Do You Have Steak with Your Sizzle?

Do You Have Steak with Your Sizzle?

Many of you business pros have likely heard the term, Steak and Sizzle. For those who haven't, let's do some defining...

Sizzle is the presentation style; the delivery; the charisma. Great actors and speakers often have the sizzle to wow and entertain audiences. Examples of sizzle may be Tony Robbins, Barack Obama, Celine Dion, and Frank Sinatra.

Steak means there is some meat on the bone. If you provide steak, you are providing great value. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt come to mind. Although I never personally heard him, history indicates that Abraham Lincoln was a steak man.

If you only sizzle, then your lasting value is limited. In the business world, that means you talk a good game but can't back it up. If you only provide steak, you may bore the socks off your audience before they know what you are offering. Too much of either one is a bad thing.

Great communicators offer ample supplies of both. I'm not intimating that the people I mentioned earlier don't have both. Most of them do or else you would have never heard of them. Examples of legendary steak and sizzle include Martin Luther King, Jr, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, and Billy Graham.

Now these are celebrities. You work in the trenches of the business world. You may not get the media hype that these examples do, but just like them, your career depends on providing both steak and sizzle. Here are three strategies to help you accomplish this...

1 - Get Help

If you want to be a dynamic speaker, get help. I love Toastmasters but for you who need speaking skills to enhance your profession, you need more. I used great mentors like Patricia Fripp, Darren LaCroix, Ed Tate, and Craig Valentine to help me develop my style and message. Heck, even Tiger Woods needs a coach. If you want to wallow in mediocrity as a presenter, then try to get better by yourself. BUT, if you want to super-charge your message and learn how to keep your audience on the edge of their seats, then find a mentor or coach who is where you want to be as a presenter.

2 - Be Specific in Your Message

What is your value proposition? What important message do you have to give? Can you develop your foundational phrase in under 10 words?

You need to be specific to your message so it can be understandable to your audience. Your audience may be your employees who need inspiration; a group of investors you are trying to persuade; an audience full of of donors for your non-profit group; or even a potential new employer. Regardless to the size or type of audience member, your message must be clear, concise, and specific.

3 - Have Humor

I'm not talking about being Jerry Seinfeld. Unless you're a comedian, don't tell jokes. Use natural humor from stories that happen in your life. Turn them into a relevant metaphor. Laughter and humor is the best way to connect with your audience. It keeps them interested and engaged. This does take practice and self-confidence. Find a group (like Toastmasters) where you can try out your "material." Test and tweak it. You will find that well-developed humorous stories will add the "sizzle" to your "steak."

Bottom line - In order to be well thought of as a speaker, presenter, or trainer, you need both steak and sizzle in your presentation skill repertoire. By using these three strategies, you will be on your way to wowing your next audience.

(c) 2009 Dan Weedin - All Rights Reserved