If so, YOU ARE MISSING:
Business, Career and Leadership Opportunities!

The Fear of Public Speaking holds many back from reaching their potential; personally and professionally.

This Doesn’t have to be!

FACT: We perceive really good speakers as Experts! Perception is reality, and we like to work with Experts – Correct?

People who take and make Speaking Opportunities grow their:
Businesses, Careers and Leadership Roles.

The Fear of Public Speaking can be lessened!
Making Presentations is a Skill that can be learned.

Why the Fear of Public Speaking?

Why not?

• Think about it.  Most of our communication is one-on-one. Much of it isn’t even face-to-face, but via phone. More and more, we don’t even speak. We text or email. It’s makes sense that we’re uncomfortable, speaking, in person, to a group of people because we’re out of our Comfort Zone. 
• Standing in front of a group we feel all alone, vulnerable, and with nowhere to hide if something goes wrong. The spotlight is on us!
• The Uncomfortableness will go away after we’ve done it a number of times. (Remember the first time you drove a car? That was Uncomfortable, wasn’t it?)

The Fear of Failure is core to the Fear of Public Speaking.

• Failure gets a bad rap! We should be embracing it because it’s one of the best ways to learn.
• Question: Do you learn more from things that go 100% correct the first time you try them, or from something that doesn’t work well when attempting it for the first time?
• We absolutely learn more from our failures.
• The only real Failure is – Failing to Fail. (Think about it!)
• I Guarantee: The worst speech you’ll ever give, will be far better than the one you never give!”

Reasons to Have a Fear of Public Speaking

Fear - If you don’t know you Subject

• Don’t talk, especially in front of an audience, about something you have little knowledge of.
• People attend presentations to be entertained and learn something. They will be extremely disappointed, and show it, it they didn’t receive what they were hoping for. An investment in time, and often money, is made to hear a speaker. Shame on the presenter who doesn’t meet, and more often, exceed the expectations of attendees.
• There are many sources of information and no excuse not to be knowledgable on a speaking subject. It takes time and continuing effort., but the benefits of presenting with “confidence in your competence” is worth it!

Fear - If you don’t know the Structure of a Presentation

• Ever taste a great cake? Sure you have!
• It was delicious because a recipe was precisely followed. It called for specific ingredients, in specific amounts to be added in a specific order at a specific time. When the recipe is followed – Viola! A great cake is the result.
• A great presentation also follows a recipe. There is a structure for specific components to be placed in in a specific way and then presented in a specific manner. When followed according to the presentation plan, the audience is rewarded with a talk that educates, entertains and explains the speaker’s message. They GET IT! and GETTING IT! is the goal of all communication.

Fear - If you don’t Practice

• Can you imagine any serious musician, singer or actor headlining an important performance without spending hours and hours rehearsing? NO!
• Would any serious athlete participate in a crucial game, match or meet without continuous practicing and conditioning exercises? NO!
• The Best of the Best make it look easy because they Practice – Practice – Practice!
• Practicing is not optional for presenters, either.
• A rule of thumb is one hour of practice for each minute of presentation.

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Speakers, There’s NO App for That! Because of the Fear of Public Speaking, many in leadership...
2. Public Speaking is the Key to Opening. . . Here's why: We perceive really good speakers as Experts! Perception...
3. Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...

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Gift Grow Your Database!

Your Database is one the most important things your business owns!

It should contain the latest contact information on: clients, prospects, associates, suppliers, and “high influencers” in your field of expertise.  Building, and continually updating it, should be a top priority.

One good way to build this valuable asset is to offer your audience a FREE GIFT. In exchange for that FREE GIFT, they give you: their name, email address, and perhaps more information.

An easy way to “deliver” that gift is via email.  To do that, you’ll need the email address of the folks who opt  to receive it, correct?  All they have to do is give you their business card, or complete a form with that information and specify what, if there is a choice, gift to receive.  You will then have the opportunity to enter them into your Database for future marketing campaigns.

That gift should have value, and wide appeal, to the people you are speaking to. If not, they won’t take you up on it and you won’t get their precious contact information. If you speak on several subjects, and to different audiences, your gift should be tailored to each.

My expertise is Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
Here’s how I offer my FREE Gift:

Before my closing and a quick commercial for my book, I announce, “I have a FREE Gift for you, today.  In fact, if you wish, you can have two FREE Gifts!

The first one is a an Elevator Speech Template that can be used as a guide to build, floor-by-floor, the mini-Introduction many businesspeople are familiar with.

This subject really catches people’s attention.  If you regularly attend networking events, social functions, or seminars you can relate to this.  Invariably, the leader will announce to the attendees, “Before we get started, let’s go around the room.  Tell us, please: who you are and what you do.  Give us your Elevator Speech.”  For most, the reaction is – Yikes! 

When deciding on your FREE Gift, give careful consideration to what offer will grab your audience’s attention as well as this subject does.

“Who,” I ask while raising my hand high, “has Changed, Trashed, or Tweaked their Elevator Speech in the last year?  The last six months?  The last six weeks?  The last six – ?”  (That always gets a laugh.)

“I struggled with mine for years!  It was always a ‘work in progress’.”

“Last year, I had an Ah-Hah! Moment about Elevator Speeches.  I was sitting in my sales class when. . .  ”

I then tell the story of how I made a conscious decision to get serious about my Elevator Speech and how it lead to the development of a Template that others will find useful in crafting theirs.  After-all, as I tell the audience, presentation skills are my specialty and an Elevator Speech is a mini-presentation.  I should be good at this!

The next step is to deliver my Elevator Speech to the audience.  If it WOWS them, they’ll be more inclined to want my Gift.

It usually does because I have worked very, very hard on this.

I then show a slide of the Elevator Speech Template and explain that giving me their business card (or completed form) and writing on the back of it – Elevator Speech Template – will get them the Gift via email in PDF format.

The Second Gift I offer is a Speaker’s Template, an graphic depiction of the structure of a presentation.  Here, also, if they enjoyed and benefitted from my presentation, they will want this.

I challenge YOU to do the same when delivering presentations.

• Offer a FREE GIFT.
• Gather their name, email address, and other information.
• Place it into your Database with pertinent notes.
• Where you spoke and what was the topic, etc.
• Develop a Drip Marketing campaign that gives information and offers specific to those individuals.

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Speakers: Instructions For Your Audience Are. . . If the speaker has developed and practiced a speech, the...
2. Speakers: Let Readers LISTEN to Your Post and. . . I'm convinced the combination of Written Post + Audio Post...
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LISTEN You’ll Become a Better Speaker!

I’m sure you’ve heard that your writing should have a “Voice.” That’s true, and by making the audio of your posts available, it literally will!

There are Huge Benefits to doing this.

• People who prefer to listen will appreciate the convenience of audio.  The text is available for them to refer to if they wish to revisit something they heard.
• For those who are Auditory Learners, about 30% of the population, this is especially helpful.
• This is evidenced by the growing popularity of audiobooks, in part, because of new technologies.
• You’ll better connect to your audience because you, the author, is “speaking” to them.  Your voice, and the manner in which you deliver is part of your “Branding.”
• You recognize your favorite actors and TV personalities by their voice, don’t you?
• The audio can be placed into an iTunes Podcast Channel.  This expands your presence on the web.

• You’ll become a much Better Speaker and Writer!
  Here’s how I know this:

Audio Player Icon

One day I went to Tiny Business, Mighty Profits, the site of my good friend, Russ Henneberry.  This is one of my favorite places to go for marketing ideas.  There was an audio player icon at the beginning of the post.  I was naturally curious about this and clicked on it.  Immediately I heard Russ reading his post and I started reading along with him.

After a minute or two I thought to myself, “Why am I reading?  Here is the author, in his voice, giving his article the inflection, pauses and cadence that best conveys his message.  If something he says catches my attention, the text is there for me to refer to. I can even stop the player and re-listen to something if I wish.

I stopped reading and resumed my listening.  This convinced me I learned more by carefully listening to the person who wrote the post.  I decided to do the same with my regular blog.

After setting up an iTunes Channel and installing an audio player I was ready to record using Apple’s Garageband.

YIKES! What a humbling experience!

• When I started recording, I quickly found spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and sentences that were best re-written.
• When I listened to the recording, I discovered I sometimes mumbled and, more than once, let the volume of my voice trail off at the end of a sentence. Other elements of my vocal delivery were not done as well as I thought I could do, either.

This lead to me making corrections and doing some re-writing.  There were also a number of re-recordings of the audio done.

While it was upsetting to find these things that needed to be corrected, I might not have found them had I not started recording the audio of the Post.  I now do this for each and every article I put into my blog.

I’m convinced the combination of Written Post + Audio Post has made me a Better Writer and a Better Speaker.

I challenge YOU to do the same with your writings, be it articles or posts.  Record the audio and my prediction is your next presentation will be  - NO SWEAT!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
2. Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
3. Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . . The speaker on the podium says, "I really am...

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Rec There is a Specific Recipe

that when followed, produces the super results you desire!

A sumptuous cake, or for that matter, meal, doesn’t come about by accident!

There are specific amounts of specific ingredients, added at specific times, in a specific manner that lead to mouth watering desserts and foods!

A Presentation is similar to a recipe.  There are specific components, with very specific parts, that must be developed in a specific manner to result in a presentation
that leads to an audience GETTING the message the speaker wants them receiving.(GETTING IT! is the goal of all communication; verbal, written, visual.)

• Professional Presentations follow a “Recipe.”
• The Title shoulddraw people in to see and hear you.
• Think of it as the:
• Headline of a newspaper article.
• Subject Line of an email.
• Spine of a book.
• If the above don’t grab attention and interest, people won’t want to know more.
• Write your own Introduction.
• It is not your biography.
• It should answer the questions:
• Why this subject?
• Why this speaker?
• Why now?
• Think of the Introduction as the King’s Trumpeters announcing his arrival!  It should build the audience’s anticipation for you, the speaker!
• The Opening has two parts,
1. Grab the Attention of the people you’re speaking to.
2. Next, Tell them What you’ll be Telling Them, and how you’ll be handling questions.
• The formula for the Body of the presentation is:
• Make a Point - Tell a Story to support that point.
• Three to five points per presentation.
• Personal stories are best!
• The Conclusion has two parts.
1. Tell the audience what you told them.
2. Have a Strong Closing.
• The last thing the audience sees and hears will be the first thing they will remember.

BONUS Tips for the “Recipe” for a Great Presentation

• If you’re going to have a Q&A Session, do it before your Conclusion.
• The last thing the audience sees and hears will be the first thing they will recall.  That’s why the Closing should always be powerful!
• Practice – Practice – Practice!
• A good rule of thumb is one hour of practice for each minute of presentation.  (I’ve proofed the last sentence. It is correct!)
• If slides will be used in your presentation:
• Don’t use Bullet Points and lots of Text.
• Bullet Point Confuse, Compete and Conflict with the message the presenter is delivering.
• Use high quality, universally understood Images.
• Learn, Practice, and incorporate into your Presentation:
• Verbal Delivery
• Clear Enunciation and Pronunciation of all the words
  you speak.
• Projection
• Speak to the back of the room.  If necessary, use an amplification system.
• Inflection
• Where you place the emphasis in a sentence can completely change the meaning.
• Cadence
• Vary the speed of your delivery.
• Pause
• Give the audience an opportunity to enjoy your humor or absorb information you just presented.
• NonVerbal Delivery
• Eye Contact
• “The eyes are the gateway to the soul.”
• They project, or not, honesty and integrity.
• Facial Expressions
• The most important one is a Smile!
• I call a smile a non-physical hug because when you give one, you get one right back!
• They’re contagious.
• Gestures
• They should be natural and add to the delivery of your message.
• Be aware: All gestures are not universal.
• Posture
• Straight, with shoulders back shows “confidence in your competence.”
• Starts when you are seated!
• Body Language
• Have one or two “anchor spots” on the stage that you return to if moving about the speaking area.

Follow this “Recipe” for Developing your presentations, and the next one will be  - NO SWEAT!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. The Magic Pill that Makes You a Great Presenter! There's no easy way to get rid of the Fear...
2. Have a ‘Plan B’ Because When the Screen Goes. . . There are several lessons here: Murphy’s Law rules! It’s not...
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S NO!

For most presentations, it should not start that way!

People love to laugh and humor is great.  It can be icing on the cake, but it isn’t easy!  

It is also a tool that can be used to keep the attention of the audience on you and your message.

If you try to be funny, and you’re not, You might wind up being the Joke!

Here are some guidelines for Humor in Presentations:

• Self-Effacing humor is good!
• If you’re like me, you have lots of material to work with!
• Don’t overdo it else it really gets the audience wondering about you and your self-confidence.
• Never make fun of others, especially audience members.  The person, even if a celebrity, that you might want to poke fun at, might be someone’s hero and you’ll alienate those folks.
• The old rule, “If you can’t say it in front of your mother, spouse and child – Don’t! - holds true.
• All humor you use should be relevant to your overall message with the goal of helping your audience GET IT!
• Too much humor will become a shtick, probably not conducive to delivering your message.

Here’s a Good Example of the use of Humor:
I write funny remarks into the Introduction for the Master of Ceremonies who introduces me.  My Intro answers the mandatory three Whys” every Introduction should include:

1. Why this Subject?
2. Why this Speaker?
3. Why Now?

The Master of Ceremonies then mentions that he “did some research on our speaker and discovered he used to be in the Coffee Business.”

The Emcee goes on to say,
“Since he used to sell Coffee, I figured he could Perk Up our meeting and not let it
become a Grind!
Someone told me he Espressos himself well, and would never be considered a Drip.
I’m curious, as I’m sure you are, to hear what he’s Brewed Up for us.
Help me welcome – Fred Miller!”

These “groaners” get a good laugh from the audience and make the person introducing me think they can do stand up!

When I take my place to begin my talk, I turn to the Emcee and say, “That was a great Introduction – Thanks a Latte!” That statement always gets another round of laughs, and I’m off to the races with my presentation.

That particular Introduction lets the audience know the speaker doesn’t take themselves too seriously.  The laughter I receive puts me at ease and makes an immediate connection with them.

I’ll also use humor throughout the body of my presentation.

Example:
I may mention Toastmasters and the great organization it is for developing communication and leadership skills.

One suggestion I make is that before joining Toastmasters, they visit several clubs because each has their own “flavor.”  Some are very regimented, others are fairly loose in their meeting structure.  Some clubs are large and others have very few members.  Nothing is good or bad, it’s a matter of finding one you feel comfortable in and feel you can get the encouragement and skill training you’re seeking.

I tell the story of how I made a mistake in picking the first club I joined.  ”I think they all belonged to Mensa, you know, the high IQ Club.”  Those words usually get a snicker or two.

“Obviously,” I continue, “I didn’t fit into that club too well.”

More giggles!

“But it took me about six months to figure that out!”

Now, I get some laughter!

I follow that up with, “I graduated in the half of the class that made the top half possible! 

You’ve got that bell-shaped curve, right? (I gesture the image of that grading curve as I say those words.)  Someone has to be at the bottom!  You’re welcome “A” Students!”

The crowd loves it, and it energizes me.

I use other humor, including some funny slides, throughout my talks to keep help educate, entertain and explain my message to my audience, all with the goal that the audience will GET IT!

Follow these suggestions for including Humor in your presentations, and the next one will be  - NO SWEAT!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
2. Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . . The speaker on the podium says, "I really am...
3. Speakers: Instructions For Your Audience Are. . . If the speaker has developed and practiced a speech, the...

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• The Title of your talk doesn’t grab a potential audience’s attention.
• Think of the Title of your Presentation as the Cover of a Book, Headline of a Newspaper Article, or Subject Line of an Email.
• If it doesn’t attract people, they’ll never look any further.
• The Master of Ceremonies uses your Bio as your Introduction.
• Your Bio is not your Introduction, and is an integral part of a presentation.  It should be like the king’s trumpeters announcing to all that his highness is on his way.  It’s goal is to build anticipation for you, the presenter.
• The Introduction should answer three questions.
1. Why this Subject?
2. Why this Speaker?
3. Why now?
• Write your own Introduction and review it with the Emcee.  Yes, It’s that important!
• Your Opening doesn’t:
1. Grab the audience’s attention.
• Ask a question.
• Example: ”Who knows someone who’s died of cancer?”
• Hold a prop that gets everyone to focus on it.
• Example: Morning Newspaper Headline.
2. Give them a Road Map of your speech, telling them what you’ll be telling them.
1. People want to know what’s coming.  Telling them what, and in what sequence, you’ll be presenting, is an essential part of the Opening.
• The Law of Primacy and Recency says the audience will best remember the first and last things they hear and see.
• Compose your Opening with that law in mind.
• The Body of your Presentation doesn’t follow a specific formula.
• The Formula is: Make a Point – Tell a supporting Story.
• Three to five points per presentation.
• Personal stories are best because only you, unless you’ve given permission, can tell that story!
• “Personal Stories are the emotional glue that connect your audience to your message.” – Nancy Duarte
• The Conclusion of your Presentation is non-memorable.
• The Conclusion has two Parts.
1. Review your presentation by telling the audience what you told them.
1. Repetition is one way to insure your audience GETS IT!
2. Have a Strong Closing!
• The last thing the audience hears and sees will be the first thing they will recall!
• A Call to Action is an excellent way to end a presentation.
• Example: “I Guarantee – The worst speech you’ll ever give – will be far better than the one you never give.  Do it!”

Additional Signs Your Presentation is due for an EXTREME MAKEOVER:

• If your slides contain lots of Bullet Points and text.
• Bullet Points Kill – Kill the Bullet Points.
• Bullet Points do not reinforce a message.
• They confuse, complicate, and conflict with it.
• Use high quality, universally understood images.
• You, the speaker, should provide the “Text” with your voice.
• “Blank” the screen, when finished using a slide, to focus the attention of the audience on you, the speaker.
• If your Delivery is dull and doesn’t engage the audience.
• Delivery trumps Content!
• You can have the greatest Content in the world, but if you can’t Deliver in a manner that Educates, Entertains, and Explains, the audience will never GET IT!  (GETTING IT! is the goal of all communications.)
• The Delivery of a Presentation has two Parts.
• Know all the elements of each.  Understand them and use them.
1. Verbal
2. NonVerbal
• If you haven’t revised and updated your presentation in the last 30 days.
• There is always something that can be improved and refreshed.
• “The road to perfection never ends.”
• If you haven’t Practiced a minimum of One Hour per Minute of Presentation Material.
• The above time suggestion is not a misprint!

Follow these suggestions for making an Extreme Makeover of your presentation, and the next one will be  - NO SWEAT!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Your PRESENTATION needs a MAKEOVER If. . . You might need a Presentation Makeover if you. . ....
2. Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
3. Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . . The speaker on the podium says, "I really am...

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Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

People who Take and Make Speaking Opportunities:

• Grow their businesses.
• Advance their careers.
• Increase their leadership roles.

They do this because we perceive really good speakers as Experts.  Perception is reality, and we like to work with Experts, Correct?

We should be Taking and Making as many Speaking Opportunities as possible!

For Speaking Opportunities Contact:

• Chambers of Commerce
• Rotary Clubs
• Lions Clubs
• Specialty Clubs (Especially those focused on what you offer!)
• Networking Groups (Google that for your city.)
• You’ll find all kinds.  They will range from general networking to very specific areas of interest.

When you get those Speaking Opportunities:

• Use Eventbrite for registering. (If that’s something you’re able to do, or convince the host to do.)
• You publicize it.
• Have a calendar page on your website that shows where, when, and what topic you’ll be speaking on.
• If you are an author and have a book on Amazon.com, take advantage of their Author’s Central and place your Speaking Events in their Event Calendar.
• Put it on your Facebook Business Page.
• Post to your LinkedIn page.
• Have the group you’ll be speaking to publicize it on their website.

Before you Speak:

• Know your subject!
• Know it well – very well.
• Not knowing your subject will have negative effects.  People come to events to learn something and expect the presenter to be well versed on the subject they are speaking on.
• Be knowledgeable of the latest information on your subject by setting up Google Alerts.
• Know, and use, the proper structure of a presentation.
• Write your own Introduction, and review it with the person who will be presenting you.
• Practice – Practice -Practice!
• Have backup plans for everything that could go wrong.
• Bring a copy of your Introduction.
• If your use slides, have your presentation backed up on a flash drive.
• Back it up in PDF format, also, in case the “backup computer” doesn’t run the program or version of the program you used for your original presentation.
• Have a paper backup of your presentation for those times when the projector bulb burns out or the computer crashes.

When you Speak:

• Use all the verbal and nonverbal elements of a professional presentation.
• If you use slides in your presentation:
• Use high quality, universally understood images.
• You provide the text!
• Blank the screen periodically to take the audience’s attention from the screen to you, the presenter.
• Have, and implement, a plan for getting contact information for those in the audience who have an interest in your area of expertise and are prospects for your product and/or service.
• Example: I offer to email Free Elevator Speech and Speaker’s Speech Templates to anyone who gives me their business card.

Photo Credit: Bill S.

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Own Style!

Do as the Army Recruiting Slogan says: ”Be all that YOU can be!”

I don’t have a great voice.  I don’t sing, dance, or play an instrument.  Realizing I would never have some of the ‘tools for delivery’ others have was a relief.  I quit trying to be someone I wasn’t and concentrated on being the best I can be.

That revelation came to me years ago when I was practicing a speech while walking with my wife.  It was going along well, when she suddenly stopped walking and asked, “What was that?”

I assumed she was asking about the part of the presentation I had delivered in the last few moments, and answered, “That’s what Brian Tracy says about being self-employed.”

“Well, it wasn’t you!” she exclaimed, and continued, “It was as if you made a sudden left, without warning, as we were driving down the highway.  You were trying to be someone you’re not.  What does Fred have to say about being self-employed?”

That moment caused me to assess the way I was presenting and how I thought I wanted to present.  It was one of those proverbial Ah -Hah! Moments.  All a person can do is to be the best they can be.  We each need to develop our own style.  It can be tweaked and improved, but unless you’re doing impersonations, don’t try to be someone else.

I was in a great Toastmasters Club.  We had some awesome speakers.

They had a variety of presentation styles, and some members had specific qualities about their talks I admired, and wish I possessed.

Two men, Dan and Robert, had dynamic baritone voices.  The room filled with their rich voice when they spoke and I often thought they would do extremely well behind a pulpit!

Dan would occasionally grace us with his singing as he skillfully played his guitar.  It was always a treat.

Kapano, a doctor, was also the consummate dancer and runway model.  Her presentations always left us admiring her skills.

Another person was a wordsmith extraordinaire.  He had a mastery of the english language I’ll never have. I always thought Paul D. forgot more words then I would ever know!  It was not only his large vocabulary that impressed me, but the way the words flowed off his tongue, almost like a symphony!

Paul L. was an attorney, and an extremely smart person with a knowledge of many things. His presentations and eloquent style of delivery were outstanding!

Mike’s speeches always had the audience laughing, some so hard they were almost in tears.  He seemed to have a natural ability to be funny.  Not only was his material great, but the delivery was superb.  I believe he could have read the phone book and had people chuckling!  He was a great humorist and now does some standup comedy at local clubs.

John, an accountant type, also delivered great humor.  His dry style of delivery was completely different than Mike’s, but great!

Duke was the best storyteller I’ve ever heard.  He could weave a tale and pull the audience in like no one I’ve ever seen do it.

He looked the part, also.  When ‘performing’, he wore high engineer boots over his faded jeans.  A plaid, flannel shirt was part of his ‘uniform’, and went well with his long hair and great mustache.  He could have been in a Jack Daniels commercial!

He didn’t attend meetings as regularly as we wish he had.  We always made it a point, though, to take him to Toastmaster Contests if storytelling was on the agenda.  It was the equivalent of taking Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimming champion, to a high school swim meet!   Nobody wanted to follow the Dukester!

I wish I had the presentation skills of some of my Toastmaster friends.  I don’t, but I do have my own, that I continually work on.

You have a unique style, also.  The challenge is to find it, hone it, and use it!

Remember, you can’t be anyone but you!  That’s a good thing because no one else can be, and present, like you! 

Follow this suggestion of developing and perfecting your own style and your next presentation will be
- NO SWEAT!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
NO SWEAT!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
2. Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . . The speaker on the podium says, "I really am...
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Fortunately, I’ve been doing a lot of speaking lately.

During the Q&A Session, one question I’m frequently asked is, “How can I lessen my Fear of Public Speaking and become a better Presenter”

There are a number of answers to this question, and I think a blog post, categorizing them, is appropriate.  Here it is!

Lessen the Fear of Public Speaking

• Know your material.
• If you don’t have a great knowledge about what you’re presenting, you should have fear!
• Use Google Alerts to keep updated on the latest information for the subject you’ll be speaking about.
• Structure your presentation properly.
• A delicious cake is the result of a great recipe, that has: specific ingredients, in specific amounts, added at specific times, in a specific manner.
• Professional presentations also follow a “Recipe.”
• The Title should draw people in to see and hear you.
• Think of it as the:
• Headline of a newspaper article.
• Subject Line of an email.
• Spine of a book.
• If the above don’t grab attention and interest, people won’t want to know more.
• Write your own Introduction.
• It is not your biography.
• It should answer the questions:
• Why this subject?
• Why this speaker?
• Why now?
• Think of the Introduction as the King’s Trumpeters announcing his arrival!  It should build the audience’s anticipation for you, the speaker!
• Open your speech with something that Grabs the Attention of the people you’re speaking to.
• Next, Tell them What you’ll be Telling Them, and how you’ll be handling questions.
• The formula for the Body of the presentation is:
• Make a Point – Tell a Story to support that point.
• Three to five points per presentation.
• Personal stories are best!
• The Conclusion has two parts.
1. Tell the audience what you told them.
2. Have a Strong Closing.
• The last thing the audience sees and hears will be the first thing they will remember.
• Arrive early to your event to Meet & Greet your audience.
• It is amazing how much easier it is to talk to people you’ve met, if even for a moment.  It is a great anxiety reducer!

Question & Answer Session

• Take questions before your Closing.
• State that in your Opening when you give the audience a “road map” of how you’ll be proceeding.
• The Closing is the Closing - Period.
• Taking questions throughout a presentation, unless it is a workshop, is extremely hard to do and not wise for a number of reasons.

Practice! – Practice! – Practice!

• Practice in front of a mirror.
• Practice out loud.
• Practice with a video recorder and watch yourself!
• Practice with friends and family as an audience and ask for constructive feedback.
• Malcomb Gladwell, in his best selling book, “Outliers”, says it takes 10,000 hours to become a Expert.
• He also says, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good.
  It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
• Athletic Coaches tell us, “We’ll play as we practice.”  They are correct!

Speak! – Speak! – Speak!

• If you want to be a great baker – Bake!
• If you want to be a great swimmer – Swim!
• If you want to be a great speaker – Speak!
• The Learning is in the Doing!
• There is no easy way.

Follow these suggestions and your next presentation will be
- No Sweat!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. The Fear of Public Speaking! – WHY? There are legitimate reasons to have a Fear of Public...
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UN Learn Something!

For many folks, trying something we haven’t done before is Uncomfortable.

Delivering a presentation in front of an audience positively fits into that Uncomfortable zone for a multitude of people. Who wants to be Uncomfortable? Not most of us.

I suggest we embrace getting out of our comfort zone because the Research Shows: When we get out of our comfort zone – we make it larger!

One of the quotes I often refer to is, “Learning begins at the edge of our comfort zone.”

Adam Bryant is a writer for the NY Times.  He interviews successful executives.  One of the things he found in common with many of them was that they weren’t Comfortable unless they were UnComfortable!  Think about that!  They purposely pushed themselves to a place were they are not at ease because they know they are stretching themselves and will benefit.

When it comes to Presenting, get Uncomfortable!

• If you always speak standing in back of a lectern,
• Get out from behind it the next time you speak.
• You’ll find it forms a physical and emotional barrier between you and the audience.  Without it, you’ll make a better connection with them.
• If you usually read your presentation or use bullet points,
• Try using a Mind Map.
• A Mind Map is a visual, non-linear brainstorming tool that uses pictures, symbols, and colors.
• Looking at an image, and knowing your presentation, lets you recall and deliver in a more natural manner.
• If you’ve never use props in your presentation,
• Try using some!
• People have three learning styles; Visual, audio, and kinesthetic.
• Combining a great prop the audience can look at and you providing the “text” with your voice, increases the odds the audience will GET IT!
• Put the prop out of sight when finished with it else it becomes a distraction.
• If you don’t use PowerPoint or Keynote,
• Try using slides because “seeing” and “hearing” increases the chances people GET IT!
• Use high quality, universally understood images instead of text and bullet points.
• Bullet Points do not reinforce a message.  They confuse, compete with, and complicate it.
• If you usually talk in a monotone voice,
• Try practicing, then present, using inflection where you want to emphasize specific words and phrases in your verbal delivery.
• If your gestures are not thought of as part of presenting,
• Start using them as a natural part of your delivery.
• They should be natural and in sync with your message.
• For large audiences, exaggerate them so all can see.
• If you rarely pause when delivering a speech,
• Try it!
• Pause before opening your presentation.
• Pause when you’ve done something that has the audience laughing.  Let them, and you, enjoy the moment.
• Pause to emphasize a specific point in your presentation.
• If you take questions after you Close your presentation.
• Try having your Q&A Session before your Conclusion.
• The Law of Primacy and Recency says the audience will best remember the first and last things they see and hear, more the last thing.  That’s why a speech should have a Strong Opening and a Strong Closing.
• If the last question injects controversy or doubt about you and your presentation, that negative thing is what the audience will leave thinking about!
• In your Opening, tell the audience when, in your presentation, you’ll be taking questions.
• This will prevent hands going up throughout your talk.
• If you have never, or rarely use a microphone,
• Be certain to Practice with the one you’ll be using before your presentation.  A good presentation can go south very quickly when a microphone is not used properly.
• There are different types of mics; hand held, fixed, and lavalier.
• Some are directional; some omnidirectional.

Follow these suggestions for getting Uncomfortable, and your next presentation will be
- No Sweat!

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
Go to: http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/freegift to receive it!
(You may be asked to update your profile even if it hasn’t changed.  Please do!)

About the Author
Fred E. Miller is a speaker, a coach, and author of the book,
“No Sweat Public Speaking!”
Businesses and individuals hire him because they want to improve their
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
They do this because we perceive really great speakers to be Experts.
Perception is reality and we rather deal with Experts.

They also know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

He shows them how to:
Develop, Practice, and Deliver ‘Knock Your Socks Off Presentations!’ with -
No Sweat!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
314-517-8772

Connect/Follow me:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Related posts:

1. Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . . The speaker on the podium says, "I really am...
2. Have a ‘Plan B’ Because When the Screen Goes. . . There are several lessons here: Murphy’s Law rules! It’s not...
3. Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...

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