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Every member of your audience is different. You can’t treat them the same and expect the same reaction from all of them.
You must be prepared to connect on different levels and receive different reactions to your presentation.
Consider this challenge. Imagine that you are presenting to the ... Views: 1327
One of the fastest ways to attract clients is to become known as the expert by speaking to groups. Yet, most people would rather be pushed from an airplane than get up in front of a group and speak. No one was ever born a natural speaker. When you watch dynamic speakers, it may seem as if they ... Views: 788
No matter what your phobia in addressing an audience, there is a reason that man’s greatest fear is public speaking: we don’t want to make a fool of ourselves. And, no matter how many courses or programs you take, no matter which techniques you use to control, eliminate, or ignore your ... Views: 1850
The number one rule of successful presentation preparation is to know your audience. Here are some tips to consider when you're thinking about how to connect to your audience, whether it's an audience of 1 or 100:
• Know what's playing on station WIIFM. That's the station the people in ... Views: 1265
When you meet someone or present to an audience, do your words match your non-verbal communications?
If there is a disconnect between verbal and non-verbal communications, your audience will
believe your non-verbals. Studies show that more than 90% of our communication is non-verbal.
... Views: 2591
Let the words begin.
To be able to present well is to give water to the thirsty, color to the bland, and grace to the dancer, not to mention profit to the company and power to the message. It¡¦s a gift well worth wrapping in creative, clear, comprehensive and customized packaging.
You pitch ... Views: 1127
Have you ever seen a speaker go over the allotted time limit? Or rush through the material when they realized they were running out of time?
What was your reaction to that speaker? Were you impressed?
I've seen speakers go over the time limit by five, ten or fifteen minutes and then look ... Views: 1952
How many times have you sat through a presentation, only to walk out wondering "what was the point of that?!" Whether it was a one-minute presentation or one hour, if the audience doesn't know what the point was, then the presentation was not successful. Here are some things you can do to ensure ... Views: 819
Whether you're speaking to an audience of one or many, it's important to make eye contact in order to connect.
Eye contact demonstrates your willingness to connect to the audience on a personal level. It also shows that you are confident and proves that the information resides in your head, ... Views: 2191
A key component of non-verbal communications is your voice. Along with eye contact, gestures, movement and facial expression, your voice can communicate meaning and help your audience focus on your message.
Your voice has an incredible range and ability to convey meaning and emotion, yet ... Views: 3073
If your stomach churns just at the thought of speaking in front of a group of people, you're not alone. In fact, Americans rate public speaking as their number one fear - even ahead of death (hence the old joke that you would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy)!
Think about what's ... Views: 1151
Filler words include "um," "ah," and words such as "like," "so," and "ok," which are used as a verbal bridge to the next word.
These words just fill in space while you remember or think of something to say next. Rather than being effective bridges, they are roadblocks, distracting the ... Views: 3207
PowerPoint and similar programs have become increasingly popular with in-house trainers. The ability to prepare material directly on a computer to project onto a suitable screen has freed us from the acetate nightmare of poor quality overhead projectors, upside down slides, and scruffy ... Views: 1258
Throughout my career I have taken a number of leadership development courses. Some of these courses were voluntary on my part and others were required for advancement within the organization. I have also taken a few presentation classes that have allowed me to polish my speaking and presentation ... Views: 781
Do you know the name Edward Everett? Neither did I until recently. He was the principle speaker at the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery dedication. Before President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, Everett spoke for two hours. His speech was 13,607 words long. Abraham Lincoln's was only ... Views: 4030
Aside from the content of a presentation, your delivery is the most important factor (some would say even more important than the content itself). Building good delivery habits takes effort. Luckily, unlike content which may or may not apply to other speeches and areas of your life, building ... Views: 3699
What if you could overcome fear as easily as eating breakfast? Not possible, I would have thought, until I followed a musician friend's recommendation to eat a couple bananas a few hours before a particularly intense presentation. When the time to perform arrived, I wasn't nearly as nervous as I ... Views: 6504
Confidence, nerves, anxiety
One of the comments I hear most often is related to confidence and nerves. People tell me they get anxious, terrified, or totally panic struck at the thought of giving a presentation. As the moment arrives for them to rise to their feet the symptoms double in ... Views: 1261
Funny topics for a persuasive speech may often be an excellent way of making people more interested in what you have to say. Incidentally, it is not that easy to formulate funny topics for a persuasive speech.
You may have to spend a bit of your time and effort to get that ideal subject ... Views: 4245
Speaking in front of a live audience can be quite terrifying, even more so when you’re trying to convince them of something. In situations like this, it’s important to prepare yourself with persuasive speech ideas which will increase the chances of swaying people over to your side. ... Views: 1584
You'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: 1306
According to many people and various surveys, public speaking is the number one fear in our society, even more than death. Why is this so? Many of those same people have no problem talking up a storm with a group around the conference table or at a party, but ask them to stand in front of a ... Views: 1099
Who else wants to make a million dollars a year speaking? Hands always go up and who wouldn't want to make this kind of money.
In the professional speaking industry it's not unusual for someone to make over a million a year speaking. Why?
The #1 fear in the world is public speaking, hard to ... Views: 2650
The Power of the Present and Practice in Baseball and Presentation
I recently came across an op-ed article in the New York Times by David Brooks that struck me as significant for the art of presenting. In his piece, Brooks examines “The Mental ABC’s of Pitching” by the ... Views: 1437
"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: 1144
Speaking in public is feared by most more than death. As an owner of a Speakers Bureau here is my advice on making a great impression!!
Speaking in public, or even just in front of your work colleagues, can for some, cause severe distress. It need not be this way and here are my tips for making ... Views: 1388
When invited (or ordered!) to give a presentation or a speech, most of us think that what comes out of our mouth during that 5, 10, or 45 minute delivery is the ‘piece de resistence’ when in fact, without proper preparation, it may be a disaster.
I liken good preparation to the 5 Ws of good ... Views: 2056
Have you ever noticed that the the most charismatic people all share something in common? If you think of the most likable person in your group of friends, or the most charismatic politician you can think of, or your most memorable teacher, odds are that the thing they have in common: the ... Views: 1350
Because we as a people are losing our sense of decency, vulgarities are becoming the norm in our everyday life: we see it in people’s actions; we see it in the entertainment world; we hear it in conversation on a daily basis. So how do we judge what is appropriate in public speaking? The ... Views: 4780
Why do you make presentations? Is it your idea? An assignment? A necessity? Part of your job? Of course there must be a reason for each presentation: to sell...to educate...to motivate. But to what kind of audience? To your boss? To an audience of a thousand people? Or maybe to one very ... Views: 2834
"Everything in life cannot be grasped by the logic-centered left brain." D.T.Suzuki
Sometimes you need more than your own dynamic self to get your message across. Just standing there and talking is not very creative and not much of a strategy. You might be a great speaker or think you’re ... Views: 2509
When an eager young person, perhaps a recent college graduate, applies for a job, will they mention their MySpace page? Or their Facebook entry? Probably not, but those sites can be checked, regardless of whether or not they’ve added them to their resume, application or(for some reason) ... Views: 1325
Imagine a classroom, then imagine thirty children sitting still and quiet. Imagine these children imagining loving kindness on the playground. The peaceful ring of a Tibetan singing bowl – no shouting, no laughing, no airborne paper objects. In a New York Times article by Patricia Leigh ... Views: 1836
We’ve all heard that less is more, but not when applied to the frenetic, fact-filled culture of today. Today we are constantly bombarded with information, junk, information, junk information. There’s little "free space" left – with advertising embedded on the shopping cart, ... Views: 1841
"Dishonesty is sanitized in a world of spin."
The title of this Leonard Pitts’ column, written for the Miami-Herald in 2007, tells us what we probably already know: that what we see (and what we hear) in today’s world is not necessarily what we get. Because on the other side of ... Views: 1554
One of the characteristics of dynamic public speakers is that they believe in themselves. We all know that public speaking is man’s greatest fear; however, if you approach the lectern doubting yourself, how successful do you think you will be? Believing you cannot do it is a recipe for ... Views: 1749
Nearly as dreaded as snakes and spiders, public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.
Whether your motivation is a desire to learn or simple necessity, here is a really simple guide to writing and giving a speech.
Your Topic: is this speech about something already know? Then take ... Views: 1296
Through my many years teaching voice improvement and presentation skills, I have found some interesting correlations between personality types and the degree of expressiveness heard and seen in people.
While I am about to be most ‘politically incorrect,’ those who tend to be more expressive in ... Views: 4786
We 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: 1089
Who doesn’t love a story?! Whether it’s ours or theirs, fiction or non-fiction? Who doesn’t want to be drawn in and captivated? From the days of humans exchanging tales around a flickering cave fire to watching today’s widescreen TV, storytelling as a way of embellishing ... Views: 1237
In the event of a crisis or a disaster, and if you happen to be the manager of a company facing that crisis or disaster, it’s best to be mentally prepared. Crises can happen any time. Just like they can in our personal lives. And like our own individual preparedness for disaster, a good ... Views: 988
"Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment." Robert Benchley
Procrastination. We are all guilty of that particular vice. Don’t do it. Take the first step in preparing your presentation. Force yourself onto the chair and get ... Views: 1155
Have you ever been to a business meeting in which all in attendance had to stand and introduce themselves and you heard basically the same thing from each and every individual?
One of the worst things we do as a people is our personal introduction. While the names and the businesses will be ... Views: 2528
Speechwriting
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and government executives, governors, and the president or prime minister of a country. Speechwriters are ... Views: 4425
Delivering a Speech
In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?" The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to ... Views: 1226
Voice Training/Vocal Technique
Vocal Technique is the practice of using the voice in a particular way when singing or speaking. Vocal Technique is a rehearsed way of adjusting the voice both musically and non-musically; to create different sounds or voice qualities. The techniques required to ... Views: 5244
Public Speaking and Nervousness
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. The art and science of public speaking, especially in a North American competitive environment, is also ... Views: 4656
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of ... Views: 1852
This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Public Speaking. Public Speaking is speaking to a group of people in a structured manner with the intention to inform, influence, or entertain the audience. A good orator should be able to invoke emotion in their listeners, not just ... Views: 1732
This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Public Speaking. Public Speaking is speaking to a group of people in a structured manner with the intention to inform, influence, or entertain the audience. A good orator should be able to invoke emotion in their listeners, not just ... Views: 1697