Do you sound like a CEO behind a microphone?

By Joanna L. Krotz

"You have two options when you walk into a room," says public speaking expert Richard Levick about the art of giving speeches. "You can own the room. Or it can own you."

An attorney and author, Levick runs a public relations firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in legal clients. Levick Strategic Communications handled media for law firms on both sides of the presidential election debacle in Florida, for example. "I give public speeches all over the world, so I get to hear lots of speeches. You wouldn't believe how mediocre some speakers are. They don't think through the process," he says.

Most entrepreneurs find speech-making terrifying or a waste of time. "Too many CEOs see dealing with the media or making presentations as an interruption," says Dian Griesel, founder of the Investor Relations Group in New York, which represents small companies to fund analysts and money managers. "But it's as essential to doing business as customers."

If you can't deliver energetic and commanding speeches, or polished and articulate interviews, then you're short-circuiting your company's future. It's time to do something about it.

The first step, as Levick points out, is to take the process seriously. Donning a power suit instead of jeans won't seal the deal, of course. But inept communication, graceless moves and dress or being unable to put across your message with convincing confidence can surely lose it. "Don't underestimate the power of an image," cautions Sherry Maysonave, founder of Austin, Texas-based Empowerment Enterprises, whose clients include nationally known political candidates, celebrities and corporate execs.

So how is a CEO supposed to look and talk? Like you, actually. Only in a heightened version.

Public speaking isn't rocket science

While your business model might be cutting edge, the business of communicating is far more basic. Over and over, media trainers and coaches advise CEOs to learn how to be themselves while being on public display. It's not easy.

"Receiving attention causes enormous tension and paralyzes us," says Laurie Burton, who runs Image Development in Los Angeles and brings 30 years of experience as an actor to communications coaching. "Most people don't think they're interesting enough for an audience. But you need to bring who you are to the speech. You are the experience."

She tells of a Twentieth Century Fox sales executive who was referred to her by a career coach. The executive's speaking style was boring, withdrawn and wooden. "He'd stand in the 'fig-leaf position,' with his hands clasped in front of him, and talk," Burton says.

So she asked him what he was passionate about. The answer: his two young daughters. Burton told him to take out a photo of his children, hold the picture in front of him and talk about his little girls.

The sales executive became entirely different. "He grew passionate and animated. And he made the connection. He got it," Burton says. That energy carried over to his national sales conference speech and he was a big hit. Says Burton: "You have to trust in your own ability."

Body language and eye contact communicate far more than words — some say 70% of all communication is non-verbal. So don't hide behind tables or podiums. "Move into the audience, Oprah Winfrey-style. Ask for a remote control for your PowerPoint program and a clip-on mike and walk through the audience," Levick says.

Other expert tips:

1. Practice, practice, practice, but don't memorize. Rehearse your remarks before a spouse, partner, friends, in the shower. Tape or videotape your performance and then make corrections.

2. Lower the pitch of your voice. "When people get nervous, their vocal pitch tends to go upward. That makes them sound unsure," says Wendy Weiss, a New York sales trainer.

3. Stick to three key messages. So says Marilynn Mobley, who runs the Acorn Consulting Group in Marietta, Ga. "CEOs and entrepreneurs are usually so knowledgeable about their subject that they speak over the heads of their audience."

4. Develop examples or stories for each point you make. "We remember things better that move us emotionally," says Susan Harrow, a media coach and marketer in Oakland, Calif. "Tap into emotion."

5. Create images or pictures, especially for statistics. "Don't say, 'It's big,'" advises Levick. "Say, 'It's the size of Mt. Everest.'" Similarly, don't clutter slides and presentations with words and numbers — and never read from your slides. For a talk about how legal firms develop branding and identity, for instance, Levick throws up a picture of a biker with a tattoo of Harley Davidson on his shoulder — and no words at all.

6. Smile and be impeccably groomed. "You need to look like a leader and an expert on your own services. People like to be associated with winners," Maysonave says.

Controlling the interview

Fielding questions from the media and reporters demands a different type of skills. Remember, you're not in charge. The interviewer gets to package your message to the groups you want to reach: stakeholders, customers, investors, the public. You can, however, shape the story to a large degree.

Mobley, who was a corporate speechwriter before starting her own business six years ago, often coaches executives on managing media campaigns. First, she videotapes the executive while conducting a mock interview. Then she works on media training for four to eight hours. Afterward, she videotapes another interview and analyzes the results. "Everyone can see the difference in a matter of hours," she says.

Mobley also emphasizes ways to influence the message, or what she calls "the power of bridging phrases." When you feel a reporter moving on or changing the subject before you're ready, she advises using specific phrases to put the interview back on message. Such as:

"Before we get off that topic, let me just add . . ."
"Let me put that in perspective."
"It's important to remember that . . ."

Hiring a coach

Most executives are convinced media trainers and coaches are swell for everyone else, but not necessary or too expensive for them. Think again.

Fees run the gamut. You can sign up for a two-day seminar with Burton, for instance, for $10,000 ("people are stretched and transformed," she says). Mobley's training runs $3,500 a day for groups of up to five people, while Maysonave charges about $12,000 for a three-month course that includes two- to four-hour weekly sessions.

Then there's Toastmasters, which offers 500 clubs in some 70 countries. Founded in 1924, Toastmasters is a network of peer-to-peer public speaking workshops. A typical club has 20 to 30 people who meet once a week for about an hour, giving everyone a chance to practice. You can find a nearby club by checking the Web site. There's a $16 membership fee and dues of $18 every six months. Some local clubs charge a bit more to cover room rentals and the like.

Clearly, whatever your budget, there's a professional who can help you find your style and confidence. "We're all actors nowadays," Burton says. "All of business is show business. If you don't know how to communicate well, you're limiting your company and your employees."