Public Speaking The Hard Way

“No pain, No gain”

That often (over) quoted cliche has been applied to many different areas of skill development.   The saying originated in the fitness world, but has been applied everything from persoanl development to the pursuit of hobbies.

“No pain, no gain” …nonsense.  There are many examples of developing skills just as fast (perhaps even faster) by enjoying the process that by painfully slogging through.

Public speaking is actually on of those pursuits.  Granted, some people perceive public speaking as a painful pursuit, however many things are painful when your not ready for them.  Public speaking is something that is easy to get ready for and can be very pleasurable (profitable? professionally rewarding?) as well.

Public Speaking The Easy Way

Here’s a very short yet very enlightening article by Jeff Haden that offers some simple, easy yet unusual tips on how to improve your public speaking and become a better speaker.  The first tips, in my opinion, is the easiest and most powerful:

5 Unusual Ways to Become a Better Speaker

Unfortunately, captivating an audience is definitely a skill that takes years to develop and hone. Since you don’t have that kind of time, here are five unconventional ways to become a better speaker almost overnight:

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/5-unusual-ways-to-become-a-better-speaker.html

Becoming better in Public Speaking isn’t hard.  The easier you make it, the better you get.

Motivated by the Fear of Public Speaking

Although I had a clear vision for my public speaking career when I started twenty years ago,  I was still very anxious about speaking in public for several years.

I joined Toastmasters because my Father was a Toastmaster and developed excellent speaking skills. 

Toastmasters gave me the confidence to overcome my fear of public speaking, but it is not the only way to do it

How one man overcame his fear of public speaking

I came across this brief but rather personal story about an accountant who overcame his fear of public speaking…his way.

Click the title to read the article

Preoccupations: Speaking in Public: How I Conquered the Fear

I, meanwhile, had always shied away from public speaking. Before we started the organization, in fact, I thought I’d better get some practice — but my first talk around that time, in front of group of 200 professional advisers for …

http://firstbusinessnews.net/preoccupations-speaking-in-public-how-i-conquered-the-fear/

There are many ways to overcome the fear of public speaking, they all  have one thing in common…you have to do it to overcome it.

Here are just two.

First, a fuzzy subject makes doing research difficult and, therefore, much more time consuming.

Second, it creates confusion when you are trying to determine the goal of your presentation.

Developing a clearly defined subject is so important that Chapter 3 is devoted entirely to this topic. For now, suffice it to say that the sooner you know the subject of your talk, the better.

Once you decide on a subject, make sure you can say it in simple terms. Speakers should be able to articulate clearly the reason for their talk in just a few words. Below are some pithy titles that leave little need for explanation. They pack a punch and make the subject matter clear to the casual observer:

How to Sell Sports Tickets on the Internet

Three Missteps that Will Get You Fired

Keys to Survival on the Battlefield

Why Forgiving Can Extend Your Life

What Not to Put in This Year’s Budget

The Top Four Reasons Businesses Fail

The Attitudes that Will Get You Promoted

The Best Way to Save Money on Hotels

Why Worrying is Dangerous

Three Vacation Destinations You Will Not Forget

Now suppose you got a bonus at work and decided to take a well-deserved vacation. While thumbing through the local newspaper, you notice an advertisement promoting a seminar titled “Three Vacation Destinations You Will Not Forget.” The day of the event you show up ready to hear about these must-see destinations, but at the end of the forty-minute talk, you realize the presenter has talked about everything except what you came to hear.

You walk away feeling like the seminar’s advertised title was a gross misrepresentation. This kind of thing happens more than you might think. Sadly, even when some presenters have a clear theme, they refuse to stick to it. They get sidetracked and lose focus on the subject at hand. Speakers who are guilty of this error damage their reputations and disappoint their audiences.

If you publicize that you will be speaking about “The Meaning of Easter,” don’t talk about Santa Claus.

It is essential that we know what we have come to say, and that we do our best to say it. The more we deviate from the central theme, the more we dilute the subject. Perhaps you have heard it said, “If there is a mist on the podium, there is fog in the seats.” In other words, a little ambiguity on the presenter’s part can grow into mass confusion by the time it reaches the audience. Listening audiences depend on presenters to be true to the title and subject they advertise. Failure to do so violates the listener’s trust.

Dr. Gary Rodriguez is President of LeaderMetrix http://www.leadermetrix.com and author of Purpose Centered Public Speaking http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Centered-Public-Speaking-Purposeful-Presentations/dp/1450727085/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288971818&sr=8-1

Gary is committed to helping aspiring and active speakers improve their presentations skills. This is accomplished through Purpose Centered Public Speaking Workshop and personal one on one mentoring. He also offers a free public speaking phobia test and monthly newsletter to those who visit his website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_Rodriguez
http://EzineArticles.com/?Public-Speaking—Do-You-Have-a-Clearly-Defined-Subject?&id=6199021

As with many of the bolder, more “extreme” activities in life- be it dangerous sports, riding on a roller coasters or partaking in the performing arts- once an individual has “broken the ice,” gained experience and felt the rush of adrenalin brought upon by the activity- what was once terrifying and nearly unthinkable is suddenly pleasurable, immensely satisfying, even addictive.

Whether you have to deliver a speech, presentation or other type of address, one of the keys to happy and successful public speaking is gathering up one’s nerve, taking that first leap and just doing it! But that first attempt will yield greater results and feel less scary if the first time speaker is prepared in terms of approach, attitude and delivery, and armed with the best, most appropriate and effective words to speak.

And one of the key elements in many effective speeches is humor. Human beings love to experience the release that humor offers- the unexpected twist, the totally different perspective in looking at an issue or problem, the light comedic take on a serious issue or problem. Why deliver a plain, regular, predictable speech, when you can deliver a funny speech? Funny usually equals more entertaining and more memorable.

If the speech is about highly technical matters- be it for a specific company, industry or field of interest- the speaker can get appropriate and appreciated laughs by making fun of the technical terms- or jargon- employed by the members of the group. Perhaps the group members employ an “alphabet soup” of acronyms for things. Good comedy undoubtedly will come out of that, as well as other “insider” terms and concepts. Individuals involved in a specific scene or milieu love hearing irreverent or mocking comments having to do with their special “world.” Whether your group is bankers, bottle cap manufacturers or spotted moth enthusiasts, they will greatly appreciate and heartily laugh at well-constructed jokes referencing their area of work, interest or expertise.

If the event is more about recognizing specific personalities in attendance, then the very popular “roast” format can be employed, with great success. In a roast, an individual, or several individuals, are recognized and honored through the jesting, teasing and telling of highly personalized jokes by selected presenters or “roasters.” What makes roasting so powerful, besides the cleverness, sharpness and unexpectedness of the punchlines, is the personal familiarity that the attendees feel with the roast honoree(s). A close knowledge of a subject’s strengths and weaknesses, their foibles, notable anecdotes, likes and dislikes, qualities, characteristics and tendencies will enable the speaker to connect with the audience in a deeper way, offering jokes that resonate deeply beneath the surface. And realize that a roast need not be crude, lewd and of the sort one might see on Comedy Central or HBO. A roast can maintain a lighter, cleaner, more “tasteful” sensibility if that is appropriate and necessary for the setting and audience.

There are several mechanisms used in successful joke writing. First, there is exaggeration. Take any specific piece of information and multiply it exponentially until it becomes absurd. “His sandwich is the size of a studio apartment.” “She’s as mean as a pit bull at Abu Ghraib.” “He’s crazier than Randy Quaid on the wrong meds.”

Then there is comparison. A is to B as X is to Y. “Trying to convince her to stop is like trying to get Kim Jong Il to go on ‘The View.” Or, “Working for him is like doing time at San Quentin- but with worse furniture.”

There is also the exaggerated, made-up funny scenario. “When I ran into him in the hallway, he set me on fire and hit me with a coconut.” Or, “I had her do my hair and she gave me a fluorescent purple beehive with actual bees in it.”

There are several other highly effective comedic mechanisms used in successful joke, speech and roast writing and you can look them up in comedy writing books or websites or you can hire a proven professional comedy writer to custom write a funny speech, presentation or roast for you. Since the public speaking alone is a big step for you, and you want to put your efforts and energy into acing that, you may do very well to put the writing- at least in your beginning stages- in the hands of a seasoned comedic speech writing professional. Such professional comedy speech and roast writers can be found easily through an online search. And remember, if you adopt an attitude of calm confidence, pretend that you are speaking to a bunch of close friends in an intimate social gathering, and come prepared with a great- and funny- speech, you will do very well and be a bit at your meeting, event or party.

Author Adam Gropman is a comedy/speech writer and can be reached at inquiry@thefunnybiz.biz.

Adam Gropman
groptimum@yahoo.com
http://www.thefunnybiz.biz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Gropman
http://EzineArticles.com/?Using-Humor-In-Public-Speaking&id=5437066

INVITATION TO PUBLIC SPEAKING, 3e, was designed to provide you with solid public speaking skills that will serve you well in the classroom and far beyond.

This text shows you the power and importance of public speaking in your life as well as in the community.

The author, who is a public speaking professor, takes time to teach you the “how” of speaking skills while also explaining “why” certain things must be done in a speech–and “why” you would want to speak publi… More >>

Invitation to Public Speaking

Learn how to prepare for public speaking engagements in this free video lesson from a professional public speaker. Expert: Scott Ginsberg Contact: www.himynameisscott.com Bio:

Scott Ginsberg is an author of five books, a professional speaker, and the only person in the world who wears a name Learn how to prepare for public speaking engagements in this free video lesson from a professional public speaker.

Expert: Scott Ginsberg Contact: www.himynameisscott.com

Bio: Scott Ginsberg is an author of five books, a professional speaker, and the only person in the world who wears a name tag 24-7 to make people friendlier. Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

The third edition of this public speaking text focuses on the career and community applications of speech-making. It aims to give students a thorough grounding in the speech preparation process, offering three separate chapters on the critical steps of organizing and outlining.

Updated sample speeches and outlines include annotations to illustrate key concepts. This edition brings a greater emphasis on ethics, audience adaptation, and credibility, plus a fuller trea… More >>

Public Speaking for College and Career

Simply put, presentation skill is the process of efficiently, effectively, and elegantly communicating and transmitting your message to your audience.

Your message may be simple or complex.

Presentation skills can vary depending on why you’re speaking in the first place and what you’re trying to accomplish: you may be attempting to persuade and influence your audience, or you may be trying to inspire and enlighten, or you may be required to impart new skills and abilities, or you may just be there to report facts and data.

Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, you can use various presentation aids such as a flip chart, PowerPoint presentations with a projector or a whiteboard or flip chart.

In some cases nothing at all is just fine, again depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

The tone of your presentation may be more or less formal depending on the context. If you know everyone in the audience such as a work meeting of coworkers, that’s different than if you’re making a presentation to a group of people you’ve never met before.

Of course the beginner public speaker may need to deal with stage fright. See my other training articles if you have fear of public speaking.

Presentation skills boil down to using various techniques that are very easy to learn. With a little practice, anyone can become a polished presenter.

The best way to develop terrific presentation skills quickly is simply to take a very good presentation skills training (see my training articles on how to evaluate public speaking training).

Here are some tips to help you with your presentation:

* If you use PowerPoint, have a one-page bullet-point outline of your entire presentation handy in case the computer crashes, the projector doesn’t work, or for any reason you can’t use your PowerPoint presentation.

* Use the “Rule of 3″: distill your presentation down to 3 key points you want to cover. Tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you’ve told them: design your presentation in 3 parts: first an overview of your key points, then the details of your presentation, then a summary (basically a recap and repeat of the overview in the beginning).

* “Use the 5 Minute Rule” to conquer stage fright: most of my students report that any lingering fear of public speaking goes away within the first 5 minutes once they get rolling with their presentation.

* If you use PowerPoint, never read your slides out loud: the audience can already read them. Just put up bullet points that remind you of what you want to talk about.

* Openings and closings are most important: psychologists call it “primacy / recency” but really the last thing you say is the last thing they’ll really hear and remember, so hammer your main points at the end and then say “thank you” and you’re done.

Best of luck in all your public speaking! For more public speaking training articles visit http://www.bestpublicspeakingtraining.com/

Expert:  Tracy Goodwin has received numerous public speaking awards and has been a college professor of public speaking, interpersonal communications, voice and diction, and business speech for over a decade. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA

Product Description

The unique, audience-centered approach of this top-selling book emphasizes that success in public speaking depends on how listeners interpret the message. Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach brings theory and practice together. Its distinctive and popular approach emphasizes the importance of analyzing and considering the audience at every point in the speech making process. This model of public speaking is the foundation of the book, and it guides… More >>

Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach