Missoula-Public-Speaking-Tips: May 2011

Advice On How To Deliver A Successful Public Speech

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There a literally millions of people all around the world that have benefited from a membership in a Toastmasters club, and we trust that you will also consider visiting our club and joining. Visit our site at Shootin The Bull

You will find that Toastmasters is a wonderful place to not just learn to speak but to also make friends and meet new people. As one of the top Networking Organizations in the world it is a great place to meet other professionals and local people that want to become better speakers. Also you will find that Toastmasters supportive atmosphere assists even further in making new friends easily. I have met many people through Toastmasters, including many people I might not have otherwise had the chance to meet.

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Public speaking is something most people try to avoid and even dread. At times in my life, I have found myself having to deliver a speech and therefore I needed to learn the best way of doing this. In this article, I write about what I learnt from reading many books about public speaking, advice which has helped me to successfully deliver these speeches.

Many people get very nervous before and during their presentation or speech. This can have a negative affect on our breathing and can leave us out of breath. When you feel nervous it is a good idea to remember to take regular breaths when talking. In my opinion you should be looking to breath every six to eight words. The nerves will make our muscles contract and can make your chest feel really tight. This is a natural reaction and it is a good idea to take a few deep breaths before starting your talk to help you to relax.

When you start your speech, I would ensure that you have a focal point in the room, which can act to give you inspiration. This could be a picture at the back of the room or a window. At times you may lose your focus and may forget what you want to say. This focal point can help to get you back on track.

I try not to look at the eyes of the people in the audience when I give a public speech, as this can put me off. I want them to think that I am though, as it can be a sign of nerves if they think that I am not able to. What I tend to do is to look at an area on their forehead which obviously is not their eyes but which has the effect that I am still looking at them etc.

Even though I do plan what I am going to say, I do not plan it word for word. Instead I write down keywords or key subjects on paper which I keep in my pocket in case I need to look at it. This then ensures I do not forget what I want to say and also allows me to ad lib. The speech will also hopefully now not sound so robotic and boring as it might have if I had memorised it word for word.

I always like to start off the public speech with a short joke, which can then act as an ice breaker. I remember a speech I gave a few years ago, it was my last day at the company where I worked. The people in the office had put to a collection and had bought me some leaving presents. I then had to say a few words of thanks to them. I knew many weeks in advance that I would have to give this speech and I have to say it did cause me quite a bit of stress.

The speech itself would only have to last for about ten minutes and would be in front of around fifty people. This was how I started the talk, I would like to thank everybody who has put to the collection, and anybody who did not put, I will see you outside later. This is quite a pathetic joke however a couple of people did laugh. This gave me a bit of extra confidence and helped to relax me.

I also advise people to talk a bit slower than they normally do when they have to deliver a public speech. This has helped me tremendously over the years.

I hope this article helps you to deliver a quality public speech.

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Successful Transitions for your Presentation

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Having a smoothly flowing presentation relies on having successful transitions as you proceed from point to point. Even your transitions do need some level of planning. As your audience processes the information you present in their minds, jerky transitions become hard to follow and comprehend. You could potentially lose your audience in a transition without even realizing it and by the time they catch up to you, they'll have missed 2/3 of the next point you're trying to make. Here are some examples you can easily implement into your presentation to make it a success!

- Use bridge words or phrases. These are words like "finally", "however", "in addition", "moreover" and "meanwhile". This bridge helps your audience to stay connected with your message. These words or phrases represent linkages between the points you make.

- Use the same word or idea twice. You can say, "A similar idea is that..." or "this is what people see... this is what people think...".

- Ask a question. Engage your audience and emphasize the points you are trying to make. "Was there ever a time when..." "How many of you..."

- Refer back to information previously stated in your presentation. "Remember when I told you earlier..."

- Review the points you'll be making or the point you've made. Itemize them one by one. You can say, "There are 5 important concepts to know..."

- Use a visual. Use a prop to finalize your point or even introduce the next point you are going to make. Insert a humorous cartoon or image for your audience to focus on.

- Use a pause. Give your audience a moment to think about what you just said. You can also introduce a dramatic pause for evoking emotions.

- Use physical movement or a change in the tone of your voice. Walk to different parts of the stage. Use different gestures or postures to emphasize what you mean. Change your tone of voice as you are speaking.

- Use testimonials or a personal story. Let your audience know what other people are saying about what you're talking about. Make your points more relatable by telling your audience how you or someone else handled the issue or problem.

One of the most common mistakes that professional speakers make is that they don't use transitions in their presentation. You could potentially lose your audience because they aren't processing your information as quickly as you want them to. Another common mistake is that the transitions used are too short. Transitions are processing times for your audience. It gives them a chance to catch up to where you are at in delivering your message. The last most common mistake made with using transitions are that the same transition is used over and over again in a presentation. Vary your transitions and your presentation become more interesting.

While only representing a small portion of your presentation, transitions are powerful tools you can use to keep your audience tuned in to what you have to say. If you're not seeing the success you'd like to see with your audience, consider working on improving your transitions.

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What Does the First Year of Professional Speaking Look Like?

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Unless you're already a celebrity, you'll have to work through building your professional speaking career from the ground up. This does mean work, but if the topics you plan to be speaking on are your passion, this will not be a chore to do! Also, depending upon how fast you are able to build connections and establish your reputation as a speaker will determine how fast you pass through this phase of career building.

The first phase of building your career is filled with getting the word out that you are available for hire as a professional speaker. You'll also gain experience as you speak for free. Yes, that's right - free. Your goal is build a database of clients and testimonials concerning your work before you hit the big time. One resource stated that you should plan on speaking for free for at least 200 hundred times to build a successful reputation and foundation of experience. The reason for all of this is that many speaker bureaus and meeting planners want speakers with experience and an established reputation in the field they're in. As of now, you are working on creating your future success!

Here are some things you can do as you begin your professional speaking career. 1) List the topics you can speak on. Join a social network like LinkedIn (known as the social network for professionals) or forum and list those topics there.

2) Write some articles on these topics and post them on the free article websites. You can also post articles on your own website and add them to social bookmark sites. Whoever reads your article will see your bio at the bottom of each article and you'll promote yourself as a speaker for these topics!

3) Get as many free speaking engagements as possible. Check with your local library or the Chamber of Commerce. Get feedback from your free speaking engagements and start compiling a list of these.

4) Take a professional picture of yourself. People want to feel connected to you and personalizing your website by adding your picture to it is just one of the ways. Additionally, you'll need a professional photo for your portfolio

5) If you're an expert in a trade, write articles for your industry's trade publications. Sometimes these publications will ask for a short (1-2 sentence bio) where you can list "professional speaker" as part of your career listing. One benefit is that you can also get paid writing.

6) Get online and create a blog or website about the topics that you cover. Utilize social networking to build relationships with potential clients as well as peers in your industry. Promote yourself as a professional speaker and a thought leader in your industry. 7) Add a tagline to your email signature. Whoever gets your emails will see that you are a professional speaker for hire.

8) Research the industry for pay rates and start developing a fee schedule for your speaking engagements. We mentioned earlier that you should expect to speak for free, however, speaking for free could easily turn into a paying job for you. What would you charge?

9) Create a demo video of a speaking event you've done. You can use clips from several of your speaking jobs (including the free ones). During this first phase, you're basically building your professional speaking portfolio. You'll need this portfolio to go after higher paying jobs with speaker bureaus and meeting planners. You're already working towards your future success!

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Public Speaking - A Starters Guide

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The record fear among most people is the horror of communal speaking. So how do you go about becoming a good presenter if you’ve never tried it before?

First, you’re going to have to live it out. You want to come across a venue somewhere that you can give relaxed generous speeches. Start out by speaking in front of a copy – act as if you’re happy to give a speech.

You can talk in front of a mirror, smooth practiced speakers use this as a practice to understand their facial expressions and how to vary them. This will present you the reassurance level you want to begin speeches or presentations in front of a group or audience. Connect a local speaking set. The Toastmasters are a good one – it’s a club for people who fancy to pick up their speaking skills, and they have people of all experience levels.

Don't go to large just tiny audiences are good to start with. It’s a good deal easier to talk with a tiny group as a trainee than a multitude – you just act as if you’re conversation with friends, and regularly the pressure and jumpiness will go away. If you don’t have one in your neighborhood, you could try looking in your region for contests sponsored by the local Rotary club or other organizations.

Alternatively, you could just get people to eavesdrop on you. If you’ve got a life-size presentation at job that you’re apprehensive about, do it quite a lot of times in front of people that you know and are relaxed with. You’ll have to live out the authentic thing. Always remember public speaking is fun, focus positive thoughts not negative when you are speaking. And these kinds of things always help - You'll be GREAT!

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How Free Professional Speaking Gigs Help You

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One of the primary reasons people get into this business is because they want to earn some serious cash. With dreams of stardom and hopes of owning the Mercedes and the million dollar home, they set off in pursuit of getting highly paid gigs only to get knocked down by rejection after rejection. After doing some research they find that most of their starting events will be free speaking events. What?

If "free" is a horrendous four letter word in your career vocabulary, you'll need to learn the importance and value that "free" can really provide. There are tremendous benefits that come with speaking for free including having the ability to promote your back of the room products where you can actually profit. You'll be gaining new experiences and building your clientele list.

1. "Free" still gets your name out there. The more people who hear you speak, the more people there will be to purchase your product and refer you to other people are looking for professional speakers. For example, speaking for free for an organization like a Rotary Club or Elks Club can lead to paying jobs because many of the members who belong to this organization have businesses of their own or are in positions in their careers where they are the decision makers to "hire" speakers.

2. You can still have the opportunity to sell your products at these free speaking engagements. Statistics show that back of the room products account for over 50% of professional speaking profits. Promote your business and promote your products in the same place! At the very least, you will be able to refer them to your website for more information or additionally, to purchase products and books. The more people that hear you, the more opportunities you'll have.

3. Free speaking opportunities are still opportunities where you can create a video tape of yourself. Many speaker bureaus and meeting planners will not hire you without seeing a video tape of your presentation. On top of that, many organizations like the Rotary Club or Elks Club have people who can help you create your video. Can you trade services?

4. Free speaking engagements are a great place to network. Hopefully by now you understand that you have to get your name out there. In order to get your name out there, you'll have to be out there. You can still mingle with your audience as well as network with meeting planners for the function.

5. A free speaking event is still a great reason to send out a press release. If you're looking for a reason to send out press releases about yourself or your career, use free speaking engagements. Submit them to local newspapers and various online sites that have a "to-do in your area" section. This is just another way to get the word out about your business.

Speaking for free has its benefits. What you'll need to learn next is how to leverage these free events into referrals and product sales. As you do this, more people will know about you and your business will be well on its way to success!

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The Real Message that Professional Speakers Send

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Are you really communicating what you think you are? There are two basic messages that are included in any speaking engagement - the verbal message and the visual message. As a professional speaker, your message should be effectively communicated in all aspects of both these areas. Whether you are a novice speaker or have years of experience, you'll want to find out about what you're actually saying and adjust your delivery for best results. In doing so, you'll deliver winning presentations every time!

The first message type is the verbal message. First off, your verbal message should be clear and concise. Your discussion points should be detailed and well supported by data, testimonials and perhaps even visual aids. Discussion and transition points should flow and lead your audience from point A to point B.

Supporting this verbal message is the message you send with using the tone of voice. The tone of voice has the ability to liven up your topic. Emphasize highlighted points with excitement and enthusiasm. A quiet, somber tone of voice can bring seriousness to identifying problems you present when you present your solution. A loud, booming voice can emphasize definitive statements.

The second type of message is the visual message. These messages (along with the message you send using your tone of voice) are often inferred messages that aren't directly spoken but they still have lots to say about you as a leader and the message you bring.

The environment that you hold your presentation in impacts your message as well. The room itself can be a distraction and you can lose your focus and worse yet, you can lose the attention of your audience. Details like the room temperature (too cold, too warm) or noisy traffic (beeping horns and emergency vehicle sirens) may seem like they are out of your control, but you do have some control. Other environmental considerations include the appearance of the room. Is it professional? Is it warm and cozy? Does it enhance the message you want to convey or does it take away from it? It behooves you to minimize as much as possible all of these types of distractions from your presentation.

Another visual presentation you make is the one with your personal appearance and attire. Your audience doesn't know you. If you say that you are a professional, do you look like it? You don't have to have the Armani suits or the Dolce & Gabbana dress, but you should at least look like the professional you claim to be. Men speaker should avoid loud colored shirts. Leave those shirts at home for the night out. Women should dress conservatively. You don't have to be wearing a burlap sack, but low-cut blouses and high skirts don't belong here. Your goal is to create credibility as a professional.

There are many other messages that your audience picks up during the course of your presentation. They know exactly how you're feeling about the topic you present by the enthusiasm in your voice. They already make assumptions regarding your credibility as a true professional. Don't take chances and send the wrong message!

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A Professional Speaker Sets the Tone for the Message

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As a professional speaker, everything you do the minute you walk into the room sets the tone for your message. Without even speaking one word, you can determine just how many people you will reach because their engagement to your message depends on you; not on them. You can have a great topic to speak on and great presentation skills, but without communication the passion you have about your topic, none of it really matters!

Go before your audience expecting to make an impact! People aren't interested in what you know. They want your information for themselves and passion is like the "grease" that lubricates that passage of information! Do you expect that your audience will receive what you have to say? Do you communicate that you're excited to be there and you're also excited that they are there as well?

Be mindful of the needs of your audience. As a professional speaker, we can get caught up with our message because you know it's what your audience needs. The problem with that train of thought is that it leaves one key person out of the equation - your audience member. Prepare yourself beforehand to figure out what your audience may want to know or needs to know and then deliver that message.

Change things up for maximum impact! There are going to be times when you can't stay stuck to your outline. Learn to improvise and adjust to the needs of your audience. Find ways to engage them as you proceed throughout your message. Do you remember in school that one teacher you had that you could never seem to connect with? Students were falling asleep in class and the teacher still plodded on with their message! How effective is that? Change your presentation and tailor it to engage your audience no matter where they might be! Don't stay stuck in a routine!

Relate to your audience. Relating to your audience goes beyond just speaking to them. It encompasses everything from the greeting you give, the way you dress and your tone of voice you use to address them. Part of relating to your audience means knowing who they are and what appeals to them. You'll have to research beforehand who your audience members are. If you do this, you'll be positioning yourself to be more relatable to them.

Passion is the key that opens their hearts and minds to receive what you have to say! If you're passionate about your topic, that will come across in your speech by default. Conversely, if you lack passion about your topic, that too will also come across. Do you really believe in what you're talking about? Do you see the value that you and your message have to offer your audience? When you practice your speech, do you motivate yourself? Just about every professional speaker starts off practicing by looking at themselves in the mirror! Try doing that and take a good look at what you see!

You are the key to a successful delivery of your message. If you want to see results, understand that you set the tone in your meeting and it's up to you to maintain control of that tone!

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Motivational Speakers -- Creating a Vehicle for Dreams

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Motivation is the fuel that feeds our dreams and drives us to succeed, and the right motivational speaker can change your next training event from an arbitrary collection of dos and don’ts to a pit stop that will breathe new life into your business.

The role of a motivational speaker may seem a bit elusive. The title implies a call to action and the goal at the end of the day is to facilitate a change in behaviour. The last generation of motivators were adept at getting an audience to believe - “I can do it!” - but they often failed to provide the tools, or failed to start shaping the skills, that are necessary to implement this new-found inspiration.

The key to effective motivation is sustainability. A true motivator not only provides the fuel for dreams; he also provides the vehicle needed to achieve those dreams.

Modern speakers facilitate sustainable motivation in, broadly speaking, two ways:

The metaphoric-style motivational speaker: This style of speaking may be used by a motivational speaker who does not necessarily hail from a business background, or from a business that is similar to yours.

A speaker who draws on effective metaphors may come from a sporting background; he may have achieved remarkable things on a private crusade; in some way, he has likely overcome adversity and faced great challenges to reach his goal; and he is without fail a team player.

Such a speaker may challenge your views on the definition of success. He may analyse personality types and their individual places in a team environment. In any case, he would draw from personal experience to address topics such as leader selection, conflict resolution and change management, demonstrating what methods can be used to overcome the challenges faced by your team.

The tailored motivational speaker: A tailored motivational speaker will be more specific in meeting the unique needs of your business. He - or she - would go through a very thorough briefing with you and then address anything that is identified as a particular problem area, or that is a facet of your business that you wish to focus on.

As with a speaker who draws upon metaphors, a tailored speaker will also provide the tools necessary to achieve the established goals. He will provide the motivation as well as the suggested methods for carrying out the appropriate changes.

A tailored speaker will also address the need to measure the effects of the changes made in your business. Bob Miller, a very accomplished professional keynote speaker, advises that, “If you can’t measure it, don’t do it!”

What Makes a Great Motivational Speaker?

While sustainability is a critical factor in the type and style of the presenter chosen, it goes without saying that a professional motivational speaker must also have outstanding oral communication skills.

Structured content and the ability to entertain are essential qualities in a motivational speaker. He must be able to create a bond with the audience, to connect to them, to understand their own personal needs and desires and then address them in the larger context of the business environment.

Motivational speaking requires extensive preparation and much hard work. All this comes to naught, however, if the rare gift for truly effective communication is not there.

The Benefit to Your Business

A professional motivational speaker really comes into his/her own as a keynote speaker at important events. Whether you are delivering a message, announcing a new initiative or launching a new sales campaign, a professional public speaker will make sure that your business receives the most possible benefit from a function or event.

If you consider for one moment the launch of a new sales campaign with, for instance, 800 sales people in audience and featuring a one hour speech. In real time, this works out to 800 hours of wages - 100 working days, or over 13 weeks!

With so much at stake it is imperative that you make an informed decision when choosing the business speaker for your next event.

Spend your time and money wisely. Reap the full benefits of corporate events with a professional motivational speaker and give your staff - and, by extension, your business - the drive to succeed and the vehicle to achieve their dreams!

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Using Props in Your Professional Speaking Presentation

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People learn and retain information in different ways. As a professional speaker, you must also learn to incorporate as many different ways of engaging your audience in order to reach as many people as possible. In fact, you have an obligation to use anything and everything it takes so that more people can relate your message to their life. This means at one point in your career, you'll have to use props as part of your message.

A "prop" is any object that is handled or used while you are on stage. Props can be many different things such as flip charts, demonstrations, overhead projections - images, photos, and videos, and even other people. These props enhance the message you are trying to convey to your audience and can also help people connect with your ideas.

Props help your audience to get engaged in your presentation. They help to warm your audience and draws attention to the points your making in your presentation. They are visual illustrations that often are better able to convey the message than your spoken word can. It's one thing to hear a new idea, but when people see your idea visually, they can develop a mental image in their mind and become visually oriented with what you are trying to say. Visual presentations often make your points interesting and it breaks up the monotony of only hearing you speak. For this reason, props can be used to add variety to your presentation.

Prizes and giveaways make excellent opening props. Often done with large audience presentations such as in large arenas, props are a great way to open your audience. It fires up your audience bringing excitement and anticipation for what you are going to speak about. The prizes may or may not be related to your message. You can use them as icebreakers or even as a way to draw excitement and attention to your support material sales at the back of the room.

Props can often be used as the "impromptu" portion of your presentation. When used correctly, your props can have your audience sitting on the edge of their chair as they strive to see what you are doing at the front of the room. As you talk about your props, your audience won't feel like you are reading a speech, which brings us to the next point. They can also be a substitute for notes since they automatically prompt you to describe the reason for introducing the prop in the first place. You can essentially go through an entire presentation just using props!

Props have a valuable role in your presentation. Visual images are more easily remembered than the words you speak. On top of that, showing your audience the points you are trying to make can say more than telling your audience those same points. You know the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words! Props can also help to invoke excitement and rev up your audience as you warm them up for your presentation! Begin to use props in your presentations and see how engaged your audience becomes!

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Organizing Your Professional Speaking Presentation

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You may have just been asked to make a presentation by your boss or maybe, you're starting on a new professional speaking career. Whatever the case may be, starting your presentation means you'll have a ton of details to organize into a relatable format for your audience. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

One of the most difficult aspects of making your presentation is getting started. You may be feeling overwhelmed even if you've been working with your materials for years. Maybe you're looking for a way to simplify your research process. In any case, the first step is to jump in there and get started.

1. Research your material. Collect and read as much information as possible. Make some notes and also look at the validity of the information you are collecting. Is the information outdated? Is it relevant to the actual subject you are going to talk about? Start taking notes and highlighting potentially key points of your presentation.

2. Once you feel you've gathered enough information to present, review your notes and select the information you are going to present. Look for key ideas that support the purpose of your talk. Decide how deep you will go when presenting your information? Consider your audience. What do they need to know to take action on your subject? How much detail do they actually need? Consider also, the length of the time you'll have for your presentation.

3. Organize your key ideas into an outline form. Start with the key points you will make and add two to three supporting elements to it. When you speak, you will be leading your audience from point A to point B. You're taking them somewhere even if it's only in their minds. Does your outline show a path to take? Is it relevant? Adjust your key points until you do lead your audience to where you want them to go.

4. Decide how you will present your organized information in your presentation. What visual aids can you use to strengthen your points? Is there data or research that you can bring into your presentation? How can you vary the delivery of your message? Your presentation will be more interesting if you do more than just talk. People can easily tune out of your message especially if it's during a meal or immediately following one.

5. Organize your presentation outline to incorporate your visuals and method of delivery in your presentation. Review what it looks like on paper. Your outline is like your map for success. Is your map clearly defining the information you want to say? Are there any weak points were the information is not as strong as you'd like it to be? If it's not, revise and review and keep doing this until you get your map the way you want it to be.

Organizing the material for your presentation is a process. As you take your audience from lack of knowledge to having knowledge, your background work is to create an outline map of your journey. This map is the key to your success and the only way to be successful is to have a plan of action. Start today in creating your map of success!

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Where to Find Professional Speaking Jobs

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You've got your engine running and you're ready to get out there and find some professional speaking engagements. The only problem is that you haven't got a clue as to where you can find jobs!

One of the first steps as you launch your professional speaking career is to get good at what you do. You'll find that you'll need to speak for free. Gain experience and build your client database. In doing so, you'll be able to go after higher paying jobs as you can demonstrate your professionalism, credibility as a speaker and your ability to draw large crowds.

- There are a number of places that hire professional speakers and many of them are in your neighborhoods. Places like universities, colleges, your local Toastmasters organization, speaker bureaus, non-profit organizations, businesses, and libraries are just a few of the places that have a need for professional speakers. Make contacts with people in these organizations and offer your services.

- You can also do an online search for the keyword term "calls for speakers" or "speakers wanted". You'll obtain a listing of organizations and meetings that are requesting professional speakers.

- Search speaker's forums for paid jobs. While this place does not have a lot of paid jobs, you might be able to find one that suits your niche.

- Review conference schedules of various associations related to your topic. Many associations hold annual conferences and they will post a call for speakers. This call will be placed about 6 - 8 months in advance of the speaking engagement.

- Work as a trainer with training companies. Places like Fred Pryor hires contract speakers for many different topics. This is a paid job that requires travel and often times, a hectic schedule, but the flip side is that paid speakers can make over $75,000 annually.

- Research the NTPA (National Trade and Professional Associations) Directory. You can purchase it for about $150. Issued in February each year, it gives you the information you'll need to begin making contacts in the association market.

- Research the meeting planner's directory. The Directory of Association Meeting Planners costs $550 and is available every March in a CD format. There is another directory called the Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners. This second directory costs approximately $450 and is available every March in a hard copy format.

- Network with peers and potential clients in your industry. Word of mouth referrals are by far the most popular way that meeting planners find speakers for their events. With that in mind, it'll definitely be worth your time to network!

These are places where you can find jobs, however, you will need to also put together a promotional kit. Start with a simple letter and build your promotional kit up. You'll also have to develop a marketing strategy to build and maintain a potential client listing. Using this listing, you can use direct mail or make phone calls to promote yourself as a professional speaker for hire. Now that you know where to look, you'll be able to start going after speaking engagements and gaining experience!

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Join Us any Tuesday at Noon -Lunch Time for a 1 hour get together at the Elk Foundation on Grant Creek. We are the Lunchtime Missoula Toastmasters Club