSA.
Patricia Fripp: So that is a snapshot. Now, if there are some goals, like. Oh, I love speaking. I want to be a professional speaker. I was smart enough to know this is a long term goal. A lot of people go to NSA. Oh, I'm going to quit my job. No, no, no. Start strategizing in a way that you could replace through speaking. When you replace the income you have that feeds your family and pays your mortgage.
Patricia Fripp: That's when you might want to quit the day job maybe you don't ever quit your day job. I mean, there are lots of ways to be in the speaking industry. that was it. And what I liked about hair styling that I love about speaking and now coaching executives and working with sales teams, it's an education.
Patricia Fripp: You work for a company, you get to know about that industry. it is just such a great education. There are a lot of benefits. However, if you have a job or you are in a position to get smarter of the people you interact with, that's a good place to.
Danielle Cobo: I have found the national speaker association to be an incredible group of people who want to support mentor and influence each other to a greater purpose and impact.
Danielle Cobo: They say this stage is a very precious place. Because you have the opportunity to influence and inspire and transform the lives of a lot of people at once. And I've thoroughly enjoyed my time as an NSA member. And for those of you that are listening, if you are considering being a speaker, if that's maybe one of your goals, that deep desire, passion that you have, whether you still wanna keep your corporate job and do this on the side, or you wanna do speaking full time, join the NS.
Danielle Cobo: I can't say that enough. And if possibly becoming a speaker is not maybe one of your goals, then I'm gonna ask Patricia to share some of her three secrets to breaking down that fear that most of us have when it comes to speaking. I'll share with you a little bit about my journey in becoming a speaker.
Danielle Cobo: When I first had to present my sales presentation. That dreaded role playing that most of us hate. I try not to use that word, but, or despised resist to, I was 23 years old and I cried. I was terrified. And yet fast forward to where I'm at now in being a speaker, it really comes to leaning in. And as you said, learning the skills and being active at learning the skills.
Danielle Cobo: to refine your message to become a great speaker. what are three, secrets that you have to break through that
Patricia Fripp: fear? I of course, I wouldn't say they're secrets cuz I tell anyone who asks
Danielle Cobo: and you're sharing them with us
Patricia Fripp: today. Secrets are good. Yes. one I would say it doesn't matter if you are giving speeches early in your career, or if you are reporting to your senior management, you are running team meetings for the first time you have to engage with prospects of customers.
Patricia Fripp: One, nobody knows how you think. They only know how you project, they don't know if you're terrified. what you would have to do, if you are nervous, then think about who do you know, who looks very confident. You don't know how they feel either, but they appear confident. You'll feel they're confident.
Patricia Fripp: one would be, if you are standing or sitting in zoom, set up. Or stand equal distance your feet, hips, distance stand firmly, and you smile and you pause and you know exactly what you are going to Say when you open your mouth, speak in shorter sentences, then you can breathe to keep the energy. And it's easier for the listeners to understand what you're saying.
Patricia Fripp: If you have one idea, a sentence that, that's one project confidence. Secondly, if you want to build your credibility , use specific language. For example, the most frequently asked question I have of all my clients is if it weren't a thing, what would it be? And one of my favorite examples is brilliant engineer.
Patricia Fripp: I work a lot with engineers getting ready for their user conferences and this brilliant man said there are two things. People love. about Now he's talking about their products and their offerings. And I said, well, if they weren't things, what would they be innovative upgrades, there are billions of people in the world.
Patricia Fripp: What kind of people would love your innovative upgrades. He said, systems administrators, can you see the difference in the quality. I was brought in for a long time client that me back again because they had a new corporate message. I was part of delivering sales training for new hires on how to tell our company story.
Patricia Fripp: Well, they got new story. They brought me back and one of the senior, senior, senior executives zoomed into the conference and he said, well, 10 things that we're focusing on. He kept saying that 10 things. Now, the first thing in the sec, now here I am telling them to be more specific. And one of the big marketing bosses had just presented a few hours before.
Patricia Fripp: And I said, with all respect to everyone who's presented before me, what such and such a person talked about was 10 things. They were 10 priorities. He was not giving us 10 suggestions. They were priorities. The quality of the words. Because it would be very easy. Well, there 10 things he talked about, well, I guess they're suggestions or, oh, I should try and incorporate them.
Patricia Fripp: No, they are 10 priorities. Your actions should be built around our 10 priorities and as they are such priorities, I think your first priority is your second priority. So one be clear. Be specific. if I were to look at other words that I suggest you minimize, you don't get a ton of ideas. You might listen to a presentation or take notes in a meeting, you might have three pages of notes and four actionable items.
Patricia Fripp: You don't have a ton of idea. and if it's not fruit or vegetables oh, when a networking event met a bunch of fun people, no, perhaps you met a bunch of bananas, but you probably met two dozen interesting people of which you had six really stimulating conversations. be specific, the quality of your words.
Patricia Fripp: So one look C. By acting confidently, be specific in your word choices and three. And if there were one real secret of being a powerful, persuasive presenter, it would be that your subject is of interest to your audience. Now we both know as professional speakers, sometimes you get brought into companies and some managers said, Hey, this speaker's gonna come fix you when they're sitting there with their arms fold.
Patricia Fripp: Okay.
Patricia Fripp: If you want to make your audience, whether at 1, 5 5500, be interested in your subject. we as a presenter or manager or leader or sales professional, have to look at our message from the point of view of the audience, be it 1, 5 5500. one way you can do this is watch the. Versus you balance or ratio.
Patricia Fripp: So for example, it wouldn't be normal. Stand up at your team meeting, say, I wanna talk about this or I'm gonna talk about this. I always sit back and think, I don't care what you wanna talk about. I signed up to hear about this. looking at it, and one way is to use you focus language. you could say welcome to the Monday morning sales meeting and you are in for a treat.
Patricia Fripp: What you will be hearing this morning is the three updates from our manager. Two, hear about two of our internal superheroes and three, how you can win a hundred dollars Starbucks gift card by becoming part of such and such. and I recommend that all my clients and listeners come up with a list of you focus phrases that work within your communication.
Patricia Fripp: So in your opinion, in your experience, how often have you, every time the audience hears you, they reconnect. because I work on one principle and if we work on this principle, we will never go wrong. Everyone is more interested themselves than us. So look at your message. And we all hear examples.
Patricia Fripp: Probably the most blatant, I do believe leaders are a little more sophisticated now, but for years I've been at company meeting. I've heard the president or CEO say our strategy is sand. Our business is growing and we will be increasing the shareholder value. that's fine if you're talking the board of directors or shareholders, but if you employees, shareholders, that's the wrong message.
Patricia Fripp: So you take the same message and adapt it for a different audience. Our strategy is signed. We will increase business, which means there's more opportunity for promotion. You have more job security. We look forward to increasing the benefits. So keep up the good work
Patricia Fripp: Insert ad
Danielle Cobo: that you versus I language. Can also be applied in writing emails as well. I work with a lot of my clients when we're doing sales trainings. And we're talking about every time that you write I in an email, what would it look like if you switched it to you how would it provide more value to the person reading.
Danielle Cobo: It's about them. Not, I, I want to meet with you. yeah. When we meet, we will discuss X, Y, Z. And how does it benefit the person you're meeting with? I have one follow up question for you. Can we discuss the U language? From a sales perspective when meeting with a customer or a client, whether you're working in corporate or whether you own your own business, taking that U language and talking directly to a customer or
Patricia Fripp: client.
Patricia Fripp: Definitely. we can start with let's look at it both ways. If it's a prospect. if you are first talking to someone you're gonna ask questions for the key to connection is conversation. The secret of conversation is to ask questions the quality of the information you receive depends on the quality of your questions.
Patricia Fripp: I work with a lot of people they've gone through the different levels, and now this is a formal presentation. And what we have to remember is buyers today are a lot more sophisticated. And the statistics in sales are our in most corporate sales buyers are 70% through the process before we have a formal presentation, all our information, all our happy clients are all on our websites.
Patricia Fripp: have to assume if you are lucky enough to have an opportunity to talk, to say three or five or a group of decision makers, you are probably one of three people to be considerate. They've already got rid of everyone else. So I recommend my clients begin with you brought in there you are, or in zoom here you are.
Patricia Fripp: Congratulations.
Patricia Fripp: Then
Patricia Fripp: talk about what they have a right to be proud of. It could be. Congratulations. Your latest advertising campaign is incredible or congratulations. I noticed your stock price, just one up two points. And your major competitor went down. You are making superb decisions or your strategy is obviously sound. It could be as simple as congratulations, walking along the hall to find my way to our meeting room.
Patricia Fripp: Every single person smiled had a pleasantry asked if I needed help or directions. Obviously your core values are alive and. Then never thank them for their time. Everybody does that. And the flip formula is if you sound exactly the same as everybody else, you have no advantage. And the only thing I ever wanted in business was an unfair advantage.
Patricia Fripp: And that's not lying, cheating, stealing. It's just looking at how could I do what I am doing. How can I listen to my competitors and find a new way, a more outstanding way anyway. congratulations. And then you don't thank them your time. You say thank you for the opportunity to discuss how the frit presentation skills training could.
Patricia Fripp: Well be the training you're looking. Now very often, if this is a formal presentation, you have had individuals lower down in the organization, give you all the information you need to prepare. If that is true, make them heroes. So you might say thank you to John and Mary. They were very generous with their time and information.
Patricia Fripp: In preparing me for this meeting and they tell me your biggest challenges are your areas of opportunity are, or you are most interested in hearing now, whatever the words are, opportunities, challenges, or interest of this. that becomes the structure of your present. The old days of hi, I'm Patricia.
Patricia Fripp: this is who I work with. This is how long we've been in business. This is our unique methodology. This is who we do business with. And we'd love to add you to our list of satisfied clients. Nobody cares because everyone's more interested in themselves than you. if you frame every comment you have.
Patricia Fripp: That you would normally put in your presentation, you put it into the format of what they want to hear,
Patricia Fripp: when you've gone through and you've done your review, you've answered any questions that they have just as you are saying goodbye by. on behalf of my leadership team. Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for your, upcoming presentations. Then it's almost as if you swivel to leave to turn off or to walk out the door.
Patricia Fripp: then your last words linger. Remember now with three of my clients, the last words, linger one. Remember 99% of the fortune 100 do business with us. Another was remember 150 full profitable quarters. In other words, we are the giant. It doesn't matter what the economy is. We might be slower. we are never going out a business.
Patricia Fripp: So when time are tough, you want someone who's gonna be here forever. and this is a line that works very well for consultants like us or smaller businesses. And then it's remember we are large enough to satisfy all your needs. We are small enough that you will always be a V IP client and have the cell phone of the president of the company.
Danielle Cobo: I don't think there's anything to say beyond. You've provided so much of that value.
Patricia Fripp: Yeah.
Danielle Cobo: Good. That is a lingering message that doesn't even need a follow up to that because you shared valuable wisdom on how we can have our confidence, the way we stand, the way we present ourselves, the way that our posture is knowing that most people don't know what's going.
Danielle Cobo: The word choices that we use eliminating those nonsense words. I hear in the back of my head when I'm writing speeches. Now they're not things they're priorities or strategies. And then the structure that you talk about that you versus eye language, making it about the customer, making it about the audience, having that formula of structure.
Danielle Cobo: When it comes to a presentation, you're doing a conversation that you're having and that lingering. Message right at that end, that gives it, that hook. That feeling I also want to add from an observation is you have pauses that those pauses want me just coming in for more like, what's she gonna say next?
Danielle Cobo: I believe that that is very powerful as well and intent. And it's about being intentional when you are speaking thank you for
Patricia Fripp: joining us. My pleasure, and I hope your listeners will remember F me but much more important. Remember what F stands for frequently reinforce ideas that are productive and profit.
Patricia Fripp: And for
Danielle Cobo: those of you who are listening, I've included a link in the show. For F VT, which is an online course that you can take, whether you are a speaker and you wanna improve your speaking skills and your presentation, and you're writing a keynote, or if you are in sales and you wanna improve your presentations, come confidence and inspire and motivate and be effective and driving the results that you want.
Danielle Cobo: I invite you to check out her link. I've taken her course. I highly suggested. It has improved my confidence in my speaking. I will include that in the show notes. And thank you for joining Patricia. It's a pleasure to have you on as a guest. And for those of you listening, create an intentional day.