Archive for Practicing a Speech
The “F” Word – Speakers Should. . .
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Embrace 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. Read More→
The Fear of Public Speaking – KSDK Interviews. . .
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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 Read More→
Speakers, There’s 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→
Speakers: Brand Yourself with – “No Sweat!”
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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→
Public Speaking is the Key to Opening. . .
Posted by: | CommentsThe Doors of Opportunity!
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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 Read More→
The Five Laws of Presentation
Posted by: | CommentsTo 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!
- 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.
- 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!
Have a ‘Plan B’ Because When the Screen Goes. . .
Posted by: | CommentsBLANK - You’re Going to Need It! - Glad I Had Mine!
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Have you ever changed a tire? (I don’t mean calling the Auto Club and waiting for the service truck to arrive!) I know many of you haven’t. So if you had the misfortune of getting a flat in the middle of nowhere and had a properly inflated tire in your trunk, and all the tools to make that change, you might have to grab your manual and figure how to change that tire – correct?
Having a ‘Plan B’ doesn’t mean implementing it is going to be easy!
Murphy’s Law, if something can go wrong it will go wrong, applies to the world of Public Speaking and Presentations, also.
I always have a ‘Plan B’, and often a ‘Plan C’. But, like having that spare tire, I never really expect to need it.
PowerPoint and Keynote Slide Presentations
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Professional PowerPoint and Keynote Slide Presentations.
Because many people are Visual Learners, Professional Slide Presentations can dramatically add to the goal of your audience GETTING IT!
Unfortunately, the majority of slide shows are designed with lots of text, bullet points and the occasional piece of cheap clip art.
Because your presentation is important – talk to me!
Speakers should be Bloggers. Here’s Why!
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I started Blogging almost two years ago. Here is what weekly Posting has brought Me.
It might do the same for You!
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Increased Knowledge.
I learn something every time I write a Post. Each time I pick a subject, I research it and always find information I didn’t know. My expertise on Public Speaking and Presentation Skills continues to grow.
Increased Visibility, Credibility and Brand Awareness.
As I write about the Components, Parts and Elements of a Presentation, all that text is out in the blogosphere for anyone searching those topics to find. Google sees it and my ranking in searches has increased exponentially. The more good Content I place in Posts, the more my readers learn and their perception of me as an EXPERT grows. (We like to work with EXPERTS, don’t we!)
Branding is important and large companies spend a lot of time and money to make sure people know them. “No Sweat!” is in the title of my book and the closing of each Post. It’s become my brand and is getting more recognition all the time! Read More→
Your PRESENTATION needs a MAKEOVER If. . .
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When was Your Presentation
last updated?
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If it’s been awhile - Keep reading!
Doing a Presentation Makeover
makes sense if:
The Information You Want to Convey is Important.
It should be Important!
Important to the audience and
Important to you!
If it’s not important, Why are you doing it?
“The presentation you and/or your team deliver:
directly reflects upon the presenters and those developing the presentation.”
You might need a
Presentation Makeover if you. . . Read More→
