Pivotal Public Speaking - the ezine

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Issue Number 65

Greetings from

Pivotal Public Speaking

http://www.pivotalpublicspeaking.com

Resources for your confident, effective speaking.

Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.
D. H. Lawrence

Overcoming nerves

How to Relax For Your Talk

We've all heard that many people fear of public speaking. Others know if you're looking for one of the least expensive and most effective methods of promoting your service or product, or impressing your boss, we need to concentrate on the positive results of delivering a presentation well. Think of the contacts and prospective clients you'll be generating with just 20 minutes in front of a Service Club audience.

Perhaps you will get a promotion? In case accentuating the positive isn't enough to keep the butterflies in your stomach in line, before you step up to the podium, take time to work through these exercises to help you channel all that nervousness into energy.

Physical Preparation: Warm up and relax your body and face.

1. If you're wearing high heels, take them off. Now, stand on one leg and shake the other. When you put your foot back on the ground, it's going to feel lighter than the other one. Now, switch legs and shake. You want your energy to go through the floor and out of your head. This sounds quite cosmic; it isn't. It's a practical technique used by actors.

2. Shake your hands...fast. Hold them above your head, bending at the wrist and elbow and then bring your hands back down. This will make your hand movements more natural.

3. Warm up your face muscles by chewing in a highly exaggerated way. Do shoulder and neck rolls. Imagine that you're eye level with a clock. As you look at 12, pull as much of your face up to 12 as you can; now move it to 3, then down to 6 and finally over to 9.

All of these exercises serve to warm you up and relax you. Those exaggerated movements make it easier for your movements to flow more naturally. Now concentrate on the potential customers you'll be cultivating with your talk. Aren't you getting a warm feeling just thinking about that?

Go on—step up on the podium and profit from the experience.

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Sales Presentation Trainer, Keynote Speaker, Executive Speech Coach

Click here to check out Fripp's learning materials.

More on overcoming public speaking nerves

This week’s Book

The Confident Speaker

by Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase

“Fear of snakes makes sense. After all, snakes bite! On the other hand, fear of public speaking is worth overcoming. This book is an excellent place to start.”-Seth Godin, bestselling author of Purple Cow and Free Prize Inside

More …

More books on public speaking

Audience interaction

The 7 toughest questions (and how to handle them)

In the professional world, tough questions are as fundamental as paper clips and staples. Starting with the employment interview and ranging through staff meetings, management reviews, informal briefings and formal presentations, almost every business encounter has the potential to draw dangerous crossfire. And in many circles, inquisitorial grilling is as much a part of the business ritual as a handshake to seal a deal.

Why do business people ask tough questions? Because they are mean-spirited? Perhaps. Because they want to test your mettle? Maybe. More likely it's because when you make a presentation, you assume the role of a solicitor. In that role, you ask those you solicit (i.e., opposite parties, target audiences) to change. Most people are resistant to change and so they kick the tires. You are the tires.

How then to avoid damage from the kicks? How do you survive slings and arrows unleashed? How do you handle tough questions in the line of fire? >>>

Blog Posts

Speech Writing

Public Speaking - 8 Proven Steps to Great Speech Writing

By Edward Hope

The writing of a speech can be time consuming and frustrating. With the right approach it can be a simple, worthwhile and an enjoyable experience for you and your audience. A step by step process to speech writing will assist in relieving some of the anxiety of public speaking.

Having great content with a worthwhile purpose makes the job of delivering your speech much easier. This knowledge also builds self-confidence and makes the process more enjoyable. Content that is interesting and worthwhile to the audience will be received favourably by them. Preparing your thoughts and writing them down in a structured way puts you in control of the process.

Step 1: Know Your Audience - Find out as much as you can about the audience and the organizers of the event. Ask the following questions: Why have I been invited? What would they like to hear from me? How many people will be there?

Step 2: Determine the Purpose - The circumstances and situation can dictate the purpose especially in a work or business environment. The question the purpose of the speech should answer is "What benefit will the audience gain from the speech?"

Step 3 Determine Your Theme - How are you going to achieve your purpose? It is the central idea you will build your speech around to accomplish the purpose of the speech e.g. the purpose of the speech may be - To get members of the audience to vote in the upcoming election. The theme to support this could be - Voting is the duty of every citizen in a democracy.

Step 4: Decide on Delivery Style - The purpose for speaking and the nature of the audience will help determine the type of delivery. Your delivery style will probably be a mixture of styles but with one style dominant depending on the audience and purpose of your speech. The styles are:

Humor and narrative - For providing entertainment

Informative - To help the audience understand something

Persuasive - For the audience to form an opinion, change their mind or strengthen a belief

Motivation - To inspire the audience to take action

Step 5 Research - You need to thoroughly research your theme so that you are an authority on it. There are 4 general sources to find information to support your speech:-

1. Your own personal knowledge and experience

2. Reading

3. Talking with others

4. Writing to experts

Step 6 Select and Arrange Your Speech - You will probably have more information than you need for your speech. To select the information to be included in your speech chose the research that is the best support for your theme. Arrange your speech into the introduction, main body and conclusion. The main body information is best arranged into a logical pattern of thought e.g. chronological, problem and solution etc.

Step 7 Write Your Speech - Start by outlining your speech - this is the blueprint. This will give you the structure and make it easy to see how your speech fits together. When writing your speech use words and sentences that make it easy to read and speak. Use spoken language when writing out your speech especially if you intend to read the speech. Written language can be difficult to listen to and understand. Language that sounds great on paper does not always sound great when spoken.

Step 8 Practice and Edit - Make time to practice. By speaking your speech you will discover phrases that don't work well, whether it flows properly, do the timings work etc? Edit your speech as required.

In following these steps you will be able to deliver speeches that are valuable to your listeners. When your speech includes worthwhile your poise will increase and your delivery will be more confident.

Put confidence into your public speaking and conversation with "The Art of Great Conversation." To claim your free preview visit http://budurl.com/ps1self

More on writing great speeches

This Week’s Video

BBC _ "The Speaker"

Jeremy Stockwell, Speaker Judge - "I prepare more than my words"

More videos on public speaking

Just for Fun

The Ultimate Post-it Note Office Prank

http://www.groundproject.com/uploads/postit/index.html

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Closing Thought

Always be shorter than anybody dared to hope.

~Lord Reading, on speechmaking

My best wishes,

Bronwyn

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