You have a good clear voice. You can be heard across the room, yet every time you speak, someone tells you it was a good speech but all it needed was some more vocal variety. What is the matter with these people? What are they talking about?
Pssst! They’re talking about the way you use your voice to create interest, excitement and or emotional involvement. That’s vocal variety! Read More→
It is okay to use notes when presenting, especially if you’re speaking on a new topic or to a new audience. The key to using notes effectively is what is included in your notes and how you use them. The following ten tips will help you use notes effectively to remember the key points of your presentation so you can deliver your message to your audience clearly and within the time limit. Read More→
Let’s be honest. As much as people hate giving a presentation, it’s no thrill listening to most of them. The first cue we’re in for a rough time? When the speaker (make that the majority of speakers) begins with “I’m going to talk to you today about (fill in the blank).” Cue the snooze! Read More→
When speaking in public and discussing your own experiences with an audience, how does one do so without sounding arrogant and egotistical? Recently I attended a speech just of that kind. I believe the speaker’s goal was to inspire his listeners to join his industry by sharing his success story. But there were several problems. Read More→
Whether they are preparing for a business presentation, wedding speech or fund-raising event, many of my clients explain that they know what they want to say, but just can’t get the words on the page.
The important thing to remember at this formative stage is that the finished product needs to be Read More→
At a workshop I was holding in Toronto, one of the participants proceeded to deliver part of a rote, memorized persuasive presentation. This man, who I will call Bill, told us that he was a ‘professional’ speaker and that his presentations lasted 90 minutes. Luckily for us, he was only allowed to speak for 8-9 minutes; however, it took just 5 minutes of his memorized script for the attention of the group to begin to fade, as their eyes glazed over.
What was so interesting about Bill’s delivery was that Read More→
The Thing About Words
As speakers, we have a tendency to focus on the things that scare us the most — forgetting our words, nervous body tics, etc. and we can often overlook the things that really count: making an impression on our audience. We see these images of sharply dressed orators presenting fantastic multimedia presentations and we sigh to ourselves and say “I could never do that.” Well it turns out that you don’t have to. You can be a powerfully effective speaker who is Read More→
Should a speech be written before it is practiced and presented? I have heard a variety of answers to that question, and I have even made different choices in my own speaking experience. In this post, you will learn some specific tips on when you should answer yes, and when you may want to answer no.
Sometimes, the answer is clouded by the fallacy that if you put it in writing, you are planning to either memorize it or read it. This, of course, is Hooey. Taking the time to write your speech out before you give it can accomplish at least these few things:
1. You will be able to see your outline, your opening, and your conclusion to see if it fits in your plan
2. You will be able to see how the timing of your speech works
3. You will have clearly done some preparation, rather than just “wing it”
Many experts would tell you that, in fact, it is important not to memorize your speech, but to internalize it. What’s the difference? To internalize it, you need to practice and really know your topic. You may not (and should not) present it exactly the same each time, but the overall content and message would be the same.
Example: You have a main point about setting goals, and a story about how you completed your college degree. For a high school audience, you may point out that it is never too early to start thinking about their future. In your story, you would mention than when you took you SAT test, you were already thinking about where you would go to school one day. For an audience of adult learners, your point would be that it is never too late to move forward in their educational goals, and in your story cite statistics about adult graduation success that drove you to go back to school to finish your Masters Degree.
When would you not want to write out your speech? Good question. Here are my thoughts: Anytime you are happy with doing less, than it’s your best.
Keep in mind, this does not mean it needs to be written out word for word. Some preparation may call for more detail, some may allow you to use some of your own shorthand, like “Tell the University of Maryland graduation story – focus on how I felt seeing the Masters Degree students walk across the stage”. (A true story of mine, by the way)
Should a speech be written before it is practiced and presented? That answer is going to be yes, anytime you want to increase the success of your presentations. Don’t try for a literary masterpiece, just get your thoughts down on paper so you can deliver the best presentation possible. The extra few minutes you spend crafting the written word will pay dividends in reduced practice time, and a better result in front of your audience. Try it, and you will be glad you did.
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Rob Christeson is an IT Project Manager, freelance writer and speaker based in Wichita, Kansas. His Talk to the Human™ blog is based on the premise that while on-line social networking, e-mail and text can be very useful for building contacts and staying in touch, nothing beats real live human communication when you need to get stuff done.
Visit his website using either of the links below:
http://www.robchristeson.com
http://www.talktothehuman.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Christeson
Before writing a speech, you must first determine the topic on which you’ll be speaking. Often when given a speaking opportunity, you’ll find yourself in one of two positions: searching desperately for a topic or choosing from a myriad of topics. These simple questions can help you find a topic or define your choices.
Question #1:
Who is your audience? Will you be speaking in a corporate setting or a more relaxed atmosphere? Think of what will be most helpful and valuable to your audience. Think of what will connect with them.
Question #2:
What is your field of expertise or experience? Are you a scientist, doctor, lawyer, author, analyst, project manager, athlete, actor, world traveler? Draw on your vast knowledge and narrow your focus to one particular topic.
Question #3:
What are your areas of interest? Think of topics you’d like to know more about. Then research, do your homework and develop your speech. Share with others what you’re passionate about. Take them on your journey of discovery.
Question #4:
What interesting people or places are in the locale of where you’ll be delivering your speech? Think of ways you can choose a topic and work a local angle into your speech.
Question #5:
Will you be giving your speech near a holiday? Pair the holiday theme with something of interest to your audience. (Note: Best for non-corporate audiences).
As an example, I’ll show you how I picked a topic for one of my speaking opportunities. I considered the following: I would be speaking after dinner to a group of 30 couples near Valentine’s Day. As an author of a book of romantic poetry, I used that as a platform to brainstorm. The venue was a local restaurant and, while we would have a private dining room, space was limited.
As I would be part of a program, I knew that the mood would be light and fun. I chose my speech, ‘Living a Passionate Life,’ to incorporate the romantic holiday theme and created a display using heart-shaped knick knacks, stuffed animals and my poetry books. While the topic could be broad (life could equal family, health, career, spirituality, etc), I narrowed my focus to ‘family’ with a splash of ‘spirituality’ as this was a church group.
Remember that a good topic has a narrow focus. If you feel you’ve chosen a broad topic, find something specific within it. Then build a topic ‘tree’ with the remaining subtopics. You may find that you have not only an idea for this speech but one for your next one as well. A narrow focus on your topic will save time in research and developing your speech.
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Jean Bailey Robor is an award-winning author and speaker. She is available for business, church and civic organizations. Motivation and inspiration with a splash of humor is Jean’s specialty. Visit her website: http://www.jeanbaileyrobor.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean_Robor
1. Open Hot, Close Hotter.
To grab audience attention and be remembered, start the presentation with a bang, not a limp, “Thanks, it’s nice to be here.” The first (and last) 30 seconds have the most impact on the audience. Save any greetings and gratitude until they’ve already grabbed the audience with a powerful opening. And don’t end with a whimper. Remember that last words linger. Unfortunately, many speakers close with, “Are there any questions?” Wrong! Instead, say, “Before I close, are there any questions?” Answer them. Then close on a high note.
2. Get the Inside Scoop.
Attendees at one of my seminars, “How to Be a Coach to Your Client,” want to know how they can personalize and add excitement and color to the speeches they craft for others. How, they ask, can they get those invaluable inside stories? I suggested they do what I do–interview the speaker’s client’s colleagues and family members. These people are familiar with the “stories” the speaker often tells, stories that have already been honed to what I call the “Hollywood model” (characters, dialogue, dramatic lesson learned). What insights and amusing stories can they share? Advise your members to ask others for input that can provide color and energy to a presentation.
3. Try Inside-Out Speaking.
Don’t write speeches for people to read. Instead, sit down with them, in person or on the phone, and ask them questions. I do this, pulling out of them their ideas, stories, life experiences, philosophies, and examples through questions. Then my job is to help them organize, wordsmith, and deliver these comments with more drama.
Although the client and I often end up with a script that can then be edited and tightened, the words grow out of our conversations. I call this “inside-out” speaking. My work represents a cleaned-up conversation; one the speaker is going to have with the audience. Of course, a script is not a conversation, but if it sounds conversational, it is far more appealing and much easier to deliver directly to the audience without reading it word for word. Emotional contact is impossible without eye contact.
4. Provide Five Magic Moments.
How are great speeches like classic Hollywood movies? Movie promoters say that a successful film has to have five magic moments for each viewer, though not necessarily the same five. When it does, people will talk about it and add enough energy to a paid advertising campaign to make it a hit.
Be sure each presentation has five great moments–dramatic, humorous, profound, or poignant–that the audience can relive in their minds later and repeat to their friends.
5. Avoid Borrowed Stories.
I urge you to create vivid, personal stories for their presentations. Imagine how I once felt, sitting in an audience of 18,000 people, listening to Barbara Bush describe a great story she had read in Chicken Soup for the Soul–my own story which made the point, “What you do speaks louder than what you say.” (Yes, I know Ralph Waldo Emerson said it first.) Did Barbara Bush mention it was my story? No.
But even if she had mentioned my name, I think she missed a huge opportunity with her speech. Back then; I imagined her sitting in bed at the White House, going through stacks of books with a highlighter pen for things to talk about. Since then, I’ve realized that a speech writer did the research and wrote her words. My point? I’m not upset she didn’t credit me. Just disappointed that someone with Barbara Bush’s incredible life experiences did not share them. I am sure she had much more interesting recent topics and perceptions than reporting on something someone said to me many years ago. That’s how audiences will feel if your members repeat things they’ve read instead of experienced.
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Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach and award-winning professional speaker. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don’t Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. Visit Fripp’s website at http://www.fripp.com
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