Help with Impromptu Public Speaking

he world famous writer and lecturer, Mark Twain once said that "it usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech."

Since impromptu means without any planning or preparation, this might sound like a complete contradiction, which doesn't offer much public speaking help. But for those who have speaking experience and are good at it, this remark will probably make a lot of sense. Whether you are asked in advance to speak before an audience, or approached on the spur of a moment, it really does pay to know what to do and what to expect.

Like most things in life, if you are well prepared, having to suddenly speak off-the-cuff won't be so difficult. This doesn't mean you must have the speech prepared in advance, or even that you have any idea what you are going to say. What it does mean is in the event that you are unexpectedly asked to stand up and speak you will be able to cope with the demands.

Think about some other things you might be asked to do without prior preparation, like writing a letter or cooking a meal. If you don't know what's involved, and how to tackle the task, you won't be able to do it. But if you've often written letters and like to cook, you won't give either task a second thought. Exactly the same principle applies to impromptu public speaking.

The more you practice the easier it will get.

One of the greatest problems when giving an impromptu speech is that our thoughts are often muddled. We may know the subject matter backwards, and know far more than we have time to share, but, because we haven't prepared the speech and practiced it, it emerges as a mess of meaningless words. The obvious solution is to practice giving impromptu speeches so that you get used to being able to give order to thoughts in an instant.

This is certainly possible. In fact many experienced speakers find they are able to think better and talk more easily when they face a group than when they simply chat to an individual.

The secret is to think in an orderly manner.

Like every story or article a person writes, every speech, impromptu or not, should have a beginning and an ending. Whatever else you want to say will then follow logically from the introduction. Following a structured approach will help to order your mind.

On the positive side, if you are expected to suddenly speak off-the-cuff, chances are it will be about something you are familiar with. Usually this is because you are more likely to be called on to speak because people believe you have something valid to say. For example, in a business environment, you may be asked for your opinion about a new product, because those you work with know you have already formed an opinion. In a social situation, you might be asked to introduce someone you know well. At a parent-teachers meeting you may suddenly be called upon to say how you feel about changes of policy at the school or college.

Speaking about something you know about, and are passionate about (either in a supporting or opposing way) is always a lot easier than trying to weave a speech around something you know nothing about at all. So there is a good chance that you will feel more comfortable about an impromptu topic than a subject matter you may not be familiar with, and have to research before discussing in public.

Tim Ackerman has been a staunch enthusiast of effective communication for nearly 20 years, and loves sharing his knowledge with others. For more public speaking help click here, where you'll get access to many other helpful tips, including a FREE mini-course on effective speaking and presentation skills.

Tips On Facing Your Audience In A Powerpoint Presentation

Presenting a perfect PowerPoint presentation is not all that lies in making a perfect presentation. The actual effectiveness of a PowerPoint presentation depends on the ability of the speaker to communicate and involve the audience in the presentation.

An important way of getting the audience involved in the presentation is by focusing on two to five key points of the PowerPoint presentation, and then emphasizing on these points. All points of the presentation should be focused on facilitating the learner's achievement of the objectives of the PowerPoint presentation. To achieve this, it is important that you rehearse the PowerPoint presentation so that you not only memorize whatever you want to say, but also be able to interact with the audience while portraying a relaxed, professional and confident demeanor. In a way, rehearsal also alleviates stage fright. So the one best method of controlling nervousness is by visualizing success!

When using video clippings it is important to orient the audience through adequate description of the video clippings and the PowerPoint presentation. It is vital to point out the relevant findings and at the same time, allow the audience to assimilate the information before moving on. All this can be made more easily and effectively using a laser pointer, cursor or by using builds and transitioning. The main thing to remember when giving is that it should be designed to include as much audience participation as possible, no matter the size of the audience. Some of the techniques that may be employed to encourage audience participation are through questioning, small-group activities, case-based examples, and brainstorming and directed listening. The best way of motivating and gaining attention of the audience is through appropriate use of humor, anecdotes and quotations in the PowerPoint presentations. In the process, it is important to give importance to your body posture, body movement, eye contact, and of course, your voice! The voice is very important as when speaking, the impact it gives the audience has an impact on the audience's acceptance for you.

The most important thing that makes your presentation easier on you, and more influential to the audience, is the mastery of the subject you are giving the PowerPoint presentation on. Make sure that while rehearsing, you rehearse till you know your PowerPoint presentation inside out without having to refer to slides or notes. Most of the time, speakers make the mistake of making presentations while talking about their project, their ideas, and what interests them the most. They think that what they find interesting may also interest the audience. On the contrary, while making a presentation, it is important that you tell the audience what the speech is about, and on how listening to it is going to benefit the audience. Only in this way will the audience be interested in listening to the presentation!

When making a presentation, it is important for you to speak in the language, style and point of view of the audience. It is of no use if you speak in your own language as this way, you will never reach the audience. To be effective, it is very important that you reach the style, the way of looking at things and the level of comprehension of the audience. When speaking, it is very important that you don't look into outer space. Instead, you must look at the audience one at a time. Make it a point to spend a few seconds looking in the eyes of each person in front of you, to slowly move on to the next person. The main objective of speaking this way is so that each person feels that he or she has been personally spoken to.

However technical your presentation may be, it is important that you make the presentation as human as possible. Becoming personal in the presentation by talking about personal experiences can do this. Be vulnerable, authentic, nature. funny without jokes and above all, be human! Remember that being natural and authentic need not mean that you have to stand there whispering in your normal voice. You are presenting on stage, and so you must perform. You have to raise your voice, move around and waive your hands during the presentation. Remember that you are the center of attraction, and that you are the focal point of the audience, so make them stay awake, and not sleep in their seats. Keep your movements, voice and body language dynamic enough to keep them awake and interested in your presentation! Remembering all these points is sure to make you confident enough of yourself to face your audience in future PowerPoint presentations!

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Thomson Chemmanoor is an powerpoint expert offering powerpoint templates at his website http://www.powerpointguys.com/. For listing please visit http:www.powerpointguys.com/ for a perfect PowerPoint presentation.A place where you can find

7 Steps For Creating High Impact Presentations

Presentations are a vital part of the business world. They are used to demonstrate, inform, and persuade viewers. Many times when we are given the task of presenting to a crowd we can lose sight of the objective because of the stress involved in developing the presentation. I have put together 7 tips to help make your presentations better to help eliminate stress and increase focus:

Outline the information you are presenting

When you are presented with the task of presenting information to a group of colleagues or peers, generally you will have an idea of what the main topic should be. This topic will be the focus of your presentation, but you should also have a goal. What do you want your audience to walk away with, what should they know afterwards? This will help you fine tune the presentation and ensure it doesn't become too vague or difficult to understand.

Once you have determined the topic and goal of your presentation, it will be best to outline your supporting information. Develop a list of 10-15 ideas/concepts a person must know before they understand the topic you are speaking about. Within these ideas, you can develop sub-points to make your presentation more clear. Once you have this outline finished, planning and designing your presentation will be much easier.

Use different presentation tools

Many people will choose to design a presentation using slideshow software like Microsoft Powerpoint. This is a great tool to help you get your message across, but other options can be used to supplement this material and make your presentation more engaging. Keep options like video, podcasts, booklets, and handouts in mind as well. Using multiple visuals during your presentation can help capture your audience and increase understanding.

Consider how your visuals will look

When you begin designing your visuals for the presentation, consider what they will look like to your audience. Avoid using bright colors in fonts or images that may be difficult to read. Refrain from abusing graphics and sound effects during your presentation; although they may be entertaining, often they can be distracting and cause listeners to tune out. Also, consider the size of your audience and how large your presentation should be; this may include font and image size, as well as the overall space you have for your presentation.

Provide an outline/handout for viewers

Handing out an outline of your presentation before you start will help your audience follow along and prevent them from becoming frustrated or lost because you are moving too fast while they are taking notes. Depending on the length and detail you are providing in your presentation, these handouts may range from single sheets to bound booklets. Either way, you can create professional looking documents with laminating or binding equipment which will increase the value of your presentation in the eyes of your audience members.

Get your viewers' attention

To gain the attention of your audience, begin with an interesting fact or statistic that is in line with your presentation's overall goal. Don't get carried away with this element of your presentation by including a fact that is topic-related and not goal-related. Introducing an idea that doesn't align with the overall purpose of the presentation may be devastating to the overall understanding. Often times, an image or graph is a great addition to this initial fact or statistic to help grab attention and increase interest.

Be reasonable with your time

Don't be overwhelmed by filling a certain amount of time with your presentation. Although it should be informative and long enough to gather important ideas or insights, audiences are generally very finicky and lose interest easily when topics become too specific or overly informative. Provide just enough information to get your point across and allow for understanding. As long as all the points you developed before your presentation are there, your presentation will appear whole and goal-oriented.

Prepare for Questions

One of the most common, and biggest, flaws of a presentation is when it seems the presenter doesn't understand the topic under discussion. This is evident in two circumstances: when the speaker reads straight from the presentation or is unable to answer questions. Both undermine the entire purpose of your presentation and give the audience little reason to believe you know what you're talking about. So always prepare for questions by reviewing the presentation and the resources you used to develop it.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com

Amanda Leavelle is the marketing director for MachineRunner an online shopping site for paper cutters, binding machines, laminators, money counters & more. They offer the machinery that you need to keep your business running.

Public Speaking Skills You Need To Master

Here are some public speaking skills you should master if you want to give that effective speech or deliver memorable presentation.

I am sure you have been awed or inspired by some really great speakers with amazing public speaking skills. But they are far and few. While most of the other speeches or presentations you have attended were not memorable at all, because the speakers were there merely to deliver some verbal presentations.

Here are some important factors which can make your message clearly understood and memorable. They are:

1.Know the purpose or the aim of the presentation

Before you even start researching on your talk or presentation, it's crucial for you to the purpose of your talk or presentation. Is it to train, to persuade, to recommend, to inform or to entertain? What do you want to tell your listeners and why are they there to hear it.

Plus, you need to know who your audience is. What are their interests, presuppositions, values, their language level, and etc.

Then the key question is how are you to know whether you can successfully communicate to your audience? Besides the appropriate content, how are you going to convey your message effectively. Is the level of the language used can be understood fully by your audience? The approach to your speech or presentation, is it acceptable by them? All thee have to be answered, so you can deliver an effective speech or presentation.

2.Make the message simple and vivid

Remember when it comes to speech, the message has to be precise. Make use of less wording. If you are using visual aids to highlight your core message, then make sure they are there for that sole purpose. Do not display lots of fanciful stuff to buy time or cover up your weak content. Again limit the number of slides or charts. Less is more.

3.Be well-prepared

The most important public speaking skills of all is preparation with a capital P. Make sure you have ample time to do your research, gettting information about your audience, preparing your audio visual materials, rehearsal and etc. If you are well-prepared, the problem of the fear of speaking will be hugely diminished. In fact what makes a good speech is done before you ever stand up in front of an audience and open your mouth.

4.Deliver it clearly and with impact

After all the hardwork of preparation, the ultimate test is your delivery. It has to to be impactful to be memorable. With all the materials in hand, now you have convey the message clearly to be understood. Make use of your voice, body language, hand gestures, visual-aids to enhance your delivery.

Use simple relevant examples to help you to bring your message across effectively. Don't rush, pace yourself well. Know when to pause for them to digest your message and for you to take a breather to plan your next point.

Learn from speaker Malcolm Dexter on how to handle the fear of public speaking phobia and tips on how to write a speech.

Public Speaking Skills and Leadership

With great power comes great responsibility. Fulfilling the task of a leader efficiently is not an easy task. A series of qualities and characteristics are required in a person if he intends to be a great leader. A leader could be a team, a top representative, a figurehead, an executive person of an organization or a company. While being able to handle a group of people, public speaking skills are the most basic quality that should be possessed by the leader.

How will public speaking skills help in making a good leader? Public speaking skills are the sole key to communicating with a bunch of people at the same time. It is very important for a leader to be able to make his opinions heard to the people within his organization as well as the people in the outside world. The businesses of today's times cannot flourish unless they promise absolute transparency and the good public speaking skills of the leader will only help the people know that the company is as transparent as it can get. He shareholders are a prime responsibility of a business enterprise. Hence, it becomes the job of the leader to explain to the shareholders the various decisions taken by the management.

The charm of the leader helps him a lot in persuading the listeners about his plans and policies. It is a part of his business to be able to convince the members and all others that will be affected by the decisions that they are taken in the best of their interest. In case of disagreements and confrontations, the leader is expected to have the spunk to pacify the members and be able to help them reach a conclusion. If the leader possesses good public speaking skills, he can help the organization gain faith of the people by imparting information about the policies and strategies of the management.

The leadership potential of the leader surpasses the need for his public speaking skills. A good leader is the one who can set an example for his followers and lead them in an efficient manner. The lack of such leadership skills will have an adverse effect on his quality of leadership. The leader should be authoritative enough to be able to control the actions of his followers. Support as well as cooperation can be achieved by the leader by resorting to tactful and autonomous lines of thinking.

No good leader was ever born that way, leadership skills have to be developed and enhanced. The public speaking skills as well as leadership qualities of the leader are a result of constant learning, improvising, and taking efforts. the experiences that the leader goes through in his formative years also influence his leadership skills. It is the conviction and passion of every leader that makes him responsible, effective and worth of respect. A lot is expected from a leader and to fulfill all these he should be able to become a good figurehead in the first place.

Emile Jarreau, aka, Mr. Fat Loss is fascinated by health, nutrition and weight loss. For more great info about leadership visit http://www.MrFatLoss.com

The Advantages Of Using Photographs In Powerpoint Presentations

A PowerPoint presentation is a great means of addressing a large group of people when having to give a speech of your services or your product. Sometimes it is better to use a visual presentation when giving your presentation as this is more effective in making people believe in you and your product. This is more so beneficial to prove your worth to people who need to see things to believe in it!

One of the best ways of giving the finishing touches to your presentation would be to use templates to get an idea of what suits you and your presentation. Then of course, to get even better results, it would be better to use stylish photographs in the PowerPoint presentation. You could choose photographs that you have already taken about your product or services. This is only possible if the existing photograph has any relevance to the matter you intend to give in your presentation. If you have no photographs, then it is better to take digital photographs with your camcorder, which you can then use in the . The main reason for using photos in your PowerPoint presentation is to make yourself, your presentation and the information you give to the audience more valuable and memorable.

If required, you could also use the same photograph to be printed in handouts. Handouts are a great means of getting your message through to your audience. Instead of having handouts with only written matter on it, You could easily have a photo printed on it to make it more interesting and attractive to the audience. Having a photograph on the handout will make the audience better informed about you and your services, with the additional information that you also put in the handout, like your contact information.

Photographs are best used in PowerPoint presentations when the presenter needs to give visual proof, evidence or memories to the audience. Those who need to use photographs most in their PowerPoint presentations can be the people of the police force, classroom teachers, lectures and sometimes, big-time companies. The police will need to use photographs of evidence taken at places of crime to explain to their squad on the next steps to be taken in the investigation based on the clues obtained from the photographs. If photographs were not included in the presentation of the police officer, it would be quite difficult for them to interact with their team on the clues obtained at the place of crime.

Similarly, classroom teachers use photographs in their PowerPoint presentations when having parent events like open house or parent night events. They can develop presentations with automatically timed slide shows that run in the background. This way, the parent can interact with the teacher, while having a look at the activities their children do in their school. Field trips can be discussed better with photographs taken in the field trip being shown in the presentation for discussion on what was seen and learnt by the children. Another great idea for using photographs for PowerPoint presentations in the school would be having students scan stories and photos about themselves to be put together in a presentation for their parents to see on open house day! And to make children more motivated to participate in competitions, photos taken of the children in competitions could be used in presentations to the general public on the achievements of the school.

Like mentioned before, companies using photographs in their presentations provide the audience with some clue of what exactly the company is dealing with. Incorporating photographs in the presentation acts as sort of an advertisement for the company whereby the audience gets to know the actual product they may consider for buying. It is in other words, beneficial to add a photo in the PowerPoint presentation. So by looking at all these points, it can be indeed said that it is beneficial to use photos in the PowerPoint presentation. One thing has to be remembered, when using photos; it is advisable to use only photos related to the matter being given in the presentation. If there is no link to the text of the presentation, you may as well consider the presentation to be a failure as the attention of the audience is then diverted and lost! So use only relevant photos in the PowerPoint presentation!

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com

AbThomson Chemmanoor is an powerpoint expert offering powerpoint templates at his website http://www.powerpointguys.com. For listing please visit http:www.powerpointguys.com/ for a perfect PowerPoint presentation .A place where you can find

Presentation Skills � Expressing Your Ideas Effectively

o, you have the MBA degrees and the 15 year experience to back it up? Yet, you still lack the ability to communicate ideas to colleagues, juniors or your CEO? If the answer is yes, you're not alone. Too many people in the corporate world lack effective presentation skills and this keeps them back from fully conveying brilliant ideas to others. Improved presentation skills can help you deliver more concise and passionate presentations that are not endlessly monotonous, irrelevant and non-persuasive.

The Reasons Behind Poor Presentation Skills

One of the main causes for less than impressive presentation skills is the fear of public speaking. Few of us relish the idea of standing up in a room full of people and conveying a message or idea to them. Unfortunately, most people, instead of polishing their presentation skills, opt for the use of fancy PowerPoint tools to substitute for the anxiety they feel while presenting to an audience. Such tools are no doubt important, but they cannot be used in place of preparedness, research, or enthusiasm for the topics of presentation. These tools are, at best, useful for adding value to an already well prepared presentation.

How You can Improve Your Presentation Skills

All audiences cannot be addressed in exactly the same way. In some cases, an audience may be favorable to you, in many others, they may be distrustful. The same standardized presentation will not work for all cases. Different presentation skills need to be used relative to the audience you are presenting to.

For a truly, effective presentation, making eye contact with your audience is a must. Whether it is a small group or a larger audience, creating and maintaining some degree of eye contact will help the audience connect with the presenter and dissolve any feelings of discomfort they may have. The most successful speakers constantly move about on the stage to engage their audience. Movement is a time tested method for conveying your ideas with emphasis. Your physical posture should be confident and full of energy and enthusiasm.

Equally important is your passion for the product or idea you're selling. Audiences are quick to gauge when you are not sincere about your message. In other words, if you don't believe in it yourself, you will never be able to convert others to your way of thinking regardless of the flowery prose or slick slides that you use. Learning the secrets of the best presentation skills will enable you to convey the benefits of your product or message to the members instead of giving them a whole lot of information about something they may not necessarily have any interest in. Honing your presentation skills will help you to better connect with your audience which will create a better chance of convincing them of your message and converting them to your point of view.

These are just a few ways by which you can better your presentation skills. You can benefit immensely from presentation skill training programs and seminars. They will help you overcome the any presentation issues that you may have and will pave the way toward a more successful career.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com

Michael Jeffreys is the president of Seminars on DVD, a premiere provider of video based training for businesses and individuals, featuring renowned experts and speakers. Learn more at: http://www.SeminarsOnDVD.com.

Ten Tips for Public Speaking Success

The prospect of speaking before an audience - large or small - can be very daunting. Here are ten tips to help you make your public address a major success.

1) Know your subject. The first thing you have to do when preparing a public speech is to make sure that you know your subject. If you do a slapdash job on the research, it will be very apparent in your speech, and no one will take you seriously. So take the time to research your topic so thoroughly that you will know more information about it than you will actually include in your address.

2) Utilize your nerves. Even experienced speakers get nervous before giving a speech. The difference between the pros and the novices is that the former utilize their nervousness while the latter tend to get nervous about being nervous. Realize that a bit of nervous energy is a good thing because it can be converted into enthusiasm.

If you find that you've got a major case of the willies, take deep breaths, listen to some soothing music, and calm down. Remember that the audience wants you to succeed, as they're not any more interested in hearing a boring speech than you are in giving one.

3) Practice makes perfect. We've all heard that at one time or another in our lives, but it's true. The more you rehearse your speech, the more naturally it will flow and the better you'll sound.

4) Speak with feeling. While rehearsing your speech, don't forget to pay attention to the way you use your voice. Employ inflection, tone, and pauses to achieve the right mood.

Avoid speaking in a monotone - your audience will lose interest before you hit your third sentence, and it will be virtually impossible to recapture its attention.

5) Check out the podium. Make sure that the podium you'll be using suits your needs, as it is a very important component in the success of your speech. Assess whether you'll be better off with a standing floor podium or tabletop lectern. Whichever you choose, check that the height and weight are comfortable for you.

If possible, put your notes, pens, dry-erase markers - anything you're planning on using - into the podium or lectern before you walk on stage, as it is easier to assume a confident, relaxed gait if your hands are free.

If you are using a sound or multimedia equipped podium, test everything to make sure that the microphones and any other electronic equipment are all in perfect working order. And speaking of microphones, many audio-equipped podiums and lecterns come with a variety of microphone capabilities - hand-held, attached, tie-clip, headset, etc. Decide which you prefer before the time of your speech arrives.

No matter what, though, don't just stand stiff behind your podium or lectern. Walk around a bit so that you'll be able to stand in front of all segments of the audience; lean forward on the podium to create a greater sense of closeness between you and your audience; and occasionally, feel free to bang on it for emphasis (not too hard, though).

6) Use visual aids. Visual aids such as flipcharts and PowerPoint displays have become the norm in presentations and speeches. Flipcharts are best for smaller audiences, while PowerPoint can be used for audiences of any size. As with your podium, make sure that all electronic devices, including computers and projectors, are in perfect working order and won't disappoint you in the middle of your speech.

Make all displays somewhat colorful, but not so much that they are visually dizzying. Don't forget that these visual aids are just that: aids to help you get your point across. The main focus should be your words. So don't get carried away with technological devices to the extent that they become the end rather than the means.

7) Be humorous. Unless you're delivering a eulogy, there is nothing like a bit of humor to help keep the crowd's attention. Humor creates a bond between speaker and listener, and helps the audience open its mind to what you have to say. Bearing that in mind, there are a few points to remember when including humor in your presentation. The first is, know your audience. If, for example, you're addressing the teacher's union, utilize humorous anecdotes about the issues educators face. If you're addressing CPA's, do the same for accounting.

Beware, however, of telling jokes that even remotely smack of antagonism or condescendence toward any religion or ethnicity. This will turn your audience off faster than you can say "racism." Incidentally, humor doesn't have to mean telling actual jokes. A gently sarcastic phrase, dry comment or humoristic metaphor will all do the trick.

8) Don't plagiarize. Never, but never, use someone else's material and claim it as your own. For one thing, it's dishonest. For another, chances are very likely that at least one person in the audience will pick up on it, and you will lose your credibility. This rule applies to more than literal plagiarism.

If you're telling a story or relating an experience that happened to someone else, don't retell it as if it happened to you. It will come off as fake. There is nothing wrong with saying, "My neighbor's first cousin had the following experience," and telling the story from there.

9) Avoid "filler" words. Filler words are words and phrases that we insert almost automatically into our sentences while we are thinking of the next thing we want to say. While extensive use of phrases such as "like", "um", "you know" and "whachamucallit" can be annoying in everyday conversation, they are taboo in public speaking as they are extremely unprofessional.

If you have to think for a couple of seconds, then do it. Even if the pause seems a bit too long, it is definitely better than saying, "So, um, the fiscal year of 2008 was, like, a very critical one for the industry."

10) Be positive and smile! You've researched thoroughly, you've organized your thoughts, you've practiced well and checked everything out. All that's left for you to do now is be positive. Believe in your ability to present your case and present it well.

Walk on stage with a confident smile, and prepare yourself mentally for success. The more positive an attitude you project, the more positively your audience will feel toward you and your message.

Lee Griffin is a writer for Hertz Furniture, a company dedicated to helping educators succeed by creating an atmosphere that enhances the educational experience. Hertz Furniture offers a wide variety of podiums to maximize the effectiveness of every speech.