Archive for effective speaking

"No Sweat" Public Speaking - No App For That!

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You Gotta Do It Yourself!. . .and 
You Should Want To!

There’s NO App to download that will make you a Great Speaker and lessen the Fear of Public Speaking.

Because of the Fear of Public Speaking, many in leadership positions pass on taking and making Speaking Opportunities and delegate the task to others.  That’s Nuts!

You should not hand a Speaking Opportunity off to someone else. Steve Jobs never did, and it’s one of the reasons Apple grew to be one of the most successful and innovative companies ever.

What would you think of a President, Prime Minister, or any leader of a country handing
off their annual “State of the Union Address’ to others?  It would not be seen as a positive move, would it?

Leadership is executed through superb communications!

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know My Mantra:
Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities!
Speaking Opportunities are Career Opportunities!
Speaking Opportunities are Leadership Opportunities!

Those who present well are perceived as Experts. Perception is reality, and Read More→

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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. Read More→

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

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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: Read More→

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Really?

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? Read More→
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    The Doors of Opportunity!

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    "No Sweat Public Speaking!" Key to Door of OpportunityOpportunity 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 Read More→

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    Read them – Study them – Don’t do them!

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     If you’re a speaker there are certain things you should do, and should not do.  Here are 11 Definite Don’ts!

    1. Don’t  ”Wing it.”
    1. Your non-effort will show.
    2. You’ll embarrass yourself and waste the time of your audience.  They came to learn something from your talk.
    3. It is your responsibility they leave the room knowing more about your subject than they did when they entered.
    4. Prepare and practice your presentation as if it were very important – because it is!
  • Don’t think the speech is about You.  It’s not.
    1. It is, and always should be, about the Audience!
    1. Being Audience Centered is one of the
      Laws of Presentation.
  • Focusing on the Audience, and not you, will raise the quality of your presentation and lower your anxiety.
  • Don’t give the same speech to all audiences. Read More→
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    Oct
    27

    The Five Laws of Presentation

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     To be a Successful Speaker, these are Not Optional!

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    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!

    1. Know your “Stuff!”
    1. Really know your material.
    2. Continually study and keep abreast of the latest information.
    1. Read books and blogs on the subject.
    2. 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.
    1. Be proficient with all the Components, Parts and Elements of a great presentation.
    2. Have great content and use all the verbal and nonverbal communication skills available to deliver your presentation.
    1. Remember: Delivery trumps Content – NonVerbal Communication trumps Verbal Communication and Everything must be in sync!
  • If you use slides, Read More→
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    Oct
    23

    Need a Speaker? Talk to Me!

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    Does your Association, Company or Group need a Great speaker?

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    If so,
    We should have a conversation!

    The Fear of Public Speaking holds many back from reaching their potential.  75% of the population, to one degree or another, has this fear.

    One of my Presentations addresses:
    • Why we have this fear and
    • Gives specific nuggets for lessening it.

    Another Talk adds:
    • The Components, Parts and Elements of a Presentation.
    • I Name them, Explain them, and Give Examples.

    Bonus Tips:
    • Subtle little differences that make all the difference can be added to either        presentation.

    PowerPoint/Keynote Presentations are widely used today.
    • They are usually not done very well.
    • Many detract, rather than add, to helping convey the presenter’s message.
    • I show how to reverse this!

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

    I have never had anyone challenge the above statements.
    That’s why my message is important to many people!

    My presentations can be customized to meet your specific needs.  Programs can be expanded to include Workshops and/or Individual Executive Coaching.

    Fees are individually negotiated.

    It all starts with a conversation.
    Call 314-517-8772 or Email and let me know what you want to accomplish.

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    Being 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! Read More→
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    Make the Invisible – Visible!  Sometimes – Not! 

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    A prop is something used to support your presentation.  Props can be very effective tools for presenters to use.

    People have three styles of learning:

    • Visual – Learn by seeing.
    • Auditory – Learn by hearing.
    • Kinesthetic – Learn by doing.
    Appealing to more than one of those styles of learning increase the odds your audience will GET IT!

    Example:
    I used to be in the Coffee Business.  If I were speaking about Coffee, I might hold a mug in my hand and talk about different beans, roasts, and brewing equipment.  The audience sees the mug.  Most of them have probably had a cup or two that day.  It reinforces my message about coffee.  When I finish talking about coffee, Read More→

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