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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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

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

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

 

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

 

Pointer #1: Use a timed outline

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Pointer #2: Shift information depending on its priority

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Pointer #3: Supplement with handouts

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

To your speaking success

 

Fran Watson

 

P.S.  Click here for more info

 

 

 

 

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

Speech Contests

Speech contests present opportunities that allow you to hone your abilities, learn by observation, meet other Toastmasters and have fun.

Not everyone becomes enthusiastic when they hear the word “contest.”  For many, the idea of measuring one’s skills against those of other Toastmasters may at first seem rather daunting!  But while competition against other Toastmasters is a prominent feature at these events, the most important competition is always against one’s own abilities.  Speech contests give you that opportunity – and they also provide occasions to meet other Toastmasters and learn more about local Toastmasters events.

Recently members of one of my clubs participated in a club contest and I wrote up an article for the local newspaper.  We got a full page spread:  Click here

This is what can happen when you challenge yourself.  You learn and grow and that is the purpose of Toastmasters.  Learning about leadership and communication, learning how to handle yourself in various roles, learning how to speak "off the cuff" in Table Topics, learning the essential interpersonal skills that will make you successful at work and in the community.

Have a wonderful day...week...year...life.

Fran

P.S.  If you would like a list of 800 speech topics, leave me a message with your email address

P.P.S.  Click here to Master Public Speaking

I'm Back

Hi

Although I haven't posted for quite some time, I have certainly not been standing still with regards to Toastmasters and public speaking.  I have actually spent quite a lot of time in the past few months developing and presenting workshops on a number of topics as well as presenting speeches at our local Toastmasters Clubs.

Today I attended a workshop on Business Etiquette by Julie Blais-Comeau where I picked up a few tips I will be able to use for Educational Tips at some Toastmasters meetings on handshakes and Power Posing. 

As we know, appearance plays a big part in public speaking.  Appearance is one of the sections of the judges ballot in speech contests and is the biggest part of our First Impression.

I will be posting again on a more regular basis and hope to see you soon.

Take care

Fran

Remember, You Too Can Be A Public Speaker

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