Public Speaking Tips from 997 Ways To Be A Great Speaker » eye contact

Exceptional Public Speaking – How to Ignite an Audience

Guest Blogger — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:52:40 +0000

One of the most thrilling, challenging (and for many people) frightening opportunities is that of public speaking. Whether your job requires it, or you find yourself in a position where you have to give a public presentation, you may be overcome with nerves at the thought of standing in front of a group.

It’s normal to be scared. After all, most people in your audience would be just as nervous in front of a crowd. The great Jerry Seinfeld noted that public speaking is the #1 fear among people, higher than the fear of death. As he creatively put it, “that means more people would rather be in the casket than actually giving the eulogy.” If this describes you, don’t worry. There’s hope. You don’t have to be a professional speaker to give a good public speech. You can not only survive in giving your talk, but you can thrive in it. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to not only keeping your audience awake, but you will be able to ignite and move them to action. Here are some public speaking tips for conquering your fear and becoming an exceptional speaker:

1. Remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well. If it’s worth your time, and especially if you’re getting paid to make the speech, then it is worth doing it well. This is a great life lesson: Do your best, or don’t do it at all. Try your hardest. Don’t just phone it in. Your audience deserves better. So what’s the best way to do your best? Practice! There’s an old saying that goes like this: “Practice makes perfect.” Wrong! Practice only makes perfect if you know how to practice. So you have to learn how to practice the right way. Read some books on speaking. Take a course (like the one we offer at Inspire Coaching), hire a speaker’s coach. Learn how to practice right, and then do it. Know your talk inside and out.

2. Make sure you know your topic. Even if you don’t know everything about your topic, you should know enough about it to make it through your speech. But not only that, do your best to learn everything you can about that topic. If you have a Q & A time, or if people approach you afterward to ask questions, you will want to know more than what was in your talk. If not, you will regret it, and you will look like a phony. So do your homework, and know your topic.

3. Speak with enthusiasm. Passion is a powerful thing, and when we let it show (notably as enthusiasm), great things can happen. An enthusiastic speaker is compelling. You can have nothing to say, but if you say it with great enthusiasm, you can keep your audience’s attention. No one wants to listen to a “ho-hum,” apathetic, monotone speaker. But we will listen to an enthusiastic speaker.

Not convinced? Consider our newly elected President. Whether or not you like or support President Obama, his passionate and enthusiastic style of speaking captivated people and consequently…led to his election. (If you go back and track Obama’s rise in the democratic race, the moments that his popularity grew were times immediately following major speeches he made! That’s not a coincidence.)

4. Maintain eye contact. Glance around the room and use the 3-second rule while looking directly into someone’s eyes. Doing so will make your audience feel more involved.

5. Use humor in your speech. Even if you’re speaking about a dry topic, draw something funny into your speech. Not all of us are born comedians, so don’t go overboard on this if it isn’t natural. Why is this important? Laughter does a few things for us:

It relaxes us (speaker and audience)
It brings people back to a point of attention. Zig Ziglar, who gets paid thousands of dollars per speech, intentionally plans humor into his speech in certain spots because he knows the power humor has on a presentation. If you can make your audience laugh, you can make them listen!
It can be used to make points memorable. Again, what makes us laugh makes us listen.

6. Use personal stories to illustrate your point. Personal stories can be used to drive home your point. Stories compel people to listen, and are very effective at moving people to action. Using personal stories is one of the most powerful ways to ignite your audience. They may never remember your point, but they will remember the story. Anything that moves you emotionally (makes you cry, makes you angry, makes you think, makes you laugh, etc.) can be used. Search your life and stay on the lookout for these illustrations because they are like gold.

7. Don’t be afraid of silence. Pause periodically.This gives your audience time to reflect and think about what you have said. A speak who is not afraid of short moments of silence will recognize the power of silence. When used properly, planned pauses can create dramatic moments.

8. Memorize your speech. Delivering your talk without notes makes you look more professional and shows your audience that you have prepared. It also gives you more freedom to look into the eyes of your audience. But the most important thing is that it actually can help you speak with more conviction. Why? Because you have already prepared what to say, you can now have the freedom to say it without looking down at your notes. It actually makes you better because when you know you’ll be speaking without notes, you’ll be more likely to prepare yourself well. Plus, it makes it easier to keep your audience’s attention if you’re speaking without notes.

9. Own the stage. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, so don’t worry about being perfect. Focus on speaking with great enthusiasm and getting your point across. When you’re the speaker, you have to own the stage. Realize that this is where you belong and you are the right person for this moment.

When I first began speaking around the country, I was asked to go speak at a couple of public high school assemblies. I was nervous, having not done this before. I spoke to one of my mentors, a speaker named, Lori Salierno. I told her I was nervous about this, and she had great advice for me: “Have fun. They’re just kids that need the message you’re bringing. You’re the right one for this job.” So, that is what I did. I had a blast, gave it my best, and spoke with a lot of energy.

10. Use handouts when appropriate. This serves two main purposes: First, it helps your audience follow along and pay attention better. Second, it gives them something to take home with them for later use or reference. (Here’s a tip: Put your name and contact information on the handout in case they want to use you again, or in case they want to tell someone else about you.)

11. Keep your speech within the time you have been given. Event planners will love you for this, especially if they are running behind schedule. Know how much time you have to speak, and stop when your time is up. When you practice ahead of time, you’ll get good at keeping within the time limits.

12. Start strong. You only have a few moments to grab your audience and convince them that they need to listen to you. Before you’ve made your first point, your audience is already determining whether or not they’re going to give you their attention. With this knowledge at your disposal, use it to captivate them from the first word. Don’t start off with some joke your uncle told you, find a creative, dramatic or energetic way to capture their attention from the start.

13. Take a class or find a coach. Always be learning and growing. Stretch yourself. Take a class on speaking, or find a speaker’s coach who can help you grow into the communicator you need to be.

Every speech-giver can become an exceptional speaker by following the steps above. These steps, along with your passion, your knowledge and some hard work can transform your life and ignite your audience.

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Marc Adams is the founder of INSPiRE Coaching, and has spoken to hundreds of groups all over the country. He is best known for using an enthusiastic blend of funny and inspiring stories that will captivate and motivate people from all walks of life. To book Marc to speak at your next event, or for more information on INSPiRE Coaching, contact us at 918-781-9834, or visit our website.

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

Storytelling Techniques: 9 Guidelines for Storytelling In Any Situation

Guest Blogger — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:38:12 +0000

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 5 Biggest Mistakes in Public Speaking

Guest Blogger — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:43:17 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to hear a world-renowned public speaker and was surprised as well as disappointed by his delivery. While his message was excellent, his means of delivering that message would have gotten him a C- in my college public speaking class. Without a doubt, content is important in any form of public speaking; however, if your entire script is written out word-for-word in your PowerPoint presentation, why bother? It would be a better use of the audience’s time if you would Xerox it, pass it out, and then everyone can go home!

1. Memorizing or reading your entire presentation is a grave mistake.

Your audience came to hear you speak to them – not read or deliver a rote, memorized performance. Your responsibility is to communicate with your audience, not at them. By treating your audience as if you were having a conversation in your living room, you will find that you are much more comfortable and in better control of your nervousness.

2. Not knowing your material is another serious blunder.

If you are not familiar with your words or how your speech or presentation flows, then you are likely to make more errors. Making a mistake or two is not the issue – making a lot of them is!

3. Speaking too fast.

Controlling your speed is extremely important if you expect your audience to be able to understand what you are saying. Listening to someone move at 100 mph takes much more energy than listening to them at 75! Incidentally, talking at a furious pace saps the energy of you, the speaker, as well.

4. Staring at an object on the wall.

By no means should you focus your attention on a spot on the wall or above the heads of your audience. Look them in the eye. Make the contact with your listeners and you will then be aware of their reaction to you. Remember, public speaking is a form of communication. If you are not making eye contact, then you are not communicating.

5. Running Out of Air.

Breathlessness on the podium is one of the most common mistakes made because many novice – and even some professional – speakers do not think to breathe. If you wait until you are totally out of air, you will then be required to inhale a huge amount in order to fill your lungs. In doing so, you will experience breathlessness and a tightness in your chest. My advice is to learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm – truly the best means of controlling nervousness – and then practice supplementing your air supply before you are depleted.

These 5 common mistakes can be easily rectified if you know your material, converse with your audience, learn how to control your speed, make eye contact with your listeners and remember to breathe.

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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. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, visit Voice Dynamic or watch a brief video as The Voice Lady describes Dynamic Public Speaking.

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

A Sure-Fire Confidence Builder – Improve Your Eye Contact

Guest Blogger — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00:56 +0000

We’ve all heard that eye contact is essential for successful public speaking. Sometimes, however, looking audience members in the eye isn’t easy, especially when nervousness and self-consciousness hijack our thinking.

Recently, I coached a client who had a severe case of eye-avoidedness. It was the first issue he brought up. And of course, I saw it in action immediately. Even though we sat in armchairs no more than 4 feet apart, I’d estimate that he avoided looking at me about 80% of the time.

He knew this was a problem both in presentations and interpersonal communication, but he had no idea how to overcome his shyness. And that, in fact, turned out to be an important clue for me. He mentioned that he was an introvert. One speaking trait introverts sometimes have is a desire to “go away” in their own mind and fashion a carefully structured and gift-wrapped statement or response. In the rough-and-tumble of conversations and Q & A, however, we seldom have the luxury of doing this.

Before we tried an exercise I had in mind, I gave him the two reasons why I believe strong eye contact is critical to successful speaking situations:

1. You will never exert influence on people you don’t look in the eye! When was the last time you were persuaded by someone who wouldn’t look at you while he or she was talking?

2. People are easier to get a response from than the back wall. I often hear from my trainees, “But if I look anyone right in the eye, I’ll forget what I’m saying!” At this point I usually respond: “Which do you think is going to give you something back, the ceiling or the person you’re talking to?”

Our listeners should give us energy–not suck it out of us like an audience of vampires! Speaking to “the window of the soul” (the eyes) as you say something important to people, and observing their response, should be a delightful activity rather than a painful one. People want you to look at them when you talk. If you do, they’ll trust you more.

As it turned out, the exercise we practiced next turned out to be even more helpful for this client than I anticipated. Here it is:

I had prepared around 20 impromptu speech topics, which I folded and placed in an envelope. My client had to reach in, choose a slip and read the topic, then look up at me and start talking about it. Understand: I gave him no time to prepare. (No nicely wrapped speech package possible here!)

The topics were intentionally ones that he would have no expertise in; and in fact, each topic had no right or wrong answer. For instance, they included, “What do you like about the United Nations, and why?” And: “What do you think was the most interesting ancient civilization?,” and so on.

For a minute or two each time, my client spoke on each of four items he’d selected. And I’d say that 90% of his responses were delivered looking directly at me, with rock-solid eye contact!

You see, he couldn’t “go away” and marshal his thoughts and relevant data on the subject, for his professional experience hadn’t given him any special knowledge. The exercise was simple and clear: he had to look his listeners in the eye even if he wasn’t sure what he was about to say. His job was to reach his listener with what he was saying, not fashion the perfect answer.

The exercise is a sure-fire confidence builder, and I’ve used it many times for that purpose. But it was nice to know that it works well as a tool for strengthening eye contact, too.

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GARY GENARD is an internationally known speech coach and corporate trainer. A former professional actor, he is the founder of Boston-based Public Speaking International, one of the world’s premiere presentation skills and media training companies. PSI offers communication skills improvement including public speaking training, executive speech coaching, speech improvement training, presentation skills and using PowerPoint, sales presentation training, and media appearance training. Public Speaking International can be found online at http://PublicSpeakingInternational.com.

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

Credibility: 15 Facets to Speaking Professionalism: #3 – Eye Contact

Guest Blogger — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:00:05 +0000

For aspiring and experienced speakers alike, each aspect of credibility is to be closely guarded and continually built upon. This series of articles will focus on 15 facets of credibility that must exist for all speakers to succeed over the long run. “Instant Credibility” through celebrity or notoriety must be nurtured for a career to flourish. If you are building from the ground up, each point must be examined and properly attended to in order to build deep roots on the speaking circuit.

Facet #3: Eye Contact

It’s mid-afternoon during day two of your annual conference. You’re hearing your 6th speaker of the weekend, and they are making some good points, you think – but you are tuned out. Until she stares right at you! Your head pops up, you sit up straighter, and you are laser-focused, listening to each point, hoping not to be caught “napping” again.

Eye contact is a critical tool for all speakers in front of any size of group. Even if you are working from notes (see Facet #5: Notes), eye contact must be a part of your speaking arsenal if you expect to be taken seriously.

5 Ways to Use Eye Contact to Win the Audience:

1. Maintain audience interest. If you won’t look at them, why should they look at you? If they aren’t looking at you, they’re losing a significant portion of the message, or are becoming engrossed in something else, from your hand-outs to a game of hangman with their neighbor.

2. Make a point. When you make a point, stare at one person for at least 2 beats. It will create intensity and exclusivity, forcing the audience to listen closely to be sure they hear what you are telling that “one person”.

3. Gesture with your eyes. Wide eyes. Rolling eyes. Squinted eyes. Distracted eyes. Closed eyes. Your eyes must reflect the feelings in your words. What they see in your eyes, they feel in their hearts.

4. Inspire trust. When you look at the audience instead of looking at notes, they know YOU know your stuff. That the stories are true. That you are the expert. That you have invested the time in preparation to speak to them.

5. Show strength and vulnerability. When your eyes are on the audience, they know you aren’t afraid of them. If you are personally revealing, they see the emotion in your eyes. Either way, they are closer to you, and your message.

Practicing eye contact requires that you know your material well, and know when to use each tool mentioned. Just as you plan gestures and vocal variety, plan eye contact. Mix with your audience ahead of time, and find out who’s friendly, and where they sit. Play to all parts of the audience – even split them up in your mind. If your speech presents pros and cons – pick which part of the audience you speak to for each.

Eye contact adds to your credibility to a greater extent than most realize. Think about it…who do you trust? Someone who looks at you, or their shoes? The number one rule of job interviews? That’s right – look them in the eye. When your eye contact becomes smooth and authentic, your message grows exponentially stronger!

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Rich Hopkins is a speaker, coach, and consultant who aligns his clients with their own potential. He has 20 years of business background in marketing, sales, and customer service. He consults with individuals, student groups, non-profit organizations, and corporations. http://www.richhopkins.net

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

Build Emotional Connection Through Eye Contact

Guest Blogger — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:20:45 +0000

Eye contact is an important way to emotionally connect with your audience of any size. Here are some ideas to help you:

1. Generally speaking, the longer the eye contact between two people, the greater the intimacy is developed. In a business, sales and speech situation, look at members of your audience for a thought, phrase or idea. If you are sitting at a boardroom table, make sure you share eye contact with everyone.

2. Others rarely interrupt two people engaged in a conversation if they have consistent eye contact. Through observing eye contact, others, well at least thoughtful ones, can tell if it is okay to join in the conversation.

3. Pupils also enlarge when people are talking about things that bring them joy or happiness. They often contract when discussing issues that bring them sadness. In a conversation at a networking or social event, I always like to ask questions of interest to my conversation partner. It helps add to their, “I enjoyed meeting that person,” feeling.

4. Eye contact has been shown to be a significant factor in the persuasion process. Practice across the dinner table with your family or friends.

5. The longer your eye contact, the more self-esteem you are perceived to have.

6. The more eye contact you can maintain, the higher self esteem you actually rate yourself on! To be perceived as more likable gives you an edge in business. Eye contact is an important way to build this emotional bond and likeability. Are your eyes clear or are they bloodshot? Business contacts and audience members will notice, and the clearer your eyes the more attractive you will be perceived. If you wear sunglasses, get ready to take them off. People want to see what they are getting. They want to see your eyes.

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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.

Public Speaking – The Four Forgotten Rules to Making a Great Presentation

Guest Blogger — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:45:07 +0000

So you’ve got to give a presentation. Whether you’re a longtime speaker or are preparing one for the first time, you’ve got some work ahead of you to make sure that your presentation is informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience.

Naturally, you start by doing your research on the topic and the audience to which you’ll be speaking. You then create compelling content, practice extensively, and pick out your best power outfit for the day of the presentation. Finally, you go through your mental checklist: Body language? Check. Remember eye contact? Check. Breathing exercises? Check. An extra battery for your laptop? Check. Great – you’re halfway there!

However, there are some rules of public speaking that are often overlooked – or even forgotten – that must be implemented in order to create and deliver a presentation that gets your point across, makes you look like an expert, and is valued by your audience. These rules are not often part of the generic “how to give a good presentation” tip sheets, which is why they tend to get overlooked. However, NOT doing them makes the difference between a presentation that’s simply passable, and a presentation that is professional, memorable, and downright impressive.

The next time you have to make a presentation, make sure that you come across as an expert by following these four forgotten rules of public speaking:

Forgotten Rule #1: Show Up At Least One Hour Early

A speaker should be ready and waiting for his or her audience – never the other way around. There are a multitude of reasons to show up at least one hour early. You’ll have a chance to set up all your equipment; get technical help if required; and get a feel for the area in which you’ll be speaking. You’ll also be able to clear out any obstacles that may distract your audience and obstruct your space, like tables, chairs, extension cords or anything else that you might trip on.

Traffic, parking, snowstorms, or subway delays will all conspire to stress you out – and you certainly don’t want to add any unnecessary stress on the day of your presentation. Once you arrive and your equipment is set up, you’ll be able to relax and review your presentation. And if you can, greet members of your audience as they arrive. Once you meet them, they’re not strangers anymore and it’s always easier to present to a room full of friends than a room full of strangers.

Forgotten Rule #2: Murphy’s Law is Waiting For You

Murphy’s Law states that “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.” And Murphy loves to sabotage unprepared speakers. Think carefully of all the things that can go wrong, and be ready for them. Arrive early. Bring an extra copy of your presentation on a memory key. Print out your slides to give as handouts in case you can’t connect with the projector. If you’re bringing a laptop, bring an extra battery. Be ready to give your presentation without the benefit of your slides in case of technical failure. Make sure there’s water nearby in case your mouth gets dry when you speak. A backup plan is your best defense against Murphy’s Law.

Forgotten Rule #3: Perception Is Everything

Your audience will be checking you out before you speak, throughout your presentation, and long after you’ve finished. Yet that doesn’t seem to stop some speakers from frowning, or looking worried or overly nervous before they speak. Even if you don’t feel relaxed, you must make the effort to look like you are. Your audience is expecting to get something out of your presentation, and it’s up to you to fulfill their expectations as best you can. Showing your anxiety on your face serves no purpose other than to show your audience that you’re not confident, and that, in turn, makes them less confident that you know what you’re talking about. When all else fails, ‘fake it ’til you make it.’ And you WILL make it.

Forgotten Rule #4: Why So Noisy?

Eradicate all accessories that make noise when you move. For men, this means taking all keys and loose change out of your pocket. Women must choose jewelry and other accessories carefully. If bracelets make noise when they touch each other, wear only one. Beware of large earrings that take emphasis away from your face. Bold colors or designs can potentially distract an audience as well.

So the next time you have to make a presentation, keep these four forgotten rules in mind, and you’ll impress your audience every time.

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Suzannah Baum, owner of Ideal Communications, http://www.idealcommunications.ca, is a public speaking trainer, presentation coach and writer 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 seminars at corporations, universities and various non-profit organizations, and provides coaching to individuals who must deliver informational and persuasive presentations with confidence, clarity and power. A member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, a prizewinning speaker, an advanced Toastmaster and popular club mentor, she is also a past Club President and active member in her local Toastmasters chapter. Her published articles on the topic of public speaking have appeared in http://www.womenentrepreneur.com and Masters In Action.

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

Winning Over Your Audience

Guest Blogger — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:37:23 +0000

For many people confronted with the dreaded prospect of delivering a presentation all that is going through their mind is getting up on stage, delivering the presentation with all good speed and getting off the stage.

As long as the message has been delivered and reinforced (usually by distracting and overloaded Powerpoint slides) that’s the job done. Thinking about winning over the audience is the last thing on people’s mind but it is absolutely crucial.

Failing to win people over will result in 90% of the audience switching off from your presentation within the first 5 minutes; that should be regarded as a catastrophe, but regrettably it is alarmingly common.

In recent years I have made a point of asking people what they thought about a presentation that we have all sat through and it is truly horrifying how many people very quickly went off into their own dream world, so dull was the presenter.

It is not uncommon for 100 people to sit through an hour’s presentation and only 10 to be still listening after a few minutes – imagine all that lost working time.

What are the steps to winning over an audience?

Firstly – know them (if you can) and as early as possible get in a statement that you know they can identify with.

Imagine a politician addressing an audience of business people all of whom are running small independent operations and that politician’s opening remarks being ‘Red tape is strangling this country and impeding the ability of our entrepreneurs to thrive. We will reduce this burden at a stroke by taking the following actions …’

As long as the actions made sense to the audience they will have been won over completely and utterly. The rest of the speech will now be so much easier to deliver.

Compare this to a speaker with an audience comprised solely of people working within finance departments being greeted with the remarks ‘this initiative will allow us to reduce those working in finance areas by 50%’. No great surprise to hear that this initiative was resisted with all the gusto of a sprinter trying to win Gold at the Olympics!

Secondly – when you deliver this audience with a winning statement, look them straight in the eye as you say, it and see how the audience rapport builds as they look back at you. Feel the bond forging between the two of you as they do.

Thirdly – when you have finished delivering that winning statement, pause briefly to allow the audience to absorb the statement and quite possibly nod their head in agreement.

Fourthly – during the rest of the speech engage with the audience by asking them rhetorical questions knowing that their answers are going to be in the affirmative.

Finally – and this particularly applies to a speech over ten minutes in length; use humour to lighten the mood. This will ensure that the attention of the audience never drifts off.

Winning over the audience is paramount, and knowing that you have won them over is one of the best feelings in the speaking world.

Article courtesy of College of Public Speaking & Presentation Skills – London

5 Major Mistakes in Public Speaking

Guest Blogger — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:24:45 +0000

1. The audience will listen because I’m a subject matter expert and what I have to say is interesting.

This is probably one of the most frequent mistakes made in public speaking. We all like to think that we know our stuff, and many people do. But that alone will not engage your audience. Albert Mehrabian the US Educational Psychologist’s research into public speaking demonstrated that only 7% of your presentation’s impact will be your words. Only 7%… This is worrying for subject matter experts. You could prepare for weeks, select the best words and key messages, you could have the best introduction, middle section and ending than any speaker on the bill, but your impact could be negligible. A few year’s ago I became a school governor and as such, I was offered training sessions by my local Education Authority. The general standard of the 2 hour presentations was good. One evening, the guest speaker, a man who had worked in education all his life with a career that spanned being a headmaster, Ofsted inspector and a senior role in the Ministry of Education and Science; what this fellow didn’t know about the history of secondary education was not worth knowing. However, he ended every sentence with a pronounced hmmmmmmmmm. Imagine that 6 times per minute, for two hours…. I nearly lost the will to live.

Tip – Listen and react to feedback from your colleagues. I’m certain that over the course of this fellow’s long and distinguished career, many people must have mentioned his verbal mannerisms. If your company culture prohibits you from giving constructive feedback, seek professional help. Advice from consultants is more likely to be accepted because it is seen to be given objectively.

2. Speaking too fast.

Nervous and inexperienced speakers always remind me of the 100 metres sprint. They hear the gun, they’re out of the blocks fast and they can’t wait to get it over with. This is not unusual – it is the normal reaction to any potentially stressful situation. Let’s close our eyes, do it, and get it over with. It’s a bit like going to the dentist. But public speaking need not be like that. However, some speakers do not even devote themselves to such minimal preparation.

Tip – for each minute of your speech, spend ten minutes of preparation on it. Watch yourself on video and ask yourself if you’re delivering too fast.

3. Keep it short and simple and always leave them wanting more.

The best way to maintain the attention of an audience is to start with a gripping opening, develop a maximum of three themes or key messages, and conclude with a message that pulls the introduction and key messages together with impact. An experienced speaker can make this look simple and seamless, but we’re looking at perhaps 0.001% of the population. We all need help developing this skill. If you speak for over 10 minutes it’s almost inevitable that the structure will suffer and you will lose your audience because you haven’t signposted your structure well enough. Tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, and tell them what you’ve told them.

Tip – keep it short and simple and use your best material at the beginning and the end of your speech. Start and end with impact.

4. Maintaining eye-contact with your audience.

For the new or inexperienced speaker, eye-contact is one of the hardest aspects of speaking. Looking into the eyes of strangers does not come naturally to most of us. Indeed, in some cultures young people looking directly into the eyes of their elders is seen as a mark of disrespect. However, as a speaker, your audience is your primary concern. Remember that without audiences, we do not need speakers. Making eye-contact and engaging your audience is critical to success. It shows respect and demonstrates confidence. We listen and learn most from confident speakers. Life is a busy place, and when we invest time in a speaker, nobody likes to feel they have wasted their time.

Tip – if you find eye-contact difficult, try it out with friends and family in regular conversations. You will have a major impact on those with whom you are conversing. It’ very difficult (almost rude) to disengage eye-contact with somebody when you’re having a pleasant chat. Bear that in mind when you’re making a speech and you’ll do very well.

5. Speaking in a dull and monotonous voice.

Throughout our professional careers, how many times have we endured the monotonous speaker?

In my case rather too often. Tonal variety is what adds massive impact to your speech or presentation. We need some highs and lows allied to seamless changes in pitch and pace. These effective techniques help to keep your audience engaged and participating in your presentation. Mehrebian’s research demonstrated that 38% of what an audience remember is down to the effective use of tonal variety. A massive 55% relates to your body language. If you send a mixed message, don’t be surprised if the message is dropped. A key factor in any speech or presentation is simply this:

Tip – It’s not what you say. It’s the way that you say it.

Scenario 1: You’re trying to find the channel with the live football. Suddenly, your wife sitting in the opposite armchair says, ‘Do you love me?’ You continue flicking through the channels, you don’t look back at her and you eventually say the words, ‘Of course, I love you.’

Scenario 2: You’re trying to find the channel with the live football. Suddenly, your wife sitting in the opposite armchair says, ‘Do you love me?’

You stop flicking through the channels with the remote and put it down. You walk across the room and take your wife by the hand, gently and sincerely you look her in the eyes, caress her cheek and say, ‘Of course, I love you.’

Notice that the same words are used, but which do you think conveys the stronger message?

Article courtesy of College of Public Speaking & Presentation Skills – London

Should You Script Your Speech? (part 1 of 4)

Guest Blogger — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 05:46:46 +0000

Should you or shouldn’t you script your speeches? The debate is almost as old as “the chicken or the egg?”.

There are some valid points on both sides of the debate … and I’ve been on both sides. Having been on both sides, I’ve come to the conclusion that the benefits and advantages of scripting your speech far outweigh the disadvantages. On the flip side, the disadvantages of not scripting your speech far outweigh any perceived advantages you might gain.

Here are the major arguments you’ll encounter as to why you shouldn’t script your speech:

* scripted speeches don’t sound natural, spontaneous or sincere

* reading a scripted speech prevents you from making eye contact with your audience

Not Sounding Natural

Many presenters who read from a script sound as if they’re reading an essay or an article from the daily paper. They speak in monotone voices and stumble across the unfamiliar words on the page like someone skating on ice for the very first time. To say the least, it’s not a pretty sight … but it doesn’t have to be this way.

The reason most presenters who read from a script sound as if they’re reading an essay is: they are! Speeches are not meant to be written the same way essays, articles or reports are written, but most of the people who write the speeches aren’t aware of the differences between writing for the ear (speeches) and writing for the eye (print). If they did understand the differences, the speeches would sound just as natural as any extemporaneous speech. So the problem isn’t that the speech is written, the problem is how the speech is written.

When a presenter stumbles all over a written speech, you can rest assured that he or she hasn’t spent enough time – or any time – with the speech. And regardless of what the reasons may be for not reading and rereading the speech ahead of time, very few presenters can get away with trying to read a script for the first time while still sounding natural. If, however, the presenter gets familiar with the written text in advance, the delivery will sound far more relaxed and natural.

Eye Contact With the Audience

We’ve all witnessed the presenter who buries his head in the lectern like the proverbial ostrich buries its head in the sand (ostriches don’t actually do this … but I digress). Of course, if the presenter is reading the speech the entire time, he or she will not be able to make eye contact with the audience. And if the presenter isn’t making eye contact with the audience, he or she is not making a personal connection with them either.

But scripting your speech doesn’t mean you have to lose all eye contact with your audience. If you familiarize yourself with the speech beforehand and occasionally look at the speech to keep you on track, you will have more than sufficient time to look at and connect with the audience.

It also helps to make the font larger (minimum 18pts) and to stop the text 3/4 of the way down the page. This way, your eyes won’t travel as far down the page and away from the audience.

Will it take some practice? Of course it will. But if you’re going to be delivering a speech, you’ll be practicing anyway. You will be practicing, won’t you?

John Watkis is a freelance speechwriter, speaking coach and keynote speaker who helps his clients use the right words at the right time in the right way so they can educate, influence and inspire their audiences.

For more of his tips on public speaking, and to get your FREE “Successful Speeches Toolkit”, visit http://www.wellwrittenwellsaid.com/freetoolkit.html

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