12.24.07
Public Speaking Tips for 2008
David Cameron was lauded for his speech to the Conservative Party Conference a few months ago. He stuck to the 3 “C’s” - Conviction, Content and Connection.
Convcition - you must strongly believe in your message
Content - must be of interest to the audience
Connection - you must connect with your audience
If you want to improve your public speaking in 2008, try these tips*
1) Use eye contact with each member of the audience in turn.
2) Remember that some people get nervous in audiences too. Put them at their ease.
3) Use visual aids where useful. People like to look at things. Flip charts, overhead projectors and video can all be used to make the presentation more memorable. Too much detail or overly technical information might not be best presented in a visual way however. Keep visuals simple. If you don’t have the use of visuals remember that ‘words paint pictures in the mind’.
4) Consider giving handouts to your audience members. It gives them something to take away and it might be a memory prompt for them when recalling your speech. They can also feel as if you have given them something ‘for free’ Too much written material may be off-putting however and you don’t want everyone reading during your presentation, so choose carefully when you give them out.
5) Again, remember that the audience has a responsibility too!
6) Don’t think How can I survive this?, think How can I do this brilliantly?
7) Remember that, as with all things, you need to know where you’re going if you’re going to get there. Rather than I hope I don’t panic, work out how you would like things to be.
8) Vary your voice tonality and speed during your presentation. Convey energy when you need to, and slow down to ‘draw them in close’ when it’s appropriate.
9) Repeat the exercise earlier in this section until the thought of public speaking starts to actually let you relax. If you need more help with this see our Self Confidence Trainer. Remember the World needs good communication and if a natural born coward like me can do it you certainly can!
10) Read a good book on excellent presenting. One I use personally is ‘Inspire any Audience’ by Tony Jeary. As I mentioned above, it makes for fun and compelling reading, is really well laid out and it motivates you to present excellently.
(Ed. Better still join a Toastmasters Club. Try this link here if you live in London)
* courtesy of “Uncommon Knowledge”
Bronwyn said,
December 25, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Love Number 6, Jeremy. I think you hit the nail on the head.
Another useful organisation to give you training is Powertalk International http://www.powertalkinternational.com - very encouraging and flexible.
Jeremy Jacobs said,
December 26, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Number 6. The most difficult to take on board though!
Bronwyn said,
December 27, 2007 at 12:54 am
Well, and here I was thinking it was a good tip because it made things easier. I guess it must be me. I find I can forget the nerves a bit more easily if I can focus on being the best I can be. A bit like mundane tasks are easier if I can remember what goal they are helping to achieve.
Hmm - worth an article maybe!!
Jeremy Jacobs said,
December 27, 2007 at 11:27 am
Or a speech. On a couple of occasion recently, I spoke about “how to control your nerves” whilst speaking in public. Breathing and relaxation exercises do help.
They assist to calm you down so positive thoughts can flow more freely.
Hilary B. said,
December 28, 2007 at 8:31 pm
And how about these Jeremy? You do voice-overs don’t you
3 Tips That Will Make You Happier and More Productive in 2008
Does your brain hurt?
Feeling overwhelmed?
Check out 3 solutions that will help you to start 2008 off right here on VOX Daily.
Out with the Old, In with the New!
Nearing the end of 2007, if you’re like me, you probably feel like you’ve got way too much on your plate and have a desperate sense of needing to clear some space in the old gray matter.
Here are three ideas you can try to help reorder your life and organize your business.
1. Do a Brain Dump
What’s a brain dump? You’re going to love this… quick, get a piece of paper and a pen. Don’t be tempted to type it into a document because it’s not as empowering as physically writing it down.
OK, a brain dump is an exercise where you literally unload or “dump” all of the monkeys that have been accumulating on your back by identifying them and committing them to paper on an ultimate “To Do” list. Once you see those activities in need of completion or names of people you have been meaning to address, you’ll find that your mind and your conscience are alleviated quite a bit.
The key to success with the brain dump is to actually take on those items and make it your mission to check off every single item on your list. Of course, once you’ve done so, you’ll find that there are always new bits of clutter in your brain, so it is wise to conduct a brain dump exercise once a month or as often as required.
You may even find that you will need to have separate dump lists for home, work and specific projects you might be working on.
2. Prioritize
When I say prioritize, I really mean to prioritize! Take into account what is most important to you and be sure that those priorities take precedence over all of your other tasks.
For instance, if it’s your family, make family #1.
To paraphrase a tried, tested and true quote, no one ever lay on their deathbed wishing that they worked more.
Your home life and work life, particularly if you work from home, may be dangerously intertwined. Take the time now to separate those two and make priority lists for both parts of your life. It’s hard working on your own from home and it takes an incredible amount of discipline to do so effectively. It’s even harder to know when to leave work at “work” and resume domestic duties or obligations when you are surrounded by your business.
Maybe the goal is to create a further separation physically between work and home. Think about it. It doesn’t mean necessarily mean that you have to move out and get an office, but maybe you’d like to take a crack at turning the basement into a studio or make better use of a vacant room in your home.
3. Set Goals
Do you know what you want to accomplish in 2008?
Are you happy just doing what you’ve always been doing?
Sit yourself down and dream big. Think about where you’d like to see yourself in five years and identify bite-sized chunk goals to meet those objectives to fulfill your longterm vision.
Your goals could be business related or personal. Make two lists if you need to.
When you’re thinking about business goals, consider the following areas:
- Public Relations Goals
- Educational Goals
- Sales Goals
- Marketing Goals
- Networking Goals
- Social Goals
- Business Development Goals
- Financial Goals
- Technical Goals
- Artistic Goals
Although many, those ten categories as listed above are all components of running a successful business.
You need to concern yourself with raising the bar on all fronts as an entrepreneur.
Focus on the areas you most need to improve upon and run with them. If you need outside help, ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask for consultation or pursue professional services to get you where you need to be.
Setting goals gives you a direction and purpose. Once you have set your goals, work toward achieving them consistently. Consistency is key, so make sure that you have set a regiment in place that you are going to follow.
If you have any tips that you’d like to add, feel free to comment with you ideas!
Presentation skills Training said,
January 7, 2008 at 3:07 am
I would like to expand on point number 6.
It is true that we should not adopt the attitude of “How can I survive this”, but focusing on “how can I deliver this briliantly” focuses on the speaker.
If you ask, “How can I give my audience more”, it willactually make it easier to prepare and for the audience to listen too.
just a thought!
Cheers
Darren Fleming
Australia’s Public Speaking coach
http://www.executivespeaking.com.au
Bronwyn said,
January 7, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Of course, Darren,
And connecting with the audience in a peaceful way can get rid of fear too. I suspect there is more to fear in trying to be brilliant, than in just making a gift to an audience