Six Steps To Becoming A Powerful Public Speaker

Public speaking ranks right up there in terms of the things we are afraid to do. Whether it’s the fear of being watched closely by others, or the insecurity and self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips will help you give a polished, professional speech that you (and your audience) can be proud of!

1. Know your audience. This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation. What are there interests? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming to hear you speak? What ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast makes it less stressful.

2. What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What’s really at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating on the “end result” rather than slogging through the beginning, you create a powerful punch that drives home your message instead of rambling on.

3. Share a story. In public speaking circles, this is called a “hook” – something that gets your audience’s attention and makes them sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can identify with, you’ll find that these people are just like you; that makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why you told it!

4. If you’re selling a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features. People would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product’s features until you get to the core of how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So What?” For example, if you’re selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so what?” The answer would be something like, “It picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, “so what?” Answer, “You’ll feel relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.” Now THAT’s a benefit!

5 Powerpoint presentations are great but they can be overwhelming – or downright boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”. These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

6. Make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Speakers can get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, “What was the point of all that?” People naturally digest information in “chunks”, so focus on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the details are just as important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with them and read over at their leisure.

If you keep these six tips in mind, you’ll not only have an easier time overcoming your fear of public speaking, but you’ll have a very appreciative audience who will in turn be more receptive and eager to try your product or service. Go get ‘em!

Why You Shouldn’t be Ashamed of Your Public Speaking Phobia

So the thought of having to give a large speech in front of so many eyes staring at you makes you feel uneasy. But you should never feel ashamed or embarrassed of this phobia. Why? Because it is in fact one of the most common phobias to have. A survey in America showed that it was the number 2 all time phobia – just being beaten by the fear of spiders. And roughly 75% of the American public say they have felt this fear in their lifetime. So you are definitely not the only one who has to deal with it.

In fact far more people have this problem then you may think. Even professionals get nerves too. Did you know that Donny Osmond suffered from stage fright, and had several panic attacks throughout his career? Even the world famous Barbara Streisand had such a deep social phobia it prevented her from singing live for over 27 years! Luckily she overcame this and look where she is now. Other people include Laurence Olivier , Kim Basinger even Winston Churchill! Would you ever have dreamed that famous people like that have those phobias? Well they are just like me and you and they are living evidence that it can be overcome. If they can do it so can you!

It’s completely normal to suffer from this. Just think when you learned to swim, you first had a slight fear of the water and fear of the unknown, once you learned how to do it it became second nature. That’s exactly the same for driving. Can you remember the first time you got into a car, how difficult it was learning to check all your mirrors and use all the right pedals at the right time. Then once you passed and have been driving for a while it’s easy, you don’t even have to think about it. That’s exactly the same for public speaking, the fear of doing it is often is much greater then then the problem itself. Once you face up to it, like many have before you, you will find that public speaking becomes an easy and often enjoyable task.

So stop worrying about your phobia and start feeling exited knowing that so many people have rid their fears, and you can too!

A Thorough Speech On Brief Speechmaking

MASTERING THE THREE-MINUTE SPEECH: ADVICE FOR YOUR SPEAKING SUCCESS Delivered to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 24, 2009

Welcome, everyone. Let’s get started right away. I know you’ve had a full conference week, and I want to make sure you walk away with all the public speaking information you need.

Officially, this session ends at 11:45. Unofficially, it goes as long as you need. Which means: If you go back to your office next week and run into a public speaking question, simply send me an email … and I’ll be glad to help. After all, it’s a tough economy, and it took a lot for you to travel here (from across the United States … and all around the world). I want to make sure you get full value from this session.

Today, I’m going to focus on all those “little speeches” you’re asked to give. You know what I mean: giving an award … getting an award … retirement remarks … dedications … fundraisers … patriotic ceremonies … memorial tributes … anniversaries … introducing a speaker … welcoming a special guest … moderating a panel. The list goes on. In short, all those times when you’re asked to “just say a few words.”

Let me give you a dozen pieces of advice to help you master “the 3-minute speech.” (By the way: There’s nothing sacred about the 3-minute length. Your remarks might run a bit shorter … or a bit longer. But that 3-minute timeframe is a realistic standard for many special occasions.)
1. Expand your definition of a speech.

Let me put it this way: It’s not just the way you talk for 3 minutes at the front of a room. It’s the way you interact with the audience before … and it’s the way you interact with the audience after.

Did you notice how I walked around this room before I started my speech–introducing myself and shaking hands and learning a little about your interests? That was my way of building audience rapport–before I said one word. And I plan to linger after my presentation ends–so you can ask questions and get individual attention.

Try doing this: Meet members of an audience before you speak … and offer to send them helpful follow-up material. They’ll appreciate your efforts to connect.

I want to emphasize: You might be limited to 3 minutes of speaking time, but you can still create unlimited opportunities for connecting.
2. Do your math.

How long is 3 minutes? Even more basic: How long is 1 minute?

Now, the easy answer is: 60 seconds. A minute is 60 seconds. But you need to know much more about “time management” if you’re going to be an effective speaker.

I need to ask a few questions about some important numbers in your life:

• How many of you (with reasonable accuracy) can tell me how much you weigh? (I don’t want to know your weight! I just want to see if you know it.) Okay … look around: It looks like every single hand is up. That’s a number you all know.

• Next question: How many of you (with reasonable accuracy) can tell me the price of gasoline in your hometown? Okay … look around again: Most hands are up.

• Now: How many of you (with reasonable accuracy) can tell me the number of words you speak per minute? Please look around: 300 people in this room, and only 2 hands are up!

It’s time for a quick lesson on the “rate of speech”. The average person in the U.S. speaks about 140 words per minute, but that varies widely.

It varies by geography. Start at Washington DC and go up the eastern seaboard. As you go north, people talk faster. New Yorkers talk fast. Folks in Boston really clip along. Listen to old speeches by President Kennedy. He’d often top 200 words per minute. But start at Washington DC and go south, and you’ll hear the opposite: As you move into the Carolinas and Georgia, speakers talk much slower. In other words: There is no national speech limit!

Rate of speech also varies by age. Young people talk much faster than older people.

And it varies by health. When we’re not feeling well, we prefer to send (and receive) information at a slower pace.

Can you see the implications for you as a presenter? A fast pace that’s terrific for an audience of college students would create a disconnect at a retiree gathering.
3. Focus your message.

You can’t put in everything. Don’t even try!

In a short speech, you should stick with 1 main point. If you limit your content, you’ll be much more successful.

Resist the temptation to add material to “impress” the audience. Remember: It’s a speech–not a dissertation. Your goal is to interest the audience–not overwhelm them.

As Will Durant, the US historian, put it: “One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.”

As I tell my clients: When in doubt, leave it out.
4. See if you can tie your message into the date in history.

Suppose you were preparing a speech to deliver today. See if you can make any connections to this date in history. What has happened on July 24th through the years?

Well, on July 24th in:

• 1824 … A Harrisburg, PA newspaper published the results of the first public opinion poll.

• 1870 … The first trans-US rail service began operation.

• 1877 … Federal troops were used for the first time to combat strikers.

Think about the speech President Reagan gave following the Challenger disaster. It was a short speech–short, but powerful. In it, he referred to explorations by Drake on that date in history. Listen to the speech again. You’ll see how outstanding it is.
5. Make adjustments based on audience demographics.

What is the size of the group? The age range? The male/female ratio? How much do you know about their educational backgrounds? Their income levels? Their community priorities?

The more you know, the better you can connect.

And remember: In a short speech, you have to connect quickly. There’s simply no time for long prologues. And you have to connect effectively. There’s no patience for irrelevant examples.
6. Be specific.

Audiences remember specifics. They forget generalities.

This is a critical point, so I’m going to repeat it: Audiences remember specifics. They forget generalities.

Let me cite a couple of good examples.

Here’s Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo (President and CEO of Nokia) speaking to The Chief Executives’ Club of Boston:

“Context has become something of a buzzword in our business, because it is at the heart of the next wave of mobile technology….

Let’s look at an example. It’s an application we call ‘Nokia Point and Find.’

Say you are an architecture buff and you’re visiting Boston for the first time. You turn a corner and see the old Statehouse, and you want to know more about it.

You take out your Nokia device and you point it at the building. The device then immediately provides detailed information via the Internet … when it was built, the architect, its history and architectural significance, maybe even the hours when tours are available.

Or imagine you’re walking downtown and you see a poster for a new movie. You point your phone at the poster and instantly you can watch the trailer. If you like what you see, you can find where the movie is playing, and even buy tickets for that evening’s showing … all with just a couple of clicks.

… This is context. It’s the ability of your mobile device to bring who, what, where and when together. It will allow you to become more immersed in the real world around you.”

Let me give you another example. It’s from Chris Van Gorder, CEO of Scripps Health, speaking at the American College of Healthcare Executives, in his role as Chair-Elect of ACHE:

“San Diego alone has 650 wireless companies, and many are developing advances for health care. Estimates say 50 to 60 percent of primary care will be delivered virtually in the future.

• Wireless band-aids are being developed to monitor your blood pressure, caloric intake, hydration and heart rate.

• New drug delivery patches can be radio controlled … from across town, or across country.

• ECG machines (no bigger than a cell phone, and one-fifth the cost of current equipment) will allow for remote exams.

• Even pill bottles will include wireless transmitters. Just push a button to alert the pharmacy when you’re running low on medication.

Is our future changing? You bet.

And ACHE will be there to advance our profession–our calling–in these rapidly changing times.”

Did you hear how the use of specific details made these speeches more interesting … and more memorable?
7. Watch your pronouns

More than anything else, pronouns convey what I call “the friendliness factor.” Pronouns can help pull the audience closer.

In my Advanced Speechwriting seminars, I ask the attendees to note the various pronouns in their speeches. It’s an enlightening exercise! I encourage you to try it. Count the number of time you use “we” … “you” … “I”. That ratio tells something about you as a speaker.

For example, “we” conveys camaraderie … cooperation … teamwork. Think of Winston Churchill in 1941: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.”

“You” builds direct rapport with an audience. President Kennedy knew this when he said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

“I” is important because it conveys the speaker’s voice … the speaker’s commitment … the speaker’s dedication. Too many speakers shy away from using “I”–and they’re missing a powerful technique. I can hear Senator Hubert Humphrey’s voice in this line: “I learned more about politics during one South Dakota dust storm than I got in seven years in the university.”
8. Give it some style.

Be visual.

When H.R. Haldeman commented on the Watergate affair, he said: “Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s hard to get it back in.”

Here’s a vivid description from Gerald Ford: “A bronco is something that kicks and bucks, twists and turns, and very seldom goes in one direction. We have one of those things here in Washington–it’s called the Congress.”

There’s nothing new about using visual images to sell your point. Here’s a memorable comment from Teddy Roosevelt about his predecessor, William McKinley: “McKinley shows all the backbone of a chocolate éclair.”

Use rhetorical devices.

Listen to this from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.”

Hear the rhetorical power in this line from Senator Robert Kennedy: “Justice delayed is democracy denied.”
9. Use a light touch of humor.

Don’t use complex jokes. They’re too hard to tell. (Plus, they eat up too much of your limited time,) Instead, use short one-liners. I like this one from Will Rogers: “Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing … and that was the closest our country ever was to being even.”

Who knew how to use humor better than President Ronald Reagan? He once quipped: “There were so many candidates on the platform that there weren’t enough promises to go around.”

Listen to this humor from Ann Richards, speaking at the Democratic Convention: “Twelve years ago Barbara Jordan, another Texas woman, made the keynote address to this convention, and two women in 160 years is about par for the course. But, if you give us a chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”
10. Fix your delivery problems.

You only have your voice, your body language and your eye contact. That’s it. Those are the only delivery tools you have to “sell” your message.

If your voice needs improvement, start improving. And start now. Ditto with your body language and your eye contact.

Read books. Take classes. Get coaching. Attend presentations. Watch C-Span. Learn from good speakers. Join Toastmasters International. Ask a colleague to critique your speeches and monitor your improvement. If you want really candid comments about your delivery skills, just ask a kid: A kid will always tell you the truth. Your staff might not venture to say that you have a most annoying way of clearing your throat whenever you start to speak … but a kid will tell you about this annoying problem flat-out.
11. Consider your A-V options.

You can reinforce a short speech with a wide range of simple audio-visual options: props … letters from constituents … music playing as the audience enters … posters made by local school kids … compelling photographs.

The simplest of things (free, or very low cost) can grab an audience’s attention and create a hook for valuable media coverage.
12. Don’t run overtime.

Remember: There are very few people who don’t become more interesting when they stop talking!

Think of speeches as “business investments” in the communities you serve. Respect your audiences by staying within their timeframe.

A good speech builds audience rapport … and leaves an audience wanting to hear you again.

Take a lesson from Mark Twain. He said: “It takes about 3 weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” So get started now: Write down 1 key message, and use these dozen guidelines to polish it.

So, the next time someone asks, “Can you speak for a few minutes?”, you’ll be prepared to make every second count.

~~~~~~~~

Address by Joan Detz, Speechwriter and author of Can You Say a Few Words
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Speech Topics That Capture The Full Attention!

First, if you are looking for a persuasive speech topic, you must know that the more controversial the speech topics, are the more response you will get from your audiences.

The topic sentence has to be short, declarative sentence that states the central idea of your speech. Your persuasion speech topics should zero in on one main idea rather than focusing on entirely different areas.

If you are looking for science related speech topics, there’s plenty of those in the science forums. It is relatively easy to join forums. A visual presentation is sure to bring your informative speech topics to a whole new level of interest.

Choosing a persuasive speech topic for your presentation is not an easy task. Introduce the topic with a statement of fact and support that statement with the main points of your speech. Write a purpose statement by stating the goal and topic for a speech and specifying the method to be used in developing the speech. This means you will have to research your topic and work your sources into your speech and outline.

The more controversial your persuasive speech topic, the harder challenge your creating for yourself, and the more you’ll learn. Interest the listeners in the topic, purpose, and issues of the speech. Developing a topic and identifying the purpose of a speech will aid in the organization and direction of the overall performance. You will get enthusiastic applause…perhaps even a standing ovation, every time you speak if you develop informative speech topics which are slightly controversial in nature!

If you should emphasize both the positive and negative characteristics of your topic in order to provide a well-balanced speech, you will definitely make your speech more interesting! So, the idea here is to first pick a topic and then list down the positive and negative characteristics of your topic. It will stimulate your mind in more ways than you can imagine, and could easily spawn dozens of speech topic ideas.

Top 5 Strategies to Effective Public Speaking

I was never a huge fan of public speaking. I was always very nervous and had this overwhelming feeling the audience was judging my every word. I now know how to overcome my fears and deliver a memorable presentation.

I have summarized for you the top 5 strategies I use to make sure every presentation is a showstopper.

Realize 90% of Nervousness Doesn’t Even Show

The audience usually can’t see the telltale symptoms of nervousness. The butterflies, the shaky hands or the sweaty palms. The key is for you to not focus on them either. You need to focus on the audience. When you do this two things will happen: 1) they will like you more, and 2) much of the nervousness that you feel will go away.

Don’t Avoid Eye-Contact.

When we are nervous, it is a natural reaction to want to hide. When you are standing in front of a group of people where do you hide? You can’t. So you will tend to look down or look away from your audience. If we can’t see them they can’t see us, right? Wrong.

The other trick people try is to look over the tops of their heads. The idea here is that by looking a peoples foreheads, they will think you are looking at them. Wrong again.

You need to look directly into people’s eyes with kindness. Create a rapport with the audience through your visual contact. If anyone smiles when you look at him or her, smile back. This will make you, and the audience, feel more at ease and will make your presentation more genuine.

Identify three people in the audience whom you want to speak to: One on your left, one in front of you and one on your right. Deliver your speech to these three people. Look at each one for about 4-5 seconds and “switch target” to the next person. Don’t maintain eye contact for too long. This will create an uncomfortable situation. You don’t want to creep people out.

By using this technique, it will give the impression to the entire audience that you are making eye contact, because you are sweeping the room with your glances.

Don’t Apologize.

Never start a presentation with an apology. By starting a presentation with an apology for your nervousness or for having a cold, you are drawing attention to something the audience may not have noticed. You are also announcing to the audience, “the presentation you are about to receive is less than you deserve, but please don’t blame me.”

Avoid Rushing Monotone Voice.

A fast paced monotone speech is a sure-fire way to make your audience feel unimportant. It will also cause them to lose focus and become bored. How many lectures did you sit through in school listening to a monotone professor drone on about whatever subject he was teaching? How much of those lectures did you actually remember?

You don’t want to subject your audience to this same torture and you want them to remember what you talked about.
You can easily avoid monotone messages. Before saying a word think about the value of your message. Think about the aspects that create passionate feelings. Think about speaking clearly with compassion. Smile. Tell yourself a joke. Take a huge confidence breath.

Use eye-contact, positively say “you,” and flow with the message. If you do, you’ll hear, “I felt like you were speaking specifically to me.” That’s one of the best compliments you can get. And it proves that you’re speaking TO not AT the audience.

Limit your talk to a few key points.

Narrow down your topic to either one key point for a short talk, or three key points for a longer talk (a talk longer than 30-minutes). Ask yourself, “If my audience only remembered one thing from my talk, what would be the most important thing for them to remember?” The more points your presentation has, the less focus the audience will have on each individual point. Once you have your key points, then create your PowerPoint slides.

If you remember these five key points, you will be sure to knock-em dead!

9 Tips for Handling Public Speaking Questions

How you handle questions from an audience can often be the deciding factor as to how your presentation is received. If you’re pitching for business, then it’s absolutely vital to handle questions well.

1. Be prepared for questions – When you write your presentation, think about what you’re likely to be asked and what your answer is going to be. Maybe you won’t want to answer a particular question there and then, so think about what you’ll say to satisfy the questioner.

2. Make it clear at the start – You may decide to take questions as you go or at the end of your presentation. Whatever you decide, make it clear at the start and don’t change your mind. I would suggest questions at the end in a short presentation; if you take questions as you go, then your timing will get knocked out. And always remember, an audience won’t forgive you for taking half an hour when you were only scheduled to speak for fifteen minutes.

3. Never finish with questions – Far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end, deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish. Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat – particularly if you don’t get any.

4. Listen – When asked a question, listen and look like your listening. It may be something you’ve heard a million times before. Treat the questioner with respect and don’t trivialise their point.

5. Thank the questioner – It’s only polite, it shows respect and it gives you a bit more time to consider your answer.

6. Repeat the essence of the question – Some people may not have heard the question so your answer may not make any sense to them. It can also be irritating for them not to hear the question. Again, it gives you more time to think of the answer and it makes you look so clever and in control.

7. Answer to everyone – Don’t fall into the trap of only answering the questioner. If they happen to be near the front then you could end up having a conversation with them and exclude everyone else.

8. Keep it simple – Many speakers, when it comes to questions, have become more relaxed and the fact that someone is interested enough to ask them a question, leads them to go on too long with the answer – DON’T.

9. Don’t bluff or bluster – If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so and find out. Suggest to the questioner that you’ll ‘phone them or come and see them with the answer. It can even be a good way to make further contact after the presentation.

As we all know, it’s possible that you may not be asked any questions and you then have that awkward silence. People may be thinking about what you’ve just said and may need more time to ask. They may also be a bit shy and may take a few minutes to speak out. Why not have a question of your own prepared and say something like. “You may be asking yourself………?” If you still fail to get any questions then go straight into your summary and closing statement.

Handling a question and answer session well, demonstrates your professionalism and reflects on your message.

A World of Presentations Without PowerPoint

Most of the presentations made nowadays are made with the help of PowerPoint. There are also class teachers and lecturers who use PowerPoint to make the teaching and learning process more interesting. However, it is the professional who makes presentations without the use of PowerPoint, while following some of their age-old beliefs for presentations.

Presentations without PowerPoint prove to be quite boring. This is because the presentation will be monotonous, with no music background or visual aids to help in the presentation. PowerPoint presentations usually provide a change for the audience in the presentation, and also give the crowd some visual explanations to the points that are being told in the presentation. So without PowerPoint in the presentation, it is very important that the presenter use some creativity in the presentation. This is because it is only this creativity that will keep the audience interested and motivated in the presentation!

The most important thing that has to be remembered to give a successful presentation without PowerPoint is to exactly know what you are talking about. If you are well versed with the matter you intend to present, you can very well present it without the help of PowerPoint. However, make sure to make your presentation only after learning about the temperament and nature of your audience. Remember that it is of no use talking to the audience as a group of employees. Instead, make it a point to tailor your presentation to meet the intellectual of the audience you are facing.

When beginning the presentation, you have to present it while keeping the end of the presentation in mind. You have to know what the purpose of your presentation is, as without PowerPoint you might lose the interest of the audience! Make sure you see, hear and feel what exactly it is that you want people to respond to in whatever it is that you say. Make a strong start to your presentation. Without PowerPoint, it is very much important that the first words and your appearance set the right tone for the audience to listen to you throughout the presentation. One of the best ways of making a connection with the audience without the help of PowerPoint is to tell a story, or an anecdote that has universal appeal.

One of the main things that has to be done when giving a presentation is to practice on the speech as much as possible. This is the only way of looking polished while speaking. It is indeed a false notion that using PowerPoint slides in a presentation will make a person a dynamic speaker. The process of becoming a dynamic speaker lies in the hand of the speaker. Only practice can make one a successful speaker, and this is one skill that cannot be delegated to anyone else. One of the best techniques to implement for practice is called bits. Here one practices a short piece of material over and over again till perfect. It is not that you practice it for word for word, one just has to talk one’s way through the presentation! In this way, one can easily continue a presentation, even if there is a distraction while onstage.

If PowerPoint is not used in a presentation, it is important that props be used instead. This is because a prop is basically worth a thousand words. With props, people tend to anchor thoughts in their minds to these props. It is no difference if the prop is large, small, funny or serious, as long as it relates to the point that you are trying to make and that the audience sees it! Another way of making sure that the audience loves you despite the fact that you don’t use PowerPoint in your presentation is to bring solutions to the problems they have. With your research of the audience, you would already have an idea to what their problems are; it is only up to you to bring new ideas to them to try.

Remember that when you are not using PowerPoint, you are the visual aid of the presentation. People will then gain more interest in whatever it is that you say, instead of visuals or fancy slides or overheads. So basically, without PowerPoint, it is important that the speaker be more self-confident and well versed in his speech. Without this, it may be quite impossible to imagine giving a presentation without PowerPoint!