| I recently posted an article titled "Internet Marketing and | | | | the difficult questions likely to be asked, and need not |
| Public Speaking: Ten Tips for When the Twain Shall | | | | practice in front of others, especially their peers. These |
| Meet." One of the tips concerned a means to practice | | | | people may actually be displaying a false bravado to |
| your sales presentation with a "Murder Board." I | | | | mask their discomfort at speaking in front of a group, |
| received several emails requesting a fuller explanation | | | | perhaps exposing their lack of skill in the presentation |
| of this practice method.I decided to write two | | | | art, and/or their apprehension at giving a less than |
| explanatory articles, so vital is this method to improve | | | | sterling performance in front of their colleaqgues.They |
| one's public speaking, specifically in preparing a | | | | are also very mistaken. I have given more than 3000 |
| presentation aimed at selling off-line your on-line | | | | presentations, and always find it beneficial to conduct a |
| product. In this article, I'll provide an in-depth explanation | | | | Murder Board before an important talk. No matter how |
| of this practice method; in the second, I'll cover the | | | | hard we try to think of tough questions that may be |
| seven steps need for a successful Murder | | | | asked, a little censor in our mind generally provides only |
| Board.Simply stated, the Murder Board is a realistic | | | | questions to which we already have answers. In my |
| simulation of the actual presentation to be made. | | | | executive training workshops, I always emphasize the |
| Colleagues role-play the audience, asking the type of | | | | importance of a Murder Board, and the practice |
| questions they believe this specific group is likely to | | | | presentations made by my clients are set up as |
| ask. It is intended to be more difficult than the actual | | | | Murder Boards to get them accustomed to this |
| presentation.If you want to become an effective and | | | | simulation.I am in good company in believing that we |
| persuasive presenter to boost your on-line marketing, | | | | need other minds to assist us in preparing for a sales |
| this realistic practice session is the most effective | | | | or other presentation.. The man who possessed |
| shortcut to speaking excellence. It allows you to make | | | | perhaps the greatest mind of the 20th Century, Albert |
| your mistakes when they don't count, increasing the | | | | Einstein, realized that even he needed help. He once |
| odds that you will shine when the actual presentation is | | | | said:"What a person does on his own, without being |
| made.The Origin of the Murder BoardThe term Murder | | | | stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of |
| Board has its origins within the U.S. military, specifically | | | | others, is even in the best cases rather paltry and |
| within the extensive training system of the U.S. Army. | | | | monotonous."The Murder Board is the presenter's |
| When a person has been selected to be an instructor | | | | version of the actor's dress rehearsal, what lawyers |
| at an Army school, he or she must go through a | | | | do in preparing a witness to face cross-examination in |
| demanding instructor training program.Graduation and | | | | a trial, what the flight simulator is to the pilot.Just as |
| designation as an instructor is dependent not on a | | | | with the actor, the witness, and the pilot, this simulation |
| written test, but successful delivery of a 50 minute | | | | permits the presenter to learn from his/her mistakes, |
| class from the curriculum of the school.The audience | | | | so that the actual presentation is (1) more responsive |
| for this crucible can be instructors who have gone | | | | to the informational needs of the audience, (2) |
| through their own Murder Board, and are determined | | | | answers are developed for likely questions to be |
| that this would-be instructor will experience the same | | | | asked, and (3) overall speaking confidence and |
| frustration and humiliation they did. They ask tough, | | | | competence enhanced.The Murder Board enables you |
| realistic, questions, the type of questions their students | | | | to visualize the presentation in advance. Not only is |
| are asking.At the end of the 50 minute class, the | | | | proficiency in speaking increased by such a meticulous |
| aspiring instructor gets a a thumbs up-meaning he or | | | | practice, so too is self-confidence. Public speaking |
| she can now join this band of brothers and sisters as | | | | ranks high in the pantheon of phobias because, in large |
| an instructor, or a thumbs-down, meaning another | | | | measure, of the apprehension that one is going to be |
| "opportunity" to go through a Murder Board.Lessons | | | | embarrassed by not being able to answer questions |
| from the PentagonThis realistic simulation has | | | | from the audience.If you have been able to anticipate |
| permeated the military culture. As an example, when I | | | | questions, then you can develop answers ahead of |
| ran the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) briefing | | | | time. Think back to when you were in college or |
| team, we had three Murder Boards before the daily | | | | graduate school. Your GPA would probably have |
| briefing to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of | | | | been higher if you could have seen the questions |
| Staff.The first one was at 5:30 AM, the second at | | | | before the final exams. The Murder Board permits the |
| 6:30 AM, the third in front of two General officers and | | | | presenter a look at the audience's probable "exam |
| all the analysists, one hour later. By the time my briefer | | | | questions."The only obstacle to developing a |
| or I was standing in front of the Chairman, those | | | | question-anticipating simulated presentation is your |
| intense sessions had provided the right answers to | | | | imagination and willingness to take hard hits in practice |
| virtually any conceivable question the Chairman was | | | | so you can be more effective in the actual |
| likely to ask.Why have a Murder Board?This | | | | presentation.Copyright 2005 Larry TracyThis article is |
| painstaking practice session has two overriding | | | | excerpted from Larry Tracy's book, The Shortcut to |
| objectives:1. Hone delivery skills2. Anticipate probable | | | | Persuasive Presentations. Larry, a retired Army |
| questions and objections so succinct, accurate | | | | colonel, has been cited in numerous publications as one |
| answers can be developed.Many presenters, while | | | | of the top presentation skills trainers in the US. His |
| accepting the need to sharpen delivery skills, reject the | | | | website is at top of Google for "persuasive |
| idea of a Murder Board, confident they can anticipate | | | | presentations. |