5 Gifts From The Heart

Today I have five gifts for you.

You are welcome to pass these gifts along to people in your life.

They don't cost you anything. They don't involve shopping in holiday crowds. But in just a few minutes they bring you riches, warmth and good will.

5 Gifts from the Heart

The gift of listening: At a social event or a sales call, listen carefully to what people bring up. Those topics are important to them. Ask questions and really listen to the answers.

The gift of attention: Is someone telling you what's bothering or worrying them? Give them your full attention. It works wonders in understanding their needs, and making them feel valued.

The gift of time: We live in a time-pressed world. Instead of doing two things at once, mentally slow down and be in the moment (when you have time, of course!).

The gift of humor: Laughter draws people to you. Take a moment to laugh with your clients, friends and family. A small dose of humor produces very positive side effects.

The gift of thanks: Take a moment to give sincere thanks to everyone who has helped you this year.

And now I'd like to thank you for giving me a few moments of your precious time each week. I wish you all the best for the holiday season and New Year.

Warmest wishes,

Fran

P.S. These gifts were sent to me by Lynda Goldman ( Lynda@LyndaGoldmanInk.com )
I hope you enjoy them and pass them on to others.

P.P.S. Here is a Christmas gift for you - I compiled a book with Christmas Carols, Christmas stories and recipes. I hope you enjoy it. http://www.franwatson.ca/Memories.zip

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

I attened a Toastmasters Conference this past weekend where I had the privilege of attending and participating in a 3 hour workshop presented by World Champion Speaker Darren Lacroix.

Darren LaCroix knew he wanted to be a comedian; but he wasn’t funny. He didn’t know how to prepare, or how to give a good delivery. Yet, ten years later, he became the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking. How did that happen? With a lot of hard work! Darren stumbled through mistakes and failures for years. He struggled just like everyone else.

Daren shared his story:

"I came to Toastmasters in 1992... shy, lacking confidence, and with no talent. Thanks to Toastmasters, I was able to quit my day job of 11 years to become a full-time, professional speaker. Some say I'm “lucky.” Lucky? I’m just a guy who used the tool of Toastmasters better than most. Toastmasters gave me a place to practice, mentors pointed me in the right direction, and I was willing to fail.

In preparing for the World Championship Contest I studied 10 years of championship videos (90 world-class speeches), practiced at 22 clubs, got 141 written evaluations, and video-taped myself every chance I could. I also went to the previous World Champions and became a “sponge.” Their insight changed the way I presented forever. Do you think their insight could help you? Absolutely!"


Right now I have so much information running through my head that I need some time to work through it all. Darren shared SO MUCH information and helped us in so many ways that I actually Stepped ouside of my comfort zone and VOLUNTEERED to be critiqued on stage in front of about 300 people. What a rush!

I had also gone on stage during the workshop as part of an exercise Darren gave us, but actually going up on the same stage where the contest was held in front of so many other seasoned Toastmasters, well, that was different.

I will share more with you over the next few days, but if you want to check him out, go to: http://www.presentation411.com/

Or you can check him our on you-tube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLangloPme0

You can also Twitter him - http://twitter.com/DarrenLaCroix

If you want more humour in your life and your speeches - check him out now.

Fran

Banquet or Luncheon Public Speaking Tips

by Tom Antion

I have done many public speaking engagements in settings where meals were part of the program. You may want to politely remind the program coordinator to consider some of the following points:

ROOM SET-UP
(Many of these tips work whether food is being served or not)

Avoid spacing round tables widely apart in an attempt to fill the available space. Distance makes audience involvement and participation in the public speaking much more difficult. A better idea would be to space the tables as close together as practicable (allowing enough room for comfortable waiter and waitress movement). Empty room space could be filled with a decorative divider of some sort. Interaction enhances the effectiveness of the public speaking engagement.

Avoid a great distance between the head table /dais / speaker area and the first row of tables. Again, distance is a great barrier to public speaking and interaction.

Try to set the head table / speaker area on the long side of the room. This means that the back row participants will be closer to the public speaker than if you set the head table / speaker area on the short side of the room (participants will feel they are really far from the action).

Consider allowing the public speaker an option of public speaking areas. Many of the top people in public speaking can do a better job if they are not confined behind a head table and/or lectern. Most public audiences like being closer to the speaker too. To accomplish this, place extra chairs near the front of the room to be used by the head table participants after dinner (of course, this would depend on your overall program). You would not want them seated behind the speaker during the program. Set head table back from the front of the podium. Speaker can perform in front of the head table.

Set buffet tables far to the side or on the opposite end from the speaker area. If someone goes back for late seconds or arrives late, he or she will not be disruptive to the public speaking.

Discourage use of doors anywhere near the head table/speaker area.

TIMING

When on a tight time schedule in your public speaking engagement, have desserts placed on the table midway through the meal.

Arrange with banquet staff to cease all bussing of tables on a pre-arranged signal. Many functions have less than interesting openings because service personnel are running around for the first 10 minutes of a talk. This gets everything off to a bad start.

Ten minutes before the public speaking program is to start, it is very helpful to announce something like the following: "The program will start in ten minutes. Please get your drink refills, go to the restroom, get some more dessert, and then take your seats and get ready for a great program!"

When planning lighthearted / humorous public speaking programs, avoid heavy subjects before the speaker, i.e., don't show tearjerker slides of starving children (actually happened to a speaker friend of mine), in an effort to raise funds. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for raising funds for good causes, but if you do this just before a humorous public speaking event or comedy show, you may have wasted your money on the talent and actually made it inappropriate for them to do the job for which they were hired.

When the public speaking engagement is at settings where food is involved you must make a special effort to take care of logistical details so your speech will be well received.

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You can find out more about Tom at this website: www.professionalspeaker.com

Fran

P.S. Check out my ebook - Mastering Public Speaking

P.P.S. Sign up for my free public speaking ezine

Please Wear A Poppy

Let us remember those who have given their lives for us, those who have been wounded physically and mentally in their acts of service, and those who came back whole.

Lest we forget.....

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.

"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.

"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

"Till at last, at last, the war was won-
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

by Don Crawford


I share this to bless all who serve...wherever they may be.

Fran

Voice Broadcasting

Using Voice Broadcasting in Internet Business

(A new way to use your voice)

The power of voice broadcasting is absolutely phenomenal and one of the most under-utilized moneymakers and traffic drivers in internet business. It is absolutely extraordinary technology. It is very inexpensive to use and can add a whole new income stream to your internet business. The trick is to design the message in a way that ends in positive results for your internet business.

To understand the power of voice broadcasting and the monetary impact that it can make on your internet business, you must first understand the basics of a voice broadcast. Most commonly, a voice broadcast is a recorded voice message that is delivered to your customers/leads either LIVE on the phone or through their answering service, voicemail or answering machine. A voice broadcast can be delivered by cell phone and text messaging, however, this is fairly new technology and is not as common and the former. The ability of communicating with existing customers and offering them more products and services that they want and need is huge. Plus, the personalization of the message can aide as a new customer generating tool by building a relationship with your current leads and then, turning them into customers.

The best voice broadcasting service we have found is VoiceShot. This service is pretty basic and inexpensive, but it gets the job done. To send a voice broadcast, you export all the phone numbers of your clients/leads from your internet business's autoresponder and upload them into VoiceShot. Then, simply upload the numbers into VoiceShot and start building your voice broadcast campaign. Another advantage of this service is that they have great customer support, so you can contact them will any technical questions with setting up your voice broadcast.

Once you have your list uploaded, you will need to create and record the actual message that your customers will hear. Keep the recorded message (voice broadcast) under 50 seconds. The first reason for this is that you want to keep the attention of the listener for the entirety of the message since there will be a call to action at the end. Secondly, VoiceShot and most other services charge by the minute. Generally, it will take 3-6 seconds for your listener to pick up and say "Hello." You want to allow for that time and leave enough of a gap that you do not get charged for an extra minute of time. This will keep your Return on Investment (ROI) high and your internet business succeeding.

With all successful voice broadcasts that are used to generate income for an internet business, there is a call to action; a purpose to the message. Most of the time, this call to action is asking your listening to visit a website, usually a sales page. To do this, you will need to register a domain name that is designed well. First, choose a domain name that does not numbers in the web address. Next, always buy a domain name that ends in .com . Also, don't use any words that also have a numerical value like "for" and "two." If you have any of these things in your domain name your listeners might get confused and go to the wrong site. During your voice broadcast, direct your listeners to this website and clearly state what you want them to do.

Using the technology of voice broadcasting can be amazingly useful for your internet business. Use it for generating more sales from existing customer or turning leads into new customers. Keep your listens interested and your ROI high by making the message short. Design your message with a call to action and include an easy website for them to visit and purchase your product or service. Above all, use this technology to enhance the success of your internet business.

Tellman Knudson, CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc., is a master list builder and well-known for his List Building Club. Tellman teaches students how to build a successful online business. Create your successful business from his step-by-step videos at: http://listbuilding.com


Fran

Make Public Speaking Easier

7 Tips To Make Public Speaking Easier

Tip 1: Normalize your fear. In other words, be aware that just about everyone shares the fear of public speaking. It is normal in our society.

Tip2. Remember that your thoughts create your reality. If you tell yourself, “I am a terrible public speaker,” then you’ll become that which you think.

Tip 3. Remember to visualize how you want to see yourself being. How would you ideally like to feel when speaking in front of people? Would you like to be calm and relaxed? Start visualizing yourself as a calm and relaxed speaker, and step inside of the picture and feel the feelings as if they are happening right now.

Tip 4. Give yourself a positive verbal suggestion, such as “I am a calm, confident, dynamic public speaker.” Within a short period of time you will became what you affirm.

Tip 5. Ask yourself why you are afraid? Did a negative episode happen in your life where you where ridiculed or judged? If so, a part of you decided, “I’ll never do that again.” It became your survival strategy. Healing that wound will require that you ask the scared part what it would need to feel safe. Perhaps your scared part would only be willing to speak up if it was being heard by a friendly, supportive audience, where mistakes were allowed (such as a Toastmasters Club.)

Tip 6. Find a person who will listen with support and encouragement, like a coach or a mentor. Then role play with that person until you feel comfortable speaking.

Tip 7. Speak from your heart. Realize that your speaking is a gift. It is benefiting the listener. Become passionate about what you say. Focus on them, not you. This is about them and what you have to give to them.

Adapted from Dr. Maya Bailey, http://www.90daystomoreclients.com/

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Fran

P.S. For a Free copy of over 800 Speech Topics send me an email to
speakersinfo @ getresponse.com (no spaces) or click here

Presentations

How to give a great presentation

Most of the presentations you’re asked to give in a business setting aim to achieve one of two purposes: (1) to inform or (2) to persuade. In an informative presentation, the audience learns about a new subject or learns something new about a familiar subject. In a persuasive presentation, the speaker attempts to change the audience’s attitudes or behaviours.

Whether your purpose is to inform or to persuade, your presentation will include many of the same elements. It is important that you know your own purpose before you give a presentation or you may give away details you did not intend to or leave a weak impression on your audience. Always assess your goals before the presentation – your presentation will be stronger as a result. The success of your presentation lies in your ability to reach your audience.

If you are presenting to a large group, you’ll need to do more to make all audience members feel involved in your presentation. With a small group, it may be easier to encourage participation. With some audiences, you may need to provide more background/historical information about your topic before you can effectively persuade them of the correctness of your point and if the audience is not inherently motivated to listen to you, then you’ll need to give them reason to listen within the presentation itself.

The space in which you present will impact both you and your audience. Sometimes you have little control over space constraints, but it is important to check it out before you give your presentation in order to make allowances for comfort of the audience and to ensure that they can all see you, no matter where they are sitting.

A study by Albert Mehrabian at UCLA shows that 55 percent of our total message in face-to-face interactions is communicated through body language. A big part of body language is how you dress. As a general rule, you should dress slightly better than your audience. Conservative dress and solid colours are always winners in the business arena.

Your presentation should have an introduction, body and conclusion. The first part of your presentation is called the opening. You use the opening to get the audience’s attention, build (or continue to build) rapport with the audience, introduce your topic, and prepare the audience for the rest of your presentation. The opening should take only a fraction of your total presentation time. For example, if you’re giving a fifteen-minute presentation, you might dedicate two to three minutes to the opening. Your opening should set the tone for the rest of your presentation. First impressions are important. Make sure everybody knows who you are. The audience needs to know who you are and why they should listen to you. Present your credentials and let people know why you’re an expert on this topic. Be careful not to sabotage yourself in your dress or your spoken words.

Seven ways to sabotage a first impression:

1. Sloppy language. Using words like “anyways” or phrases such as, “That’s a whole ‘nother thing”.
2. Lazy language. Using phrases such as “you guys,” “okey dokey,” “no problem.”
3. Verbal fillers. Using “ums” and “ahs”.
4. Hiding your hands. This demonstrates a lack of trust. Keep your hands where people can see them.
5. Being late for the presentation.
6. Throat clearing. The message sent here is that you think you are superior. Not a good first impression.
7. Lack of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm sells. If you’re not enthusiastic and excited, why in the world should your audience get excited about your presentation?

Many people feel that humour is necessary in a presentation. It may be a valuable attention-gaining technique, but use it wisely. The joke you tell should have some relationship to the rest of your presentation or to your audience. Using humour can help arouse interest, allow you to connect with the audience, disarm hostility, show that you don’t take yourself too seriously and make a positive impression. However, if you don’t feel comfortable with humour, then make them think. Two key strategies will help you get your audience thinking: Present facts, figures and expert opinions or invite the audience to participate. Your opening is your promise to the audience about what they’ll get out of your presentation – make sure you promise something you can deliver.

*****For More Info on Presentations Click Here!"

One way to demonstrate your expertise is to open your presentation with data, exact figures, latest developments, and interesting little-known facts. Provide the audience with some “ah-ha” evidence of a problem or need with which they can relate. Select relevant information that will fascinate or surprise the audience. Try to get the group involved from the beginning by taking an audience poll or holding a mini-brainstorming session.

You have a limited amount of time to address the audience, so you must limit the number of main ideas covered in your presentation. It’s best to stick to two to five main points. You need to provide supporting evidence for each main point, so allow enough time to develop each point in adequate detail. You need to plan your presentational structure and organize the body of your presentation in a way that makes sense for your subject.

Common organizational patterns are:

1. Topical – when several ideas relate to your theme and each distinct idea becomes a main point.
2. Chronological – uses time sequence for a framework.
3. Spatial – organizes material according to physical space.
4. Classification – organizes material by putting things into categories.
5. Problem/Solution – organizes material by describing a problem and then presenting a solution.
6. Cause/Effect – organizes material by describing the cause of a problem and then presenting the effects of the problem.

A good outline includes the main points of your presentation, plus reference to your evidence and should be composed mainly of keywords. You should always practice your speech from your outline. That way it doesn’t sound stilted or memorized.

To create a credible presentation, you must provide supporting materials to back up your claims. Evidence serves to clarify your position or main ideas, prove that your claims are true and creates a lasting and memorable impression. Types of evidence include: facts and figures, statistics, statements by authority, testimony, narratives (stories), definitions and humour.

It is important to separate your main points by using a technique called a transition. Transitions may emphasize the organization of your speech or demonstrate how your ideas relate back to the theme of your presentation. For example, “now that you understand _________, let’s move on to my next point, which is _________.”

When you have covered all your main ideas and don’t have any new ideas to present, you are ready to close. The opening and the conclusion are bookends to the body of your presentation. The goal of the conclusion is to: inform the audience you’re about to close, summarize the main points, leave the audience with something to remember. Whenever possible, as part of your wrap-up, leave your audience with something to do. Giving your audience a call to action in your conclusion accomplishes two main purposes:

(1) It gives your listeners direction regarding what to do with the information you’ve just presented.
(2) it gives your audience incentive to think about your presentation later.

Remember to keep the call to action simple enough to be something your audience can accomplish. For example, “by next Monday I will make 4 calls to potential clients.”

The difference between a good presenter and a great presenter is often “presentational style” or the intangible elements of a presentation including a speaker’s poise, movement, projection of enthusiasm, and comfort in front of a group. Even the most experienced speakers can exhibit ticks and tendencies that interfere with their presentations. Some common problems to look out for as you practice your presentation include:

(1) Verbal fillers – “um”, “uh”, “yeah, so”
(2) Swaying and rocking
(3) Pacing
(4) Hands in pockets
(5) Lip smacking
(6) Fidgeting

The solution to these and other common problems is practice and experience. Nerves are usually the cause of such problems, so the more confident you feel, the less likely you are to engage in such habits. Joining a group such as Toastmasters can help you develop your public speaking skills and make you more confident. With preparation and practice, anyone can give a great presentation. The act of getting up in front of an audience gives you a certain amount of credibility. To be worthy of the audience’s trust, follow a few simple guidelines:

 Be truthful
 Give credit to your sources
 Use current information
 Do not rely excessively on appeals to people’s emotions
 Show respect for your audience’s intelligence


Information adapted from hp learningcenter.com “planning your presentation”

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Yours for a GREAT Presentation!

Fran

For More Info on Presentations Click Here!"