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

Getting Along With Others

How To Get Along With People

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To your communication success

Fran Watson

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

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

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

Presentations

To quote Mark Twain: “If you want me to give you a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.”

The communicator's job is to make the important, interesting. John Howze

Remember that accomplished speakers set themselves up to deliver high-value information, not to convey detailed, pedestrian material that is best read in written format.

The shorter a presentation, the better it needs to be organized. Use the time-tested “power of three” – introduction, body and conclusion – to structure your talk. Schedule three minutes for the introduction, 12 for the body (with four minutes for each of your three core points), and three for the conclusion.

However long you’re scheduled to speak, you simply cannot go over your allotted time. 

Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much. Robert Greenleaf

You can be a brilliant orator, but the moment you roll past your limit, your credibility begins to suffer. Today’s audiences, with busy work lives, have less tolerance for speakers who lack the discipline and manners to stop at the appointed time. 

Rehearse your talk often enough so that if your presentation time is reduced for whatever reason (perhaps a technical malfunction at the venue), you can still deliver your material with confidence and clarity. It’s not about how long you speak. It’s about how well you connect

Jim Gray
Jim Gray is a speaker and communication skills coach in Toronto author of How Leaders Speak: Essential Rules for Engaging and Inspiring Others. Website: jimgray.ca.

Press on: nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933)

To your speaking success!!

Fran Watson

Assertive Communication

Communication is fundamental in our lives. We communicate our thoughts and our feelings to family, friends, co-workers and strangers every day. Effective communication allows us to build healthy relationships in our private lives and healthy partnerships in our business lives. Ineffective interaction leads to frustration, dysfunctional personal relationships, stagnant organizations, and even war between countries.

 

Assertive communication requires the effective use of all aspects of communication from body language and symbols to persuasion and listening.  Assertiveness is being able to state your viewpoint without provoking another person.

Think about assertive communication as a two-way flow, an exchange of information.  It is open, honest, direct, shows mutual respect, values the thoughts, ideas, opinions and feelings of the other person(s) and strives for a winning outcome for everyone involved.

When you communicate assertively, you are expressing both positive and negative feelings – honestly and directly.  You are acknowledging that you have the right to be listened to and taken seriously, to say no without feeling guilty, to ask for what you want, and to make mistakes.  You also recognize and acknowledge that the other person has identical rights.  The result is that your relationships will become much more genuine, because you are communicating honestly and openly. 

What holds many people back from communicating assertively is the fear of displeasing others and of not being liked.  By not speaking up for yourself, you may avoid some immediate unpleasantness, however, you could also jeopardize the relationship in the long run if you refuse to assert yourself and then feel taken advantage of over and over again.  When this happens you become frustrated and unhappy with yourself, which reinforces a poor self-image and makes it difficult to command respect from others.

Awareness of yourself is a key part of learning to be assertive.  You can start by asking yourself questions such as:  “What do I want to change?” and “How do I tell the other person without blaming or attacking him or her?”

Assertive communication uses a special technique known as “I-message”s to say how it is for you. When you use an “I-message”, you state what you need clearly, directly and specifically.  You let others know what you feel and think while being polite and firm. 

For example, “I would like to discuss the options in detail” instead of “Maybe there should be some discussion about the options.” Or “I understand the Tuesday deadline is really important.  However, as a result of the computer problems we’ve had today, I won’t have it completed on schedule unless I have some help.  Which other staff would be able to work on it with me?”  It is helpful if you can plan what you want to say before you say it.  That way, you can avoid saying something you might regret later.

Tips for Positive Communication

The key to communicating assertively is to express yourself clearly, without blaming or judging the other person.  One of the ways to learn how to do this is to sign up with a local Toastmasters Club. As a club member you will learn how to make your messages clear, complete and specific.  You will learn how to plan what you want to say before you say it.  You will learn how to ask the questions that will gain you the answers you need to make effective decisions.  You will learn how to listen so that you can become genuinely interested in discussions and give listeners or speakers your full attention without interrupting them.  You will learn how to give effective evaluations to demonstrate your comprehension of what has been said. 

You will learn how to give feedback, by being tactful, firm, and sensitive.  You will learn to focus on the behaviour or the specific task rather than on the person. You will point out what worked well, suggest alternatives, and give any additional feedback in private.

You will learn to invite feedback about your own work and regard it as an opportunity to improve the quality of your work and not as a personal attack.  You will learn to believe in yourself and value what you have to say.  Your insights could benefit others.

 Respect yourself, communicate assertively with those around you, and they will respect you too!

 

To your communication success

 

Fran Watson

 

P.S. For more information click here

 

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