Public Speaking Tips from 997 Ways To Be A Great Speaker » Visual Aids

What To Do When Things Go Wrong During Your Speech

Guest Blogger — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 19:14:26 +0000

Murphy’s Law states: Whatever can go wrong, does. This is true even when you speak. The good news is, knowing what might go wrong ahead of time will help you to know how to handle it.

If Murphy does show up on the scene, never let your audience see you sweat! Never apologize when something goes wrong, and never make excuses.

On a recent episode of America’s Got Talent one of the acts was a team of two young children about ten or eleven years old. They started dancing on stairs and guess what? The little girl fell. Seconds later she got up and performed as if nothing happened. At the end of their performance the judges asked her, “Are you okay, honey? “Are you hurt?” At that moment she started to cry. Until then she was a trooper and never let anyone see her sweat.

That’s a perfect example of what you want to do as a performer and speaker. Unexpected things are going to happen that are out of your control. What are they? Here are five possibilities and how to handle them with grace and ease.

#1 – Electronic gadgets in the audience.

Today, people will often bring their laptops or other electronic devices to a presentation or workshop. The problem is, these devices disconnect your listener from you and you’re your talk. The best solution is to discourage the use of computers, laptops, netbooks, iPads and iPhones during your presentation.

Train your audience to turn off their cell phones by asking them to do so at the beginning of your talk. Take out your own cell phone and demonstrate what you want them to do while asking them to turn it off. Then thank them for doing so.

When people bring their laptops to use-and I’ve seen it over and over-they are not thinking about the event or the people in it; they are thinking about themselves. I’ve seen people plug the laptops in an outlet in the center aisle where people walk. As the speaker, you’re in control of the room and you’ve got to pay attention to what your audience it doing so you can correct it if necessary.

I discourage people from using their computers during my talks. It is a known fact that your audience will retain more information if they write it down than if they type it. So do your audience a favor and ask them to put away all electronic devices.

#2 – Your laptop explodes.

You’re ready to start your presentation and you turn on your computer – it doesn’t turn on! Always make sure you have a backup ready, especially if it’s your event. I have a regular laptop and a netbook. I bring them both. I also bring a flash drive because someone in the audience will have a laptop I can use.

Have a backup plan ready just in case something happens to your own equipment. That goes for the projector, as well. Make sure you have an extra bulb because that’s what usually burns out. They’re very expensive, but it’s a good idea to have a spare.

Here’s a backup strategy: Bring two computers, have an outline of what you’re going say in case of ultimate equipment failure. This will ensure that you’re not dependent on your PowerPoint and the speech will go on!

At my last Persuasive Speaking Mastery even, one of my guest speakers brought her presentation on her laptop. She didn’t bring a backup on a flash drive. Her computer was not compatible with my projector. After 30 minutes of trying to get it to work, the guest speaker got her office to email the presentation to us. Now, what would have happened if no one was available at her office? It could have been a disaster.

If you’re going to bring your own computer to a presentation, make sure you have a backup plan. Part of that backup plan is your PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive. And for good measure, you may even want your assistant at your office when your speech starts.

#3 – Forgot your flash drive?

What do you do if you left your presentation behind? Panic? No. The first rule as a speaker, don’t be dependent on your PowerPoint. If you can’t go on without it, then you’re too dependent on it. If this happens, forget the PowerPoint and stand up and do your presentation like a professional.

During a multi-speaker event I hosted two years ago, once again a speaker’s PowerPoint was not compatible with our equipment. The speaker insisted on using the PowerPoint and would not go on stage without it. It took over 45 minutes to get it going. When the speaker finally went on stage she was flustered and it showed. The end result – no sales. Always remember, YOU are the presentation, not your PowerPoint.

#4 – The microphone breaks.

This has happened to me a couple times! Sometimes the handheld microphone breaks or the batteries go out in the lavaliere. Both can be devastating. Once, I was presenting on a big stage and all of a sudden the lavaliere went out. The sound guy gave me a handheld microphone. Since I like to use my hands when I talk this wasn’t the most comfortable solution. I would have rather kept my lapel microphone.

If you find yourself speaking on a multi-speaker stage, be sure ask the sound guy to check the batteries before you talk.

It is imperative to have a good overall sound system. At my very first Persuasive Speaking Mastery event I had over 140 people in the audience. I brought my own lavaliere system because I thought I would pull it into the hotel equipment and I could save some money. Wrong. The hotel equipment didn’t work right and everyone had trouble hearing me. Today, I avoid all the hassles by hiring a professional audio/visual guy who brings his own quality equipment and controls the sound levels. It is money well-spent.

If you’re speaking to small groups of 20, 25, or even 50, you probably don’t need a professional sound system. However, if you have a soft voice, you may. Either hire a professional or invest in the equipment yourself.

#5 – Run out of time.

It’s really important to stay on time. The longer you go over your time, the less likely it is you’ll be invited back because it throws off their entire meeting. It also shows disrespect to the audience and the host.

Let’s say you have a new presentation and you don’t know how long it will take or you have three parts but only have time to present one part. You can ask the audience, “I have three more points and it looks like I won’t have time to get to them. Which one of these do you want me to cover [list them]?” Let your audience tell you want they want. Be creative and say you’ll email them the other two topics.

If you see the clock ticking, don’t speed up your dialogue and rush through everything! Don’t talk so fast that your audience doesn’t understand you and don’t drop the last part of your speech. That’s the biggest mistake people make-they speed up and leave out their close. That’s not going to help you or your audience. It’s better to eliminate some of the points then it is to drop the close. Remember, the close is how you make sales and help others to create breakthroughs in their lives and in their businesses.

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Arvee Robinson is a Persuasive Speaking Coach, Master Speaker Trainer, International Speaker, and Author. She teaches business owners, service professionals, and entrepreneurs how to use public speaking as a marketing strategy so they can attract more clients, generate unlimited leads and grow their businesses, effortlessly. She teaches a proven system for delivering persuasive presentations, and easy to use formulas for creating a killer elevator pitch and a magnetic self-introduction. Arvee has helped hundreds of individuals to win clients and close more sales every time they speak. She offers private coaching, workshops, and weekly tele-classes. Her programs make people money for the rest of their lives. For more information, visit http://www.instantprospeaker.com.

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Public Speaking Visual Aids – It’s PowerPoint, Not the Great American Novel

Guest Blogger — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:11:13 +0000

Public speaking is about connecting with an audience, plain and simple. Connecting with your audience, then, and giving them what they want, should be the goal of every public speaker.

I have spoken in front of live audiences since I was 7 years old, so being a professional speaker has been an easy jump for me in my career. Connecting with live audiences – whether as a college instructor, as a sales person making a pitch to a room full of prospects, an emcee, a keynote speaker, a breakout trainer, or a featured platform presenter – has been the way I have made my living my entire professional life. But it’s only been in the past couple of years I’ve begun using the slide show technology PowerPoint with my presentations – and then only if it’s asked for or requited of me.

PowerPoint is a fabulous visual aid. All speakers should be familiar with it and be able to prepare an effective PowerPoint presentation. Unfortunately the problem with PowerPoint is that it’s so easy to use incorrectly.

In fact there are so many potential user errors this article is limited to discussing and helping you eliminate just one. That one major problem I see with most PowerPoint presentations: too many words.

There are multiple reasons why having too many words on your PowerPoint slides is a definite no-no. But first let’s look at the purpose of a visual aid.

The job of a visual aid in any speech is to clarify or enhance a particular point you are presenting. As you prepare your visual aids keep that purpose in mind and with each slide you create ask yourself, “What exactly does this slide clarify or enhance and how?”

Some professional speakers actually argue you should never use any words on your slides. Why? Because as a speaker it’s your job to tell the story of your slides to an audience. I agree, images, graphics, tables, charts, and photographs can all stand alone without any written text. Yet, I believe well-chosen text can help clarify or enhance your slides.

Here are a few tips for reducing or eliminating “text clutter” from your PowerPoint slides:

Limit the number of words: Each slide should ideally contain fewer than 10-12 words for maximum effect. Remember, it’s your job as the speaker to explain what the audience is seeing on each slide.
Use compelling text: Your slides can ask a question, state a fact or statistic, provide a definition, or give a quotation.
Find compelling images: Search the web for free clip art, royalty-free photography, and other images to help illustrate your story or main point. Or use your own. (Note: copyright infringement is illegal – just because you find a photo, image or graphic freely displayed on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s legal for you to use it. Make sure you’re not breaking the law!)

Remember your job as a speaker is to connect with, engage, and give the audience what they want. Your job is NOT to read them your slides as if you’ve just written the next great American (or British or Canadian or Australian) novel. When you’re reading you cannot engage – you’re busy reading – and the same is true with your audience. If they are busy reading your slides, they are not listening to and engaging with you either. Engage with your audience and you will be a dynamic public speaker.

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Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to market a small business. I invite you to discover how to create your own talk and the 5 easy steps you can take today to get started with this powerful marketing tool. Pick up a FREE recording where you’ll get all the secrets of marketing your business with a speech. Go now to http://www.SignatureSpeechSecrets.com

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. is a communication consultant, speaker & coach specializing in training small and home-based business owners effective communication and public speaking skills so they can see more cash flow now.

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

Public Speaking: The Different Kinds of Visual Aids

Guest Blogger — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:25:03 +0000

When giving a speech it can be quite a nerve-wracking experience. Often times people will try to gain their audience’s attention by using visual aids in their speeches. This helps keep the audience interested while at the same time helping them understand the subject matter easier. There are many different types of visual aids and in this article I would like to describe to you 10 of the most prominent types of visual aids and how they can be used.

Objects ~ Bringing the object of your speech to class can be an excellent way to clarify your ideas and give them dramatic impact. If your specific purpose is “to inform my audience how to choose the right ski equipment” why not bring the equipment to class to show your listeners.

Models ~ If the item you want to discuss is too large, too small, or unavailable, you may be able to work with the model. One student, a forensic science major, use a model of the human skull to show how forensic scientists use a bone fragments to reconstruct crime injuries. Another used a scaled down model of the hang glider to illustrate Different techniques of hang gliding.

Photographs ~ In the absence of an object or model, you may be able to use photographs. They will not work effectively, however, unless they are large enough for the audience to view without straining their eyes. Normal-size photos are too small to be seen clearly without being passed around-which only diverts the audience from what you’re saying. The same is true of photo graphs-in books

Drawings ~ Diagrams, sketches, and other kinds of drawings are inexpensive to make and keep. They can be designed to illustrate your points exactly. This more than compensates for what they lack in the realism.

Graphs ~ Audiences often have trouble grasping a complex series of numbers. You can ease the difficulty by using graphs to show statistical trends and patterns.

Transparencies ~ Photographs, drawings, and graphs can all be converted into transparencies. Transparencies are inexpensive, easy to create, and produce strong visual images.

Charts ~ Charts are useful for summarizing large blocks of information. One student in a speech titled “The United States: a nation of immigrants,” used a chart to show the leading regions of the world for U.S. immigrants.

Video ~ If you’re talking about the impact caused by low speed automobile accident what could be more effective than showing slow motion video of crash tests, or suppose you are explaining the different kinds of roller coasters found in amusement parks your best visual aid would be a video showing those coasters in action.

Multimedia Presentations ~ Multimedia presentations allow you to integrate a variety of visual aids-including charts, maps, photographs, and video-in the same talk.

The Speaker ~ Sometimes you can even use your own body as a visual aid, by illustrating how a conductor directs an orchestra, revealing the secrets behind magic tricks, or by showing how to perform sign language, and so forth.

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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

Storytelling For Business – Three Quick Fixes

Guest Blogger — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:13:33 +0000

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.

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

What you should know about… Visual Presentations

Guest Blogger — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 21:44:57 +0000

by John Freisinger

Seldom in the life of your start-up company will a presentation be more important than your first meeting with a prospective investor. The validation of your idea, your dream and your future will be defined by a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation. Your wild success or abysmal failure will be dictated by your skill with a Microsoft Office product.

As your computer boots up you begin to panic. “How can I make this the best slide show they have ever seen?” “What fonts should I use?” “Maybe I can learn to do that cool animation that I saw at that conference last year. Yeah, that’s it! I need to learn to do cool animations.”

Hold it right there. As a veteran of hundreds of funding presentations, I can tell you the best thing to do is to start by turning your computer off and begin planning a presentation and not a slide show. PowerPoint can make a good presentation even stronger, but even the greatest slides will not save a mediocre presentation.

Where to Begin

All great presentations begin with a vital question, “What do I have to offer my audience?” In the case of an audience of equity investors your answer has to be, “An extraordinary investment opportunity that creates an urgent desire for more information.” Notice the key phrases is that answer, “extraordinary opportunity” and “more information.” Regardless of the presentation, the goal always remains the same: be memorable and leave them wanting more.

Being Memorable

Raising capital is a competition. It is a contest for the attention and mindshare of the investor. In a competition where everyone has the next great technology the only way to be remembered is to be extraordinary. Your idea is extraordinary; your presentation should be as well. Extraordinary presentations have three components:, content, structure and delivery. Your computer cannot generate content, so your first step will include a blank sheet of paper, a pile of sticky notes, or, if you can’t bring yourself to turn off your computer, mind-mapping or brainstorming software.

Brainstorming Content

Investors are looking for credible indicators that you and your company can successfully manage all of the risks associated with starting and running a business, thereby increasing the likelihood of a return on their investment. Spend time listing all of the risks your company might face and write them down, along with your mitigation strategy for dealing with each risk. Somewhere along the way, someone with a big checkbook is likely to ask you about it. In your first meeting, be prepared to concisely discuss:

Customer Risk (Who wants our product and why?)
Market Risk (How big and how you get in?)
Adoption Risk (How significant is your solution to the customer?)
Management Risk (Why you and your team?)
IP Protection Risk (How do your keep your idea from being stolen?)
Manufacturing Risk (Can you provide it in quantity?)
Financial Risk (Will you have enough to execute your plan?)

Questions during your presentation and subsequent meetings allow investors to explore other risk areas, so be prepared to address the wildest risks you can imagine. Spending time preparing specific, well-reasoned answers will place you above the ordinary entrepreneur.

Structure

Once you have gathered your content you can begin to plan the structure of your presentation. Select only the most pertinent facts to support the assertion that you are an outstanding investment opportunity and then present them in a compelling manner. While it is possible to pack a single presentation with every detail, even superhuman investors cannot process more than four or five facts about your company per meeting. So be selective. Create a rank-ordered list of strengths that support your assertion that your company is a good investment risk. Trimming your list to the top four or five will force you to be focused and clear. In communication, simplicity creates clarity.

Starting with your second biggest strength and ending with your first, arrange your points into a logical progression of ideas. Look for stories or examples that personalize your points and make an emotional impact with your audience. Logic makes us think but emotions move us to action.

PowerPoint Structure

Finally, it may be time to boot up your computer. PowerPoint has become the universal format for conveying business concepts. When used properly it will help provide the visual components needed to make an extraordinary presentation. The key to effective use of PowerPoint is to use it only when absolutely necessary. After you have established the structure and identified the key ideas, ask yourself what is the best way to show, not tell, each idea. Each slide should anchor the idea that it represents. Find anchors that the investors can remember and will share with their partners.

For instance, a picture of an auto accident victim being loaded into an ambulance with the words “1 in 3 Will Die” is a more effective mental anchor in someone’s mind than a graph that demonstrates the average mortality rate in a auto accident for people who don’t use seat belts. Other facts may be better represented with a story than a bulleted slide.

Suggestions for using slides as mental anchors:

The 3 Second Rule. The viewer must understand the information on the slide in 3 seconds. Include no more than 3 elements (bullets, pictures, graphs) per slide to make sure.
Avoid the “Slocument.” More than 20 words on a slide and it becomes a slide document or “slocument.”
Move with a Purpose. Animations should only be used if they enhance an anchor.
Keep it Clean. Eliminate anything on the slide that doesn’t support the anchor, including backgrounds.
Where’s Waldo? If you use a chart or graph, highlight the relevant point so your audience doesn’t have to search for it.<
Mind your Ps and Qs. Limit your font selection to no more than two complimentary types (one for headlines, one for subheads) and never smaller than 30-point type.

Delivery

The last step in providing an extraordinary presentation is to begin with your audience in mind. Your job is to give them what they expect, teach them something they did not know and leave them asking for another meeting.

Your initial meeting with a group of investors will likely be a 30-minute invitation to provide an overview of your company. If you are given 30 minutes, only use 20 of them. Not only is this unexpected but it allows for unforeseen questions, interruptions or late starts. Let the audience ask you for more time, don’t just take it.

Your initial meeting should focus on the solution that your company provides to a large market and how you will turn that solution into a profitable return for your investors. It is not an invitation to present a technical briefing. It is critical to make your first meeting a successful connection so that there will be future meetings in which you can have in-depth discussions about your technology.

You will be expected to be on time, engaging, knowledgeable about your slides and subject matter and supported by specific and well-designed slides. Plan for the unexpected—from projector or power failures to interruptions and ridiculous questions.

Invest a lot of time in practice. You will be giving this presentation multiple times you can be assured that none of your practice will be wasted so do it. Practice your pace. Practice the length of time you spend on each slide. Practice the time it takes to answer a question. Practice enough so that you aren’t using your slides as a script. Practice enough so that that you could give your presentation without slides because sometimes your slides will not be available to you. Professionals practice until they cannot get it wrong. Amateurs, and the unfunded, wing it.

As the subject matter expert on your business you are well equipped to provide your audience with items they don’t already know. People love trivia. Arm your investors with a few interesting facts they can share with others at cocktail parties. In short, teach them something useful they did not know. If they repeat you, they remember you.

And finally remember, that no business has been funded based on one great PowerPoint presentation. A presentation is a success if it earns an invitation to present again. The next meeting is where you will have the opportunity to share more with the audience.

Work this strategy into your presentations. Create enough interest that the investor wants to know more. Provide them with resources to do some independent research, such as your Business Plan and your web site, and suggest that their next step should be to have you back to expand on some of the key ideas that you have presented.

Final Note:

You First, Then PowerPoint

So take that deep breath. Brainstorm your content, create a cohesive structure and practice your delivery. Remember this is just one presentation on your road to success and PowerPoint is just your billboard.

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John Freisinger is a professional speaker, public speaking trainer, and messaging strategist. He works specifically with entrepreneurs, executives, and ecclesiastics. You can read more articles on his website at www.JohnFreisinger.com.

Mastering the PowerPoint Beast in 3 Easy Steps

Guest Blogger — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:52:02 +0000

Can we all be honest here? PowerPoint is a part of everyone’s life no matter how you feel about it. We all seem to fall into one of three camps: we fear it, we love it too much, or we just don’t really know what to do with it. With a little help, I think that I can help you out here…

Get Your Head Straight

The first thing to work out isn’t what your slides need to look like, rather it’s what role PowerPoint should play in your next speech. The answer is, always, a supporting role.

This means that you need to make sure that your audience doesn’t end up spending your entire speech looking at your slides and not you. Likewise, you don’t want your slides to confuse your audience – almost as if they are telling a different story than what you are talking about.

Speech First, Slides Second – Or Third

If you only remember one thing from reading this, I’m hoping that this is it: always, always write your speech first. Don’t you dare pop open that copy of PowerPoint and start creating slides until AFTER you’ve gotten your words all worked out. Remember: the slides are there to support your speech, not the other way around.

I fully understand just how easy it is to instead of picking up a pen (or a keyboard) and spending some time doing the hard job of writing (un-fun) that you open PowerPoint and spend a lot of time drawing (fun!) The problem with this is that you’ll end up creating a lousy speech.

When your words have to follow your slides, the slides will take center stage and you’ll be shoved off into a corner. There won’t be a natural flow to your words. Instead it will appear as though you are just reading off of each slide as it is displayed. This is no way to give a speech.

Slides Are Like Diamonds – They Should Be Rare

Sadly I suspect that at one time or another we’ve all had to sit though one of those speeches where the presenter showed up with like 300 slides and come hell or high water, they were going to show each and every one of them to us.

After you’ve created your speech and when you start to design some slides, you need to make sure that you don’t turn into that person with 300 slides. A good way to prevent it is to take a step back and look at your speech. What is the main point that you are trying to make? You should probably have a slide for that. What are the three ways that you support the main point that you are trying to make? You should probably have slides for those. If you can stop here, that would be a good thing.

Cut Down On The Slides That You Have

The last thing that you’re going to want to do is to throw away some of your slides. “What?” you say. You heard me, you’ve got too many slides. I don’t care which ones you throw away, just get rid of some of them – they can’t all be critical to the message that you are trying to make.

This may be difficult for you to do, but do it anyway. Your audience will benefit from it and they’ll thank you in the end.

What All Of This Means For You

Repeat after me “PowerPoint is my friend”. It can be an important tool that can make your next speech even more powerful; however, you have to know how to use it.

The key things to keep in mind are simple, but critical. You must remember to write your speech before you start to create slide. You have to keep the number of slides that you make to a minimum. Finally, you need to make a second pass and throw away as many slides as you possibly can.

Adding multimedia to your next presentation can only make it better. Just remember, you are the star of the show, not your slides!

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Dr. Jim Anderson
http://www.TheAccidentalCommunicator.com
Your Source For Real World Public Speaking Skills™

Dr. Anderson will share with you the knowledge that he has gained while working to improve the speaking ability of both individuals and teams of speakers for over 20 years. Learn the secrets of effective speakers and really connect with your audience during your next speech. If you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at: http://twitter.com/drjimanderson

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Don’t Let Your Gestures Distract Your Audience

Guest Blogger — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:12:37 +0000

“What do I do with my hands when I speak?” This is a question nervous speakers and presenters regularly ask. The answer is, you don’t do anything with them, at least not consciously. If you prepare and practice your talk, your gestures will be smooth and complement your words.

Have you ever watched a speaker whose presentation appeared natural and effortless? Were you aware of their hand movements? Probably not. On the other hand, have you ever been distracted by a nervous speaker who irritated you by wringing their hands, twisting their ring, waving or flapping their arms? You can probably remember that speaker but not their words.

Get to grips with your hand gestures and transform them into meaningful movements if you want people to remember your words and not your distracting gestures.

Prepare your speech or presentation well before the date of delivery. Write it out and read it silently to yourself several times. Don’t try to memorize the words but focus on internalizing the message you want to get across to your audience. Then practice saying it aloud without using your notes. You may not remember every word, unless you are blessed with a photographic memory, but you will remember the structure and the ideas and many of the words. If you don’t, go back and repeat it silently to yourself again until you do.

If you prepare and practice in this way, when you deliver your speech, your focus will be on your audience where it should be, and not on yourself and your delivery. Internalizing your talk frees you to connect with your listeners, and your gestures will be natural and in tune with your words rather than out of tune.

The best way to notice your gestures is to ask for feedback from someone you trust to be objective or, even better, to record yourself. Watch the recording and note any repeated arm and hand movements that distract you from your words. Then watch it again with the sound off and see how many more you can spot. It’s not pleasant viewing but it’s very effective at ridding speakers of bad habits. It’s amazing what we do when we don’t know we’re doing it.

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Moira Beaton is a Communication and Public Speaking Coach and Trainer guaranteed to help you be yourself and become memorable. Contact her at http://www.MoiraMBeaton.com and http://www.confident-speaker.blogspot.com

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

52 Weeks of Public Speaking Tips… Cool!

Guest Blogger — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:54:09 +0000

World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig Valentine, has created a neat resource program… sign up for it, and you’ll get 1 public speaking tip per week, for 52 weeks.

And, it’s free.

Cool, eh?

Go here: http://www.52speakingtips.com
– (and, tell him we sent you!)

Public Speaking – What Should I Do With My Hands?

Guest Blogger — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:39 +0000

“What do I do with my hands when I’m speaking?” is a common question that I hear when I’m teaching public speaking. Your hands form an important part of your non-verbal communication, or body language, and can help you convey confidence and communicate more effectively to your audience.

Here are 5 tips for what to do with your hands:

1. Be Aware of What Your Hands Are Doing
The first step in preventing your hands from distracting your audience is to become conscious of what your hands are doing. Are you cracking your knuckles, playing with your pen or twisting your note cards? I’ve seen speakers do each of these actions and they usually don’t realize they’re doing it. Focus on your hands while practicing, watch yourself on video or ask for feedback from a trusted colleague.

2. Use the “Neutral Position”
When not gesturing, your hands should be in the neutral position – hanging loosely at your sides. They should not be jammed in your pockets, folded across your chest or clasped behind your back.

3. Keep Your Hands Empty
There is no need to hold a pen, rubber band or paper clip while speaking. It’s easier and less distracting to gesture with empty hands. If you must hold your notes, the PowerPoint remote or a microphone, refer to point #1 and be aware of what your hands are doing with that item.

4. Relax Your Hands
I’ve seen speakers clench their hands into fists or grip the sides of the podium, neither of which conveys a relaxed confidence. Make sure that any nervousness or anxiety you may be feeling is not expressed by your hands.

5. Gesture to Support Your Words
Simple, natural gestures will support and visually illustrate your words. For example, use your hands to show distance traveled or open both arms wide to show that you are welcoming the audience.

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Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people from all walks of life improve their communication and presentation skills. Receive a FREE Special Report, “Six Mistakes to Avoid in Public Speaking, So Your Presentation Sparkles” by visiting http://gildabonanno.com/newsletter.aspx and entering your email address. You’ll also be subscribed to Gilda’s free twice-monthly e-newsletter containing practical tips you can use immediately to improve your communication and presentation skills.

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

7 Deep Craters Power Point Users Often Fall Into and How to Avoid Them

Guest Blogger — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:15:58 +0000

1. Don’t put your entire speech on your slides.
Not only is this boring, but your audience will be able to see what you’re going to say. Instead, “bullet” or outline your high points. Remember, mystery creates interest.

2. Don’t read your slides word for word.
Your audience can read faster than you can speak. Paraphrasing instead will free you to connect to your audience.

3. Don’t use too much text.
Use no more that six bullets per slide and no more than six words per bullet. Use phrases, not sentences; otherwise, your audience will be reading and not listening to you.

4. Don’t be small.
Make it BIG! Your text cannot be too large! A good rule of thumb is to stand about 5 feet from your computer monitor. If you can’t read your presentation easily from there, your point size is too small. The quickest way to lose an audience is to make them strain to see a presentation. A good starting point is 35 points or larger for titles and 25 points or larger for text.

5. Don’t use red and green color combinations.
It may look pretty on your computer monitor, but it will not make a good transition to large-screen projection. This combination is difficult to read, especially for color-blind individuals. Use other contrasting colors that are easier on the eyes for background and text.

6. Don’t use fancy scrolled and scripted fonts.
In most cases, they’re difficult to read. Choose fonts that are easy to read such as Verdana or Times New Roman.

7. Don’t present in the dark.
Insist on having the lights on during your presentation or a spotlight on you. If your audience can’t see you, you won’t connect with them. Without eye contact, it is extremely difficult to hold your audience’s attention.

Remember, PowerPoint is a tool to help you demonstrate your points visually. It’s NOT your presentation, YOU are! Don’t let it upstage you.

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Arvee Robinson is a Persuasive Speaking Coach, Speaker, and Author. She works with Service Professionals and Business Owners who want to attract more clients by communicating more clearly about what they do. She teaches them simple, proven systems for delivering persuasive business speeches, getting the most out of networking, and creating a 30-Second Magnetic Introduction. Arvee has helped hundreds of individuals to eliminate nervousness, command their audiences’ attention and develop and deliver sales-winning presentations.

Arvee offers one-on-one coaching, corporate training, workshops, and teleclasses and would love to speak at your organization. To contact Arvee, email arvee@instantprospeaker.com at or call her (909) 949-8527.