Posts Tagged ‘effective public speaking’

On Public Speaking: Making Utter Terror Look Good

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
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When it comes to performing, some people make the astoundingly difficult look easy. Olympic skaters seemingly float through a triple lutz. Roger Federer barely breaks a sweat defending his number one world ranking. Helen Mirren seems to actually become her characters. And so it is with any great public speaker. While most of us freeze at the sight of an audience looking back at us, great speakers seem to have no notion of the miracle that is their self-assured wit. Their calm bearing, though, is more often the product of careful preparation and an understanding of certain tricks of the speaking trade.

Dan Fogelberg, a popular balladeer of the 1980s, liked to introduce the performance of one of his hits by saying, “This is the only song you’ll ever hear with the word exhumed in the lyrics.” The crowd laughed, then moments later they were swooning to a romantic love song. Fogelberg’s little comment strategically accomplished several things: he reminded the audience he didn’t take himself too seriously; he combined lightness with meaning; and even more cleverly, he delivered a subtle instruction to listen closely. Great speakers do this all the time, from the way they set up their presentation to how they manage audience emotions and perceptions.

Here, then are a few tricks of the public speaking trade that will help you make it look easy, too, even when it isn’t:

- Indulge in light self-deprecation. There are times when it’s perfectly okay to admit that you’re nervous, it lets the audience know they are important to you. Just never allow this to water down a sense of self-assurance and confidence. – Use a witty preamble. Spend a quick moment talking about how you spilled your coffee on your tie that morning as you wrote your speech. Make them smile before you amaze them with your passion and eloquence.

- Clarify your main point early. Rather than asking your audience to perceive what you really mean, just tell them quickly and use the rest of your time to convince them that you’re right.

- Use bulleted notes. Never write-out your speech. It’ll be too tempting to constantly glance down so you can stick to the script, and the moment you start reading to an audience is the moment you brand yourself a nervous amateur. Eye contact should be with them, not your notes.

Effective public speaking is always a marriage of substance and style. Great presenters understand that the line between them is thin, and where audiences are concerned, it is also transparent.

Harrison Monarth is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker, and is the President of GuruMaker – School of Professional Speaking, a communications consulting firm that coaches Fortune 500 executives, political candidates and entrepreneurs in the art of influence, presentation and message development. To purchase your copy of Harrison’s recent book The Confident Speaker, go to http://www.theconfidentspeaker.com

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The 7 Techniques Utilized by Effective Public Speakers & Storytellers

Sunday, January 31st, 2010
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Storytellers and all public speakers need to use good storytelling techniques. There are seven key techniques that all effective public speakers need to employ.

How will being aware of and using good storytelling techniques improve the way I communicate with others?

Being comfortable and confident as a public speaker is only one part of the equation. The bigger part of the equation is to be competent at the task. What techniques should you utilize as you perform? Are there certain techniques you can successfully use as a performer for children and other techniques that make you equally successful as a performer for teens or adults? How do you know?

As a teacher, I often utilized Donna M. Ogle’s teaching process that she called the K-W-L Model. The K-W-L Model bases all lessons on 3 key questions. The two questions you address at the beginning of the lesson are based on the K and the W. The K stands for “What do you KNOW about a given topic? The W stands for “What do you WANT TO KNOW about that topic?” After completing the lesson, you bring closure by asking the L question. The L stands for “What have you LEARNED about that topic?”

This particular article series is about building an increasing level of comfort, confidence, and competence as you prepare to tell a story or to give an oral presentation of any type. For the K of the K-W-L MODEL, what do you already KNOW about performing a story or giving a speech or a report in front of others? What experiences have you had? Think back to things you have heard such as imagining your audience in their underwear or pajamas so they will appear less intimidating. Think back to your favorite elementary school teacher or a parent reading to you. What techniques did he or she employ that made their presentation captivating? Using reverse reasoning, think back to public speakers you felt were not very good. What techniques did they employ such as rocking on their feet, picking at their clothes, stuttering, or using odd word choices that made you feel they were not what you would call effective public speakers? If you think about this question for a while, you will realize that you already know quite a bit about what it takes to successfully perform a story or to give a speech or report in front of others.

For the W of the K-W-L MODEL, what do you WANT TO KNOW about performing a story or giving a speech or a report in front of others? Where do you fall on the continuum of being entirely comfortable, confident, and competent performing in front of others to being one of those who would probably rather eat nails than be a public speaker? What do you WANT TO KNOW about public speaking that would help you sound and feel successful giving an oral presentation of any type?

Naturally, we will not address the L of the K-W-L Model; in other words, what you have learned, until the end of this entire series of articles.

To begin, storytellers and all public speakers need to use good storytelling techniques. There are seven key techniques that all effective public speakers need to employ:

1. Good Eye-Contact
2. No Distracting Motions
3. Good Enthusiasm & Expression
4. Good Preparation
5. Good Use of Voice & Good Volume
6. Appropriate Talking Speed
7. Good Use of Body & Hand Gestures

In the next seven articles, I will address each of those techniques in great detail. Stay tuned.

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

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

 

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Effective Public Speaking

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
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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 there 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. 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!

3. 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!)

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 THAT’s a benefit!

5. 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 five 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!

Jim Mack is a success coach, mentor and business leader that walks the walk and talks the talk. He has built several successful businesses and now teaches others to do the same http://www.passivecashcow.com http://www.whoisjimmack.com http://www.coldcallingstinks.com

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