Practice Makes Perfect in Public Speaking and Presentations

Why is it that some speakers captivate our attention and move us to action, while others put us to sleep?  And how can you learn to be one of the good ones?

Contrary to popular opinion, great speakers are not born—they are made.  You don’t have to be extremely extroverted or a student of theater arts in order to get up on a stage in front of dozens or even hundreds of people and knock ‘em dead with your presentation.  All you need is for someone to let you in on the secrets to making a persuasive speech. 

What we found is that dynamic presenters follow a repeatable formula whenever they get up to deliver a winning speech.  They know that there are certain essential elements they’ve got to include if they want to captivate their audience. 

A persuasive speaker is someone who is able to clear away all the chatter and say to the audience, directly and convincingly, “This—what I am "selling" you—is all that you need.  You can forget about those other products.  You can forget about those useless services.  This is it.”

This is true no matter what kinds of speeches you deliver.  Even if you are not a “salesperson” in the literal definition of that word, when you are up on stage in front of an audience, your mission is selling your message.  Whether or not the audience buys that message depends upon how persuasive you are.

Good speakers seem to ooze confidence.  Again, this isn’t because they are naturally confident and brazen people.  It’s because they’ve gained confidence through learning the essentials of persuasive speaking.  They’ve grown sure of themselves over time because of the amazing reactions they get when they follow the very same rules that are outlined in this report.

You, too, can have that wonderful, confident feeling each and every time you take the microphone, as long as you know how to get the audience to move with you—

To your speaking success.

Fran Watson  

P.S.  If you need help to develop your skills, check out a local Toastmasters Club.  There you can practice your talks in front of a supportive audience to build your confidence.

ABC's of Public Speaking

A - Audience / Attention

B - Be prepared / Begin strong

C - Confidence / Courage

D - Dress to Impress / Determine direction

E - Enthusiasm / Evaluations

F - Facts & Figures / Focus

G - Gestures

H - Hone In / Hope

I - Inspire / Impress

J - Journey / Join in

K - Know your material / Knowledge

L - Life lessons / learning

M - Manage your time / Maximize

N - Notice things / No excuses

O - Open up onstage / Offer

P - Practice presenting / play

Q - Quotations / Questions

R - Relax / Rehearse

S - Sum up / Share

T - Talking / Time management

U - Understanding

V - Vocal Variety / Voice control / Value

W - Watch your audience / Welcoming

X - Express yourself

Y - You

Z - Zebras and other animals

Essential Life Skills - Communication

As a Toastmaster, I spend a lot of time reading articles on communication to enhance my skills in public speaking.  Here is a quote from an article I recently read and a link to the full article.

"Good communication skills are key to success in life, work and relationships. Without effective communication, a message can turn into error, misunderstanding, frustration, or even disaster by being misinterpreted or poorly delivered.

Communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It is a process where we try as clearly and accurately as we can, to convey our thoughts, intentions and objectives.

Communication is successful only when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information.  In today's highly informational and technological environment it has become increasingly important to have good communication skills.

While many individuals still continue to struggle, the inability to communicate effectively will hold them back not only in their careers, but in social and personal relationships. "

Read more 

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

Speaking Tips

Any public speaking involves delivering information to people who are, in one way or another, waiting to get some information. This is a key reason why you should pay careful attention as you prepare to make your speech and as you plan to meet your audience.

Some people are naturals at public speaking and getting to audiences, you may think of politicians or a good college professor you took some classes with, the fact of the matter is most people are not good at making speeches and the vast majority of people are terrified of delivering a speech. This should not discourage you in any way, since many experts have studied this and worked hard to help you to deal with these problems in speech making.

If you are at a point that you are going to deliver a speech, you are probably at a stage in your life where your thoughts are worth something to other people. This means that in principle, people want to get into your head and they appreciate your talent or skill in some particular field. The people that will listen to you have something to learn from you. But you are not thinking of these people, are you? You are thinking of the few people that probably know more than you and will be in the crowd. This is a big mistake, first because you should think of the person that will profit from your knowledge and get to him, and secondly because you have something in you that will benefit even the people that you fear.

The key to all this is simple, it's preparation. It’s the most basic, banal and trivial thing, but it is the base of any success in any field. Lets think about speech making preparation. First think about your audience. Who is the average person coming to your speech, what does he know, what does he need to know, what will inspire him and make him listen carefully to what you have to say, and how will you get him to appreciate your speech?

It is not that difficult, its actually good to start at this point, remember – people want to know what you are thinking, you just need to keep them interested, and I am sure you have many interesting thoughts.

Rehearse, this seems clear to me, practice the speech again, and again, and again. Obviously I know that you don’t have all the time in the world to perfect it, but, there is a value to this. Timing your speech and pre setting spots in which you know you need to change your tone, your speed and rhythm, will make you a better speaker and a better speech planner. So rehearse your speech and listen to yourself while doing it.

Start strong, confident, talk about things you know no one can beat you or undermine you. Let the confidence and the experience shine through, people feel that, and if you do this right, you will own your audience.

Think about your entrance and the first 3 minutes of the speech. Pay attention to the way you walk in, project confidence and calm, do not rush into anything. Even if you are late or under a tight schedule, do everything slowly and thoughtfully. Show the room that you are entering your speech zone and that no one is allowed in. They can sit and wait for a few seconds (which seem like hours) – its only a few seconds.

Make sure you got the attention of the crowd, and start strong. Pick the words of your opening carefully, and trust yourself.

Good luck.

Fran

P.S. Click here for more tips

Avoid Developing Bad Habits

AVOID DEVELOPING BAD HABITS DURING PRACTICE
by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International
World Championship of Public Speaking

When practicing a speech, don't pause after you make a
mistake. If you stop and start again, you might develop a
reflex that will manifest itself on the day of your
performance.

I'll always remember one of my first English speech contests.
As a native French speaker, I was inexperienced with the
English language and was really nervous at the idea of
mispronouncing words. Back then, my accent was so thick that
I couldn't always make myself understood.

During rehearsals, I would stop myself each time I
mispronounced something and then would repeat the word, using
the correct pronunciation. I improved a lot this way and was
correcting my imperfections.

On the day of the contest, I continued the same pattern and
would stop to repeat a word whenever I mispronounced it. It
would have been better had I ignored these errors, but I
couldn't help myself because my habit of self-correction had
turned into a conditioned reflex. As I stumbled repeatedly
during my speech, I gave the judges the impression that I was
ill prepared, which made me lose the contest.

I learned a great lesson from that defeat. When you prepare a
speech, it's better to practice as through you're really
facing an audience, for the following reasons:

1- YOU'LL AVOID DEVELOPING UNDESIRABLE REFLEXES.
You won't instil bad habits in yourself, such as constantly
correcting yourself when speaking in front of a group.

2- YOU'LL DEVELOP THE HABIT OF DEALING WITH CONTINGENCIES.
Here's a partial list of contingencies you could encounter
during rehearsals (and also on the day of your speech):
- Stammering or mispronouncing something
- Forgetting your text
- Inverting parts of your speech
- Mishandling a prop
- Experiencing computer problems
- Being distracted by an interruption

3- YOU'LL GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE.
On the day of your presentation, you won't be dreading any
unpleasant surprises. You'll know what to do because you've
encountered them during rehearsals.

Practice your speech as if you were really in front of an
audience, and you'll avoid bad habits. You'll also develop
strategies to get yourself out of predicaments and you'll be
less stressed when faced with an unforeseen event.

Happy speech!

©MMXII J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com. All rights reserved.


---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE
in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduced text is sent
to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and
also provided that the following bylineappears along with the
reproduced text:

This article was reproduced from "Speaking in Public with
J.A.", a FREE electronic magazine authored by J.A. Gamache,
International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE
e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit:
http://www.jagamache.com.

For more tips on public speaking click here

Getting Along With Others

How To Get Along With People

1.      Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think.  Cultivate a low, persuasive voice.  How you say it often counts more than what you say.

2.      Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.

3.      Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody.  Praise good work, regardless of who did it.  If criticism is needed criticize helpfully, never spitefully.

4.      Be interested in others; their pursuits, their work, their homes and families.  Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn.  Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him or her as a person of importance.

5.      Be cheerful.  Don’t burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments.  Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of a load.

6.      Keep an open mind.  Discuss but don’t argue.  It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

7.      Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves.  Refuse to talk of another’s vices.  Discourage gossip.  It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.

8.      Be careful of another’s feelings.  Wit and humour at the other person’s expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.

9.      Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you.  Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world.  Simply live so that nobody will believe them.  Disordered nerves and bad digestion are a common cause of back-biting.

10.  Don’t be too anxious about the credit due you.  Do your best and be patient.  Forget about yourself and let others “remember”.  Success is much sweeter that way.

To your communication success

Fran Watson

P.S.  For some free public speaking tips, Click here 

Giving A Toast

Whether giving a toast at a wedding or delivering a speech to a large assembly, most people make a big deal about public speaking and try to avoid it as much as possible. But public speaking should not cause such a big fuss. Challenging as it may be, public speaking can be done with a few simple guidelines.

Throughout the history of human civilization, people have been expressing their confidence and strength, not only by force, but also by the noble art of public speaking. The orators of ancient Greece were highly respected and valued in the community. Likewise, today’s world leaders are admired and esteemed when they have the power to address the public with poise and conviction.

Like any other endeavor, public speaking requires careful preparation to be successful.

First, one should know what the occasion the speech is for. The Gettysburg address would definitely not be appropriate for a wedding; thus, a speech has to fit the event it will be delivered to.

Second, you should think about the audience who will be listening to the speech. An assembly of academics may not take a perky speaker seriously; you should choose a suitable public speaking style based on the audience.

Third, think about the content of the speech. A farmer’s association would usually not be interested on a speech about the intricacies of beadwork. 

When writing  your speech, you need to pay attention to how you organize the contents of the speech.

Begin with a very strong introduction to catch the audience’s attention early to prevent them from being bored easily. Next, the body should be purposeful and the contents of the speech should relate well and support each other. Lastly, one should make a conclusion that sticks to the mind. No matter how stirring a speech is, it is useless if the people forget it the instant they leave the gathering. Conclusions should give a concise but memorable recap of the body.

Public speaking is challenging, but can be a very worthwhile skill

 

To your speaking success

 

Fran Watson

 

P.S.  Check out my book Mastering Public Speaking - click here

 

 

 

 

 

Speech Contests

For Toastmasters spring and fall provide opportunities for speakers to compete against others in Speech Contests.

In the spring, the International Speech Contest draws in speakers from all over the world, competing in their districts and regions for the opportunity to compete at the conference in August and the chance to become the World Champion.

The other contests may end at the local District levels, but they too provide an opportunity for fun and competition as contestants share their funny stories in the Humorous Speech Contests or the Tall Tales Contests.  They also develop their impromptu speaking skills in the Evaluation Contests and the Table Topics Contests.

Why would a person want to subject themselves to such a practice?  Isn't it tough enough to get up in front of your fellow co-workers to give a presentation?  Or in front of your local club? 

They do it to grow, to enhance their skills. 

People who participate in Toastmasters develop their confidence as they participate in weekly meetings, taking on the various roles of Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, Grammarian, Timer, Educational Tip, Ah Counter.  Each time they speak at a meeting, or challenge themselves to present a speech, they grow. 

When they want to challenge themselves further, they participate in contests - from club level, to area level, to division level, to district level, and in the case of the International Speech Contest, to the International level.

If you are thinking about developing your confidence and leadership skills, check out a Toastmasters Club near you.  Who knows, you just might get hooked on speech contests and challenging yourself to grow.

To your speaking success

Fran
P.S.
More youtube videos on humourous speeches

How Toastmasters Can Help

By Eric Monse (edited by Fran Watson)


I have a fear of public speaking. More precisely, I should describe it as a phobia.

I’m not really scared, I just react badly when I get up in front of a large group of people. My blood pressure starts to rise, my skin starts to get flush, and worst of all, I lose all ability to think on the fly.

I’m not so bad if I have something prepared, but God forbid if I have to think up something right then and there.

Learning to be a better public speaker is a great thing. But conquering this area of my life probably wouldn’t be enough for me to practice public speaking every other week.

I don’t make very many public speeches. But the benefits that I pickup with learning public speaking will help me in my every day life and in meeting new people.

People are attracted to the person up on the podium speaking to hundreds of people, whether he’s a preacher, a politician, or a professor. He is the one wielding control over the room and captivating the multitudes. True charisma is the ability to seduce thousands, not just one person.

Toastmasters is a worldwide nonprofit organization for the purpose of helping its members improve public speaking, communication, and leadership skills. Joining a Toastmasters club is one of the best things you can do to improve several aspects of your ability to meet new people.

I joined a club about three months ago and it has been a fantastic experience. The people there were skilled and knowledgeable and at the same time, they were warm, friendly and supportive in helping new people learn the ropes and pickup tips to improve.

Toastmasters grooms you to speak in front of large groups of people by critiquing or evaluating your public speaking.

They teach you to focus on things like your body language:
* Don’t rock back and forth when you speak.
* How to move comfortably around when you speak.
* The importance of making solid eye contact.

They also help you learn:
* Ways to vary your tone of voice.
* How to vary your pace but don’t speak too quickly.

Sound familiar? These are all things you should be focusing on when meeting new people.

You will also get critiqued on your language.

A member taking on the role of Grammarian will keep track of unnecessary words like: um, you know, and stuff, right, like, etc. That member will report towards the end of the meeting as to who used what "filler words" in order to help people improve their speaking.  Eliminating riff raff from your vocabulary makes you a more effective and high-value communicator– exactly what you’re looking for when communicating with someone you are interested in.

Developing Leadership Skills

A little known fact is that one of the best aspects of Toastmasters is their focus on teaching leadership skills.

Everyone at a Toastmasters meeting is a volunteer. There are numerous roles at a meeting such as Toastmaster, Sergeant-At-Arms, Table Topics Chair, General Evaluator, Evaluator, Quizmaster, Gramarian, Joke/Word, Educational Tip, Speaker, Table Topics Speaker and Timer.  During the meeting the person in each role gets up at the front of the room and conducts that part of the meeting and or gives reports about that part of the meeting.

The Grammarian is the person who listens and keeps track of vocabulary errors.  The Timer keeps track of all the aspects of the meeting to ensure that everyone is on time.  They will make note by use of cards or lights when the person reaches the minimum amount of time (green card), when they are close to their time (yellow card), and when their time is up at which time they will hold up a red card or turn on the red light to let the person speaking know that they should be wrapped up.

There are usually two or three people who give a 5-7 minute prepared speech at every meeting, and there are people designated to critique those speakers. These people are known as the Speech Evaluators.  Those people get up in front of the room and speak for 2-3 minutes on what the speaker did well and some points for improvement. 

During the Table Topics segment, members of the club who do not have a role will get an opportunity to present a 1-2 minute speech on the topic of the week.  This way, a meeting will rarely pass when you would not get up and practice speaking.

Many of the members of Toastmasters are excellent speakers. They know how to captivate an audience. They are a diverse group of people and are varying ages as well. Some of them have been in Toastmasters for 20 years or more. The speeches they give are usually insightful and worth a listen, even if just to see how people can communicate.

At the same time, they provide an amazingly supportive environment for a new person to learn. These people know what it was like to have such a fear of public speaking. This makes it also easier to get up in front of a group like this and speak.

How Toastmasters Helped My Fear of Speaking to Strangers

When you’ve never done it before and you begin speaking with strangers, the anxiety can be nerve-wracking. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride for me when I started.

If I talked to three people, by the end of the night I would be drained. I felt like I’d been through an emotional heavyweight title match.  However, as I talked to more new people, the fear and anxiety lessened. But Toastmasters helped out as well.

The fear of approaching people is very similar to that fear of getting up in front of a group of people and speaking. As I got more comfortable with one, I became more comfortable with the other as well.

There are thousands of Toastmasters clubs around the world. Different clubs meet at different times and for differing amounts of time.  Some are breakfast clubs, some are lunch hour clubs, some are evening clubs, some are Saturday morning clubs.  Some are advanced clubs, some are corporate clubs.  There is a club for every need.

When you attend Toastmasters as a guest, you’ll be offered the opportunity to speak in their Table Topics  impromptu section where you will speak for 1-2 minutes on a random topic. It’s a great exercise and it's good practice for speaking on the spot at work or at a cocktail party.

The cost is minimal compared to the value you will receive.  It varies from club to club, depending on the costs of the meeting place, but one fee will cover you for a year and you will receive a monthly Toastmasters magazine, your first two manuals - Competent Communicator and Competent Leader and when you have completed your first 10 speeches, you will also receive your first two Advanced manuals. The cost is usually less than a one day program and definitely less than a 4 day or 4 week program at a local college.  Meetings are held weekly or bi-weekly.

You also get educational materials and an opportunity to speak in the Speech Contests where you can get up in front of hundreds of people, not just the 15-25 people who attend at each meeting. They also try to set you up with a mentor to help you with your first few speeches, or as long as you need help.

Toastmasters is an excellent way to become more confident, and it will improve your social life and help you to feel more comfortable in social situations.

************
I have been a Toastmasters member since 2002 and I have served in all of the Executive roles in my 3 clubs.  I have also served as an Area Governor and a District Public Relations Officer.  Toastmasters has made a big difference in how confident I am in speaking with minimal notice at various functions including a recent memorial service for a friend and fellow Toastmaster.

Why not check out a local Toastmasters Club?  There is no cost to visit and you just might find out it isn't at all what you feared it would be.  Tell them Fran Watson sent you!!

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

  P.S.  Get speaking topics and more speaking tips here

Body Language in Public Speaking

Body language is very important when delivering a speech.


Have you ever seen our great leaders fidget or make unnecessary movements while addressing the nation?

Since you are the center of attention while making the presentation, you should mind every move that you make so as not to bore or distract the people listening to your speech.

You already have a speech prepared, you know the topic well and you are now standing in front of the audience.  They are in for a treat because you have prepared a great presentation, yet you also know that they have a very short attention span.  How would you keep them interested with what you are saying?

The answer is to maintain eye contact.  This is one public speaking technique that great speakers use when addressing a large group of people.

Here are some tips on how you can use this "trick" to keep your audience interested while delivering a speech:

Once you have started speaking and have delivered your introduction, take a look at your audience.  Do not be nervous if you see one or two people frowning as you are not sure of exactly what they are thinking.  Instead of looking out for unfriendly or blank faces, search for the people who are smiling and nodding their heads.  Try to focus on this person for a couple of minutes and look him or her in the eye.

This way, you have an immediate "friend" in the audience to whom you can look and gain confidence from.  This will not just increase your confidence but also help relax you in the course of your speech.

Gaze steadily at your audience, moving from one part of the room to another, catching one person in each section.   This way, you would immediately grasp their attention as each person feels you are speaking just to them.

Make it a practice to never read your speech. Just make an outline of the important points that you can expand on.

If you have visuals, do not read the bullet points word for word as this might imply that your audience cannot read that themselves.  Allowing them to read what is on the screen creates a "bond" with your audience as a speaker since you do not have to keep on looking at your notes through the course of your speech.

The key to delivering a great speech is to know what your message is for your audience (why this message and why this audience) and then to just breathe, relax and make eye to eye contact with your audience.  Thus, you are not just making a physical connection with them but you are also ensured that you come out as a sincere speaker who wants to inform and interact with the audience through your speech.

To your successful speaking
  Fran   P.S.  Check out John Maxwell's books for more tips on public speaking and leadership - Click here

Fear of Speaking in Public?

In a survey done by Dr. Laurie Rozakis, author of Idiots Guide to Public Speaking, it was found that many people are scared to speak before a group. It is the number one fear among Americans, "--and the number 6 is fear of death," according to Dr. Rozakis.


Even the most experienced speaker gets anxious when speaking in public. However, this fear can be controlled so that you can put your fear to your advantage. This topic teaches us why people are nervous when speaking in front of a crowd and how you can conquer your fear.

FEAR OF THE AUDIENCE

People are afraid of rejection by their audience. Thus, many are terrified of speaking in public for fear of being criticized by the crowd for how they look or how they deliver their speech. On the contrary, audiences are very understanding about the speaker's problem with stage fright. You become more nervous when your fear of the audience increases.

Below are some strategies that can help you overcome your fear of the audience.

> Choose a topic that you like and you are familiar with. The more comfortable you are about your chosen topic, the more confident you are in facing your audience.

> Concentrate on your topic. Focus on your topic and not on yourself. When you start to think of your subject matter and not yourself, your fear of speaking will likely decrease.

> Say to yourself: "I am the BOSS." Trust in your capability of delivering your speech. Showing that you are in charge decreases your fear and increases your confidence in facing the situation.

> Don't think of your audience as a threat. Bridge the gap between your audience and yourself. Analyze carefully to establish rapport. You should consider age, gender and their level of expertise. Remember to analyze your audience.

FEAR OF FAILURE

There are two ways to win over your fear of failure.

> Picture yourself succeeding. If you think that you will stutter in front of many people, chances are you will stutter. But if you visualize yourself delivering your speech well, then, you will.

> Face your fear. You cannot overcome your fear unless you show it and admit that you are afraid of it.

FEAR THAT YOUR SPEECH IS A BAD SPEECH

> Write well. Take time to write your speech. Review it and rewrite if necessary. If you are confident with your speech, the less terrified you will be about speaking in public.

> Practice and ask for suggestions on how you can improve your speech. Ask a friend of relative to act as your audience. Once you have delivered your topic, ask for their feedback. Don't be afraid to hear about what they will say. Their feedback can give you insight on what is good or bad in your speech.

Toastmasters is a great place to learn and practice your speaking skills.  You will be surrounded by people who want to help you succeed and who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise with you while giving feedback on the things you did  well and the things that could be improved.

There is probably a Toastmasters club near you.  To find out, simply go to www.toastmasters.org and click on "find a club".  Invest in yourself and your future.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson
A Toastmaster for 9 years

Confident Public Speaking - Have Something To Say

The trouble with many speakers is that they go before an audience with their minds a blank. It is no wonder that nature, abhorring a vacuum, fills them with the nearest thing handy, which generally happens to be, "I wonder if I am doing this right! How does my hair look? I know I shall fail." Their prophetic souls are sure to be right.

It is not enough to be absorbed by your subject—to acquire self-confidence you must have something in which to be confident. If you go before an audience without any preparation, or previous knowledge of your subject, you ought to be self-conscious—you ought to be ashamed to steal the time of your audience.

Prepare yourself. Know what you are going to talk about, and, in general, how you are going to say it. Have the first few sentences worked out completely so that you may not be troubled in the beginning to find words.
Know your subject better than your hearers know it, and you have nothing to fear.

To confidence in public speaking!!

Fran Watson

P.S. Sign up for my ezine - speakersinfo@getresponse.com
P.P.S. Check out this book - Mastering Public Speaking