Are They Listening?

Ten Tips to Send Your Audience to Sleep

Have you ever fallen asleep when listening to a speech or presentation? Sometimes a little nap during a presentation can boost your energy for the rest of the day.

Speakers- if you want to be the one to send your audience to sleep, so they will be fully alert for other people’s presentations follow these ten tips.

1. Make sure that your material is dry and boring. Make sure that your material is either highly technical or complex. If at all possible fill your speech with specialized academic content that is not easily understood without prior study and research.

2. Do not include any explanations or illustrations to make the content understandable to the average person in your audience.

3. Schedule your speech to be at the end of a long day or after a big meal. This will give added incentive for drowsiness and lethargy.

4. Speak softly and avoid any expression or vocal variety that might distract or interest your audience.

5. Stand still behind the lectern for the entire speech. Any movement or sudden gestures could wake up your audience.

6. Avoid any variation in style in your presentation. Do not change from talking to using a flip chart, PowerPoint or any other kind of visual aid or prop that will attract attention.

7. Do NOT include any humor or stories in your speech that might illustrate the important points you wish to communicate.

8. Do not keep to the topic of the speech. Spend a large amount of time rambling about subjects or personal experiences that are boring and totally off topic.

9. Speak about a topic that is very familiar to your audience. Keep your content to things that they already know.

10. Provide highly detailed handouts, so that your audience will not miss out on any important information during their snooze. Make sure that you do not say anything that is not included in the hand out. For best results, just read the handout word for word.

Hopefully, by following carefully the ten tips outlined here, you will have the satisfaction of seeing an entire audience snoring quietly and happily throughout your entire presentation.

Remember, if you do not follow these tips you may be alarmed to discover that your audience is alert and interested in what you have to say.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

Something to Talk About

Have you ever been discouraged thinking about how to come up with a topic for your next speech?  well, I have a unique way to approach that.  Pile books on top of your bookcase.  That's right, just pile them, as you get new books put them up there too.  When the time is right, then the books will fall off your shelf and into your lap as you are sitting on the couch.  Well, at least that's what happened to me.

I had been perusing my speech manuals, considering what speeches I would like to do next when the avalanche started.  24 in all.  I took this as a sign, so I began to look at the titles: 

"Inner Peace for Busy Women" (who me, busy?),

May You Always Have An Angel By Your Side ( a good idea),

How to Be Like Women of Influence, (some great examples here)

Character Matters, (yes it does)

The Secret of Letting Go (yes this would be good too),

Confidence Booster, Rising Higher,

The Best Thing in Life is a Friend (indeed),

Creeds of Life Love and Inspiration,

 A Philosopher's Notes,

The Tools (5 tools to help you find courage, creativity and willpower and inspire you to live life in forward motion )(a new acquisition),

also Tai Chi, Self-Renewal,

The Power of You,

Dr. Seuss "Oh The Places You Will Go", and a few more including this book:  You Have To Read This Book.  by Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup and Gay Hendricks, and more. 

 

There you have it, enough titles to fill a manual or two.  I have already done speeches on "Oh The Places You Will Go and "You Have To Read This Book", and I have another speech I will be giving tonight.

 

If you are stuck and need more help, I have a list of over 800 speech topics.  Just leave me a comment and I will send you the link.

 

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

Body Language

What is Body Language?

Body language is the unspoken or non-verbal mode of communication that we do in every single aspect of our interaction with another person. It is like a mirror that tells us what the other person thinks and feels in response to our words or actions. Body language involves gestures, mannerisms, and other bodily signs.

            Would you believe that in real life situations, 60% to 80% of the messages that we convey to other people are transmitted through body language and the actual verbal communication accounts for only 7% to 10%?

Our ability to use body language in a positive way and to read other people's minds through their body language separates the men from the boys (or women from girls), and can be a powerful tool to our overall personality development. Imagine creating a great impression for work, business, and love by being knowledgeable in this not-so-common yet powerful field of study. It is the unspoken tool to a successful life

 

Here are some of the movements exhibited by people who are interested in what you are saying:

·         They maintain eye contact more than 60% of the time. The more wide-opened the eyes are, the more interested the person is. In fact, a person maintains eye contact more when listening than when talking. 

·         Their heads are inclined forward.

·         They are nodding their heads. Such action means that they're agreeing with you. That means they're attentive and listening.

·         Their feet are pointing towards you.

·         They smile frequently. But take note, not all smiles convey the same feeling. An oblong smile is not genuine. It is used to show courtesy, but not necessarily happiness or friendliness. The lips are withheld completely back from the upper and lower teeth, forming the oblong shape. This is usually the smile that many people exhibit when they feign to enjoy a lame joke.

Learn more about communication and body language through Toastmasters.  Find a club near you and check out how to improve your body language.

 

To your speaking Success

Fran Watson

 

P.S.  Click here for more info

 

 

Public Speaking Dilemma: What To Do When You Don't Have Enough Time

Do you have a standard hour-length presentation, but your host can only spare a half hour? Are you in the middle of a presentation when you realize that, due to a late start or abundant questions, you are running out of time?

 

No matter what your topic, always be flexible and ready to cut short your session (or ready to lengthen, as the case may be). Here are some ways to make sure your presentation always fits the time slot.

 

Pointer #1: Use a timed outline

 

When you create your presentation outline, include time estimates next to each section (I like to add mine in red to make them easier to spot on the page).

 

A brief, one-page bulleted outline (or two pages double-sided) will be easier to time than a long, rambling novel written in paragraphs.

 

Practice your presentation and jot down time estimates as you go (two minutes for opening, five minutes for section I, seven minutes for section II, etc.) When you get to the end, add up all the time and determine whether you should add to or subtract from any sections to make it all fit into the allotted time slot.

If you have to edit severely to fit into a different time frame and your presentation will be adversely affected, you might want to develop separate self-contained presentations for short, medium and long time slots.

 

Pointer #2: Shift information depending on its priority

 

If you notice that you are running out of time while in the middle of a presentation, you may have to shift some of your content around. If you have important points at the end of the presentation, now is the time to bring them forward. As soon as you notice the time crunch, start changing the order of your sections.

 

When creating and practicing your presentation, it's always a good idea to think ahead about how you would handle this situation. The layout of your bulleted outline should make it easy to see which sections to leave out, move up or move down.

 

If you have to leave out something that you feel is important, gather business cards from the audience and offer to e-mail them additional content.

 

Pointer #3: Supplement with handouts

 

There's usually some information that we want to share, but that we don't necessarily want to include in our live presentation. You might have some relevant articles to supplement your workshop, or you might have charts and graphs that you didn't have time for or the technology to project.

 

Use handouts wisely. If the material does not need to be reviewed during your presentation, then leave handouts at the back of the room for the audience to pick up on the way out. If you choose to put them on seats before you begin, be aware that your audience may spend half the time reading and not listening to you.

 

Your handouts should always include your contact information and a link to your website, if you have one. Make sure all resources and references are clear and easy to read; use graphics if appropriate and leave a lot of white space on the page. Don't overload handouts with text; make them concise and relevant to your presentation. Otherwise, they will end up in the recycling bin!

 

Follow these suggestions, and you will always be prepared, no matter how much (or little) time you have.

 

To your speaking success

 

Fran Watson

 

P.S.  Click here for more info

 

 

 

 

Three Easy Steps To Be Good In Public Speaking

 

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.

 

The average person cringes at the idea of talking in front of an audience no matter how big or small the size. 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.

Before Making The Speech: Preparation

Like any other endeavor, public speaking requires careful preparation to be successful. Many people dream of having those “inspired” spontaneous speeches seen in movies; however, such scenes rarely happen in real life. Even the world’s most famous leaders prepare for public addresses, and most even have teams to work on those plans.

In order to properly prepare for a speech, 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, one understand and know about the audience who will witness the speech. An assembly of academics might not take a perky speaker seriously; one should choose a suitable public speaking style  and subject based on the audience. A farmer’s association would probably not be interested on a speech about the intricacies of beadwork.

Making The Speech: Writing

Again, dazzling spontaneous speeches rarely happen in real life. Most good speeches have been written before their delivery. While many noted public figures have speech-writing committees, one can create a good speech even without the help of a team of ghostwriters.

When writing for public speaking, one should carefully organize the contents of the speech.

 

Begin with a very strong introduction. It is important to catch the audience’s attention early to prevent them from being bored easily.

 

Next, the body should be purposeful. The contents of the speech should relate well and support each other.  Choose only 2 or 3 points and expand on them.

 

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 of the speech.

The Actual Public Speaking: Delivery

This is the part most people are afraid of; but when proper planning and writing is done well, the delivery should follow easily.

One must decide whether to speak from memory or to use notes. Beginners often benefit from a script or a guide, but when one becomes more comfortable speaking in public, one can speak without notes.

 

Reading directly from a script can be quite boring for the audience; thus, it is important to keep constant contact with them, raising your head and making eye contact.

 

Speaking from memory is quite impressive, but if you are concerned about  missing some parts of the speech, using notes can be a good compromise so long as one is able to expound on the points well. 

Learning More About Public Speaking

Several books and articles about the topic have been published and they can well be accessed through the library or the bookstore. Many companies offer public speaking training, and such services provide in-depth courses that could help one speak well in public. There are also several articles and courses available through the internet, some of them are even posted for free.

 

Another option is Toastmasters, which is an organization designed to help you overcome your fears about public speaking by moving through a specially designed program manual.  You also have an opportunity to develop Leadership skills by taking on roles within a meeting. 

 

For more information on Toastmasters and to find a club near you, click here.

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

To your public speaking success

Fran Watson

P.S.  Click here for some free public speaking tips

Face Your Fears

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." -, Nike ad

 

Do you "feel the fear" when asked to do some Public Speaking?

 

Public Speaking is still one of our greatest fears and it turns grown men and women into nervous wrecks. The mere thought of it turns our tongue to cotton wool, causes our internal plumbing to act up and turns our knees to jelly.

 

Well, there's no need for all of this because help is at hand. All you need to remember are your P's and Q's.

 

Let's start with the P's

 

Preparation -

When you sit down to write what you're going to say, bear in mind who you'll be speaking to. Will they understand what you're talking about; will they understand the technical stuff and the jargon? If in doubt remember the old saying - "Keep It Simple Stupid".  

 

Make sure that what you say has a beginning, middle and a conclusion. Think of some anecdotes that help reinforce your story. People think visually so paint verbal pictures for your audience. And always remember, people want to know what's in it for them - so make sure you tell them!

 

Place -

Have a look at the venue before the event if you can. It's not always possible, however, even if you get there half an hour before, you can check out where you'll be speaking.  Stand at the point where you will deliver from, imagine where the audience will be and check that they can see and hear you. You may even wish to place a glass of water where you'll be able to find it.

 

Personal Preparation -

Before any Public Speaking event, think about what you are going to wear; when in doubt dress up rather than down. You can always take things off for a more casual look. Men could remove their jacket and their tie. Women could remove items of jewellery.

 

Part of your personal preparation should include some mouth and breathing exercises. Practise saying some tongue twisters to give your speaking muscles a good work out. Take a deep breath and expand your diaphragm. Then breathe out, counting at the same time; try and get up to fifty and not pass out.

 

As part of your personal preparation, write your own introduction. Write out exactly what you want someone to say about you, large font, double-spaced and ask the person introducing you to read it. Believe me they won't object and will probably be pleased and impressed.

 

Poise and Posture -

Whenever you're called to speak, stand up or walk to the front quickly and purposefully. Pull yourself up to your full height, stand tall and look like you own the place. Before you start to speak, pause, look round your audience and smile. You may even have to wait until the applause dies down.  Remember, you want the audience to like you, so look likeable.

 

Pretend -

I'm suggesting you pretend you're not nervous because no doubt you will be. Nervousness is vital for speaking in public, it boosts your adrenaline, which makes your mind sharper and gives you energy.  The trick is to keep your nerves to yourself. On no account tell your audience your nervous; you'll only scare the living daylights out of them if they think you're going to faint.

 

Some tricks for dealing with nerves are: Before you're called to speak, get lots of oxygen into your system, run on the spot and wave your arms about like a lunatic. It burns off the stress chemicals.  Speak to members of your audience as they come in or at some time before you stand up. That tricks your brain into thinking you're talking to some friends.

 

Have a glass of water handy for that dry mouth. One word of warning - do not drink alcohol. It might give you "Dutch courage" but your audience will end up thinking you're speaking Dutch.

 

The Presentation -

Right from the start your delivery needs to grab their attention. Don't start by saying - "Good morning, my name is Fred Smith and I'm from Smith Associates." Even if your name is Smith, it's a real boring way to start a presentation.  Far better to start with some interesting facts or an anecdote that's relevant to your presentation. 

 

Look at the audience as individuals; it grabs their attention if they think you're talking to them personally and talk louder than you would normally do, it keeps the people in the front row awake and makes sure those at the back get the message. Funnily enough, it's also good for your nerves.

 

PowerPoint -

And for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a software programme that's used to design stunning graphics and text for projection onto a screen. As a professional speaker, I'm not that struck on PowerPoint. I feel that too many speakers rely on it and it takes over the presentation.  After all, you're the important factor here. If an audience is going to accept what you say then they need to see the whites of your eyes. There needs to be a big focus on you, not on the technology.

 

Use PowerPoint if you want but keep it to a minimum and make sure you're not just the person pushing the buttons.  Why not get a bit clever at using the faithful old Flip Chart, lots of professionals do.

 

Passion -

This is what stops the audience in their tracks. This is what makes them want to employ you or to accept what you're proposing. Couple this with some energy, enthusiasm and emotion and you have the makings of a great public speaker.

 

Give your presentation a bit of oomph and don't start telling me - "I'm not that kind of person." There's no need to go over the top but you're doing a presentation to move people to action, not having a cosy little chat in your front room.

 

That's the P's finished, so let's look at the Q's.

 

Questions -

Decide when you're going to take them and tell people at the start. In a short speech it's best to take questions at the end. If you take them as you go then you may get waylaid and your timing will get knocked out.

 

Never - never - never finish with questions; far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end. Deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish. Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat.

 

When you're asked a question, repeat it to the whole audience and thank the questioner. It keeps everyone involved, it gives you time to think and it makes you look so clever and in control.

 

Quit -
Quit when you're ahead. Stick to the agreed time; if you're asked to speak for twenty minutes, speak for nineteen and the audience will love you for it. Remember, quality is not quantity. One of the most famous speeches ever - "The Gettysburg Address", by President Lincoln, was just over two minutes long.

 

Right, that's my cue to quit when I'm ahead. Now that you're armed with this information you too can minimise your fear of Public Speaking.

 

To your public speaking success

 

Fran Watson

P.S.  For more tips on public speaking, Click here



Dealing With Self-Induced Stress

Do you have just 2 minutes? That's all the time it takes to read the following article. But if you're really short on time, just read the first paragraph. It summarizes the whole text.

Enjoy!


Free article no. 134
DEALING WITH SELF-INDUCED STRESS
by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking

I learned an important lesson when I first presented my inspirational keynote entitled "Cross the line!". When striving for perfection, we can sometimes create our own stress.

After many years as an amateur speaker, I had accumulated enough material to give a strong sixty-minute speech.

One day, the president of a company saw my free presentation and was thrilled with it; so much so that he hired me on the spot to present it to his employees.

I was nervous. It was the first time I was being paid a professional speaking fee, so disappointing my client was out of the question! I interviewed him, adapted my presentation to his employees' needs, and then organized a rehearsal in front of a dozen people.

The rehearsal was a disaster! I was shaking like a leaf and my mouth ran dry. I had lost my usual stamina and was constantly looking at my notes because I was forgetting my text.

And the real presentation was only two days away!!!

Can you imagine how hard I worked over the next two days? I practiced my speech over and over again.

On the day of my presentation, just as I was announced to the audience, I realized that my notes were still in the car. Instead of panicking, I said to myself: "Tough luck. You know your text, and if you forget, you'll just improvise." So I went on stage.

That interior dialog was the turning point that made all the difference. Unlike rehearsal day, I didn't worry about being perfect, and most of my stress vanished away.

My speech was a success. Of course I forgot a small part of my text, but the audience couldn't tell. Having already put in all the hard work, I was able to relax on the floor and allow myself to perform without my notes.

This message is for perfectionists like me. Wanting to avoid mistakes at all costs during the performance may be the cause of your stress. It was a blessing that I forgot my notes that day. Instead of trying to be a flawless speaker, I was myself, and that made the day perfect!

Happy speech!

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


To your successful speaking

Fran
P.S.  Sign up for my free ezine and get 800 speech topics - Click here

---------------------------------
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 this byline, including the following paragraph, appears 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.

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

Distracted Listeners ?

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.

HOW TO RE-FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF DISTRACTED LISTENERS
by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking

Although you may be an energetic and interesting speaker, it's still normal to lose the attention of some of your listeners. To remedy this situation, plan to include in your presentation some attention-getting elements that will pull in absent-minded audience members. In other words, make your crowd react regularly. There are many ways to make a room react. I find that I can snap out of my daydreaming if a speaker uses one of the following methods:

1- LAUGHTER When I hear everyone laugh, I stop daydreaming and ask my neighbor what the speaker said. After that, I'm on the edge of my seat so I don't miss the next joke.

Since almost everyone likes to laugh, inject humour into your presentation when it's appropriate. The more laughter you get from your presentation, the more you motivate your audience to listen.

2- MOVEMENTS OF OTHER AUDIENCE MEMBERS When everyone around me starts to move, it obviously gets my attention. I ask my neighbor what's happening and the person explains that the speaker has asked everyone to participate to an activity. In spite of myself, my interest re-focuses on what's happening in the room. That's why professional speakers often ask audience members to shake hands and say something to their neighbor.

A participating audience is an attentive audience. Make it a habit to incorporate a strategy to refocus absent-minded listeners, and make them react regularly. An easy way is to have humorous moments in your speech and invite audience participation. These are all good methods to reclaim the audience's attention.

Happy speech! ©

MMXI J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com.
All rights reserved. ---------------------------------

To your speaking success!
Fran Watson
P.S. Sign up for some more speaking tips on my websitehere

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

Public Speaking Tip

People have praised and respected over the centuries those who could speak well in front of a crowd. The audience is oftentimes left in awe at how these leaders express themselves well and eventually convinced them a great deal. Knowing how to speak well before a crowd is the best drawer of attention to a candidate leader.

Facing a crowd can be a serious jittery experience for some but for others, they found it fun and exciting to express themselves. But being a public speaker you ought to prepare your speech. You owe this to your audience.

Preparing yourself for a talk is not that easy. You always have to put your best foot forward. The best way to get your audience attention is to start your speech with conviction and end it with a thought provoking ending hoping to lead to positive action.

Some helpful tips are listed below to guide you in your speech.

Content

• A good speech summary is very important to wrap up your talk and get the message across effectively. Focus on the purpose of your speech: is it to persuade, inform or entertain?

• The body of your speech should be driven to one focal point meaning a message.

• Know the objectives of the event where you are invited to talk. Your speech should be tailored to your kind of audience.

• Be sure that your talk is meaty with facts, if necessary figures, but which you can explain easily during your talk and make it in layman’s terms. Facts should be accurate, objective and should be from credible resources.

• Have nice, catchy titles to draw more attention to your speech.

Acceptable Physical Appearance during Public Speaking

• Gestures, movements, facial and bodily expressions are very important because they reveal so much about you as a speaker and a person on how well-versed you are on the topic.

• Public speakers should exude pleasantness, enthusiasm and confidence.

• Do not read from your notes, instead maintain eye contact with your audience. Remember, you should speak and not read.

• Dress for the occasion.

Your Speech

• Speaking with conviction is very important in public speaking to gain credibility and respect.

• If you are to give a speech, train and prepare yourself to speak slowly, enunciate words clearly, pause and show the right emotions while sharing your topic. Most of all, talk to all members of the audience as a whole.

• Communicate with your audience – speak, listen, respond, adjust and adapt – if they have questions or reactions.

• Add-ons to speeches include: humor, handouts and audio-visual aids.

• and most important - Learn when to stop talking.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

Boost Your Confidence

"Face your fears
Perhaps it's a fear of public speaking that’s turned you into a veritable wallflower at board meetings, or a fear of rejection that stops you from asking the cute barista for his number, but it's time to tackle whatever it is that has you shaking at the knees. The anticipation of the attempt might feel like torture, but the sense of accomplishment that will breed from your courageous act will do far more for your confidence than if you avoid it. " quote from an article on 6 Ways to Boost Your Confidence from Canadian Living online.

Other steps include Getting To Know Yourself and Thinking Positively.

Take time for you

Fran

What Is Toastmasters really?

Here is a cute video, which I found posted by Matthew Kleinosky on the Toastmasters Facebook page, about Toastmasters which answers some of the questions that people have about the organization, i.e. what will I learn? what will I have to do? what is the cost? etc.



Now that you know a little more about Toastmasters, read the following to find out more about who would benefit from the program.

"Craig Senior of the Message Masters Toastmasters Club wrote an article "No One Needs Toastmasters!" Message Masters is one of our District 61 Clubs, and the article is about the types of people who can benefit from the Toastmasters programs of Communication and Leadership. Here are some of them and a link to the full article:

So who are the people who could benefit from the training experience provided by Toastmasters or at least knowledge of the Toastmasters program? Here are some ideas that might help you approach specific segments with specific interests:

■job seekers - job interview skills
■employees aspiring to higher management/leadership - to practice running meetings, leadership roles and speaking
■anyone aspiring to become an elected politician
■team leaders - to develop or hone meeting and speaking skills
■entrepreneurs - to present their product or service
■inmates - to build positive life skills
■authors - to present their material and market their book(s)
■high school students - to become comfortable with public speaking and running meeting, through the Youth Leadership Program before the skills are required
■post-secondary students - to prepare for the job market or to present their thesis BEFORE the skills are required
■contest judges for other organizations
■speechwriters - nothing like first-hand experience to know what works and what doesn't work
■corporate communications professionals - to practice and hone their craft
■video and media students - great place to practice creating how to videos, articles, press releases, and reports

Read the full article here:

If you haven't already done so, check out a club near you. You may be surprised what you can learn.

Fran Watson
member of 3 Toastmasters Clubs and
District 61 Public Relations Officer

You can find me on Facebook Toastmasters District 61

Seven Sins continued

Deadly Sin #6: Wrath

Andrew Dlugan sixminutes.dlugan.com

Wrath, or uncontrolled anger, is committed by a speaker who handles problems in the worst possible way.

As a speaker, you should always remain in control. No matter how bad your presentation is going, keep calm. Don’t let these frustrations provoke you:

 When you make a mistake (even a big one), resist the urge to draw more attention to it by cursing yourself in an attempt to draw pity.

 When an audience member is disrupting the room, resist the urge to “solve” it with sarcasm.

 When the room or venue logistics fail, don’t start blaming the organizers or anyone else. Instead, roll with in and move on.

 When an audience member is heckling you, do not take the bait.
Getting angry — whether at yourself, someone in the audience, or some other factor — is one of the worst things you can do. Your audience will feel uncomfortable and your credibility will be diminished considerably.

Finally, the first six speaker sins are all symptoms of the deadliest speaking sin of them all…

Come back and find out more

Fran Watson

P.S. In the meantime get more info on public speaking - click here

Are you Boring?

Have you ever been waiting your turn to speak and waited and waited and waited because the people before you, all of whom were allotted only 5 minutes have gone on and on and on.......?

Deadly Sin #5: Greed

From Andrew Dlugan sixminutes.dlugan.com

“Speaking for more than your allotted time violates the contract you have with your audience, and that’s never a good thing.”

Greed is the deadly sin of excess, and is committed by a speaker who goes over time.

Does this sound familiar?
 “Oh, is that clock correct? I’m only halfway through…”
 “I haven’t gotten to the good part yet…”
 “Are there any objections to cutting our lunch break in half so I can finish this?”

Speaking for more than your allotted time violates the contract you have with your audience, and that’s never good. People are busy and do not appreciate having their time wasted. Nobody will complain if you finish a few minutes early.

If you go over time, negative emotions begin to fill the room, making you more susceptible to experience…

Yours to better public speaking

Fran Watson

P.S. Toastmasters can help you become a better speaker. You can learn how to estimate the time it will take for your speech and how to cut to the chase if you have too many words for your time slot. Ask me how.

P.P.S. For more information and help with public speaking, click here

Deadly Sin #3 - Lust

Tips from Andrew Dlugan - http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/

“Please don’t picture the audience naked, especially if I am in your audience.”

The lustful speaker attempts to calm their nerves by applying the common (yet terrible) advice to picture the audience naked!
Please don’t picture the audience naked, especially if I am in your audience.

In theory, picturing your audience naked makes them seem as vulnerable as you feel. It may provide a brief lighthearted moment to feed your teenaged appetite, but it won’t help you speak better.

More likely, it will cause an additional distraction and impede your efforts to connect with your audience. Consider this: how easy is it for you to communicate something meaningful to a room full of naked people? Can you inspire them? Impossible.

Nervous speakers who avoid this lustful deadly sin are, unfortunately, still prone to committing another deadly sin…

Stay tuned for the next tip

to your speaking success!!

Fran

P.S. In the meantime, help yourself to more tips - Click here

7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking - Tip 2

Deadly Sin #2: Envy

From Andrew Dlugan - SixMinutes.dlugan.com

Envy is characterized by a false belief that great speakers are simply lucky to have been born with natural speaking skills.

You’ve heard the excuses from your colleagues, haven’t you?
 “She’s so lucky! She’s a natural speaker!”
 “Hmph! It’s so easy for him to speak in front of people.”
 “No, I couldn’t deliver the proposal. I’m not a speaker.”

People who are envious of the “natural” skills of others are more likely to apply misguided solutions when confronted by an unavoidable speaking situation:

 They steal stories and anecdotes from others rather than creating original ones

 They copy PowerPoint slides from others even if they don’t quite apply

 They mimic the oratorical style of others and lack authenticity
Because of bad habits like this, speakers suffer from lack of confidence. They know the stories, the slides, and the words are not their own. Nervousness results because they fear being exposed, and this nervousness leads to crazy behaviors like… (read more tomorrow)

Go, and sin no more...

Fran

P.S. For more tips on public speaking, click here: