I watched a video this morning (which I have shared below) giving 3 tips to becoming a better speaker. Malachi Talabi - 2011 UK & Ireland Public Speaking Champion relates public speaking to football (soccer.
To be a good public speaker you need the following:
Control - particularly when delivering an emotional speech - control in your movement, your gestures, your pace, and your vocal variety
Skill - to take raw talent to spectacular you need to practice
Process - get information and then take things a step at a time
To your success as a speaker
Fran
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Teleseminars
Are you currently doing Teleseminars or is this something you have thought about doing?
I have been thinking about it for some time and so I attended some free webinars put on by Kim Clausen of Ready to Go Marketing Solutions. She will be repeating these seminars in the next few weeks, so if you are thinking about doing a teleseminar and would like some information on how to do one, what you need in order to do it, then you can check it out here Confident Teleseminar Leader
Watch for news of my teleseminar and my sign up page soon.
Happy speaking
Fran
I have been thinking about it for some time and so I attended some free webinars put on by Kim Clausen of Ready to Go Marketing Solutions. She will be repeating these seminars in the next few weeks, so if you are thinking about doing a teleseminar and would like some information on how to do one, what you need in order to do it, then you can check it out here Confident Teleseminar Leader
Watch for news of my teleseminar and my sign up page soon.
Happy speaking
Fran
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Leadership
What is Leadership?
Some of the definitions I found are: "A person who guides or directs a group", "An act or instance of leading", "someone who has followers" (Peter Drucker), "leadership is influence, nothing more-nothing less" (John C.Maxwell), "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal".
Today I watched some videos on leadership, and read a few articles on leadership, and thought about the ways I am a leader in my community and who the other leaders are and what their leadership styles are.
One of the videos I watched was called The Dancing Guy. It was a poor quality video, but the voice over talked about the fact that the first person who was dancing was not really the leader, although he was up in front of everyone dancing. The real leader was the first follower. After he got up and danced, then others began to join in - first in twos and threes, and then in groups.
I thought about this for a while and realized that it is true, in order to be a leader, one has to have followers. We may think we are a leader as we expound our theories to people, but if our mannerisms or style of "leadership" turns people off, we have no one to lead.
It does take courage to be the first to step out and try something new, but it may take more courage to get up and follow someone that everyone else thinks is a bit crazy.
Are you a leader? What is your leadership style? Who is following you?
Fran
Developing leadership skills in Toastmasters
District PRO - Toastmasters District 61
Some of the definitions I found are: "A person who guides or directs a group", "An act or instance of leading", "someone who has followers" (Peter Drucker), "leadership is influence, nothing more-nothing less" (John C.Maxwell), "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal".
Today I watched some videos on leadership, and read a few articles on leadership, and thought about the ways I am a leader in my community and who the other leaders are and what their leadership styles are.
One of the videos I watched was called The Dancing Guy. It was a poor quality video, but the voice over talked about the fact that the first person who was dancing was not really the leader, although he was up in front of everyone dancing. The real leader was the first follower. After he got up and danced, then others began to join in - first in twos and threes, and then in groups.
I thought about this for a while and realized that it is true, in order to be a leader, one has to have followers. We may think we are a leader as we expound our theories to people, but if our mannerisms or style of "leadership" turns people off, we have no one to lead.
It does take courage to be the first to step out and try something new, but it may take more courage to get up and follow someone that everyone else thinks is a bit crazy.
Are you a leader? What is your leadership style? Who is following you?
Fran
Developing leadership skills in Toastmasters
District PRO - Toastmasters District 61
Friday, February 24, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Why Toastmasters
Here is a link to a video created by one of the District 61 Toastmaster clubs.
If you want more info on Toastmasters, click here
If you want more info on Toastmasters, click here
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Timing Is Everything, Particularly in Public Speaking
Timing is essential when speaking in public. The cliché: It is not what you say but more on how you say it, applies so much to public speaking.
Where you put your pauses during your presentation is one of the important aspects of keeping your audience from drowsing off. Couple this with humor and you are definitely on a roll.
Timing is crucial during reactions that are spontaneous especially laughter. You don't want to step on the laughter and need to time your pause so that you don't begin speaking again too soon, as your voice and whatever it is that you are saying will most probably be drowned out by the noise of the audience.
Laughter is extremely difficult to get and so very easy to discourage. If you continuously keep on talking, the audience will laugh less so they don't miss your next line. Think about a funny play you may have been too. If the actors didn't pause long enough for the audience's reaction, the audience laughs less and less as they go on. Try as much as possible to maintain eye contact with the audience for a little longer when you are about to deliver that punch line.
The audience size could also affect the way you use your timing. When the audience is small, the presentation you have will most probably be delivered in a shorter time compared to if you have a large audience. The reaction of a large audience will get to be a little longer and not as quick as if the audience is small. You also have to wait until the seemingly ripple effect of your punch line gets to that audience in the back row.
Believe it or not, putting that much needed silence in your presentation is one of the hallmarks of a skilled and good presenter. No public speaker should jabber constantly away in the hopes of keeping an audience glued to everything you have to say. Ironically, this is one effective way to keep their focus off you. The use of silence adds that much needed polish in your presentation making you appear as a confident expert.
Short pauses are effective in order for you to separate your thoughts. These pauses last from half a second to two seconds. You do not have to literally count though, just keep in mind to slow down. This gives the audience a chance to absorb all of what it is you are getting across. It also helps if you change the inflection in your voice during the end of a thought as this could also signal to the audience that another thought is coming their way.
Pauses are also an effective means if you want to highlight something. Pause just before any word or thought you want the audience to focus on, they will most definitely get that.
To your successful communication
Fran
P.S. Get a copy of over 800 speech topics and more tips on public speaking here
Where you put your pauses during your presentation is one of the important aspects of keeping your audience from drowsing off. Couple this with humor and you are definitely on a roll.
Timing is crucial during reactions that are spontaneous especially laughter. You don't want to step on the laughter and need to time your pause so that you don't begin speaking again too soon, as your voice and whatever it is that you are saying will most probably be drowned out by the noise of the audience.
Laughter is extremely difficult to get and so very easy to discourage. If you continuously keep on talking, the audience will laugh less so they don't miss your next line. Think about a funny play you may have been too. If the actors didn't pause long enough for the audience's reaction, the audience laughs less and less as they go on. Try as much as possible to maintain eye contact with the audience for a little longer when you are about to deliver that punch line.
The audience size could also affect the way you use your timing. When the audience is small, the presentation you have will most probably be delivered in a shorter time compared to if you have a large audience. The reaction of a large audience will get to be a little longer and not as quick as if the audience is small. You also have to wait until the seemingly ripple effect of your punch line gets to that audience in the back row.
Believe it or not, putting that much needed silence in your presentation is one of the hallmarks of a skilled and good presenter. No public speaker should jabber constantly away in the hopes of keeping an audience glued to everything you have to say. Ironically, this is one effective way to keep their focus off you. The use of silence adds that much needed polish in your presentation making you appear as a confident expert.
Short pauses are effective in order for you to separate your thoughts. These pauses last from half a second to two seconds. You do not have to literally count though, just keep in mind to slow down. This gives the audience a chance to absorb all of what it is you are getting across. It also helps if you change the inflection in your voice during the end of a thought as this could also signal to the audience that another thought is coming their way.
Pauses are also an effective means if you want to highlight something. Pause just before any word or thought you want the audience to focus on, they will most definitely get that.
To your successful communication
Fran
P.S. Get a copy of over 800 speech topics and more tips on public speaking here
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Why Toastmasters?
If you are in customer service in any capacity, you can benefit from learning to develop or enhance your speaking skills.
If you are an employer, your business might benefit from allowing/encouraging your staff to attend weekly meetings where they will have the opportunity to learn and practice some of the following: how to organize their thoughts, get to the point and how to deliver effective communication.
Often you may be called upon at the last minute to give a presentation or a talk on something you’ve been working on, or something for a new client. You begin to panic. Toastmasters can help you think on your feet and be well organized so that this will become easy for you.
Communication is a two-way conversation and it involves more than just talking. It also involves shutting up (aka listening). You will often hear people say, “I have no problem talking”, and those around them are well aware of that. These people may have a problem letting other people talk.
How many times have you been at a meeting where the person is supposed to speak only for 5 minutes and 15 minutes later they are still at it? At Toastmasters you learn how to craft a speech to fit within a specified time frame. Lights or cards are used to let you know the timing of your speech.
Listening skills are an important part of communication. It is important to listen well enough so that you really “hear” what the other person is saying. At our weekly meetings the Quizmaster tests the listening skills of the group by asking questions about things that went on during the meeting.
Leadership skills – are developed as members take on roles such as Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, Timer, Quizmaster, General Evaluator and others. Each person takes control of the lectern for their role and you have a chance to earn the Competent Leader award as you work through various roles such as: Speaker, Speech Evaluator, Timer, Grammarian, Ah Counter, Toastmaster, Mentoring a New or Existing Member, etc.
Do you have to evaluate people for yearly Performance Appraisals? It is important to learn how to correctly evaluate someone so that they learn about the things they need to improve while being recognized for the things that they already do well. If all they hear is criticism, they don’t feel very good about themselves.
One of the biggest challenges of a leader is to be able to give feedback to others on their performance. Feedback involves praising others to reinforce their outstanding performance and offering suggestions to improve their performance. Often leaders are uncomfortable giving feedback.
If team members are to perform to their potential, they need to know what they are doing well, what they are not doing well, and how they can improve. If you want to improve your team’s performance, you must be able to comfortably offer feedback to team members. Toastmasters teaches the “sandwich technique” for evaluations. Start with something positive, insert the message about things that could be improved and end with a positive comment. Come to a meeting and find out more.
Have you ever listened to a boring lecture where the person just drones on and on with no variety or depth to their voice? It’s enough to put you to sleep. Speech #6 will help you learn how to effectively use your voice for the highs and lows to keep people’s attention, (be expressive, use pauses for effectiveness, control your volume, pitch, rate and quality). Keep your conversations lively and worth listening to.
Body language - Your body often speaks louder than your actual words and people “read” what you are saying by the way you say it. Learn how to use gestures and eye contact to keep the audience watching and listening. Project Speech #5 - "Your Body Speaks" gives tips on how to use stance and movement, gestures, facial expression and eye contact naturally to enhance your communication.
Research techniques are developed as you prepare for your roles. If you are providing the word of the week, you will research the word to find out where it came from and what it means. If you are giving the Toast, you may want to look up more information on the weekly theme. If you are giving an Educational Tip, you will want to research your topic and prepare. Speech #7 from the Competent Communicator Manual gives you tips and ideas on how to research your topic to get the facts you need to support your message.
I hope this article has intrigued you and that you will consider joining us. Toastmasters is an international non-profit club run by volunteers to improve our public speaking ability by speaking regularly in a supportive environment with a solid program and helpful feedback.
Anyone over 18 who is interested in public speaking can join. Clubs have a great mix of experienced and beginning speakers, young and old. We believe that a diverse club offers the best learning opportunities.
You can find out more about Toastmasters by checking out the website here You will also be able to find a club near you here
Have a wonderful day.
Fran Watson
Toastmasters District 61
If you are an employer, your business might benefit from allowing/encouraging your staff to attend weekly meetings where they will have the opportunity to learn and practice some of the following: how to organize their thoughts, get to the point and how to deliver effective communication.
Often you may be called upon at the last minute to give a presentation or a talk on something you’ve been working on, or something for a new client. You begin to panic. Toastmasters can help you think on your feet and be well organized so that this will become easy for you.
Communication is a two-way conversation and it involves more than just talking. It also involves shutting up (aka listening). You will often hear people say, “I have no problem talking”, and those around them are well aware of that. These people may have a problem letting other people talk.
How many times have you been at a meeting where the person is supposed to speak only for 5 minutes and 15 minutes later they are still at it? At Toastmasters you learn how to craft a speech to fit within a specified time frame. Lights or cards are used to let you know the timing of your speech.
Listening skills are an important part of communication. It is important to listen well enough so that you really “hear” what the other person is saying. At our weekly meetings the Quizmaster tests the listening skills of the group by asking questions about things that went on during the meeting.
Leadership skills – are developed as members take on roles such as Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, Timer, Quizmaster, General Evaluator and others. Each person takes control of the lectern for their role and you have a chance to earn the Competent Leader award as you work through various roles such as: Speaker, Speech Evaluator, Timer, Grammarian, Ah Counter, Toastmaster, Mentoring a New or Existing Member, etc.
Do you have to evaluate people for yearly Performance Appraisals? It is important to learn how to correctly evaluate someone so that they learn about the things they need to improve while being recognized for the things that they already do well. If all they hear is criticism, they don’t feel very good about themselves.
One of the biggest challenges of a leader is to be able to give feedback to others on their performance. Feedback involves praising others to reinforce their outstanding performance and offering suggestions to improve their performance. Often leaders are uncomfortable giving feedback.
If team members are to perform to their potential, they need to know what they are doing well, what they are not doing well, and how they can improve. If you want to improve your team’s performance, you must be able to comfortably offer feedback to team members. Toastmasters teaches the “sandwich technique” for evaluations. Start with something positive, insert the message about things that could be improved and end with a positive comment. Come to a meeting and find out more.
Have you ever listened to a boring lecture where the person just drones on and on with no variety or depth to their voice? It’s enough to put you to sleep. Speech #6 will help you learn how to effectively use your voice for the highs and lows to keep people’s attention, (be expressive, use pauses for effectiveness, control your volume, pitch, rate and quality). Keep your conversations lively and worth listening to.
Body language - Your body often speaks louder than your actual words and people “read” what you are saying by the way you say it. Learn how to use gestures and eye contact to keep the audience watching and listening. Project Speech #5 - "Your Body Speaks" gives tips on how to use stance and movement, gestures, facial expression and eye contact naturally to enhance your communication.
Research techniques are developed as you prepare for your roles. If you are providing the word of the week, you will research the word to find out where it came from and what it means. If you are giving the Toast, you may want to look up more information on the weekly theme. If you are giving an Educational Tip, you will want to research your topic and prepare. Speech #7 from the Competent Communicator Manual gives you tips and ideas on how to research your topic to get the facts you need to support your message.
I hope this article has intrigued you and that you will consider joining us. Toastmasters is an international non-profit club run by volunteers to improve our public speaking ability by speaking regularly in a supportive environment with a solid program and helpful feedback.
Anyone over 18 who is interested in public speaking can join. Clubs have a great mix of experienced and beginning speakers, young and old. We believe that a diverse club offers the best learning opportunities.
You can find out more about Toastmasters by checking out the website here You will also be able to find a club near you here
Have a wonderful day.
Fran Watson
Toastmasters District 61
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