Public Speaking - Looking For The Smilers In The Audience

Recently I gave a presentation at a Summit Conference in New York City and was confronted with a very tame audience. I was blessed, however, to have two women in the large ballroom who smiled throughout, nodding their heads in agreement with everything I said. The second blessing was that these two women were sitting on opposite sides of the room; thus, in acknowledging my two 'smilers',I had to scan the room from one side to the other.

In teaching presentation skills, I advocate zeroing in your smilers because they bolster your confidence. Some people smile because they agree with you and some people smile just because they smile. Some people listen with their eyes closed; some people indeed are sleepers.

In a room filled with over 100 attendees, however, I was surprised that I had only two smilers. Without a doubt, this particular group was one of the hardest audiences I have ever faced. In fact, throughout my 40-minute presentation, I questioned their lack of enthusiasm.

Admittedly, the microphone I was handed left much to be desired because it unfortunately was not of the same quality as the stationary mic on the lectern. [And that definitely was my fault for not getting a sound check before speaking. I assumed that because the gentleman speaking prior to me was getting great sound with the stationary mic, so too would I with a hand-held version. Very bad assumption; however, great fodder for the book and audio series I am presently working on for public speaking!]

One attendee, sitting smack dab in the middle of the room and not 10 feet from me, kept nodding off. Of course every audience has a sleeper; and, because the rest of the room was awake, I was not concerned. Interestingly though, while watching the 'before' and 'after' video clips of my clients, the gentleman whose eyes were half closed, reacted with such sudden force upon seeing Craig, that it took everything in my power not to laugh out loud. (Craig is undoubtedly the best change in a male voice that I have ever encountered.) With his eyes bulging, this sleeper reminded me of a cartoon character who suddenly becomes bug-eyed upon viewing a beautiful woman.

While the time I spent talking about voice and telephone techniques certainly had its challenges, the applause from the audience upon closing was thunderous. Indeed that was unexpected. Aside from the two smiling women, here was a crowd who showed little expression in what I was saying by their most reserved and noncommittal reaction to me. What usually gets a laugh did not. What always gets verbal response did not. And yet they enjoyed my presentation.

What did I learn from this particular audience? That once again, you can never prejudge how you will be received. During your speech or presentation, the reaction of your audience may not be what you expected. It may be better or it could be worse.

My advice is to ignore your sleepers; zero in your smilers; and talk to your audience just as if you were having a conversation in your living room.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

Is It A Good idea To Eat Before A Presentation?

The question of whether you should eat before speaking is very individual. Some people want to eat - others don't. By the way, you are not alone in this dilemma. Most professional athletes, stage actors, and musicians do not eat a large meal before performing.

There have certainly been times in the past when I've been teaching a private session on an empty stomach and my stomach started to growl. In a situation like this, it is a good idea to have some type of snack food available like a granola bar or some fruit that you can nibble on; however, when it comes to the speech or presentation, chomping on an apple is not in the picture.

The real question is the big presentation in front of the microphone or standing at the head of the boardroom table. Good microphones today can pick up a lot of sound, especially in close range. On the other hand, if you are at the head of the boardroom table, those sitting to your immediate left and right will hear every sound your body makes.

You should definitely have something in your stomach so that it doesn't growl during your performance; however, the last thing you want is too much in there. Feeling full is not good when your nervousness is at its height. If you feel like you could unbutton the top button of your trousers, pants or skirt or need to unloosen your belt, you definitely overdid it.

Remember, too much food in the stomach can produce undesired audio results as well as too little!

Eating a few hours before you speak is ideal. But what happens when you are the after-dinner speaker and they have the place of honor for you in the center of the dais?

Eat lightly.

Forego dessert.

And

Do Not Drink Alcohol.

While you may think that you can handle a drink before speaking or that it may help to relax you, I beg to differ. When you drink, you lose your edge. The last thing you want in public speaking is feeling too relaxed. You need to be sharp, clear, crystallized. Alcohol allows for none of that. It dulls the senses. So stay away from liquor. Instead, drink water, coffee, tea or juice. Avoid milk products as well because they create extra phlegm. Excessive clearing of the throat while speaking is annoying and hard on your vocal folds (cords) as well.

The best advice I can give is to use common sense in your choice of foods; have something in your stomach so that you are not starving; and save your dessert for afterwards.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

The Importance Of The Anecdote To Your Presentation

In public speaking, the anecdotes you include in your presentation can say a lot about you as the speaker. Simply put, the anecdote is a very brief retelling of a true account which can be humorous or interesting, but more importantly, is relevant to your topic. The value of the anecdote is that it lends credibility to you as the speaker.

Whether you are giving an informative or a persuasive speech or presentation, your goal is to have your audience recognize you as an expert in your field. Besides the fact that audiences enjoy good anecdotes, the retelling of an experience that happened to you or to someone else brings believability in your knowledge of your subject as well as your ability in your field.

When I give a presentation about voice, public speaking, or telephone techniques, I always include anecdotes about diaphragmatic breathing because this type of deep, supported breathing is the foundation for everything I teach.

A good example is the retelling of my experience during a double biopsy I had a few years ago. Because of the breathing, I fell asleep during this procedure. Now, I usually only use this particular anecdote when I'm talking to a women's group versus a mixed one. I'm not as comfortable discussing this subject in a room filled with men. As this anecdote shows the power of diaphragmatic breathing in eliminating the stress a woman might normally incur in this particular situation, it is very relevant to my topic. Because the benefits of deep supported breathing go far beyond the voice or presentation skills, I want my audience to see how the breathing can affect everything in their lives, be it professional or personal.

For them to hear about a professional golfer who drives the ball further, or an NHL player who no longer loses his voice on the ice, or a director of transportation whose blood pressure drops on his exercise bike, is not only interesting but it also show my audience that I am experienced as well as an expert in my field.

If you are young or just starting out in your profession, you may not have any anecdotes of your own, but if you research your topic, you will find relevant stories or examples that you can cite. Just remember to give credit to the writer or writers of these anecdotes if necessary.

In utilizing anecdotes, keep them brief. A 5-minute description of an incident or experience in a 10-minute presentation is too long. Anecdotes are not your presentation; they are filler and their purpose is to enlighten or further explain your subject matter.

Using anecdotes wisely lends credibility, and, if done well, can leave your audience wanting more.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

Confidence At The Lectern Or In Front Of Video

Some of the people with whom I work are not comfortable standing at a lectern or in front of a video camera when they have to make a presentation. So I have them sit when they first begin work on their delivery. I ask them to imagine that they are simply having a conversation with me in a living room as they deliver their material.

Surprisingly, this technique is very effective. I do record them but I don't point the camera in their direction. At this stage, I'm only interested in picking up their voice. When I play it back, it is wonderful to hear their reaction. They are surprised at how natural and normal they sound. My job then is to get them to sound the same way standing at the lectern or in front of the camera.

At this point, many of my clients are ready; however, not everyone is. So, for those who can't quite make it to the podium, I will have them stand by their chair and deliver it again. I will record it, play it back, and once again, let them hear how well they did. If they don't do as well standing, they go back to the chair and do more practicing sitting down.

My job is to build their confidence; and, video equipment is the best tool for this type of training so that they can hear themselves and eventually see themselves on camera.

Part of good presentation skills training is to teach the individual to speak to their audience and not at them. The problem for many people is that they think they have to be someone other than themselves when they deliver their material. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you listen to good speakers, they are first and foremost themselves.

One of my clients, a very out-going and well-spoken lawyer, was scheduled to give a presentation on real estate law to a large group of realtors. Here was a man who had no problem in the courtroom getting his points across; however, ask him to stand on a stage and speak to an audience and he was beside himself. He phoned me in distress, stammering as he admitted that he could not do this presentation. In working with him a few days later, I found his delivery to be very boring. When I played back his video, he could see and hear how stiff and flat he looked and sounded.

I had him sit, suggesting that he imagine he was at the kitchen table with his wife giving this presentation. He felt that it wouldn't sound natural. (Of course his earlier presentation sounded anything but natural!) He did as I requested; I played it back; he was amazed. Why? Because he sounded like he was having a conversation. He was then able to stand at my lectern and deliver an excellent presentation with expression, with emotion, with color.

[Incidentally, he phoned me immediately after speaking to the realtors, telling me that he had done a great job and that he loved doing it!]

If your fear is holding you back, first practice your presentation sitting down with your camcorder running; play it back; and watch it. You may be surprised at just how good of a job you do.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

A PowerPoint Tip On Getting The Best From Animations

To show movement or a process, you may want to animate an object using a motion path. Sometimes, you can't fit the entire animation on one slide because it has several steps. In this case, you can break it up onto multiple slides. The problem is that it's hard to match on the second slide the exact location where the object will end up on the first slide. This makes the object appear to jump.

Follow these steps to achieve this effect:

1. Place the object that you want to animate in its final position on the first slide. This means that it'll be at the end of the motion path.

2. Choose Slide Show> Custom Animation to open the Custom Animation task pane. (In 2007, choose Animations tab>Custom Animation.)

3. Select the object that you're animating. For accuracy, you're going to need to find the center of the object. To do so, Choose View> Grids and Guides. (In 2007, click the Format tab that appeared when you selected the object, then go to the Arrange group, click the Align drop-down arrow, and choose Grid Settings.) In the resulting dialog box, check the Display Drawing Guides on Screen check box, and click OK.

4. Drag the vertical and horizontal gridlines so that they match the center handles of the object. (I learned this technique from Julie Terberg of Terberg Design, at PowerPoint Live, the annual PowerPoint conference.)

5. Choose Add Effect>Motion Paths. From there you can choose one of the default paths, or choose Draw Custom Path and then the type of path.

6. Draw the motion path from its end to its beginning, starting at the center of the object. The center is at the intersection of the guides.

7. Right-click the motion path itself and choose Reverse Path Direction. You've now reversed the animation.

8. In the Custom Animation task pane, click the Path drop-down list, and choose Locked. By locking the path, you can move the object without moving the path.

9. Select the animated object. Place the cursor at the intersection of the guides, and drag it to the desired start point, which is the green arrow at the start of the motion path. If you don't get this right, the object may jump during the animation.

10. Now go to slide 2, where the object is already in its correct starting position. You can now create a new animation from that position.

Ellen Finkelstein is the best-selling author of How to Do Everything with PowerPoint 2007 (and previous editions for PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003). Other books include PowerPoint for Teachers: Dynamic Presentations and Interactive Classroom Projects and 101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know.

Public Speaking - The First Important Question

You've been asked to speak. You may have an audience of 4 people or one as large as 400. The question you must answer is why? What is the reason someone, some business, or some organization has invited you to speak to a group of people?

Or maybe you have been volunteered to speak: the boss wants you to give a presentation to the board of directors about your past meeting with potential buyers.

Or maybe you have sought the speaking engagement on your own. You have emailed, phoned, or sent a letter to the Rotary Club, asking them to consider you as one of their guest speakers.

What are your credentials? Why should someone hire you to give a presentation or invite you to speak to their club or organization over someone else? What makes you different from the rest? Could you call yourself an expert in your field?

Do you know how many people talk about the same topics over and over and over again? My question to you is what sets you apart from the rest? That should not only be part of your strategy in formulating your speech or presentation but it should also serve as your label.

As a voice specialist, I am The Voice Lady. I market myself as The Voice Lady and I call myself The Voice Lady. When someone gets in touch with me, they know something about me already. I deal with the speaking voice.

Let's say, for example, that you want to become a motivational speaker. Why should someone hire you over Mark Victor Hansen or Tony Robbins? (Besides the fact that your fee would probably be less expensive at this stage in your career!) What one thing sets you apart from both of these world-renowned speakers? Did you walk across the country and give all the donations to a favorite charity? Did you successfully put your 12 children through college working as a food server? Have you survived a fatal disease and are alive to tell about it 10 years later?

For someone to hire or invite you to speak, you must have accomplished something and that something could be a philosophy, an idea, a feat, a discovery, a project, a new business, or an ability that allows you to stand out from the crowd. I once had a student give an informative presentation on how to make the best chocolate chip cookie. That it was the best chocolate chip cookie was what set her apart from all the others. (Yes, this is subjective, but if you knew the secret ingredient, you would understand why it is the best.)

Perhaps you are a member of Toastmasters; you are scheduled to give an informative presentation at the next meeting; and, you don't have a topic. Make a list of your interests, your hobbies, and/or your experiences. What one thing do you do well? Don't limit yourself thinking it is too trivial. One of my students gave an informative on detailing a car which was one of the best and most interesting presentations I've ever heard.

Your informative presentation could also be the retelling of an experience that was exhilarating, frightening, eye-opening, rewarding. The list goes on and on. I've heard about speeding tickets, weddings, births, divorces, bartending, getting lost, winning a game, LPs, marshal arts, the most important person in the speaker's life, and everything else you can imagine.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

How To Develop Effective Presentation Skills

We've all heard about people's number one fear being public speaking. Being able to overcome that will help you develop effective presentation skills.

I decided to come up with some tips that might help people develop effective presentation skills. Here's my Top 5 Tips to help give a great presentation. In order to develop effective presentation skills you need to...

1) Know you subject. Sounds obvious, but bear with me. Everyone in your department may know the subject as well as you do, but that doesn't stop you from finding a fresh spin on the topic. Instead of giving a dull, emotionless statistics why not try finding a vivid, imaged-filled comparison? Example, instead of telling us how many miles it is from the Earth to the Moon you could tell your listeners how many buses would stretch end to end.

Also, what point are you making with your presentation? You can't just talk and talk at length showing them slide after slide of text until your time is up. Get clear on what message you want to convey to your listeners. Then everything that you say and show them has to be connected to your main message, if it's not it's gone!

And please - don't clutter your slides up with mountains of text. Have clear succinct bullet points that encapsulate what it is you want to present. Then tell them the rest. You should be expanding upon the ideas in your bullet points and delivering them with all your panache, not mindlessly reading them off the screen.

2) Structuring. Just like a good novel or film your presentation needs a beginning, middle and an end. If it will help you can use the old reliable "tell 'em format":

"tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, tell 'em and tell 'em what you told 'em".

Try your best to provide your listeners with new information or put a new interpretation on existing information. Remember, what you want to give them is great content not soulless spin!

3) Relevancy. Keep asking yourself is what your presenting relevant to your main message and relevant to your listeners? If it isn't then bin it and find something that is. I've been in the audience listening to a presenter thinking "how is this relevant to me?" And I never found out. I never found out because it wasn't relevant to me.

4) Enthusiasm. Try to let your enthusiasm for your subject come through without being too over-the-top and evangelical. If you're not passionate and enthused by your subject why should we be?

5) Practise. Practise, practise and practise some more! You can't hope to develop effective presentation skills if you don't go over it before-hand. In order to nail it and win over your listeners you need to know the presentation better than the back of your hand. Make sure you know how the equipment works and what to do if there are any technical problems. Don't just rely on the temp who may or may not be able to help you out.

If you can implement these techniques then you will be on your way to developing effective communication skills!

Jason Peck is a Humorist, Speaker and Coach based in London, England. For more humour techniques, tips and secrets, check out Jason's Jason Peck is a Humorist, Speaker and Coach based in London, England. For more humour techniques, tips and secrets, check out Jason's hub page Learn to be Funny

What Is The Best Speed To Talk At - Fast Or Slow?

The answer is simple. Neither is correct. Those who speak too slowly try our patience and lose our attention while those who speak too quickly tire us out. The best rate of speed for speaking is called moderate and lies anywhere between 140 and 180 words per minute; however, there are conditions even to that advice.

Are you reading out loud to little children or are you reading scripture at the lectern? Are you speaking in the Northeast to a business group or are you talking to a quilting club in a nursing home? Without a doubt, the type of material you are presenting or reading and the type of audience to whom you are presenting will affect your speed.

While those in the Northeast tend to talk faster than anywhere else in the country, I have had Southerners who speak too quickly and Northerners who speak too slowly. Temperament and lifestyle definitely have an impact on one's speed.

The point in speaking is to keep the attention of those to whom you are addressing; therefore, your speed is critical if you don't want to lose their attention whether you are too fast or too slow. Many people are unaware of how fast or how slowly they speak and are often shocked when they hear themselves on a recording. Learning how to control your speed is the answer. If I have only 5 minutes to talk about my business, I'm going to speak more quickly than if I have 20 minutes. But, I am in control of that speed.

To test your rate of speed, do the following:

1. Practice reading the above four paragraphs of this newsletter out loud.

2. When you are comfortable with the words, time yourself reading it for 1 minute.

Where were you when the timer ended? If you finished only the 1st two paragraphs, you need to learn to speak more quickly. If you finished the 1st three paragraphs, you are within the correct speed at 159 words per minute. If you managed to read all four paragraphs before the buzzer sounded, you must slow down because you just read 259 words in a minute! There is no absolute however. Finishing somewhere within the 1st sentence of the last paragraph would still put you in the running for good speed.

Learn to control your speed and your listeners will follow.

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic. Offering corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, Daniels launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. For more information go to: http://www.voicedynamic.com

How You Can Write A Speech In Five Minutes

You are attending a business or association meeting, when out of the blue, the meeting chair asks you to say a few words. How do you get through this? Follow this sure-fire process to write your speech in five minutes or less.

Decide on the message that you want to give to this group. Do you what to congratulate them on their accomplishments, advise on the road ahead or sell them a new direction. Pick one message. Anything more is counter productive.

Start drafting an outline on a sheet of paper. List these headings: Main Message, Opening, Supporting Points, and Close.

Write your main message in one sentence and in plain language. e.g. 'For the company to survive we must double our sales revenue.' Write this first because everything else you say must support this message. If it doesn't support it will only detract.

Think about your main message and write your closing statement - because that is where you want to end. Your closing statement might be a call to action - telling people exactly what you want them to do; e.g. buy this product, smile at the customer, donate money to the cause. This type of call to action is best made with the sentence - 'If you want...(desired results).... then do.....(call to action).'

If your message is an inspirational one you might end with a quotation: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"

If you are soliciting volunteers try, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." If you do not remember who said it or you get the words wrong - just say you are paraphrasing.

Once you have your have your close, develop the supporting points that form the body. List five points that support your message. After you have five, examine them and pick the best three. Use statistics or an anecdote to illustrate each point. Make the anecdote funny or reach the audience in a personal way. Your audience needs this to absorb, understand and remember each of your points.

Finally, work on your opening. Use just a few sentences to grab their attention - with a challenge, question, bold fact, analogy or quotation. One technique, which ties everything together, is to open and close with the same statement. Let people know where you stand on this issue and what your message is. Never assume that they will figure it out for themselves.

Review your draft and make adjustments. You might want to change the order of your three points. Rewrite your notes on an index card or paper of equivalent size but just write the key words - in large print.

Ready? As they are introducing you, take a deep breath, look confident, smile and walk to centre stage. Wait for everyone's attention, pause a moment to survey the audience - acknowledge their presence, collect your thoughts and go... "You have nothing to fear but fear itself".

PS: Always finish before your allotted time is up. They'll love you for it.

George Torok specializes in helping people present themselves with impact. He delivers keynote speeches and practical training programs. He works with executives and professionals to help them present with impact. You can arrange for George to work with you by calling 905-335-1997. For more information visit http://www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com