Art Of Great Speaking

A course on how to improve communication skills was one of the best courses I took in community college. The teacher for that course kept the class interesting, engaging and informative. In fact, I can still recall the tools and techniques that I learned from that course.

I was discussing the process of clear communication with a friend just the other day. The communication process begins with the speaker sending the information to the receiver. The receiver will then take in the information and reiterate in his/her own words. The sender will then confirm that the listener received it the way it was intended to complete the communication process.

Let me share what I remember from that course to those who wish to speak in public. Now, I won’t get into the metaphysics of how information can be misinterpreted, unheard, neglected, or abused. I will stick with the basics for how to improve communication skills as I learned them and as I try to practice them.

I think that you’ll agree with me when I say that public speaking is difficult for the average person. I can remember an ad that was saying that speaking in public is the number one fear of people and death is only number two. Anyway, let’s go back to the topic of how to improve communication skills.

You should first think of the topic you will be speaking on. Then realize how much you love the subject and focus on your love for the subject. Shift your focus from how you will speak to what you will speak on. You also have to forget all about being afraid if you want to learn how to improve communication skills. The next thing you should do is to stand tall, and speak out. You should get a good thing going with the acoustics in the room if you speak out over the heads of the audience. There is no need to try to hide the notes since we all understand that notes are involved. You should hold them in your hand at chest level when you refer to them. You don’t need a podium unless you are nervous. If a podium does not relieve your nerves a bit, then you should refer back to the first suggestion on how to improve communication skills.

Taking ownership is also crucial for speaking well in public. You will learn how to improve communication skills by owning that stage, pulpit, podium space, or head of the table area in the conference room. Never forget to look at the listeners. They need you to be good, kind, and direct because you have knowledge of something they know much less about.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning How to Improve Communication Skills. Visit our site for more helpful information about How to Improve Communication Skills and other similar topics.

Did you know that adults have special needs as learners?

When we were kids, we went to school, and we sat through class every day, and our teachers taught everyone pretty much the same way. It didn’t really matter if you were a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinesthetic learner. The teacher pretty much did whatever s/he felt most comfortable doing. Times have changed, and teachers are more aware of learning styles now, and other issues that affect children’s learning.

But the principles of adult learning are still pretty new to most people. If you’re a speaker, and you’re doing any kind of education or training with the groups you’re speaking to, this applies to you.

First, a little history.

Malcolm Knowles is considered the “father of adult learning”, although the topic had been discussed and researched over a century earlier.

Knowles’ assumptions were that adults:

1) move from dependency to self-directedness;
2) draw upon their reservoir of experience for learning;
3) are ready to learn when they assume new roles; and
4) want to solve problems and apply new knowledge immediately.

In his book, “The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy,” Knowles opposes the view that adults are unable to learn: “…the rapidly accelerating pace of change in our society has proved this doctrine to be no longer valued. Facts learned in youth have become insufficient and in many instances actually untrue; and skills learned in youth have become outmoded by new technologies.”

The term “andragogy” has come to mean self-directed learning for people of all ages, as opposed to the term “pedagogy” which defines teacher-directed learning. In practical terms, it means that when educating or training adults, process comes before content.

Knowles may not have invented these terms or concepts, but he was the first to put them together into an organized theory. Additional theories of adult learning have been developed since Knowles’ time, as well. Here is an overview of adult learning principles that will greatly improve your understanding of how and why adults learn. This will allow you to tailor your presentations and training more effectively to the groups you serve.

1. Adults are autonomous and self-directed

Adults want to decide for themselves what, when, how and why to learn. Speakers/instructors should allow adults to direct some of their own learning. Here are some ways to facilitate this:

* Ask your participants what they already know about your topic and what they’re interested in learning. Find out what their goals are for being there.
* Share your agenda and ask for input. This might lead to switching around the order of your workshop to better serve the group’s needs. You might find you spend more time on certain subjects than you had planned, and less on others. Be flexible.
* Act as a facilitator, guiding the group and encouraging them to reach their own conclusions, rather than force-feeding information in a lecture format. Allow them to be responsible for their own learning.
* Do your research on the group and organizational needs beforehand, so you can provide a combination of information that meets their perceived needs and their actual needs.

2. Adults have a lifetime of knowledge and experience that informs their learning Adult learners can be a valuable resource for you as an instructor/speaker. It’s also important for them to connect learning to those previous life experiences. Here’s how to make the most of your audience’s experience and knowledge.

* Don’t assume that your participants are “blank slates” and know nothing about your topic. Nothing is more insulting than a speaker who launches into a lecture without first finding out the needs and knowledge level of the audience. Do your research and ask first to find out what they already know.
* When appropriate, ask your audience to share their experiences, and create activities that call on them to use their experiences, for example, in small group discussions.
* Prepare activities that involve choice, so the learning process can better fit the individual levels of your participants.

3. Adults need relevancy in learning

It’s important to adults that they are learning something relevant and applicable to real life, whether it’s work-related or personal. Here’s how to make learning relevant to your audience.

* Identify learning objectives and ask participants to share their goals.
* Discuss and ask for sharing of real-world applications of your topic.
* Avoid giving a workshop or presentation that’s too theoretical.

In the book “Teacher”, Sylvia Ashton-Warner discusses relevancy in her work as a teacher with Maori children. She recalls trying to teach them to read out of European textbooks with images and language that mean nothing to them. When she starts working within their own language, culture and experiences to teach them reading, they blossom. Relevancy is one of the major keys to learning for people of all ages.

4. Adults are motivated to learn by both external and internal factors

When we were kids, many of us were not motivated to learn by anything other than our parents’ and teachers’ rewards and punishments.

As adults, we have many reasons for pursuing learning:

* it’s a requirement of a job
* we want to make new friends and connections
* for professional development and to advance our careers
* to relieve boredom
* because we’re interested in a particular topic and want to learn for fun
* to create a better environment for our children and families

. . . and the list goes on.

As an instructor/speaker, it’s important to understand the many reasons why your attendees are in your seminar. They may not be there by choice, for example. Ask them why they’ve come and what they hope to gain from the experience.

As it is important to understand what motivates your participants to learn, it’s also important to understand what might be barriers to their learning:

* worry about finances
* time constraints
* childcare issues
* relationship issues (one partner feels threatened by advancement of the other)
* lack of confidence in ability to learn (some people grew to believe they were not good in school, and they carry that with them forever)
* insecurity about intelligence
* concern about practicality and relevance

. . . and the list goes on!

Understanding the motivations and barriers your participants face can help you as an instructor pinpoint how best to serve them, by increasing their motivation for learning.

5. Adult learners have sensitive egos

Many of us, over the course of a lifetime, have developed a fear of appearing stupid or incompetent. As children, we were encouraged to explore, ask questions and learn about the world, but somewhere along the way, that was taken away from us. Many adults have mixed feelings about teachers, school, and structured learning.

Some people go to great lengths to hide their inability to read, for example, or their lack of understanding of the duties of their job.

An instructor/speaker must be aware of these issues and build trust by treating learners respectfully, sensitively, and without judgment.

* Allow participants to build confidence by practicing what is learned in small groups before facing the large group
* Use positive reinforcement to encourage participants
* If sensitive issues are to be discussed, create a safe space by enforcing confidentiality and allowing participants to “pass” if there’s something they’re not comfortable talking about
* Provide activities that are low-risk before moving on to activities featuring higher risk or greater trust
* Acknowledge participants’ previous life experience and knowledge and allow them to voice opinions and share in class leadership

A speaker who believes she/he knows more than anyone else in the room is asking for trouble, and creating an environment that will discourage learning.

6. Adults are practical and problem-oriented, and want to apply what they’ve learned

Probably the most important result for adult learners is to be able to apply their learning to their work or personal life – immediately. Help facilitate this by doing the following:

* Use examples to help them see the connection between classroom theories and practical application
* Use problem-solving activities as part of learning
* Create action items or task lists together with participants
* Help learners transfer learning to daily practice by offering follow-up coaching or mentoring
* Create an experiential learning environment that follows an experiential learning cycle

This has been just a brief overview of adult learning principles. I hope you’ve found some of the tips in these articles to be helpful.

At its most basic level, adult learning tends to be self-directed and based on the person’s individual needs and life experiences. Follow these tips when working with adults, and you will be on your way to creating a truly effective learning experience.

Lisa Braithwaite works with individuals to uncover their challenges and build their strengths in presenting themselves confidently as speakers. Find your voice with public speaking coaching! Sign up for my newsletter and find out about my free consultation by visiting www.coachlisab.com.

Salespeople often overlook one of the most effective and quick ways to both establish themselves as experts in their field and generate a pipeline of quality prospects.

Most salespeople who sell directly to consumers are all too familiar with cold-calling; purchasing leads; sending out mass direct mail and email pieces; and using print, radio and TV advertising and other common methods of lead generation. However, becoming a niche expert and taking that expertise on the road in the form of speaking to groups and organizations is seldom considered.

The natural fear of public speaking is a deterrent for many, but most salespeople simply have not considered the possibility. When we think of a speaker, most of us envision someone with grand ideas speaking to the most crucial events of the day–or maybe someone who has lead an extraordinary life, regaling the audience with tales of high adventure. If we do think of business experts as speakers, we tend to think of names such as Jack Welch, Tom Hopkins, Zig Ziglar or some other high-profile guru who commands tens of thousands of dollars per appearance.

Those sorts of people may be the most visible, but they are, in fact, the tiny minority of speakers. Literally tens of thousands of organizations in the US need speakers on a regular weekly or monthly basis. A large percentage of these organizations are actively looking for businesspeople that have a message that will appeal to the majority of their members–and you could be that speaker.

You need not be expounding on the evils of the Democratic takeover of Congress, or the how badly the Republicans have governed, or the great coming economic downfall of civilization as we know it. You do not have to be a stand-up comedian or a storyteller on the level of Garrison Keillor.

Speaking for local groups and originations only requires you to have information that is relevant and interesting. A realtor client of mine became an expert in the minutiae of every neighborhood in her city and began speaking to groups about the transitions taking place in the city–which neighborhoods are on the verge of taking off, and which in decline. Her presentation is laced with statistics but also stories and history, with fact and prediction.

Within a matter of several months, she became the “go to” person when members of audiences she had spoken to began to think about buying or selling their home, because she is recognized as the expert on where to move, where to build and where to avoid.

Another client of mine, a business insurance broker, began speaking about the issues that businesses in his city face in terms of risk. His presentation centers on crime, employee theft, and upcoming city ordinances that may affect business, and other, unexciting aspects of risk management.

Although he is a likable and entertaining man, his presentation is hardly worthy of an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Nevertheless, he has information that is of interest to other businesspeople. Moreover, he, like the realtor, has become known as expert in his field. Businesspeople come to him first because of their perception of his extraordinary knowledge of both business risk and how to manage it and the local issues facing businesses.

Neither of these people is exceptional in the sense that they have led extraordinary lives or have mythical business prowess. In fact, the business agent has only been in the insurance business for a couple of years. However, both recognized the power of getting in front of groups and presenting themselves as experts. Their average audience is fewer than 40 people. Their average talk is less than 20 minutes, and each speaks less than four times a month. Nevertheless, if they speak three times per month to an average audience of 35 people, they are in front of about 1,200 per year as “the” expert in their field. Moreover, many of these people are potential prospects.

How do you become the expert? First, find something about your business that will be of interest to a broad range of potential customers. Concentrate on areas that could give your audience information on potential risks or opportunities that could expand or enhance their life, open new doors, or increase or protect their wealth. Once you have found an interesting niche, connect it to your local market. The realtor deals only with local issues and demographics, but the insurance broker mixes general risk statistics with local business-related issues. He takes mundane national statistics and brings them home, to a more personal level.

Do your homework on both your subject and your public speaking skills. Hone your presentation so that you are confident and do not have to speak with notes. Work in front of a mirror until you have managed to eliminate all of your nervous movement. Go over your presentation–both verbally in front of a mirror and in your mind as you drive–until it becomes second nature. Check and recheck facts and figures. And, join the Toastmasters. Most of us probably think of the Toastmasters as simply an organization that will improve our public speaking skills. It certainly will. However, it will improve your leadership skills also, not to mention your interpersonal skills in general. Most every community has at least one Toastmasters club within reasonable distance. In addition, in a city of any reasonable size, you’ll probably have several options of meeting days and times as there will probably be several clubs from which to choose. Then, once you have mastery over your subject and yourself, get the word out to church, service, chamber, business, and other organizations. Send a self-promotion package and follow up with a phone call. As you begin to set speaking engagements, more will follow.

Keep your material fresh and up-to-date. Look and act like a professional. Within months, you’ll have gained the reputation of an expert, the image of the guru, and the self-confidence to match.

Bestselling author, speaker, sales trainer and management consultant, Paul McCord is recognized as a leading authority on lead generation, referral selling and personal marketing. Find more information at Power Referral Selling

The power of a good speech is almost unparallel to anything else, a good speech can make huge changes in societies, bring conflicts to an end and start revolutions. Maybe you are not interested in this kind of speech making, but a good speaker will have the ability to move any obstacle he wants on his way to making his point clearly understood. The speech making ability is not only something that is a gift, it is something that can be learned and acquired. Many look up to famous speakers to be their roll models and inspiration.

Some people may claim that people have become famous in public speaking simply because they have the confidence and knowledge enough to be so certain of their ideas within everybody’s hearing. Yes, public speaking could be a good combination of wit and self esteem. But have you ever given it a thought that even the famous public speakers were initially afraid of the stage itself?

Public speaking is not something that you are born with. It is something that you must develop. If, as a child, you were oriented that a speech in front of a couple of people is something you must be anxious of then you might find it hard to realize yourself in that very manner. However, if you have been trained to express your views without regard to what criticisms or opinions other people may throw at you, then you are sure to thread the path of confidence in speaking well publicly.

There are various types of public speakers though. And for each type of speaker is a specific technique of public speaking. There may be some general guidelines as to how to speak publicly but eventually it is the natural styles of the actual speakers that rule.

However, this does not negate the fact that this is also the pitfall for most public speakers. It is often hard to keep the audience laughing or to keep their attention on your speech. That’s why these things set famous and effective public speakers apart from those of the beginners.

Another effective style that most famous public speakers use is a light-but-bombarded-with-sense-speech. Too few can deliver this well since many tend to complicate words and have the tendency to stay off focus, especially when the speech is extemporaneous.

Light speeches are easy to digest. These also offer the advantage of driving to your purpose without having to divert your public’s attention to another thing which is prone to lead everyone to another issue.

Depending on the speaker, the style may be easy to spot. But this is not the core of listening to public speakers. It is not about knowing how one would deliver himself but how his delivery penetrates to your understanding.

From the regular college or university presentations to being head of public relations departments the ability to give a good speech is widely appreciated. Learn how you can become a better Public Speaker & more at http://publicspeaking.zupatips.com

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