Do you remember your first days without the training wheels on your bike? Were you nervous? Were you even a little bit afraid? Did that fear make you hyper-focused? Was there someone holding on to your bike’s seat, guiding you and cheering you on?

When it comes to public speaking, do you find yourself nervous and maybe even afraid? Like that first experience on your bike, let me hold on the seat and help you learn.

1. Let Your Nerves Work for You

I am probably right when I say those few moments of being on a bicycle without training wheels were some of the most focused moments in your life. All your senses were ready to learn. Your nerves, in that case, were working for you.

Nerves are not the enemy. I have been presenting public speaking courses for over two decades and I have never found a good speaker who was not nervous about their work. Notice that I wrote “a good speaker.” There are plenty of cocky and arrogant public speakers who are “never nervous” but they present without energy or enthusiasm.

What good are nerves and nervousness for the public speaker? Your nerves keep your energy level high and your focus sharp. Speaking with high energy while focused on your presentation benefits your audience. They are getting a speaker who is truly present to the subject they are presenting instead of someone who is spewing out just another average speech. Before going onstage, accept your nerves as part of being human, take several slow deep breaths, smile big and step onto the stage with energy and enthusiasm.

2. Remember: Your Audience Wants You to Succeed.

When you were riding without the training wheels, were your family or friends standing on the sidewalk hoping you would fall off and hurt yourself? Of course they were not hoping that you would fail.

In public speaking, your audience wants to you to be at your best. They do not want you to be boring as that means they will be bored. Your audience wants to see you having fun or deeply in touch with your subject. In the old days, people were told to imagine the audience in their underwear. That was just horrible advice. Your audience is on your side and you are in partnership with them. Remember, you are the expert and you are giving them a valuable presentation. They want to walk out of the event saying, “Great! I can really use what that speaker was talking about.”

3. Good Coaching and Training is Invaluable.

When you were a small child, you did not just hop on to your bicycle and hurry down the street. No, you started with training wheels. Then, someone took off those training wheels and ran behind you, holding on to the seat, while you wobbled down the road. Several falls later, more running and wobbling, and then, whoosh you took off down the road.

Coaching and training for public speaking are invaluable ways to get to the whoosh moments of public speaking. We who coach and train public speaking skills are always getting letters of thanks from our clients who successfully used simple techniques taught in public speaking workshops or private coaching. Seek out the experts who can take you to the next level. You will discover that it is an incredible experience to have a speaking coach who can point out areas where you need to improve and support you in your natural skills as a presenter.

Learn to focus your nervous energy to achieve excellence as a speaker!

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For more information about Sean’s workshop that teaches you to harness the power of business or corporate storytelling, please visit our website at http://www.executivespeakertraining.com You are also invited to follow Sean via his Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/storyteller today.

The Size of Your Speech Does Not Matter

If you ever have to give a presentation, whether it is for 60 seconds or 60 minutes, you need to make your message stick. What use is a message that gets thrown back into the ether once your audience goes home and can not remember or recall what you said to them a week, or even a month after you spoke to them. You want to not only impact your audience while you are speaking to them, but also long afterwards.

Create a Phrase or Slogan

So how do you do this? You do this by creating a phrase or slogan that basically sums up your entire message and which lingers in the ears of your audience members – even long after you leave the speaking platform. This is the first part of the World Class Speaking PARTS formula that we use to coach speakers when they are creating their message. The phrase must be 10 words or less. The reason for this is because anything longer that 10 words will be difficult for people to remember. In addition, If the phrase, as you will soon see, has a bit of a rhyme, it will add to its ability to be remembered.

Okay, so now perhaps you might be thinking, “How on earth can I sum up an entire speech in one phrase?” I will be honest with you, coming up with the right phrase will not be easy, in fact, it will take some effort, but when you do, you will be well rewarded. When you anchor your message to your audience, you will be rewarded handsomely by not only being remembered by your audience, but by the people that brought you in to speak – and you will be called back time and time again.

How I Created My Slogan

It was just recently that I came up with my latest phrase. It was 7:00am last week Thursday March 18 2010. I had attended my weekly BNI meeting in Westfield New Jersey, where I give my usual educational networking tip of the day. BNI is an international referral organization where business owners get together to network, develop relationships and give referrals to each other.

Aside from my position in the chapter as the educational coordinator, my specialty there is also as a public speaking coach, keynote speaker, and presentations skills trainer. The education that I gave that morning was about the need to meet with the people in our BNI chapter – not just in the chapter at the weekly meetings, but also outside of the weekly meeting in order to develop the relationship, so that an atmosphere of trust and likability is developed.

I started the education that morning by talking about a study that the founder of BNI Dr. Ivan Misner and BNI had conducted over a 6 month period where they had polled close to 2,350 business owners, sales people and professionals from both retail and service industries. The poll included people from countries across the world. People from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United kingdom had participated in this poll.

What Dr. Misner and his group at BNI had found, was that more that 80 percent of the respondents preferred receiving more business through networking groups or an introduction of some sort. So in other words, they wanted to receive referrals. In BNI they have a term for setting up times to meet with other members of the chapter to get to know one another and develop friendships that leads to the giving and receiving of referrals. They call this form of getting together, a “Dance Card.”

So as I was doing my educational that morning, and after telling my fellow BNI members about the conclusion of Dr. Misner’s study, “that most business owners would rather receive their business through word of mouth and referrals,” I turned to my group of 38 members and said, “I have been here for close to 8 months, and guess how many dance cards I have had? Five. That’s it!” And upon hearing that, many people in my chapter wanted to stone me! This was obviously not a good thing! I was not setting a very good example of developing relationships.

However, I purposely put my ego on the line for the sake of making a point. In my public speaking skills workshops, I talk about how, when you self deprecate, you enhance your connection with your audience. So in order to bring the point home to my fellow BNI members that morning, I had to make an example out of myself, so I could connect with my audience and drive my point home to them.

So, after members of my chapter were done having their laugh at my expense, I then paused and made my point. I said, “…and guess from whom I was receiving all my referrals? That’s right. The ones whom I had been doing the dance cards with” and then I said, “If you want to advance in the referrals that you receive. If you want to advance in your business – you gotta dance.”

“If You Want to Advance, You Gotta Dance” – my slogan was created.

Claudia, the area director of our BNI chapter just happened to been sitting in on the meeting that morning, and she walked up to me after the meeting and said, “Lewis, wow! I really like that slogan, “If you want to advance you gotta dance” – That was a great slogan you had created.” I thanked her and left the meeting to start my day.

Testing Your Slogan for The “Stick Factor”

One week later, The following Thursday morning, I was again sitting at my BNI meeting where I did my educational tip of the day. We then had our usual 90 minute meeting where each member of the chapter does their 60 second commercial on their business, followed by two presentations from our members, which is then followed by a referral go-around where everyone in the chapter starts handing out referrals to one another.

So when it came my turn, I decided to do something interesting. I handed out some referrals and then decided to test the waters and see if my phrase that I had created the week prior, did indeed get anchored with the audience. I turned to my audience and said, “I am free after this morning’s meeting, So If anyone has time to kill I would be happy to meet up with you – because if you remember what I said last week, “If you want to advance…” I paused, and let the audience do the rest. Amazingly they said “You Gotta Dance!” My phrase had worked! It stuck with them. It passed the Stick Test!

Final Thoughts

Creating phrases and slogans are not easy, but if you really take the time to think about your speech, you will eventually come up with the proper phrase or slogan for your message. You will not only have a great message but you will have created a phrase that is like glue that will connect your message with your audience even long after you leave the speaking platform. Because when they remember your phrase, they will remember your message.

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Lewis Roth helps speakers build a presentation that is memorable and keeps their audience members on the edge of their seats. Lewis is an award winning speaker, certified world class speech coach, keynote speaker and presentation skills trainer. To receive his High-Touch Speaking tool kit, please visit http://www.hightouchspeaking.com

Have you ever spoken in public and found that between the anxieties of public speaking, the nature of the topic and the importance of getting a message to an audience you got a little emotional? A little choked up? Were you worried about your voice cracking, your words disjointed or even breaking down in tears? Anybody who gives an emotional speech is often sharing deep feelings with the audience and is at risk of any of the above symptoms.

Years ago I had the honour of working with a brilliant speaker named Helene. Helene was the Chairperson of an important community fundraising venture working towards building the hospital services out her back door. This event raised more than $133,000 for the Foundation and is supported by many local businesses and radio stations in her community. When Helene and I met for the first time, she stood up in front of me and gave one of the most compelling and emotional speeches I’d ever heard. It was the speech used to campaign the event, rally support and build a community of understanding.

Helene’s speech was about her son Don who was diagnosed on May 26th, 1993 with Sarcoma in his leg and needed to prepare for amputation. Four days later, on May 30th the family received the news that a 10 cm (4 inch) tumour had been discovered on his heart and lung as well. They said “take him home there is nothing we can do”. Due to the miracles of research and an attentive doctor who insisted on taking his case, Don not only won the battle against this disease but he was married 6 days after his diagnosis and now has 5 beautiful children. He is living proof of the importance of medical research and the need for strong alliances in the community.

Helene’s beautiful speech is filled with sorrow, laughter and most importantly hope and belief. I felt privileged to listen and enlightened to know that she was about to share this message with the world. Helene’s only challenge for this speech was to be able to share her story without losing control of her emotions on the stage. The most simple strategy for this is… squeeze your toes. It may sound silly but it works! For whatever reason, if you are trying to speak during an angered, emotional, or giddy moment, the one way to keep your voice on track and hold back the tears is to squeeze your toes really hard.

The reason I recommended this tip is because first and foremost, when one is in full tears and starting to all out cry, it is extremely difficult to actually get the words out to your audience and to share your message. Second, the speaker should not be using the stage as their own personal space to resolve their own issues or find closure. The speaker’s responsibility is to enlighten or inspire or entertain. If the speaker is crying, then the audience’s concern becomes focused on the speaker as opposed to how the speaker’s message impacts them.

Does this mean that you should never share emotion when on stage? No. But there are effective ways to share that emotion and ways that can leave your audience with the wrong message.

Remember the campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? Do you remember January 2008 in New Hampshire? As you may or may not be aware, Hillary Clinton gave a speech and she got choked up. No, tears were not streaming down her face, snot was not running out of her nose and by definition she was in no way “sobbing.” There is a big difference between sobbing and choked up. But since this event, Hillary Clinton has been criticized in many regards. Some say this “outburst of emotion” could have potentially lost her the election. Some say it was very calculated and that it was an attempt to tug at the heartstrings of America. Some say that it actually HELPED her in the campaign. Quite honestly, WHO KNOWS?!

All that aside, does it hurt to get “choked up?” Hillary was able to continue with her speech and share a message and yet we still see the clip of her watery eyes running on a constant loop. Personally, I was able to hear her words and understand her position. In my eyes and ears, she did her job. Were the tears a sign of a downhill electoral race? Were they a sign of a well calculated campaign? I don’t know. But I do know she did something that most people fear doing. She spoke.

Whether you agree with the politics of Clinton, Obama or even Bush, what one can’t deny is that it takes inner strength and passion to speak well in public. If you speak often enough, yes, times of watery eyes, blunders or even saying the wrong thing WILL happen. I can guarantee it! But as long as you do your very best to respect your audience and be true to yourself, plus a little toe-squeezing, I can promise you that the emotional speaking experience will be a great learning opportunity for you and your audience.

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To find out more about how the coaching process can help YOU, please email me at heather@artfulspeaking.com.

Heather Racano
Artful Speaking
heather@artfulspeaking.com
http://www.artfulspeaking.com

As a dynamic and inspirational leader in the field of public speaking and networking, Heather Racano can help make your next speaking opportunity COUNT! Heather is an award winning speaker and public speaking coach presenting programs North America wide on Artful Speaking and Artful Networking. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Racano

Just last night, a man phoned me to ask if I could help him with his voice. My heart went out to this fellow as soon I heard him speak because he was so hoarse. In truth, he croaked like a frog when he spoke. He reassured me, however, that his throat did not hurt him and, for that, I was thankful and more than pleased for him.

Have you ever likened the sound of your voice to that of an animal? Do you squawk, squeak, bark, or bray when you speak? Maybe you bellow or chirp. Or possibly you squeal in delight or moo like a cow.

In truth, none of these descriptions are a blessing to your listeners’ ears. We are bombarded by loud noises and music, boom boxes, traffic, and the like on a daily basis. And, most unfortunately, there are a lot of voices that only add to the din of cacophony to which we are subjected.

If your husband doesn’t listen to you any more, are you sure that it isn’t the sound of your voice that is making him deaf to your words? On the other hand, what is the possibility that your wife doesn’t hear you because of your mumbling and the lack of articulation on your part?

If you expect people to listen to you, you might question if your voice is reminiscent of a barnyard animal? If so, then your listeners may not want to hear what you have to say.

If you care about the image you project, maybe you need to care about the image your speaking voice is projecting because that sound on your voicemail, which you may find embarrassing, humiliating, or altogether unbelievable, is exactly what others hear when you speak to them.

Your voice could be your greatest asset instead of a liability if you choose to do something about it. What I am talking about is what I refer to as your real voice, a sound that is powered and amplified by your chest cavity. Most people are not aware of and not using their chest as their primary sounding board, instead relying predominantly on their throat and voice box to power the voice. That is why so many people squawk, squeak, or croak when they talk.

Learn to use your chest when you speak and you will discover that you sound more like a cello or bass and less like a chicken or frog.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic or watch Nancy in a brief video as she describes The Power of Your Voice.

Recently, I read an article about improving your voice in 7 days. While I do not agree with the writer’s suggestions or methodology, the truth is that you can actually find your ‘real’ voice in about 1 hour. Admittedly, your ‘real’ voice will not be a habit in only 60 minutes, but one of the fascinating results about the correct approach to voice training is that you will begin your hour with your old or habitual voice and you will end that hour with your real one. In fact, in many cases, this discovery takes only a few minutes.

What is fascinating about good voice improvement techniques is that you have a better voice inside – no matter how bad you think it is presently. Everyone has a speaking voice that is richer, warmer, and resonant. It is only a matter of locating where it is and training yourself to use it. And, in the process, you may discover a speaking voice as good as, or even better than, that of James Earl Jones, Kathleen Turner, Kate Beckinsale, Sean Connery, Demi Moore, Vin Diesel, George Clooney, Cher, or Peter Coyote.

When I first started my business, I was at a meeting in which we had to stand and introduce ourselves. After the introductions, a woman approached me and told me that voice training was the icing on the cake. I beg to differ. Your voice is the fundamental; it is the cake. A wimpy, strident, harsh, soft, monotone, breathy, high-pitched, child-like, nasal, or loud voice will not make what you are saying nearly as interesting or dynamic as one that is rich, warm, and resonant. In fact, if any of the above characteristics are typical of your speaking voice, then it is safe to say that your voice will eventually turn your listeners off.

The process of discovering your ‘real’ voice involves using your chest to power and amplify your sound. Currently, you are using only 4 of your 5 resonators. These resonators or cavities include your voice box, your throat, your mouth and your nose. If you are not using your chest, the largest of those 5 cavities, then your voice will never be able to display its true pitch nor its true breadth and depth.

One of the many benefits of finding your voice is that you will notice a surprising difference with your singing voice as well if you have the ability to sing. (This training will not make you a singer, however, if you are unable to carry a tune!) You will have more power, greater range, and a broader sound. The reason is because the basic principles of improvement for the speaking voice are the same techniques you would learn if you were to study singing.

Imagine finding your ‘real’ voice in a matter of 60 minutes or less and discovering a sound that you never knew was in there. All it takes is correct placement and the desire to learn.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic or watch Nancy in a brief video as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice.

What’s in YOUR Speech Toolbox?

My husband is a tool guy. He’s a car guy and a DIY guy, so his passions have driven him to collect every tool known to man, animal and God. Well, I thought he owned every tool. I’m frequently amazed how he can wander through the tool department of Sears and STILL find something he not only DOESN’T own, but MUST own, lest the world tilt off its axis. And how many times have I heard him utter words of frustration, while in the middle of a project he proclaims “I can’t finish it! I don’t have the right tool!” I shake my head in astonishment, as I scan the shelves and racks of cool but uncountable tools neatly housed in the garage and basement. He knows the value of the right tool.

As a speaker, do you know the value of the right tool? Do we have the tools we need? Do we use the tools we have? I am not a great writer, so I have forced myself to use better tools to make my task of writing speeches easier and more effective. I can’t rely on my own intellectual brilliance because I don’t have that much. I need help. The tools I use are simple but effective ones; ones that you too can use to make huge improvements in your speeches.

Tool #1: Thesaurus

Also called a “Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms” a thesaurus is the most powerful tool I use. Did you know you can set yourself apart as a communicator simply by using more interesting vocabulary? In most cases, imaginative and gripping vocabulary will engage the audience quicker, keep their attention longer, and challenge their minds more powerfully than some more common vocabulary. A thesaurus will help you find a word that is more descriptive, precise and inviting. For example, something that is “interesting” can be described as “riveting,” “engaging,” “magnetic,” or “tantalizing.” Instead of saying “gentle,” try “serene,” “soothing,” “tranquil,” or “benign.” Alternate words add both character and clout to your message. The English language is filled with colorful and expressive words. Use a thesaurus to find them!

On my desk I have two thesauruses that I have used through the decades. The Roget’s College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form is my favorite hard copy version. It is easy to use and quite comprehensive. I also use the website thesaurus.com which is a little faster and easier to read with my aged dimming eyes. A word of caution: be sure that the more expressive word you choose fits your speaking style, and doesn’t sound like you are reading from a thesaurus. Some words are better read than said. The word “merriment” is a synonym for “fun”, but it could sound a little pretentious or phony if given in a speech, unless you use the proper context and delivery techniques.

Tool #2: Dictionary

Obviously, a dictionary is necessary to insure proper spelling in a written document, but its worth to a speaker should not be minimized. Certainly it’s used to determine proper pronunciation, but far too often, when I thought I was using a great word, I misused it because I didn’t understand its proper meaning. While there are many words that are commonly misspelled, there are also words that are commonly misused, and misusing a word in a speech can bruise or even cripple your credibility. For example, in my former career as an engineer for NASA, I often made presentations explaining the results of our research projects. One of my more experienced peers pointed out that I was misusing the term “data” when referring to a single piece of information. “Data” is plural. “Datum” is singular. To that audience, I sounded naïve. As another example, I heard a speaker use the term “decorum” to refer to decorations in a room. The term actually refers to a high level of dignified behavior or appearance. It is a subtle but important difference. Make sure you have the correct meaning of a word; even if you think you are correct, look it up!

A dictionary is also a fantastic creative tool. Alliteration is a powerful speaking and writing device…using words that start with the same letter. It’s a technique that is pleasing to the listener, helps you to remember your points when speaking, and has sticking power for your audience. I wrote a speech on overcoming regrets, and the three points of the message were: Filter the Falsehoods, Force the Forgetfulness, Face the Front. To develop those message subtitles, I scanned the listings in the dictionary under one letter… in this case I chose “f” because the heart of my message was looking forward, not backwards. I made a list of words that started with “f” and then pieced phrases together to reflect the content of the message. It may seem tedious and time consuming, but the inspiration it unleashed was exhilarating.

Another creative technique is to use acronyms: words whose first letter makes another word. For one message I created, I was encouraging people to volunteer their time, so I used the word “SERVE” as an acronym for my 5 points. The points became “Skills,” “Energy,” “Relationships,” “Vision,” and “Experience.” Again, to find those words, I had my main concepts in mind, and scanned the dictionary listings to find words to fit.

Tool #3: Rhyming Dictionary

Why is Dr. Seuss so appealing? It’s because a rhyme is magnetic and lyrical. Ideas flow and the brain follows. When I discovered a rhyming dictionary, I felt a whole new world of innovative speech crafting had unfolded before my eyes.

Do you know how much more compelling your speeches can be if you add some rhymes? And I bet if you picked up a rhyming dictionary, you will be as astonished as I was with how many rhymes you can find for a certain word. For example, my Miriam Webster’s Rhyming Dictionary lists 72 words that rhyme with “dream”. Without a rhyming dictionary, I could probably think of a dozen. I wouldn’t have thought of “blaspheme,” “downstream,” or “moonbeam.” The listing for “-ate” goes on for pages, and includes words like ‘interpolate,” “necessitate,” and “underestimate.” There are even odd and unusual words like “phosphoenolpyruvate.” The value of this volume is incalculable!

Craig Valentine, the 1999 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, teaches that a good story should have a foundational phrase: a clear summary statement of the message that is 10 words or fewer. He teaches that one effective way to structure it is to use a rhyme. When I competed in the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking contest, the title of my speech was “Bless, Not Impress,” which was part of my foundational phrase: “Don’t hide behind pride; seek to bless, not impress.” It flowed, sounded pleasant, and stuck with the audience. Plus, speaking in rhymes is plain fun for everyone. (Look! A rhyme!)

Tool # 4: Books of quotes & inspirational sayings

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it.” Montaigne, one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance wrote: “I do not speak the minds of others except to speak my own mind better.”

A good speech can be made into a great speech by using quotes. It accomplishes several things. A well chosen quote can dramatically increase the impact of your message. Don’t you find that when you hear a powerful quote in speech, you park for a minute on the thought and measure its importance? Not only can you draw from exceptionally good communicators, you strengthen your credibility as you can express your thoughts in a profound way. You also are showing your willingness to learn from others. It levels the ground for your audience because they no longer view YOU as the hero…the hero becomes the source of the quote. It builds a bridge and puts three people on it: you, the listener and the original author of the quote. And in an unexplained way, using a good quote is like having a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” on your speech because now there is an outside authority that meshes with your message.

Sources of quotes abound! I have no fewer than six volumes of quotes on my bookshelf. I scour the internet for quotes. I am not only a voracious reader, I am an incurable underliner. I am always looking for quotes to use, and I use them liberally. You should too. And in every case, make sure you credit the author (or admit you don’t know the author.) If you fail to do this, you imply that you are the originator and it’s inevitable that someone in your audience will know you are not, and your credibility is gone.

Tool #5: Books of jokes, humorous stories, illustrations

As speakers, we know that humor is essential for adding life to our speeches. Humor entertains, but it also provides a release from tension built up in an emotional segment of your talk. The audience needs permission to let go of the intensity. Stories and illustrations are crucial because they can explain complex concepts in a short number of words. I personally keep a story file on my computer… a Word document where I log some of my life’s interesting events with the intent of using them as an illustration in a speech. I also have several books of jokes and humor that I consult, not to use word for word, but to stimulate my creativity so I can uncover the humor in the stories I’ve collected from my own life.

Those are just a few of my favorite speech writing tools. Marshall McLuhan, the influential Canadian philosopher, and diligent student of pop culture in the 70′s, wrote “We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.” As I admire my husband for his dexterity with his tools, I see that his tools shape his passion. Yours can too. Be the speaker who allows the tools to shape your passion and hone your skills, so that you leave your audience with a memorable and influential message.

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Maureen Zappala was one of the 10 finalists in the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking contest at the Toastmaster’s International Convention in Mashantucket, Connecticut. She’s been a Toastmaster for more than 7 years. She’s a stay-at-home mom, former NASA engineer, and is a frequent speaker for women’s and teen church events. She lives in Hinckley, Ohio with her husband Jim, and two children, Ross & Gina.

Do you watch Dancing with the Stars? One of the three judges is Bruno Tonioli. Usually, I have a problem with him. Particularly when he addresses the contestants. It is at that time that he will usually express himself in a manner such as “You need to work on your rhythm. You looked like Shrek lumbering about for your dinner!”

PU-LEASE! Is that type of comment necessary? I hope you will agree it is not. Perhaps, in the style of Simon Cowell, they hope to boost ratings. But let’s take a look at it from a public speaking standpoint.

Tonight, Bruno said to one of the worst dancers, “You were on, you were off, your were on… You had a section in the middle where you were with the music, but you need to work on that. Work on staying with the music.”

Don’t you think that is better than, “You look like a broken juke box! Skipping and jumping and not keeping the rhythm.”

As a presenter, you can learn two things from this. First, connect with your audience. Don’t alienate them. If you can connect with your audience, they are more likely to listen, to consider, and maybe to see it your way. That is true whether you are evaluating them, or whether your are presenting a new business proposal or donation request.

Second, learn from evaluations. Learn from others’ evaluations wherever you find them. And if you can’t find them, do them yourselves. Evaluate people. Do it in your head if necessary. Get used to noticing the things that you yourself need to work on. Maybe even by noticing mistakes in others, you will notice that you have the same problem which you didn’t notice before.

It is similar to when you purchase a new car. Before you bought that car, whatever make or model, you didn’t notice that particular car on the road. But once you bought it, you notice every one on the road. The same goes with any type of expertise. The more you watch for it, the more you notice it, the more easily you pick it up in the future. This can be used to your advantage. Look for good and bad presentation techniques in others and you will start to notice them in yourself.

By the way, there is a term for that sensitivity. I heard it on the radio last month. Do you know what it is?

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Michael Cortes is the Technology Coordinator at the Fort LeBoeuf School District, a presentation coach, speaker and “Life-long Learner.” Michael has taken a new look at life and examines each day for the lesson it contains.

Do you want to improve yourself? Michael can help you reach your goals. Do you want to be a better presenter? Need to add that little extra that allows you to rock your presentation, whether it be a sales proposal or report to the board of directors? Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Michael will help you create more power in your presentations.

You can visit Michael’s website at http://www.youcanpresent.com

When you practice your material for your speech or presentation, do you record yourself by means of a camcorder? If not, then you should definitely consider this important step in the process of preparing for your delivery. Camcorders today are not that expensive. Look at the purchase of this piece of equipment as an investment in your future if you are serious about a career in public speaking, are required to speak for your job, or just want to hone your presentation skills.

To be able to see and hear yourself is one of the best tools I’ve employed when teaching voice and presentation skills. Feedback from a mentor, a coach, a spouse, or a friend is not the same as seeing yourself in action, even if it is just in practice. You will learn so much about yourself. You may have a ‘tic’ that you are unaware of. Perhaps you habitually push your hair behind your ear or stand with your hands in your pockets, playing with your keys or your change. (A good tip? Always empty your pockets before presenting.)

Admittedly, public speaking is subjective; and, while there are no hard and fast rules, there are steps you can take to ensure success when you next stand at the lectern and address an audience.

If you will video-record yourself while practicing your material, you will be able to objectively watch yourself in action, looking for your strengths and weaknesses.

1. Are you making eye contact with your audience or are you staring straight ahead?
2. Do you speak with emotion or is your voice a monotone?
3. Do you speak too quickly?
4. Do you speak with enough volume or are you soft-spoken or possibly too loud?
5. Are you smiling at various times or is your face a blank?
6. Do you pause? Maybe not enough or too much?
7. Is your presentation filled with ums and ahs?
8. Does your voice sound wimpy, high-pitched, nasal or whiny?
9. Do you look confident?
10. Is your presentation interesting; i.e., are you drawn to what you are saying?

These are just some of the questions you should be asking yourself when you analyze what you hear and see.

Do not look for perfection in your analysis, because perfection is subjective. Instead, be honest with yourself and judge the good as well as the bad. Some of the problems you are encountering may require coaching or training, but it is quite possible to improve several of the negative aspects of your delivery on your own.

One of the most important characteristics of dynamic presentation skills is the ability to sound and look like you are having a conversation in your living room. Do you see that in your analysis?

While the value of recording yourself in practice is priceless, in my next article, I will be discussing the importance of video-recording your performance during your actual presentation because what happens on the stage is not the same as what happens off the stage!

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