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One of the reasons people contact me is because of lack of air at the podium, in the webinar, or in a sales presentation. So I have a question for you.
Do you ever experience breathlessness when in conversation with family, friends or colleagues?
More than likely, your answer is No unless ... Views: 3312
First of all, I understand that the title to this article is not new because many authors have previously expressed their view on this topic. What makes this article original is that what I am sharing below is based on my own experience as a trainer for more than 10 years. In compiling the Do's ... Views: 3301
I love all the articles and advice on the internet today which deal with quelling nervousness, combating nervousness, eliminating nervousness and ending those nervous jitters. Unfortunately, most of them do not discuss the benefits of nervousness in public speaking or in the job interview and ... Views: 3293
OK If I Laugh Now?
It seems the jury is out on this one, with opinion divided on whether or not it is okay to laugh at your own jokes. Maybe it's just me (although I doubt it given the number of comedians and humorous speakers who also laugh at their own jokes.
But I believe the aim of a ... Views: 3292
Becoming an effective public speaker is certainly not something that happens overnight.
There are no shortcuts to becoming a great public speaker.
It's a journey that takes time, patience and effort.
Since my professional rugby career came to an end back in 2001, public speaking now ... Views: 3289
When clients tell me they want to be like Anthony Robbins or Zig Ziglar, my first question is why? Yes, I understand that they may want to be as famous or as rich or as talented, but why would they want to imitate either one of them?
While your audience would probably love to see Robbins ... Views: 3281
While it is definitely easier to speak to female audiences, you can have as much success with male audiences if you understand the differences between the two. In addition, knowing the makeup of the particular male audience you are addressing will be to your advantage.
If the group to whom ... Views: 3279
One of the best pieces of advice I give to my clients when teaching presentation skills is to always be prepared for the unexpected and that goes for your clothing as well as your visual image. Without a doubt, what you are saying and how you are saying are the most important aspects of your ... Views: 3276
One of the most thrilling, challenging (and for many people) frightening opportunities is that of public speaking. Whether your job requires it, or you find yourself in a position where you have to give a public presentation, you may be overcome with nerves at the thought of standing in front of ... Views: 3263
I just got back from my Toastmasters’ club meeting. We had so much fun that I had to share with you the experience and the lessons we learned.
As background, there were only eleven of us there, including three guests at this Saturday morning meeting, the beginning of a beautiful, sunny, ... Views: 3263
In business we are often faced with occasions where we are called upon to make introductions. These introductions can vary from a small group setting involving as few as three individuals up to a large group at a corporate function. Never underestimate your ability to positively influence the ... Views: 3257
Getting a job is not easy with today’s high rate of unemployment. It is certainly to your advantage to not only have the right education and experience but also the best presentation skills as well.
When you think about the image you project, what does your voice say about you? In order to ... Views: 3255
One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is that they run out of air at the lectern. If this is a problem for you, let me ask you a question. Do you experience breathlessness in normal conversation? Your answer is probably No. If you do not run out of air when you are speaking ... Views: 3255
With the start of the New Year and the resolutions we vow to keep, there is one change that can improve your life – both professionally and personally – simply by discovering your ‘real’ voice. Easy to accomplish and guaranteed to get better with age, your ‘real’ voice is deeper in pitch, ... Views: 3241
If you are plagued by a great deal of stress on a daily basis, do you know what it is doing to your speaking voice? You are probably aware that it is affecting your sleep, your diet, your mental health, your physical health and your overall well-being. But what do you think it is doing to your ... Views: 3240
When you are delivering a presentation, do you know that your body is speaking as well as your voice? Watch all great presenters and you will see that they use their bodies to express their feelings, their thoughts, and, most importantly, their confidence.
If you walk to the podium with ... Views: 3238
There is a major 'problemo' that a lot of speakers sometime fall into when using Power Point. I call it upstaging yourself. 'Upstaging' is a 'technique' that stage actors have been using 'against' each other since Greek times. It happens when one actor moves up the stage which in turn makes ... Views: 3234
If others continually ask you to repeat yourself, what do you think that says about you? If you are striving to achieve success in your career, do you think your soft-spoken voice might be jeopardizing your goals? Have you ever considered that your lack of volume is possibly what could be ... Views: 3232
In numerous famous surveys, the majority of people say that their only fear greater than death is public speaking.
It's understandable that the idea of speaking in front of a group will expose the holes in your self-confidence. In my observation, most people have confidence issues in several ... Views: 3229
While there is no doubt that a loud voice can be most painful to your listeners’ ears, have you ever considered how your loud voice affects the image that you project? We are all concerned about image. Look at the number of articles and books written today on image and what it means for your ... Views: 3228
I cannot tell you how many of my clients have admitted to me that they do not prepare for their presentations. When I hear that I am always stunned. If you know in advance that you are to speak to a group of people for whatever reason, how can you not prepare in advance? This is a no-brainer ... Views: 3222
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: 3219
When it comes to image, everyone is concerned about how they look, how they project themselves, what they say and what they wear. Yet few are aware that the sound of their speaking voice accounts for a large part of that image. So, my question to you is, do you like hearing your voice on your ... Views: 3214
Whether you have a small to medium size coaching business targeting consumer or business clients, whether you sell products or services within the health and wellness, relationship, finance, self evolution, career, environment or spiritual industries, one of the best ways to boost sales is by ... Views: 3213
Conscious Evolution Media is Being Launched in January 2013
Real Coaching Radio-TV Network is evolving into Conscious Evolution Media in 2013. Changing it's name, upgrading it's image and rolls out new evolutionary TV Channels to scale it's media business for future growth.
Human ... Views: 3207
Last week I was not looking forward to my upcoming 2-day workshop in Chicago. I had gotten a cold/flu the previous Sunday, after attending my high school reunion the night before – and hopefully not infecting everyone who was there.
In any event, I so wanted to cancel the workshop because ... Views: 3206
What is vocal variety?
Vocal variety refers to the proper variations in volume, pitch, rate, pace, etc. throughout your presentation. The purpose of incorporating vocal variety is to add meaning, interest, involvement, and impact in your presentation.
What's the opposite of vocal ... Views: 3203
When I was in graduate school studying music composition, my singing professor told me that the pitch of my speaking voice was too high and proceeded to show me my ‘real’ voice. Deeper in pitch, warm and resonant, my ‘real’ voice no longer exhibited whiny, young-sounding qualities.
At the ... Views: 3202
Whether it’s presenting to your manager, a team of colleagues, or pitching for new business the success of any presentation is dependent on structuring a clear message and delivering that message with confidence and conviction.
Obviously, confidence is a crucial element but if for you ... Views: 3202
I couldn’t believe I was going to open my presentation with that joke. Me, of all people! Yet, there I was. With my heart pounding in anticipation… I was about to bound onto the platform and speak in front of over 250 people…
Not only that, I was going to open my presentation with a bit I ... Views: 3191
In public speaking, the anecdotes you include in your presentation can say a lot about you as the speaker. Simply put, the anecdote is a very brief retelling of a true account which can be humorous or interesting, but more importantly, is relevant to your topic. The value of the anecdote is ... Views: 3187
In Shakespeare’s King Lear, Lear is carrying the dead Cordelia and says, “her voice was ever soft, gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.” Those words epitomized the image of how a woman handled herself in society and is in direct contrast to the loud, outspoken and sharp-tongued Kate, ... Views: 3182
As a voice specialist, I have known for many years that a good voice improvement course can be an excellent means of accent reduction. Yesterday, I received an email from a Taiwanese man studying in Boston. His 1st language is Mandarin Chinese; and, he has been enrolled in an accent reduction ... Views: 3175
For those of you refuse to interrupt your sentences to breathe, you have a mass of listeners who are frustrated because they do not catch the 2nd half of your sentences. Do you know why this is? I’ll give you a clue. It’s got something to do with oxygen.
Without air, there is no voice. ... Views: 3167
Have you dated someone who knows only one topic. Nothing but himself?
A fellow trainer said that Anthony Robbins is so full of himself. That is my friend’s opinion. Tonny Robbins is a motivational speaker not because he is a very good public speaker. He is a motivational speaker because he ... Views: 3158
One of the best courses I had in college was an English class on the 18th Century Novel. My professor assigned one book per week and would ask one question per book for which we were allowed to answer on only one typewritten, double-spaced page. The problem was that the question asked could be ... Views: 3153
Do you know what an elevator speech is? An elevator speech is an introduction about your business that you can encapsulate in 30 seconds or less. The idea for this type of speech is based on the average length of time one spends in an elevator.
The value of the elevator speech is not just ... Views: 3153
When giving a speech, you should sound fluid and professional. Sounding professional, takes practice and often. You may not realize just how many times you say "uh," or "um" throughout your speech. Known as vocal fillers, these short little utterances can actually detrimentally affect your ... Views: 3149
Two years ago I sat captivated in an audience listening to one of the best speakers on the circuit. He almost hypnotized us with his cadence of style and charisma. Leaning toward the stage I began to study his methods in order to learn and apply some of his techniques. He seemed to possess every ... Views: 3143
The poet Longfellow said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater the art is of ending.” While this 19th century poet was referring to the poem, his words are equally applicable to public speaking. Many great presentations and speeches are less than stellar because of a weak or ... Views: 3137
Yesterday I treated myself to a couple of TED talks. For those who do not know what a TED talk is let me briefly explain. TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. Essentially TED talks are a series of lectures each of which lasts only 18 minutes, on subjects reflecting the name ... Views: 3135
Nothing is more frustrating than listening to a public speaker deliver a speech or presentation at 100 mph. A few minutes at this speed is one thing; however, 50 minutes or more at that pace can easily lose your listeners. Talking too fast is tiring for both you as the speaker and your ... Views: 3132
If there is one thing that cannot happen in public speaking, it is the possibility of delivering a perfect presentation. What skills would you need to make your words or your manner of speaking perfect? Can you answer that honestly? Your presentation may be great; it may be excellent; it may ... Views: 3129
8 secrets of speaking like a native English Speaker. Are you prepared to do what it takes?
1. THE SECRET
You have to be prepared to do what native speakers do. Are you prepared to do what native speakers do?
2. ENGLISH ENVIRONMENT
English speakers have an English environment: radio, ... Views: 3116
Often we are so consumed by our speech or presentation, our delivery, or our nervousness, that we fail to recognize the value of composure in approaching the lectern or the head of the boardroom table. You are judged not only when you begin to speak but also during your walk to the front of the ... Views: 3114
You bet. Generally speaking, women make better audiences for one specific reason: they laugh more. Male audiences, on the other hand, are more difficult because of ego. And, it does not matter whether you, as the speaker, are male or female. The results are the same either way.
Studies done ... Views: 3108
Two Steps To Focus Your Mind Before You Step Into The Spotlight
"Make it matter.” What do I mean by that?
First… Think of your big picture. Even if, at this moment you don’t know the “how,” go ahead and picture the impact that you would like to make in the world .
Consider too, that if ... Views: 3104
If you want to tap the full potential of your speaking voice, do your homework first and research what is out there. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you want to improve the voice you already have or would you prefer to discover the voice you don’t know you have?
Many coaches ... Views: 3098
If you are looking to improve your speaking voice, your first priority is to find a coach who will teach you how to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. Breathing with this support is something most people are not doing. In fact, 99% of the population is renowned for being lazy or ... Views: 3090
I did damage to my own speaking voice some years ago when I was coaching my son’s soccer team. I will pay for that mistake for the rest of my life because I will never sing again. Considering my voice is my business, I am blessed that it did not do the same damage to my speaking voice.
What ... Views: 3090