Presentation Blog!

11 More Presentation Skills Tips from A Professional Speaker

2011-02-26T00:33:00.000-08:00

1. Use your audience as a test group if you have a point to make about human behavior. Take a simple poll of the people in the room and use the immediate results to illustrate your point. Make it fun. I poll my audience about how they deal with change. Based on how many times they've moved, changed jobs and fallen in and out of love, they fall into one of three categories - the walkers, joggers or sprinters. Polls can be used in many ways. They create audience involvement and lift the energy in the room. Make them short and sweet, and simple to understand.

2. Give clear instructions. I've witnessed some embarrassing moments when a speaker had not planned or written out their instructions for a group exercise. The result was chaos. Write out your instructions and try them out loud, with a few friends, before you use them on an audience.

3. Share the spotlight. Ask carefully worded questions that allow others to share their views and participate in the discussion. If you're looking for someone to give you their opinion or share a short vignette, and they give you a one word answer, say "Tell me more about that." If they are unresponsive, move on to someone else. Be careful with the one person in the room who thinks he or she is the expert and wants to steal the spotlight or make you wrong. Hold the microphone in front of their mouth, but don't hand it to them. Control the flow of the interaction and hold on to the microphone.

4. Speak your own language. Talk the way you do all day. Don't use words you wouldn't use at dinner with friends. Too many speakers fall into the trap of trying to sound like a scholar. They write out a speech that would work well for an English exam and then read it, word for word. The problem with that is - we don't speak the way we write. If you're going to write out your speech, make sure you write conversational English, not proper English. If you want to disconnect with your audience, be verbose and pleonastic. See what I mean?

5. Speak to their hearts as well as their heads. Remember that we are all emotional beings. People act on emotion and use facts to justify their decisions. In order to speak to their hearts, you must speak from your heart. How do you feel about what you have to say? How is your audience feeling? In addition to the facts and philosophies you bring to the table, don't forget love and compassion. Before I begin every presentation, I stand in the back of the room and send out love to everyone in the audience. It helps me to shift from being totally in my head to a balance of head and heart. Appeal to emotion and motivation, as well as to logic.

6. Have a conversation rather than give a speech. Be intimate. Talk to them like they're your best buddies. Think of them as people that you know rather than a room full of strangers. Know that if you sat down with any one of them, you would find more in common than not. Ultimately, you and they are very much alike. Don't be afraid to speak softly, to confide in them. If you hide, there is little chance for true connection. Be real. Just talk to them.

7. Tell personal stories. Nothing connects like a good story. People may not remember facts and data or the seven points that you made, but they will remember the pictures they saw in their mind's eye while engaged in your story. Get into the details and paint pictures with words. The more visual you can make the story by acting it out, the better. Have fun and get into the telling of the story. The more energy and commitment you bring to the sharing of the story, the more fun it will be for both you and your audience.

8. Be honest. People can tell when you're not telling the truth. Don't steal other people's stories or say something about yourself that is false. You are credible just as you are. You have lived an amazing life full of ups and downs, twists and turns and hairy escapes. Tell the truth with compassion and tact. Don't be brutal. If you happen to be the bearer of bad news, craft your words carefully. Think about what you're going to say beforehand and run it by a few people. If you have good news, share your true feelings.

9. Provide hope. Don't just paint a picture of doom and gloom - be optimistic. Find quotes and stories that uplift people's spirits. Give them something to hold onto, as well as beliefs and philosophies that will support them in moving forward with their lives. Build your speech to a climax that envisions a better outcome. Paint a picture of a bright future and help them get there. Wayne Dyer says, "You'll see it when you believe it." That's the spirit.

10. Care. People can sense your compassion. It's as tangible as anything you will say or do while speaking. Remember, your audience is not made up of strangers, they are fellow travelers on the same roads you traverse every day. They may not travel the same pavement, but the roads are the same. They struggle for balance, for security, for love. They long for success, for excitement, for freedom. Zig Ziglar is famous for this simple but profound statement, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

11. Get out of your own way and have fun. If there is one ingredient that will make you a successful speaker, it's your sense of humor and playfulness. Smile. Enjoy yourself. This isn't dental surgery! Love yourself and let them watch

About the Author: Doug Stevenson, president of Story Theater International, is a storytelling in business expert. He is a professional speaker, trainer and speaking coach. He is the creator of The Story Theater Method and the author of the book, Never Be Boring Again - Make Your Business Presentations Capture Attention, Inspire Action, and Produce Results.

His 10 CD - How to Write and Deliver a Dynamite Speech audio learning system, is a workshop in a box. It contains an 80-page follow along workbook. Learn more at: http://www.dynamitespeech.com

Doug can be reached at 1-800-573-6196 or 1-719-573-6195. Learn more about the Story Theater Method, purchase the book or Story Theater audio six pack, and sign-up for the free Story Theater newsletter at: http://www.storytheater.net

Image Credits: Renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Three Tips that Develop Your Presentation Skills

2010-08-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Try these tips to deliver better presentations at work, PTA meetings, or social functions. You'll notice that the main concerns are not about what you say (content), but how you say it (stage presence).

1) Create personal presence

Most professionals have some level of expertise in delivering presentations because speaking and writing are the most visible of all skills. So to stand out from the crowd, you have to recognize and develop the personal presence to command attention and gain buy-in.

Personal presence involves four things:

a) Body language--what people see

b) Your language--the words you choose and the way you deliver them

c) Your ability to think on your feet

d) Your actions (character, track record, results)

2) Engage your audience; don't lecture them

The higher you go in an organization, the more your presentations will involve give-and-take. That is, you no longer can expect to walk in and do a data dump. You must compel your group to hear you out, be willing and able to discover and address their reservations and concerns, and finally move them to action--and make them happy about it.

3) Anticipate questions--and have a complete response ready

Nothing showcases your expertise--or destroys your credibility--like your performance during the Q&A period. You either shine or sabotage the rest of your efforts by how well you think on your feet. Many people fear Q&A but think they can't prepare for this part of the presentation. Of course you can. Identify the tough questions you'll face and prepare a solid response, with detailed support and stories to make your answer memorable.

Author Bio: Author of 42 books (Simon & Schuster/Pocket, Warner, Random House, and McGraw-Hill), Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, delivers keynotes, breakout sessions, and training on communication and life-balance issues. Her latest books: Speak with Confidence®, Your Signature Life®, Your Signature Work®, E-Writing, From Contact to Contract, and Communicate with Confidence®. For more information on Dianna and her programs, visit http://www.booher.com or contact her firm, Booher Consultants, Inc., at 800-342-6621.

Image Credits: jonny goldstein

Public Speaking: 3 Rules for PowerPoint Slides

2010-08-11T00:42:00.000-07:00

1. Bullets and phrases

When I conduct public speaking training, I always remind my audience to keep their PowerPoint slides easy to read. Pretend you're on the interstate where someone could read the information driving 55 miles per hour. Bullets work best as they are easier to read than sentences. Also, you are less likely to read the slides this way. The biggest rule with PowerPoint slides is to keep them big, bold, and simple. Your slides should resemble a billboard. No more than 6 bullets per slide and 6 to 8 words per line. Stick to three colors per PowerPoint slide, otherwise your audience will start focusing more on color and less on your content.

2. Font choices

Often, people come up to me privately in my public speaking training seminars and confide that many of their colleagues use "print that is too small for anyone to read." They secretly urge me to tell everyone attending that the print must be large enough to read the PowerPoint slide. In addition, I'm often told by the person who hires me that many of their employees put too much information on their slides. With public speaking and visual aids, less is more.

Pick simple fonts, but make certain they're large enough to read for people in the back rows. The print size should be at least a 28 font for titles and at least 22 point for other text. Simple fonts with clean lines are much easier to read. For instance, Times New Roman, Gothic and Verdana are good choices. Within those font families you have the ability to enhance a page using italics and bold, just go easy on the underlines. And never put letters in all capitals. Instead, use upper and lower case lettering. It is much easier to read, and doesn't look like you're shouting.

3.Color and contrast

Take into consideration the size of the room in which you'll be speaking. Will everyone in that last row be able to read the information on your PowerPoint slides? In order to assist them in reading what's on screen, choose soft "easy-on-the-eyes" background colors such as light blue or turquoise blue. For lettering, choose a contrasting color differing from your background such as white, black or navy. For example, use light lettering on a dark background, or dark lettering against a light background. Never use all sentences in black print against a plain white background. It is boring and no one will read it.

Public speaking and the cardinal rule: you never want to read what's on the screen. After all, you are the presenter. Your audience assumes you're the expert. Also, when you read what's on your slides, mostly likely your back is to the audience. They won't focus on you. They'll just lose focus and start thinking about other things. Therefore, use bullets and phrases as opposed to sentences on your slides and in handouts. Think of what's on your slides only as "fast food for the eyes."

In my public speaking training, I frequentlly see highly educated, knowledgeable people trying to cram too much information on a single slide. This is especially true when presenting technical material.Technical people have a propensity to put too many words, charts, colors and graphs on a single slide. Know your material, yet keep it simple. Practice. Rehearse with your PowerPoint slides. Get honest feedback from your friends, family members and colleagues. You can do it. Good luck!

Copyright 2010 Colleen Kettenhofen

Author Bio: Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker, and workplace expert/co-author of "The Masters of Success," as featured on the Today Show. For more free articles and to sign up for her free newsletter on topics such as procrastination, difficult people, leadership, management, public speaking, success and more visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

Tips For Keeping Your Cool Before Your Presentation

2010-07-30T06:23:00.000-07:00

Stretch to relax

Rise on your toes and reach for the ceiling, with your head back. Tighten your muscles from legs up through abdomen, and then release. Relax the neck and shoulder muscles, letting your head loll on your neck in different directions.

Breathe to relax

Stand erect, but relaxed and balanced. Inhale while silently counting to five. Hold the breath for five counts, then exhale for five - all breathing is through the mouth. Your diaphragm should move, but your chest should not expand. You can gradually increase the number of counts for each breath to 10.

Relax your jaw

Let your head loll forward. As you raise it, keep your jaw relaxed. Let it hang open, and smile to yourself at how silly it feels.

Relax your throat

Yawn …. This is how your throat needs to be to speak well - open, and relaxed.

Keep relaxing the muscles throughout your body, your jaw, neck and throat until you walk to the presentation area. Then smile! and begin.

Author Bio: Bronwyn Ritchie is a speaker, writer, librarian and trainer and she manages Pivotal Points - resources for the times in your life when you pivot - change direction - towards a better you, a better life. For more tips, articles and courses on public speaking and presentations, visit http://www.consultpivotal.com/public_speaking.htm

Image Credits: eBeam

Shamus Brown's Top 5 Sales Presentation Tips

2010-07-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

When its time to give your next sales presentation, here are my favorite tips for delivering powerful, charismatic, and engaging sales presentations.

#1 - PLANT YOUR FEET SQUARELY ON THE FLOOR

How you hold your physical body during your sales pitch communicates a tremendous amount of information about you to your audience. Studies have shown a person will unconsciously interpret approximately 55% of the meaning of your message from physiological cues in your body position, stance, and facial expressions.

Deliver your presentation from a position of confidence. Stand with your feet squarely between your shoulders. Distribute your weight evenly between your legs, and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides, until your are ready to make a gesture.

Shifting your weight from one leg to another communicates to the audience a lack of confidence. This comes across unconsciously in that if you were to ask someone, a typical response might be "he didn't seem like believed in his company" or "I not sure that I can trust her".

Try both the balanced and the unbalanced speaking postures right now, and see which one makes you feel more confident and ready for your next sales presentation.

#2 - GET PUMPED UP

It is your job to lead the audience. The reason they are there to get something from you. So you must lead them where you want them to go. If you want people to get excited about your product or to feel a sense of trust towards you and your company, you must first create this emotion within yourself.

How do you do this? Simple. Do whatever it takes to get yourself excited. Jump up and down. Clap your hands. Play your favorite music loud. High five your sales partner. You can do this where you won't be seen by the prospect (in your car, in the customer's stairwell, bathroom or outside the building). What do you think a rock star or an actor does to warm-up before going on stage?

The idea is to begin your presentation in an absolutely great state. Do this right and the audience will follow your where you want them to go.

Special tip: Use this technique before making important phone calls so that you are "on" when you make the call.

#3 - WARM-UP THE AUDIENCE

Another thing big rock stars do before coming out on stage is they have warm-up acts. The job of a warm-up act is to get the audience in a mood will be receptive of the main act's energy.

You can accomplish this same effect by simply playing music before you start your presentation. Many laptops have CD players these days, or you can use a boom-box. The type of music you play will depend on your audience, and the emotional state that you want to warm your audience up to. Just think about how this will set you apart from your competition's stale PowerPoint slide show.

#4 - BEGIN WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

The more rapport you have with an individual or a group, the more receptive they will be to your message. One way to build rapport with your audience is by asking questions of your audience during your first few minutes on stage.

Ask a question or two that most people can easily answer (but don't put anyone on the spot too much). Questions such as "How far did you come to get here?" and "How long have you been working in this field?" easily get conversation going and begin creating a relationship between you and your audience.

#5 - SUSTAIN EYE CONTACT WITH INDIVIDUALS

You probably know you should do this. Now here's why and how.

The more frequently you change the location of your focus, the more new information your brain is taking in. Your eyes are the visual sensory input system for your brain. Change focus fast enough and frequently enough, and you overload your brain to the point where you forget where you are at in the presentation. Aaaaggh!

Maintain your concentration on what you want to say next by fixing your visual focus for short periods of time. Do this by completing a thought or a sentence (whichever you find easier) while sustaining eye contact with one person. Move eye contact to a new person with each new thought or sentence.

© 2010 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

Effective Public Speaking in Business Presentations

2010-06-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

Right or wrong, people form a perception about how competent you are by how you present yourself when you stand and speak. They also form perceptions about the company you represent based on your performance. In fact, public speaking is an easy way to set yourself apart from your competition, because when you stand up and say what you want to say, they way that you want to say it, you are doing what 95% of the people in the audience wish they could do. A person who is confident in front of a group gives off an air of competence, whereas a person who fumbles might leave a negative impression.

When I was in college, I had an internship with a major oil company, and at the end of the summer, I had to present a summary of my internship to a group of department managers and vice-presidents. I was the youngest person in the room, just 20. Many of the other interns were graduate students who were much more comfortable in front of a group. When I spoke, I could feel the sweat beads on my forehead, and I could see my hands shaking. The butterflies in my stomach were uncontrollable. After the presentation, I asked myself, "If I were the decision-maker in that room, and I only had one permanent position to offer, would I choose me?" I had to answer "no." Over the next few years, I trained with some of the most successful public speaking coaches in the country. Since then, I have spoken before thousands of people, and coached hundreds of managers, executives, and other leaders on how to present more effectively to groups. Below are some of the key public speaking tips that I have found that really work.

1) Realize 90% of nervousness doesn't even show.

The audience usually can't see the butterflies, or shaky hands, or sweaty palms. The problem occurs when we start thinking about these symptoms rather than focusing on the audience and our topic. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves not on you. Focus on them and two things will happen: 1) they will like you more, and 2) much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

2) Add some enthusiasm to your talk.

Your audience will never be more excited about your talk than you are, so give them some energy, and they will give it back to you. Walk about a half step faster. Smile. Let your gestures and voice emphasis come naturally. Don't over do it, but give more energy than what you normally would.

3) Limit your talk to a few key points.

Narrow down your topic to either one key point for a short talk, or thee key point for a longer talk (a talk longer than 30-minutes.) Ask yourself, "If my audience only remembered one thing from my talk, what would be most important thing for them to remember?" The reason this is so important is that the human mind likes to think of only one thing at a time. For instance, think of the Statue of Liberty. What do you see? You probably see a picture in your mind of the statue. Now think of a pink elephant.

Again, you probably see a picture in your mind, but the important question is…where did the statue go? Your mind can only truly focus on one thing at a time. As you add additional points, each previous point will become diluted. The more points your presentation has, the less focus the audience will have on each individual point.

4) Tell stories.

Don't tell little white lies, but do tell anecdotes and personal experiences. Stories build rapport with your audience, and they give you more credibility. Your audience will remember your stories a lot longer than they will remember your talking points. I heard Les Brown, a famous motivational speaker, years ago, and he told a story about how a man in his hometown went around the town square holding two baby dolls and squawking like a chicken. Kids in town made fun of him, but Les found out that this man's house had caught on fire, and his two baby girls died in the blaze.

The man attempted to go in and save them many times, but the heat was too great. When his brother-in-law showed up, he verbally assaulted the man calling him a chicken for not going in to save his girls. Ever since then, the man has not spoken a word -- instead he just clucks like a chicken. I heard this story years ago, and I can't remember the specific point Les Brown was making on stage. I do remember the "chicken-man," though, and I frequently think about how I should get all the facts before passing judgment on people. Les Brown's stories have longevity, and your stories will have that type of impact as well.

5) When in doubt, speak from the heart.

Let your audience see the real you, and you will have a great speaking performance.

Author Bio: Doug Staneart is President of The Leader's Institute, http://www.fearlessandpersuasivespeaking.com, leadership and public speaking training. He can be reached by e-mail at doug@fearlessandpersuasivespeaking.com or toll-free at 1-800-872-7830 x-100.

7 Presentation Skills Tips from a Professional Speaker

2010-06-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Image Credits: configura

Have you ever been giving a speech, and you see "screen saver eyes" staring back at you? If so, you've lost connection with your audience. The following tips will help you connect with any audience, any time.

1. Remove all physical barriers between you and your audience.

Get out from behind the lectern and move. The lectern is the portable reading desk with a little light on it. It's designed for you to place your notes on it and stand behind it. It is sometimes called a podium. However, it is a barrier. It makes it easy for you to hide and prevents the majority of your body language from being seen. Step away from the lectern, and walk and talk like you do naturally. Your entire body is an instrument of communication. Use it. As a matter of fact, your audience will be disappointed if you stand behind the lectern because it shows that you are a lecturer and not a speaker. They don't want another boring lecture, like back in high school. They want you to entertain them while you teach. So take a deep breath and reveal yourself. Get out from behind the lectern and move.

2. Know your audience.

Don't talk at them with a canned speech that you prepared for another audience. Customize your content to their issues. Do your homework and find out who they are. Prepare a pre-program questionnaire and ask three or four people to fill it out. Keep it simple enough for them to want to complete it, but include probing questions such as, "What is the most recent change affecting your organization?" The more points of view you get, the better. Decide what stories and content elements you want to use based on your research. Connect the point of your stories to their current problem or challenge. Use the names of a few people in the audience. To do this, you'll need to interview a few people on the phone or ask around. Be kind. Know who you can have fun with in the audience and who to steer clear of.

3. Make it personal.

Speak about what you know from personal experience. Bridge the gap between your research and your opinions. If you don't bring your point of view to the speech, why bother? Tell personal stories that show people that you've been there. Your credibility lies in your life experience, not in what you've read from books and articles. Talk about challenges that you've faced and obstacles you've overcome. Go deep. Reveal your struggles and hardships and what you've learned along the way. Then, reveal the lessons in your stories as points. Remember, they didn't hire a reporter or a book reviewer, they hired a content expert. That's you. Be the expert. Take a stand.

4. Create a 40/60 balance of facts and interpretation.

Report on the facts, and then interpret them. If you report too many facts, you run the risk of having a very dense program that loses people. There is nothing wrong with facts and data. A good percentage of your audience wants to know where you get your information and if you can back it up with statistics. Too many facts and statistics, without your interpretation of the data, however, is boring. Weave back and forth between facts and interpretation. Use metaphors as a way to interpret information. What is your information or data like? Is it like a Chihuahua trying to pull a milk wagon, when a draft horse is what's needed?

5. When you make eye contact with someone, hold it for a few sentences.

Really talk to that person and connect. See if you can get them to nod their head or smile. Then move on and connect with someone else. Don't make the mistake of focusing above people's heads or at a spot on the back wall. It's phony and will get in your way. Looking into people's eyes will ground you and help you to slow down.

6. Slow down.

Give your audience a moment to feel and interpret what you're saying. Most speakers seem to think that they have to talk nonstop, not realizing that they're not giving their audience time to breathe. Feel free to walk from one side of the room to the other in silence at the end of a section or after making a point. Silence acts as punctuation in a speech. During the silence your audience is working. They're processing what you just said and deciding whether it applies to their life. If it does, they're probably deciding what they need to do next. Your speaking prevents them from having their moment of reflection. It's okay to slow down. As a matter of fact, your audience will appreciate it.

7. Use PowerPoint as your assistant - not your replacement.

They came to see and hear you, not read off of a bunch of slides in the dark. Did you know that dimming the lights tells your audience members' brains that it's nap time. Darkness signals the brain that it's time to sleep, so it starts to produce Melatonin - that's right - the same Melatonin that you buy to help you sleep at night. So keep the lights in your meeting room up and have the fewest slides you can get away with. Keep the focus on you. (See the eBook: "Powerful PowerPoint That Doesn't Steal the Spotlight")

Author Bio: Doug Stevenson, president of Story Theater International, is a storytelling in business expert and the creator of The Story Theater Method. He is also the author of the book, Never Be Boring Again - Make Your Business Presentations Capture Attention, Inspire Action, and Produce Results. In addition, his 10 CD - How to Write and Deliver a Dynamite Speech audio learning system is now available. Doug can be reached at 1-800-573-6196 or 1-719-573-6195. Learn more about The Dynamite Speech System at: http://www.dynamitespeech.com

Practice Makes Perfect - 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Presentation Practice

2010-05-25T02:29:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of presentation success than knowledge, experience, or even talent. The best presenter is almost always the presenter who is the most prepared. Even so, there are a lot of conflicting ideas about what constitutes thorough presentation preparation.

So what exactly is thorough preparation?

Here are seven straight forward tips to increase the effectiveness of the time you invest in your practice.

1. Practice Delivery Out Loud

Practice is NOT mentally rehearsing your presentation on the drive over to the presentation or even thinking about your presentation while tossing and turning at night. Both of these are something, but not practice. A lot can happen between thinking about what you want to say and actually getting the words to come out of your mouth coherently. If you don't actually practice speaking out loud, when the time comes, you may struggle to articulate your mentally well rehearsed thoughts. To the audience, this struggle will appear to be lack of preparation.

2. Try to Conduct Your Practice in a Situation Similar to the Real Speaking Venue

Whenever possible, conduct your practice in a situation that closely mirrors the real presentation. For example, if you will be speaking in front of a large group in an auditorium or large conference room, try to practice in a large room filled with as many audience recruits as possible. Why? Research indicates that if your practice closely mirrors your real presentation, once you are in the actual presentation your brain will think you have done this before. Besides practice, the next most important ingredient in your success is experience.

3. Practice in Front of Real People

If you can't find any audience recruits at work, ask your spouse, best friend, or if all else fails, your pet to listen to your presentation. Interacting with a live audience is an important part of your practice. It helps you not only rehearse your delivery, but gain experience reading and reacting to the silent messages your audience is sending you about their understanding, their likes, and their dislikes.

4. The Mirror is Your Friend

Even after you've practiced in front of an audience, continue to rehearse in front of the greatest critic of all, yourself in the mirror. The mirror is a WONDERFUL if underused presentation practice tool. It will allow you to see and hear your delivery live and make decisions about how to enhance your style. Remember, when it comes to practicing your presentation, the mirror really is your friend.

5. Practice From Beginning to End Without Stopping

Practice all the way through the presentation without stopping—even if you make a mistake. Most presenters have a tendency to stop their practice each time they make a mistake. Besides reinforcing this negative practice, when you continually stop and start over you get very good at the beginning of the presentation, but can't deliver an effective conclusion because you've rarely made it to the end of the presentation. As the second most remembered part of your presentation, it is important to have a strong, well-rehearsed close.

6. Practice With Your Props

If you are using visual aids such as a PowerPoint slide show, make sure you practice with your slides. Visual aids of any kind add another layer of complexity to presentation and require practice to use effectively. Practicing with your slides will help prepare you for the things that inevitably go wrong and help you avoid unprofessional behaviors such as not knowing how to advance your slide show or how to put the slide show in the proper view for display.

7. Do it One More Time

After you feel you've done it well in practice and are happy with your performance, practice one more time to make sure your success wasn't just a happy accident. All in all, depending upon you and your content, you may need to practice your presentation delivery out loud 5 to 10 times. Yes, that's right, you might have to practice out loud up to 10 times, but don't worry, your audience's thundering applause will make the effort worthwhile!

Author Bio: Debbie Bailey is a well-known Presentation Skills Consultant and author of the book "15 Presentation Secrets - How to WOW Even the Toughest Audience," available at trainer2go.com/ebooks.html. For more information about Debbie, go to http://www.trainer2go.com.

The Paralyzing Fear of Public Speaking

2010-05-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

Now I don't want to make light of people's challenges; however I do believe that most people's fear of public speaking is out of proportion. They get themselves into a vicious circle of fear and poor performance. They are afraid of a public speaking opportunity and this causes them to procrastinate and not prepare. As a result they do a poor job. They use this situation as a reason to believe that they are poor speakers and are therefore all the more afraid.

It Is Time to Break the Cycle of Fear

By keeping a few simple rules in mind we can start to break the cycle and start producing quality presentations that move our audience to action. These rules include what I call the foundation of public speaking - overcoming fear, preparation, and relevance.

1) Controlling the Fear Here are a few techniques that when applied can have dramatic effect on your fear. They may seem obvious but their effectiveness is not diminished by their simplicity. • Remember, this is not the worse thing to happen to you. The results of you stumbling on a few words or forgetting a point may cause you some minor embarrassment, but generally nothing more than that. This is a fear that we need to keep in perspective. • Remember that your audience wants you to succeed. They are in attendance because they are interested in your material, not because they are hoping that you will fail. You may stumble, forget points, or make mistakes in some other way and feel that it was the worst presentation ever. If you don't point out the mistakes your audience will quite often not even notice them. • Focus on the material that you know and understand, not your fear. People become paralyzed by fear because they focus on it. If you slow down and focus on your material you will find that the fear will gradually diminish.

2) Prepare There are two aspects to preparation:

The first aspect is to make sure that you know your material. If you are not knowledgeable about your subject it will not only be apparent to your audience but it will cause you to feel nervous. Conversely, in depth knowledge of your subject will not only be appreciated by your audience but also increase your confidence. For instance, you will know that you have the knowledge and understanding to deal with questions from your audience.

The second preparation aspect is to practice your presentation.

Most individuals are so paralyzed by their fear that they avoid any preparation at all. Then they get up before their audience and appear incompetent because they are unprepared.

Here are two approaches to practicing.

One is to practice the specific speech that you are giving. You can practice on your own - for instance in front of the mirror or a video camera. You can also practice in front of others - with your friends and family or even in front of some of the individuals who will be part of your audience. Become comfortable with the presentation and get feedback from those that you trust.

You can also practice speaking skills in general. The better you are at speaking the better any specific presentation will be. You can learn to speak publicly in organizations such as Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is an excellent place to practice speaking in a safe environment so that you are prepared the next time you have to present.

3) Be Relevant There is nothing worse than having to sit through a presentation that is not relevant. Make sure that you understand your audience and their needs. Do not talk down to them, but just as important make sure that you give them the background that they require in order to understand your position.

A good presenter is someone who can give a speech on any topic and make it interesting to any individual by crafting it with relevance.

Conclusion

By approaching public speaking and presentations as a leader rather than a victim, you will be able to motivate your audience to action. Make sure that you conquer your fear by focusing on your well prepared material that is relevant to your audience and you will inspire your audience to new heights.

If you would like more information on overcoming your fear of public speaking please visit http://www.EffectivelySpeaking.Com. You will find many articles on easy to master skills that will help you master the art of public speaking. You can also sign-up for my free newsletter. When you do I will also send you five additional articles on overcoming the fear of public speaking.

David Mudie is an IT/IS professional, author and accomplished public speaker. David has had many successful engagements speaking about leadership and how it relates to public speaking. He is currently an IT/IS Consultant as well as coaches Public Speaking.

David has a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and an Advanced Toastmasters Gold/Competent Leader (ATM-G/CL) designation from Toastmasters International.

You can learn more about Leadership and The Art of Public Speaking by visiting David's website - http://www.EffectivelySpeaking.Com

Public Speaking Training Tips For Better Business Presentations To Culturally Diverse Audiences

2010-05-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and religious differences impact on how people learn, take in information and interact with presenters.

After delivering 3 presentations to 1,200 Managers and Franchisees from the largest fast food company in the Philippines, these are my thoughts on how to make an impact with culturally diverse audiences.

This is the result of extensive feedback and practical knowledge of what works and what doesn't after delivering business presentations throughout Asia.

Here are 10 Tips on Delivering Better Business Presentations to Asian Audiences.

1. Do Your Research. Find out as much as you can about the country and organisation you are working with. Read guidebooks, travel magazines, search the Internet and use the local media to gain as much knowledge as you can about the cultural background and history of the people you are working with.

2. Use local language and key phrases as an icebreaker, welcome or to highlight important points. Modify the content of your presentation to account for local differences. For example, in my work in the Philippines I used a range of local 'Tagalog' (one of the two official languages) words in both my welcome and presentation to make points and this went down really well. Former US President JFK used "Ich bin ein Berliner" to great effect in Germany during one of his speeches.

3. Use local examples. Nothing goes down better when trying to explain a new concept than using a local example. This will make your presentation more relevant.

4. Get to know the audience. It is most likely you will be a foreigner and many in the audience may not know you very well at all. Meet as many people personally before the presentation as possible. When presenting let the audience warm up to you before throwing questions at them. I've noticed light-hearted bantering with the audience at the beginning of a presentation works well.

5. Speak slowly and clearly. For many Asians, English is not their first language. Speak with less of an accent and present more slowly than you would with an Australian audience.

6. Use of Visual Aids. Again, because of language barriers back-up your verbal message with clear and easy to understand visual aids.

7. Use Humour. This tried and true method works across cultural boundaries. Use universal humour and avoid material that is country specific and not relevant. Never ever use inappropriate humour in any situation.

8. Physically involve the audience. Most audiences, no matter what cultural background, tend to switch off after 20 minutes of information from the presenter. Use a physical activity or interaction to keep the audience awake and alert. One word of warning though, don't try this at the beginning when they haven't got to know you.

9. Cut out some content. You will be speaking more slowly and spending time getting to know the audience and interacting with them. This will take time and you will need to cut out some content. Otherwise the presentation will be rushed. I find with most presenters, nearly all put too much content in their presentations.

10. Evaluate, review and continually improve. I never stop learning. Every time I speak in front of an audience, I always learn something new. Presenting to audiences outside of your comfort zone is always a challenge. Be prepared to learn, improve and be a better presenter.

Author Bio: Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event.

Fourteen Tips on Conquering the Presentation

2010-04-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

When presenting, you need to hold your audience's attention, convey information, and persuade people to act, while all the time guarding against anything that could derail your performance. To help you master this balancing act, here are a few pointers:

* Know your subject inside out. This is the single most important thing you can do to ensure a high-impact presentation. Be the absolute expert on whatever it is that you'll be talking about. Nobody in the room should know as much about the topic as you do.

* Understand your audience. Speak at their level of knowledge. Know their needs. What do they want from you, and what do you want from them?

* Rehearse. Run through the presentation in front of a mirror, in front of a spouse or friend, or in front of your team. Use a cassette recorder or camcorder. Time yourself and add on a few minutes for Q&A.

* Anticipate questions. As you rehearse, stay on the lookout for places where someone could pose a question. Have answers ready. You'll probably be asked at least one "out-of-left-field" question. Don't be thrown off balance by it; take your time to think about the reply and be candid.

* Anticipate hardware problems. Your laptop may freeze. The overhead slide projector's bulb may blow out. Think of something to say and do while you - and everyone else - wait for the laptop to reboot or the replacement bulb to arrive. Keep an easel and blank flipchart handy.

* Break the ice. Begin with a joke or a personal anecdote that is relevant to the subject at hand.

* Maintain eye contact. As you look around the room, meet each person's eyes while you speak at least one sentence.

* Interact. Establish a connection with your audience. This is easier if you're speaking to a small group. Invite people to participate, but keep the discussion focused and on point.

* Don't talk to the screen. If you're using overhead slides or a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, keep your notes in front of you. Then you can continue to look at your audience while talking about the information on the screen behind you. If you want to point to something on the screen, point to it on the overhead slide or computer monitor instead.

* Recap often. If it's a long presentation that covers many steps, help people absorb it or you may lose them somewhere along the way. Summarize, in one or two sentences, what you've covered so far and what the next step will be.

* Keep the lights on. Too many things can go wrong in the dark. People may fall asleep, or they may start concentrating on the refreshments. You won't be able to make eye contact or read your notes. If you must lower the lights, dim them just a little, not all the way.

* Don't mix eating and speaking. You can't expect full attention to your presentation from someone who is biting into an overstuffed chicken sandwich. Avoid the "working lunch presentation." First food, then business.

* Give handouts. Always give your audience a written summary or outline - after the presentation. There are times when you may need to hand the audience something during your presentation, such as in a training exercise. In such instances, give them only as much material as they need at that point in the exercise.

* Above all, relax. A few butterflies in your stomach are OK, but if you're too tense, your performance can quickly go downhill. Remember: you're the expert, you have their attention, you're in command, and you're going to make it worth their while. What's there to worry about?

Author Info: Arun Sinha is founder and president of Access Consulting (http://www.AccessConsultingInc.com), a marketing communications and technical writing firm in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.

You're Always Public Speaking So Be Prepared

2010-04-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

The funny thing about presenting and public speaking is that the majority of people will tell you they don't enjoy it and/or aren't very good at it. And yet regardless of who they are and what they do, most of the speaking they do on a day-to-day basis IS public speaking.

You see, mostly when we talk to ourselves we keep it as an internal dialogue that nobody else can hear. But whenever we open our mouths and actually make a noise in front of another person we're speaking in public - hence "public speaking". So why do so many people find it so scary?

I think it's the eyes. All those sets of eyes fixed on you..... BORING into you. It's unsettling. So would it be any easier if your audience was ignoring you and all looking the other way? What if they all dozed off so it WAS as if you were talking to yourself? (Have you ever been a Rotary after-dinner speaker?)

Whatever the reason, the fact is that before getting up to speak, even the most seasoned professional will have some butterflies, whether they choose to call the feeling nervousness or excitement doesn't really matter. Rest assured, we all experience it to some degree.

If I had one tip to pass on, if I was asked to tell you the most important lesson I've learnt over the years I've been presenting, it would have to be to stress the absolute necessity of being totally prepared.

Now this may sound obvious and I'm sure you've heard this before, possibly many times, and like a lot of important messages it tends to become diluted the more we hear it "Oh yes, I knew that, now what else?".

And yet, knowing this, some people will be outside in the car park seconds before they have to deliver their sales pitch scribbling it out on the back of a business card. I know, I've been there.

When I talk about being prepared, I mean you should know your talk off by heart. You should be able to give it verbatim, standing on your head, without even having to think about what comes next.

Now some of you may be thinking "Yes, but I don't work like that. I like to keep the spontaneity" or "Yes, but I want to tailor my talk to the occasion" or "Yes, but that would be boring because I'd just be on auto pilot."

But actually, that's not what happens. In effect, the opposite is true. When you know your talk by rote, it gives you the freedom to change it around, to add, to subtract without losing your direction. It's like driving from A to B. If your route is set from the outset and you know it well, you can safely veer off and browse in a few antique shops and have a pub lunch in a picturesque village off the beaten track and still get back to where you were to complete your journey. But, if you'd just set off in the general direction with no main route to which to return, you'd soon get lost if you were to be diverted and you'd have difficulty picking up that thread again.

You see, there are so many things out there that can throw the speaker, and lots of unexpected things can occur when you're dealing with the public. No matter how good you are, you will become distracted, so knowing your material to the nth degree is absolutely crucial.

If something happens that needs your attention, you'll have to stop and deal with it, but you can return to your talk with barely a glitch and appear calm, collected and hence the ultimate professional.

You see we all get nervous. We all stick our feet in our mouths sometimes. We don't ever operate in a hermetically sealed environment, especially when exposed to other humans. But prepare, prepare and over-prepare and not only will you enjoy the confidence of knowing that nothing can phase you because you know your material, but if you're forced off your chosen route for any reason you can return smoothly and appear to be the consummate professional speaker.

And after all, if you can't - or won't - speak about your business, who will?

Author Bio: Maria Davies is the UK's top professional speaker and presentations coach for women. Find out more at http://www.laddersofsuccess.com

Presentation Skills – 7 Top Tips

2010-04-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here are my 7 tips for polishing your presentations and giving maximum value to your audience:

1. Involve the audience by asking them questions and for their own stories and experiences to support what you are saying. However, only ask a question if you know they will get the answer right! You are not there to test them and a series of wrong answers will take you off-track and begin to irritate.

2. Talk for about 15 minutes at most without audience participation, or you will lose their attention. People always start to perk up if they think they may be asked for a contribution!

3. Use plenty of anecdotes and human interest to engage your audience's imagination. Human beings love stories and they will be more inspired to think about what you are saying.

4. Don't be afraid to repeat important points several times or to allow a pause for something vital to sink in. Even the most quick-witted amongst us welcomes the opportunity to mentally catch up and really appreciate a point before you move on.

5. Use plenty of visuals, whether that be Powerpoint, props or visual imagery. Being able to see or imagine something brings it alive in a fresh and powerful way.

6. You will probably need to speak more slowly, more clearly and more loudly than you would naturally. A normal conversational pace can come across as a gabble in a presentation.

7. And most importantly of all - look as though you are enjoying yourself! Moods and emotions are catching, and if you look as though you are happy to be there, talking to them, your audience will be more responsive.

Enjoy putting these tips into practice and you will become a popular presenter!

Author Bio: Andy Britnell specialises in sales and customer service training for the private and public sectors. Go to http://www.andybritnell.co.uk/ and you can sign up for my FREE short monthly newsletter and FREE e-mail coaching.

Public Speaking: Use Visuals for Maximum Impact

2010-03-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever attended a presentation where the speaker read directly from her/his PowerPoint slides? Did you wonder why they didn't just give you the handout and let you go home?

PowerPoint and other visuals are tools to supplement your presentation; many presenters, however, hide behind their visuals as a way to avoid interacting with the audience.

Here are some ways your visuals can enhance your presentations, rather than putting your audience to sleep.

Pointer #1: Stand and face the audience

I recently attended a presentation where the speaker sat at a table and pushed keys on her laptop to run her slides. She sat facing sideways, looking from her computer to the screen on the left (to read the many bullet points), then back to the audience on her right. It was an uncomfortable setup, and she had to contort her body to see the audience and still manipulate the keyboard.

Sitting in a chair diminishes your authority and makes eye contact difficult in a presentation or workshop setting. No, you are not the Supreme Ruler, but you are the subject matter expert for the moment, and it's important to stand tall where everyone in the room can see you. Stand facing the audience, with your computer to the side. You can still see the computer from where you are, but you can also more readily interact with the audience. You shouldn't need to look at the screen unless you want to emphasize something by indicating it on the screen. Using a laser pointer is preferred to walking over to the screen to point at something.

Pointer #2: Use a remote device

Had this presenter used a remote to advance her slides, she wouldn't have had to sit in front of her computer. Remote presentation devices allow you to stand up to 100 feet away from the computer running your PowerPoint. They have many features, including next slide, previous slide, black screen, cursor control and laser pointer function. They also range in price, so you don't have to spend a fortune. Using a remote will make your presentations much more fluid and allow you free movement around the stage and interaction with your audience. Choose a radio frequency (RF) remote over infrared (IF), as radio frequency gives you much more range of motion and you don't have to worry about objects blocking the signal.

Pointer #3: Use notes

It's not necessary to be tied to your computer if you have your presentation notes handy. If you're using PowerPoint, print out the slides on paper so you can follow along, or just use your outline. Place the notes on a table next to you where you can keep an eye on them without using them as a crutch. Remember, the bulk of your presentation should be in your head already. Notes are just placeholders for the information in your head.

Pointer #4: Use PowerPoint for good, not evil

Bullet points have become the standard presentation mode when using PowerPoint. However, this method is not necessarily the best way to get your message across. Frequently, presenters attempt to put their entire presentation into bullet point format in order to get everything onto slides. This is not necessary or desirable, unless you want to e-mail the presentation to your attendees and tell them not to bother coming.

It's your job to engage the audience, to keep their rapt attention and to make them want more. It's your job to inform, yes, but to do it in a way that your audience remembers vividly what you told them AND retains it for more than two days. Bullet points are hardly engaging. . . and they don't tell a story the way your words and expressions can. Think back to some speakers you've really enjoyed. Do you remember their bullet points or do you remember their energy and powerful way of expressing themselves?

I highly recommend the book "Beyond Bullet Points," by Cliff Atkinson. If you're interested in delivering truly impactful presentations, take a look at this book for a completely new way to use PowerPoint.

Pointer #5: Beyond PowerPoint

It's entirely possible to give an engaging presentation using nothing but a flip chart and markers. This "old school" presentation method is still a great way to incorporate audience input and use spontaneously generated ideas as part of your workshop. If you feel that you're leaving out something, make sure to provide handouts at the end of your session.

Visuals can enhance a presentation and help your audience to synthesize the information you're sharing. At the same time, visuals can become unwieldy, distracting or boring, dragging down the liveliness and spontaneity of a presentation. Use visuals thoughtfully and sparingly, relying more on your own personality and passion to bring a presentation to life.

Author Bio: Lisa Braithwaite is a public speaking and presentation skills coach based in Santa Barbara, California. Find your voice and regain your confidence with public speaking coaching! Sign up for my newsletter and find out about my free consultation by visiting http://www.coachlisab.com

If you Like Them, They Will Like You

2010-03-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

When you see experienced public speakers, sometimes it seems they can cast a spell on an audience. You as an audience member know what that spell feels like. And one of the first evidences that this public speaker was going to keep this audience in the palm of his hand is that you almost instinctively liked him or her. And the interesting thing about that "spell" is that once you genuinely like this speaker, you naturally are open to his presentation, you listen more attentively and you are more open to suggestion if the speaker is driving to a point.

So as you prepare to begin doing some public speaking, its natural to want to know how to make that spell work for you. We all have a natural feeling of insecurity or inferiority and we worry that the audience will not like us and our presentation will go badly. So you wonder if that speaker just naturally more likeable than you or did he use some public speaking magic to make the audience like him.

The answer is twofold. First, no, that public speaker is not more likeable than you. That is just your insecurity talking to you and you need to tell that insecurity to take a hike because it is not going to do you a bit of good becoming a better public speaker. And secondly, yes there is something that public speaker knows to make his or her audience like them but no, it isn't magic at all. It is something anyone who stands in front of a crowd can use and it will work every time.

The secret really isn't very complicated at all. You just have to learn to like the audience. That may seem simple but buried in that idea is a powerful principle of psychology. When you step in front of a crowd and you have trained yourself to like them, it comes out in every aspect of your posture and the way you behave. You will smile more, make eye contact and actually find yourself wanting to interact with them during the course of your presentation.

Now don't be concerned if your speech or presentation is not interactive in a dialog sort of way. But if you have spoken to a small group before, you know that there is a lot of interaction going on even during a one way speech. That speaker who charmed you that day with that "magic" knows that interaction goes on all the time. As you speak, you get feedback in the form of body language and facial expressions that let you know how you are doing. And by starting out with a fundamental warmth and affectionate relationship with an audience, that feedback is warm and affectionate as well and that only makes the presentation more of a success.

The trick to learning to like your audience lies in looking for good reasons to like them. We use the word "trick" for a good reason.' Any reason to like them will do. You don't have to like every individual in the audience. You might like the clothing they are wearing or the faces of individuals in the audience. You might like certain ones you know or a few you met and found a chemistry with early on. You can even like a crowd just because you find a few in that group attractive.

By focusing on the ones you like, your warmth toward them will spread to the rest of the audience as you speak. Before long you will have that crowd in the palm of your hand and using that magic spell to make your presentation a success. Then you will remember this little "trick". And you will use it often for public speaking success every time.

Avoid Lazy Speech Habits - 1-Minute Quick Tips to Sounding Crisp

2010-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Do people ask you to repeat yourself because they didn't quite catch what you were saying? Every time you speak to a single person or a group of people, they need to hear clearly the words that you say. So often, we are tired, or it is the umpteenth time that you've repeated the same speech, or you never move your lips or jaw when you speak.

The solution to fixing this is to tune-up your articulators. The articulators are those parts of your body that make your speech distinct and clear. They are your lips, teeth, tongue, and a relaxed jaw. So if you are lazy or inactive with these parts of your body, then it is time to start doing these simple exercises to perk them up. If you do these each day, especially, before you have to give a speech, then you will not only be crisp and clear; but you'll also, feel perky and better about yourself.

Here are 10 essential Quick Tips that you can do about a 1 minute:

1. Loosen your facial muscles by scrunching up your face

2. Stick your tongue out of your mouth, stretch it to touch your nose, then your chin, then from side to side

3. Flip your tongue up inside your mouth, then under, then sideways from ear to ear

4. Loosen your jaw by letting it drop and move it around

5. Loosen those lips by blowing air just as if you are blowing out your birthday candles

6. Repeat these tongue twisters 3 times quickly, or any others you know that use the lips and tongue:

a. a big black bug bit a big black bear

b. red leather; yellow leather

7. Do these actions 3 times: give a kiss mid-air and then smile

8. Repeat this pattern 3 times: "oo- ee"

9. With your fingers give your face a gentle massage

10. End by saying with enthusiasm and a sharp attack on the beginning and end of each word:

"Speak with the lips, the teeth, and the tip of the tongue!"

Now, you are all tuned-up to give your speech to one or many. Use this quick warm-up every day just after you brush your teeth in the morning, and it will be a sure kick-start to energize your day.

Did you find this article helpful? Listen to one of our special links of a genuine pleasing voice on his video tutorials about making money on http://www.brencraishop.com Need a professional radio voice for your recording, or further training guides on improving your speech, go to http://www.voicepowertraining.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Make Them Laugh

2010-02-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

In the delightful Broadway musical "Singing in the Rain", there is a song called "Make them Laugh" which is based on this idea that the best way for any stage performer to build a bond with an audience is to use humor to bring a smile, or a laugh, to that audience. Well, that idea is not just valid for stage performers. It's just as true when you begin to develop your style as a public speaker.

If you pick up any self help guide to how to be effective as a public speaker, one of the golden rules is to open with a joke. But guess what? That is not actually a hard and fast rule. Humor is the type of thing that works just as well about a minute into your presentation, halfway through or just about anywhere that you feel you are losing your audience.

Audience psychology is a funny thing but not in the "laughter" sense. The truth is that when you first begin to speak to an audience, they are probably listening to you. Most people are at least curious about you and what you have to say and will take interest in you if for no other reason than you are a new person up there in front of them. While there is certainly not a bad idea to open with humor, the time your audience needs a joke is when you have launched into your discussion and you look out to nodding heads or drifting eyes and you know that you are talking but nobody is listening. That is when humor brings the audience back to you and hooks them back into your presentation.

The biggest problem with a lot of public speaking situations is that you may be presenting ideas to the crowd. While an idea is a good thing, people have trouble staying focused on pure concepts for very long. That is why most good public speakers use illustrations, stories and humor to keep the audience focused on what you are talking about. And that is where a generous use of humor will help your public speaking style as well.

Humor has a certain effect on the human psychology that causes the listener to bond with the speaker in a unique way. To put that more simply, using humor in your presentation makes people like you. And when they like you, they want to hear what you have to say. There is just no getting around the fact that people will listen to, accept, understand and make their own ideas presented with humor far more readily than if your talk is dry presentation of material, even if it is important material.

But what if you don't know how to use humor? Of course you can always just tell a joke. But canned jokes are just that, attempts to use someone else's humor. They do work, (if it’s a good joke) but if the humor is not relevant to what you are talking about or to you as a speaker, it often is not as effective as it should be. The best humor is actually self-deprecating remarks as you speak. These are easy to come up with by simply using yourself as the subject of an illustration. For example, if this topic was part of your speech, you might say…

"You know it's easy to get tongue tied and bumble around up here trying to use humor. But you folks won't make a mess of it like I am doing."

That isn't even a very good joke. But because it is highly relevant, it is self deprecating and it’s a light moment in the presentation, it will probably get a chuckle. A chuckle is really all you are looking for. You are not trying to become a stand up comic up there. Humor that is too wild and designed to bring hearty laughter actually is distracting. You just want little asides that are of a humorous nature to bring your audience back to listening to you.

Listen to good speakers you admire and take note of how they seem to slip and out of humor easily and effortlessly and how quickly that build rapport with the audience. It will take some practice to get good at using humor as you speak. But it will improve your presentation style tremendously. And that's the whole idea, isn't it?

Public Speaking - What Attire Has to Do With It

2010-02-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

If you want to come across as credible and project confidence when making a presentation, remember that those attributes are not going to come from what you say. Research has confirmed that 93 percent of your communication impact comes from how you look and sound. I have captured the seven key delivery skills a speaker should master with the acronym S.P.E.A.K.E.R.

- Smile
- Posture
- Eye Communication
- Appearance
- Kinesics
- Expressive Vocals
- Resting Places for Your Hands

This article is about "Appearance."

When you're in front of a room, does your appearance command attention, give you credibility, imbue you with power? Or is it weak, sloppy, uncertain? How you appear to your audience has an impact on your believability and how receptive they'll be to your message. And while most of the other points in my SPEAKER acronym also deal with some aspect of appearance, I created this category to deal with two very specific subsets of your appearance: attire and distracting mannerisms. The focus of this article is on Attire.

Looking good. In today's business casual world, the traditional business suit is far less common than it used to be. But just because business casual has become the predominant dress code, it doesn't mean you shouldn't strive to look your best.

When you're standing in front of a group, with several sets of eyes focused on you, it's not the time to wear the pants that are a little snug, the panty hose with a run in it, or the shoes that are scuffed. At the very least, your garments should be clean, pressed and well-fitting. Don't choose an outfit based on what looks good, but rather on what makes you look good.

Fabric choices. To stay cool, literally, don't wear heavy material and make sure you wear a fabric that breathes. Polyesters and other man-made fabrics don't breathe and will make you sweat all the more. Stick with natural fabrics: cotton, wool, silk.

Appropriateness. Consider what's appropriate for the audience and the occasion. What's fitting to a board of directors is not the same as what's suitable to a group of construction workers in jeans and flannel shirts. Remember that a jacket is the great equalizer: take it off if you feel over-dressed; throw one on if you need to upgrade your look.

Remember this great business casual guideline: the more skin that's exposed, the more casual the look. Therefore, a sleeveless top is more casual than short sleeves, and short sleeves are more casual than long sleeves. A short skirt is more casual than a long one. Sandals are more casual than shoes. Even in your casual attire wardrobe, you can still make choices that are more professional than others.

Color. While black or navy is often considered a "power color," the fact is many of us don't look good in those colors. If you choose a color that's complimentary to your skin tone, hair and eye color (either warm tones or cool tones), you'll find that you'll look better. Poor color choices can either wash you out or literally clash with your coloring, which will not enhance your appearance in front of a group.

Keep in mind that whenever you wear two contrasting colors, such as dark pants with a light shirt, you are essentially cutting yourself in half. This creates the illusion of a shorter, wider figure. If you want to cut a taller, more slender figure, then choose the monochrome look, a top that matches the pants or skirt in color.

If your clothing choices make you look good, then you'll feel good. And if you feel good, you'll perform well. And audiences will love you.

Barbara Busey, president of Presentation Dynamics, http://www.presentationdynamics.net, has been a professional speaker, trainer and author since 1990 specializing in teaching people the art of dynamic presentations. She is the author of Stand Out When You Stand Up-An A to Z Guide to Powerful Presentations. Sign up here for her newsletter, Stand Out Strategies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Create a Problem and Then Solve It

2010-02-15T03:32:00.000-08:00

How well your presentation goes the next time you step up to a podium depends on several factors. But one factor you can control completely is your script. The way you organize your content and how you present the material to that crowd can either totally captivate them and drive them step by step to conclusion or it can bore them to sleep. Its all in how you construct your presentation and how you present what you want them to know throughout the talk.

The difference between a great talk and a boring one is simple. A great talk is compelling. A great talk gets to the heart of a common experience. It addresses something we all go through and deals with a need we all experience. In short, a great talk solves a problem. So to create a presentation that reaches out and grabs your audience and holds them for the entire time of your presentation, you have to create a problem for them. And then you have to solve it.

The point when you create the problem is in your opening comments. Now don’t shy away from being a bit melodramatic in your opening. Remember the goal of the opening is to grab the audience's group attention and rivet it on your talk. So present the problem statement in a personal way, how it is meaningful on a personal level to the audience and to you. A about 20% of the time to the creation of the problem statement. By the time you have created that big monster in the room, they will be ready for you to guide them toward the solution.

With the audience "in the palm of your hand", you can move directly into the description of the perfect solution. The solution phase of your talk can be broken into two parts. First describe what the perfect solution would look like. You would not even directly bring up your solution just yet. Base your description of the perfect solution on the problem statement so you have an aspect of the solution that fits every possible problem created at the first part of your talk.

The next phase is the next to the last and comes about 50% into your time. Now you have the audience in a perfect place to hear your solution. Use about 30-40% of your total time on the proposed solution, fitting it perfectly to your discussion of the problem and the outline of what a perfect solution looks like. By this time the audience is eager to know the solution. All you are doing now is closing the deal.

If we followed a standard "term paper" approach to a program, the final phase would be to sum up and go over what you just talked about. Btu we are not going to follow that pattern because this is the time for the "pay off". In your closing statements, you finally disclose the action to be taken. By giving your audience what they can do to take the first step on putting your solution into motion, you are cashing in on all that energy you created in the first 80% of your speech.

Now close the deal by giving them concrete and "right now" things they can do to recognize the problem and start the wheels turning on making the solution a reality. If its possible make the first step of implementing that solution happen right there in the room with you. That might be signing up for a newsletter, giving you an email address or going to another room for further counseling and discussion. You know what it is. But by using that energy, you convert passive listeners to active participants. And you did that with a very well designed and a well executive presentation plan.

Write Good Speech for Public Speaking

2010-02-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

You cannot excel at public speaking without a good speech. If you are asked to give a speech or its required for work or school, you know that when you stand up there to give that presentation, you are going to have to have a well organized outline and content to get through it and impress those listening. Sometimes the fear of an upcoming speaking engagement comes from that writers block that happens when you have to write a good speech.

Writing a speech is not exactly like writing a term paper or a report. The reason is simple. What you actually "write" is not intended to be read. It will be heard. You don’t have to worry about good spelling or the other conventions of writing a paper because it might never see the light of day. If you are new to writing speeches, it might be best to write it out like a paper so you can hear it being said in your head.

But many times experienced speakers write a speech in the form of an outline based on a defined structure and then they hang the detail off of the structure. The detail is the content and the substance of the speech which makes up why your speech has value. It can include quotations, facts, historical references, scientific statistics, whatever you need to support the theme of your speech.

Now how you organize your speech may be determined by what kind of speech it is. And what kind of speech it is can be defined by what you hope to achieve. So a speech might be designed to convince, to sell, to entertain or to inform. Many times a speech can be a combination of these forms. But you should define what your expected outcome so you know if you have achieved your goal by the time the composition of the speech is done. Having that overriding goal well in mind helps in how you organize your speech.

The skeleton of a good speech is similar to a paper. But lay out each section and allocate your time accordingly even before you write the speech. The components are the introduction, the opener, the personal introduction, the statement of the "problem", three to five points of the body of the speech, the summary and the closer or the call for action again depending on the purpose of the speech.

For the opener, its good to use something that brings the audience to you. Its good to greet them warmly and seek a greeting in response. Some anecdote about the hall or the weather even can get the talk off on the right foot. Then go into your personal information but making sure what you tell relates to why you are the one here giving this talk. Keep every aspect of the presentation relevant to the central theme.

The problem statement can be phrased as a question. A good speech is like a good story because you must create a problem and then solve it. If you are going to discuss tricks for using Microsoft PowerPoint, start out talking about problems using the software with illustrations about catastrophes that have been caused by that lack of understanding. As much as possible keep the problem relevant your listeners. Then move directly from there to presenting the body of your work in an organized way. Make sure you have three to five solid points. Tell them what they are, tell them the points and then tell them what you just said. That cements your presentation in their minds.

The conclusion is often a summary of what was just said. Its good to close with humor as well. But you may also use the final summary of your talk for any call to action you may have in mind for this audience. If they enjoyed your speech, they want to know what you want them to do, even if they are not going to go do that. It just gives a nice ending to the discussion. Thank them for their time and close. But stick around because if it was a good talk, you will have questions or people who will want to talk to you about things they thought about afterward. And if that happens, you know for certain then that you did a good job.

10 Tips on How to Speak Effectively in Public

2010-01-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

1. We should look our best. Although people are not supposed to 'judge the book by its cover', some people unconsciously tend to do that. If we don't look credible enough, they may not even start listening to what we have to say. I'm not saying we ought to wear gowns or tuxedos, but simply wear clothes fit for the occasion. Our clothes should be neat and free of wrinkles (unless it's the clothes' style), not too loud that people would rather stare at it than us. We should be pleasant-looking, and I'm not only referring to our clothes but our faces and gestures as well.

2. We should know how to stress our point. A speech, like a song has a variety of notes, tempo and loudness. A singer who just screeches all the way from the beginning to the end will not be listened to, no matter how talentedly-highpitched she is. Same with delivering a speech. We ought to know when to stay silent, when to pause, when to speak loudly, when to whisper, when to speak fast, when to slow down, etc. or else we would sound monotonous and the main points of our speech would not be understood or remembered well.

3. We should be humble. We should admit it when we make mistakes during our speech and to apologize for that mistake. There are times we may forget a certain term. Instead of pausing for a long time or using a word we're not sure of, it's better to ask our listeners. Do not be ashamed to do this. Listeners would appreciate your humility and even relate to you more because they know you are just like them, a human capable of making mistakes and forgetting things, a great or famous person, yet, still human, like them, and this makes the listeners love you more.

4. We should develop a clean sense of humor. Relating to the above mentioned tip on humility, it's not embarrassing to make mistakes or forget things especially when you have a good sense of humor to save the day. Instead of that instant becoming one of your most embarrassing experiences, it might even become one of your speech's highlights depending on how you carry yourself. Let me point out though, that it's a clean sense of humor I'm talking about, because I've heard some speeches before that relied on toilet humor and/or 'for adults only jokes' (you know what I mean)and the listeners, me included were not amused at all. Some might even be offended and walk out. So, be careful with the jokes, okay?

5. We should talk to the listeners not just with our lips but our eyes too. Even if we have a prepared speech (which speakers usually don't memorize), we should not glue our eyes on it. It's probably better if we just write outlines of our speech and not the word per word thing, for we might just be tempted to look at it more. If it's an outline, we wouldn't rely on that sheet of paper before us. Instead of looking on the prepared speech sheet, we should be looking at our listeners. Don't just focus on one though (even if there's a really gorgeous guy or girl in the audience who caught your attention). Look from left to right or right to left slowly; look at nearly everyone. Look them in the eyes, try to see if they understand your point. Let's not look at trees or the stage's ceiling or floor. We are talking to the people, so it's them we ought to look at. Let's make sure though that the way we look at them is not in any way offending though. And what we're saying should be in harmony with how we look at them.

6. We should use our gestures well. If you're a conductor in an orchestra, I'd understand why you have a lot of hand gestures (just kidding!^^), but if not, minimize it. We don't want the audience to be distracted with our unnecessary movements while we talk. Our gestures should be governed by what we say and what we want to point out. We should avoid having a memorized gesture like children are taught when reciting a poem in grade school. (we're not kids anymore, so it's not cute anymore^^)

7. We should use appropriate language. There's no need to use terribly deep-no one-else-has-heard-of terms or expressions to impress the listeners. Instead of gaining admirers, we might even lose them. Speak with simplicity and sincerity. Speak your audience's language, meaning, make your language appropriate for their level of understanding and appreciation.

8. We should connect to our listeners. Let's not speak as if we're on a stage in an empty hall. We should talk to them. Some speakers even go to the point of going down the stage and talking to individuals, making the audience feel that they are important and that it's not a one-way communication speech, but a discussion and that their thoughts matter. We don't always have to do this. It depends on the occasion, the listeners and the time allotted for our speech. I would just like to point out that speakers who make their audience feel that he is not the center of attention but them (the listeners) win their respect more.

9. We should believe in what we are saying. If we don't sound convinced by what we say, we can't expect anyone to believe it. In the first place, there's no need to be shy when asked to speak in public because the fact that you are asked to speak to the audience already means that you have authority in that area you will be talking about, and that those people already believe in you to begin with. So, let's prove them right and not waste their trust.

10. We should be able to inspire our listeners to take action. This skill is probably not that easy to develop, but it's the skill that separates good speakers from great ones. Why? Because even if people enjoyed our speech and listened to it, if whatever action we expect from them afterwards was not realized, then, our talk might have been in vain. It might have been good for the moment, but not one that will be remembered or change lives.

I hope you learned a lot from these tips. I will write more tips and articles to share with you soon. If there are topics regarding English you would like me to discuss, kindly let me know. I'll see what I can do for you.

Written by: D.A.Soriano of http://englishtrainer.blogspot.com D.A. Soriano is a a Communication Arts graduate with masteral units in English who became a Copywriter, an English/IELTS/TOEFL/TOEIC Instructor and a Training Manager/Consultant. Now, she's an entrepreneur, a blogger, a singer/composer, artist and novelist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Public Speaking - 10 Tips to Cure "Death by PowerPoint"

2010-01-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

"Death by PowerPoint" is a reality in today's business environment. And although PowerPoint is often singled out as the culprit, it is rarely, if ever, at fault. When a PowerPoint presentation is boring, it is always the speaker's fault.

Use the following tips and you won't be accused of causing "Death by PowerPoint."

Take it easy with the animations.

Everybody has seen them and if you put too many, they become cheesy, boring, and annoying. Use them only if they add something of value to the presentation (e.g. humour).

Thing big.

Use big words on the screen. It doesn't matter if the words convey no information on their own. That's why you're there!

Make bold font choices.

Pick a font that stands out, and matches your personality. Stick to one font throughout the presentation, and make it a legible font. Sans Serif fonts (such as Arial and Verdana) are better for the screen than Serif fonts (such as Times New Roman or Garamond). For the most part, decorative fonts are not a good idea.

Create your own templates:

Eschew the standard templates distributed with Microsoft Office. Make up your own, or don't use a template at all. If your slides look like hundreds of other slides, they quickly lose their appeal.

Work as a team:

PowerPoint presentations require content, design, and presenting skills. Most people do not possess strengths in all three. Consider having different people bring those skills when building your slides.

Use simple diagrams

Use diagrams which can be easily seen and understood. Large, complex diagrams that require magnifying glasses and long explanations to understand are the bane of audiences everywhere. Simplify.

Less text, more images:

Don’t fill your slides with text, otherwise you and the audience will be tempted to read through them one at a time. Instead, use images that convey the same message. Remember what they say about words and images. Use images that have an emotional feel to them.

Don't be a slave:

Many presenters are slaves to their PowerPoint slides. If they disappear or do not project properly, they cannot deliver the information at all. PowerPoint is a visual aid, not a crutch. The gist of the presentation must come from you. PowerPoint should simply be there as added value.

Turn the spotlight:

When designing your slides, focus on the audience, not on you. The slides are there for the benefit of the audience, not for the benefit of the speaker. That simple change of perspective can do wonders for your effectiveness as a speaker.

Don't use it at all:

If everyone else uses PowerPoint, don't use it. You can get an easy standing ovation from bored audiences, by announcing "I have no PowerPoint slides for my presentation." If nobody else has PowerPoint slides, then consider using them, as long as you make them interesting.

Bonus tip:

Don't end your presentation with only the words "Thank You" on the final slide. Instead, thank them out loud.

Laurent Duperval consults and trains on communication issues. He publishes the "Bring Out The Speaker In You" electronic newsletter, which aims to help readers improve their public speaking and presentation skills.

You can reach him at http://www.duperval.com

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Public Speaking: 3 Rules for PowerPoint Slides

2010-01-07T01:12:00.000-08:00

1. Bullets and phrases:

When I conduct public speaking training, I always remind my audience to keep their PowerPoint slides easy to read. Pretend you're on the interstate where someone could read the information driving 55 miles per hour. Bullets work best as they are easier to read than sentences. Also, you are less likely to read the slides this way. The biggest rule with PowerPoint slides is to keep them big, bold, and simple. Your slides should resemble a billboard. No more than 6 bullets per slide and 6 to 8 words per line. Stick to three colors per PowerPoint slide, otherwise your audience will start focusing more on color and less on your content.

2. Font choices:

Often, people come up to me privately in my public speaking training seminars and confide that many of their colleagues use “print that is too small for anyone to read.” They secretly urge me to tell everyone attending that the print must be large enough to read the PowerPoint slide. In addition, I’m often told by the person who hires me that many of their employees put too much information on their slides. With public speaking and visual aids, less is more.

Pick simple fonts, but make certain they’re large enough to read for people in the back rows. The print size should be at least a 28 font for titles and at least 22 point for other text. Simple fonts with clean lines are much easier to read. For instance, Times New Roman, Gothic and Verdana are good choices. Within those font families you have the ability to enhance a page using italics and bold, just go easy on the underlines. And never put letters in all capitals. Instead, use upper and lower case lettering. It is much easier to read, and doesn’t look like you’re shouting.

3. Color and contrast:

Take into consideration the size of the room in which you’ll be speaking. Will everyone in that last row be able to read the information on your PowerPoint slides? In order to assist them in reading what’s on screen, choose soft “easy-on-the-eyes” background colors such as light blue or turquoise blue. For lettering, choose a contrasting color differing from your background such as white, black or navy. For example, use light lettering on a dark background, or dark lettering against a light background. Never use all sentences in black print against a plain white background. It is boring and no one will read it.

Public speaking and the cardinal rule: you never want to read what’s on the screen. After all, you are the presenter. Your audience assumes you’re the expert. Also, when you read what’s on your slides, mostly likely your back is to the audience. They won’t focus on you. They’ll just lose focus and start thinking about other things. Therefore, use bullets and phrases as opposed to sentences on your slides and in handouts. Think of what’s on your slides only as “fast food for the eyes.”

In my public speaking training, I frequently see highly educated, knowledgeable people trying to cram too much information on a single slide. This is especially true when presenting technical material. Technical people have a propensity to put too many words, charts, colors and graphs on a single slide. Know your material, yet keep it simple. Practice. Rehearse with your PowerPoint slides. Get honest feedback from your friends, family members and colleagues. You can do it. Good luck!

Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker, and workplace expert/co-author of "The Masters of Success," as featured on the Today Show. For more free articles and to sign up for her free newsletter on topics such as procrastination, difficult people, leadership, management, public speaking, success and more visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Colleen has spoken in 47 states and 6 countries. http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com (971)212-2412 cell.

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Reading to an Audience

2010-01-01T01:36:00.000-08:00

Public speaking is counter-intuitive. That is to say what your intuition tells you is a good thing is not always the truth. And what your instincts say not to do is often the best thing to do.

Your natural inner voice when you find out you have to do a public presentation is to write it all out and read it to the audience word for word. That way, so your inner voice thinks, there is no way you have to depend on memory and you won't ever get stuck and have that sinking feeling up there when your brain empties out and you have nothing to say.

But even if you don’t use the method of writing your entire speech out, there are situations where reading to an audience is called for. You may have a passage from a part of your research that is key to what you need for them to know. Or there may be quotations that are too long to just quote and you need to read them. The situations are varied where reading to a group of people is called for.

So to be prepared for that becoming part of your presentation, you should practice it and have some technique down before the situation comes up. Then pausing to read a segment of your presentation is not going to be so disruptive.

The biggest problem of reading to an audience is eye contact. Maintaining a continuous eye contact with your audience should be the first commandment of good public speaking.

The more you can look at your audience, catch their eye and maintain that relationship, the stronger your presentation will be. So if you take a minute or two or three to look down and read to an audience, you lose all of that contact with them and momentum. Like children, when you are not looking at them, they will naturally begin to fidget and drift from what you are doing.

The simple truth is that people don’t like to be read to. Add to that the problem that when you look down to read, your voice is no longer projecting out to the audience but down to the page.

You lose at least half of the force of your diaphragm because you are looking down so the power of your talk is vastly reduced by that simple interruption. By the time you look up again, you may have no idea that you have lost of their attention and the forward motion of your talk is damaged.

One way to lesson the disruption of reading a passage is to had out the passage to the audience before hand and then direct them to it as you need to in the body of your talk. This gives them somewhere to look while you read. Then when you do read the material, don't put it on the podium and look down at it. Hold it up to just below face level. That way you can read it and still maintain the force of your diaphragm and your eye contact over the top of the book or page.

Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of thinking that because you are going to read some or all of your presentation, that reduces your preparations. If anything, you should prepare more. Be sure you are very familiar with the text so you are not so much reading it as reciting it with notes.

By giving them the text, you are not so concerned with having to read it word for word correctly and because people read faster than they listen, they will be a step ahead of you and understand the text better.

Practice reading the passage. Resist the urge to read monotone like you was reading the phone book. Learn to read the passage with inflection, with emphasis and even with emotion. Work the passage into the flow of your presentation so you come right out of the reading and make the points from the reading that you need to make right away. These techniques overcome the major problems reading to a crowd create in a presentation.

Using them you will find success because the reading you need to have will flow naturally in the other parts of your speech. And when you can do that and you don’t lose your audience, you will have made a step forward in your public speaking evolution.

3 Public Speaking Tips to Avoid Getting Nervous!

2009-12-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

Do you get a lump in your throat when you hear the term public speaking? Palms get sweaty, your heart races, and your mouth gets dry? First, hear these words and never forget them:

Great speakers were not born great speakers.

I hope that makes you feel better! It's the truth- public speaking is something you need to work your way up to becoming fluid, natural and stress-free. Here are a few great tips that helped me want to be in front of audiences, not fear being in front of audiences:

1. Own your content.

Being comfortable in a public speaking scenario means being able to speak your content, not recite it. Imagine this: You stand in front of a group and have to speak your name, your birth date, your favorite color, your favorite hobby, and your favorite singer. WOW! How simple. Why? Because you know that information already, you have it committed to memory, and you don't fear forgetting something. I've noticed that most people actually fear forgetting part of their speech more than the actual part of speaking to a group. Again, know your content and be able to talk it.... not recite it. Good luck, you can do it!

2. Don't walk a plank.

Public speaking means doing your own thing, being YOU! Don't feel you need to follow a detailed layout. Be YOU. Be YOU. Be YOU. I can't stress that enough! Stand up, tell them who you are, why you are here, and then tell them all about why you are here, then tell them why you were here! Thank them for listening. If being you means starting with humor, do so. Beware: don't start with humor if you aren't funny- that is the worst, and it sets tension between you and the audience right off the get-go! Personally, I start with a great story from my Secret Service days in order to grab the attention of the audience.

3. Have Fun!

This sounds silly but I promise it's critical to feeling confident and delivering an outstanding presentation. Deep breaths before you begin, have water handy, look into the eyes of your guests, and put on a genuine smile. Let them know you want to be there and you enjoy being there. It will do wonders for cutting any tension you think may exist.

3 Year U.S. Secret Service Veteran, Author and Speaker Jeff Hopeck has dedicated his life to helping people eat healthier- without cutting out the fun! Access thousands of FREE recipes, snacking tips, and exercises at http://healthyhabitsblog.com/

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Be a Great Communicator - Three Unique Tips That Help You Communicate Well

2009-12-21T01:48:00.000-08:00

Being a great communicator, or speaking in public, is sometimes a problem for people. You start getting nervous and suddenly you don't know what to say next, and you get the sweats or you get chilled. Right? Well, here are three tips that will help you feel more comfortable when it's time to speak.

Tip #1: To be a great communicator, here are two things you need to do.

* You need to take full responsibility for success when you talk to people

* You need to take full responsibility for success when you listen to people

As a speaker, you need to take full responsibility by knowing that others understand what you are saying. If possible, have them repeat what you said, only in their own words, and here's a twist: Have them say what they would do about it, with it, for it.

As a listener, you can take full responsibility for hearing what the others are saying, by repeating it back to them as you understand it. Then, you tell them what YOU would do about it, with it, for it.

Taking full responsibility isn't all that hard once you learn how to listen closely and speak specifically. Do this and you will be a great communicator in no time!

Tip #2: If you want to be a great communicator, make it a point to discover which type of person you are talking with so that you can gain rapport quickly and easily.

For instance, the visual person will most often speak more quickly and at a higher pitch.

The audio person speaks in a clear, expressive voice.

The kinesthetic person usually speaks in a deeper voice, and speaks slowly with long pauses.

If you are speaking quickly and at a higher pitch, but the person you are talking with speaks slowly and with long pauses, there won't be much rapport between the two of you. If you slow your speaking down and pause thoughtfully, you'll have that person's attention.

Tip #3: Would you like to be a successful communicator and public speaker?

Practice in front of a mirror.

Why? Because using the mirror to rehearse a speech creates a picture of yourself in your mind that connects with the sound of your voice. You increase the vibrations by which the force and meaning of your words will quickly penetrate your audience's subconscious minds. Love your mirror, love your audience.

You'll soon be a great communicator and speaking confidently as you connect with your audience.

Jan Tincher, Master Neuro-Linguistic Programmer & Hypnotherapist, is a nationally recognized expert in Hypnotherapy & Neuro-Linguistic Programming. She teaches strategies and techniques that help people find success in all areas. She is an award winning author, and has written hundreds of articles that show people how to live healthier, happier lives. You can read her articles at Self Help Advice Web Site

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Public Speaking - What Do You Do With Your Hands?

2009-12-18T02:33:00.000-08:00

Only seven percent of your communication impact comes from what you actually say, while 93 percent comes from how you look and sound. As a result, a speaker needs to have dynamic delivery skills. I use the acronym S.P.E.A.K.E.R. to capture the seven key delivery skills a speaker should master.

Smile
Posture
Eye Communication
Appearance
Kinesics
Expressive Vocals
Resting Places for Your Hands

This article deals with 'Resting Places'.

If you're using purposeful gestures when you speak - which you should! - then by definition, you're not gesturing all the time. Then what do you do with your hands? If you keep things out of your hands so you're not tempted to play with them and be distracting, then what do you do with your hands when you can't hold on to anything for security?

Your hands convey a lot about how comfortable and confident you appear. How you hold them when they're "at rest" can be called resting places.

Resting Places to Avoid

Before I describe the most powerful and confident resting places you can use, let's look at those that are less effective. The following resting places are either closed or defensive or arrogant or pained-looking - not the kind of message you want to send your audience.

1. Hands in the pockets.

2. Crossed arms.

3. Hands on the hips.

4. The arm clutch.

5. The fig leaf.

This is when your hands are loosely clasped together in front of the groin area. While the fig leaf is a respectful posture, it is also deferential: it defers power away from you. As a speaker, you don't want to defer that power. You want to own it and project it. So the fig leaf is not a good choice to achieve that.

Effective Resting Places

If you want to appear confident and comfortable when you're making a presentation, the following positions make the most effective home bases.

1. Arms at your side.

Letting your arms hang down at your sides can be appropriate, but if you feel awkward or uncomfortable doing it, then it's a good bet that's how you'll look. So try it and see. If it feels comfortable on you, it'll undoubtedly look that way.

2. Parade rest.

This is where you clasp your hands behind your back. This is a powerful posture. It pulls your chin out, pulls your shoulders back and lifts your rib cage. However, a caveat: Because it looks good and is comfortable, the tendency is to lock into it and never come out of it. There goes your kinesics, your purposeful movement. So my recommendation is to save parade rest for when you're not talking. During the Q&A session, parade rest makes a great listening pose.

3. Arms up.

This position calls for you to bend your elbows at a right angle and place your hands loosely together in front of your solar plexus. The 90-degree angle is key, because if it's any wider, it lowers your hands and becomes a fig leaf. If it's any tighter, it raises your hands, which can look like you're praying, not the confident look you want.

What's key about how your hands come together in this position is that they're relaxed, not tense. Examples: interlace your fingers, cup one hand around the other, steeple your fingertips together, place one hand in the other. By holding your arms up at that right angle, you're exerting energy. But by bringing your hands together in a relaxed - not tense - manner, you appear confident and at ease.

4. One-arm up.

Picture the last "arms up" home base and now drop one arm to your side while keeping the other at that 90-degree position. The arm that's up should have the hand loosely closed. If you've ever stood around at a cocktail party holding a drink in one of your hands, it's the same kind of positioning. For a subtle variation of this, you could place your dropped hand in your pocket. Just like with both arms up, the one-arm up balances energy and power with ease and relaxation, a powerful combination for a speaker to project.

If you can combine relaxed, open positions with energy, you will cement your look of a poised and confident speaker.

Barbara Busey, president of Presentation Dynamics, has been a professional speaker, trainer and author since 1990 specializing in teaching people the art of dynamic presentations. She is the author of "Stand Out When You Stand Up" An A to Z Guide to Powerful Presentations. Sign up for her newsletter, http://presentationdynamics.net/mailing/code/subscribe.php Stand Out Strategies

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Overcoming Your Speaking Fear!

2009-12-15T03:30:00.000-08:00

The fear of speaking ranks higher than the fear of dying.

A great many people shudder at the thought of addressing an audience. The primary reason for this reaction is that people are generally afraid of looking foolish under the spotlight.

It is this concern about doing or saying something that will appear stupid that causes fear to take root before a speaking presentation is delivered.

The key to overcoming your fear is to reduce the significance of the event. Become somewhat neutral to the idea of making a mistake. In order to do that, you will have to be confident of your ability to handle any situation which arises.

Such confidence is achieved through:

1. Preparation:

· Leave nothing to chance - plan for every aspect of your presentation. From your opening, to your closing, to the jokes, quotes and stories you will use for your main content, everything needs to be pre-planned. Even potentially awkward moments, where technological failures leave gaps of silence should be considered beforehand.

· Your materials - familiarise yourself with all presentation props and any case studies or other content that you will be going over.

· Know your audience - don't wait until you are standing in front of your audience before you assess them and attempt to tailor your delivery.

· Conditions - ensure you have a good idea of the venue, stage, and facilities available to you. This knowledge can prove instrumental, and can prevent any unwanted last minute surprises.

2. Practice:

· In front of a mirror - more or less self-explanatory; a mirror allows you to see yourself as your audience will see you. This method is a great way to develop awareness of your body language and gestures, and gives you the opportunity to replace detrimental body language with more powerful alternatives.

· Record your practice - just as with the mirror exercise, this method is a great way to observe yourself from an audience perspective, and correct any ineffective gestures, words, or other components of your presentation.

· Use a friendly audience - ideally, you should aim to practice your speech in front of a person or mock audience (be it your family or friends). You will boost your confidence and gain valuable feedback which you can incorporate to perfect your presentation as much as possible, before you encounter your real audience.

3. Structure:

· Outline the speech - outline your opening, the main body of your talk, and your close. You may want to rehearse your opening and close, but be a little more flexible with the core part of your talk. That's fine, but remember that outlining will help to keep you on track with time, and prevent you from digressing from the point.

· Organise materials - take some time out to have all your materials well arranged and in order. This will avoid you making any embarrassing blunders during a live delivery.

4. Audience:

· Reduce the importance or significance - there are many strategies for doing this. The main thing is to lessen the importance of the those you are delivering to, to ensure you do not suffer stage fright.

· Connect with individuals - if you take some time to make connections with a handful of people prior to your talk, you will naturally feel more relaxed when you have to present to the full audience. It also gives you an opportunity to make eye contact with friendly faces that you have already partially become acquainted with.

5. Relax:

· Do breathing exercises - your breathing controls your heart rate. If you slow your breathing down, you will naturally feel more relaxed and comfortable. This puts you in a better state of mind to perform at your best.

· Lighten your mood - have fun, and enjoy your time speaking. If you're having fun, your audience will too.

Author of Speak For Your SUCCESS!, Anneesh Elizabeth has trained many novices in the speaking field, turning them into, confident, impressive and influential speakers. As an entrepreneur, radio presenter, and sought after personal success trainer, Anneesh has personally taken her public speaking skills from good to great, with her proven strategies and techniques.

Anneesh's motto is, "The more you speak the more you get paid. The better you speak the higher the wage!"

=> Sign up for the 6 Week Speaking Pro Online Course for FREE at: http://www.amoresuccessfulyou.co.uk

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Public Speaking: 10 Steps to Avoid PowerPoint Becoming a Deadly Virus

2009-12-12T23:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past decade it has become easier and easier to be an outstanding speaker because as a result of PowerPoint the standards of speaking in business have declined to the point where the average presentation is mediocre at best but often boring drivel.

Computer generated slides, there is no way to describe them as graphics, have destroyed speaking skills. The combination of too little time and the apparent ease of producing a PowerPoint presentation means that most speeches have become narrated slide shows with the screen centre stage and the presenter off to the side.

Whenever anyone is asked to "Do a Presentation" out comes the laptop, often the day before the speech, and slide after slide is filled with "bullets" or the odd "quote" or scanned image in 10 point type. These are the speaker's notes or in many cases the actual script because they read it out to the audience.

Five minutes before the end the presenter realises that 60 slides in 30 minutes was over ambitious and so tabs hurriedly though the 40 surplus slides to the closing slide. This unprofessional exercise was totally pointless because the audience was already comatose anyway.

At the end of the speech a colleague will then approach the presenter and ask for a copy of the presentation which they import into their laptop making a few additions and subtractions and the virus spreads. Of course half way through their presentation at least one slide will appear that is totally meaningless leaving the presenter at a complete loss for words.

Is this being cynical? Oh how I wish it was. However it is great news for you. Follow a few simple rules and even if you are still wedded to PowerPoint you can at least become a competent speaker. Be warned though. Even top professional speakers have wrecked an otherwise great speech when they were persuaded to "get modern" and use PowerPoint.

10 Steps to Avoid Ruining a Great Speech with PowerPoint.

1. Make time to write the speech before you create your PowerPoint presentation. If you don't have time to write a good speech, you are wasting your time speaking.

2. What is the purpose of the speech? Decide what your message is. One message – the audience can't remember more than that. If they only remember one thing you said, what is it?

3. Make no more than three points to support your message and use stories and interesting facts to illustrate them.

4. Decide on your call to action which should be linked to the key message. If the audience only do one thing as a result of the speech, what is it?

5. Look at your speech and decide where a PowerPoint slide will help. If it won't help don't use one. Use as few slides as possible and think of slides as graphics. Text is not graphics; your notes should be on the lectern not the screen.

6. Learn how to make the most of PowerPoint. Make your presentations look professional but remember it is "Audio Visual Support" for the main event – Your Speech.

7. If possible, position the projector and screen off to one side. You are the Star - the slides are the side show.

8. Remember these two essential PowerPoint Tips.

a) Press the "B" key and the screen goes "Black." Press any key and the last slide re-appears. When you have finished with a slide "Black" the screen till you need the next slide.

b) Enter the "Number" of a slide then "Enter" – to jump to that slide. If you run out of time jump to your closing slide and a finish.

9. If it's complex or technical create useful handout notes or diagrams as well as the slide. You can use the PowerPoint slide to talk through the handout. But remember you are creating audio visual tools to help you communicate your speech.

10. Practice, practice, practice. Run though the presentation and make sure it works with your speech and in time. If a slide seems redundant it probably is. Cut rather than add. You do not need a slide for everything you say – you need a slide only to help communicate what you say.

About the Author:

Founder and First President of the Professional Speakers Association, RikkiArundel is an International Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Writer and an expert in sales and marketing communications with an impressive track record. She is also proudly and openly transgender which has given her a unique understanding of the differences in the way men and women communicate in business.

Get your free copy of How to Get Customers Queuing up to Buy at http://www.SpeakingandMarketingTips.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Put Some Snap Into It.

2009-12-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

The difference between a public speaking presentation that bores you to tears and one that leaves you with a smile on your face and thinking about that presentation is often not the content but the style of the speaker. You can take the same exact written talk and give it to two speakers and one will turn that script into an exciting live event for his audience and the other will leave that crowd cold.

Obviously your goal as to be that speaker that can really make any presentation come alive. The first "myth" to get out of your head then is that how well you do at creating excitement has anything whatsoever to do with your subject matter. While it always helps for you to be excited about the topic itself, you can develop the skills to take any text and turn it into a genuinely exciting public speaking event for any crowd and to do it every time. Its just a matter of knowing how.

Much of how excited your audience will be has to do with your own level of energy, your sense of humor and how much you are enjoying yourself up there. This is one of the great secrets of the really great entertainers or public speakers. If you are having fun, your audience will have fun too. Fun is contagious. Think of the great late night host Johnnie Carson. He always seemed to be having a great time. And as a result the world wanted to join him and have a great time too. You can cultivate that personality and that attitude when you are on stage.

To have fun during your public speaking engagement, you have to learn to have some fun with the subject matter. This is not always easy if the subject matter is mundane and ho hum. But if you see that topic as boring, so will your crowd and your time talking to them will be a tedious trial on your soul and on theirs too. So have some fun even with how mundane the topic is. If you join the audience in their feelings about the topic, you and they become partners to find the excitement in this topic.

But along with finding excitement in the topic, learn to have fun with the audience. You can do that even before you begin to speak on the outline at hand. Take some time to step away from the podium and interact with the audience. Ask them questions and learn who the vocal members of the crowd are. Find out who the big jokers are and the ones who will have some wise cracks to add as you speak.

These connections and spontaneous friendships will pay off as the presentation begins. But you are doing something dangerous there too. By energizing the crowd, you are also giving them permission to jump in during your talk and "help you out". As you begin to speak, put energy and excitement, humor and personality into that text. The excitement of the crowd that sprung into existence because you started your relationship with them with affection and humor will feed your presentation.

Yes, if you put this kind of snap and pop into your time in front of a crowd, you will see feedback come back from that audience, particularly from those wise crackers you took time to make friends with at the start. But as scary at having that kind of interruption is, it means your crowd is energized and you an actually used that for your advantage. You can actually develop the ability to "surf" these interruptions and use them to propel your prevention forward. By teasing the crowd, asking them questions, the funny remarks that come back will actually be pertinent to what you have to say next. You can take your cues from their comments and take them right back to your outline and take the presentation forward to its conclusion.

This kind of public speaking can be dangerous and more than a little scary to learn to do. But because you had fun and our audience had fun, that presentation is full of "snap" and is 100% more successful. And that makes it worth taking the risks to learn this kind of public speaking.

It's all in the Voice

2009-11-22T05:20:00.000-08:00

Maybe one of the most common occurrences that happens in a public speaking situation is to see someone in the audience go to sleep on you. When you are the one going to sleep, you just hope the speaker doesn’t notice. But when you are the speaker, you know that you do notice and you wonder what you are doing wrong. You worked hard on your speech and you thought it was pretty interesting stuff. So why do they doze off?

Well you are in good company if you see that happen. For some reason this phenomenon happens routinely in churches all over the country every Sunday morning. And that preacher is a skilled public speaker who you would think could keep that crowd riveted. But in many public situations, even when the speaker has decades of experience, he may still not know how to keep that audience awake. That is because there is a public speaking technique that if you learn it early, you will be come of the rare public speakers that routinely is considered to be "great" no matter what the quality of your material.

That technique is quite simply how you use your voice. The voice is a marvelous tool. It has the power to express emotions, complex ideas, humor or outrage. And yet for some reason, many public speakers when they stand up to do a formal presentation loose 90% of the expression in their voices. All of a sudden we all start to sound like a boring math teacher droning on in a monotone even if the subject we are talking about is very interesting, human or emotional. You could talk about the day you fell in love or how to skydive but if you say it in a monotone, you are going to put people to sleep.

You have a lot of vocal tone available to you that you naturally use when you speak person to person and you are relaxed. What causes speakers to switch to a monotone or a reduced amount of vocal tones when speaking formally starts with nervousness. You are so focused on speaking clearly so you are understood that you end up sounding like you are reading the phone book. This is especially true if you have your entire speech written out and you are reading it. The strange thing is you would never read like that to children. It's strange we fall back to that style of speaking when talking to a group of adults.

Two great exercises can be used to help you get control over your vocal range as you speak. It really isn't something you want to think a lot about when you are in front of people because then you will become self conscious. But listen to other speakers and think about how they can improve their range of vocal tones. That will help you process your own range of expression. But also practice your presentation focusing on the ideas themselves but also on how you say them. Don’t be afraid to express emotions while speaking. If the subject is exciting, be excited. If it's troubling, be troubled. Be a human in front your audience will respond.

In addition, you can add a lot of variety to your presentation varying the volume with which you speak and the speed. You don’t want to shout but when you speak softly at times and with more force at others, that sudden change of tone and volume can capture the ear of the audience and hold their attention. In a way your focal presentation takes on elements of music as you use your voice as an instrument to make sure not only that the information is given to the audience but that they stay awake long enough to hear it.

Public Speaking Means Never Saying "I'm Sorry"

2009-11-13T03:01:00.000-08:00

In the romantic movie, "Love Story", a phrase about love was introduced that went, "Love means never having to say your sorry". And while anyone who is married knows how untrue that is, we could easily adapt that concept to the world of public speaking. While you may from time to time have occasion that you feel you should express regret to your audience, it’s a hard and fast rule of public speaking to never apologize to your audience.

The psychological principle behind this rule is solid and it's not based just in ego. We are not putting this rule in place because you are infallible or to put out an image of the super speaker. The rule is grounded in the relationship between an audience and a public speaker that is well known and how you should create and use that chemistry to have success in your own public speaking career.

When a speaker gets up before a group, there are the assumptions that the crowd has about you. And they want to know that these things are true so they know they will be made to feel comfortable during your presentation. The core of those assumptions are….

• You are confident.

• You know what you are talking about.

• That you like them, are passionate about your subject matter and are genuinely happy to be there.

• You are comfortable in the public speaking role and

• They want to like you.

These assumptions are strongly ingrained into the psychology of a crowd and you can relate to them as you have listened to a speaker. If that speaker is at ease, relates to the crowd in a confident easy going way and is not easily "thrown" by the little things that happen during a talk, then you relax and in doing so, you are more open to what the speaker has to say.

Learning to react to issues that come up or to handle objections or perceived errors or weaknesses in your script is just part of becoming confident as a speaker. You should become convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that that contract between you and your audience is more important even than any little problem that comes up. When you do have to adjust, lose your place or respond to a question that points to a flaw in your presentation, the real issue that is on trial here is not the problem or even how you answer. It is whether you can handle that problem with grace and poise and move on that makes the difference.

If you become flustered or violate that assumption that you are confident and you know what you are doing up there, you create insecurity in the audience. And that is the last thing they want to experience. An audience is a captive population and they know that. So they want to like you and be able to trust you to be their captain and safely guide them through to the other side, even if the trip is a bit bumpy along the way.

This is why an apology for a problem, a weakness in your material is a big mistake during a presentation. If a question surfaces a problem, far better to simply acknowledge it with "you know you bring up a good point. Let me research that and get back to you" rather than to apologize. That maintains your confidence as your ability to continue to be in leadership as you speak. And it makes the little problems that come up simply go away. When you have that skill, you will capture and maintain mastery of a public speaking situation. And that will guarantee your success.

Boost Your Communication Skills

2009-11-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

Developing good communications skills is important, so that we convey our messages clearly and prevent any misunderstanding. When we have communication breakdowns at work, we spend time and energy trying to make amends. It is hard for anyone to admit that their unclear communication caused the breakdown, and thus apologize. It's wiser to make a conscious effort to prevent communication breakdowns instead.

One way to avoid conflicts at work is to communicate clearly and frequently with your colleagues on the following:

• What you are currently doing for the company

• What are some goals you are striving for at work, and even some of your personal ones that may affect work

• Some of the difficulties you are facing with customers, management, colleagues etc (without sounding like you are whining and complaining)

With the increased use of e-mails and text messages, we may forget the value of face-to-face interactions. When we communicate with a person face-to-face, we can build trust and open-ness with our verbal and non-verbal cues. We can also sense and understand the other person's point of view and what they feel.

Use e-mails if you have specific requests or updates for a colleague, and the message can be read at their convenience. With e-mails, you can still sound cordial, instead of distance. Just a few more seconds of typing some niceties like "Have a great day!" can bring a feeling of goodwill to the reader.

At work today we tend to communicate more via e-mail and this has an impact on our interpersonal communication. For example, if you communicate your unhappiness or anger via email, pause a moment before you hit the 'Send' button! Cool down, review what you have written, and edit it so that it sounds more objective. Stick to the facts and avoid character attacks. Be objective and constructive. If you are criticizing something, offer a solution to improve the situation, if possible.

As you learn to communicate more effectively at work, you will be better able to achieve your goals, garner more support during setbacks, and feel much happier at work.

Communication is an art of conveying message to the other party. Imagine in the game of "Pass it on". One has to convey the hidden message that he received to another party without uttering a word. Similarly, an email message can only convey the content over but not the emotions.

A face-to face communication is crucial. In some books, there are some eye assessing cues that tell us the eye can indicate the truth being said by the party.

In fact, 55% of the communication is actually done through visual communication. 38% is done through vocal communication. The remaining 7% will be through verbal communication. This clearly indicates that the body language - a combination of visual & verbal gives a very high percentage while communicating with one another.

If you like my article, you may go to my website and register yourself to receive more.

Cheers

Dennis Kwan is a trainer, speaker, author, a volunteer at Changi prison and also a Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, Hypno-Therapist, Time-line Practitioner. He graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Commerce. He is also certified in Project Management Professional (PMP), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Certified ISO 9001 Auditor. For more information, please visit his website http://www.dennis-kwan.com/wtgt

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Speak With More Than Your Voice

2009-11-08T04:42:00.000-08:00

There is a bit of a misperception about the phrase "public speaking". The misperception that the technique of becoming good at public speaking is all in how you speak. The truth is that your voice is only part of what you need to be successful in giving a presentation to a group of people.

To be an effective public "speaker", you should use every resource you have including your body language, your arms and your legs to capture the attention of the crowd and hold it.

There is nothing more boring than a speaker who stands in one place and never moves his arms and speaks softly just putting out the information of the talk. So to avoid this curse, learn not only to communicate with your entire being when you are in front of an audience.

Learn to express yourself with facial expressions, with gestures of your arms and with movement. Because that extra effort is what can make a fair presentation good or a good presentation a great one.

A good public presentation can be compared to eating a meal in a restaurant. A good chef knows that there is more to fine dining than just food because you also must have good service and ambiance so the presentation of the food makes the meal delightful to eat. The same is true of a public speaking situation. It isn't enough just to stand up there and speak out the information.

You are not just speaking because you are only really successful when you are communicating. And to communicate, your audience has to grasp what you are saying and be prepared to make it real in their own lives.

Movement is probably the most underused public speaking method but it is also one of the most effective. To put it bluntly, when you speak to a group, don't just stand there. Get out of the podium and move around a bit.

Walk from one side of your speaking area to the other. Use your hands to help you describe an illustration or to gesture with emphasis toward the crowd when your text fits that kind of expression. This movement is good for you because it’s a way of walking off your nervousness. It's good for the audience because it keeps them interested. And it's very good for your presentation because it is a powerful way to get your point across and to assure you are being understood.

The relationship between public speaking and public performance is unmistakable. When you watch a speaker, the key word is "watch". Taking in the presentation of a speaker is an event that brings in all of the senses. And the more your audience actually "experiences you" rather than just hears what you say, the better they will like your presentation and the more likely they will be to agree with what you have to say or take action in the direction you had hoped they would.

Of course, it can be a nervous moment the first time you decide to step away from the podium and use your body as part of your presentation. If you walk and move in front of people, there is always the chance an accident can happen. You could swing your arms in emphasis and knock something over. You could trip over a microphone cord and be in danger of falling down. Or your wardrobe could malfunction because of the increased stress and that would be a horrible thing to deal with when everyone is looking at you.

You can do take some extra measures to be sure your wardrobe is secure beforehand and to evaluate the speaking setting so you are aware of potential causes of accidents. But the possibility of a mishap is just a risk that you should be prepared to take because the movement you use is so powerfully effective that the rewards are too great to pass up.

The other risk is that by stepping away from the podium, you step away from your outline. To enable yourself to wean away from having to have that outline in front of you all the time, select one or two sections where you will depart the outline and share a personal story. Then your movement will be confident and effective. And when you can integrate confident movement into your presentation, your public speaking skills will go from good to great instantaneously.

Public Speaking 101 - Becoming a Great Storyteller

2009-11-06T02:12:00.000-08:00

If you want to be an exceptional speaker, and ignite your audience, you must learn the fine art of storytelling.

Have you ever wished you could captivate an audience? Ever felt the desire to grip a crowd in such a way that you could move them to action? Nothing grabs our attention, holds our attention, and moves us like a good story. And when a good story meets a great storyteller, great things can take place. If you are looking to become a dynamic communicator and an exceptional speaker, then you must learn the fine art of storytelling. Storytelling is an art, and needs to be developed.

Storytelling is a cherished tradition and an entertaining, effective way to convey information about almost any subject. Walk in any classroom and you will find teachers educating their students with stories. Walk into a major corporation and you'll find high profile CEOs expressing thoughts, opinions and facts to their employees with stories. Wherever you go, storytelling is a powerful means of communication.

It has been discovered that each of us has a desire, and perhaps even a need, to tell and to hear stories. By sharing stories, and listening to the stories of others, we learn to understand one another at a much deeper level. By creating a common level of understanding, we come together as a community of individuals-appreciating both the differences and similarities we share.

So, how do you go about becoming a great storyteller? How do you develop the fine art of using stories to make your speech more dynamic? Here are some steps to becoming an exceptional speaker, and a great storyteller:

1. Discover the #1 place for finding good stories...your own life! That's right; you are the greatest resource for your own stories. While many public speakers, preachers, teachers, etc. purchase stories from books, the internet, and so on, the best place to get your stories is your own life and experiences. Listen to the best public speakers and you will find one thing in common (as storytelling relates); the stories they tell are their own, not some story out of a book. There is nothing wrong with using stories from other places (like books, internet, other people), but those resources just do not compare.

Here's why. When we tell a personal story, we tell it with more energy, more passion than when we tell someone else's story. And passion is contagious! We are much more likely to inspire people to respond when we speak with great conviction and enthusiasm.

2. Learn to find great stories. Since the best stories are from your own life, you need to learn how to look for them. Carry with you a recorder or a notebook and pen. Anytime something moves you-makes you laugh, cry, think, mad, etc., write it down. And don't just write down a brief title, write in detail what happened. Over time, you will forget the details, so write down as much as you can as soon as you can. Then file it where you can find it the next time you need an illustration that can drive home a specific point. Speaking of which...

3. Make sure that the story drives home your point! I have actually seen a few public speakers (and more than a few preachers) tell stories just to tell them. They either do it simply to entertain or because they have failed to find a real illustration that actually makes the point. You never want to use your story to drive your speech. Your story is just a tool to effectively communicate. If you are using stories to make your presentation more effective, it stands to reason that your stories should illustrate your point, not the other way around.

4. Know your story inside and out! The main reason for this is that it will give you much more confidence as you speak. This confidence is good for you, but it is very important for your audience, as well. Have you ever watched a speaker or singer who lacked confidence? You sat in the audience and couldn't wait for it to be over, not because you thought it was bad, but because you felt bad for them. It made you nervous, and you weren't even the one on stage. If you are uncomfortable on the platform, your audience will be uncomfortable watching you.

Another reason you want to know your story well is because it frees you up to tell your story with passion (see point #1 for the importance of passion). When you do not have to worry about remembering all the important details of the story, you can focus your energy on your delivery. Please do not underestimate this point: knowing your story inside and out is liberating and powerful. Be prepared. Be confident so that you can own the stage.

5. Connect with your audience. Connecting with your audience on an emotional level is huge. If you are able to do this, you can more easily draw in the interest of the crowd, and your story won't fall on deaf ears. This means understanding who they are, what they desire, why they are there, and how to speak to them. Be sure to match how you speak to with whom you are speaking. Your tone, language and attire should be different when you're talking to high school students versus a group of women over 40. Try to precisely understand what the audience goes through day-in and day-out and tell a story that connects with them.

6. Use the emotion of the story. One reason that so many successful public speakers use stories is because they have learned the great truth of emotion. Stories are so compelling, because not only do they inform and entertain, they bring about emotion; they inspire. Some stories make us laugh, some make us cry. Some stories make us think, some cause us to question. But all stories, if used right, can do the same thing-move us to act. And this is the goal of EVERY speech giver; to compel the audience to respond. Use the emotion of the story.

You can become an exceptional speaker and a dynamic communicator. Public speaking does not have to be something to fear or dread, but can be something you love to do. You simply need to develop the fine art of storytelling!

Marc Adams is the founder of INSPiRE Coaching, and has spoken to hundreds of groups all over the country. He is best known for using an enthusiastic blend of funny and inspiring stories that will captivate and motivate people from all walks of life. To book Marc to speak at your next event, or for more information on INSPiRE Coaching, contact us at 918-781-9834, or visit http://www.inspirecoaching180.com/training-services.html#about

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

How to Overcome Nervousness When You Speak in Public

2009-11-04T00:21:00.000-08:00

Many people find it difficult to speak in public even after researching and preparing for their presentation. They feel nervous at the idea of addressing a large audience. In order to feel confident while speaking to a large audience, try the following tips -

a. While making the presentation

i. Practice the presentation by standing straight. Your feet should be directly under your hips. It is most stable and best looking posture while giving a speech. Try to rehearse in this posture and maintain it all throughout the speech. You can do this in front of a friend or a mirror.

ii. Keep your shoulder relax as the shoulder muscles support the larynx which affects our voice. Hence, don’t put pressure on your shoulders. Your shoulders should be relaxed. The muscles in the shoulders support directly your larynx, so it has a fast effect on your voice. Shoulders should be rolled out.

iii. Rehearse a lot and think of the presentation as a performance. Every performance needs preparation and rehearsal. Warm up your voice by taking a deep breath. You should feel expansion in the rib cage and then exhale. Do these exercises three times. This will not only warm up your voice but will also relax you. Make a sound like a siren in which you start from a high note and then gradually go to the lowest note your voice has. Practice this exercise many times to hit the low note which will come from the navel. This note is the natural pitch of your voice.

b. Managing meeting skills

i. While rehearing your speech, imagine your voice to be a laser beam that should reach the farthest of your audience. Direct your voice to be clear and outreaching. Your every word must reach your every audience. They should understand whatever you are speaking.

ii. Direct your thoughts. You must keep your thoughts in control while giving the speech. Don’t let your thoughts wander, especially during the start and conclusion of your speech. Your speech should deliver the complete message and must fulfill its object

iii. Your diction and pronunciation should be perfect. You must make sure that the message you are trying to convey is clear to your audience.

c. During questions round

i. You must relax and give yourself some breathing space.

ii. While answering a question, stay relaxed and don’t sound nervous. Take a deep breath as when we are nervous, we tend to hyperventilate. Hence to stop yourself from panicking, you must breathe before starting to answer a question. This will give you at moment to gather your thoughts and you will be able to give a more logical answer to the questions.

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10 Tips For Powerful PowerPoint Presentations

2009-11-02T01:03:00.000-08:00

1. Organize the presentation using a different tool: Many people use Microsoft's PowerPoint itself to organize their thoughts on their slides, but the software is especially clunky for this purpose. I find that other tools are easier and better. My personal favorite is Inspiration (see end of article for this resource.) Inspiration software allows you to work either in outlining mode or mind mapping mode, and it's great for both. Particularly in outlining mode, Inspiration allows you to move thoughts around very easily, switch outlining levels, until you feel that the material flows together smoothly.

2. Use PowerPoint for what it was intended - as a visual aid and support - not to fill the entire talk: PowerPoint is very effective at displaying visuals. Words filling a page are not a visual. Words filling a page are merely a visual distraction. PowerPoint should be used for visual impact. That includes an emotionally-engaging photograph or a graphic that displays relationships between data in an important, significant way.

3. Use key words and phrases to reinforce key ideas: These can serve as a roadmap for the talk, which helps both you and your audience know where you're going. Know your material well enough so that you don't have to depend on the slide show for all the details of your talk. Avoid full sentences on the slide. The ratio of spoken words to words on the slide should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 to 1. Probably the most deadly use of slides is for the presenter to read the slides word for word. This is the fastest way to lose your audience.

4. Use the white board instead of slides: One of the most effective ways to engage your audience is to get them to think along with you. If they can watch a model being built live rather than being given the model already made, they will be much more involved in the material. A pre-fabricated slide show eliminates the possibility for discovery for both you and your audience.

5. Use a remote control device to control the slide show: I use the Kensington remote which is much like a TV clicker. The advantage of this device is that you no longer have to be close to the keyboard in order to run the slide show. You can use the remote to move forward and backward and to blank out the screen. It also has a laser pointer that you can use to point to specific areas of the slide.

6. Use the "B" key liberally: The B key blanks the screen with a black background. (The "W" key does the same thing but gives a white background and can be a bit jarring.) Use the B key anytime you are not addressing the contents of the slide so that the audience can easily figure out what to pay attention to.

7. Use stories and metaphor to illustrate your point: Why do we speak? If communication were simply about transmitting information, then we would hand out a document, let people read the document, and be available to answer questions. This would be far more efficient, and save boring meeting time. We speak to inform, inspire, motivate, educate, get buy-in. This is far more than the mechanical transfer of information. In effect, we speak to change the mind-set of our audience in some way or another. However, people define their reality based on a model of their existing view of the world. These models are very sticky; they can't be changed easily. Something has to cause your audience to break out of its model in order to be receptive to a new model. Stories, metaphors, and powerful images, much more than bulleted slides, have the power to do so.

8. Keep the lights in the room on as much as possible: One problem with PowerPoint is that lighting becomes an issue. If the room has to be dark in order to see the PowerPoint, your audience will lose visual connection with you. This is an issue even if the B key is used liberally. This becomes a significant issue when the slide show is carrying the entire load of the communication process. One solution is to present an occasional slide, turning down the lights for the slide, and then turning them back up when the slide is done.

9. Create a separate set of handouts that is more verbally complete than the slide show: Often speakers feel they must include everything on the slide show so that their audience has a complete set of handouts. The mistake is thinking that what is appropriate for the handout is also suitable as a visual display during the presentation. Slides and handouts serve two very different functions meeting very different needs. Consequently, they should be prepared in different formats, either two versions of the slide show - one to display on the screen and one to handout - or create a separate handout as a word processing document.

10. Work with a public speaking coach to become a more comfortable speaker: In improving your presentations, the mechanics of PowerPoint are only a small part of the entire picture. The most important thing is to learn how to be relaxed and comfortable, and to create a real connection with your audience. A public speaking coach can help enormously in these areas. Choose a public speaking coach who:

Is an expert in the effective use of PowerPoint.

Is skilled at the use of story and metaphors.

Can show you how to relax and enjoy yourself during the presentation.

Will help you connect deeply with your audience.

Rather than using dense, wordy slides as a crutch for your speaking anxiety, find a good public speaking coach who can help you learn to relax and enjoy speaking.

Learn more about Inspiration software at http://www.inspiration.com.

Carla Kimball, founder/president of RiverWays Enterprises, is a public speaking presence coach. Carla's approach is to work from the inside out, helping people overcome fears, project more confidence, and cultivate the type of leadership presence so essential in today's world. She works with people from all walks of life, from CEOs to keynote speakers to salespeople to job seekers -- essentially anyone who feels they can be more effective if they could speak from a place of personal authenticity, power, and impact. Sign up for her free newsletter full of practical tips at: http://riverways.com/h-newsletter.htm. Carla also blogs at http://www.speakingpresence.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Becoming Larger Than Life

2009-10-31T08:30:00.001-07:00

To say that there is no ego in a person who does public speaking regularly or for a living would be clearly a false statement. But for those of us who only speak from time to time, when you see a speaker who can walk out in a room of 30 people or a auditorium of 3000 and literally "own the room", it really is an amazing transformation. To imagine how you could ever be that much larger than life is mind boggling.

But in a lot of ways, when you step out to talk to a group of people, you do become larger than life. That is because you are doing the impossible. You are having a conversation with dozens of people all at once. Now, whether you feel like you are having that conversation or not isn't important. If your talk is not interactive, you may not know the dialog is happening. But in the minds of every single individual in that hall, they are interacting with you. What you are saying is getting down inside of them and they are reacting to it. But even more than what you are saying, how you are saying it is having an even bigger impact.

So are there things you can do to "become" larger than life? Well there are some ways of behaving in front of a crowd that differ from daily life. We do have to accept that you will develop a "stage persona" that is different from your daily personality when you speak to a group. Does that make you a phony? No. Both of those personalities are you. It is just a different you when you relate to a group than to people one on one and it seems strange because that form of you only comes out on stage. But it isn't a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde thing. Just as you speak to a child differently than you speak to an adult, you will develop a way to talking to a group that differs from speaking to an individual.

Part of becoming larger than life is learning to what they call "own the room". This sound egotistic and strange but it really does work when you are about to speak. Owning the room simply means that when you step out in front of that crowd, they are no longer some random group of people, they are YOUR people. They are there to listen to you and what you say is of value to them. If you had any ego problems before you stepped out in front of that audience, check that ego problem at the door.

You must assume that you are adored when you speak to a group of people. This doesn’t mean you strut about like God's gift to the world. But it does mean that you recognize that your value to this group is as a speaker and that your services are wanted and needed here. In fact, the only way you will be an effective public speaker is if you own the room. Treat that room like it was your home and these people came here just because being with you is just that great. If you step out there with that attitude, the audience will buy into your attitude and they will give you the room and be glad you took it over.

It can be a bit strange if you watch yourself become larger than life. But you can be humble about it and just recognize it is part of the craft of becoming a great public speaker. And if being good at this art you are gifted to give to the world means owning rooms and becoming bigger for an hour or so, well then why deny the world that experience? Enjoy it and let others enjoy it too.

Effectively Using PowerPoint

2009-10-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

The software application PowerPoint has been a revolution in public speaking particularly in the business world. PowerPoint is easy to use, available with almost every implementation of the Microsoft Office suite and it's reliable. If you can use Microsoft Word, you probably have the skills to put together an effective presentation using PowerPoint.

But just like anything else, there is a right way and wrong way to give a talk using PowerPoint as a speaking tool. If you have ever sat in on a presentation where the speaker used PowerPoint unwisely, you know that the tool can become as much of a curse as a blessing to a public speaker. So it's good to have some guidelines on how to use PowerPoint to help your presentation and not hurt it.

Knowing in advance some of the problems that can disturb your talk if you use PowerPoint unwisely can help you in the design of your slides. For one thing, it’s a good idea not to put too much text on a PowerPoint slide. If you put a long paragraph of information up on the screen, you will see people squinting to try to read it all. And even if the section of your talk refers to that text, you put your audience in the position of trying to read that text or listen to you. And either way they go, part of your message will be lost on them as they try to keep up.

PowerPoint comes with some really fun special effects like fonts and special effects like fade in or other ways text can be revealed on each slide. Avoid the temptation to get too cute with these effects. It's always nice to have a little humor in your presentation but if your slides are overly "cutesy", it reduces the credibility of your talk. Also if every slide uses a different special effect, color scheme or font, not only is that distracting to the audience, it makes you look like you just discovered PowerPoint and had to play with all of the toys it has. So establish some consistency in how each slide will look or behave and stick with it through every slide.

Another great device that PowerPoint offers is to allow the software to change slides for you on a timed progression. In that way, PowerPoint can change the slide every two minutes allowing you just the amount of time you want between slides. While this is also very slick, it is a dangerous toy to use because it can cause you to stumble while doing your talk. You have to have you talk planned to a high level of precision to carry off that kind of talk and if you pause too much, have a question pop up or any other disturbance in your script, PowerPoint will move on when you do not. So use this feature with caution.

Above all, do not turn your back on the audience to read a PowerPoint slide to them. This is the number one most common mistake people do when speaking using PowerPoint. Turning your back on your audience is always a bad idea. So if you must discuss what is on the slide, do so facing the audience. But to turn your back and then read a slide to them is insulting and boring to your audience.

It is far better not to have the text information on the slide but just a series of bullet items that are ticklers for the presentation you are giving. This approach assures that PowerPoint remains a tool that you are using not a tool that is using you. And that makes you the boss of PowerPoint which is the way it should be.

Public Speaking - Become an Effective Speaker

2009-10-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Effective public speaking today is about delivering valuable content to your listeners in a clear and interesting style. Anyone that is prepared to apply themselves can become a more effective speaker.

To be a successful speaker you need the right combination of speaking skills involving delivery and preparation. Becoming proficient in these skills takes practice and application. Having the right qualities and characteristics will help you immensely to become a truly effective public speaker.

1. Confidence - Confidence comes from believing in what you are saying and being passionate about your subject. Self-confidence is developed by knowing everything you can about your subject and thoroughly preparing and practicing.

When you walk out on the stage or out front of your meeting you must overcome your nerves and deliver your message. By mastering the "shakes" you are half way to being an effective public speaker.

Almost everyone who rises to speak suffers some degree of stage fright. Many distinguished speakers admit to recurring nervousness. They take several deep breaths to restore their composure and cure any palpitations and focus on the valuable message they are about to deliver.

2. Likability - As a general rule your listeners want to like you. When they do like you it makes delivering your speech easier. Your likability is helped by smiling and being positive and friendly. An upbeat tone to your voice will attract your listeners. Keep the other person's point of view in mind when developing your presentation. Take an active interest in what your audience have to say and show that you care about them.

3. Expertise - you need to know your subject thoroughly - read and learn all you can. An audience will quickly sense when you do not know your stuff. By being a recognized as a leader in your field and knowing your subject thoroughly you can be in demand even if you are not considered a first rate speaker.

4. Enthusiasm - you will need to be passionate about your subject. It helps when you really enjoy the topic you are discussing. You speech can be convincing and effective because of your enthusiasm about your subject.

5. Persistence - Persistence and practice will see you steadily improve and become an effective speaker. Take every opportunity to speak in front of an audience. More than any other human activity, public speaking is learned and improved by doing it.

Improving your speaking skills is critical to becoming an effective public speaker. Developing the right characteristics can make this possible. If you do not have all the characteristics and skills now, don't worry because there are many solutions for this e.g. books, e-books, college courses and speaking organisations such as Toastmasters etc. Take your first step today and open the door to effective public speaking.

Put confidence into your public speaking and conversation with "The Art of Great Conversation." To claim your free preview visit http://www.SelfConfidentSpeaking.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Tell Them Something They Don't Know

2009-10-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

When an author is trying to come up with a topic for his next story or novel, the old pros in the writing came will always give him the same advice. "Write about what you know." That is because if you speak from your own area of expertise, you will speak with authority and passion. And authority and passion not only make for a great story or novel, they make for a really good public speaking event as well.

When you are putting together what you will use for your talk to that group you want to amaze, you want both of those elements, authority and passion. But on top of that, you have to give them something to make it perfect. You have to tell them something they don’t know. To achieve a balance of what is familiar with what is new and fascinating will be the stuff of your research and preparation for public speaking.

Sometimes telling them something they don’t know might be just bringing a new joke that they have not heard. Or you might bring a fascinating story or anecdote that will lead directly into your talk. That can grab their attention and let them know that this is going to be an interesting take on the subject. Finding jokes that nobody has ever heard before can be a challenge. But that is ok because canned "jokes" are not best for your speech anyway. It is much better to find a funny or very amusing situation that relates to the topic from your past. By telling the story of that situation with plenty of self referencing humor and commentary, you can have your audience very amused as you move into the body of your speech but at the same time very interested in you and so in your topic.

Sometimes finding material that is new to your audience is obvious and easy to identify. It might be that you were invited to give the speech because you have some expertise in a subject that your audience wants to know about. If you are giving a speech about how to make your own PC from scratch and you know a lot about that, you are in good shape right off the bat. Your listeners are sure to learn plenty from your presentation and have lots of questions for you after your talk. You told them something they didn't know.

However, if your topic is a little more in the area of common knowledge, you might have to do some research to find things to share that will get those eyebrows to raise. One rich repository of little known facts lie in what we call trivia and urban myth. You might be giving a talk about the internet. Now most of us know quite a bit about the internet. But with a little research, you can uncover a lot of trivia about how the internet came to be, how the internet actually works at a structural level or whether or not Al Gore really did invent it (he didn't).

But the internet is also a great topic to go out and pull in literally dozens of urban myths that will make for a very enjoyable presentation. From how viruses work to whether or not that African prince really will send you 5 million dollars or not can give you lots of things to share that your listeners probably did not know (incidentally - he won't).

So approach your research both to fill your speech with good solid content but also to include information that may be amusing or anecdotal to give your listeners something to talk about over coffee later on. If you make your speech that memorable, they will think of you as a great speaker and probably ask you back again.

Public Speaking Quirks

2009-10-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

We all have our little vocal style that makes us unique. How often have you heard someone make a remark about how interesting it is the way you phrase things?

We learn the way we speak from our parents and our mentors growing up. So if you ever listened to yourself speak, you would recognize the expressions you learned from your childhood.

Your vocal style is what marks you as a distinctive individual. But when you stand up in front of a crowd, that distinctive way you speak becomes the center of attention for the length of your talk. For the most part, that is what makes your presentation style enjoyable to your listeners. But sometimes how you speak can become a distraction.

If you have some distinctive "quirks" that begin to dominate how you speak when you are in front of a group, that can be a big distraction to the people who are trying to enjoy your presentation.

There are some very noticeable verbal quirks that if they are affecting your ability to communicate as a speaker, they deserve attention so you can root them out of how you talk in front of people. The one that is most notable is the dreaded "um". You no doubt have cringed listening to a speaker have to fall back on "um" during a talk. It is one of the biggest clues that the speaker is nervous, insecure or inexperienced.

If you evaluate why a speaker uses "um", it is usually one of a few things. It could be because he or she got lost in the notes of the presentation. "Um" is usually inserted to buy time because the speaker is nervous about a pause of silence.

But "Um" is not the only quirk of public speaking that can become an annoyance to a crowd. Another place holder phrase that sneaks in often is "you know". Occasionally you even hear professional public speakers use this one and it is almost as mindless as "um".

Sometimes certain phrases become catchy for a while and if they begin to "infect" how you speak, they will become notable to your audiences but maybe not even to you. The one that seems to be making the rounds lately is "at the end of the day" which is a fine phrase, if you only use it once. But you notice when speakers use it in speaking publicly, they use it many times.

The real problem with vocal quirks is you may not know yourself that you are using them. You are so focused on your topic and your presentation that they sneak in and become a crutch for you as you speak and before you know it, they are a habit that is hard to break. But there are some things you can do to send the habit of falling back on vocal crutches packing out so your presentation is clean of them and easier to take by your audiences.

One way to pinpoint focus quirks is to record your presentation and listen to it later. Now a lot of us don’t like the sound of our own voices so that is sometimes unappealing. But be brave because if you can identify any vocal quirks you might have, you have a good potential for rooting them out of your speaking patterns.

Another outstanding method of just identifying which vocal habits you may use too much is to ask your friends, spouse or even your children to listen to you as you speak publicly to help locate any vocal crutches you might be using. The people who you are close with are willing to be brutally honest with you so you can become a better public speaker.

Once you know what vocal quirks plague your presentation style, make a conscious effort to get them out of how you talk. Many times we fall back on vocal quirks when we are not confident in our material. The answer for that is obvious. Practice. Know your presentation well and you will be more confident in front of people and that will help you smooth out the way you speak publicly. And by making an effort to take out irritating vocal quirks from how you speak, you are assuring those quirks are not distracting your listeners from your message. And then you will be more successful anytime you get up in front of a group of people to speak.

Other Toastmaster Benefits

2009-10-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

The other day I started thinking a lot about the benefits of joining Toastmasters as it relates to helping me control my fear of public speaking. I've written about this in the past, but I didn't realize how much this was connected to my membership in Toastmasters.

Being a member of an organization like Toastmasters has it's tangible, direct benefits. Here is a small list of these benefits that can direct help you in reducing/controlling fear:

Safe, stress-free environment for practicing
Instant positive and constructive feedback
Variety of experience levels of members to learn from

These benefits can help anyone learn to reduce and control their fear. But something happened to me over the last few days that made me look back at Toastmasters and made me realize that there is something else that can help reduce and control the fear: networking.

Here's what happened. I was having a yard sale at my house on Saturday. Later in the morning I saw an older gentleman approach the yard. I immediately recognized him. Lee was a guest at my local Toastmaster's club, Salem Speech Masters. He came with another guest, Ali. I sprang up from my chair and went over to greet him. He recognized my face but couldn't figure out how he knew me. Then it hit him: Salem Speech Masters, my local Toastmasters club. We talked for 15 to 20 minutes about a variety of subjects. When he left, I felt good that I got to talk to someone I knew and it made the day a little more fun. I also realized how easy it was to simply strike up a conversation with someone that I didn't know too well.

Later that week, 3 days later to be exact, I was in a local grocery store. I saw another gentleman that I too immediately recognized. It was Ali, the other guest that came with Lee. He knew exactly who I was and where he knew me. Again, we spoke for about 10 minutes and then I went on my way. Again, it made me feel good that a) I recognized someone I knew and was able to distract myself from the boring shopping chore, and b) I was able to have this conversation with another person that I didn't know too well.

It was then that I started to see the additional fear controlling benefits of being a member of Toastmasters. I had only met the two people a few times before our encounters of this past week. However, I felt comfortable enough to start and carry on a conversation with them. I've mentioned this type of confidence building exercise in the past: being able to talk to anyone can greatly reduce your fear of speaking in public.

Over the years I've developed enough confidence that I can start and carry on conversations with just about anyone I meet. This has been a major factor in my ability to control my fear of public speaking and learn how to reduce the stress, anxiety, and panic when it comes time to speak. Having a group like Toastmasters has helped me network and connect with people I would normally not get a chance to meet.

Think about this: When was the last time you were able to start and carry on a conversation with someone you didn't know at all or barely knew? Try starting a conversation with everyone you meet. You'll soon find that you're able to control your fear of public speaking more easily.

Until next time, speak well.

Dan Girard is a software designer and trainer. In overcoming his own fear of public speaking, Dan has developed tools, tricks, and secrets for his own success. He has created a guide that anyone can follow to mimic his success in overcoming fear of public speaking. You can see a preview of his eBook, at http://www.publicspeakingwithoutpanic.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

What's Your Problem?

2009-09-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

How you approach that moment when you stand up to give a speech depends a lot on why you are giving the presentation. Now we are not talking about the fact that you have to give the speech to pass your general education speech class in junior college or that your boss is making you give the speech because he is to darn lazy to do it. Instead to really give a good speech, you must know that the speech is designed to do. By identifying what the goal of the speech is and what you want the audience to experience from your presentation, that will give you a lot of information both on what kind of content to use but on your attitude and "approach" when you actually get ready to give the talk.

There are some very basic reasons that someone gives a speech. Those are to inform, to convince, to amuse or to cause action. Many speeches you hear are a combination of these motivations. A sermon is there to inspire which is a mixture of to convince and to cause action. A lecture in school is to inform and if you get lucky, the teacher will at least try to make the presentation also try to amuse you. So that is the first thing to ask yourself when you have your topic and your audience. Also there are variations on these themes. A speech intended to sell something is a variation on the "to convince" format.

A good question to ask when you are ready to put your presentation together is "What do I want my audience to do with this information?" If you want them to walk away with new information that makes them smarter people, you were speaking to inform. If you want them to laugh and have a great time, you were out to amuse. If you want them to go out and use your web site, to join your political party or stop hurting the ozone layer, the objective of your speech is to convince.

You will not necessarily announce when you start speaking what your objective is. Sometimes it's obvious. If you are addressing your class at school, its obvious you are there to inform the students. But you may also be looking to convince them to live a certain way or to take some other action with the information you are giving. A speech to amuse is very often also a very softly worded sermon on behavior. Just watch any comedian and you will hear small snippets of philosophy such as "people, we are all the same, we just have to learn to live together" in the middle of the comedy set. That comic is actually out to convince you to change your outlook and behavior and using comedy as the tool to that end.

These are all very valid adaptations on the basic forms of a speech. To make sure your talk reaches its primary talk, lay down the outline or the "skeleton" of the speech with your primary goal in mind. You might even "back into it" by writing the conclusion first. The conclusion might be, "And so ladies and gentlemen, I hope you can see that using mass transit will do a lot to help the ozone layer". From there you can back up into the body of the speech and lay down, again at the skeleton layer what your three points of the body of your speech is. These are the things that must get done and that you will evaluate whether you were successful by whether you got those points across.

With that skeleton done, you can go back and start writing the speech from the beginning and use any or all of the public speaking approaches to layer that on top of the core reason for the talk. You can use humor, inspirational stories, urban myths or factoids from history to help your speech be fun, compelling and attention grabbing.

If by the end of your talk though, you can tell you hit that primary goal, then your speech was well constructed. And a well constructed speech is easier to give. It is also easier for your audience to hear so everybody wins.

Presentation Skills -- Five Tips on Picking and Preparing Topics

2009-09-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Be passionate about your topic!

I know beginning speakers who are so eager to be hired to speak that they tell prospective clients that they can speak on everything — just give them a topic. Not so! Yes, most intelligent people can pull together an informative presentation by reading and researching, but if you are not truly excited and turned on about the topic you are going to present, you will not make a lasting impression on audience members or move them to take any action. If, however, you speak about a topic that excites you, a topic that you know and live, you will excite those hearing you. Pick a topic that will make a difference.

Develop your mission

Once you have picked the topic you plan to present, you will have a good deal of work to do to develop that topic into a powerful presentation. The first step is to develop your mission. Every topic is loaded with information, but if you don’t have a plan for the overall mission of your presentation, you will just add to the information overload most people are experiencing today. Ask yourself early in the planning process: What do I want them to remember and do three months from now? Take out a blank sheet of paper and write in one clear, concise sentence the mission of your presentation.

Pick your theme

Now work on your presentation’s theme, which should also be stated in one concise statement. A theme, often a statement of the three most important points to be covered, keeps the presentation “on track.” For example, when giving a presentation on the topic “Newsletters” my mission would be to lead audience members to “Create Dynamic Newsletters that People Love to Read” and my theme would be “ways to produce newsletters that are appealing visually, extremely readable, and loaded with the information needed and wanted by the target readers.”

Develop the topic

The difficult, but most important, part of the development has been accomplished. By this time, I have my outline of the three points I want to make from my theme. There are many different ways to gather and organize the material. The main tip to keep in mind is that any material that doesn’t fit the mission and the theme’s three points should be saved for a future presentation.

Test your topic

I like to test my topic before presenting it to paying clients and companies. There are many organizations like Chambers of Commerce, Kiwanis clubs, non-profit associations, and business schools that welcome speakers who will give a free speech. Try out your presentation on several of these occasions to find out how well received it is and if it makes a difference. I also teach Continuing Education classes, so will suggest my topic and title as a class selection. If many sign up and respond favorably, I know I have a “winner.”

Chris King is a professional speaker, storyteller, writer, website creator / designer, free agent, and fitness instructor. Sign up for her eclectic E-newsletter, Portfolio Potpourri, at http://www.PowerfulPresentations.net You will find her information-packed E-book How to Leave Your Audiences Begging for MORE! at http://www.OutrageouslyPowerfulPresenter.com and her business website at http://www.CreativeKeys.biz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The 3 C's - How to Become Comfortable, Confident, & Competent As a Public Speaker

2009-08-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

Where do you fall on the Public Speaking Continuum? Are you one of those who would rather eat nails than to try public speaking? Are you one of those who is a completely comfortable, confident, and competent public speaker? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

When I was a pre-teen on up into my teenage years, I felt completely comfortable and confident running a summer playschool in my home for all the neighborhood kids. I did this from the time I was eleven until I was fifteen. I started babysitting neighborhood little ones when I was twelve and a half. I ran the church nursery single-handedly from age fourteen to eighteen. I even had a flourishing birthday party business from age fourteen onward until I graduated from college. I felt competent enough to be the lead in two high school plays where we toured all the area elementary schools. We performed "Prospero's Magic Cape" and "The Unwicked Witch." I played Ariel in the first play and the unwicked witch in the second play. Naturally, while being an elementary school teacher aide and student teacher during my undergrad days, I felt increasingly more comfortable and confident reading to students and teaching lessons. I was even more competent doing this when I taught elementary school for seven years. So being a public speaker (i.e., storyteller) in front of kids felt like a natural progression. What I could not imagine was being a public speaker in front of peers and adults. "Phew! How scary! No way!" was my dominant thought back then.

How about you? Are there certain types of groups you could perform for in total comfort? Your family? Your relatives? Your friends? Church members? Classroom students? Club members? Small groups of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25? Larger groups of 50 or 100? Really big audiences made up of hundreds or thousands? Does the following statement sound familiar? "I could easily tell stories to _______, but there is no way I could ever tell stories to _______." How would you fill in those blanks?

In 1988, when I first started working on my Elementary Education masters with a specialization in Storytelling, I went through quite a profession of how I would fill in those blanks.

Progress Step 1

"I can easily tell stories to children, but there is no way I could tell them without the use of props such as flannel board or magnet board pieces." We had to tell a 2-minute story while being videotaped during my Basic Storytelling class. I chose an Aesop Fable about a gnat and a bull. I was wearing the magnet board hung by yarn around my neck. I had the magnet board pieces hidden behind the board and would pull them out as necessary as I told the tale. I was waving my arms around and telling this story with lots of gusto. Afterward, the ETSU Storytelling professor and the other students watching said that I was so good that I didn't need to have props in front of me. They told me that I was good enough to carry the story with simply my voice. That planted that seed that I had the talent to do this. It was simply a matter of building my confidence level, piece by piece.

Progress Step 2

"Okay, I can easily tell stories to children without the use of props, but there is no way I could tell stories to grown-ups." During the final for that fall 1988 Basic Storytelling class, we had to tell a solo story that was at least four minutes long to our fellow 35 adult classmates. I learned the eight-minute story poem called "The Bear Story" by James Whitcomb Riley that my school-teaching cousin had told me so many years ago. I played the part of a five to six-year-old boy named Alex as I told this. I got rave reviews. I realized that I could hold the attention of adults while telling a story. But I rationalized that these were adults who were also taking this class. Could I hold the attention of adults from the general population? Finding out the answer to that question was my dominant wish.

Progress Step 3

"Okay, I can tell stories to my peers and to children without the use of props, but am I capable of telling stories to adults from the general population?" During the spring semester of 1989, I took Advanced Storytelling. During that time, I continued to do assignments of going out into the community to tell stories. One of the gigs sent in my direction by the Storytelling Professor, Dr. Flora Joy, was performing stories for 150 men at a Civic Club. I was so nervous! Dr. Joy told me, "Those men won't show any expressions on their faces. But don't worry. They will be enjoying themselves anyway." I picked out two mild and humorous ghost stories to perform. Prior to my performance, the song leader led them in the song, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame. The men" sang with so much gusto that I lost any sense of nervousness. The men showed lots of expressions of enjoyment on their faces as I told my two tales. It felt easy to give a strong performance. Afterward, they begged for an encore. There was only 4 minutes left. At that time, the only short story I knew was a children's poem called "Peanut Butter Sandwich" by Shel Silverstein. Those men giggled like little kids. My question was answered. I now knew I could perform for any age group, adults included. I have felt totally comfortable and confident telling stories ever since.

Debbie Dunn's Storytelling Website – http://moredunntales.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Public speaking Tips! What To Do When Things Don't Go as Planned

2009-07-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

“It's quite simple. Say what you have to say and when you come to a sentence with a grammatical ending, sit down”.
-- Winston Churchill

One of the greatest fears we face when speak in front of a crowd is also one of it's greatest rewards. Public speaking is a totally live event. And that means that anything can happen and just about anything could happen in the middle of your presentation. So to change your fear of the unexpected to another talent you have to handling interruptions, think ahead what you will do if things come up and how you will get the crowd back on track with your outline to take them to the conclusion you want them to reach.

Depending on how you conduct your presentation and the type of gathering, questions or objections from the audience could potentially take you off course. This is especially true if you really didn’t plan to have an open forum type of discussion. If you set out to do your talk as a speech, not a discussion and someone interrupts, the first thing to do is recognize the disrupter to assure the crowd you have the situation under control. Your audience comes to your talk with a confidence that you are in control of the room and its important you maintain that control.

Now if the disrupting speaker is being difficult and clearly wants to disrupt the meeting that is when the organizers of the meeting should know to step in and remove that person. But many times the interruption could be a very logical and politely put question or need for clarification. A rule of thumb is if one person asks a question, that means that four or five in the crowd had that question in mind but did not have the courage to interrupt you. Sometimes the disruption may not even be audible. If might be just a hand in the air or a facial expression that is clearly communicating the need to interact with you.

Again, the more you can maintain composure and recognize the question and either answer it or divert it from your outline, the more confidence the crowd will have in you. Many times the question will either be easily answered from your materials. Don’t be afraid to say, "That is an outstanding question which is right here on my outline. So I will be answering that in a moment". When you do that, it gets a chuckle from the questioner and the crowd and you can continue on your path to finishing your talk just making sure you highlight the area of the outline that came up in the question.

Be prepared also for either a legitimate question that you do not have a ready answer for or for questions that don’t make any sense to what you are talking about at all. For both to simply recognize that the questions was a good question (even if it isn't) and state that you will do some research and get back to them later with that background information. That will usually quiet the disruptor down and let you get on with your program.

Questions are not the only thing that can go wrong. Something could break either on stage or in the crowd. A person could fall out of his or her chair. A bird could fly in through a window. The list of things that might happen goes on and on. Again as you did with questions that you didn't expect, maintaining composure and control is the key. The audience will actually key off of you as to whether to panic about the interruption or not. So if you keep your head and handle the disruption with humor and a sense of calm, that will put the audience in that mood too. The effects of the disruption will minimize immediately and because you communicated that you were in charge at all times, the audience will respond to your leadership and come back to you to hear the rest of what you have to say.

You can achieve a feeling of control and calm by thinking through how you will handle the unexpected before you even step up to give your talk. And because you actually expect the unexpected, you can capture strange things that happen to demonstrate your management of the time you have to speak to the crowd. If you do that, it will work to your advantage and you the end result will be an even better presentation than would have happened without the disruption.

Getting the Attention of Your Audience

2009-07-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening."
-- Dorothy Sarnoff

It's true; one of the most daunting often traumatic events in one's life is speaking in public. Whether it's a wedding speech, addressing a club or a business meeting, the heartbeats are sure to rise and sweat glands will work overtime.

There are simple techniques that are sure to put both the speaker and the audience at ease. The first big mistake that most inexperienced speakers make is to read the opening lines of their extensive notes. Because of nerves, they don't want to get the opening lines wrong so they read them verbatim. The only thing that the audience sees is the top of the speakers head.

Its essential right from the outset that that the speaker gets the approval of his audience. He does this by looking directly at the audience, smiling and speaking to his audience and not to the rostrum. This means that he has to memorize his opening lines. After the opening lines it's alright to look at his notes before looking up and speaking to his audience again.

As I've mentioned notes, it might be good to expand on that a little. Notes are good because they enable a speaker to progress in an orderly manner. But writing out an entire speech verbatim is not the best thing to do. If you the speaker have mastered the art of good audience contact and then glance at your extensive notes, it's likely that you will lose your place and your audience as you franticly search for the next thread. Notes should be just that, notes and not the entire speech. Good notes should be brief and placed in logical order so that you can develop your talk while maintaining contact with your audience.

A good tip for grabbing your audience right from the start is to use a forceful illustration. A good illustration must relate to the subject that you are speaking about, if it doesn't relate then it's a wasted illustration. For instance, if you are speaking to medical students or about medical procedures you might start with;

"On December 3rd 1967, a news story broke that shocked the world, TV, radio and newspapers all had the same headline. Many didn't believe it, I didn't, I thought it was a hoax, these things can't happen, it's impossible. As the days went by, more details emerged and I realized that it was true. What was this remarkable event? A young trendy surgeon from South Africa had taken the heart of a clinically dead road accident and given it to a man who was dyeing from a diseased heart. Dr Christian Barnard became a celebrity overnight."

An illustration like that quickly grabs your audience. After the first few sentences some in the audience will know the event that you are talking about and will continue listening intently to see if they are right. Others will not recall the date but will continue to listen intently to find out what the remarkable event was. So right from the start you will have your audience attention.

History is littered with dramatic events that you could use. Tragedies like the sinking of the Titanic, The start of World War 1, or 2, the recent tsunami... Triumphant events like, The conquering of Everest, North or South Pole, Sailing around the world... The important thing is to use something that fits your topic of discussion. Don't use a story or illustration just because you like it.

So to summarize, Look at your audience, Smile, Use a fitting illustration.

I hope you found this informative. In my next article I will write about the importance of Words clearly spoken Correct pronunciation Fluent delivery.

Mack Michaels is a self made millionaire who uses these techniques to help others to make a good living using the internet to create multiple streams of income. A excellent easy to understand money making program has been put together by Mack Michaels who uses video tutorials. You can check it out here. http://www.MaverickMoneyMakersAgogo.com

Let me know what you think.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Shooting From the Hip

2009-07-21T02:53:00.000-07:00

Extemporaneous speaking should be practised and cultivated. It is the lawyer’s avenue to the public....
--Abraham Lincoln

There is a style of public speaking that absolutely terrifies a lot of people. But when you see a public speaker speak extemporaneously, it is one of the most relaxed and easy to digest forms of public presentation it is. Now, to drop the fifty cent word, to speak extemporaneously means to speak without notes. In other words, pure extemporaneous speaking is done entirely without preparation and is done completely "from the hip" so to speak.

There are variations, however, on pure extemporaneous speaking. But if you can adapt to a more extemporaneous style, your presentation will benefit tremendously. Because people speaking directly from their minds to their audiences do not need notes, a podium or any helps at all, the level of eye contact and audience interaction is improved tremendously. Freed from being tied to a podium and an outline, you can wander free around the stage and even into the audience and speak to them almost face to face. That kind of physical motion will grab an audience's attention and keep them fascinated with what you are doing for as long as the talk goes on.

But don't be deceived by thinking that a extemporaneous speech is rambling and has no structure whatsoever. One reason that many very seasoned public speakers go to it is they are capable of capturing and holding the outline of their talk in their minds and speaking from that outline without the aid of notes. This kind of ability does not just come naturally. To be able to be relaxed enough in front of a crowd to not only speak spontaneously but also to do so while following an outline carried in the mind takes experience and the self confidence that comes with practice.

Giving an extemporaneous talk is equivalent to improve in the theater world. But that doesn’t mean that a speaker who appears to be speaking without preparation is speaking without preparation. Often it means that what you are seeing is the result of extensive preparation. Many times extemporaneous speaking means that speaker carefully wrote and prepared that talk to have the appearance of spontaneity. Then he or she became so familiar with that outline that it could be delivered completely without prompting.

This is more than just memorization. Memorization implies that the talk must be given word for word as it was written and in exact order. A memorized speech would come unraveled if the speaker lost his or her place because of an interruption. But an extemporaneous speaker can be interrupted, take questions and even scramble that presentation because that level of familiarity with the talk is so complete that he or she literally lives and breaths what is being presented.

So, is it worth the extra work to learn to speak by "shooting from the hip"? It absolutely is. For one this, to be able to speak extemporaneously is the pinnacle of public speaking skills. When you see such a speaker on television or in a public setting, it may seem that he or she is making it up on the spot. What you are really witnessing is the Oscar level of skill and ability on display in a public speaking. Anyone who strives for the best can set extemporaneous speaking as a goal.

But more importantly, being able to speak to a group in this manner is such a higher quality of presentation that you as a speaker will not only have more fun, you will see a higher level of response from your audience. If you are teaching, they will learn better. If you are trying to sell, greater sales. If you are speaking to amuse, more laughs. So for no other reason than to see such improved outcome from the work you put in to public speaking, learn to speak extemporaneously. The rewards are tremendous.

How to Make Speech Interesting & Impressive

2009-07-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel”.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Remember Rule No. 1: No one wants to listen a speech.

Remember Rule No. 2: Every listener present there, is there to listen.

Remember Rule No. 3: A unique speech in terms of content & present is always received with standing ovation.

So, to make an interesting & impressive speech, you have to remember these points too :

Start with an unusual note.

Analyze age; sex; interest, economic status & general level of understanding of your audience well in advance.

Analyze the psyche & mood of your audience first. If audience is not at all in a mood to listen then just say thanks and sit with humorous note, so that they invite you to speak.

Time & sequence factor is important, if you are first speaker you are more acceptable but as soon as time passes acceptability decreases unless you are last one as Chief Speaker. Even pre or post lunch/snacks/dinner session may affect the acceptability.

Diction & Pronunciation is crucial. When you are addressing a particular community always try to use their vocabulary or technical terminology to make fastest possible connect or vernacular, their idioms & their proverbs. Stress & pause makes your speech lively and vibrant to keep your audience's spine straight.

Length is crucial...it is not the length but depth which is admired. Always try to finish it before audience wants it to finish... lesser is laser.

Try to involve most suitable emotion or emotions, jokes, parable, allegory etc. as per topic, time & mood with genial support of soft, but not provoking, body language and finger-palm movement and accurate gesture & posture. Try to cover all sides and corners of audience by eye contact or eye surfing as you are talking to them directly and also involve them by throwing a questions which may have its' answer in 'YES' or 'NO' i.e. do you like/ support it...just like an opinion divide.

Neelesh Jain

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The Greatest Public Speaking Secret of them All

2009-07-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience”.
--Alexander Gregg

Any guide to success in an endeavor will tell you that there is no magic formula to success. But in a lot of fields of endeavor, there seem to be "insider secrets". And taking on the challenge of becoming a truly great public speaker is a noble ambition. But if you could learn the insider secret that makes the difference between good public speakers and great ones, that would help you make that transition.

Actually there is one great secret to what makes speakers that really shine in front of a group so great. But it isn't magic or something that you can take as a pill and an hour later, presto, you are ready to stand up and dazzle the crowd. It is a very simple process that is something you already know a lot about. It is just simple, old fashioned hard work and preparation.

The further in advance you can start getting ready for a presentation, the better your public speaking will be. You know that feeling of terror that you experience when you address a crowd. Well you may not be able to pinpoint why that feeling comes upon you because who can think when terrified? But many times it comes up because you aren't completely prepared and you don’t know what to do or how it will go because the material is not as well developed as it should be.

If you put the work in on your presentation, it will make all the difference in the world when you stand up to give your presentation. First of all, make sure the content meets your standards. You should make that speech compelling and fascinating to you. And if that presentation is full of great material that it not only fascinates you but you will be eager to get up there and share what you know with this crowd. And that eagerness to speak is a very refreshing feeling when it replaces that terror you felt when you did not work hard in advance to make sure the material was well developed in advance.

Your audience will notice that big change in your attitude too. Enthusiasm is contagious and if you get up in front of them bubbling with anticipation because what you have to share is just that cool, they will be eager to hear it. It's like when someone says to you, "Hey, want to know a secret?" You are dying to hear that secret. That is the attitude you will see in your audience when you get up there not only well prepared but excited to tell them what is in that outline.

The more you have that outline and the details of your presentation in your mind, the more confident you will be in front of a crowd. If you have that presentation virtually memorized, when you begin to speak, you will look at your audience more and only have to glance at your outline to stay on track with where you want to be next. That is a terrific skill to develop and huge benefit when speaking to the crowd because you have that material down pat in your mind and you always have a destination throughout your talk.

It will take some work to get to that level of confidence in your material. Rehearsals of your presentation help a lot. Prepare a dynamic opener that puts the problem statement into the minds of the crowd and then proceed to solve that problem. Also know the navigation plan of your presentation and plan the transitions from point to point. That will help you not get stuck in one part of the talk and not have awkward transitions which will make you and then your crowd nervous.

Finally plan how you will conclude. There is a conclusion you want your audience to reach. Make sure you know the critical points and what parts of your talk are "optional" or there for illustration or to fill time. In that way, you know where to cut if time runs short and you will still get to your point and close strong. If your talk has good content, enthusiasm, good points to lead up to solving the problem and closes strong, not only will you feel great about it, your audience will applaud the job you did. And won't that be a nice way to end a public speaking exercise for you? Click Now to Learn More About Public Speaking

Public Speaking - Power Through Posture

2009-07-10T02:42:00.000-07:00

Given that 93 percent of your communication impact comes from the way you look and sound (not from what you're actually saying!), then as a speaker it's important to master delivery skills. I have captured the seven delivery skills that are key to being a dynamic speaker in the acronym S.P.E.A.K.E.R.

Smile
Posture
Eye Communication
Appearance
Kinesics
Expressive Vocals
Resting Places for Your Hands

In this article, I'm going to talk about "Posture."

Your stance in front of a room says a lot about how comfortable and confident you appear. Picture a woman standing with all her weight on her right leg, her right hand grasping her left elbow, her left foot grinding the floor like she was putting out a cigarette. Or how about this? A man standing with his left foot crossed over to the other side of his right foot, his hands shoved in his pockets, swaying side to side. Neither conjures up an image of someone self-assured and confident, does it?

Your presentation power starts with your posture. And the key is a balanced stance. Distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Stand tall, don't slouch. Pull your shoulders back; lift your chin up. Try this visualization: Envision a flexible pole running from floor to ceiling right through your spine. Like a bumper car attached to a metal rod, you can move all around, but you can't slouch or lean on one leg. This is not to imply ramrod straight military posture. The idea here is that your rib cage is gently lifted: your legs and arms are free to move around, but you can't give in to the tendency to slouch or cock your hip out to the side.

That tall, balanced posture will give you a more poised and confident appearance. Keep in mind that you don't have to plant your feet like they were nailed to the floor. Movement is good. You can stride from side to side of the stage, or from the lectern to your screen. The key here is purposeful movement, not pacing or rocking or swaying, or what I call nervous dance steps. One way to ensure this is to take at least two steps in any direction. If you take just one, it's not purposeful. So a step, pause, a step, pause creates a sensation of nervous footwork. That's why I call it dance steps. If that's a challenge for you, try putting a coin in both shoes to remind yourself to plant your feet. Only move when you can make it purposeful.

Since we're talking about movement, let's mention a common practice of some speakers, namely, walking out into the audience. It is purposeful movement and can make the speaker feel more connected to the audience. But I urge caution at making a habit of this for three reasons:

1. First of all, what seats in a room are taken first? The ones in the back, right? For whatever reason, people often prefer to sit the farthest distance from the front of the room. They did not choose to be close to the speaker, so as the speaker, I hesitate to encroach on those invisible boundaries they set up.

2. Secondly, when you walk deep into an audience, it means that those in the front will have to turn around to see you. You're making some members of the audience have to work to see you, which doesn't seem fair if they're sitting where it should be easy to see you.

3. Thirdly, when those in front do turn around to look at you, what are they seeing? The back of you. I never deliberately present my backside to an audience. Not only is it rude to turn your back on someone, but I never know what my backside looks like!

So stand tall, be balanced, and move purposefully and your posture will convey a message of confidence and in command.

Barbara Busey, president of Presentation Dynamics, http://presentationdynamics.net/, has been a professional speaker, trainer and author since 1990 specializing in teaching people the art of dynamic presentations. She is the author of Stand Out When You Stand Up-An A to Z Guide to Powerful Presentations. Sign up for her newsletter, Stand Out Strategies, here: http://presentationdynamics.net/mailing/code/subscribe.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Where to Look When You Speak

2009-07-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

When you are giving a presentation or speech, your body language and how you hold yourself in front of a crowd speaks to them as much as your words do. And part of not begin nervous in front of people when you are doing public speaking is not "acting" nervous. If you have complete control over your body, your face and your hands, you can perform relaxation in front of people and you will actually accept the idea that you are relaxed and begin to feel more at ease as you do your speech.

One problem that you often see in public speakers who is the use of the eyes. It's extremely easy as a public speaker to want to look at your outline or your written out speech throughout your presentation so you never get lost or have that terrifying feeling of not knowing what you are going to say next. That is why many people who do not become skilled at talking in front of crowds write out their speeches word for word and just read it to the group.

The problem with that approach is you have been asked to give a speech, not a reading. And many adults take offense at being read to. An audience wants to hear "from" you, not just hear you read. If that was the only value of a public presentation, you could just hand out your speech as a white paper and let them read it and not have to get in front of people at all. But that is not as effective as public speaking, particularly if the purpose of your speech is to convince or to sell.

So the question comes up of where to actually look as you give your speech. Many speakers look at a spot at the back of the room because looking at the faces makes them nervous. This is better than staring down at your papers the whole time. For one thing, projection is a big part of getting your message out there. And even if you are using a microphone, if you speak "out" into the crowd rather than down, your voice will be clearer and you will naturally use your diaphragm to do well at enunciating each word.

The other value of looking at the back wall is that it will help you project your voice, particularly if you are not using amplification. The old actor's motto of "performing to the last row" applies here because it means you consider everyone in that hall to be your audience, not just the people on the first row. So there is some value to that approach.

However, one of the most valuable ways you can really connect with your audience and get your message across is to make eye contact with the audience. Eye contact is commonly used by sales people to create a bond with the customer and that bond helps close the sale. But even if your presentation is not necessarily a sales situation, eye contact will get your message across. And that is what you got up there to do in the first place.

Eye contact makes the audience look at you. It keeps them attentive. To use eye contact to its maximum value, move your eyes from audience member to audience remember and speak to that individual directly. That eye contact will actually be felt by everyone around that individual and it rivets the listener to you. Don't linger on one person because you don’t want to stare but by becoming skilled at using eye contact as you speak to a crowd, you are taking control of the presentation to make it do what you want it to do. And having control is a big key to success in public speaking.

Effective Portfolio Presentation - Tips And Tricks To Help You Land The Assignment You Want!

2009-07-06T03:15:00.000-07:00

One of the first lessons you are taught in business school is effective presentation skills. Those lessons apply equally well to a portfolio presentation as they do to the boardroom. These suggestions on how to show your portfolio, whether with slides or prints in person or by way of digital images on-line, where drawn from a very expensive education so listen up!

1) First Impressions. Put your best image first. People make snap judgments. They are likely to form their view of you based on the first thing they see. (This goes for your dress and demeanor too if you are making an in person presentation.) Once that first impression is formed, there is often no changing it. It is imperative, therefore, that you put your best image first!

I have often seen an editor act favorably on a mediocre portfolio because they were enchanted by the first image. The opposite is also true, I have seen editors reject strong portfolios because the first image was weak.

2) The Body. No mistakes! People are prone to fault judge. They look for the bad, for reasons to reject. Rejection is less work. Editors like to think that they are very busy people, that they are overworked with lots of deadlines. They look at huge numbers of portfolios from all manner of people. If they can find a mistake they have an excuse to reduce their workload. Do not give them that excuse! At the very least every one of your images has to be technically flawless. Do not include the image with beautiful color and composition that is a little soft. Leave out that very moving moment that is just a tad underexposed. No mistakes. None. Zero.

I realize this sounds a tad cynical, so think of it from another perspective. Would you want the work that represents you to be anything less than the best it can possibly be? I suggest twenty images for a portfolio. If you cannot come up with twenty technically flawless images, perhaps you should take some time before presenting a portfolio.

3) The Finale. Close with your second best image. People remember the last thing they see. That is why it is always best close with strength. If your first impression was not enough to get the job, if the editor has to see more people, consult with someone else or is just plain wishy washy, you want to leave him or her with a highly favorable and very memorable impression.

4) A random thought. I always try to tailor, as much as it is possible, my presentation to the audience seeing it. No pictures of flowers please, when showing your work to a newspaper editor.

To conclude, you can maximize the effectiveness of your portfolio if you:

· Put your best image first,

· Have zero mistakes in your images, and;

· Conclude with your second best image.

Good luck. If you have any questions or comments I can be reached at brad@thesuccessfulphotographer.com.

Brad Rickerby is an internationally published travel stock photographer. His works have been published in virtually every major magazine in the world and used extensively by corporate and advertising clients. You can benefit from his experience by visiting http://thesuccessfulphotographer.com where photo tips and business advise are always free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Making a Living as a Public Speaker

2009-07-01T02:20:00.000-07:00

The wonderful dearly departed comic Chris Farley had a character that was a professional motivational speaker. That character was Matt Foley and he was an absolute mess. His speaking style was painful and destructive and he lived (say it with me) in a van down by the river. Well, as hilarious as that routine was, that characterization of professional speakers is obviously for comedy purposes only. If you have been given the gift of public speaking, there is every reason to believe that you can make a very good living doing it for a living.

One way to view making your living as a public speaker is to see it as a variation on the profession of professional author. When you think about it, a writer of informative books takes an area of expertise that they have excelled at and they used their skills in writing to lay that out for people who need that knowledge. And when people buy that knowledge, it’s a fair exchange to pay that person for that valuable knowledge and allow that author to continue writing.

You can also compare a professional public speaker to the noble calling of teacher. A teacher, after all, is someone who does public speaking every day for his or her students. And that public speaking has a vital function in our society. Without it, our children would not be educated and the way our culture functions would be in serious danger. So professional public speakers are important.

How to get your own career as a professional public speaker going is the challenge. You may be used to public speaking to help with your work or as part of your membership in a church or other organization. So it may not be a big leap to think of taking that skill to the next level and seek ways to get paid doing what you love to do, speaking to larger groups about your area of expertise.

As might happen if you took your area of skill that you have the most knowledge an put that in a book form, that focus is your meal ticket to be successful as a professional public speaker. So to get the ball rolling, the first step is to add to the level of notoriety you may have as a professional in your field of knowledge. The internet is a good starting place. By building a web site where you can showcase your knowledge and using the skills of internet marketers to get some traffic to that web site, it is there you can begin to build an audience for your knowledge area and to keep them informed on times and places where you will be speaking.

Once that web site is in place, it can be a foundation for your new public speaking career. You can send people to it after each talk you give where they can learn more about how to use your talents for their function and for their audience. But don’t just rest on the internet and expect it to do all the work. There are lots of organizations that you can speak at either for free or for a small gratuity (sometimes just lunch). But the value of these meetings is not the pay, its getting momentum and some buzz as a speaker.

From then on its just a matter of networking. As members of those groups carry your business card with them, they refer you and you get more and more "gigs" presenting your talk to bigger groups. Before long the gratuities turn into real pay. And when you are on your way and things start to click, you will never look back on your decision to become a professional public speaker.

Presentation Tips - Putting Together and Excellent Performance

2008-11-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

I was once asked this question...

"Could anyone give me a few tips for an excellent performance at an academic foreign policy presentation next week?"

My advice to the requester:

1. Don't put text on a PowerPoint slide

2. Use personal stories

3. Practice, practice, and practice

First, don't use Microsoft's PowerPoint for text.

I know, I know. Most of the business and educational world will tell you to put together a good PowerPoint presentation. I will suggest to you to put together a good Presentation. Then if must use PowerPoint, use it for visuals. Charts, tables, and photos. Visuals do three things, in order of importance.

Photos show a thing that cannot be adequately described or must be accurately recognized. Charts give the audience a visual comparison of numbers, allowing them to see the difference. Tables give the audience a visual representation of large groups of numbers. That's what a PowerPoint slide is good for.

However, a good presentation is an intriguing weave of words that attracts, explains, and persuades your audience like reading a good book. Remember listening to someone tell you a good story? That's how you should make your audience feel.

Use descriptive phrases and intriguing example stories. Pull the stories from your own life experiences, professional and personal. Use the stories that you share with your friends and family in informal settings. Chances are, you've told them many times already. Tie them in with points in your presentation.

Most importantly... practice, practice, PRACTICE. Any athlete can tell you that the ratio of time spent in practice is phenomenally large in comparison to time in the game. If the presentation is important to you and your career, give it the time needed for you to be confident, competent, and fully comfortable in practice.

This is a quick summary on what I consider to be some of the most important points in good presentation. There are many more, such as: using the singular you, using eye contact without scanning the audience, good use of pauses (many people fear the pause).

My best advice to you... Get some help and/or coaching before you need it. But you can still put together a good presentation right now. Good Luck!"

What are some of those resources? Check out some of my recommended links at my website. But I also like the World Champions Edge for continuous coaching by experts and peers. You call also use Toastmasters International for more continuous learning opportunities.

Do you have any suggestions for someone trying to put together a good presentation? Please let me know.

Michael Cortes is the Technology Coordinator at the Fort LeBoeuf School District, a presentation coach, speaker and a self-proclaimed "Life-long Learner." Michael has taken a new look at life and examines each day for the lesson it contains.

Do you want to improve yourself? Michael can help you reach your goals. Do you want to be a better presenter? Need to add that little extra that allows you to rock your presentation, whether it be a sales proposal or report to the board of directors? Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Michael will help you create more power in your presentations.

You can visit Michael's website at http://www.michaelcortes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Learn Effective Presentation Tips

2008-11-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

If you are due to make a presentation and the anxiety is getting on your nerves, the following presentation tips can help you. These tips can also be learned through presentation skills training course but here is an overview.

Some of the suggestions that you must remember to make your presentation a smashing hit are given below:

Practice before the D-Day

Practice is the keyword. Always practice your presentation before the D-Day. This would help you avoid the common mistakes while giving the oration for the first time. A complex presentation that includes multimedia must be practiced several times before the actual shot. Try practicing in the same room you have to give the lecture. Make sure your projector is fitted to the measurements of the screen. This will spare you from fumbling with the equipment later.

Keep a backup plan handy at all times

You might do everything in your power to avoid a sticky spot. Regardless of this, problems do tend to arise out of nowhere sometimes. For instance, your projector might not work due to some technical error. Make sure you are ready to make a presentation even without it. Keep your notes handy and memorize the points of your slides just in case the system shuts down.

Write down your speech

It is always safer to write down your speech or at least the pointers. These notes will be extremely helpful when you forget your key notes. In such a situation, simply go back to your notes and pick up from where you left. Avoid reading from your notes throughout. It will leave a bad impression on your audience as they might think you have not prepared enough for the presentation.

Memorize your oration

A good presenter is the one who does not read from the notes. Reading makes your presentation sound stilted and flat. Learning your speech by heart would make your lecture sound natural and give you the liberty to add in a few extra points according to the situation.

Check out the presentation room

Make it a habit to inspect the room before you go in for the actual lecture. Always confirm that all the things that you require are present in the room. This way you will be able to avoid any unwanted surprises in your first lecture. You can find more information about presentation skills at http://www.PresentationSkillsHelp.com

Just be yourself

A presentation can only be enjoyable if the presenter enjoys it himself. Therefore it becomes very important for you to keep your calm and go with the flow. Do not over stress or relax your nerves. Just be your self and that would do the trick. These tips can be learned in lesser time through presentation skills workshops also. For those looking to ease their burden further, advanced presentation software is also available in the market.

These are some presentation tips that will surely help you make the lecture a better experience for you and your audience as well. Try them and reap the benefits.

Article by Kevin Bing at http://www.PresentationSkillsHelp.com For more great free information on everything you should know about Presentation Skills visit Presentation Skills Classes

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Ten PC Tips for Communicating with a Diverse Audience

2008-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

By learning to speak to a diverse audience, you can broaden your client base transfer the learning to more people. We need to be more "PC". Were not talking "political correctness", were talking "Positively Conscious", of who is in our audience and understanding how to make people feel included. The more people feel included, the more they will listen to you, use your information and come back for more. If you offend people they will shut down and you will lose them.

1) Use words that include rather than exclude. While some women don't mind being called ladies, in a professional setting the word women is more appropriate. Be "positively conscious" of pronouns when discussing hypothetical cases. I have been inn workshops where the facilitator spoke as though all managers were "he" and all administrative support were "she". Metaphors are very effective. Remember to mix them. Don't use only sports metaphors. Have a balance. In Europe when they think of football they think of soccer. Be aware that people have different abilities. Instead of telling everyone to stand, you might say everyone who is able please stand, and have a way for others to participate in the exercise.

2) Learn the demographics of the audience before your presentation, and prepare.

3) Do not assume everyone shares your religious beliefs.

4) Look at everyone in the audience and smile at them. Speakers can have a tendency to visually relate to people who look more like them. Assume everyone wants to be valued.

5) Do not use humor that puts down any particular group. If you are not sure, get feedback from others.

6) Examine your assumptions about people who are different than you. Be open to letting go of those assumptions.

7) Do not be afraid to ask for the correct pronunciation of someone's name.

8) If someone has an accent and you can't understand them, ask them to repeat what they said slowly, because what they are saying is important to you.

9) Use methodology in your presentations to accommodate different learning styles. Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

10) Be comfortable with silence. In some cultures that can mean respect and attention. Be comfortable with direct interaction. In some cultures that can mean respect and attention. Be comfortable with saying, "I don't know."

Simma Lieberman helps organizations create environments where people can do their best work and be successful. She specializes in Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity Dialogues, and Eliminating Fear and Self-doubt. Simma is the co-author with Kate Berardo and George Simons of the book "Putting Diversity to Work." She can be reached at http://www.simmalieberman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simma_Lieberman

Tips On Giving Better Presentations

2008-11-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

Giving presentations can be intimidating, even if you are well prepared. Many people do not enjoy standing in front of a group, using power point, or answering questions afterwards. If you have a job that requires giving frequent presentations, the following tips can help you perfect your techniques so audiences have a better understanding of what you’re trying to say.

TIP #1: CREATE INTERESTING VISUALS

Most corporate presentations will require you to use power point, which is a slide show presentation program you can run from your computer. Presentations are not only audio experiences, the visual images you create should give audiences clues in order to understand points you’re trying to make. When creating Powerpoint slides, or any other visuals like prepared flipcharts, you should:

• Include one point per page. Placing too much information on the page or slide will cause people to lose focus and have difficulty understanding what you are saying.

• Using the 7×7 rule (absolutely no more than 7 words per line, and 7 lines per page) can also help in keeping your message succinct and easy to absorb

• Add images, charts, graphs, and other visual aids to help people understand statistics, percentages, and other information.

• Choose one font for headings and one font for content. Be consistent with your font sizes. Make sure they are large enough for people to see from the back of the room.

• Time your presentation to see how long it will take for you to speak and change slides.

Give printouts of your presentation so everyone can follow along, take notes, or review the information later.

TIP #2: MONITOR YOUR TIME

When speaking to a crowd, most people tend to speak quickly. This can cause others to miss information, so be sure you slow down when this happens. Timing your presentation beforehand will give you a good idea of how fast or slow you need to speak. Practice a few days before and make any changes necessary then.

TIP #3: KNOW YOUR STUFF

The more you know about your topic, the easier it will be to answer questions afterward. Learn as much as possible. While you won’t use all of the information in your presentation, you will be able to answer most questions.

TIP #4: CRITIQUE YOUR PRESENTATION

If you are comfortable, ask a colleague to critique your performance so you can make adjustments for the next presentation. Many times you cannot see where improvements need to be made because you’re busy giving the presentation. Having feedback is a great way to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses.

Over time, your presentation skills will improve. When watching others give a presentation, watch how they handle themselves and try to learn from them.

Timothy Millett, head trainer at i perform, has extensive expertise in performance training, sales training and customer service training. Tim has helped participants from organisations such as SWIFT and UBS achieve peak levels of personal performance. For more information please visit Sales Training.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

PowerPoint Tip - Create a Custom Layout

2008-11-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

Layouts help you lay out the components of your slide and PowerPoint comes with many of them. Here's a sample.

Unfortunately, PowerPoint versions before 2007 don't have a feature to let you create custom layouts that appear in the Layout task plane. However, you can work around this limitation by designing your own layout and saving it as a template.

Suppose you're a sales manager and create lots of comparison slides to train your sales reps. Here's an example:

You want the layout to look something like this:

This layout doesn't exist in PowerPoint, but you can create it easily enough. Use any layout with a title, text placeholder, and content placeholder. Duplicate the content placeholder. (Or you can choose one with two content placeholders.) Move and resize the placeholders until you have the look you want.

If you want to create other custom layouts, go ahead.

When you're done, save the presentation as a template. Choose File > Save and choose Design Template (*.pot) from the Save as Type drop-down list.

When you want to create a presentation, start a new one from the template.

Before adding any content, copy the existing slide (or slides, if you created more than one custom layout) to make additional empty slides. You need to do this because, once you add content, you can't create a new slide with your custom layout. So you need to keep an empty slide handy. Just make sure that you always have an extra blank slide with each layout that you created.

Thankfully, PowerPoint 2007 allows you to create custom layouts, using one of 8 placeholders:

* Content

* Text

* Picture

* Chart

* Table

* SmartArt

* Media

* Clip Art

Follow these steps to create a custom layout:

1. Click the View tab, then click the Slide Master button in the Presentation Views group. The slide master appears.

2. On the Slide Master tab, in the Edit Master group, choose Insert Layout. A new layout appears in the left pane.

3. Again on the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click the Insert Placeholder button's down arrow and choose one of the 8 placeholder types.

4. Drag on the slide to size and place the placeholder.

5. Place more placeholders, laying them out as needed.

6. When you're done, click the layout in the left pane, display the Slide Master tab. In the Edit Master group, click the Rename button. Enter a name and click Rename.

7. The presentation now contains the new layout and you can choose it the same way you'd choose any of the standard layouts for any slide.

8. If you want to use the layout in the future, save the file as a template (.potx, or .potm if it contains macros) or theme (thmx).

This article in its original form may have included images and/or other media. To see the original article, go to:

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip_custom_layout.html

For more free PowerPoint tips, go to

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tip.html

Ellen Finkelstein, is the best-selling author of How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2007 (and previous editions for PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003) Her award-winning Web site features loads of free tips on PowerPoint, the monthly PowerPoint Tips Newsletter, and the PowerPoint Tips Blog - http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Tips to Help You Get over Public Speaking Jitters

2008-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Public speaking can be an important skill to learn, and getting over the fear of doing it can send your personal goals to a new level. If you have any aspirations in the future to have a position of leadership in an organization or company you'll need to have the ability to speak in public. The comforting part is that once you overcome your fear of having to speak in public, you'll have greater confidence and feel better about yourself overall.

One of the most common things that people have when they confront having to speak in public is the butterflies and the pit that's in the bottom of their stomach just prior to giving a speech. This is a natural reaction, and it's normal for people to feel nervous. This however shouldn't keep you from delivering a solid speech and achieving personal or business success.

Getting Ready Smooths Things Out

There are a few tips that you can use to help yourself over come speaking in public and give yourself a better opportunity to do a great job. The first tip would be getting an idea of how the room is laid out and knowing how you're going to make your approach to the stage or the podium will be a great way of overcoming some of the nervousness. Knowing in advance how things are laid out will give you an opportunity to find a focus point that you can refer to at any time during the speech.

Another great tip is having a preconceived idea of what your audience is going to be like. If for example you're dealing with young kids you want to be sure and not use words and phrases that might not make any sense are not easily understood. On the other hand if your speaking to a group of professionals and might be a good idea to use key terminology and industry-specific terms.

Having a solid understanding of your material and knowing your subject inside and out will greatly assist in allowing you to have a much higher level of comfort while speaking.

Getting yourself ready prior to the speech will also give you a higher level of comfort and allow you to perform and deliver your subject with greater clarity and understanding. Maybe doing a little exercise, getting a good night's sleep, eating a proper meal will all be factors in allowing you to do a great job.

People are Eager To Hear You

As your delivering your subject during your speech keep in mind that the people that are watching and listening to you are wanting you to be successful. It is not their underlying desire to have you be a gigantic failure. If during your speech you feel nervous or uptight don't offer any apologies just keep on going as if nothing is wrong. Bringing attention to yourself should you stumble will make it that much worse. Staying on message and keeping your subject in focus will allow your audience to stay in touch with what you have to say.

Finally, having a positive attitude and delivering your subject with energy and zeal will help you overcome much of the nervousness and butterflies. Ultimately the more that you give public speeches the more you become comfortable at giving them on a regular basis.

Want more Public Speaking Tips, be sure to download a complimentary copy of Advanced Public Speaking Strategies it provides tips, advice, and more in depth details on Speaking in Public . Also be sure to visit http://www.betterpublicspeakingtips.com for more public speaking information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Confident Public Speaking Course (Part 5)

2008-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Planning the Conclusion

The purpose of the conclusion is to draw the whole speech together in a few words.

In order to do this, it must give the audience a sense of finality or completeness, summarize the content of the body of the speech, and/or arouse the audience to action.

Although a conclusion may achieve all three of these purposes, any one of them may be sufficient to meet the needs of an individual speech.

In order to give the audience a sense of finality or completeness, the conclusion should be adequately designed to balance Preparation of the Introduction and the

Conclusion.

After the body of the speech is complete, and only then, is it possible to determine an appropriate introduction and conclusion.

It should be neither too long, nor too short. Avoid the anti-climax. There is nothing worse for an audience than to think that a speaker is concluding, only to find that he has gained steam and is moving on to something new.

A preview of your speech in your introduction will help to avoid these anti-climaxes.

Here are some suggestions for giving your conclusion a sense of completeness.

● A significant quotation: Save a particularly effective sentence from one of

your best sources and use it as the basis of your conclusion.

You might say...

"My remarks encouraging this class to adopt a child overseas, under the Save the Children Federation, may be most effectively concluded by quoting

Constance Capron from her Reader's Digest article, when she said:

'I was ashamed that my own troubles, now petty by comparison, had blinded me to the realities of life.' Are we in this same fix?"

● A startling statistic: "Only 5,500 children are now being sponsored through the Save the Children Federation. Only 5,500.

Think of the thousands more who need help. Are there not more than 5,500 families in the United States who can afford to share a small amount of their income with a destitute child overseas?"

● A fitting example: "Let me tell you one story before I end my speech. This is the story of Stella Saradari of Serres, Greece.

Her father died fighting the Communists in the mountains of Greece; her

mother is a scrub woman. Stella, her brother Constantine, and her mother live in one room. Their house fell down after a particularly hard winter, and had to be rebuilt by neighbors ..."

The conclusion to every speech ought to summarize its content.

If you tell an audience in your introduction what to expect in the speech, by

saying, "I am going to discuss three things with you;" if you point out to the

audience in the body of the speech when you are discussing each of these by saying, "Now first, we will discuss . . . ".

And if, in your conclusion, you say, "Now, I have told you three things about . ..," your audience cannot help but get a clear picture of your message.

If this sounds too elementary to you, remember that you are already highly

familiar with the content of your speech and have gone over the material

several times.

Your audience, on the contrary, has not had this opportunity. If you give an

audience three reviews of your main structure (once in the introduction, once in the body, and once in the conclusion), you need have no fears of being misunderstood.

The suggested conclusions will, to a very great extent, summarize your content.

But, your central idea will be even clearer if you also review for your audience the main parts of your speech. If you are not organized, you cannot make such a summary.

Confident Public Speaking Course (Part 4)

2008-09-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Preparation of the Introduction and the Conclusion

After the body of the speech is complete, and only then, is it possible to determine an appropriate introduction and conclusion.

Planning the Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to prepare the audience to hear your speech.

In order to do this, it must get the attention of the audience, make the audience like or respect you (or both), and create an interest in the ideas you are going to present.

Speak Audibly. This needs little comment since a speech unheard is practically the same as a speech unmade. The members of the audience need to listen from the beginning in order to understand the speech fully.

What can be said to gain attention will, of course, depend upon the speaker, the audience, and the situation. Some approaches that have been successful in the past are:

● A startling statement: "More people have been killed on our highways than have died on all the battlefields in the history of the world!"

● A seemingly unbelievable but true statement: "There are many Americans who actually enjoy paying their income taxes."

● A question or a series of questions: "Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like to live in Red China? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Chinese Communist?"

● A familiar quotation: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been!'"

● The business-like approach: "Today we are going to discuss three factors.

First, we shall consider . . . etc."

An example: You may use a serious story, an anecdote, a joke, or a parable.

Remember that one illustration is worth a thousand words of explanation.

All the world likes a good story.

Notice how speakers you hear get the attention of their audience. Remember, the first sentence you say will be listened to by all. You may never again have so high a percentage of listeners.

Don't miss your best opportunity by wasting it on formalities or trivialities.

The routine recognition of important guests can be left to a less important part of the speech. "Ladies and gentlemen" is the safest type of salutation and is usually used in most speech situations.

Now that you have the attention of the audience, you need to concentrate on making the audience like or respect you enough to listen.

With a hostile audience, it may be necessary to prolong the introduction, but for most audiences, it is sufficient that you be well-prepared to speak to them, that you be interested in them, and that you get the job done as quickly and as well as possible.

Avoid long-winded introductions. Get to the point. Avoid apologies at all costs. The speaker who says, "I'm not very qualified to talk to you on this subject, but . . ." ought not to be speaking to begin with.

Your introduction should arouse the interest of your audience in the theme of your speech.

Therefore, your startling statement, challenging statement, series of questions, familiar quotation, business-like approach, or illustration should point up the theme of your speech.

Do not warm up the audience with a few unrelated jokes and then say, in effect,

"Well, we had better get back to the speech." You can tell jokes but choose ones which illustrate your point.

If you think you will be nervous during the first few minutes of your speech, begin with an introduction that will require movement.

Put a chart on one side of the platform so that you can walk over and point to it, set up a demonstration and practice opening with it, or plan to have a few pieces of note paper in your hands at the beginning.

A physical movement will assist in calming you. Plan enough movement in your introduction to put yourself at ease.

It can be seen from the above discussion that an introduction for a particular speech must be worked out in terms of the nature of the speech, the speaker, the audience, and the speech situation.

We have offered some general suggestions that you might try out in your speeches, but we must repeat these cautions:

● First, introductions should be as brief as possible.

● Second, materials in introductions should be included only if they contribute to one of the three purposes of the introduction.

● Third, the more original and the more timely it is, the more effective the

introduction will be.

● Fourth, all introductions should be planned, yet flexible enough to incorporate events that happen as late as your own introduction.

Confident Public Speaking Course (Part 3)

2008-09-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

3. Subdivisions of the Speech

When you have selected the CI, you should then divide it into several sub-ideas which will, in turn, become the main headings of the body of your speech. The selection of the headings of a speech is an important step in the planning.

First, the headings, when taken together, should completely cover the subject. For example, a speech with the central idea that "The United States Government is efficient," should have the following subordinate ideas:

A. The Legislative Branch is Efficient

B. The Executive Branch is Efficient

C. The Judicial Branch is Efficient

The government has three branches. There are no other parts.

The full development of these headings treats the central idea and shows that the entire government is efficient.

Having one central idea, broken up into sub-ideas properly selected and supported, is a means of insuring unity in a speech. As a result of this unity, the audience will believe that you have given it a complete picture.

Your own experience will show you that using only a few sub-divisions will help you understand and remember a complex idea, while too many will tend to confuse you.

Therefore, the sub-ideas should not exceed five. Past experience indicates that five separate headings approach the maximum number of items that people can easily remember. Too many sub-heads can actually damage the unity of your speech. More than five sub-ideas spell "danger" to the speaker.

The order in which speech materials are presented can either strengthen or weaken the effect of the speech. The speaker may find that his speech fits properly into one of the thought patterns.

If not, then, he should arrange his data in relation to the strength of each point. A speech may be organized around either three or five points.

The more nearly your ideas approximate one of the following arrangements, the more effective your speech will be.

The Form of the Outline

The speaker should begin the outline of the speech by stating the intended audience response in as concrete terms as is possible. This assures the speaker that his thinking about his purpose for speaking is clear.

He should then record the central idea. This is the next step because the selection of the central idea will determine the framework of the speech.

After selecting the central idea, the speaker should check to see if it actually will (when developed) bring about the desired response.

Division of the central idea into sub-ideas should be the next step.

Before completing the outline, it is necessary, of course, to explore each sub-idea, read about it, talk about it, and record whatever support can be found for it.

At this point it may be necessary to review the central idea and sub-ideas to see if your reading and other research will enable you to improve upon your previous choice of headings.

The next problem is to select from the recorded materials, the best supports available for each particular idea; decide how much is needed and arrange them in the most effective way.

If some headings require more specific data for support than has been found, additional research should be done.

Now that we have the ideas set down, we need to ask one more question: "Which of these ideas will the audience accept on my own authority, and which of these ideas will require additional support?"

In general, the more radical the statement, the more likely it is that you will need to refer to a source of reference to persuade the audience to your way of thinking.

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