Unless a speaker can interest his audience, his effort will be a failure. If your topic is not one of extraordinary interest, your listeners are likely to say to themselves, so what? Who cares? A speaker can quickly lose an audience if she or he doesn’t use the introduction to get their attention and clicking their interest in getting the initial attention of your audience is usually easy-even before you utter a single word.

After you are introduced, turn to your audience and they will normally give you their attention. If they don’t, then patiently look towards the audience without saying a word. In a few moments all talking and physical commotion will stop. Your listeners will be attentive. You’ll be ready to start speaking. Keeping the attention of your audience once you start talking is more difficult. Here are some methods used most to keep them Interested.

#1: Relate the topic to the audience.

People pay attention to things that affect them directly if you can relate the topic your listeners they’re much more likely to be interested in it.

#2: State the importance of your topic.

Presumably you think your speech is important, tell your audience why they should think so too.

#3: Startle the audience.

One sure fire way to arouse interest quickly is to startle all your listeners with an arresting or intriguing statement. This technique is highly effective and easy to use just be sure the starling introduction relates directly to the subject of your speech.

#4: Arouse the curiosity of the audience.

People are curious. One way to draw them into your speech is with a series of statements that progressively whet their curiosity about the subject of the speech.

#5: Question the audience.

Asking a rhetorical question is another way to get your listeners thinking about your speech sometimes even a single question will do.

#6: Begin with the quotation.

Another way to arouse the interest of your audience is to start with an attention getting quotation. You might choose a quotation from Shakespeare or Confucius, from the bible or Talmud, from Shakespeare, song, or film.

#7: Tell a story.

We all enjoy stories — especially if they are provocative, dramatic, or suspenseful. To work well as instructions, they should also be clearly relevant to the main point of the speech. Used in this way, stories are perhaps the most effective way to begin a speech.

With this information you should be on your way to be writing some amazing intros. Good luck with your speeches!

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Car Cigarette Lighters and a Car Lighter might one day save your life. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Ruhle

You are not limited to the stories of your company, your personal life and stories from others in corporate storytelling. Why not call upon the power contained in a few centuries worth of stories? When you speak in public, you want your audience to be immersed in your subject and able to hold on to your message well after you finish speaking. This desire and need actually applies to storytelling in nearly any situation, from classroom to boardroom to sanctuary to platform.

Mixing in some good myths, legends, fables or fairytales into your public speaking can enhance the character of your presentation. In addition, with this business storytelling technique, you will connect at a much deeper level with your audience than you can when you use personal stories alone. I call these types of stories “world tales.” However, it is hard to just pick one up from any source and use it. It takes some adjusting, rewriting and customizing. Let me give you an example.

I recently had the chance to coach a client who wanted to add more storytelling to her presentation. She knew that she already had enough personal stories, but wanted “something more” to round out her presentation.

My first coaching comment for her was that it was good for her to recognize that there can be too many personal stories in a presentation. It was also good for her to recognize that stories need depth and it is hard to have depth when you are telling many stories of other people. Those stories of others are more anecdotes than they are storytelling. Therefore, she was well on her way to making a solid presentation with a solid use of personal storytelling balanced with a few (as I call them) “world stories.”

She was looking for a story that demonstrated the dangers of staying in the same old place, staying in the same old rut. She had a very specific audience in mind and was finding it hard to get just the right story. After listening to her, I started to research stories. Research is one of my corporate-storytelling coaching duties. I found for her a perfect Aesop Fable. In one of its original complex-language forms, it appears like this:

TWO FROGS were neighbors. One inhabited a deep pond, far removed from public view; the other lived in a gully containing little water, and traversed by a country road. The Frog that lived in the pond warned his friend to change his residence and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that he would enjoy greater safety from danger and food that is more abundant. The other refused, saying that he felt it so very hard to leave a place to which he had become accustomed.

A few days afterwards, a heavy wagon passed through the gully and crushed him to death under its wheels. When I suggested this tale to my coaching client, she shot back with some measure of repulsion. “There is no way I could use a story like that. They will never get over the frog being ‘crushed to death’ in the story. I don’t think you understand what I need.”

Already rather sure of what she would say, I asked her if the message of the story worked for her presentation. “Of course it would. It would do that, but I can’t talk about dead frogs!”

I suggested to her that one of the keys to using world tales is the ability to adapt a story to fit your presentation. It is a skill that very few of the so-called “business storytelling” coaches out there really understand or even have the skill to teach. However, I have been storytelling for more than two decades. I have the skills of a real storyteller.

I told my client that I would adapt this story for her as part of our coaching time. She agreed. In about an hour, I adapted the story for her specific needs. The first draft of the new version looked like this:

Once, there were two frogs. One lived out in the country in a clear, clean pond and had everything that she wanted. She was so happy to be in the outdoors. Her sister, however, lived in the big city in a little canal by the side of the road- where it was busy and dangerous.

One day the country frog visited her sister in the city. The city frog complained about how noisy it was in the city and how hard it was to see the moon at night because of all the tall buildings. The country frog then told her, “It sure is dangerous here. Why don’t you come out to the country with me and live free and happy? I can see the moon anytime I want.”

“No,” said the frog that lived in the city, “I heard there are many snakes out there, and there’s all that mud, and besides, it takes so much energy to move out from my home. I’ll just stay here; at least the canal always has water in it.”

The country frog returned to her home, where she was always happy and free. The next day, the city frog was caught up in a net by a small child, who took her home and put her in a big jar where she was kept with water and fed every day. There the frog remained for the rest of her life, never seeing the moon again, but she did have a never-ending supply of dead flies.

You will notice that I took the essential “core” of the story and adapted it to fit the needs of my client and her audience. I kept the essential concept of taking the safe path vs. risk taking, keeping the idea of staying in a canal/rut/gully to fit well into her need to talk about “getting out of your rut” in her upcoming presentation.

I also had to address her concern about her perception of the violence in the story while still keeping the idea that the frog’s failure to break free of the “rut” would result in frustration and death. I substituted the finality and violent image of a squished frog to that of a captured frog. Who knows, perhaps some day the captured frog could be freed?

I have not shared with you the final version of the story as my client further adapted my first draft to fit her audience. Once she saw that she was not limited to the version she did not like, she quickly used my draft to develop a story that she loved and would be unique to her individual presentation.

When a person objects to a “world tale” in their work, it is most likely because they object to the single version of the story they have discovered. Although it may take some time to develop a new version of a story from the base idea of the tale, it is well worth it. “World tales” allow you, as the speaker and presenter, to tap into the deeper meanings that have made such stories a staple for many different cultures for many centuries.

Take a chance with stories! In the end, do you want your audience to feel connected to you, to have the “aha!” moment that such stories create? Mix in and explore the power of the “world tale” to magnetically attract your audience to your message.

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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.

One of the most searched-for communication skills on the Internet is “how to tell a story.” I would like to give you a quick step-by-step guide to this process of story telling, drawn from my 23 years of being a professional storyteller. This is the fast and quick method to learn a new story.

1. Decide on a story. Sounds elementary, but at some point, you need to find a story that you love. If you are having problems, search the Internet for some simple tales or find some good stories at a site like Storyteller.net  or Aesopfables.com.

2. Break the story down into an outline of events so that you can remember the episodes of each story.

You have two choices for step three. Do one or both if you would like.

3-A. Write out or draw out the parts of the story. Using longhand, that means pencil and paper, write out the episodes of the story in your own words. Do not copy the story. Rewrite it in your own words. Doing this process by hand allows your brain to overcome any resistance you might have to the story. Knowing you can do this process with your story is also a way for your brain to overcome some fear of public speaking that might hinder you from telling this story.

3-B. The other way to break down a story is via “storyboarding,” a technique that many storytellers use. Take a letter-sized piece of paper. Fold it in half along the length. You now have an eleven inch piece of pager that looks like a taco. Then, fold the right side up against the left and then fold the same way again. When you unfold the paper you will have a piece of paper divided into 8 segments.

Starting at the top segment, draw out each step of the story. This is only for you to learn so stick figures and bad drawings are just fine. This visual method may help you grasp the story better than writing alone.

4. Begin to tell yourself the story, aloud, using your own words while looking at one of the #3 tools above. Repeat this process several times.

5. Think about the story you are telling. Are there parts of the story that do not really need to be there? Do they drag down the story? Cross them off the list or the storyboard and tell yourself the story one more time with those parts of the story removed. Again, at each of these times, you are speaking your story aloud. Let your face get a feel for the story.

6. Put your notes down and tell yourself the story a few more times. This is a great exercise to do while you are driving your car or cleaning your house. Just keep talking to yourself.

7. Call up a friend or find an associate and tell them your story. Use no notes or storyboard. When you finish telling the story to your associate, ask them if it makes sense to them. Did they think you left out any parts? This is not the time to see if they “get it” or understand the deep meanings. You just want to know if the essential delivery of the story makes sense.

8. As your confidence in the story grows, you will want to start thinking about the emotions represented by different words in the story. You may find that you wish to emphasize one part or character over another. These things come with time. If you feel better about saying “once upon a time” at the beginning or “the end” as one of your story endings, then do so. As you grow to understand storytelling even more, you will learn so many other ways to start or end a story.

9. When it is time for your story’s debut, be confident. Look at your audience. Speak clearly. Slow down and enjoy the story experience. As a professional storyteller, I can tell you that it takes a dozen or more tellings of a story to find the your true rhythm and delivery for each story.

There you have it, how to tell a great story! This is a quick, get-it-now guide to storytelling. There is so much more you can learn about how to tell a story. Remember- get started today telling stories. Like a painter who must paint often to get better at painting, you, too, must speak stories often and to many groups in order to improve.

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Based in Arizona, Sean Buvala is a full-time professional storyteller and storytelling consultant who works throughout North America teaching storytelling for business. Along with storytelling techniques for corporate communication, Sean is also sought after for training storytelling for teachers of middle school and high-school students. For more information about Sean’s work as a storytelling coach, please see his site at http://www.seantells.net

I went to a wedding over the weekend, and had the opportunity to listen to at least 7 different speeches given by the family and friends of the happy couple. The content of all the speeches were very heartfelt and warm, and written from a place of deep caring for the couple. However, in terms of how the speeches were delivered…well, that’s where there may have been some ‘cracks in the pavement’ for a few of them.

Of course, it’s not easy to get up in front of a room of 300 people – many of them strangers – and deliver a speech. So I applaud each and every speaker for making the decision to put themselves in this situation and having the courage to give a speech.

Some speeches had an ‘edge’ to them – they were delivered loudly, clearly, and humorously. The others had some ‘issues’ – that could have been easily resolved – which would have made them even more well-received. So based on my sample size of 7 wedding speeches, here are six tips on how to give a great wedding speech, divided into 2 categories: Sound issues and delivery issues.

SOUND ISSUES

By far, the largest problems came from problems hearing the speakers – there was a lot of “what did she say?” going on. But there was nothing wrong with the sound system. So speakers, take note:

1. Speak into the microphone. Bring it right up to your mouth if necessary. Each sound system is different, but chances are, if it’s more than 4-5 inches away from your mouth, you won’t be heard very well by your audience.

2. Speak clearly and slowly, and don’t mumble. In person-to-person discussions, many of us speak ‘under our breath,’ meaning that our voice lowers and we don’t say things as clearly. Just as difficult to understand are the fast talkers. When we’re happy and excited, some of us tend to speak a little more quickly. While this may work with one-on-one conversations, it doesn’t when you’ve got a microphone in hand and 300 people who are straining to hear you. So slow it down and speak clearly.

DELIVERY ISSUES

3. Make eye contact with all sides of the room when speaking. Yes, the speech is about – and FOR – the bride and groom. But never forget that there’s a full audience listening to your speech, and they deserve to be addressed as well.

4. Smile, be animated and energetic, and pretend you’re happy to be there (even if you’re so nervous you want to throw up).

And don’t worry if you’re trembling and your paper is shaking. No one expects you to be perfect, and most (if not all) of the audience will give you credit for getting up there in the first place. And rest assured that there are many people in the audience who would not be willing to give a speech like you are. Ever.

FINALLY, A QUICK WORD ABOUT CONTENT:

5. Add stories. Everyone loves to hear stories about the bride and/or groom. But choose your stories carefully, and make sure that they have a relevant point. Example: “Karen was able to learn a fully choreographed dance routine in a matter of hours, which shows what a passionate and driven person she is.” Make sure that the story backs up the point you’re trying to make about the person.

6. Switch between 2nd person (“you”) and 3rd person (“John”). When you want to speak directly to the groom, feel free to do so, as in “John, I can’t believe how you lucked out with this girl.” Vary it up with speaking to the audience ABOUT Jon, as in “Who would ever believed that Jon would luck out with such an amazing girl?” This way, you’re having a conversation with the audience AND with the bride/groom, and everyone feels included.

Giving a wedding speech is no different from giving a speech in any other venue. Remember that you’re speaking to a full room of people, not simply the bride and groom. Create a speech that is heartfelt, funny, and full of stories that have a point. Rehearse extensively. And when you’re up on stage, make sure to speak loudly and clearly into the microphone. Then enjoy the kudos of delivering a memorable speech that you’ll get complimented on for a long time to come.

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Suzannah Baum, founder and president of Ideal Communications, is a public speaking trainer, presentation coach and speaker who believes that everyone can be an exceptional communicator. She has helped business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics unleash their ultimate public speaking potential. Consistently recognized for her ability to create an encouraging, trusting atmosphere that enables her clients to enhance their speaking style in a very short time, her high-rated training style gets the job done quickly and effectively.

Currently, Suzannah gives training seminars and courses at corporations, universities and non-profit organizations, and provides coaching to individuals who must deliver informational and persuasive presentations with confidence, clarity and power. She is the VP Communications of her chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), a prizewinning speaker, an advanced Toastmaster and club mentor, she is also a past Club President and active member in her local Toastmasters chapter. Many other articles on public speaking and celebrity speakers appear in her blog, the Ideal Communicator, at http://idealcommunications.ca/blog.

Having done executive coaching and corporate storytelling training over the last 23 years, I have seen many common mistakes from folks wishing to use storytelling for business presentations. Here are three of my quick fixes for public speaking issues.

Fix Number One: Take your story seriously.

World stories, myths and legends have endured for many centuries because of their ability to carry powerful messages in the small space of well-selected words. Use this power carefully. When I work with clients, they will often have spent many hours on their appearance, their eye contact and the slides they will project. However, they only spend minutes on story selection and presentation. This is a big mistake. There is no such thing as a simple story.  Stories are powerful tools and, used incorrectly, they will explode back at you. Stories selected with care, crafted with good storytelling techniques and told with an intentional purpose will create a long-lasting impact on your audience. Your listeners will remember your stories long after the memory of your nice tie, fancy dress or overhead slides quickly fades away.

Fix Number Two: Plan the gestures you will use.

Your hands do not always need to be in motion nor held clasped in front of you as if you were carrying a bouquet of flowers. Avoid making choppy hand movements with eve-ry syl-la-ble you speak. Plan your gestures to match your story and move effortlessly and smoothly from one gesture to another. Let you hands rest naturally at your sides in between gestures. Try to avoid the finger pyramids or hand clasping between gestures.

Fix Number Three: Speak in your natural voice.

One of the best time investments you can make as a public speaker is to watch a professional storyteller speak to your target demographic of adults. You will see and hear the differences between how one tells stories to adults and how one practices storytelling for children. You must avoid the “sing song” voice of the unpracticed storyteller, who, like revered hosts of children’s television programming, makes a lilting vocal pattern that sends adult audiences screaming out of the room.

Also, be aware that when you speak personal or “real” stories about your company you do not imitate or mimic the voices of others. Speak in your own voice. In most cases, do not change your voice to reflect your perceptions of the gender, race, regional origin or social status of those of which you are speaking. Mimicking another can quickly backfire on you, causing you to lose goodwill and trust with your audience.

Applying these quick fixes for public speaking will help your audience to be fully immersed in your presentation. Your storytelling, well prepared and well coached, can lower your public speaking anxiety and make you one of the best business speakers your audience has ever heard.

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Sean Buvala (Twitter him @ storyteller) is an award-winning storyteller, experienced business speaker and executive speaking coach who helps businesses grow their bottom line and create employee satisfaction through the power of storytelling. His website is http://www.seantells.net. He offers private training and coaching as a storytelling consultant. Learn about his small group, multi-day workshop at http://www.executivespeakingtraining.com.

A speech can be interesting, informative and highly entertaining without being humorous. Most speakers are invited because they are well informed on a specific subject and it is of interest to the audience, the listeners do not necessarily expect to be entertained. For entertainment they would hire an entertainer. However, humor has a number of great benefits in helping the speaker to be more effective in achieving the overall purpose of their speech.

The advantages of using humor in your speech are:

• You’ll quickly gain control of the audience – it gains their attention and helps in pulling them together
• It can be used to transition from one part of the speech to the next
• Helps to illustrate the points that you are making
• It will give the audience a “breather” by breaking up your speech. It is difficult for listeners to concentrate for long periods and it gives them a rest and keeps them interested.
• The use of humor can show that you do not take yourself too seriously and will increase your “likeability” quotient
• When presenting new ideas and policies that may not be popular, you can use humor to put your point across without creating hostility.

Humor can be learned and utilized by anyone willing to try. Most of the best speakers use it. To develop the art of humor will take you only a few minutes a day. To put humor in your speech apply the following:

• Develop a stockpile of stories – be on the lookout for good brief stories in newspapers, magazines and the internet. Be a careful observer of life. Also be a “watchful “listener of stories on TV or other speakers. Note the stories down. Do not rely on your memory.
• Observe other speakers. Note how they tell the story, the tone of their voice, their gestures, face expressions, the timing and pauses.
• Memorize the stories. You cannot read humor – you need to be looking at you audience to sell it. Also you do not want to lose your opportunity by stumbling over the punchline.
• Be prepared to deliver “impromptu” stories. Carry an index card in your pocket with the first line or a suggestive line of several stories. By quickly glancing at the card you will be able to quickly recall the story.
• Practice. A story gets better the more times it is told. Practice in front of the mirror or your family. Try different things – your voice tone, pauses, gestures, facial expressions etc.
• If the audience does not laugh at your story or joke… move on. Don’t let it throw you off course. There will be time to assess after the speech.
• Make the stories relevant to your speech and appropriate to the audience
• Plan the “spice” in your speech. Most TV and radio performers follow their scripts so closely there is not even room for an “ad lib” sneeze.

Humor is an important tool in gaining and keeping an audience’s attention and can be applied by anyone with the desire to develop the art. In summary, memorize and practice, tell the right story at the right time, be prepared, and gather a fund of stories.

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Learn how to improve your speaking effectiveness in public or private. Claim your free preview of “The Art of Great Conversation” visit http://www.selfconfidentspeaking.com

As our audiences change and are influenced by an unending flow of media and attempts at communication, does the average presenter have a chance of cutting through all this noise and clutter in the minds of their listeners?

Yes! However, it requires some intentionality on your part as a speaker or teacher. In no special order, here are ten elements for great contemporary presentations.

1. Preparation
The days of you being able to create a good presentation just off the “top of your head” are gone. Audiences are becoming more focused on singular subjects and you will need to be able to best speak to their niche. There is no excuse for putting together a presentation the night before you present it.

2. Engagement
Repeatedly, I see good presenters fall short of being great presenters in one area: audience involvement. Most adult learners require interaction to best absorb any material. Ask questions of your audience as you speak. Ask them to turn to a neighbor and respond quickly to a point you are making. Help your audience feel a part of the process rather than mindless seat-fillers.

3. Authenticity
You cannot be expected to know everything about any subject, even for those where you might be an expert. Include parts of your presentation where you ask questions to which you do not know the answers. Be genuine in the process.

4. Storytelling
Embrace good storytelling techniques. If you want your audience to remember your facts, frame them in the context of storytelling. Stories and anecdotes carry information back and forth across the brain, giving listeners of all types the chance to hang the information you share on a memorable story hook.

5. Application
With the exception of the highest-level presentations of theory, give your audience a way to apply some new learning immediately when they return to home or office. For example, in my storytelling for business training, I give leaders several tools to find and create stories from their everyday interaction with customers. The concepts I present become usable tools.

6. Diversity
Everyone learns differently. Include some lecture, some activity and some visuals in all of your presentation. Let your audience use many of their senses.

7. Humor
It is okay to laugh a bit. Especially in very complex subjects, add a bit of humor to lighten the mood or make transitions between the concepts in your presentation. Be sure your humor is good for general audiences.

8. Creativity
Why should an audience listen to you talk about your subject? Be creative and offer a new understanding of your topic. You want your audience to think, “I’ve never thought about it like that before.”

9. Humility
You do not know it all. As you practice the element of authenticity listed above, be grateful and honest when an audience member challenges you or helps you with a new understanding.

10. Pacing
Keep your presentations moving forward. Keep your learning goals to just one or two main points. Your audience should feel like they are on an exciting journey to new knowledge with you. Be fun, focused and (usually) fast.

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The author, Sean Buvala, is a professional storyteller and business coach specializing in the needs of nonprofit and corporate communications. Since 1986, he has helped national and local organizations communicate great ideas and grow their bottom line. You can find his website at http://www.seantells.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/storyteller. Sean lives with his family in Arizona.

Having a good sense of storytelling techniques is important for people involved in any form of communication. Unlike other ways to express a story, storytelling takes place in the moment between the storyteller and listener. It is a unique experience. Here are nine storytelling tips to use when you want to make the most of the story you have chosen.

1. Choose stories you like.
No matter if you are telling stories to children, illustrating a point in a business presentation or telling a sacred story in church or temple, use stories that you like. There are thousands upon thousands of stories in the world. Use the ones you like.

2. Practice your story.
Take the time to learn how to tell a story. Do not look at or hear a story just once and try to repeat it. Break the story into parts and remember the action piece by piece. Practice with a recording device and a gentle-yet-truthful friend who can hear your first attempts.

3. Take out the parts of the story that slow down the action.
Beginning storytellers will hear or read a story and then try to retell every nuance of the story. Storytelling occurs in the moment so not every detail has to be included each time. Ask yourself, “Do I need to tell this piece of the story this time? Is it critical to the story?”

4. Speak clearly.
If you have chosen a story you like, thought about the parts that fit and then practiced telling that story, you will be confident to deliver it to the audience. Smile if the story requires it and then speak with that confidence. Enunciate and project your voice towards the listeners.

5. Keep an appropriate pace.
Again, with confidence in your own story and preparation, you will not be in a hurry to spill out the words of your story. Speak slowly enough to be understood but not so slowly that the minds of the audience go wandering.

6. Use a microphone.
You need to use a microphone to be heard. This shows respect to your audience. For experienced speakers, you will want a microphone if your group is 25 or more people. For those new to public-speaking, use the mic with any group larger than a few gathered around a table.

7. Keep good eye contact.
Look at your audience, linger with one person and move on to the next. It always amazes me how one fleeting moment of eye contact can make an audience member come to me and say, “I felt like you were talking to me personally.”

8. Use natural gestures.
“You looked so confident up there. I never know what to do with my hands.” When people say this to me, I am thankful that I took the time to prepare which gestures I would use and when I would use them. Make gestures that come naturally to you, but plan and prepare them ahead of time.

9. Avoid the “moral of the story” finishes.
Stories are often powerful pieces of Truth and storytelling is one of the most effective ways to convey them. You dilute the power of the story when you are the first to tell an audience what your story means. If you must do the “moral” of a story, ask your audience first to tell you what they think. It will surprise you.

Storytelling techniques like these nine can help you communicate better when you have a story to tell. If you are just starting out, choose one or two of these storytelling tips that you will pay extra attention to in your next presentation.

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Would you like a free 30-lesson storytelling-techniques E-course? Then visit the author’s website at http://www.seantells.com. Sean Buvala has been teaching and training storytelling for business and nonprofit organizations for a quarter of a century. Travelling the nation as a public-speaking coach, Sean has assembled that experience and knowledge into the “Storytelling 101 Workbook and Coaching Kit” available for download at http://www.storytelling101.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_Buvala

The moment I start to write a speech, the following lines from one of my “theme” songs go off in my head:

“Every face tells a story/No need to hide and lie/Every face tells a story/Yours is saying goodbye.”

The difference is that while the tune remains the same, the words become:

“Every speech tells a story/Audience response don’t lie/Every speech tells a story/Will they be saying goodbye?”

No, I’m not crazy. Every speech does tell a story and audience response does not lie. We, the audience could not care less how great your content is if you do not connect with us. We might be too polite to walkout but we do say goodbye in our minds. You should’ve been able to tell from our body language but you didn’t connect with us, remember?

Connecting with the audience, and early in the speech, is the single greatest asset a speaker can have. Why? Don’t look now… but the speech is not about you, it’s about your audience. So, how to connect with your audience? Read on.

1. Know your audience.

It’s called audience analysis and even the greenest of Public Speakers has heard of it. So why don’t you do it? When I’m in charge of a programme and I invite people to speak, very few ask about the audience. Most ask what to wear and if I’m paying. When they are awarded an appreciation just above “walk out” by the audience they comment unfavourably about the intelligence level of the group.

Apart from all the questions I ask before I begin to write, I arrive early at the venue and try to get to know a few people by name. When I am delivering my speech, I use their names at various points. This connects me not only to the “name owners” but the rest of the audience who is usually so impressed!

2. Be yourself and share it with the audience.

I have a terrific sense of humour and an “in your face” personality. That’s me, that’s what I bring to my speaking and writing. Nothing creates more distance between you and your audience than if you’re insincere. Now is not the time to be the Stand Up Comic just because somewhere you read “begin a speech with a joke.”  You’re not comfortable telling jokes so just use any of the other 10 popular ways to start your speech. This will prevent you from being the joke.

3. Demonstrate confidence in your content.

You’re lucky. You’re what in my country is called a “Big Up.” Somebody researches and writes your speeches for you. Great! Is it too much then, for us the audience to expect you to collect that speech BEFORE you leave home for the event and edit it so that it becomes yours? How can you hope to convince us about anything when you’re stumbling over unfamiliar words and rushing through complex concepts?

For you not-so-fortunate folk like me, use a style of writing and delivery that you’re comfortable with and reflects your personality. Too many people believe that once you have to speak to more than five people at a time, you must use a style and tone from the days of Chaucer. You are wrong. This only makes you sound as though you borrowed the speech and prevents you from connecting with the listeners.

4. Tell personal stories.

Nothing connects like letting your audience know that you’re human. Don’t be afraid to share the story of how you arrived for the meeting too early – one week too early – to emphasise your point about the importance of using a personal planner.

I believe that story-telling is so important to adding zest to your presentation that as part of my public speaking training, I did the story-telling module. Any good salesperson will tell you that people buy with emotion and justify it with fact. It’s the same with making a presentation. Grab them on emotion, keep them with facts. I always have a story to tell. What’s your story?

5. Have fun!

Really, please do. I know you will say that I can say that because I’m a trained public speaker, but I was having fun first before I had all the training. So smile, show lots of enthusiasm and play with the audience. Think of the situation as having a conversation instead of delivering a speech. Don’t behave as though you’re at the dentist for a root canal. Have fun!

Now, can’t you begin using these tips right away? Yes you can. And when you do I’m sure you’ll be telling me that now you’re as good as I am! Well… not quite, but nearly.

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Lorna Barrow’s public speaking training spans twenty years and include training and coaching thousands of people to achieve their public speaking goals. Before your next speech, download her Basic Steps to Public Speaking Handbook from the Purchase Zone at http://www.itds-training.com so that you can stand up and speak, and sit down and smile. While you’re there, don’t forget to grab all the wonderful free stuff that awaits you!