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Archive for World Champion of Public Speaking
Saturday,
March
6th,
2010
Every now and then it is important to remind ourselves of some of the foundations that can lift us to great heights in speaking. Here are 25 phrases to do just that.
1. Speak to one but look to all
2. When you lift yourself up you let your audience down
3. What gets recorded gets rewarded
4. Don’t add humor to a speech; uncover humor within it
5. What’s loose is lost
6. When you squeeze your information in, you squeeze your audience out (this one is not mine. It’s an old speaker proverb).
7. You master what you measure
8. Conflict is the hook and Dialogue is the heart
9. Put the process, not the person, on a pedestal
10. The phrase determines what stays
11. To be a great speaker you must be a great tease
12. Be a similar person with a special process
13. Never sell a product, always sell a result
14. Let your story lead to their story
15. Never end with the Q&A
16. People remember best what they hear first and what they hear last
17. Don’t tell; ask
18. You can’t affect if they don’t reflect
19. Become niche and famous (If you try to speak to everyone you will end up speaking to no one)
20. A confused mind says no but a clear mind says go
21. Give the visual before the verbal
22. Give the look that goes with the line
23. Reactions tell the story (Darren LaCroix)
24. Too many speakers try to get across too much information in too little time
25. Don’t speak for standing ovations, speak for standing invitations
To get a better understanding of what these phrases mean and how life-changing they can be for your speaking, see the World Class Speaking book.
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Craig Valentine is the author of two books entitled World Class Speaking and The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and an internationally-known professional speaker. To get your FREE Masterful Speaking Toolkit, visit http://www.craigvalentine.com
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Thursday,
March
26th,
2009
Below are 10 speech delivery tips you can use to have a deep impact on your audience.
1. Don’t forget about your face.
Your facial expressions are more important than all your arm and hand movements combined. The eyes are indeed the windows to the soul. What you do with them can make or break your entire speech.
2. Use your characters’ gestures.
Keep in mind that speaking involves utilizing captivating stories to make your unforgettable points. Each story has its own characters and each character probably has his or her own way of gesturing. When you take on the role and persona of that character, you should use his or her gestures. While rehearsing your speech, consistently ask yourself, “How would this character say this?”
3. Let the emotions drive.
The emotions in your story and in your point will drive your movements. If you are intoxicated with your emotions while telling your story or making your point, the appropriate gestures will come. It will be effortless. When you’re really angry at someone or something, do you have to think about what gestures to use? No, they come automatically. If you build the emotion, the gestures will come.
4. Gesture 360 Degrees.
Many speakers gesture in front of them and on the side. World Class Speakers realize there is an entire area around them and they utilize it. Feel free to gesture down for the lower dimension. For example, when I speak about a swamp tour my wife and I took, I talk about the alligators that surrounded the boat. At that point I gesture downwards with the open hand. Then I describe the trees that were hanging down as if they were trying to grab onto us. At that point I gesture upwards to the upper dimension using my hands to emulate how the trees hung and swayed. At times I point behind me to the back of the stage or in front of me out into the audience. I might point to my right to signify the past and point to my left to signify the future as I use the stage as a timeline. The key is to go up, down, back, forth, and side to side in order to paint a whole (surround-sense) scene for your audience in order to invite them into it.
5. Don’t use the same gesture over and over again.
This is evidence of a habit and most likely distracts from your presentation.
6. Watch out for your resting position.
This is the position your hands fall to when you’re not using a gesture. For example, my hands used to fall together in front of me with my fingers interlocking. It was distracting.
7. Don’t move all the time.
If you are always moving then no movement will be meaningful. Your audience will never know what’s most important. Move with a purpose. When there is no reason to move, don’t.
8. Use an open hand.
It’s better to point to your audience with an open hand rather than an index finger. It’s less threatening and more inviting. The open hand is also effective when calling back to spots on the floor as you revisit the points, characters, and stories you previously used.
9. Use bigger gestures for bigger audiences.
Don’t mismatch the size of your audience with the size of your gestures.
10. Smile.
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Craig Valentine is the author of two books entitled World Class Speaking and The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and an internationally-known professional speaker. To get your FREE Masterful Speaking Toolkit, visit http://www.craigvalentine.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Valentine
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Categories : Connect with Your Audience, Public Speaking Skills
Sunday,
February
22nd,
2009
What commonalities have you noticed about people who are true “masters” on stage? What are those small differences that, when put into motion, over time lead to large differences that separate them from the pack? As a student of presentation skills since 1992, I’ve made a lot of observations. It just gets clearer and clearer to me. Though simple, these habits define our growth rate over time. Do you incorporate these habits?
#1 Think Differently:
Did you know that the very first thing Craig Valentine did when he got off the plane after winning the World Championship of Public Speaking was to buy a book on public speaking? That’s the attitude of a master presenter! People who are the best — and have a passion for their craft and their message — are always looking to learn more. If every presenter had an attitude like Craig’s, we’d never sit through a boring presentation again! When I jumped into the comedy world, I took every class I could. Many of my teachers became “life changing” mentors. I have invested $10,000 each year for the past three years in my own education. Because that has been so helpful, I’ve already invested more than $20,000 for this coming year. Will you invest more in your own self-development this year?
#2 Put Effort Into Your Introduction:
A master presenter understands that “setting up” the listening is just as important as what’s actually said. Too many presenters put no time or effort into their introductions. If anything, they give the introducer an ego-filled bio that’s usually about seven minutes too long. True professionals limit their introductions to less than three minutes. Their introductions contain “you-focused” questions, a quick blurb about credibility, and perhaps a single, humbling piece of personal information. An introduction should answer: Why should people listen to you? What will they get out of giving you their time?
#3 Focus on Connecting with the Audience First:
Master presenters are fully aware that they must “connect” with an audience before they can persuade them. The connection is crucial. This is why I spend a great deal of time researching my keynote audiences before I speak. And, I don’t stop there… I also attend other conference sessions prior to mine, just to find that “one nugget” that will allow me to connect with them. In fact, this ties into the previous point — part of your introduction’s purpose is to begin the process of connecting. Do you strategically focus on connecting?
#4 Long Enough Pauses:
Master presenters pause for the benefit of the audience, not for their own comfort level. Too many people on stage only pause long enough for their own comfort. They don’t hold the pause long enough for the audience to “think.” That’s the whole point of the presentation! Master presenters know that if they’re not letting their audience reflect on their own perspective, they’re actually breaking the connection with the audience. All too often, the presenter is the problem — not the audience. If you ask a simple yes or no question, a short pause is plenty. If your question requires deeper thought, let them think! Do you pause long enough? If they’re not reflecting, you are not connecting!
#5 Worry Bigger:
Master presenters are much more concerned for the audience’s outcome, than what the audience will think of them. I recently interviewed Maria Austin, a Professional Trainer, for an audio learning program for new trainers. She’s really good at this. She has what I call the “Maria Mindset.” Before she was a Trainer, she was in customer service, and she brought her “serious service” attitude with her when she began training. She looks at training with the same attitude. The only difference is that her product is now education. She is so adamant about what the audience members take away. She fully understands that it’s not about her. Do you?
#6 Get Lots of Laughs:
It has been said that you don’t have to use humor in presentations unless you want the audience to listen. Although you can have a powerful presentation without it, most master presenters usually have heavy doses of humor. Here is a crucial difference between good speakers and masters. Master presenters infuse humor into their stories. It’s not a tangent from the message. Many less-experienced presenters will just tell a joke or use something they found on the internet. They use it to break the ice. Wrong! Humor should always have some relevance to your main message. Otherwise, it’s a detour and it wastes valuable time! Keep in mind what Steve Allen said: “Humor arises from the incongruity between the character and the situation.” The essence of the “sitcom.” As speakers, we need “sit-stories.” The purpose of the story should be to anchor a key point. If you’re not getting laughs now… learn to!
#7 Crave Feedback:
When master presenters walk off the platform, they are fully aware that a crucial part of their next presentation is just about to begin. It doesn’t matter what we say, it only matters what is heard by the audience. Presenters who are passionate about their message are constantly evolving. New ideas are constantly “tested.” Things that are common in my keynotes now, were once new ideas. For example, I never used to show a video clip of my very first time on stage. And, I never used to show a photo of my closet full of video recordings. They’re now essential parts of my keynote. Someday, they may be replaced with an even more powerful story, photo, or idea. When I spoke in Canada this past fall, I had a video introduce me!
If you’re not already a master presenter, are you on track to becoming one? If you believe you already are, may I suggest you read Habit #1 again? Occasionally, I get off-track, too… but it only takes one humbling audience to remind us that we all still have much to learn!
Where will your current habits take you in five years?
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Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
copyright 2009 The Humor Institute, Inc.
http://www.humor411.com/
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Wednesday,
February
4th,
2009
One of the biggest problems presenters make is giving speeches that are too loose. By loose I mean their content is not tied to anything. Therefore, it is not be memorable or meaningful. As a result, they see audience members shifting uncomfortably in their seats and feel like they are losing them with every word.
The solution is to make sure every major point you make in your speech is tied to an anchor of some sort. An anchor is anything that helps your audience members remember your points. In other words, when they think back to your anchor, they automatically recall the message that accompanies it. When a non-attendee asks your audience members what you talked about, your message will be at the front of their brains.
Here are Four Major Anchors You Can Use to Make Your Speech Stick. They All Begin with “A”
1. Anecdotes (stories)
By far the greatest way to anchor a point is with a story. This is because, in addition to being memorable, stories also evoke emotions that get your audience to not only hear your speech but to feel it too. Surely you still remember the childhood stories such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf or even The Wizard of Oz. When you remember these stories, you immediately recall the messages (lessons) that were attached to them.
2. Activities
Have you ever been in a class or workshop that included an activity? Think back to it. Now see if you can remember the point the activity made. When done well, activities not only act as anchors, they also re-energize your audience in the process.
3. Analogies
I regularly use the old classic metaphor of the crabs in a barrel (pulling each other down as they try to get out) to explain what happens when you hang around negative people. When my audience thinks of the crabs in a barrel, they remember to be careful who they keep close to them. The key here is to compare something your audience knows (or can picture) to something they do not yet understand. There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words but a metaphor is worth a thousand pictures. They are that powerful!
4. Acronyms
In a workshop I gave recently, I used PARTS as a formula for creating captivating content in a speech. These acronyms work well because they have a built-in formula that is easy for your audience to follow. For example, my audience knows after I finish with P, which stands for Phrase, I will move onto the A. Whenever your audience knows your roadmap, your speech becomes tighter to them.
Final thoughts
When your audience thinks back on any of these anchors, they automatically remember the points that are attached. A great way to make sure your speech sticks is to mix these anchors within one speech. I regularly use all 4 of them even in a short 45-minute speech. The idea is to simply move from one anchor to the next. When you use a good mix of anchors, you keep your audience energized and they walk away with your message that they can grasp with ease. Always tie your content to these anchors and you will forever keep your speech tight.
Craig Valentine is the author of two books entitled World Class Speaking and The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and an internationally-known professional speaker. To get your FREE MASTERFUL SPEAKING TOOLKIT, visit http://www.craigvalentine.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Valentine
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Categories : Writing a Speech
Friday,
January
23rd,
2009
Every year the World Championship contest is an amazing event. Lance, the 2005 World Champion, was wonderful! He connected with the audience and executed his speech perfectly. Lance’s message was simple and crystal clear. And a speech well worth studying!
My favorite line, however, came from one of the other contestants, Rowena Romero. During her interview she talked about how previous winners were all known for something. Rowena said, “David Brooks is known for his blue Jeans — Darren LaCroix is known for his fall on his face, I’ll be know for my stool.” (Rowena stood atop a footstool during her speech.)
Note: Rowena’s comment is also a great example of the RULE of THREE.)
It was brilliant humor. That’s good comedy! Very funny Rowena!
The Call Back
Ahhh! The call back. A “call back” is a comedy term that simply means “calling back” to an earlier laugh line, referring to an earlier joke that worked. (It makes no sense to “call back” to one that does not.)
If you have a laugh line that works consistently, it is a great idea to call back to it later in your presentation. The call back works best after the presenter moves on to a different topic. Then it is aided by the element of surprise, and a psychological connection with earlier laugh.
It can be even more powerful if you refer back to something said by a previous speaker. The audience loves it because they know that you had to be listening, have confidence, and enough presence to add it into your presentation.
An example from the World Championship Interviews: Johnny Uy, Senior Vice President of Toastmasters International, was the contest master. He was simply hysterical! During the interviews he asked the contestants questions in their native language. Most of the audience could not interpret the question. Douglas Kruger, a contestant from South Africa, took the opportunity (the “set up”) to translate for humor purposes. Douglas said, “His question was about my underwear.” He got a huge laugh.
Other contestants then used this opportunity when they were asked their question. Jerry Aiyathurai responded, “Fruit of the Loom.” Rowena Romero said, “Wonder bra.” All great call backs.
Most of you have experienced this as an audience member. Now you have a label for it, and can begin to look for the opportunity. I always try to connect to a huge laugh from earlier in a conference. When I hear a big laugh I ask myself, “How can I tie that into my presentation?”
How can you use this?
© Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
darren@humor411.com
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Categories : Humor in Speaking, Public Speaking Skills
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