'No Sweat' Public Speaking!» Communications

Speakers: Instructions For Your Audience Are. . .

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:01:40 +0000

W Wouldn’t It Be Nice If. . .

Before your presentation, your Audience had specific instructions and training on how to be a Good Audience?

An audience can make or break a presentation.

A good, enthusiastic group gives the speaker responses and energy that lead to a better presentation.

Audiences with individuals who have their own agendas and don’t respect the speaker’s efforts, can disrupt an otherwise, good presentation. This can lead to, frustration for the presenter, a less than stellar performance, and the audience not GETTING the speaker’s message.

If the speaker has developed and practiced a speech, the audience should follow certain “Guidelines” that give the presenter an opportunity to deliver their message so the audience GETS IT! They don’t have to agree with all of it. They don’t have to agree with any of it. However, unless they GET IT! there can’t be a significant discussion going forward.

To help the speaker, and the audience, I’ve compiled a set of:

Audience Instructions

Arrive well before the scheduled event.

Arriving after an event has started and finding a seat is disruptive to everyone.

If you can meet the presenter before their presentation, befriendly and say, “I’m looking forward to your presentation!” That short sentence gives the speaker added incentive and energy for their upcoming talk.
- Smart speakers, if possible, Meet & Greet audience participants before the presentation. They greet people as they enter the room, and thank them for coming. This activity “connects” the speaker to the participants. It’s a technique that lowers the speaker’s anxiety and usually leads to a more attentive audience.
Sit so that your whole body faces the speaker. This isn’t a problem if chairs are already arranged in a classroom style. Sometimes, though, the presentation is after a meal where people are seated at round tables. It is best for the people to turn their chairs to face the presenter.
Be an Active Listener.

Lean towards the speaker.
Be able to repeat the last statement the speaker made.
Make eye contact with the presenter.
If the speaker asks a question like, “Does that make sense?” Motion your head up and down if it does, side to side if it doesn’t.

A good speaker should always be taking the temperature of the audience and nonverbal communication is important to them for letting them know if you’re
GETTING IT!

If you want to ask the speaker a question, wait till the proper time.
- An experienced speaker, in their Opening, will tell the audience how and when they will be handling questions.
- It’s possible, the question you have, will be answered at a point further in the presentation.
- Jot it down so you don’t forget to ask if it isn’t covered.
- Don’t wave your hand trying to ask questions when it’s not the Q&A part of the presentation.
  - It’s distracting to the speaker and others in the audience.
When asking a question, be polite in your language even if you disagree with something the speaker said.
- They should show you the same courtesy.
- If you have more than one question, give others a chance to ask theirs before attempting to ask another.
Don’t talk to others, text, eat, drink, or do anything that could be distracting to the audience or speaker during the presentation.
Applaud!
- It’s the courteous thing to do, even if you didn’t like what the speaker said or disagreed with them. They have usually worked hard on their presentation and should be applauded (literally) for their effort.
If possible, approach the speaker afterwards and Thank Them.
- Do this even if you disagreed with some of their points. Most likely, they put much time, thought and effort into their speech. That should be respected and acknowledged.
- If there were specific things you gained from the presentation, mention those when thanking them.
- Following up with a Thank You email or a personal note, and being specific in your appreciation, will always be appreciated

Following these guidelines will insure the audience receives the best presentation the speaker can deliver!

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!

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
Connect/Follow me:
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314-517-8772

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The “F” Word – Speakers Should. . .

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:01:10 +0000

TEmbrace It!

I’m going to use the “F” Word today.

I know I’ve already made some of you uncomfortable.

You don’t like that word directed at you.

If you direct it to others, it’s not well received.

The Truth: Failure Gets a Bad Rap!

We learn far more from our failures than things we do correctly the first time. This certainly applies to Public Speaking and Presenting.

One of my mantras is:
“Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities.”
No one has everchallenged me on it. Many agree they should take and make as many Speaking Opportunities as possible. If they do, they will grow their businesses, advance their careers, and increase their leadership roles.

Speaking Opportunities are also Learning Opportunities.
Things we learn from public speaking are often not from
presentations going smoothly and without any flaws or snafus. Sometimes, it’s quite the opposite!

Many of the public speaking skills I have came about because I forgot, messed up, or didn’t even know about using them in presentations.

The Introduction

Examples:
I write my own Introduction. It’s an integral part of the speech, and what every speaker should do. Mine follows the guidelines of a good Introduction and does a nice job of setting me up as the next speaker. There is some humor built into it and usually does a great job of connecting me to the audience before my Opening.

All morning I had been giving a number of small workshops at a manufacturing firm. In the afternoon, the entire company gather together for the main meeting of the event. I handed my Introduction to the VP of Sales who was to Introduce me. He goes stage center, looks briefly at my Introduction, wads it up in his hands and says, “We all know Fred! Come up and give us your presentation!”

Bummer!

I had to do some quick thinking and improvising because I never expected him not to read what I had given him!

That was a HUGE Lesson. Ever since, I email the Introduction to the emcee in advance of the event, asking them to review it and contact me with any questions. I explain that it is an important part of the presentation. I make it a point to see them before the event and, again, ask if there are any questions.

I was delivering a presentation at a Chamber of Commerce Luncheon that consisted of thirty-six slides. Everything was going smoothly until I pressed the button on my remote to advance the slide to number eight. Suddenly, the screen went blank!

My computer was working fine, as was the projector. Because this was a luncheon meeting with a tight schedule, I didn’t have time to reboot the equipment and see if that would fix the problem.

Keynote's Light Table View

Fortunately, as a backup, I always print my slides in Keynote’s Light Table View (for PowerPoint users, it’s called Slide Sorter View). This option allows me to place up to forty-two slides on one sheet of paper. Since I use mostly images, rather than bullet points and text, it was very easy to look at the image of the slide and know what to talk about.

I quickly found out that having a backup plan and using it is not as easy as I had hoped. (It was almost Big Sweat instead of No Sweat!) Luckily, I really know this material, and the presentation continued and was well received.

The lesson I learned was that having that “Plan B” was not enough. I needed to practice with the Light Table View, also.

I’ve taken this concept a step further, and now have the Light Table View printout next to the computer when delivering presentations and find it gives me the “overview of where I am” better than looking just at the Presenter Display View on my mac.

Keynote's Presenter's Display View

Presenter Display View (Presenter Tools in PowerPoint) is a tremendous tool for presenting that I also learned by “not knowing” how to get the “screens arranged” correctly.

I was presenting in “mirror” mode, where the image on the screen is the image projected. This is nice, because the presenter can face the audience and not turn their back to see what the audience is seeing. Better than this is the Presenter Display View which lets me see:
• What the audience sees.
• The next slide.
• Notes.
• The time or a timer.

You can see the advantage this view offers. However, it took trial and error and research for me to figure out how to get the screens, mine and the one the audience sees, arranged correctly. I’m not a techie and the learning was frustrating. But the reward of having it work correctly – tremendous! I’m able to deliver a far better presentation using this tool.

Failing to make this work initially, forced me out of my confort zone to learn something new – Good!

I read a quote once that rings true: “Learning begins at the edge of our comfort zone.” It’s also a fact that when we get out of our comfort zone, it becomes larger!

Perhaps it is the word “Failure” that must be addressed. It has a negative connotation. If we substitute the word, “Experiment,” the “Failure” doesn’t seem like such a big deal. We don’t expect “experiments” to always have positive outcomes. A “failed experiment” takes us closer to the results we are seeking because it let’s us eliminate one process, idea or technique. This is a good thing - correct?

Until we say, “Our experiment was successful because it brought us closer to a solution,” let’s

Embrace Failure!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
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Have a Spare Tire in Case Murphy Shows Up!

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:01:34 +0000

H Murphy, of Murphy’s Law,

always seems to be lurking around the corner, waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. That casualty could be you!

Always be prepared for anything and everything you can control.

If the computer crashes, projector dies, or sound system goes silent, you must still present your material! There are people in the audience who came to learn something. It’s your presentation and your responsibility they don’t leave disappointed.

Be sure your “trunk” is well equipped for all contingencies.
If I’m using slides, I backup my presentation on a USB flash drive. Because I use a mac, my slideshows are made with iWork Keynote software. I export copies to PowerPoint and convert, also, to PDFs. The PDF conversion is done because they work when versions of PowerPoint and Keynote are not the versions on a backup computer.

I also print a copy of my slideshow in Light Table view, which allows me to see a large number of my slides on one piece of paper. More about this in a moment!

If you use slides, I recommend you do the same. If those slides contain bullet points with text, print out a copy with the text large enough you’ll be able to read it. In stressful moments, that text can get very fuzzy!

Having a spare tire is not enough! You must know if the tire is inflated, have a working car jack, and a lug wrench. Even if you have “all that in your trunk” it doesn’t mean you know how to use it and change a tire.

Here’s my real life example:
I was presenting to a local Chamber at their monthly luncheon meeting and was on slide number eight of a thirty-six slide presentation. Suddenly the screen went BLANK! My computer was working fine, as, it seemed, was the projector. Because the schedule was tight, there was no time to reboot and see if that would fix the problem.

As a “Plan B” I always print out my slides in Light Table View. This allows me to place thirty-plus, very small images of my slides, on one sheet of paper. Thankfully, I use mostly images in slides rather than text. (This is something you’ll definitely want to investigate in my book and website!) I’m able to look at the image, and know my material well enough, that I can continue the presentation.

However, having the “Spare Tire” and needing to switch to it instantly is not always easy. Luckily, I was able to grab my paper, present the remainder of my presentation, and finish to a thankful round of applause. (It was almost Big Sweat instead of No Sweat!)

My Lesson Learned is obvious. Before going into the desert, practice, just in case of a blowout, changing that tire!

I now practice, not only my presentation, but the “Backup Plan.” Knowing what can happen, and confident I can handle things if Murphy pounces, is a great stress reliever. Follow my lead, and Practice “Plan B,” also!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
Connect/Follow me:
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314-517-8772

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The Elevator Speech Booklet – CLICK to Open!

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:01:12 +0000

YourYour Elevator Speech is a Mini-Presentation

CLICK to Open Booklet

**Use this as a Template for Your Elevator Speech!**

An Elevator Speech is what we deliver when introducing ourselves at networking events, business meetings, or when meeting anyone for the first time.

The term, Elevator Speech, implies it’s something that won’t take very long to deliver. If someone’s only going to be in an elevator with you till the next floor, it may be less than a minute. It’s not an exercise to take casually.

Just as an Elevator goes up one floor at a time, the Elevator Speech should be delivered “by the floor.”

At each stop, the verbal and/or nonverbal signal to look for is, “Tell me more.”

Everyone doesn’t want to go to the Top Floor with you. Some don’t want to leave the lobby! There is no need to waste time and energy taking them all the way up.

The Elevator Speech can be a good tool for Qualifying and DisQualifying prospects.

The Elevator Speech starts simple. As interest and time permit, it is expanded.

Again, not everyone wants to go with you to the Top Floor and you don’t want to take everyone there.

Let’s get in the Elevator and start going up!

1st Floor - Describes Who You Are
Hello! My Name is Fred Miller.
That may be all someone wants to know about you – Your Name.

2nd Floor - Describes What You Do
I’m a Speaker, a Coach and an Author.
That’s what I do.
Hopefully, they want to know:
What I speak about.
What I coach.
What have I authored.

On this floor, very briefly, tell them what you do. Don’t give a lot of details.

3rd Floor - Describes Your Expertise
The Title of my Book is, “No Sweat Public Speaking!”
How to Develop, Practice, and Deliver a ‘Knock Your Socks Off!’ Presentation with -
No Sweat!

This is where you tell something about why you have expertise in what you do.

4th Floor - Why They Hire Me
Businesses and Individuals Hire Me Because they want to improve their Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.

I prefer the words Hire Me rather than:
“I work with people who. . .
“I help people. . .
Hire Me lets them know I get Paid to do this.
Hire Me can be an excellent Dis-Qualifier.

The word “because” is important. It has a positive psychological impact on the recipient.

5th Floor - More Why They Hire Me
They do this because:
We perceive really good speakers as Experts.
Perception is reality.
We like to work with Experts.

Here, expand on why they hire you.

6th Floor - More Information
They know:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities.
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities.

You may not have time or need to deliver more information, but it’s good
to have it as an option.

I could follow this up with,
“Are You Taking and Making Speaking Opportunities?”

That could continue the conversation.
This is an Elevator Speech, not a Sales Presentation.
If this leads to a meeting and a conversation, I’ll ask it at that time.

7th Floor - I Deliver
I show them how to Develop, Practice, and Deliver a ‘Knock Your Socks Off!’ Presentation with – No Sweat!

The “No Sweat!” is part of my Branding. If you have a “Brand” it’s this is a great place to use it!

8th Floor - ASK!
“You probably don’t know any companies or people who could use the services I offer,
Do You?

Asking the question this way will catch them a bit off guard and usually get them thinking.
Their answer could be a prospect.

Somewhere on the ride up, the person you’re delivering to, is curious enough to tell you they want to know more and have a conversation in the future.
If not, ASKING them is the next best thing to do. What have you got to lose?

Be aware that an Elevator Speech, just like any presentation, consists of two Components:
Content and Delivery.

Plan your Content.
• Read The Elevator Speech Booklet.
• Very little, but pertinent information, for each “floor.”
• Continually refresh it. Change is constant.
• You learn new skills and have new experiences that can be
valuable to mention.

Delivery is Verbal and NonVerbal.
Verbal: The way the words are spoken.
• Speak clearly and distinctly.
NonVerbal, Everything else.
• Smile. It’s universal and gets a positive response.
• Make eye contact to show honesty and sincerity.
• Stand tall and lean in slightly to listen and/or shake hands.
• If appropriate to shake hands, give a firm handshake.

Now, work on Your Elevator Speech.
Then, if you’re inclined, go to the Comments Section, please, and
share Your Elevator Speech!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
Connect/Follow me:
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314-517-8772

Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
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Remember: NonVerbal Communication Trumps. . .

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:01:54 +0000

Verb Verbal Communication

Have you ever watched a Professional Mime? They speak no words, but communicate very well, don’t they!

If they were to use their voice, their NonVerbal Communication: eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and body movements, would outweigh their spoken words.

Our NonVerbal Communication carries more weight than the words we say and how we say them.

Example: The speaker on the podium says, “I’m very excited to be speaking to this group today.” At the same time, he is yawning, not giving eye contact to anyone in the audience, and continually looking at his watch. What’s the message he’s sending?

Everything in the Delivery of our presentation must be in sync, else the audience will believe what they “See.”

While we can consciously use our NonVerbal Communication Skills to emphasize parts of our presentation, it’s important to remember that we exhibit involuntary NonVerbal Communication, also. (If you saw Simon Cowell’s eyebrows rise when Susan Boyle started singing her first song, “I Dreamed a Dream,” on Britain Has Talent, you know what I mean. Here’s a Link.)

Facial expressions like: raised eyebrows, rolling eyes, smirks, yawns, snickers and other expressions are often exhibited before we are conscious of them happening. Yet the audience sees them and immediately an impression is made. If not in sync with the words they were hearing, and carries a different meaning, the audience will believe the involuntary NonVerbal Communication they see.

The same holds true of gestures and body language. If we’re talking about something we are ‘passionate about’, but not ‘showing’ that emotion with gestures, posture and body language, the ‘disconnect’ tells our audience the ‘passion’ may not be as real as we’re telling them!

If using slides in a presentation, it is critical to either insert Blank Slides or use the “B” Blank Button at points in your presentation. This will shift the audiences’ eyes to you, the presenter. They will the see your important NonVerbal Communication.

Use NonVerbal Communication to reinforce the words you speak and enhance your Presentation:

Make Eye Contact with individuals in the audience.

It demonstrates honesty, self-confidence, and sincerity.

Use Facial Expressions.

Smile, when appropriate.

A smile is universal. I call it a non-physical hug because when you give one, you usually get one right back!

Other Facial Expressions are also universal and ‘seen’ the same by people all over the globe. They include expressions for:

Fear, Anger, Surprise, Disgust, Happiness, and being Sad.

Gesture to emphasize specific points of your presentation.

Be certain they are in sync with your message.
Make those gestures larger for larger audiences so all see them.

Your Posture conveys self-confidence, honesty, and leadership.

Don’t slouch, lean, or fidget when standing.
Posture also applies when you are sitting, before and after you speak.

Consider yourself always on stage.

When you Move Your Body, walk deliberately.

Pick several ‘anchor’ points to always return to. (Kind of an X marks the spot!)

One of those anchors can be ‘stage center,’ directly in front of the audience.

If you’re using slides in your presentation, be sure you have BLANKED the screen with the ‘B’ Button on your computer or remote, or inserted a Blank Slide. If you don’t do this, you are the screen!

In summary, if everything in a presentation is not in sync,
NonVerbal Communication Rules!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
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Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!”

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:01:21 +0000

“If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press.”Speakers

This is how David Gregory, the moderator of the the longest-running television series in American broadcasting, signs off each Sunday morning.

Tim Russert, the previous host, and all hosts before him, signed off with the same words. It’s part of this weekly television news/interview program’s Branding.

Branding yourself and company in several ways, so others know who you are and what you do, should be part of your marketing strategy. Using it in your Closing can be particularly effective. This is because of the Law of Primacy and Recency which says, “The last thing the audience sees and hears will be the first thing they will remember.”

If you’re a fan of the great motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, you know his presentations always closed with his Branded Tag Line, “I will see You - At The Top!”

My good friend and internet marketing expert Russ Henneberry blogs on the site,
Tiny Business, Mighty Profits. He closes and Brands his presentations with the statement, “Starting tomorrow, do the things we worked on today, and Your Tiny Business will have - Mighty Profits!”

If you hear the phrase, “It just works!” you associate it with Steve Jobs. Another of his favorites was, “And one more thing!” Combine those statements with a black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and white sneakers and you have the Brand, Steve Jobs!
That Brand was, and will forever be, associated with the bigger Brand, Apple.

I’ve worked very hard on my “No Sweat!” Brand:

”No Sweat Public Speaking!” is my book.
”No Sweat Public Speaking!” is my website.
Above my signature on correspondence and emails are the words,
“Make your next presentation - “No Sweat!”
When I encourage others with an upcoming presentation I tell them it will be - “No Sweat!”
I Close all my presentations with:

“I’m going to close my talk with a Challenge – and a Prediction.
Here’s my challenge, and it’s a challenge to each and every one of you.
The next time you have a speaking opportunity - Grab It!
Then prepare, practice and deliver that speech using all the components, parts and elements of ”No Sweat Public Speaking!
”Do that, and my prediction is this:
“Your speech will be: absolutely, positively, there’s no doubt in my mind; no ifs, ands or buts about it. That speech will be (As I speak those words, I wipe my brow, look at the palm of my hand, then look up at the audience, smile broadly and say), – “No Sweat!”

I’ve even had people in the audience, who see this Closing Statement coming, mouth the words “No Sweat!” with me!

That means they’re GETTING IT! with my Branding.
How cool is that!

Now, My Challenge – and Prediction to you is this:
Develop a closing statement that brands you and your talks.

Do that, and my prediction is this: Your Brand will grow, and grow –
making you the ‘Go-To Person’ in your area of expertise!

Leave a Comment, please, and let us know how you Brand Yourself!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
Connect/Follow me:
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314-517-8772

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“No One Here Gives Presentations.”

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:01:24 +0000

NOReally?

I’ve sometimes heard this from executives, business owners, and other professionals.

It’s all about how you define the word “Presentations,” isn’t it?

Here are some questions for them:

Does anyone ever talk to a prospect?
Does anyone ever talk to a client?
Do you have salespeople?
Does anyone work in customer service?
Do co-workers ever discuss the opportunities and challenges of their job?
Do co-workers ever discuss the opportunities and challenges of the company?
Does anyone ever attend networking events?
Does everyone have an elevator speech in case someone asks them what they do and where they work?
Are there ever company meetings?
Does anyone ever attend trade shows or conventions?

Do you ever have a booth at one?

Do teams ever meet?
Do you ever have vistors?
Does anyone ever visit other companies.
Do you ever have an Open House for clients and prospects?
Does anyone ever interview job candidates and/or suppliers?

Here are some more questions:

Do you believe Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities?
Do you believe Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities?
Do you believe Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities?
Do you believe that people who speak/present well are perceived as Experts?

Do you agree we prefer to work with Experts?
Do you agree Experts can can command a higher price for their products and services

If someone delivers a really poor presentation, what’s the perception of the person, their product/service, and company?
Does your competition give presentations to prospects?

Are some of their prospects your customers?

And, if you now believe people here do give presentations. . .

Is their Content good?

Do they have an Opening, Body and Conclusion?

What kind of Closing do they use?

Is their Delivery of the Content done in a professional manner?

How are their Verbal Communication Skills?
How are their Nonverbal Communication Skills?

When, and how, do they handle Questions?
Are they comfortable in front of an audience?
Do they present themselves well?
Do they present your company well?
Do they use PowerPoint in their presentation?

What’s on the slide?

Text?
Graphics?
Are the slides contributing to the presentation in a positive manner and helping the audience GET IT or. . .?

When the presentation is over, what’s the audience’s perception of the presenter?

How does it reflect on their product/service and company?

Do you still believe “No one here gives presentations?”

If you didn’t GET IT! before, I’m sure you GET IT! now.
You, and most of the people you work with give presentations on a regular basis.
They may not be ‘platform speeches’ in front of hundreds, but they certainly are presentations that can have positive or negative effects.

Speaking to a group or talking to an individual,
the basics apply to most communication.

Content – the message
Delivery – presenting the message

Verbal Communication – the voice and how it is used
NonVerbal Communication – gestures, facial expressions
and body language

Keep this in mind the next time someone asks,
“Do you and your people give presentations?”

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com
Connect/Follow me:
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314-517-8772

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Public Speaking is the Key to Opening. . .

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:01:29 +0000

The Doors of Opportunity!Speaking

Opportunity is waiting!

On the other side of that door is Lots of it!
How do we unlock and open it?

Speak!

Public Speaking/Presenting
is the Key to opening the
Doors of Opportunity!

Here’s why:
We perceive really good speakers as Experts!

Perception is reality, and we like to work with Experts.

The Research Shows:
• Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities!
• Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities!
• Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities!

The people who take and make Speaking Opportunities grow the perception they are Experts. They grow their businesses, careers, and leadership possibilities.

Think of great business and political leaders. Many attained their positions because of their great skills as a speaker. Presidents Obama, Clinton and Reagan rose to the highest position in our country partially because of those communication skills. Sarah Palin, considered a rock star on the podium, ran for vice president. Apple’s Steve Jobs was the consummate presenter and salesman as was Chrysler’s Lee Iacocca.

A speaker wants to connect to the members of the audience. The message of a person, skilled in presentation skills, speaks to the audience, and makes the connection. That connection can lead to direct and indirect opportunities.

Being a good presenter is an important skill needed for many occupations. Some present well – others don’t. All things being equal, the ones who communicate well are the leaders in their profession.

Equally important is the fact that even if a person seldom makes a presentation, having the skill will help in other significant ways.
• It will improve their one-on-one communication, something everyone does.
• Since it takes most out of their comfort zone, it widens that comfort zone and
improves self-esteem, a worthy goal!

Please Note: A Speaking Opportunity is also an opportunity to:
• Give others a Negative Impression of You.
• Embarrass Yourself.
• Set a Career Back!

Knowing this, it’s important to be aware that a Speaking Opportunity, whether you sought it out, or it found you, is Important! Don’t take it lightly. The spotlight will be on You.

You want to delver a great presentation. If assigned this task, you want those counting on you to be proud of your performance. You want to be satisfied with your own work.

Study, Learn and Use The Laws of Presentation.
• Know Your Stuff.
• Really know the subject you’ll be speaking about.
• Be up-to-date on the latest information.
• Know How to Present.
• Be proficient with all the Components, Parts, and Elements of a presentation.
• Study presentation skills.
• Join Toastmasters.
• Get a Coach!
• Be Audience Centered.
• It’s all about the Audience.It’s not about you!
• Understand – Believe – Practice this law!
• Practice – Practice – Practice!
• This is not a suggestion!
• A good rule of thumb is:
• For every minute of presentation – practice one hour.
• (The above is not a misprint!)

Those with a Fear of Public Speaking, or those who speak, but don’t have good presentation skills, lose out. They lose out because they either don’t take speaking opportunities, or, take them and perform poorly.

Presentation Skills, like all skills, can be learned! No one was born knowing how to ride a bike, drive a car, or use a computer. No one was born a Public Speaker!

There is a Simple, Proven Formula for learning these skills.
1. Study.
2. Practice – Practice – Practice.
3. Deliver Presentation.
Repeat the above activities!

Follow the suggestions in this Post for Opening the Door to Opportunities and make your next presentation – 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!

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

Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
Attention, Audience! Be SPEAKER CENTERED – Please! In most cases, the audience came to learn something, not...
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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The Five Laws of Presentation

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:01:33 +0000

To be a Successful Speaker, these are Not Optional!

Laws To be successful in anything, there are Very Specific Laws that apply. These are not suggestions! The Public Speaking / Presentation World is no exception.

The following Five Laws of Presentation are essential if a high quality presentation is the goal.

Read them – Study them – Apply them!

Know your “Stuff!”

Really know your material.
Continually study and keep abreast of the latest information.

Read books and blogs on the subject.
Set up google alerts for specifics that will help you stay up to date.

Strive to be the expert on the subject.

Know how to Present.

Be proficient with all the Components, Parts and Elements of a great presentation.
Have great content and use all the verbal and nonverbal communication skills available to deliver your presentation.

Remember: Delivery trumps Content – NonVerbal Communication trumps Verbal Communication and Everything must be in sync!

If you use slides, use high quality, universally understood images. Use very little text and make frequent use of the “B – Blank Screen” button.

Be Audience Centered.

It’s all about the Audience. The presentation is not about the speaker!

If you take your focus off the audience and place it on you, things can go bad, really bad.

This is one of the Key Laws for presenters. Doing it results in better presentations and lessens the Fear of Public Speaking.

Practice – Practice – Practice

Practice makes perfect – No!
Perfect practice makes perfect – No such thing!
“The Road to Perfection never ends!” – This should be your mantra!

A good rule of thumb for practicing is one hour for each minute of presentation. That’s the minimum amount of time that should be invested!
Steve Jobs, who was the consummate presenter, would practice weeks on a 90 minute keynote presentation.

Speak! – Speak! – Speak!

The “Learning is in the Doing!”

Watching others, studying, meditating, listening and practicing are all good, but, the only way to really become a great speaker is to SPEAK!
Speak as often as you can and wherever you can. Every presentation is an opportunity to learn something and improve.

Don’t wait for speaking opportunities to come to you; seek them out!

If your goal is to be a great presenter:
• Follow these laws.
• Don’t deviate from them.

Do that, and my prediction is this:
“Your next presentation will be absolutely, positively – 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!

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

Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
The Magic Pill that Makes You a Great Presenter! There's no easy way to get rid of the Fear...
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Attention, Audience! Be SPEAKER CENTERED – Please!

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:51:33 +0000

AudiBeing Audience Centered is a mandate for speakers. Great presenters know: It’s all about the audience, and not about them. When a speaker takes their focus off the audience the presentation suffers and the odds of them GETTING IT! lessen.

In most cases, the audience came to learn something, not to see or hear the speaker.

We speakers are the messengers. It’s incumbent upon us to deliver information in a manner that educates, entertains and simply explains it.

However, it’s a Two-Way Street. We speakers need things from the audience to do our job to the best of our ability. We need the Audience to be Speaker Centered. They should be focusing on the Speaker!

Here are some of those things that will help us Deliver Better to You:

Give us your undivided attention – Please!

It’s discourteous to the speaker and others in the audience not to.
Turn OFF! your cell phones and beepers.
Don’t talk to your neighbor.
Don’t read anything.
Unless it’s an address delivered during a meal, Don’t eat anything.

Do look at us, our slides and props.

This is how we measure if we’re getting our message across – or not.
We may be doing all the talking, but the best of us constantly “take your temperature.”

We look for eye contact because if you’re looking at us, you’re probably paying attention.
We look at your facial expressions and body language.

Those voluntary and involuntary movements let us know if your’e GETTING IT! If not, shame on us. But it’s only by knowing we’re missing the mark that we can restate, repeat or make more clear our message.
If we’re making our points, we’ll know it via those signs. That knowledge energizes us! We thrive on knowing we’re communicating well and that improves our delivery.
Positive feedback from you also lessens our Fear of Public Speaking. (Yes, many of us do have that fear.)

Be an active listener and learn something!

Even if you’re not in the audience by choice, as long as you’re there you can learn something. Open up your mind to that and you’ll benefit.

Acknowledge our efforts.

Sure, not all of us are very good at this. Many speakers are terrible communicators. Some didn’t want the role, but were either assigned the job or “stepped up” when no one else volunteered.

Remember, please, that public speaking is a very real fear to lots and lots of people. Give those at the lectern credit for “just being up there.” (Most of the audience would not trade places with them.)

Applaud when the speaker closes their presentation.

It’s polite and acknowledges the time and effort put into the presentation. Even if you disagree with the speaker – applaud.

Thank them personally!

It’s not always possible, but it will mean a lot to the speaker.

Stick around after the presentation, shake their hand, and thank them for their message, even if you didn’t agree with it. (Put yourself in their shoes. Don’t you like to be appreciated?)

If you learned something, tell them!

In person is best, but an email or sending a hand written note would be great, also.

Too many people, even if they enjoyed the speaker and benefited from their message, just pick themselves up and leave when the presentation closes. Many speakers are not getting paid for their presentation. Even if they are compensated, the renumeration is not consistent with the time and effort the presenter spent prior to speaking.
Often, their only payback is knowing they made a difference to someone. They won’t know if you don’t tell them!

Even if the talk was less than stellar, acknowledge the effort. (Remember Teddy Roosevelt’s famous “The Man in the Arena Speech.” The point he made was that credit goes to the person in the arena, even if you’re “getting your butt kicked” rather than ‘those poor timid souls who know neither the thrill of victory nor the agony of defeat!’“)

If you have suggestions for improving our presentation, let us know – please!

Perhaps you believe we have a fact wrong, could have added information or done something that would have made the presentation better and helped the audience GET IT!
I want to know, and people have told me.

I once finished a presentation and was given a better way to ask for questions from the audience. It works much better than what I’d been doing, and I have always appreciated that person taking time to advise me.

Some of you make our day, and we’re thrilled you are in the audience!

I’ll usually thank several participants for the attention and great feedback they provided during my presentation. I kiddingly ask them to “sit in the first, second, and third rows” the next time I speak!
We speakers love these folks! They really help us do a better job. – Thank you!

Before attending an event:
if attending is your choice, investigate the program, speaker and subject. Don’t attend if you don’t think it will be valuable to you. All subjects and all speakers are not for all audiences.

The next time you’re in the audience, please take the above advice, pass it on to others, and be Speaker Centered!

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!

Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
nosweatpublicspeaking.com

PHoto Credit: Phillip Stearns

Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
Have a ‘Plan B’ Because When the Screen Goes. . . There are several lessons here: Murphy’s Law rules! It’s not...
The Magic Pill that Makes You a Great Presenter! There's no easy way to get rid of the Fear...

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