I'm listening to [tag]Bill Cobb[/tag], President of [tag]eBay[/tag] North America conduct a "[tag]Town Hall[/tag]" meeting with the eBay community. Bill is a nice person. He has a lot of experience in the corporate world. But he has one of the most annoying mannerisms when speaking in this forum.
When responding to nearly any question he begins his sentences with the word "[tag]So[/tag]". In fact, the word "So" is sprinkled throughout his speech so much it is a distraction. How do high-level executives get where they are even though they are not good [tag]presenter[/tag]s or [tag]public speaker[/tag]s. Because Bill does it, the lower-level execs are doing it too! Good grief! "So" should be used to connect one thought to the next logical point. These guys and gals have begun using it to fill empty space while they decide what to say. "So" is the new "uhh".
The other super-annoying habit Silicon Valley speakers have is up-talking. Making a statement which raises in pitch at the end of the sentence so it sounds like a question. It sounds ridiculous. Just repeat this paragraph (talking out loud) and pretend each sentence is a question. Grrrr it's so irritating? They need to break this habit? Stupid. Speak normally folks.
I will volunteer to teach these guys to break that habit. Please, eBay give me a call.
Get a piece of paper and pencil and mark down every time Bill says "So" - mark twice for every time he starts his reply with the word. Listen to the recorded Town Hall meeting.
[tags]uptalking, uptalkers, word whiskers, mannerisms, speaking skills[/tags]
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Another annoying habit eBay staffers display… for two consecutive years now, out of 20 or so eBay Live! presentations either moderated or delivered by eBay staff, perhaps two featured an eBay staffer who actually took the time to introduce themselves at the outset of their presentation. Rather, they allow their name and title on the opening screen of their PowerPoint presentation do the talking for them.
Beyond that, in my experience, eBay staff are some of the most knowledge speakers (at eBay Live!) but also some of the worst presenters. From flying through presentations and mumbling their lines, to displaying defensive postures when asked though questions and sharing inside jokes which only make sense to fellow staffers who happen to be in the room, eBay employees have a lot to learn about public speaking and presenting.
Steve: We have talked about this before… eBay would be well served to train all of its employees who are scheduled to speak at eBay Live! before the actual event itself. I could easily see a 45-minute training (delivered live or via video for each of the company’s locations) making a dramatic difference.
Mikal Belicove
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