It is the first thing we do at birth; it will be the last thing we do at death. It is the most important thing we do every day of our lives.

Dogs do it; cats do it; cows do it; and, horses do it. In fact all other mammals do it and they do it properly; it is only man (and that is 99% of us) who is doing it wrong.

On the podium, we not only do it wrong but many of us are not doing it at all!

It is called breathing. And right now you are saying of course I am breathing. Yes and no. Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Do you know what supported breathing is? 2. In public speaking do you experience breathlessness? 3. Are your shoulder and neck regions sore by the end of the day? 4. Can you control your nervousness in public speaking? 5. Is your stress often overwhelming?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, chances are you are a lazy or shallow breather; and, since 99% of the population is unaware of the techniques for supported breathing, it is quite possible that you are part of the majority.

Breathing with the support of your diaphragm, a muscular partition separating your chest from your abdomen, is the answer to the 5 questions above. [While we were born breathing with the support of the diaphragm, as we develop we revert to using only the upper portion of the chest, known as shallow or lazy breathing. It is a medical fact.]

Those who breathe with support are able to eliminate breathlessness at the lectern, end daily neck and shoulder tension, control their nervousness in public speaking and alleviate much of the stress in their lives because diaphragmatic breathing rids the body of toxins that shallow or lazy breathing cannot. In fact, shallow breathing actually increases stress because of the inability of the body to rid itself of toxins.

Incidentally, those who experience true panic attacks are taught first and foremost to take a deep, supported breath.

Learning the simple techniques of diaphragmatic breathing can change your life, both professionally and personally. An added bonus is that they say you can 4-1/2 years to your life, again because you are cleansing your body with each and every breath.

It was the first thing you did in life; it will be last thing you do in life. Why not make it one of the best things you do in life?

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

Recently I gave a presentation at a Summit Conference in New York City and was confronted with a very tame audience. I was blessed, however, to have two women in the large ballroom who smiled throughout, nodding their heads in agreement with everything I said. The second blessing was that these two women were sitting on opposite sides of the room; thus, in acknowledging my two ‘smilers’,I had to scan the room from one side to the other.

In teaching presentation skills, I advocate zeroing in your smilers because they bolster your confidence. Some people smile because they agree with you and some people smile just because they smile. Some people listen with their eyes closed; some people indeed are sleepers.

In a room filled with over 100 attendees, however, I was surprised that I had only two smilers. Without a doubt, this particular group was one of the hardest audiences I have ever faced. In fact, throughout my 40-minute presentation, I questioned their lack of enthusiasm.

Admittedly, the microphone I was handed left much to be desired because it unfortunately was not of the same quality as the stationary mic on the lectern. [And that definitely was my fault for not getting a sound check before speaking. I assumed that because the gentleman speaking prior to me was getting great sound with the stationary mic, so too would I with a hand-held version. Very bad assumption; however, great fodder for the book and audio series I am presently working on for public speaking!]

One attendee, sitting smack dab in the middle of the room and not 10 feet from me, kept nodding off. Of course every audience has a sleeper; and, because the rest of the room was awake, I was not concerned. Interestingly though, while watching the ‘before’ and ‘after’ video clips of my clients, the gentleman whose eyes were half closed, reacted with such sudden force upon seeing Craig, that it took everything in my power not to laugh out loud. (Craig is undoubtedly the best change in a male voice that I have ever encountered.) With his eyes bulging, this sleeper reminded me of a cartoon character who suddenly becomes bug-eyed upon viewing a beautiful woman.

While the time I spent talking about voice and telephone techniques certainly had its challenges, the applause from the audience upon closing was thunderous. Indeed that was unexpected. Aside from the two smiling women, here was a crowd who showed little expression in what I was saying by their most reserved and noncommittal reaction to me. What usually gets a laugh did not. What always gets verbal response did not. And yet they enjoyed my presentation.

What did I learn from this particular audience? That once again, you can never prejudge how you will be received. During your speech or presentation, the reaction of your audience may not be what you expected. It may be better or it could be worse.

My advice is to ignore your sleepers; zero in your smilers; and talk to your audience just as if you were having a conversation in your living room.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

Not everyone has severe stage fright or fear of public speaking. Many people tell me the first few minutes of a talk or speech are filled with tension and anxiety. But, they say that once they get past the first five or ten minutes, they feel OK. When I ask them to evaluate what happens in the first few minutes, they realize that it is making genuine connection with listeners that allows them to relax and share their ideas.

For years I struggled with stage fright and fear of public speaking. My struggles led me to develop ways to manage my tension and eventually to create a method that transforms the tension of stage fright. One of the greatest things I have learned is how to consciously generate connective presence before I start to talk. As a result, I now feel at home and comfortable from the very first minute of a talk. There is no waiting to get comfortable or hoping to get relaxed since I have learned to be present with audiences. There is just a stepping into being with my audience from the first moment. All my efforts can then be put into building deeper and deeper rapport with listeners and on sharing myself fully with them.

Here is how you can create connective presence at your next opportunity to speak up or to speak in front of a group. The following steps will help you to manage your tension, intention and attention so that comfortable connection is a natural outcome of your presence.

First, get yourself into a state of presence by focusing your awareness on being in your body. Simply place your attention in each part of your body, one part at a time. Start by focusing your attention inside your head for 5 or 10 seconds. Be aware of being in your head. Then focus in your neck, then your chest, etc, working your attention all the way down to your feet. You will notice that energy flows where ever you put your attention. By the time you get to your feet, you will be grounded in your body, feeling connected to yourself, filled with energy and present to the moment.

Next, set your intention to care about your listeners. Decide to love them rather than worrying about whether they will like you or not. Decide to be there for them to share your ideas, insights, expertise and talents.

Finally, open yourself to receiving their attention. As you step into the center of attention, be intentional about taking in their attention as support. You will literally sense their energy coming towards you. When you can take their energy in, there is no need to defend, protect or deflect their attention. It simply comes into you, filling you up with a bodily-felt sense of support. You are now in a state of connective presence, being with your listeners and ready to share your ideas.

Managing tension is about consciously focusing human energy through intention and attention. It is what athletes do to get into the ideal performance state so they can play their best game. If athletes can learn this skill, then so can you. Try it and report back to me. If you need some help with grounding in your body, try my Grounding Meditation to support the process of developing your own connective presence.

Sandra Zimmer works with high achievers who are struggling with communication and who may be uncomfortable speaking in groups. She helps them transform the way they express who they are so they feel confident to share their ideas, insights and expertise. Sandra has developed the Zimmer Method for Authentic Communication. Her method guides people through an experiential process that connects them to their natural abilities to express themselves

Public speaking ranks right up there with death in terms of the things we are terribly afraid to do. Whether it’s the fear of being watched closely by others, or the insecurity and self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips will help you give a polished, professional speech that you (and your audience) can be proud of!

1. Know your audience. This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really hits home. What are their interests? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming to hear you speak or present? What ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast will make it more manageable (and less stressful) and easier on you.

2. What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What’s really at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating on the end result rather than slogging through the beginning, you can create a powerful punch that drives home your message instead of rambling on and losing your audience’s interest (or missing the point entirely!)

3. Share a story. In public speaking circles, this is called a “hook” �” something that gets your audience’s attention and makes them sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can identify with, you’ll find that these people are, in essence �” just like you! And that makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Just be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why you told it!

4. If you’re selling a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features. People would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product’s features until you get to the core of how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So What?” For example, if you’re selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so what?” The answer would be something like, “It picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, so what? Answer, You’ll feel relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes. Now THATs a benefit!

5. Don’t lean too heavily on media to make your message clear. PowerPoint presentations are great for making specific points, but they can be overwhelming �” or downright boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”. These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

6. Above all, make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Too often, speakers get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, “What was the point of all that?” People naturally digest information in “chunks”, so focus on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the details are just as important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with them and read over at their leisure.

If you keep these six tips in mind, you’ll not only have an easier time overcoming your fear of public speaking, but you’ll have a very appreciative audience who will in turn be more receptive and eager to try your product or service. Go get ‘em! All Managers Are Customers Too Whatever business you are in, you will find that there is one key cause of your success.

How your customers experience your business and service.

Many departments and companies have processes in place for assessing their services to their customers. However very often the measures in place don’t reflect what the customer perceives to be important. They don’t reflect the true benefit and often processes which suit the business, are not customer-friendly, however much they suit the internal needs. What has the customer experienced? In addition, the key for an excellent customer experience is in the relationship between person/department/company and their customer. I had a new washing machine delivered recently. It arrived the day and time slot the company stated. Great! If the company measures ‘did they deliver when they stated they would’ they would have a 100% service. The managers will be proud of themselves!! However, what they didn’t measure was my satisfaction. The delivery driver was the most miserable person I had met in ages. He obviously wasn’t passionate about his job. He left muddy footprints on my carpet. So was I happy? No! They may have delivered on the right day/time but my overall experience was poor. Will I be using the same company again? I doubt it. Do the managers of the company know? No! They think they are providing a fantastic service because they are only measuring their processes, which suit them internally. One of the keys to creating an excellent customer relationship is the interface between the customer and their point of contact within the company. One way to avoid this issue is to ask your employees what gets in the way of making the very best of relationships with their customers. What do they need more of (as well as less of) to deliver exemplary customer service?

Another valuable way to approach this is to ask your people what they find works well for them when they themselves are customers, as we all are, elsewhere. What was good about it and what did they think could have been done better. Also, ask the customer! What was the experience like for them? You could ask them to complete a questionnaire. However, a great way would be to ring them a few days later. Finally, experiencing the customer journey through their experience is probably one of the most value-creating actions that can be taken.

For employees to watch, listen and even act out the experience of one of the customers they would normally be serving, is a very enlightening role they can play.

This can be achieved by taking them out of their usual working role, for a while, and getting them to watch or listen to what happens when their customer starts the interaction. They then really share the experience and start to notice how things could be different.

If that can then be brought into a discussion forum where several share their experiences and propose changes, there are the ingredients for continuing progress and change.

Most employees want to do a great job. They want their customers to leave satisfied, thrilled even, wanting to do business again in the future.

Enabling your people to spend time getting all the pieces in place for their customer, really understanding how to meet their needs fully and even exceptionally is a way to get them motivated and excited to be part of your team. It builds team spirit and morale.

Using the capabilities of your own people, to give better service through sharing their thoughts and ideas, is a valuable exercise – and one, which creates untold value in your business for the future. It is easy to establish such a way of working. Be the person to instigate such an activity. Make sure you implement some of the ideas suggested. Track the benefits as a result. You will be seen as the manager who ‘makes things happen’.

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover How to Maximize Your Income and Minimize Your Effort by receiving Andrew’s free e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/

he day arrives when you are going to publicly speak. You are ready. Or are you Nervous? Anxious? Terrified? Excited? Maybe all of the above? You’ve been in that situation before, haven’t you? You arrived at the venue on time in order to prepare. You are happy with the visual aids, props, room and room layout. You have checked how to use the equipment. You have completed all the planning and preparation required. You have learned and practised the presentation/speech numerous times, (not too well or it may come across as though you are reading it!!!). You have made sure you are dressed and groomed appropriately and in keeping with the audience’s expectations. Your notes are all in order. You are ready to vary the tone of your voice, to lift the energy and inspire your audience. You are focused on what the audience wants and expects. But…. …are you ready? You are still not confident, are you? It happens to us all. We are fully prepared but “just not confident enough”. So how do you boost your confidence? Think about an event in the past where you did something, which worked out absolutely fantastic for you. Imagine stepping onto the stage just as confident when you were promoted or just finished a 10 mile run or asked someone out on a date and they said yes or receiving great feedback from your boss’s boss. Well you can and all it takes is practice. This is an exercise I learned from Dr Richard Bandler, the co-founder of NLP, which all super successful individuals use. Know it…use it…and you could be like them. Try this 5-minute exercise: • Imagine a time when you were super-confident • Remind yourself what happened What were people saying to you?  How did you feel?  What did you see?  Was there any particular sounds or smells?  Are you painting the picture of when you felt super-confident? Make the picture really bright and big How do you feel right now? More confident then you did 5 minutes ago? Most probably. By remembering past experiences and allowing the feelings to spread all over you, you are telling you brain that the experience is happening right now �” in this moment. This is a simple exercise to boost your confidence. Complete the exercise the next time you are about to step onto the stage. Be calm, walk on the stage or to the meeting with your head held high and make sure you are smiling. Now deliver magnificently.

About the Author

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover How to Maximize Your Income and Minimize Your Effort by receiving Andrew’s free e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/