Believe it or not, I know dozens of people who have put off completing a college degree because they were afraid to take the dreaded public speaking class. I have met business owners who have avoided opportunities to present their products or services to potential prospects because they were terrified of getting up there in front of an audience. When I hear that, I want to both hug them and shake them at the same time. It’s ok to be nervous, but one of the fastest ways to grow your business is by public speaking and avoiding it is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It’s so simple to develop a great presentation. Once you get out there and present it a few times, you’ll see how great speaking can be to help you get more people wanting to do business with you.

If you are the person in the front of the room sharing important information that your audience wants to hear, they will be excited to learn what you have to teach them. You have instant credibility just by being the person asked to speak as an expert on a particular issue. Further, when you’re finished, many in your audience will want to hear more. People will line up to talk to you because they want to know what you think about their personal story. Or they have an example they didn’t want to share in front of the group. What a perfect opportunity for you to begin developing a business relationship!

Not sure where to begin? Here are some tips to consider as you develop a presentation that will wow any audience and get them interested in doing business with you.

1. First, start off with something powerful that makes your audience sit up and think, “This is going to be good. I can’t wait to hear what’s next!” Known as an attention-getter, the first words out of your mouth are crucial to getting your audience interested and engaged with you right away.

2. Next, know and address your audience. Who is there? Be sure you’re speaking their language and addressing the topics your audience wants to hear. For example, if you’re a parenting coach be sure you share stories of your kids or kids you have known or parents you have helped. If you’re a computer or technical expert speaking to a room full of non-tech people, make sure you avoid any language that will confuse your audience and speak “plain English.”

3. Have no more than three to five main points, regardless of how much time you have to speak. This will help your audience follow along with you. If your topic has a lot of areas to cover, think about how you can combine several areas, or sub-points, under one main heading so that you still end up with three to five main points. Be sure to guide your audience through your speech using transitions, clearly moving from one area to the next as you present your information.

4. Make it interactive. Come up with a way that you can involve your audience in your presentation. One simple way to get the audience’s involvement is to asking for questions in between main points, which will also serve as a nice transition. Here are three questions to try: (1) “Before I move on to my next point, what questions do you have about my first main point?” (2) “Is there anything you were wondering while I was presenting that information?” (3) “What else would you like to know about my first main point?” You could also ask a question and look for a show of hands and then ask someone with her hand up about her experience with whatever it is you’re sharing.

5. Finish strong. After you’ve completed your final main point, review what you’ve presented and remind your audience of a couple of important details you shared. Now is the time to tell your audience about your product or service. Have a sign-up sheet (I always have multiple sign-up sheets) and offer to send anyone who signs up a free article, report, or e-course about your topic. People love free stuff and this is a way for them to continue to learn what you have to offer. After you make your offer, tie your final remarks back to your attention-getter. This will give your audience the feeling that you have taken them full-circle, you’ve shared all the important facts about your topic with them, and you’ve brought closure that makes sense.

While knowing how to put together a great speech won’t necessarily make you less nervous, that’s ok. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Once you take your show on the road a few times and you see for yourself the great results that come with giving a well-prepared, powerful presentation, you may even begin to like public speaking– and start to look forward to your next opportunity to excite an audience. By following these tips as you prepare your presentation, you’ll be well on your way to seeing more business from your next public speaking presentation.

About the Author

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed., is a Public Speaker, Author, and Communication Expert with more than a decade of experience teaching people powerful communication skills in order to achieve their happiest and most successful lives. In addition to helping people put together public speaking presentations, she offers a free e-course at her website: http://www.TransformativeJourneys.com. Sign up now!

Technorati Tags: Public Speaking

Speaking to others is a natural, human experience. When we speak to one another, or one person speaks to a group, what we are doing is really communicating. Communicating involves getting the point of the spoken idea across to your listeners so they understand your topic or subject matter. In the basic sense, communication is essential for survival, since we have to communicate properly to get the things we want and need in life. Therefore, good communication skills are necessary.

Today, there are many people that work in a public setting that involves communication among peers. Many employers like banks, schools, sales and marketing companies and the like may have certain requirements for you to be considered for employment. In an office setting that you may find at employers like these is an environment where humans are supposed to interact, relate and communicate with one another to complete a task or to convey an idea or a series of ideas.

This is where public speaking comes into play. Although you can take a speaking course in high school and college, public speaking skills are best developed by speaking to others at an office meeting or presentation where you, as the speaker, communicate your ideas to the extent your listeners understand them. More often than not however, is that most people feel uncomfortable speaking in front of 20 or so people. Some end up speaking with a lack of self-confidence, thus hindering the communication effectiveness and also how you are perceived professionally in the workplace environment.

So, how do you develop the skills required to speak publicly and to speak with confidence? It is a very important skill to have after all, since a good speech with effective communication delivered with confidence can carry the day. What follows are some tactics and techniques that you can employ to help optimize your public speaking and to hone your skills.

If you work at an employer or in an environment where you may have to give a speech or speak publicly, you should thoroughly research what you are going to be discussing. The research should be done at such a level, that when you have completed it, you know the subject matter backwards and forwards, inside and out. This will give you confidence when your speech is delivered. Writing your speech out on paper is good a good idea too as this helps you learn and memorize specific things you may want to point out when you deliver your speech.

It is also a good idea to do a dry run of your speech to family members or friends so that they can give you some constructive criticism for improvement. When they give you suggestions for improvement, implement them in your speech material if you think they are sound and will actually improve your speech. Ask your dry run listeners to ask questions about the subject you are presenting so you can get feedback on the level of confidence you have in your answers and explanations. Also, remember to present your dry run speech using the tools and resources you will have available when you deliver your actual speech.

If you are speaking to children make sure to work on the tone of your voice. Children are more likely to pay attention to your speech if you sound enthused and knowledgeable. Try to involve your young listeners in your speech by asking their opinions of things you are discussing with them. When speaking to children or teens, make sure you dress casually and make your eye contact to show your interest in how they think and feel about your subject. It is also a good idea to make small jokes to fill a pause or to break your speech up a little. This also shows them that you are relaxed and comfortable speaking to them. http://www.elmerfizz.com/PUBLIC_SPEAKING_NEWS.html

Public speaking is a very important skill you must have to achieve your goals, especially in a working environment that caters to well developed communication skills. It is necessary for survival in obtaining employment, encouraging others and social interaction and development. Public speaking is best perfected with practice and as you get better, your peers will motivate you to even higher levels of achievement.

For a Free Weekly Newsletter on Public Speaking please visit: http://www.elmerfizz.com/PUBLIC_SPEAKING_NEWS.html This article may be reprinted on a website or blog if all content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking

If you are speaking to a large audience, a small room full of people, or conducting a personal presentation, nothing is as effective and engaging as living in the moment. This is a lesson taken from the stage to the boardroom by Pat Dolan, Fine Arts Chair of St. John’s.

As the Fine Arts Chair of St. John’s, it is Pat Dolan’s responsibility to prepare young men and women for the stage. As a teacher and mentor, his lessons are invaluable for life beyond the stage. He requires rehearsals with dedication and commitment. In the process of teaching communication skills he imparts confidence. In the process of challenging students to design the stage he unveils hidden creative talents. In the process of teaching his pupils how to act, he teaches them how to be.

After individuals and understudies are selected to play roles, each person begins the arduous task of learning the script by rote. The lines are rehearsed with constant repetition until the very words become memorized as a reflexive response to auditory stimulus, speaking without thinking. By the time that the actors achieve this level of emotionless repetition, Mr. Dolan begins to work his real magic.

Three Lessons

As a first step, the cast was instructed to lay down on the floor motionless. With eyes closed, each member of the cast was instructed to tell the other members of the cast about one new sound that they could hear in the silence. At first this seemed absurd. However, once everyone was quiet, someone noticed the faint sound of cars outside. After a few moments, as the other most obvious sounds were identified, members focused with intent concentration on the most sublime sounds. Someone identified the sound of the wind on the windows, and another person quickly noted the sound of footsteps and laughter in the distance. As we became intensely aware of our surroundings, we started to notice the sound of each other breathing and the faint shuffle of someone moving. With all other stimulus removed, we noticed the pulse of our own heartbeats. It is amazing to realize how much we overlook and choose to tune out when we are focused on specific thoughts. How many clues and input do we miss from the world around us when we are concentrating on what we are about to say?

As the second step, the cast was instructed to sit on the stage in darkness. Completely motionless and with eyes closed, the entire play would be spoken aloud in the empty hall. Each of the players listened intently to the rise and fall of the other voices as they echoed in the otherwise empty chamber. The fluctuations, tones and subtle nuances of the voices became heightened once all other senses were stilled. How much did we learn about the inflection of our own voices and the ability to convey emotion in the sound of the spoken words?

As the third step, Mr. Dolan instructed us to act out the entire play in our own words. The simple rule was to complete the entire drama from beginning to end without using any of the scripted language. This sounds simple right? It is not. Imagine knowing what needs to be said and knowing that you can not use the very words that have been memorized. It was necessary to express the feeling, intent and purpose of the words without using the predetermined words to create actions and response. The feeling and intent had to be our own, the purpose was prescribed even though the words were forbidden. How much of what we say or hear in meeting or presentations is scripted or prepared in advance? How well can we convey our feeling and intent by adjusting our language to the listener, rather than our own prepared script?

On Stage

During one production on the stage, we had an opportunity to apply this training in action. The play was based on the legendary Sherlock Holmes, and in one critical scene the great Doctor Watson was to be threatened at gunpoint by the leading lady. Unfortunately, upon walking on stage, in front of friends, family and strangers, the leading lady encountered a severe case of stage fright. As Dr. Watson delivered his lines with perfection, the leading lady froze, motionless and staring at the sea of eyes. Undaunted, Dr. Watson repeated his lines, and then tried to break the spell. He waved one hand in front of her eyes, but she remained as a statue. This moment would surely put the training by Pat Dolan to the test.

The great Doctor Watson began the most amazing one man show off Broadway. He adapted his soliloquy to incorporate both ends of the conversation. He uttered questions aloud and crafted a story that was as mesmerizing as it was spontaneous. As the story expanded, he wrapped the plot around a game of charades, pretending that the leading lady was a famous statue from ancient Greece. From time to time, Dr. Watson would guess at the name of goddess, giving the leading lady a chance to rejoin the activity. He juggled props on the stage and gracefully twirled his bowler hat from the top of his head to the tip of his fingers. He enthralled the audience with his stories, guesswork and animated activities.

As the good Doctor Watson was in mid-stride across the stage, the leading lady suddenly came to life and blurted out her scripted line. Needless to say, it had absolutely no connection whatsoever to the soliloquy that Dr. Watson had created. The audience responded with a stunned silence. Pausing for a mere breath, Dr. Watson shouted with excitement, “Ah ha, Galatea! The statue comes to life! And I, fair lady, shall be your Pygmalion. You win the charade fairly and squarely, and now on to matters at hand.”

The audience erupted in laughter and applause, and then the play continued as if never interrupted. The transition between the statuesque stage fright and back into the scripted activity was so entertaining that it was transparent. Even the director, Mr. Dolan, did not recognize that the play had taken an unexpected detour. The audience, cast and crew were so engaged in the dialogue that everyone thought it was part of the play.

In the Boardroom

Fast forward several years to boardrooms, stage and customer presentations. How many times have these thespians drawn on the lessons learned from Pat Dolan? No matter how well scripted or rehearsed, there is nothing more engaging than performing and living in the moment. Adapt your style of communication to the audience and to the moment. Incorporate meaningful dialogue based on the surroundings, the people and interactive communication.

The old adage is to ‘open with a joke’. The underlying purpose to this approach is to make a connection with the audience. Regardless of the size of the audience, the purpose is to recognize and engage your audience with some commonality and shared sense of being. Your audience may be as small as one person, in which case it is much easier to get to know the person and adjust your script to be a conversation. If your audience contains tens of people or hundreds, then it is a more challenging task to quickly identify a shared sense of purpose, mutual interest and method of communication, but it can be done.

Do not fear eye contact, interaction or individual connection when you are presenting. This is the goal, not to be avoided. It is as important to express the feeling and the intention as the purpose. It is as important to be interested as it is to be interesting. It is in recognizing response that you confirm connection, being aware of your surroundings and of your audience.

Another old adage is to imagine your audience in underwear. This is intended to mitigate fear by removing the intimidation and reducing the humanity of the audience. On the contrary, it is the humanity that you should be trying to reach with conscientious consideration. Do not fear your audience, but speak to them respectfully as if each person is a recently rediscovered acquaintance and long lost friend. Imagine yourself shaking hands with each individual as you speak to them and look them in the eyes. Welcome the audience into your presentation and make them an active participant, even if they remain in their seats. Be authentic with your audience, adapt your script to accommodate their style of communication, and live in the moment.

______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…” – William Shakespeare

“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, ‘The Beatles did’.” – Kurt Vonnegut

“Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.” – William Penn

______________________________________________________

John Mehrmann is a freelance author, industry expert and President of Executive Blueprints Inc, an organization dedicated to developing human capital and personal growth.

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking

I’m a professional psychologist, a member of Rotary, a book author (on achievement motivation), a resume writer and career coach, and someone who has heard an endless number of professional and non-professional speakers for over 30 years. I’ve seen how it’s the little things that make a big difference. Here are 7 “little things” you can do that will instantly improve your public speaking dramatically.

1. TALK TWICE AS SLOW. Most speakers (even professional ones) talk too fast. Have you ever listened carefully to professional speakers on TV? They talk slower than in normal conversational speech. Slow down. Take your time. Don’t rush through individual words. Linger on them. It may feel unnatural, but just listen to a tape recording of yourself. It will undoubtedly sound a lot better.

2. TALK TWICE AS LOUD. Most speakers talk too softly. Speak up. It may seem to you that you are screaming, but (again) a tape recording will prove that it sounds fine.

3. ENUNCIATE THE CONSONANT SOUNDS CLEARLY. When we listen, we hear clearly because of the consonant sounds (the “hard” sounds – sss, t, d, p, m, and so forth), not the vowels (a, e, i, o, and u). Pay attention to those hard sounds. Make sure they are clear and distinct. Exaggerate them.

4. USE SHORT SENTENCES. You may like speaking in long, long sentences, but your audience doesn’t. Break up your ideas into short sentences. “Once idea per sentence” is as good a rule for speaking as it is for writing.

5. PAUSE OFTEN. Forget the ummmms and the aaahhhhs. Dead silence for a few seconds may seem like an eternity to you, but an audience doesn’t mind it at all. Take your time. Pausing creates interest and anticipation.

6. ORGANIZE YOUR TALK AROUND 3 TO 5 BULLET POINTS. No matter what you may think of off-the-cuff speeches and how entertaining they may be, nobody likes rambling on and on. Whatever you have to say, put it in the form of 3 to 5 bullet points. You’ll make listeners out of your audience.

7. SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST. What is the most important, the most dramatic, the most impactful thing you have to say in your talk? Figure out what it is, and PUT IT LAST. That’s the most effective way to end a talk.

Dr. Sander Marcus is a clinical psychologist at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago. Specializing in motivational, career, and business areas, he has co-authored two books on underachievement and a nationally used sales test for hiring and training (the SalesAP, Sales Achievement Predictor). He can be contacted at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358. www.center.iit.edu

Technorati Tags: Public Speaking

Presentation, presentation, presentation is the name of the Public Speaking game!

You may be the most knowledgeable person in the world on a given subject, you may be a PHD with clusters, but if your presentation of the presentation does not have presentation skills your presentation will fail! “Now that was fun!”

Have you gone to a seminar you were really excited about and if you made it to the end, got nothing out of it? Let’s take a look. When the presentation started this is what your heard; Welcooome toooday. . . . . . we will talk abouuut . . . . . .blah de blah, blah blah, blahblahblah. “Monotone, I hate monotone!”, “Drives me absolutely crazy!” Standing in one spot, like a mannequin and has the excitement of watching ice melt. Got the picture?

Continuing the series of “So You Want To Become A Public Speaker?” we are going to dive into Presentation. Not to be confused with the presentation itself, but how it’s presented.

Remember, a presentation is a performance, like an actor. Always bring your “A” game. No “B” movie acting here! How you are being perceived is critical to your longevity in this business.

Dress properly for the occasion. As stated in a previously published article in this series; you can always dress down, but not up.

If your topic is serious, be serious, but not stiff. Present the desired image to your audience. Be enthusiastic, confident, carry yourself with pride, but not cocky. Remain calm. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Remember the duck story; calm and collected on top of the water, even though your feet are going like heck below the surface.

Speak slowly, articulate clearly, and show appropriate emotion and feeling relating to your topic. But don’t be phony your audience will pick up on that immediately. Take the time to connect with your audience. (Refer back to “Public Speaking Pre Preparation” in the area of “know your audience”.) Speak to the person furthest away from you to make sure your voice is heard from back of the room. It’s okay and encouraged to ask that furthest person in the back if you can be heard. Fluctuate the tone of your voice and dramatize if necessary. If sound equipment is required, as was determined during your pre preparation, adjust accordingly. DO NOT TALK MONOTONE!

I was taught to speak with conviction as if I really believed in what I was saying. Throughout my public speaking career I have changed that teaching to, “Speak with conviction as I truly believe in what I’m saying!”

The material you present verbally should have the same structure as a written research paper, i.e. INTRODUCTION to BODY (strong supporting arguments, accurate and up-to-date information) to CONCLUSION (re-state intro, summarize, and a logical conclusion) with a verbal presentation, add a questions and answer period.

Body language is critical. Standing, walking and moving around using appropriate hand gestures is a MUST. Never present a presentation sitting down or standing still, reading from a prepared presentation. I encourage you not to use a lectern. “Here, check this out” American Heritage Dictionary – lec·tern (lěk’tərn) A stand that serves as a support for the notes or books of a speaker. Now here’s my definition – “A lectern is a crutch for the unprepared speaker.”

Audio-visual aids are okay; don’t torment your audience by creating a lengthy overhead presentation and reading it out to them. You will loose your audience for sure and most importantly your credibility.

Do not read from notes. It’s okay to glance at your notes, but personally I don’t use them. However, I do use overhead presentations so if I loose my place I can glance up, adjust and continue on. Know your subject! If you make an error, correct it, inject some humor and continue.

Add humor when appropriate. Keep your audience interested and relaxed throughout the entire presentation. Caution; don’t be a clown! Humor is great to get your audience relaxed and at the same time relax you the presenter. Don’t open with a joke. This is a bad practice. Trust me there will be plenty of time and opportunities for humor during your presentation. Remember that an interesting presentation makes time go by fast, but a boring presentation is always too long to bear even if the presentation length is the same.

Maintain good eye contact with your audience. Have direct eye contact with a number of people in the audience, and once in a while glance at the whole audience while speaking.

Maintain a constant visual on your audience. Their body language will tell you if you need to adjust your presentation. Speak to your audience, listen to their questions, respond to their reactions, adjust and adapt on the fly.

Your presentation of the presentation (gotta love it) is critical to your public speaking career. Voice tone, eye contact, humor, body language, subject matter knowledge, visual-aids and structure are items you must understand and implement. As stated in previous sessions, “You’re a walking billboard for your Public Speaking career and these are some of the tools in your toolbox of success. Good luck and see you at the next session.

Visit Us at our Public Speaking site.

Mr. Simmons has been public speaking since 1973. Mr. Simmons has presented hundreds of public speaking presentations from business concepts to motivational. Mr. Dale Simmons, known as the “WHY” man, is a interactive motivational and “self-help” public speaker.

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking

Our continuing series of “So You Want To Become a Public Speaker”; we will look at Public Speaking Pre-Preparation.

How many seminars have you gone to and paid good money to participate to find the speaker reading from cards, or reading from an overhead presentation? And let us not forget the “and, ums, ah’s”.

I went to a seminar once and it was so bad that I found myself counting how many “and’s and um’s” were being stated. I really cannot remember what the subject was. I found myself viewing the seminar participants sleeping, writing, day dreaming and so on. Have you ever been to one of those? There are really only two major causes for this type of poor performance.

1. Just there to get paid

That is to me the most disgusting reason of all. If you’re just there to get paid and not passionate about your speaking career GET OUT! People pay good money for seminars and expect to hear a good presenter with good information. Nuf said!

2. Bad preparation

Pre-Preparation is critical to your delivering a good presentation. In Public Speaking the pre-preparation, or lack of, will be noticed by your audience.

So, we are going to address pre seminar preparation.

So now you have the subject matter for your next seminar. You know the venue and the time allotted for your presentation. What else do you need to know?

Elements of Pre Prep

Know your audience; – their age group, gender, ethnicity, education, income level. You may ask yourself, “Why do I need to know all that information?”

The more your presentation is geared towards your audience the more impact and success you will have in its delivery and the less chance of a blunder. Example; There was a speech given by a government official where a question was raised on how the presenter thought about a specific person. Me personally, I felt the response was well stated, but was offensive to some with regard to “he is articulate” and was taken as a racial thing. There was rhubarb about that whole thing.

In this new politically correct (PC) world one must be careful of the words used. Unless you are a well known controversial speaker, one must address this issue in your pre-prep.

Can see the value of knowing your audience before presenting?

To find out audience information, contact the seminar planner, they would have a good idea of your audience.

Speech Preparation – Okay you have your subject, now what? Organizing your speech is one of the most important skills to learn. Good organization is often the key to understanding. The audience is more likely to understand your message if it is well organized.

Write out your speech. Writing for public speaking isn’t so different from other types of writing. You want to hold your audience’s attention, communicate your ideas in a logical manner and use reliable evidence to support your point.

When you write a speech understand your audience is made up of listeners. They have only one chance to comprehend what you’re presenting. Your speech must be well-organized and easily understood, and your delivery must fit the audience. Again with the audience!

Practice, Practice, Practice! – In my eyes this is the most important part of public speaking! To put this in straight talk, “you need to nail this!” ”You only have one shot. You blow it here and you’re all done.” I’m not joking!

If this is a new subject for you need to start practicing this presentation 1 week before show time! Your reputation is riding on every presentation you present regardless of the public speaking venue. Ask a friend over to help, it may cost you’re a dinner or beer, present it and ask for honest feedback.

You really don’t want to read off cue cards or read off you Power Point presentation. Your audience can read the onscreen presentation. It does not hurt to glance up if you loose your place. But again if you practiced this presentation enough you shouldn’t have to.

Equipment Requirements – Understand your venue. Seating capacity, number of expected participants, size of room and acoustics play a huge roll on your planned delivery. Also find out about existing sound equipment, projectors, screens and lighting.

Once you have gathered all this information you can start your pre-prep for equipment needed like wireless microphone systems and adaptability to existing sound equipment, USB presentation projector, laptop, extra batteries, extra bulb, USB flash drive (backup for your presentation), and screen.

There is nothing worst than getting to your public speaking venue and you don’t have the correct equipment for your presentation. Backup, back-up backup! Basically be prepared for the worst!

Pre-preparation is critical to your public speaking career. Know your audience, write out your speech in a logical manner, practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Understand your venue and have the required equipment there to present your best presentation ever!

For more information on public speaking contact us 1-888-696-6424, email or visit our web site.

Mr. Dale Simmons, known as the “WHY” man, is a interactive motivational and “self-help” public speaker who introduced the Pebble in the Pool © theory. With more than 28 years in the corporate market and conducting hundreds of training and career motivational public speaking presentations, Dale has developed the Pebble in the Pool © theory.

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking

The number one fear in the world is fear of public speaking. Most people are totally freaked out by the concept of talking in front of a group. As a speaker you cannot be afraid, you must enjoy being in front of large groups of people. The only way for this to happen is through practice and repetition. However here is a phrase to remember to keep you excited about speaking: “The person who holds the pen makes the most money.” Remember that whenever you start to feel nervous.

The rest of this article is dedicated to helping you become a dynamic public speaker.

Keys for Dynamic Public Speaking

Personal Appearance
When you speak in front of people you should wear dark clothing. NOT all black. You should avoid loud flashy colors because they will take the audiences attention away from your face. Wear pants and long sleeve shirts. You want the audiences attention to bee drawn to your hands and your face. A speaker should also be immaculately groomed and clean-shaven. Studies have proven that sub-consciously people relate facial hair with being dishonest and/or having something to hide. You do not need this triggering negative emotions in the room.

Smile
One of the most important things you can remember to do while presenting is Smile. Smiling softens your face as well as what your saying. The audience needs to see that you’re happy and excited to be sharing this opportunity with them. Smiling also releases endorphins into your system, which helps you relax

Do NOT Make Eye Contact
There is no quicker way for a speaker to lose their train of thought, than to look into the eyes of someone in the audience. Make your audience think your looking into their eyes by looking at their foreheads instead this is a great tactic for making people in the audience feel involved and important.

Move a Lot, But Not to Much
Be animated, It is more enjoyable for you and the audience. Movement also helps you send a more powerful message. Use lots of hand movements while your talking, but keep your hands in the box. The box is an imaginary box going from your neck to your waist and just a little past your shoulders. Use this box to keep your gestures from becoming too expansive, which can distract the audience. Avoid pacing around, it makes you look nervous, if you need to move only go two or three steps in any direction.

Do NOT Tap Your Feet or Click the Pen Cap
Avoid tapping your feet as it shows that you are nervous, and it also distracts the audience. The same goes for clicking the pen cap, many times you don’t even know your doing it, but the audience does. You do not want anything to break the spell. HOT Tip: Replace the cap on the pen each time you use it, a dry erase pen left uncapped can dry out in one presentation.

NEVER Point into the Audience
Pointing is a negative gesture, and needs to be avoided while speaking. If you need to point to someone, then use an open hand gesture or a loose fist. Same goes for the pen, do NOT point with it.

Show Your Palms
When you speak show the palms of your hands to the audience frequently. Sub-consciously this tells them that you have nothing to hide and that you are not threatening them.

NEVER Turn Your Back on The Audience
No matter what, NEVER turn your back on the audience, or you’ve lost them, you might get them back, but either way you have broken the spell. Many times when you are presenting you use a dry erase board or an overhead projector and it become very easy to turn your back…be conscious of this fact. Learn how to write with your off hand, so that no matter which side of the board you are on you never have to show your back to the audience.

Get the Audience to Laugh
Your first goal when you start speaking is to get the audience to laugh. Tell a joke, or say something funny or amusing. When a speaker can make the audience laugh they feel on top of the world. It is the best confidence boost you can get during a presentation. It also lifts a huge weight from your shoulders and you instantly loosen up.

Speak Clearly and Loudly
You need to speak clearly and loudly enough so that everyone can hear you easily. Articulate your words and use proper English. Do not use complicated words. However if you do have to use a complicated word make sure you explain it without making anyone feel dumb.

Involve the Audience
Great speakers get the audience involved in the presentation. They ask general questions for everyone to answer. They also pick out people in the audience to answer specific questions and they do it in a fun and easygoing manner. Asking questions is a good way to keep the audience on their toes. It is also very effective if you see someone goofing off or not paying attention, you can ask them a question, which will embarrass them (People have a guilty conscience) and they will then pay attention for the rest of the presentation so that they don’t get embarrassed again.

Create a Great ID
At the beginning of your presentation you should introduce yourself and the best way to do that is with an ID. An ID is simply a short summary of yourself that tells about you, your experiences in life and with your company. Your ID should be short and powerful. A speaker uses their ID in their presentations to relate to the people in the audience and to show the audience that he/she is a real person, not some inhuman presenter. If a speaker has a great ID every person in the audience will be able to relate with the speaker in some way. Work hard on creating your ID and have it evolve as you evolve. Tie your ID in with your presentation so it flows smoothly together. Here are some questions your id should answer:

-Who I am -Where I was -What I saw -What I did -Results

Do NOT Memorize the Presentation
Do not try to memorize your presentation word for word. Only memorize the key parts. A great speaker never does the presentation the same way twice. He still gets the same information across he just tailors the way he presents it depending on the audience. Have fun with it. If you’re not having fun you can’t sell the audience.

Ditch the Ego
You must lose your ego in order to become a good speaker. Nobody wants to listen to a speaker that’s full of himself. However people will flock to hear a dynamic presenter tell an interesting story or present an opportunity.

Be Excited
Above all you must be excited and overflowing with energy. Energy and excitement are contagious, and a good speaker will infect his audience with his energy and excitement.

“People will be more excited about your enthusiasm, than the depths of your knowledge.”

Practice
If you want to become a dynamic speaker, you must practice your craft. Speaking is not like riding a bicycle. You do forget how and you do lose your skill. Practice in front of the mirror at home. Have a representative film several of your presentations and then watch them later and critique yourself. Get together with a group of other speakers and practice together. Regardless of how you do it, remember: Practice makes improvement, not perfect.

Tanner Larsson is an entrepreneur and an accomplished public speaker, who in addition to hosting his own workshops, is also often a guest or keynote speaker at business conventions and seminars. His website provides a wealth of information to help you become a dynamic speaker.
http://www.Dynamic-Speaking.com

Technorati Tags: Public Speaking

People who aren’t used to public speaking may never the less be called on at some time to give a talk, perhaps as part of their job. This can be a daunting task but there is a very easy, step by step formula for writing and delivering a great talk.

Step 1: Decide What Your Main Message Will Be.

Let’s use this article as an example and say that your main message is that “there is an easy step by step formula for writing and delivering a great talk”.

Step 2: Break That Main Message Into Up To Five Headings Or Steps.

Sticking with this article as your example for a talk, your five steps would be:- 1. Decide on your main message. 2. Break that message down in to no more than 5 parts. 3. In the beginning of your talk tell your audience, in summary, what you are going to cover in the talk. 4. Cover each of the five points in more detail. 5. End your talk by reminding them, in summary, what you covered during the talk. The reason why you use five points is that the human brain can only absorb 5 to 9 chunks of information in a sitting. Choosing five (rather than 6, 7, 8 or 9) ensures that you are keeping your talk within the capacity of every audience member.

Step 3: Tell The Audience, Early In The Talk, What You Are Going To Cover.

Staying with the theme of using this article as our example, you could say:-

“Today I will be showing you a simple but powerful system for writing and delivering a great talk. In the course of the presentation you will see that writing and giving a great talk comes down to five simple steps.

1. Decide on your main message. 2. Break that message down into no more than 5 parts. 3. In the beginning of your talk, tell your audience, in summary, what you are going to cover during the talk. 4. Cover each of those five points in more detail. 5. End your talk by reminding your audience, in summary, what you covered during the talk.”

Step 4: Present The Five Points In More Detail.

If the talk is short, and you know your subject well, then you can speak off the top of your head on each of the five points. All you will need as notes is a single card with your main theme written at the top, and underlined, and then the five key headings written down the card in numbered point form.

This simple structure has the advantage of actually giving your talk enough structure while at the same time allowing enough freedom for your talk to sound spontaneous. The spontaneous aspect makes it interesting for your audience to listen to, while the structure makes it easy for them to follow and understand.

If the talk that you have to give needs to be too long for this simple structure then you can further breakdown each of the five key points into no more than five sub-points per main point. Now all you need for notes is a card with the theme, at the top and underlined, then the five main headings in numbered point form, plus five more cards each with the a main heading at the top (underlined), and the five subheadings for that point written under that main heading in numbered point form.

I suggest that you use a different numbering system on each point card than on the main card. For example, if your main card used 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 then each of the other cards could have its heading at the top (with its number, say 1) and the sub points below numbered A, B, C, D, and E. In this way it avoids you getting confused as to which card you are on.

Step 5: Finish The Talk With A Summary Of What You Told Them.

You could say something like:- “To wrap up today’s talk I would just like to remind you of what we covered, so that it will stick more firmly in your mind. I started by promising you a simple system that will enable you to write and deliver a great talk. I delivered on that promise by showing you that it really is a straight forward five step process. 1. Decide on your main message. 2. Break that message down into no more than 5 parts. 3. In the beginning of your talk, tell your audience, in summary, what you are going to cover during the talk. 4. Cover each of the five points in more detail. 5. End your talk by reminding your audience, in summary, what you covered during the talk.

I trust that you enjoyed today’s talk and that you will put this simple but powerful system into practice soon and discover how easy giving a talk really is.

Thank you and goodnight” (or good day as the case may be)

You will notice that I made the concluding remarks flow by using the terms “by promising” and “delivered on that promise” and then made it clear that the talk was over by encouraging them to put the new learning into action and thanking them for listening.

The terms “by promising” and “delivered on that promise” also reinforce in the minds of your audience members that you did a good job and that you gave them exactly what you promised. This will make your audience appreciate the talk and, as a result, when you thank them they will spontaneously applaud you.

Please try this five point system the next time that you have to give a talk and you will probably be pleasantly surprised just how easy, and how much fun, speaking in public can be.

James Delrojo would like to help you by giving you his ebook “Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind” (valued at $27) completely FREE. Go to http://www.YourSuccessMind.com

James Delrojo would like to help you by giving you his ebook “Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind” (valued at $27) completely FREE. Go to http://www.YourSuccessMind.com

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking

Just finish hearing a 5 mins audio lesson by David Brooks on public speaking. For those of you who do not know him, he is the 1990 World Champion Speaker. In this week’s audio lesson, he talked about two sets of six words that can essentially cover all you need to know about public speaking. Sound too good to be true? I thought so initially but after hearing it, it does make sense. Let me give you a quick recap.

In Bill Gove’s golden gavel speech, he summarized the essence of public speaking into six words – “Tell a story, make a point”. The story does not have to be a BIG story like how you fought cancer or conquered Mount Everest. It is the everyday story that happen to you and anyone else. Not only do stories help connect with your audience instantly, it also invoked one or more of the six emotions that people can have. Namely – happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust and fear (the other set of six words). If you feel these emotions in your story, it will also invoke these emotions in your audience.

Three things to note however.

1. Every story that you tell must make a point, else it would just be plain chatting.

2. Use your own stories! (No one can tell your story as well as you do)

3. Everything that you encounter can become a story with a lesson.

So my friends, it is really impossible NOT to have any stories to tell. Even for loners who stay home all day long, they have a story to tell like what goes on in their mind for example! So the issue isn’t really with your stories, it is more about the point that you can make with the story. Some speech coaches (even me!) suggest that you write down all interesting stories that happen to you and save them in your computer. You can even categorize them if you want to. And when you need to prepare a speech (with a ready message), you can browse through the collection of stories and pick the most appropriate one. Not only does it make your speech more interesting and personalized, it is also unique!

Take yesterday’s lecture for example. It was a really long lecture, three hours to be exact. And it was impossible to remember everything the lecturer has to say. And those that I remember, are either in the form of stories or visuals! At one point, he was explaining about the concept of red flags (i.e. all recruiters and investors nit pick so that they can select the best). And he shared with us this story. There’s this recruiting company that has a very interesting way of filtering resumes. They will shuffle all the 200 over resumes and throw away the first 50 resumes… coz they don’t want to hire unlucky people!

It was a really simple story. Not only did he made a point (on the red flags and the unfairness of the world), it was also funny. And we really appreciate it especially after sitting through almost three hours of lecture!

So…as you are preparing your next speech or even presentation, see if you can incorporate a personal story in it. Stop giving speeches. Start telling stories!

Eric Feng is one of the youngest international certified coach and an Advanced Bronze Toastmaster with too many awards in public speaking to be listed here. Sign in to Eric’s subscriber list to receive daily insightful tips on public speaking and receive a complimentary copy of “Unleash The Speaker In You : 8 Ways To Become A Better Speaker” worth $50 for FREE. Visit www.ericfeng.com .

Technorati Tags: Public Speaking

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.

Technorati Tags: Presentation Skills, Public Speaking