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Articles from Lisa Braithwaite | Selfgrowth.com
- Public Speaking: Doing the Bare Minimum - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2010 from Lisa BraithwaiteI drove by a neighborhood breakfast place the other day and felt a sense of sadness. We had given this restaurant several chances, but every time we went there, the food and service were just mediocre. Nothing special. The same old thing that half a dozen restaurants within a half mile were also ...
Views: 2236(2 votes) - Public Speaking: Know What You're Saying and Why - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2009 from Lisa BraithwaiteDoes anyone know what a laundry list is? Me neither. I think I saw one in a museum exhibit last year, but I'm not sure. I believe it's a list of all the possible items that a laundry will take, and you have to check off which items you're leaving to be cleaned. This is one of those ...
Views: 1226(2 votes) - Public Speaking: 10 Ways to Transition to Your Next Idea - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2009 from Lisa BraithwaiteWe talk a lot about organizing our content, main points, opening and closing, but we rarely talk about how to get from one segment to the next. How do you handle the spaces in between your points, stories, examples, and exercises? These are your transitions. It's as important to plan your ...
Views: 1856(2 votes) - Public Speaking: Creative Visuals the Old-School Way - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteBefore speakers used PowerPoint, there were overhead projectors, flip charts, handouts and white boards. Before that, there were slide projectors and movie projectors. Sometimes people used props. Before that, there were chalkboards and before that, well, there were just speakers! And believe it ...
Views: 2281 - Public Speaking: How to Handle Audience Q&A - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteYour speech is polished and your delivery is perfect. The audience laughed in all the right places, and even shed a tear. You're ready to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, but wait . . . there's still the Q&A. Audience members are speaking up, but no one can hear them. Someone asks ...
Views: 1513 - Public Speaking: What if My Mind Goes Blank? - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteThis might be the biggest concern of would-be speakers: "What if I forget what I was going to say?" The horror! Imagine: You're standing in front of a room full of people. The seconds tick by loudly as you frantically search your memory for the next point in your talk. You clench the lectern, ...
Views: 2466 - 9 Things a Home Shopping Show Can Teach You About Public Speaking - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2009 from Lisa BraithwaiteDo you want to see a real public speaking pro at work? Watch a few minutes of a home shopping channel. In the five minutes that I watched QVC, I saw the host do just about everything we're taught to do as speakers. First of all, don't kid yourself that you're not selling something. We're all ...
Views: 1552 - Enthusiasm, Not Perfection - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2009 from Lisa BraithwaiteI went to a book publishing workshop a while back where two speakers were featured. The first speaker was very polished and professional. He had a warm, friendly personality, but I could tell that this presentation had been done many, many times before. He had a certain cadence in his speech ...
Views: 1340 - Eye Contact at a Glance: Connect With Your Audience - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaiteMaking eye contact while speaking to a group may be one of the most difficult aspects of giving a presentation. To many people, eye contact is an intimate act - almost like touching someone. And to reach out and touch a stranger - even with your eyes - can feel particularly uncomfortable. ...
Views: 1053 - Public Speaking: What Makes You Unique? - by Submitted on May 10, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteEach of us has qualities that make us unique. Each of us is unlike anyone else on the planet. So why, as a speaker, would you want to model yourself after someone else? I enjoy watching speakers who are engaging, entertaining, moving, intense, funny, bold, serene, and/or just plain brilliant. ...
Views: 3952 - Public Speaking Anxiety: Everyone is Judging Me! - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteMany people express fear of public speaking - which is quite a large category of fear when you think about everything that might be considered public speaking. But is it really "speaking" that they fear, or is it something else? What people are really afraid of may be something much more ...
Views: 1207 - Public Speaking Dilemma: What To Do When You Don't Have Enough Time - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaiteDo 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 ...
Views: 1004 - Public Speaking: Give Value Or Go Home - by Submitted on Mar 03, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteHave you ever attended a presentation that was more filler and fluff than actual content? Have you ever walked away from a presentation feeling like you wasted your time, and maybe even money? Have you ever felt inspired at the end of a presentation, only to forget the experience shortly ...
Views: 941 - Public Speaking: Know Your Audience - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaitePreparation for your presentation is just as important as delivering the presentation itself. One thing you can do to prepare yourself is to learn about your audience and venue in advance. Here are a couple of pointers: Pointer #1: Know how many people will be there and view the layout of the ...
Views: 1799 - Public Speaking: Spice Up Your Presentation With Storytelling - by Submitted on Aug 11, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteWe've all heard this public speaking advice: "Tell them what you're gonna tell them. . . tell them . . . tell them what you told them." The problem with this advice is that it's simplistic. It's also boring. On the one hand, this is a classic way to structure a presentation. On the other hand, ...
Views: 1292 - Public Speaking: Three Surprising Tips To Improve Your Presentations - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteYou've all heard the advice to get to know your audience, make eye contact, don't say "um," check your equipment, and similar public speaking techniques to make your presentations as powerful as they can be. These are great tips, and you'll hear them over and over, but I've got some lesser-known ...
Views: 1301 - Public Speaking: Tips for Putting Your Best Voice Forward - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteWhether you're speaking to a large group in an auditorium, or a small group in a conference room, your voice is your most important tool as a speaker. To use your voice for maximum impact and make yourself heard, follow these simple tips. Pointer 1: Vary your pitch, tone, volume and pace The ...
Views: 1603 - Public Speaking: Tough Topics, Tough Audiences - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteEvery speaker has to deal with a difficult audience at one time or another. Some speakers, however, because of a topic that is inherently uncomfortable or considered controversial, will face these audiences more frequently. It may be difficult to get a hostile audience on your side, but if they ...
Views: 1219 - Public Speaking: Treat Your Audience With Respect - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteImagine yourself as an audience member. You've paid big money to learn the secrets of your favorite guru. You've read the guru's books, subscribed to his newsletter, and you read his blog daily. Now you have the opportunity to learn from him in person at his highly-publicized weekend ...
Views: 1974 - Public Speaking: Use Visuals for Maximum Impact - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaiteHave you ever attended a presentation where the speaker read directly from her/his PowerPoint slides? Did you wonder why they didn't just give you the handout and let you go home? PowerPoint and other visuals are tools to supplement your presentation; many presenters, however, hide behind their ...
Views: 1064 - Public Speaking: What's Confidence And How Do I Get It? - by Submitted on Apr 07, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteWe all know that audiences are drawn to a speaker with confidence. We all know that we need to have confidence as speakers. But what is this magical thing called confidence, and where does it come from? How do you gain the ability to believe in yourself and to demonstrate that belief to the ...
Views: 1084 - Public Speaking: Who is Your True, Authentic Self? - by Submitted on May 08, 2008 from Lisa Braithwaite"Water which is too pure has no fish." ~ Ts'ai Ken T'An Speakers often focus on the "rules" of speaking more than on being a truly effective speaker. Unfortunately, following too many rules can paralyze a speaker and make them dreary and mechanical, submerging the soul and spirit of the person ...
Views: 1138 - Public Speaking: You've Finished Early -- Now What? - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteWe all worry as speakers about running out of time. What if my host cuts my time short? What if the audience asks too many questions and I fall behind? What we don't worry about enough is having too much time! What happens when you misjudge your time and finish too early? Now, finishing early ...
Views: 1359 - Six Ways To Achieve Your Resolutions Through Public Speaking - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteMost New Year's resolutions are about health, fitness, money management, time management and ending bad habits like smoking. And more than half of people who make resolutions have given up by summer. However, "people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals ...
Views: 992 - Successful Public Speaking: Interact With Your Audience - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaiteOne of the things that public speakers fear the most is losing the attention of the audience. When the audience drifts off into daydreams, it can be difficult to bring them back. How do you keep them from drifting off in the first place? The key to grabbing and keeping the attention of your ...
Views: 980 - The Power of the Mind: Reduce Your Fear of Public Speaking - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2006 from Lisa BraithwaiteAn acquaintance told me a story recently about the public speaking experience that paralyzed her mentally for five years. As the valedictorian of her high school class, she had prepared a speech called "The Power of the Mind." She was not anxious about the speech, as she was an experienced ...
Views: 1326 - Three Tips for Promoting Your Business Through Public Speaking - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteIf you're a savvy marketer, you've got all kinds of clever ways to get the word out about your business. You might have a blog or a customer newsletter, take out paid ads in newspapers and magazines, or submit press releases when you have news. You might donate products or services to charity, ...
Views: 904 - What's the Purpose of Your Presentation? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2009 from Lisa BraithwaiteSometimes a speaker gets caught up in the need to give the audience too much information. In preparing a presentation, she starts working on her outline, and quickly realizes that there's no way she can share everything she knows on her topic. For that matter, there's no way to share everything ...
Views: 1363 - When There's No Time To Prepare: Tips For Speaking Off The Cuff - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteIt's inevitable: You're at a luncheon to honor a colleague and someone asks you to "say a few words." Or your boss tosses an assignment into your lap that requires a presentation to your team with a turnaround time of one hour. These can be the most nerve-wracking of presentations; after all, ...
Views: 1095 - Worried About The Economy? Get Out And Speak! - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2008 from Lisa BraithwaiteHere's an understatement: the uncertainty of our current economy is making people tense. As an entrepreneur, you might be a little more anxious than those who are getting a regular paycheck. You're independent, self-reliant and self-motivated, but the feeling of not having control in times like ...
Views: 1372 - Your Media Moment: Give a Successful Interview - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2007 from Lisa BraithwaiteThe phone rings. It's a journalist who wants to ask you a few questions for a story she's writing. You, flattered, take the call and flub your way through the interview, because off the top of your head, you can't remember your elevator pitch or a single talking point about your business or ...
Views: 963