It might be possible to reduce or eliminate the expense of printing separate handouts for your presentation or seminar by using Mind Maps -- made by you on a whiteboard and your students to create graphic memories for your audience or students.
Remember the Mind Maps are graphic depictions of the main ideas with the main idea (as graphically as possible) written in the centre of the board and the major points and subpoints radiating out from this using a variety of colours, icons, and symbols.
With a little preliminary explanation of the Mind Mapping techniques for students you can get them to copy your whiteboard Mind Map onto their own large sheets of paper instead of writing the information down with traditional linear notes.
This will not only help them to learn and remember the material easier, eliminate the expense of handouts and teaching them a new skill they can use in their own lifelong learning of new subjects.
For more information on this click on www.tonybuzan.com
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
If You Want To Flourish
If you want to flourish as a speaker learn from our experience with a small tree.
We planted a small pine tree in a planter over the winter months intending to replant in the spring in the garden but instead just left it in the planter for over a year making sure to nourish it with plenty of root starter and other plant and tree foods.
Still it started to wither and die -- until we removed it from the restrictions of the pot and planted it in the garden -- exposed to to weather and rich nourishment from the soil. Now it is flourishing. I don't think it will ever grow to that 60 feet the salesperson told it would -- but it is strong and healthy.
Obviously the little tree needed to be exposed to the wide variety of nourishment from the earth (as well as the nutrients we continued to give it) in order to flourish. And you need to make sure that the same type of thing happens to you as a speaker and presenter.
Make sure that you don't restrict your reading to just information from your own narrow niche but reach out to gather information for other areas of knowledge around you (just like that little tree did naturally). Enrich your thinking with ideas from a wide variety of fields. Then when you sit down to write or revise your presentation or material for your seminar or class you will have a wealth of ideas to draw on -- especially if you are using those clustering and Mind Mapping techniques I told you about before.
Remember our little tree. It is flourishing -- just like your ideas will be when you need them.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Not Too Far. Not Too Close
Not too far. Not too close. That's what you have to remember when approaching and speaking to one or two people.
Of course if you stand too far away from people they tune you out as an odd ball but unless you know the people very well it would be better to remain at a comfortable distance outside the number social range of about two arm lengths away at first and if it is appropriate gradually move closer.
Otherwise the other person might suddenly put a briefcase or other objects in front of her or back up -- a sign you are invading the other persons' personal space and he feel threatened says body language expert Carol Kinsey Goman.
So when you are off the stage and talking to people on a one to one basis or to small groups make sure you are not making them feel uncomfortable people invading their social and -- personal -- space which is normally reserved for close friends and family.
Start off by staying about 6 - 8 feet away when speaking to strangers and gradually move closer as they warm up to you. And be extra careful when moving into a person's personal space, which about 2 feet all around them. That would be rare.
Few people will suddenly start shouting, "Back off!. Back off!" as one man did when another person got too close to him when speaking but still most people will be more concerned about what your intentions are than listening to what you have to say. You will sabotage your efforts to communicate with them.
Of course if you stand too far away from people they tune you out as an odd ball but unless you know the people very well it would be better to remain at a comfortable distance outside the number social range of about two arm lengths away at first and if it is appropriate gradually move closer.
Otherwise the other person might suddenly put a briefcase or other objects in front of her or back up -- a sign you are invading the other persons' personal space and he feel threatened says body language expert Carol Kinsey Goman.
So when you are off the stage and talking to people on a one to one basis or to small groups make sure you are not making them feel uncomfortable people invading their social and -- personal -- space which is normally reserved for close friends and family.
Start off by staying about 6 - 8 feet away when speaking to strangers and gradually move closer as they warm up to you. And be extra careful when moving into a person's personal space, which about 2 feet all around them. That would be rare.
Few people will suddenly start shouting, "Back off!. Back off!" as one man did when another person got too close to him when speaking but still most people will be more concerned about what your intentions are than listening to what you have to say. You will sabotage your efforts to communicate with them.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Think Before You Speak
If want to avoid having your presentation become confusing or demoralizing to your audience remember these two points from Loretta Malandro, Ph.D. in her book Say It Right the first time:
Before you speak ask yourself "What message do I want to send?" and "How do I want people to feel?"
These two points can be critical to either inspiring people to move forward and together to solve a problem or achieve a goal or demoralize and turn them against you and your ideas.
As she says in her book "The truth is that leadership, competence, expertise, and commitment will not overcome poor communication skills.
She warns that unlike breathing in and out which we do without thinking, we must give careful attention to the ideas that come out of out mouths in the form of words which can either derail or motivate our listeners.
And in any type of motivational or persuasive presentation you want to make sure that the fire you ignite in your listeners is a positive -- not a destructive one.
Before you speak ask yourself "What message do I want to send?" and "How do I want people to feel?"
These two points can be critical to either inspiring people to move forward and together to solve a problem or achieve a goal or demoralize and turn them against you and your ideas.
As she says in her book "The truth is that leadership, competence, expertise, and commitment will not overcome poor communication skills.
She warns that unlike breathing in and out which we do without thinking, we must give careful attention to the ideas that come out of out mouths in the form of words which can either derail or motivate our listeners.
And in any type of motivational or persuasive presentation you want to make sure that the fire you ignite in your listeners is a positive -- not a destructive one.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Listen Carefully!
This is something that most of us don't do very well -- listen carefully. It is often one of the biggest complaints wives have about their husband's: "You don't listen to me!"
There is actually a little debate going on about who are the best listeners, but we're not going to get into that one right now. Just remember that good listening habits can help you to build good social and business relationships. Everybody loves a good listener.
And it is something writers and speakers especially, need to develop. It can be critical in gathering ideas for speeches or ideas to illustrate those speeches from others around you. It is also important when you are interviewing experts who you want to quote or paraphrase in your presentation to support your ideas.
You don't want to be like that reporter to who goes to all of the trouble to line up an interview with a worlds-renowned scientists or political leaders and then infuriates the person by not listening closely and ends up misquoting him. This happens so often that many celebrities, business leaders, and politicians are reluctant now to give interviews.
Put everything else out of your mind when the person is speaking. You all of your senses to create as many sensory images of what they are talking about as possible and ask questions to clarify what you have just heard if you are not quite sure what the person really said.
Such good listening practices can also be invaluable if you are giving a very interactive presentation with a lot of conversation between you and your audience. This will help you to fine tune your presentation as you see how they have understood what you have just said and correct any misunderstandings.
Good listening habits listening are priceless skills in both your family, social and professional life. Practice them.
There is actually a little debate going on about who are the best listeners, but we're not going to get into that one right now. Just remember that good listening habits can help you to build good social and business relationships. Everybody loves a good listener.
And it is something writers and speakers especially, need to develop. It can be critical in gathering ideas for speeches or ideas to illustrate those speeches from others around you. It is also important when you are interviewing experts who you want to quote or paraphrase in your presentation to support your ideas.
You don't want to be like that reporter to who goes to all of the trouble to line up an interview with a worlds-renowned scientists or political leaders and then infuriates the person by not listening closely and ends up misquoting him. This happens so often that many celebrities, business leaders, and politicians are reluctant now to give interviews.
Put everything else out of your mind when the person is speaking. You all of your senses to create as many sensory images of what they are talking about as possible and ask questions to clarify what you have just heard if you are not quite sure what the person really said.
Such good listening practices can also be invaluable if you are giving a very interactive presentation with a lot of conversation between you and your audience. This will help you to fine tune your presentation as you see how they have understood what you have just said and correct any misunderstandings.
Good listening habits listening are priceless skills in both your family, social and professional life. Practice them.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Who Is Your Audience?
Who is your audience? Are they listeners or "verbal" outgoing in nature with lots of smiles and responsive. Or are they readers" that is studious types and more introverted?
How you approach each type is quite different. The listeners like things dramatized with expressive hand gestures and not too many details and a fairly quick pace with a lively speaker. Sales and marketing people (generally a younger group) will typically make up this type of audience
On the other hand when you are dealing with readers slow down a bit. Don't use as many colorful illustrations, minimize the gestures and inform with more detail or fact. Bankers. accountants, lawyers, and engineers fall into this group.
Most of the time you will already have a good idea of who your audience is (part of your homework will be to have done this type of research). If you are not sure for some reason start your presentation out slowly, on the conservative side, until you have a better idea of who is in your audience and then respond to your audience with the type of presentation they enjoy most -- one that is fast paced and colorful or one that is filled with lots of golden nuggets of information -- or somewhere in between.
And remember to customize your delivery to one that is pleasing to your audience as well. Remember that is either one that is very entertaining with gestures and dramatization or one that is heavy more serious and reserved. with fewer gestures.
How you approach each type is quite different. The listeners like things dramatized with expressive hand gestures and not too many details and a fairly quick pace with a lively speaker. Sales and marketing people (generally a younger group) will typically make up this type of audience
On the other hand when you are dealing with readers slow down a bit. Don't use as many colorful illustrations, minimize the gestures and inform with more detail or fact. Bankers. accountants, lawyers, and engineers fall into this group.
Most of the time you will already have a good idea of who your audience is (part of your homework will be to have done this type of research). If you are not sure for some reason start your presentation out slowly, on the conservative side, until you have a better idea of who is in your audience and then respond to your audience with the type of presentation they enjoy most -- one that is fast paced and colorful or one that is filled with lots of golden nuggets of information -- or somewhere in between.
And remember to customize your delivery to one that is pleasing to your audience as well. Remember that is either one that is very entertaining with gestures and dramatization or one that is heavy more serious and reserved. with fewer gestures.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Succeeding Despite Stuttering
Many famous speakers and actors have had a stuttering problem but they have succeeded as speakers in spite as illustrated in that now famous movie: The King's Speech Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. The key is determination.
It's true that some problems behind stuttering might require some surgical or psychological help but in most cases there is much you can do by learning and practicing a techniques whenever this problem erupts.
Some of these things include:
- Become really engrossed in what you are saying, forgetting your audience as much as possible.
- Whenever you feel an attack coming on stay as calm as possible.
- Relax your jaw muscles
- Use shorter sentences
Many persons have found that improving their vocal breath control is a powerful aid in controlling stuttering.
Learning to breath properly is something few of us know how to do actually, but can be a big aid not only in helping to control stuttering problems but also improve your overall health. And it is something that can be practiced easily while you are lying on your bed or even sitting in traffic in your car.
You can find more information on this in the book Professionally Speaking by Lilyan Wilder.
Learning to breath properly is something few of us know how to do actually, but can be a big aid not only in helping to control stuttering problems but also improve your overall health. And it is something that can be practiced easily while you are lying on your bed or even sitting in traffic in your car.
You can find more information on this in the book Professionally Speaking by Lilyan Wilder.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Potential Ideas and Illustrations for Speeches and Presentations Are All Around You
A perfect example of this is a young father with his daughter at a busy intersection in our neighborhood. Kneeling beside her he was pointing at cars wheeling around the corners with the drivers oblivious to pedestrians trying the cross the busy road and explaining the need to stay aware of everything around you in such instances.
The little girl seemed to understand his warnings, holding his hand tightly and nodding as he looked into her eyes.
This could be a perfect introduction to a presentation on road safely for young people at a local school -- or a lead in to a presentation on the need for parents to be just as diligent in guiding their young children as they learn to navigate around the dangers on the internet.
And it is also a good reminder for writers and speakers that the world is rich with such ideas and illustrations if you stay aware of your surroundings and keep that notebook or digital (or tape) recorder handy. You might even be able to take a picture of such things with phone camera for future use in some presentation.
The little girl seemed to understand his warnings, holding his hand tightly and nodding as he looked into her eyes.
This could be a perfect introduction to a presentation on road safely for young people at a local school -- or a lead in to a presentation on the need for parents to be just as diligent in guiding their young children as they learn to navigate around the dangers on the internet.
And it is also a good reminder for writers and speakers that the world is rich with such ideas and illustrations if you stay aware of your surroundings and keep that notebook or digital (or tape) recorder handy. You might even be able to take a picture of such things with phone camera for future use in some presentation.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Pause to Clarify and Create Interest
No matter how excited you are about your subject don't go on and on in a stream of consciousness type of presentation.
It's easy to be guilty of this when you are anxious to pass on some exciting or important news to others, but much of what you say is often misunderstood and soon forgotten. If there are only a few close friends in your audience they can easily slow you down and get you to repeat or rephrase things they didn't understand, but this type of interaction can be difficult with a formal presentation to a large audience
So, remember to slow down and use proper pausing when you want to clarify meaning, to change thought, to emphasize an important point, or to give time for your audience to think or respond to your question.
To Clarify Meaning
Use and follow punctuation when you are writing and delivering your presentation. Commas and semi colons dividing clauses and phrases, for instance, create blocks of ideas that are easy to understanding and remember.
To Change Thought or Direction
A pause when you are ending your discussion of one point and are about to move on to the next point will give your audience the change to reflect on what you have just said and prepare to follow you as you develop your new idea or argument.
To Emphasize or Create Anticipation
Pausing can also be used effectively in at least three other ways: directly before dramatic or important statements to pique your audience's interest in what you are going to say next; after such statements to give your audience time to reflect on what you have just said; or after questions to give your audience a chance to respond orally or mentally if it is just a response if you have asked a rhetorical question.
Of course, you would also want to pause if there was some disturbance in the auditorium you can not overcome by increasing your volume, but these are the main uses of pausing when making a presentation. Practice them them until you have mastered these techniques. A recorder can be an invaluable tool when you are doing this.
It's easy to be guilty of this when you are anxious to pass on some exciting or important news to others, but much of what you say is often misunderstood and soon forgotten. If there are only a few close friends in your audience they can easily slow you down and get you to repeat or rephrase things they didn't understand, but this type of interaction can be difficult with a formal presentation to a large audience
So, remember to slow down and use proper pausing when you want to clarify meaning, to change thought, to emphasize an important point, or to give time for your audience to think or respond to your question.
To Clarify Meaning
Use and follow punctuation when you are writing and delivering your presentation. Commas and semi colons dividing clauses and phrases, for instance, create blocks of ideas that are easy to understanding and remember.
To Change Thought or Direction
A pause when you are ending your discussion of one point and are about to move on to the next point will give your audience the change to reflect on what you have just said and prepare to follow you as you develop your new idea or argument.
To Emphasize or Create Anticipation
Pausing can also be used effectively in at least three other ways: directly before dramatic or important statements to pique your audience's interest in what you are going to say next; after such statements to give your audience time to reflect on what you have just said; or after questions to give your audience a chance to respond orally or mentally if it is just a response if you have asked a rhetorical question.
Of course, you would also want to pause if there was some disturbance in the auditorium you can not overcome by increasing your volume, but these are the main uses of pausing when making a presentation. Practice them them until you have mastered these techniques. A recorder can be an invaluable tool when you are doing this.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Two Guides to Developing and Protecting Your Voice
Here are two excellent books that could help you to develop and protect your voice.
One is a real oldie and might be a little heard to find. This is Developing Your Speaking Voice by Harrison M. Karr, Ph. D. It was published back in 1953 by Harper and Row but contains some timeless advice on such topics such as developing a good voice quality, controlled breathing, speaking distinctly, vocal expressiveness and the voice in conversation.
It's an excellent guide complete with exercises in each chapter to help you you develop your speaking voice.
The Library of Congress card number for this publication is 53-5078. It's worth the effort in trying to find a copy. A priceless, easy-to-follow guide.
The other book, which I honestly have not had a chance to look at -- yet -- is Everyday Voice Care by Joanna Cazden. It apparently contains valuable tips for speakers, actors, singers, and others who depend on a healthy voice in their careers.
You can get more information on it from booklocker.com. Angela Hoy's Writer's Weekly has a brief profile on this guide. Look it up.
Create Mind Pictures
Here's an idea that can help you to make your material easier to remember for both you and your audience.
When you are doing your research take the time to create mental pictures of what is being discussed whenever possible. Take the time, whether your are reading research material or conducting an interview with some expert, to savor what they are describing -- turning their description into your own private mental video as much as possible, complete with how something smells, looks, feels, sounds, or tastes.
This will not only make everything you have learned much more memorable to you because your brain remembers pictures and images much easier than dry words, but it will also help you to recreate those images and pictures for your audience -- helping them to remember the important ideas in your presentation much easier as well.
P.S. As a side benefit, stopping to recreate your own sensory pictures of what that expert is telling you or you are learning from other research will help you to avoid any accusations of plagiarism as these mental pictures will help you to phrase things in your unique way.
When you are doing your research take the time to create mental pictures of what is being discussed whenever possible. Take the time, whether your are reading research material or conducting an interview with some expert, to savor what they are describing -- turning their description into your own private mental video as much as possible, complete with how something smells, looks, feels, sounds, or tastes.
This will not only make everything you have learned much more memorable to you because your brain remembers pictures and images much easier than dry words, but it will also help you to recreate those images and pictures for your audience -- helping them to remember the important ideas in your presentation much easier as well.
P.S. As a side benefit, stopping to recreate your own sensory pictures of what that expert is telling you or you are learning from other research will help you to avoid any accusations of plagiarism as these mental pictures will help you to phrase things in your unique way.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)