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.

Top 5 Strategies for a Memorable Presentation

Here are the top 5 strategies you can use to make sure every presentation is a showstopper.

1.  Realize 90% of Nervousness Doesn't Even Show
The audience usually can’t see the telltale symptoms of nervousness.  The butterflies, the shaky hands or the sweaty palms.  The key is for you to not focus on them either.  You need to focus on the audience.  When you do this two things will happen:  1) they will like you more, and 2) much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

Many times when I have given a presentation people have spoken to me afterwards about how relaxed and confident I was.  (Believe me, I wasn't.)

2.  Don’t Avoid Eye-Contact.
When we are nervous, it is a natural reaction to want to hide.  When you are standing in front of a group of people where do you hide?  You can’t.  So you will tend to look down or look away from your audience.  If we can’t see them they can’t see us, right?  Wrong.

The other trick people try is to look over the tops of their heads.  The idea here is that by looking a peoples foreheads, they will think you are looking at them.  Wrong again.

You need to look directly into people’s eyes with kindness.  Create a rapport with the audience through your visual contact.  If anyone smiles when you look at him or her, smile back.  This will make you, and the audience, feel more at ease and will make your presentation more genuine.

Identify three people in the audience whom you want to speak to:  One on your left, one in front of you and one on your right.  Deliver your speech to these three people.  Look at each one for about 4-5 seconds and “switch target” to the next person.  Don’t maintain eye contact for too long.  This will create an uncomfortable situation.  You don’t want to creep people out. 

If you can meet some of your audience ahead of time, as they come into the room, and can chat with them a bit, it will relax you and you can look for them when you speak. 

By using this technique, it will give the impression to the entire audience that you are making eye contact, because you are sweeping the room with your glances.

3.  Don't Apologize.
Never start a presentation with an apology.  By starting a presentation with an apology for your nervousness or for having a cold, you are drawing attention to something the audience may not have noticed.  You are also announcing to the audience, “the presentation you are about to receive is less than you deserve, but please don’t blame me.”

I have seen too many people do this and it definitely impacts how you are received.  No matter whether or not you are completely prepared, have forgotten something or whatever - keep it to yourself.  You are the only one who knows, or who needs to know.

4.  Avoid A Rushing/Monotone Voice.
A fast paced monotone speech is a sure-fire way to make your audience feel unimportant.  It will also cause them to lose focus and become bored.  How many lectures did you sit through in school listening to a monotone professor drone on about whatever subject he was teaching?  How much of those lectures did you actually remember?

When I was completing my degree I listened to many boring, monotone lectures as the professors droned on and on.  You don’t want to subject your audience to this same torture and you want them to remember what you talked about.

You can easily avoid monotone messages. Before saying a word think about the value of your message. Think about the aspects that create passionate feelings. Think about speaking clearly with compassion. Smile. Tell yourself a joke. Take a huge confidence breath.

Use eye-contact, positively say “you,” and flow with the message. If you do, you’ll hear, “I felt like you were speaking specifically to me.” That’s one of the best compliments you can get. And it proves that you’re speaking TO not AT the audience.

5.  Limit your talk to a few key points.
Have you ever attended a lecture which was supposed to last 15 - 20 minutes and 30 minutes later the person is still talking.  Or gone to a public debate where each contestant was to have 5 minutes and one person is still speaking after 10 minutes? 

Narrow down your topic to either one key point for a short talk, or three key points for a longer talk (a talk longer than 30-minutes).  Ask yourself, “If my audience only remembered one thing from my talk, what would be the most important thing for them to remember?”  The more points your presentation has, the less focus the audience will have on each individual point.  Once you have your key points, then create your PowerPoint slides, if you are using them.

If you remember these five key points, you will be sure to knock-em dead.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

P.S. for more tips on public speaking, you can sign up here for my free ezine

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

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

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?  (Been there.)

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? (Here too.)

No matter what your topic, it is important to 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 (You might  like to add them 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.

(If you are a PowerPoint user, see the book "Beyond Bullet Points" for instruction on creating a PowerPoint that serves different timing needs.)

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 on Public Speaking

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

How Do I FInd A Topic To Speak on?

Although this seems difficult at times, there are many things we can speak about, we simply need to be open to "listening" to the world around us for topics.

For instance, one night last month I was sitting on my couch, relaxing and watching some TV when a number of books fell off my bookshelf and onto my head (now I must confess that my bookshelves are piled almost as high on top as the bookshelf is high.  I love books.  Real ones you can hold in your hand, and also Kindle ones.).  I thought that perhaps there was a message in this and began to look at the titles of the books.  What I discovered was that there were several speech topics in these titles.

I was working on an Advanced Manual for my Toastmasters club and one of the topics was "Reading Out Loud" from the Specialty Speeches Manual.  The theme for the week was Perseverance and it seemed like Dr. Seuss's book - "Oh The Places You'll Go" was a perfect complement to the theme as he directed us through good times and bad times in his book.

Another book that fell was "You Have To Read This Book".  And I did.  And I discovered that many of us have been influenced by a particular book and not always the same ones.  And I discovered a speech topic  or two from this - "Read A Book" and "The Importance of Reading".

I have also written a speech about a Cup and Saucer  based on a workshop given at a Toastmasters Conference.  I have written about my collection of angels, Santas, eggs, etc.

You can give a speech about something that has happened in your life or in the life of those around you.  Just put your thinking cap on.

If you need more help, I have a list of over 800 speech topics that I would be happy to send to you.

Fran Watson

Body Language - use it carefully.

When we are talking to others - either face-to-face, or from the front of the room, our posture, gestures, eye movements and general demeanor communicate far more than our words.

It is said that women interpret up to 80% of the meaning of a conversation by non-verbal means. Men fall a bit behind and 'only' rely on non-verbal clues for about 30%. However, in either case, if you are unconsciously giving out the wrong signals, the meaning behind your intended message will be weakened or lost.

Body language is a vast, fascinating subject, but from a business point of view, there are several pointers that can help to strengthen your message. The aim is to match your audience's unconscious template of what makes a person trustworthy and believable.

Everybody has a personal space threshold. Generally, Americans and Northern Europeans prefer to stand about a meter (3 feet) apart. People from Southern European and Asian countries are comfortable a little closer. Folks who live in rural areas like a little more space. Social situations allow closer proximities than non-social.

Be aware if the person you are talking to is backing up, and try not to intrude on their territory. Otherwise the reaction will be defensive or hostile.

It may seem old-fashioned to talk about the need to be 'well turned out', but the axiom that 'you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression' is as true today as ever.

Experts say that the first five seconds of a meeting are more important than the next hour. Check all the obvious things like hair, teeth, fingernails, shoes, breath, immediately before the meeting. But also make sure you are putting on your best front, well in advance.

Even if the dress code is casual, there is a world of difference between dirty jeans and a crumpled T-shirt, and freshly laundered casual trousers and a polo shirt. Remember - dress to respect yourself and you automatically respect your audience.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

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

 

 

Procrastination in Speaking

 Procrastination:  to be slow or late about doing something that should be done : to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.

Although I have been busy writing speeches, attending meetings, earning educational awards, I have been procrastinating about updating my blogs.  I realized this morning that I have been wasting time by going back to sleep in the morning instead of getting up and getting started.  Because of this I end up rushing around and not accomplishing what I wanted to get done.

Recently I sat down to look at my goals for my clubs.  I had intended to complete a Competent Communicator Manual and Competent Leader Manual for all three clubs.  I did not succeed in completing these goals because I looked at it too late.  Although I obtained a Competent Leader in two clubs and a Competent Communicator and Advanced Communicator in one of my clubs, I did not complete all my speeches or meeting roles.

One of the roles that needed to be completed for the Competent Leader was a newsletter for the Club.  One other member and I worked diligently on this and put together a quality newsletter by the deadline date and obtained our credits for doing so in our books.

I also prepared some articles for a local paper and emailed them out.  I was rewarded by seeing one of the articles in print this week.  However, there is much more to be done.  Speeches to be written, agendas to be prepared, mentees to be nurtured, roles to be filled.  So, no more procrastination!!  Time to write down my Toastmasters goals in order to achieve them by the end of this year.

How about you?  What goals have you set for yourself this year?  Have you been procrastinating?  Is there something specific you want to accomplish?  Write it down in the comment section.  Writing your goal down is the first step to achieving it and when you state it clearly, you brain begins to work on achieving it.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

P.S.  Need help in determining a speech topic?  Click here for a free list of over 800 speech topics.

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.


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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

Introducing a Speaker

Introducing a speaker? – follow these five basic guidelines

1.     Address the audience – grab their attention

2.     Refer to the speaker – tell the audience who the speaker is and prepare them by giving some background on the speaker’s experience, qualifications or special interest in the topic

3.     Refer to the topic – this is of great interest to the audience.  It’s what they’ve come for – explain how the topic is relevant to them and how they stand to gain from listening

4.     Make the audience clear on what’s to follow – for example any housekeeping items such as time for questions, handouts, note-taking

5.     Welcome the speaker and lead the applause – indicate for the speaker to approach, step back and lead the applause, welcome the speaker (possibly with a handshake or some other form of acknowledgement), wait for acknowledgement from the speaker, then leave the speaking area and sit down

 

Make sure to consult with your speaker ahead of time to ask for a prepared introduction or to ask about their topic and what they would like you to say about them.  Do not make the error of telling the audience how funny they are when they have a serious topic.

 

To your speaking success!

 

Fran

Public 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 probably are at a stage in your life where your thoughts are worth something to other people.  This means that 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 second because you probably have something in you that will benefit even the ones that you fear.

The key to all this is simple--it is preparation! Yes, it is the most basic, banal and trivial thing, but it is the base of 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, it is actually good to start at this point, remember – people want to know what you are thinking, you just need to keep them interested.

Rehearse, practice the speech again, and again, and again. Obviously 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 will 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 and confident.  Talk about things you know so that 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.

To your speaking success

Fran Watson

P.S.  For more free speaking tips, click here

Body Language - What Does Yours Say?

An article by my friend Marion Grobb Finkelstein

Your Body Talks ... Do You Know What It's Saying?

 

 

Gut feeling, intuition, hunches. Whatever we call it, we all have feelings about people we meet. Part of the information we're taking in that leads to such conclusions is body language. Whether we realize it or not, we both read and speak it -- some of us better than others.

The old 7/38/55 rule from Dr. Albert Mehrabian is often quoted. In his studies of the 1960s, this UCLA professor deduced that in face-to-face communications, 7% of the message is conveyed through words, 38% through voice and 55% through body. In the 1970s, Australian researcher and author Allan Pease concluded that body accounted for up to a whopping 80%! Even though some more recent research suggests that these percentages may be more equally distributed, the fact remains that our bodies most definitely talk. In fact, at times, they downright scream.

Have you ever seen a certain gesture and felt, for sure, that you knew what it meant? You might be mistaken.

Although it's tempting to witness one action, gesture or reaction and use that one thing to conclusively interpret someone's meaning, it is misleading to do so. Non-verbal communication is best read when using what I call, the "4 Key Cs":

• Context: Here's a news flash -- sometimes people cross their arms just because they're cold. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're closed to what you're saying. Work versus social environment also affects how we interact with others. Before you assess the body language, consider the context.

• Culture: Most countries represent a mix of ethnicities, backgrounds and cultures. Many of us celebrate that diversity. We are also exposed to it, due to work or private life, as we travel to other countries. A caution: gestures that are commonplace to us mean different things to others. For example, the A-OK sign in Japan is a symbol for coin money and in parts of Germany is an obscene gesture. Although eye contact is valued in mainstream North American culture, it is to be avoided in other cultures. Different cultures, different meanings.

• Clusters: As a rule of thumb, using clusters of three actions or gestures, versus just one, to suggest a certain meaning increases your chances of correctly interpreting the meaning. Reading non-verbal communications correctly requires us to refrain from stereotyping or drawing conclusions until we have enough evidence. And even at that, body language is just an indicator, simply one piece in the puzzle of understanding and reading each other correctly.

• Calibration: We all have certain physical actions and idiosyncrasies. Calibrating body signals against a certain individual allows for this fact. Perhaps someone is blinking all the time, not because they are speaking a mistruth or don't believe what you're saying - maybe they just have chronically itchy eyes. Gestures depend on the person.

Next time, before you draw conclusions from someone's actions, consider the 4 Cs of reading body language. When you do, chances are your gut feeling, intuition or hunch will be a more accurate one.

Until next time, here's to ...

Better communication, better business, better life,

 

Marion Grobb Finkelstein

COMMUNICATION CATALYST
Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author

www.MarionSpeaks.com

Marion@MarionSpeaks.com

www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks

Recipient of APEX "Award for Leadership in Service Innovation"
© 2013 Marion Grobb Finkelstein\
 

Communication catalyst, author, professional speaker Marion Grobb Finkelstein teaches individuals and organizations across Canada and beyond, how to connect with clients, colleagues, employees and bosses, and how to handle workplace communication challenges to improve morale, confidence and productivity. Chat with her at www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks and sign up for her FREE weekly "Marion's Communication Tips" at www.MarionSpeaks.com

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



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