'No Sweat' Public Speaking!» Giving a Speech

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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Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!” I've worked very hard on my "No Sweat!" Brand: ”No...
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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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The Fear of Public Speaking – KSDK Interviews. . .

Fred E. Miller — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:01:51 +0000

K Me!

St. Louis (KSDK) - It could be a wedding toast or a class assignment in high school or college. Most of us get anxious when we’re asked to talk to an audience.

It’s the number one phobia, called glossophobia. When it comes to talking the talk, many people would rather get a root canal or an IRS audit than make a speech.

Click the video player above to watch the report.

Fred Miller’s book is No Sweat Public Speaking!, and among his tips: people remember the first and last thing you tell them, so Have a strong opening and a strong close to your speech, have confident body language, remember that the audience is on your side and they want you to succeed.

KSDK

Transcript of Interview

Kay Quinn: …or it could be a wedding toast, or a class assignment in high school or college. Most of us get anxious when we’re asked to talk to an audience, and Art Holliday here has a story about the fear of speaking in public. 75 percent of us are afraid to talk in public. You and I aren’t — aren’t among those people.

Art Holliday: The number two phobia is fear of death; but the number one phobia is fear of speaking in public, okay.

Kay Quinn: Wow. Can you imagine?

Art Holliday: It’s called glossophobia. And when it comes to talking the talk, many people would rather get a root canal or an IRS audit than make a speech.

It’s time to talk about talking.

Fred Miller: Yikes. Me, speak in front of a group? Oh, my gosh.

Art Holliday: Welcome to Cave Springs Toastmasters where an author and a teenage film maker face their fear.

Male1: Very afraid. I have a big fear in public speaking.

Female1: You know, I did have a little bit of a fear in public speaking. But, like, Fred said today, practice, practice, practice.

Art Holliday: Fred Miller is an author who coaches people how to speak in public.

Fred Miller: If your reaction to a speaking opportunity is more Yikes than Yes, you’re not alone. Lots of people have a fear of public speaking.

Art Holliday: Miller says he is used to calming nervous narrators.

Fred Miller: I’ve coached lawyers, and doctors, and CEOs; coached a bride — father of the bride to be. I think he started having panic attacks the day his daughter got engaged, thinking about giving that toast to the bride.

Art Holliday: Even presidential candidates can experience tongue turmoil.

Governor Perry: I would do away with the education, the commerce, and let’s see. I can’t. The third one, I can’t. I’m sorry. Oops.

Art Holliday: Fred Miller’s goal is oops for your confidence when you work the crowd.

Fred Miller: Kind of feel like your naked all alone, vulnerable? That’s just it. You’ve got to get used to it.

Female2: The first speech, oh my gosh, my legs were shaking; and now I ‘m on speech seven and-

Male4: I’m not very good at public speaking and, plus, I’m very shy. I just realized well, this is the best opportunity to come here and learn.

Male5: Thank you Mayor, and fellow Reglinians.

Art Holliday: Fred Miller says you can go from knee-knocking nervousness to a knock-your-socks-off presentation. All you have to do is–

Fred Miller: Speak, speak, speak. If you want to be a swimmer, swim. If you want to be a baker, bake. The learning is in the doing. So, if you want to be a speaker, just get up and speak.

Art Holliday: Just make sure you hold onto your script.

Now, Fred Miller’s book is “No Sweat Public Speaking!”

Among his tips:

People remember the first and last thing you tell them, so have a strong opening and a strong close to your speech.
Have confident body language. Remember that the audience is on your side and they want you to succeed.
And Miller is a big fan of Toastmasters International, which helps improve public speaking and leadership skills. There are 77 Toastmaster organizations in Missouri and Illinois within 25 miles of downtown St. Louis. So, a lot of people are aware of their fears and they’re trying to do something about it.

Kay Quinn: Yeah, you’ve go to remember we’re all just human, right. So, you’re going to make mistakes from time to time, or slip up, and I love the Don Knotts’ thing. Oh, that is so funny. That’s classic. It’s priceless. Thank you so much, Art.

Art Holliday: Thank you.

[00:03:20]

For reading, and/or listening, this far I’d like to give you a FREE Gift.
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Fred E. Miller
Fred@NoSweatPublicSpeaking.com
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Speakers, My 2012 New Year’s Resolutions are. . .

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:01:25 +0000

2012It’s That Time of the Year!
Here are My 2012 Resolutions.
What are Yours?

#1. Prepare and Practice for each Presentation
even if I’ve given it 100+ times.

It might be the umpteenth time I’ve delivered it, but it’s the first time most of the audience have heard it.
The size of the audience doesn’t matter. I should always give my best.
“Practice makes perfect.” No!
“Perfect Practice makes Perfect.” – No such thing!
The one I subscribe to is: “The road to perfection never ends!”

#2. Regularly Refresh and Update my Content and Delivery.

The only constant is Change. I’ll continue to practice Kaizen, the Japanese word that means continuous improvement.

#3. Get Out of my Comfort Zone with Content and Delivery.

When we Get Out of our Comfort Zone – our Comfort Zone becomes Larger!

#4. Study, Study, and Study more about my subject of Expertise,
the Art & Science of Public Speaking/Presenting.

I always learn new things from the blogs, articles, books and videos I seek out on public speaking/presentations.

#5. Continue to regularly Write a New Post with great Content
and to place the Audio in each Post.

The combination of Written Post + Audio Post has made me a better writer and a better speaker.

#6. Take just about every opportunity I can to Speak. Paid and Fee Waived.

Walk my talk, “Speaking Opportunities are Business Opportunities.
It’s the only real way to better my craft because, “The Learning is in the Doing!”

#7. Always remember to be Audience Centered.

It’s ALL about the Audience and not about me!
Focusing on the Audience raises the level of my presentations and lowers my anxiety.

#8. Always write my own Introduction.

Let the emcee know it’s my job to write it and their job to present it as if they wrote it. My writing it is to make their job easier.
Inform them the Introduction is an integral part of the speech, and review it with them.

Just to be safe, always bring an extra copy to the event!

#9. When teaching and coaching others in the Art and Science of
Public Speaking/Presenting, respect the investment they are
making in time and money.

Do my best to help them accomplish what they want.
Realize that some are really out of their comfort zone, and the call to me was not without a great deal of thought and trepidation.

#10. Continually go Back to the Basics.
This is an important concept for accomplishing much in life.

Sometimes I, and others, stray from the Basics – and our presentations suffer.
The Components, Parts, and Elements of a Presentation have stood
the test of time.
They don’t change!

Two Components to a Presentation: Content and Delivery
The Parts of Content include:

Introduction

Always write my own, and have it answer three questions:

Why this Subject?
Why this Speaker?
Why Now?

Opening

Have a Strong Opening that grabs the audience’s attention.
Tell them what I’m going to tell them.

Body

Make a Point – Tell a Personal Story that reinforces the point.
Do this three to five times.

Conclusion

Tell them what I told them.
Have a Strong Closing, a “Call to Action!”

The Parts of Delivery include Verbal and NonVerbal Elements:

Verbal Elements include:

Pronunciation and Enunciation

Speak clearly and distinctly.

Sometimes I don’t do this. Being aware is the first step.

Projection

Talk to the person in the back of the room.
Don’t yell!

Inflection

The correct inflection can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Work on this and I’ll better my presenting!

Cadence

Not too quickly, which I sometimes do.
Varying the pace helps keep the audience engaged.

Pause

Tough, but I believe, the most powerful element of Verbal Communication.

NonVebal Elements include:

Eye Contact

First thing, find a friendly face and make eye contact.

Next, find another friendly face!

Facial Expressions

Smile! Remember, it’s universal. Give one, and I usually get one right back!

Gestures

Make them in sync with my message.

Make them larger for larger audiences and for emphasis.

Posture

Stand tall and straight. No slouching!

Body Movement

Make them deliberate and return to several “anchor points.”
I need to work on this. My nervous energy needs to be harnessed!

Those are My 2012 Resolutions.

What are Yours?

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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Photo Credit: Billy Alexander

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Speakers, There’s NO App for That!

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:01:53 +0000

AP 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 we like to work with Experts. (Experts can command higher prices for their products and services, also.)

People who take and make Speaking Opportunities grow the perception they are Experts. They grow their Businesses, advance their Careers, and increase their Leadership Roles.

We expect leaders to be good presenters. Some are; many are not. If the leader is not comfortable delivering presentations, make it a goal to learn how!

Public Speaking/Giving a Presentation is a skill that is learned. Just as no one is born knowing how to ride a bike, work with a computer, or drive a car, no one is born a public speaker.

There are many things a person can do to learn these skills:

Take Public Speaking Courses.
Join Toastmasters
Read blogs and books on Public Speaking and Presentation Skills.
Observe professional speakers.
Listen to great speeches.
Watch videos on Presentation Skills.
Hire a personal coach.
PRACTICE delivering presentations.
SPEAK!

Two activities stand above the others:

Practice! – Practice! – Practice!

Would any serious athlete just “Show Up”
for the big game, match or meet? – NO!

Spring Training, Summer Camp, Winter Camp,
Workout – Workout – Workout!

Would any serious musician, singer or actress just “Show Up”
for the big concert, show, or play? – NO!

Rehearsal – Practice – Rehearsal!

Why would someone think they can just “Show Up” for a presentation and “wing it?” – NO!

Practice! – Practice! – Practice!

Steve Jobs was the consumate presenter.
If he had a 90 minute Keynote Presentation scheduled to introduce a new Apple product
or service he would practice for weeks!

That’s the amount of time someone who was the best-of the-best would spend on preparing for a speech. How much prep time should you and I spend developing and practicing a presentation?

Do it! Present!

“The Learning is in the Doing!”
You can do all the intellectualizing you want about being a Public Speaker, but the real Learning is in the Doing!

There’s no other way!
Jump into the deep end of the pool (get in front of an audience) and start swimming (presenting).

What’s the worse that could happen?

You bomb!

BIG DEAL! Who Cares?

It’s a drop in the ocean of your life. It’s nothing!
You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Jump in and Do It!

I GUARANTEE:
“The worst speech you’ll ever give -
will be far better than the one you never give!”
Let me know how it works out!

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...
Fox News interviews Speaker/Author, Fred E. Miller Audio John Pertzborn, co-anchor of Fox News AM Show in...
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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
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:
FaceBook
LinkedIn
Twitter
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...
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Speakers: Don’t do these 11 Things!

Fred E. Miller — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:01:41 +0000

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

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

Don’t ”Wing it.”

Your non-effort will show.
You’ll embarrass yourself and waste the time of your audience. They came to learn something from your talk.
It is your responsibility they leave the room knowing more about your subject than they did when they entered.
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.

It is, and always should be, about the Audience!

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.

Do your homework and get some intel on whom you’ll be speaking with.
All audiences are not the same. Their makeup and knowledge of your subject will vary. Adjust your speech accordingly.

Don’t turn your back to the audience and read text from your slides.

Slides are a tool to help the audience GET IT! They especially appeal to the 65% of the population that are visual learners.
You shouldn’t be using much, if any, text.

Use high quality, universally understood images, and you supply the text with your voice.

Use the ‘B Blank’ button to blank the screen and take the attention of the audience from the screen to you, the presenter – where their attention should be directed.

Don’t leave it up to the emcee to write your Introduction.

It is your responsibility, not the emcee’s, and is an integral part of your presentation.
It is not your bio. The Introduction should answer three questions:

Why this subject?
Why this speaker?
Why now?

You write it because no one knows what should be on it better than you!

Don’t tell a joke to be telling a joke.

All presentations don’t need humor. However, if done well, it can be “icing on the cake.”
Humor can be great because it can make an emotional connection to your audience. But it has to be appropriate to the presentation and your audience.

The best humor is self-effacing, but don’t overdo it.

Don’t run over your allotted time.

There are scheduled events before and after you present. Respect those events and the audience and contain your talk as scheduled.
Fill the time your are allotted with great content and delivery. Finishing a bit early is OK; too early disrupts the agenda.

Don’t assume the projector, computer, microphone, etc. will be in place and working as you asked.

It is your presentation and your responsibility that everything is in place and working.
You, or someone else, may have delegated those duties, but it’s your ultimate job because it’s your presentation. That’s why. . .

Don’t - NOT have a Plan B!

Stuff Happens! You must be prepared to carry on if the projector fails, the computer crashes, the emcee forgets to bring your Introduction, etc.
Practice Plan B. It is different delivering a presentation with all your slides showing well vs. giving the same information with one sheet of paper with the light table view of all your slides.
(I know this from personal experience. My “No Sweat!” presentation could easily have gone into “Big Sweat!”)

Don’t use buzz words, acronyms, or technical jargon that your audience won’t immediately understand.

You won’t impress them – you’ll lose them!

No one wants to feel “not OK,” and they’ll quickly turn you off.

Don’t have Q&A after you close your presentation.

That’s why the Closing is called the Closing!

If you’re going to have a Q&A, place if before your Closing.

The ‘Law of Primacy and Recency’ says the last thing the audience hears is the first thing they will remember. That’s why it’s imperative to have a Strong Closing.
If the Q&A is after your closing, and you are challenged, or don’t know the answer, that is what the audience will remember. It’s probably not the take-away you want them to leave with.

Now that you’ve read these Don’ts – Study them and Don’t do them!

Follow this advice and my prediction is 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!

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

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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...
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The Doors of Opportunity!Speaking

Speak!

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

The Five Laws of Presentation

To be a Successful Speaker, these are Not Optional!

2012It’s That Time of the Year!
Here are My 2012 Resolutions.
What are Yours?

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

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