Frame ideas in 'THEMES' that GRAB and capture the listener!

Learn to lead a room. Messages must direct and engage.

Build your words in a way that has your audience thinking WITH you in a DISCOVERY OF IDEAS AND INQUIRY. 

Linear information and listing ideas can drown out your audiences's ability to engage. Load your data and statistics into a meaningful framework.  Stimulate ideas and engage your audience as participants.  Information dumping turns people off.

GRAB compliments Breaking the Box

G.R.A.B

G  Guide their gut reaction

r  reinforce themes

A  Ask questions

B  Build Dynamics

Guide their gut reaction: Train yourself to trust inquiry, using surprising, compelling ideas. 

• Reinforce themes: With dynamic repetition, you imprint ideas, a fundamental rhythm entrainment process key how people learn new ideas.  
• Ask questions: Lead your audience through inquiry, rather than telling them about the topic.  
• Build dynamics in your writing that reinforce your key messages, and engage your audience's core responses to language.

" It changed the way the audience reacted to me.  One of the things that we worked on was bringing the audience into the presentation. We had specific measurable results for responses that were achieved. What we were trying to communicate and the real content that was in that presentation was stronger for it. "

- Heather Travis, Director, PR, CANADA BEEF Inc.

An engaged speaker brings you into the topic as an engaged thinker.

Breaking the Box teaches you to define your listener's knowledge base systematically and to consider unique, yet critical aspects of how the message affects their lives, and to create a personal connection.

Breaking the Box is particularly effective for people managing extensive data and technical information, lists, and strategically critical presentations. 

Breaking the Box teaches you to define your listener.

breaking the box

• Use a methodical finding process that asks questions from several points of view, bringing you from abstraction into a personable context. 
• Re-frame your concepts into natural, approachable language.
• Find multiple layers of 'what matters' about the topic for your listeners.
• Edit the use of acronyms and technical information for relevance and appropriateness to the context you established.
• Load your data and statistics into a meaningful framework that stimulates ideas and engages your audience.

" My message was watered down because I wasn't focused on the audience or the type of audience.  Breaking the Box, and my Voice Empowerment PEAK Program helped me to better identify the audience, and deliver a more powerful message. Tools we developed in Breaking the Box improved my relationships with key personnel within my company. "

-  Christopher Dill, Regional Compliance Officer, Chartis Bermuda Ltd.

Inspire with a meaningful call to action.

 A story will take you into a journey.  An explanation, or prescriptive case is an uphill battle - because it presumes passion on the part of the listener, rather than inspiring connection to the material.

storytelling

I think the best example of storytelling is the special effects guy that created a wild video of his 10 year old SUV going through various movie-scapes. 2 million people offered to buy that truck. A 10 YEAR OLD SUV!!! 

Voice Empowerment and namely Mary Michaela Weber’s techniques propelled me to become a better speaker.  
She focuses on not only how we speak but how others hear us. She is a superb sounding board which allowed me to distill down some very complex ideas and thinking into to easily understood, and “ out of the box” messaging. 

— Irene Gelyk, IGP, CRM, CIP, ermM, ecmS, Consultant, 2 plus 2 Consulting

Storytelling is about pacing, metaphor, and the willingness to take your audience into a journey. It is the art of the 'Blarney Stone', of myth-makers, and lore-tellers.

vocal dynamics

When you want to move and inspire an audience, your voice matters.

Intention vs Assumptions

The voice is highly influence by your attitudes.  Reinvent your expression and capability. 

• Create a compelling presence, rooted in the skillful use of your voice
• Learn to receive and project from the stage or boardroom table
• Enhance your vocal energy, and ability to project your voice
• Engage phrasing, articulation, emphasis
• The PAUSE

There's nothing like having 200 people in a room who have to strain to hear what the speaker is saying.

We've all been there.

Using a microphone does not guarantee that we are heard effectively. Projection of the voice is important with a microphone. Projection is not increased volume. Microphones have a sweet spot where the sound picks up really well. Learn to use the different wave form patterns that pick up the voice differently with various kinds of microphones.

Microphone skills

Lavaliere, Handheld, Podium, Podcasting, Table microphone

Get skilled with a variety of microphones and learn how to use them well.

" It gave mea lot of confidence, to work with Mary on microphone placement; where it sat on my clothing, where to hold a handheld. I learned  how to control your voice using the microphone - not getting louder but getting bigger. It's such a small thing, but it's such a big thing, because you get nervous. Someone throws you a handheld, and you turn your head to the side, and you lose the audience. Everyone 'knows what you did wrong' until you're the one on stage. It was really exciting."

- Heather Travis, CANADA BEEF Inc.

• Learn how to project your sound optimally with a microphone
• Identify the 'Sweet spot' on a microphone for best sound quality
• Ideal placement of lavaliere mikes
• How not to lose sound on a lapel mike when you turn your head
• What necklines are optimal for lavaliere mikes, or key spot on a tie
• Get familiar with different kinds of microphones

reading from a prepared speech

Surprisingly simple. Easy to learn, you'll have it down in 20 minutes.

• Maintain 95% eye contact while reading from text
• Fast, efficient tools to add to your skill-set 
• Learn how to memorize efficiently in a matter of minutes
• Learn to read unfamiliar material with expressive interest
• Bring life to dead texts
• Stay tuned into, and engage your listeners

Authenticity and naturalness can 'emerge and align' through training.

Your body language needs to be in alignment with your message and your purpose.  It has to be natural in appearance to inspire confidence in your message.

• Managing power dynamics
• Understanding posturing and power language
• Asserting your 'place at the table'
• Inviting engagement
• What you can do with your hands

Body 2 Talk lets you align your gestures, eyes, and your facial expression to express your personal confidence, message, and capability clearly. 

Through video, partner work, and specific kinaesthetic awareness exercises, you will bring your habits to lightened start enjoying new capabilties. 

body 2 talk  - body language

They say "a picture is worth a thousand words". How are you creating the image that people see through your body language? 

When you speak, do you appear natural and 'aligned' to your message?

When you see people 'medal' at the Olympics, you can usually tell how they will place from the moment they leap out of the starting gate, or step onto the ice. Their expression, focus, and physical demeanour is 'lined up'.

" This uniquely talented coach offers a vision far beyond the realm of typical presentation skills. I was really surprised at the difference it made, and would not have assumed I could produce those results on my own. My delivery rose to a new level of warmth and openness, leaving me invigorated, enthusiastic, and powerful. On one occasion I was able to set the 'tone and pace' for a luncheon event which had it 12 minutes ahead of schedule. Mary presents a truly unique opportunity to advance the profile of women and men who speak at any level. "

- Pamela Postian Jeffrey, MBA, The Jeffrey Group, WXN Network, WXN Top 100 Awards

An athlete who wins gold is completely 'lined up' with their game. 

"There is no try", Yoda would say.

Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with anyone's skills. It is simply a question of  results. What results do you want to obtain?

• Learn how to open with a positive point
• Develop articulate observation skills for key issues 
• Access specific and articulate language to provide detailed points
• Empower the recipient of your feedback with constructive remarks
• Obtain a format for providing progress reports

The ART OF GIVING FEEDBACK 

People are often terrified to get feedback on public speaking because it isn't differentiated. Feedback often lands as criticism because it gets lumped into 'good job' and 'bad job'. Leaders and teams need effective speaking feedback tools to be able to provide specific, measurable change.

Having someone that you are comfortable with to work on the whole package of how one’s thoughts and presence translates into voice was key for me. At first I thought it would be very difficult to work on these issues, because I might sound funny or do something ‘wrong’. Mary is just very easy to work with, and never made me feel stupid if I sounded funny or made mistakes. She’s also very fun to work with and hip.

— Rob Neish, Vice President of Groups, RRSP, Mackenzie Financial

You may be using a toothbrush where you need a hack saw. 

voice for media hosts, and guests

Hosts for: Radio, Podcasts, video blogs, Webinars

Hosts have one core objective: engagement & retention of listeners.

Hosts have a unique set of challenges and demands: expression, unique character, speed, timing, . 

For a radio announcer, podcaster, or webinar host, voice is your only means to engage effectively. 

• learn kinaesthetic tools to ground and open your sound
• powerful warmups

improv mashup!

Practise spontaneous speaking, and hone valuable public speaking skills,  in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Get on-the-spot coaching for your delivery of your voice, organizing ideas, and body language. Deliver off-the-wall topics in timed presentations. You’ll have little time to prepare and less time to deliver. 

TOPIC: Ostriches & Nutella PROPS: Ostriches, hats, Ragtime music  

ACTION: 1 prop, 1 slide, improvised musical accompaniment. Each team has a cheering section to energize, provide support, and give feedback.

• Energize your sales, management, and creative teams
• Teambuilding
• Creative Learning, Inspiration
• Breaking up Stage Fright, Public Speaking Anxiety 
• Networking 

Use MASH-UP to energize your next sales meeting, conference, or team building activity. Enliven your leadership development track!