Take time to develop more flexibility in your voice by playing with your pauses when you speak or read to really create anticipation in what you are going to say next or to make points stand out better.
Start with taking a passage that you are familiar ( such as one of your speeches or even a newspaper editorial) and practice reading at different speeds -- sometimes reading whole sections rapidly, then slowing down to read more slowly
Do the same thing with individual words and word groups such as phrases and clauses. Sometimes pronounce words in a very clipped fashion. Others times draw them out.
Over time this will help you to develop a much more flexible voice able to project different shades of meaning and emphasis much easier
Do the same thing with the use of pauses. Much of the time, especially when you are quoting or reading material, you naturally follow the pausing suggested the punctuation marks, but don't be afraid to experiment to create your own effective pausing even if there are punctuation marks to guide you.
Take for example this sentence written by King Solomon in the Bible: "The valuable things of the rich are his strong town, and they are like a protective wall in his imagination."
That is very clear and effective, but if you really wanted to emphasize that all of these material riches were not really a protection at all -- you put a pause after wall to make the last part of that clause read: " they are like a protective wall -- in his imagination."
The extended pause indicated by the dash would really make that point stand out.
So whenever you have a chance take some time to continue to practice these things to fine tune your speaking and reading skills.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Be As Natural As Possible.
Strive to make your presentation or speech as natural as possible. Don't put on any acts reminiscent of the old circuit preachers with their cultivated tones and thunderous voices. Keep your presentation simple. You don't want your voice to sound stiff or artificial.
The key is to be yourself speaking to that close friend. Some of us are more precise and careful in our speech. Some of us normally speak in a more casual manner. Either style is fine although always keep your audience and material in mind. Sometimes you might have to make your presentation a little more formal than you normally would -- other times a little more casual.
Whatever you do just don't put on any airs or special tones -- or be -- overly precise. Speak distinctly with proper pronunciation -- but don't over do it.
Of course don't go to the other extreme either. Speaking in a natural manner does not mean resorting to jargon, or slang, or poor grammar or being overly casual.
And if your audience is made up largely of members of a certain culture that expect you to follow certain protocols when speaking to strangers then make sure you learn and follow these in your presentation. But even in situations like this with the proper use of volume, tone, and wording combined with appropriate smiles and other body language you can still create a natural friendly atmosphere when presenting your ideas.
Just remember -- natural is conversational and strive for this.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Build That Storehouse of Words!
A large vocabulary is essential to our success as public speakers and presenters.
No! Not to impress people -- but to enrich our mind with new and varied, and clear concise to explain things to others. A continually growing vocabulary will help us to do this.
Such concise words are always the best way to reach the hearts and minds of others, whether we are speaking to one person or hundreds, although the complexity of our language will naturally depend on who we are speaking to.
This conciseness has nothing or little to do with the complexity or length of a word. Sometimes a very simple, short word is not concise. It can fall short of describing things clearly and leave people confused and wondering -- whereas as more complex and longer word and create instant understanding.
Sometimes, too, you find that to make yourself clear you might have to rephrase something so the larger a storehouse of words you have to easier this will be.
But we want to have a rich storehouse of concise words to enrich our own thinking with stimulating ideas that the words will create in our minds.
So keep building that vocabulary with the help of some excellent books or courses that focus on the vocabulary used by specific professions as well as your general vocabulary with the help of the Verbal Advantage which comes in both audio and printed forms.
Of course there are numerous other vocabulary building courses and books out there. Another one you will find very helpful is The Power of Verbal Intelligence by Tony Buzan.
No! Not to impress people -- but to enrich our mind with new and varied, and clear concise to explain things to others. A continually growing vocabulary will help us to do this.
Such concise words are always the best way to reach the hearts and minds of others, whether we are speaking to one person or hundreds, although the complexity of our language will naturally depend on who we are speaking to.
This conciseness has nothing or little to do with the complexity or length of a word. Sometimes a very simple, short word is not concise. It can fall short of describing things clearly and leave people confused and wondering -- whereas as more complex and longer word and create instant understanding.
Sometimes, too, you find that to make yourself clear you might have to rephrase something so the larger a storehouse of words you have to easier this will be.
But we want to have a rich storehouse of concise words to enrich our own thinking with stimulating ideas that the words will create in our minds.
So keep building that vocabulary with the help of some excellent books or courses that focus on the vocabulary used by specific professions as well as your general vocabulary with the help of the Verbal Advantage which comes in both audio and printed forms.
Of course there are numerous other vocabulary building courses and books out there. Another one you will find very helpful is The Power of Verbal Intelligence by Tony Buzan.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
How Does Your Face Look?
Have you ever thought about how your face looks when talking to others?
Although most of the type we don't think about this too much it is critical in communicating with other -- because along with our words and body language people use what they see in deciding whether they like us or not and if they are going to bother to listen to what we are trying to say. All within the first 90 seconds of meeting us!
That does not mean that we want to speak to people with a neutral or expressionless face. Nothing will turn an audience off faster than that. We want to use your face to share and emphasize your feelings with our audience.
There is another facial expression we want to avoid or minimize (It could be appropriate in some brief situations.) which some speech coaches like Arch Lustberg, author of Winning When It Really Counts, have described as the "closed face" or the grimace, when you freeze the muscles around our eyes and forehead creating narrowed eyes and a deep vertical crease between your eyes.
Most of the time you want to have that " open face" with a natural, friendly expression on our face. Watch almost any newscast or talk show host -- particularly the morning shows like Regis & Kelley shown on channels in the U.S. and Canada for good examples of this. Even when they are discussing tragic, sad or serious topics their faces are never "closed" and menacing.
The trick is to keep your facial muscles relaxed and then focus your attention on your topic which will help your facial expressions to come naturally as you discuss your topic.
This closed or neutral face -- or even just keeping your forehead raised in a heavy creases for long periods of time are traps or habits that are easy to fall into.
If you are having any trouble with these mannerisms work on eliminating them -- and keeping your face "open" and alive with appropriate smiles and other expressions in front of a mirror or a speech coach (friend or professional).
Practice, practice, practice. And as you do visualize yourself actually speaking to that audience. Then when you are up on the stage it effective facial expressions will be more likely to come spontaneously -- just like when you are talking to that close friend.
Although most of the type we don't think about this too much it is critical in communicating with other -- because along with our words and body language people use what they see in deciding whether they like us or not and if they are going to bother to listen to what we are trying to say. All within the first 90 seconds of meeting us!
That does not mean that we want to speak to people with a neutral or expressionless face. Nothing will turn an audience off faster than that. We want to use your face to share and emphasize your feelings with our audience.
There is another facial expression we want to avoid or minimize (It could be appropriate in some brief situations.) which some speech coaches like Arch Lustberg, author of Winning When It Really Counts, have described as the "closed face" or the grimace, when you freeze the muscles around our eyes and forehead creating narrowed eyes and a deep vertical crease between your eyes.
Most of the time you want to have that " open face" with a natural, friendly expression on our face. Watch almost any newscast or talk show host -- particularly the morning shows like Regis & Kelley shown on channels in the U.S. and Canada for good examples of this. Even when they are discussing tragic, sad or serious topics their faces are never "closed" and menacing.
The trick is to keep your facial muscles relaxed and then focus your attention on your topic which will help your facial expressions to come naturally as you discuss your topic.
This closed or neutral face -- or even just keeping your forehead raised in a heavy creases for long periods of time are traps or habits that are easy to fall into.
If you are having any trouble with these mannerisms work on eliminating them -- and keeping your face "open" and alive with appropriate smiles and other expressions in front of a mirror or a speech coach (friend or professional).
Practice, practice, practice. And as you do visualize yourself actually speaking to that audience. Then when you are up on the stage it effective facial expressions will be more likely to come spontaneously -- just like when you are talking to that close friend.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Write Out and Memorize Your Speech?
Nearly all speech trainers from Dale Carnegie on to this day will tell you not to write out and memorize your speech. They encourage you to make an outline of ideas and speak from that as it will free you from being tied to your written notes which will help you to deliver a much more lively and interesting speech. And this is true.
But I would not go so far as to say not to write out your speech as you are organizing all of your material. It will help you to become more familiar with it. Particularly -- if you write it out by hand; this will help to burn it into your mind. Recent studies have shown that we remember things much more vividly when we write them out -- by hand.
But then put it aside and reduce your speech to some sort of speaking outline, making it as graphic as possible. Reduce it to ideas, with as many illustrations, anecdotes and other supporting material as you can
Use your written copy of the speech, which should be choc full of information and details just only to refresh your memory on certain point as you practice mentally and orally with your outline.
Don't memorize anything. From this point on just review your outline and mentally and orally practice what you want to say and how you can say it in as many different ways as possible. Don't try to say it the same way each time. Just make sure that you know all of the main ideas and supporting information.
This is where reducing or organizing your speech to a Mind Map is especially helpful. Each main idea branches off from the nucleus of the map with supporting information branching off this main arm -- like the branches of a tree.
So yes, write out your speech (by hand) following that original Mind map outline you made to organize your material, but then put the written copy aside and practice and deliver your presentation using that (Mind Map) outline or another outline.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Imitate Dancing with The Stars Contestants
Want to capture the attention and support of your audience? Then copy the example of the current (as well as past) Dancing with the Stars contestants, as legal journalist and television host, Nancy Grace -- and practice, practice, practice, your presentation until you can pull it off as effortlessly and smoothly as possible.
None of the contestants have gotten this far without hours and hours of practice -- up to 8 hours a day. And the same thing is true of any other type of professional presentation.
It is not enough to just ready about or study speech and presentation skills. Just like these dancers you have to practice, practice, practice, before each presentation -- no matter how good you think you are.
None of the contestants have gotten this far without hours and hours of practice -- up to 8 hours a day. And the same thing is true of any other type of professional presentation.
It is not enough to just ready about or study speech and presentation skills. Just like these dancers you have to practice, practice, practice, before each presentation -- no matter how good you think you are.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Look For Alternatives to Alcohol or Other Drugs
The on-going Michael Jackson case involving Dr. Murray not only of the need to choose your family and other doctors carefully -- but also of the need to seek other ways to relax before and after public presentations of any type.
Taking too much alcohol or other drugs --even prescribed medication to help you overcome insomnia are both like sleeping with a cobra in your bed -- you never know when they can be lethal -- if you think you are being careful.
Of course sometimes pharmaceutical medications are necessary -- but you should be careful and look around for alternative to fight stress and insomnia.
One such alternative is reflexology -- the massage of points in your feet, legs, hands, arms, head and even ears. This type of treatment -- shiatsu -- has been around for centuries is is highly effective in fighting both stress and insomnia. And there are no side effects when these treatments are given properly.
You can find information on both reflexology and shiatsu -- on line, in your yellow pages by clicking on either term. This will bring information about local practitioners or associations that will be more than happy to provide you with more information.
Of course, discuss all such treatments with your family physician or other doctors first. You'll find that more and more mainstream medical practitioners do recommend both or either one of these.
Remember, excessive use of alcohol or drugs, like smoking will eventually destroy your lungs, throat -- and you.
Taking too much alcohol or other drugs --even prescribed medication to help you overcome insomnia are both like sleeping with a cobra in your bed -- you never know when they can be lethal -- if you think you are being careful.
Of course sometimes pharmaceutical medications are necessary -- but you should be careful and look around for alternative to fight stress and insomnia.
One such alternative is reflexology -- the massage of points in your feet, legs, hands, arms, head and even ears. This type of treatment -- shiatsu -- has been around for centuries is is highly effective in fighting both stress and insomnia. And there are no side effects when these treatments are given properly.
You can find information on both reflexology and shiatsu -- on line, in your yellow pages by clicking on either term. This will bring information about local practitioners or associations that will be more than happy to provide you with more information.
Of course, discuss all such treatments with your family physician or other doctors first. You'll find that more and more mainstream medical practitioners do recommend both or either one of these.
Remember, excessive use of alcohol or drugs, like smoking will eventually destroy your lungs, throat -- and you.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Draw Pictures In The Air
Draw pictures in the air to bring your presentation to life and help your audience to visualize what you are saying.
This is something most of us do naturally when we are talking to others in our family, social or business circle -- even with complete strangers we meet on the street. We use this technique to emphasize what we are saying or help others to visualize what we are talking about. But when we are more tense up on the stage talking to larger groups we sometimes freeze up leaving our hands dangling by our sides, clutching the lectrum in front of us throughout our presentation and we are safely off the stage reducing ourselves to a talking head.
You can overcome this by marking up a copy of your speech or presentation with reminders to emphasize or illustrate a point with either those emphatic or descriptive gestures and then practice until you can incorporate gestures at these points smoothly into your material -- the same way script writer write down stage directions for plays and movie scenes.
Such a direction might say something like: "Emphasize each point with vertical finger gesture" or "Use descriptive gesture to show height or dimensions".
Then, practice, practice, practice until it all comes off naturally.
This all works fine until you are more relaxed on the stage then you will find that in most cases you don't even have to use such directions anymore. Gestures will come as naturally as they do when you are talking to a close friend or group of friends -- which your audience will become if you are picking out individuals in the audience whenever possible and speaking to them for a few seconds at a time.
And then really get into your material, thinking not of words but visualizing your main ideas as visually as possible. This is where Mind Mapping and Clustering can be a big aid.
These two things: (1) always making your presentation a discussion with friends and (2) making your material as graphically vivid as possible will help you to overcome any problem you have with using gestures -- those pictures in the air that can help you to emphasize important points as well as visualize and remember what you are talking about.
This is something most of us do naturally when we are talking to others in our family, social or business circle -- even with complete strangers we meet on the street. We use this technique to emphasize what we are saying or help others to visualize what we are talking about. But when we are more tense up on the stage talking to larger groups we sometimes freeze up leaving our hands dangling by our sides, clutching the lectrum in front of us throughout our presentation and we are safely off the stage reducing ourselves to a talking head.
You can overcome this by marking up a copy of your speech or presentation with reminders to emphasize or illustrate a point with either those emphatic or descriptive gestures and then practice until you can incorporate gestures at these points smoothly into your material -- the same way script writer write down stage directions for plays and movie scenes.
Such a direction might say something like: "Emphasize each point with vertical finger gesture" or "Use descriptive gesture to show height or dimensions".
Then, practice, practice, practice until it all comes off naturally.
This all works fine until you are more relaxed on the stage then you will find that in most cases you don't even have to use such directions anymore. Gestures will come as naturally as they do when you are talking to a close friend or group of friends -- which your audience will become if you are picking out individuals in the audience whenever possible and speaking to them for a few seconds at a time.
And then really get into your material, thinking not of words but visualizing your main ideas as visually as possible. This is where Mind Mapping and Clustering can be a big aid.
These two things: (1) always making your presentation a discussion with friends and (2) making your material as graphically vivid as possible will help you to overcome any problem you have with using gestures -- those pictures in the air that can help you to emphasize important points as well as visualize and remember what you are talking about.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
In Your Car?
Yes!. practicing your speech or presentation in your vehicle while driving or parked -- is an excellent way not only to master the content of your speech -- but also to bring new life to your material.
Many a journalist, after doing research in the library or interviewing experts has saved a lot of time and captured ideas and facts while t hey still fresh in her or his mind by writing up the story mentally while drive back to the newspaper office.
Then when he got to their desk the story was almost completely written and all she had to do was to transcribe it all onto the computer screen, make a few editorial changes before submitting to the City or other editor. This saved a lot of of time and most of the time resulted in a far better story.
You can do the same type of thing while working on your speech, not only after you completed research and want to write your speech or incorporate new material into an existing presentations. Write it mentally as you drive around or do other things.
You not only save time but also find that while doing this new ideas and bits of priceless illustrations you can use to illustrates your arguments or facts will pop into your mind -- bringing new life to your material.
So make use of that otherwise lost time while stuck in traffic to rehearse your presentation (even out loud as people nowadays will just assume you are talking on your cellphone) -- or while you are helping your wife with housework like vacuuming or doing the dishes.
Just remember to have a voice recorder or notebook/pad on the car seat beside your or placed around the house where it is easy to reach to recorder those new thoughts -- preferably in cluster or Mind Map format. (If you're driving make sure you pull over or stop first -- of course.)
You will not only save time but attract new ideas and spark to your presentation.
Many a journalist, after doing research in the library or interviewing experts has saved a lot of time and captured ideas and facts while t hey still fresh in her or his mind by writing up the story mentally while drive back to the newspaper office.
Then when he got to their desk the story was almost completely written and all she had to do was to transcribe it all onto the computer screen, make a few editorial changes before submitting to the City or other editor. This saved a lot of of time and most of the time resulted in a far better story.
You can do the same type of thing while working on your speech, not only after you completed research and want to write your speech or incorporate new material into an existing presentations. Write it mentally as you drive around or do other things.
You not only save time but also find that while doing this new ideas and bits of priceless illustrations you can use to illustrates your arguments or facts will pop into your mind -- bringing new life to your material.
So make use of that otherwise lost time while stuck in traffic to rehearse your presentation (even out loud as people nowadays will just assume you are talking on your cellphone) -- or while you are helping your wife with housework like vacuuming or doing the dishes.
Just remember to have a voice recorder or notebook/pad on the car seat beside your or placed around the house where it is easy to reach to recorder those new thoughts -- preferably in cluster or Mind Map format. (If you're driving make sure you pull over or stop first -- of course.)
You will not only save time but attract new ideas and spark to your presentation.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Remember The Cluster
If you are stuck while writing or revising a section of your presentation get out that old pencil or pen, write down the main idea in the centre of a big piece of paper and start clustering.
Remember, this is the technique developed by Dr. Gabriele Rico when she was putting together her course on Writing the Natural Way.
All you do is right that main idea in the centre of that paper, draw a circle around and start writing down what ideas or images, etc come to mind. Write these down in satellite circles around the main point and connect them to that central idea with a line, much like the string on a balloon.
This is a great way to liberate your thinking and see what other ideas you can think of. It is much like free writing, except you write only only the main points and capture them in those balloons -- connected to the main idea with that line and to any supporting ideas or thoughts radiating out from the first idea you captured on more lines and balloons.
For more information about this click on "Writing the Natural Way"
Remember, this is the technique developed by Dr. Gabriele Rico when she was putting together her course on Writing the Natural Way.
All you do is right that main idea in the centre of that paper, draw a circle around and start writing down what ideas or images, etc come to mind. Write these down in satellite circles around the main point and connect them to that central idea with a line, much like the string on a balloon.
This is a great way to liberate your thinking and see what other ideas you can think of. It is much like free writing, except you write only only the main points and capture them in those balloons -- connected to the main idea with that line and to any supporting ideas or thoughts radiating out from the first idea you captured on more lines and balloons.
For more information about this click on "Writing the Natural Way"
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Make Friends Before Your Presentation
Make it easier to warm up quickly to a foreign audience by talking to as many persons who will make up your audience as possible before you start your speech or presentation.
Then when you are on the stage or in front of them you can quickly pick up out these persons in the audience and speak for a few seconds to each of them.
You'll find this especially helpful if you are naturally a more introverted, reserved persons -- especially when you are on the stage.
Once you start this during your presentation you will find it easier to gradually include all or many more in your audience in your brief one-to-one- discussion -- creating a much friendlier, attentive atmosphere.
As you gradually develop this rapport with your audience will also find it easier stay tuned to how your ideas or explanations are being received and adapt your material and presentation style accordingly.
Then when you are on the stage or in front of them you can quickly pick up out these persons in the audience and speak for a few seconds to each of them.
You'll find this especially helpful if you are naturally a more introverted, reserved persons -- especially when you are on the stage.
Once you start this during your presentation you will find it easier to gradually include all or many more in your audience in your brief one-to-one- discussion -- creating a much friendlier, attentive atmosphere.
As you gradually develop this rapport with your audience will also find it easier stay tuned to how your ideas or explanations are being received and adapt your material and presentation style accordingly.
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