See You Next Year

See You Next Year. Have A Great Holiday!

Just one last thought for this year -- about a young man who suffered a major spinal injury in a car accident.

Doctors told his family he would never walk again -- something his family dared no tell him.

So unaware of his future this young man I heard about lay in a hospital bed practicing the deep breathing exercises he regularly  used in combination with Tai chi before the accident to build and keep his body in excellent physical condition.

He also mentally practiced the Tai chi movements  that he used to go through every day before his accident.

After about two weeks he miraculously could move a finger and some six months later was back in his Tai chi class going through the beginner's exercises which he went through very slowly.

As a result of all of this this young man,Randy, did recover. So never say something is impossible. With the right "tools"  and determination you can accomplish just about anything in your professional and personal life.

Choosing Words Is Critical

Words you use to express your ideas are critical; make sure you choose carefully and have strong support for every word you use.

Nothing illustrates the need for this in any type of presentation more clearly than what happened after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in  New York.

When the building owner made an insurance claim on these two destroyed towers  he said there were "two" distinct attacks. But the insurance company objected to this description, saying there was only one event or attack.

The owner originally said there were two attacks because  close to half an hour separated the two airplane crashes -- to which the insurance company said in effect, "No. There was only one event.

The matter is now in court because if the building owner erred and cannot support his claim they he stands to lose big time.  If the insurance company can prove there was only one event then instead of paying some seven-billion dollars they will have to pay only three-billion.

Of course not everything you say will  be put under this much scrutiny, but this case does make the point that for whatever you say or words you use you must have enough evidence to support them.

How Effectively Do You Plan?

How effectively do you plan for your presentation, whether its before a large or small audience?

According to Arch Lustberg, in his book  Winning When It Really Counts,  speakers and presenters often fail miserably at this He says, "It's a pity that we rarely do the right things to get ready to give a presentation to an audience. We worry a lot. We make a lot of false starts. We go through a lot of self doubt and agony."

I know what he means but there are things you can do to eliminate all or much of this, such as using one of those portable flip charts stands -- loaded with a lot of blank sheets.

By setting one of these up in your home office you can easily plan, organize and continually update your presentation by creating your presentation or speech outline on it.  You'll find it much easier to edit and revise your material as well as add new thoughts by having your outlined quickly accessible in this way.

You can use any type of outline you find works best for you, either the traditional   with its linear layout complete with  the hierarchy of numbers and letters and indentations for major and supporting points -- the type probably still used in many schools today --    or one of the newer techniques such as clustering and Mind Mapping.

 If you have not used this outlining technique before Mind Mapping is the method that using a central main point written on a large sheet of paper with supporting material outlined on branches set off around this

I find the Mind Mapping better  because its easier to see relationships between all your different ideas as well to make quick changes or additions to the outline. And it is also possible to keep an electronic version on your computer if you find it awkward to use the "ancient" flip chart method.

Using either method will help you to eliminate much of that pre-presentation agony  Lustberg was was talking about not only because Mind Mapping makes it easy to continually refine and update your material but also because Mind Mapping, because of its graphic format, helps you to remember what you want to say

For more information on Mind Mapping click on: www.thinkbuzan.com or www.thorsons.com/buzan  and  you'll come up with a wealth of ideas that can help you get started on this.

Make Your Ideas Contagious!

Make your ideas contagious. Speak with enthusiasm; such enthusiasm will not only hold the interest or your listeners it will also be more apt to motivate them.

But this enthusiasm can't  be faked. The first step in this your honest belief in what you're talking about. If you have this belief and an honest conviction that your listeners really need to hear and will benefit from what you want to share with them your facial expressions, gestures, and voice will  almost automatically be enthusiastic.

This enthusiasm will be almost automatic because there could still be things you have to work on more mechanically. If you're the kind of person who can speak either for or against the Mayan prophecy that it is all over for us earthlings on December 21, 2012 in a deadpan tone then you may need or make an extra effort to be more expressive  ( See our  or thoughts on belief and conviction above).  or  there might be some portions of your presentation requiring  extra enthusiasm  -- such as  when you have to tell workers that their acceptance of a pay cut will eventually work out not only for the benefit of the company but also for them and their families --  or you might want have to inject new life into  material that you might have covered numerous times before.

The way to overcome this last problem is to do continual research to come with new nuggets of information that excite you. It doesn't have to be something totally new or some that provides a fresh perspective to to the topic.

All of this  will help you to make your ideas more contagious and move your audience to action

Listen to Voices That Move You

Improve the quality of your own voice by listening to a library of other voices that you admire or move you. That is the advice of speech coach Lilyan Wilder.

Listen to voices you like, that draw you to them. For speech coach Lilyan Wilder it was singer/actor, Paul Robeson whose voice had an "aliveness, vibrance, trueness and honesty of tone; singer/actor Yves Montrand who to her had (among other qualities)  "the sexiest sound ...ever heard"; actress Ruby Dee, whose voice has "a musical quality, a perky insinuating "listen to me' quality ...a pleasantness and authority that command and invite, a warm humanness about her sound."

If you listen attentively and repeatedly to such voices you like you'll pick up desirable qualities without effort -- by osmosis --  and gradually many of these qualities will become part of your own vocal characteristics  -- without any need to try and imitate the speakers or other vocal artists you listen to -- which would be disastrous.

Vocal qualities developed in this way will reinforce or enhance your natural deep feelings for your subject -- and your audience.

Keep It Natural

You wouldn't dream of getting up on the stage, wearing a mask to hide your identity (unless if that was the part you're playing of course),  so don't put on a vocal mask.  Don't try to be somebody else -- no matter how well-known or respected or skilled they are.

Be yourself.  Be natural. Speak exactly the same way you speak to friends, associates or acquaintances.

A good way to develop this naturalness  when  preparing  your presentation is focus on ideas  you want to share -- not exact wording -- unless referring to some technical or precise name of something or some step by step process. Make your presentation as much like a conversation with your audience as possible.

Of course  this naturalness  is not the same as carelessness. You still want to use good grammar, good pronunciation, a clear voice, and a good word choice, using either formal or colloquial expressions depending on your subject matter and audience. In most cases avoid slang or substandard English. 

Can you Whistle or Blow"Dixie"

Can you whistle tunes such as "Dixie"?  If you can you should have little trouble pronouncing words -- especially tricky letter combinations and the endings of words clearly.

IK now one professional speaker who made a regular practice of  keeping the muscles in his lips "toned up" by practicing his whistling whenever he was alone and had a chance.

As your lips do play a key role in clear articulation it's not a bad idea to do this while driving by yourself or out for that early morning walk.

If you're really diligent at this little exercise who knows you might be able to whistle a very catchy melody before too long   as well as speak even clearer.

While were on this topic there is another way to improve both your breath control as well as hone voice quality.  And that is to practice playing -- or blowing?? -- tunes on your harmonica.  It can be great fun and a way to add another skill  at the same time.

Navigating the Age Minefield

The age difference between you and your audience can be a minefield.   Here's how to avoid some of those communication IEDs.

First of all don't your dress highlight your age differences.   If you're  older than most of your audience update your hairstyle a bit if possible. And select some of your most modern pieces of clothing.

If most of your suits, shirts, and shoes are ultra-conservative  Boxing Day here in Canada (when you'll bee able to find many good bargains)  is perhaps a good time to update your wardrobe a bit.

On the other hand if you're a young person addressing that older, mature audience then you might want to tone your selection down a  bit --choosing more  conservative styles for that presentation to the Bankers Club.

The same type of thing applies to your  actual presentation.  If you're an older person facing a predominately younger audience don't date yourself with personal histories or references about the way "things use to be back when" etc.

Younger speakers addressing that audience of veteran accountants or other senior management people should avoid to many expressions like: "you guys,"  or "you know" after every second statement you make.

It's the old story of audience familiarity. Get to know your audience and tailor both your style of dress and choice of words to suit them. 

Use Your Camera Like a Reporter

How do you you make your speech or presentation more captivating and memorable?

There are, of course, a variety of techniques, one being to use your camcorder like a T.V. reporter would -- illustrate what he or she is covering.  

Like them use your camera like a notebook whenever you can. Show your subject or subjects, as much as possible, in action rather than trying to explain everything with just  words, words, words.

When you use clear -- relative digital video or camera shots you make it easier to lift your presentation out of the humdrum into something that is clear, memorable and motivating.

An insurance investigator who came to check our house before renewing our landlord's insurance policy recently showed just how easy this type of thing is  with the small camera he pulled out of pocket. It was little bigger than a cell phone yet  it enabled him to take vivid pictures in some very congested area to prove his point that our landlord had some repairs and updates to make to bring the building up to snuff 

Just make sure your  camera is top quality and your shots are pofesionional -- which might mean working with a professional photographer or "videographer" until you gain the skills you need or you update your camera.

Ready-Aim-Fire?

 Ready -- Aim -- Fire?  That's an easy trap to fall into --especially when being confronted by a hostile person. Often we respond with the first thing that flips into the firing chamber in our mind. But don't!

Instead of firing back with such an explosion -- which you will regret later --do these two things: First respond with a silent pause for a few seconds. This will throw your adversary off guard making him or her wonder whether you heard their comments or not and how you're going to respond.

It will also give you those precious few second you need to think about the most effective response; you'll become the master of the situation -- not your opponent and create a very positive image of you in the minds of any bystanders.

Just remember to keep good eye contact with the other person. Don't look directly into their eyes as this could become very confrontational. Instead  let your gaze take in their entire face -- with a very pleasant expression on your face.

These two things -- that silent pause and good eye contact will not only give you those precious minutes to frame your response but create a picture of you as being honest, thoughtful, reasonable, and trustworthy while throwing you attacker off balance.

Think in Pictures

If you have to give a reading -- particularly if it is somebody else's words -- take the time to use all of your senses -- particularly your visual sense to recreate what the passage is about.

The more successful you are at this the more your voice will be able   create those word pictures for you audience -- sweeping them up into the passage as well.

This will make your reading much more captivating and memorable.

Don't Practice Those!

Gestures, both descriptive and emphatic to highlight important points can add colour as well as clarity to your presentation but don't mark your script or notes with reminders to gesture at a certain point.

Nine times out of ten they are going to look to mechanical and awkward as in the case of a young man giving a reading before an audience of about 100 persons recently.

He gave an excellent reading, but every once in a while without any pause for emphasis or even looking at the audience  his right had  would pop up to make some descriptive gesture, giving him the appearance of a wind up doll or robot programmed to make a certain circular gesture every few minutes.

Instead of listening  to an otherwise excellent reading  much of his audience ended up watching to see how many times he would do this. Any emphasis he tried to create was lost

If you have difficult giving gestures it is not a bad idea to practice both emphatic and descriptive gestures during practice sessions just as you might practice deep breathing. I know such rehearsals  helped me to become a much more relaxed and colourful speaker when I was younger. But do not plan what you're going to  going to use before a live audience. 

Sometimes -- you'll get away with it  but generally such rehearsed gestures  will look awkward and do not reinforce or clarify what you are saying. What you want are spontaneous gestures. 

So, while preparing your speech or presentation think about how things look or what they could be compared to as well as important points you'd like to make and then when you're on stage become fully engrossed in your material and you'll find that both the emphatic and descriptive gestures will come naturally  -- without any mechanical planning.

What Your Audience Should See and Hear

If you're trying to sell products, services or ideas to your audience the audience has to believe in you -- before -- they'll believe in whatever it is your selling.

The following is what your audience should see and hear when you speak:

• Warmth
• Sincerity
• Openness -- especially if your presentation is interactive  in nature or your have a  question and answer session 
• Enthusiasm

Of course they'll also be looking for reasons to believe that you are a trustworthy person by the evidence you  present to them and they'll expect you to be able to do this  with positive information about yourself and whoever else you might represent -- without restoring to unwarranted negative comments about the competition.

If you're going to do criticize or try to disprove the ideas of others make sure that you have all of the evidence you need and that you follow solid rules of arguing to make sure your proof holds up and lead to the conclusion you're aiming for.

(There is a very entertaining and informative  book on this subject called:  Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs, published by Three Rivers Press of New York.)

Be Like a Major League Pitcher

Just like a baseball pitcher, preparing for a World Series works at trying to eliminate mistakes while throwing that ball  the successful speaker or presenter works at continuous  voice improvement -- eliminating sloppiness while speaking. 

Back in 1953 Harrison Karr, Ph.D. summed it all up very nicely in his book  Developing Your Speaking Voice  published by Harper & Row in which he said that our goals should be to build a voice that is first of all expressive -- able to capture and project all the shades of meaning;  vital, -- full of energy and enthusiasm -- "strong enough to suggest strength of personality"; articulate -- able to recreate words clearly with no slurred  or indistinct components; pleasant --  "with a tonal quality that attracts";  free from affectation -- expressing warmth and sincerity in a normal voice; personality -- your natural personality -- whoever you are. (Don't try to be somebody else or something your're not.) 

All worthwhile goals and something all of us need to keep improving on.  And one of the best ways to do this is to work on these qualities at all times -- in our everyday conversations  as well as our speeches and presentations.

Just like that major league pitcher needs to keep working on his techniques between seasons so we too need to keep honing our speaking voices between those speeches or presentations.  

Top Ten Lists - Merriam-Webster Online

Top Ten Lists - Merriam-Webster Online

Detecting and Dealing With Fake Listeners

The best way to encourage people to listen to what you have to say is to make it as concise and interesting as possible and loaded with benefits to them.  But that still might not draw everybody in. You might still have fake listeners.

These are the great pretenders  who  respond with cliche comments like:  "That's interesting!'  "Is that right?" " How about that!" often accompanied by the appropriate  facial expression such a smile, a raised eye brow, or a shake of their heads in disbelief. They might appear to be listening intently but their minds are miles away.

But you can detect such fake listeners by watching for poor eye contact shuffling feet or fidgety hands or a disinterested slump.
Watch for these or perhaps an unrelated response that has nothing to do with what you are talking about.

You can snap such ones out of this game by asking pointed questions says Ken J. Murphy  in his book Effective Listening asking such things as: "Oh, do you find that interesting? What about it in particular interests you?"

That type of question would obviously work only with an audience of one or two persons but other questions such as: "Does anyone have any thoughts about this this?"  or other questions to see if  people understand what you are saying would work with an audience of any size.

Many speakers leave any question periods to the end of the presentation when they turn the floor over to the audience but if you  feel you might have an audience infiltrated by more than a few idea surfers -- getting carried away with whatever flashes into their minds instead of listening you to  making your  presentation more interactive  with intermittent questions will help you to keep them more attentive to  your ideas while you are speaking.

An Illustration of Commitment

Here's a good illustration about one-hundred percent commitment and success.

This comes to us through a seagull  looking for drink of  water and refreshment.  I encountered  him (or her) around the back of a building on a hot day last month seeking relief from the scorching heat. And the way it  went about is a perfect illustration of how  one-hundred percent commitment is the key to success in whatever you're trying to do.

This hot and thirsty bird could have been content to just peck at the shallow puddles on the asphalt below a leaking water tap. But instead traced the water back to is source  and put itself  right under the tap where he could drink the water as it came out of the tap and have a cooling shower at the same time.

You couldn't have been happier as the water flowed over its buddy and into its open beak until its thirst was quenched and it  flew away, refreshed and full of vitality. I'm sure this wouldn't have happened if it had been content just to peck half-heartedly at those shallow puddles full of sand and other debris from the building under demolition.

The to its success was willingness to  put everything it had into getting refreshed with that water just as the key to any project we start is the same one-hundred percent commitment to doing whatever it takes to succeed.

Not too bad an illustration for a speech or even some feature article. You might even be able to use something like this an an interest grabbing introduction to your speech  or presentation.

Just remember that such illustrations are all around you if you keep our eyes open for them and keep that camera or note book handy.  

Do You Have Strong Views?

Do you have strong views? That might seem like a silly question as most of us have strong views on many different topics.

But if you are trying to persuade others to accept your ideas be ready to have tomatoes (not literally of course) thrown  at you in the form of objects, sometimes quite hostile, thrown back at you.

This is bound to happen from time to no matter as there is no way  how pleasant a person or how highly you are respected by other that you will succeed in pleasing everyone all the time.

Still, you can minimize such strong objections in two ways: either through good, reasoned arguments that take into account others ideas or through dramatically rendered stories that prove your point of view through the experiences of yourself or other persons.

Keep a notebook (or recorder ) and take the time once in a while to think about what objections somebody might throw at you  as well as counter- arguments or experiences which help to prove your case.

Keep It Concise

Some very powerful and memorable expressions have come out  of the mouths of world leaders like Sir Winston Churchill, with his motivating words, We shall fight ...." in a clear, concise fashion.



That doesn't mean you always have to write in a simple fashion. You're sentences should have a lot of variety,  packed with good illustrations, examples  and colourful metaphors and similes to make your presentations and speeches  interesting, convincing, persuasive, and memorable, but they should be kept clear and concise -- that is with no more words than necessary. 

Arch Lustberg, in his classic book  Winning When It Really Counts  gives  good examples of just what this means -- first a long-winded version:

"It is incumbent on us to ensure that the principles outlined and  espoused in the manual of management procedures should be adhered to an implemented."

And then in the abridged, concise version: "We've got to follow the manual."

Keeping it clear and concise is the best goal.  That is what Winston Churchill did in his speeches with a word choice that suited his purpose and situation and what you should be striving for as well.

Practice That Breathing!

 An invaluable tool to help you create a good clear speaking ( or singing) voice is proper breathing and here's a little exercise to help you develop that.  The benefits to proper breath control or enormous as it helps you not only to develop a good clear voice but also helps you to relax and create a feeling of well-being.

It is done very easily once you have corrected your posture to a natural position. All you have to do is draw in air through your nose  to a count of three.

Suspend this breath in the back of your throat, purse your lips  to the relaxed count of five. Listen to the escaping air and try to keep t he flow even to that count of  three to five. Whatever feels comfortable.

Some persons  use their vocal sounds to create varied  sounds as they exhale in this way such as a: "S" "Z" or a rolled "R" or "V" sounds.   Others humm as they practice this controlled exhaling. It's all up to what you find easiest.

The length of both your inhaling and exhaling to gradually be extended as you gain more confident and practice.  Just don't force yourself beyond what you feel comfortable.

This basic type of breathing practice is exactly quite easy to do and can be done  in a variety of situations throughout the day such as when you are walking down the run -- or even when waiting for that traffic light to turn green as you drive to or from work.

Don't Get Stuck in A learning Rut

If you're at all like me and many others it's very easy to get stuck in a learning rut when trying to start something new -- whether it is learning to swing  or to give that powerful presentation.

You know what a rut is?  According to master marketing guru sand copy writing veteran it is, "an open grave with no cover."

 And that could be true -- eventually if you want to succeed at your plans to become a successful speech writer or presenter you have to climb out of that rut  or just reading  or learning about it and put what you have learned into practice.  

That is the best way to put the finishing touches on what you have learned about making presentations.

Don't be like the business hopeful Bly tells about who studied everything she could about starting a business of her own -- for five years, but never actually put anything she learned into practice during that time.  Unwittingly she was digging that open rut or grave of learning, and learning, and learning, but never climbing out of that rut and applying anything she learned.

She did escape through  Bly's urging, but for a while she was a lot like another person I knew who read, and read, and read, and read some more about photography techniques and even carried a camera around in a professional camera bag.  But he rarely pulled that camera out and actually practiced.

To this day is far from the skilled photographer he dreams to be.  He doesn't practice diligently enough. He does buy a lot of photography magazines though.

Have Someone Listen

When reading aloud its so easy to fall into the habit skipping words, drop word endings, pronounce a word incorrectly, change word order, or get sloppy with proper pausing  so gradually that you don't even notice yourself.

You can avoid this in two ways: record how your voice sounds on a tape or digital recorder -- not just for content or sound of your voice  but also the above faults or have somebody else who  can offer constructive criticism of your reading  work with you on your continual voice improvement sessions.

In addition to the possible faults mentioned at the start have them coach you on proper pausing and changes in inflection and tone and even pace  when you encounter not only periods and commas but also colons and semi colons and other punctuation marks.

 This  critic could be either a professional voice coach or even a friend or family member who is proficient in English (or whatever language you speak) and good oral reading.

Listen to their honest criticism --even if it stings a bit  -- and then practice any weak points  again and again until you eliminate any faults -- just as a musician would.

Really working at this will help you to make continuous improvement in your reading and speaking voice.

Timing and .... is Everything

As Jack Valenti, former president of the Motion Picture Association  of America, and speech writer for President Lyndon Johnson, once said, with humor "timing is everything."

And you can see how that is true with this example where a speaker was reminding his audience about the destruction results of seeking revenge when wronged by somebody else.

He started off with the the explanation that during the course of, I usually run into a number of people I consider to be real twits because of thoughtless ( sometimes intentionally) sarcastic or provoking remarks. And no doubt  I have offended an equal number of persons by my own failings many times. About the only way I could avoid this failing completely  would be to sleep all day -- And then I snore."

No it is not the kind of stuff that  resulted in howling laughter -- but with good pausing   and a self-deprecating tone of voice it did bring a few smiles and chuckles and create anticipation for the rest of his presentation.

Another important thing to keep in mind with humor is that it should be relevant to the rest of your material. And in this case  the speaker when on to discuss the self-destructive nature  of seeking revenge against somebody because they have wronged you.

He continued on following these introductory remarks with the illustration of two brothers who although living in the same house for over 40 years refused to speak to each  and how one brother was completely devastated when the other brother died unexpectedly -- and how this brother sobbed, " I loved my brother.... I ...I just thought he should have spoken to me first."

Examples Are All Around!

Examples of  powerful introduction to presentations are all around us.


One I just saw today was actually on the back of Sport Utility Vehicle ( And no it nothing to do with a spoken presentation -- but it was a presentation of sorts.) which I found particularly captivating.




It was presented in white paint or plastic on the rear window and read: "A Mudder Like No Other"  At first I thought it said: "A Murder Like No Other!" and really drew me in.


Of course it went on to a brief description of this person's skills as drywall mudder ( or plasterer) and taper.


A very powerful introduction the presentation of his skills and services. A good example of the power of an effective presentation. 


He can use that, and probably does, on stationery, his e-mails and blogs  and possibly sales presentations in person.


You can find such examples of very effective introductions to presentations all around us.


When you see something like this you don't necessarily  ( Although you can just making a change in word here and there.) want to copy it closely. But you can use in a cluster or mind map to explore similar ideas for some of your speech introductions. It's up to you.

The Power of Story

We've all heard the value of selling your ideas through story or anecdotes, a very powerful way to attract the attention of your audience as well as drive your points home.


This was value dramatically illustrated through a recent Zip Lock bag commercial which includes humorous episodes of a housewife trying to break up pieces of frozen meat to make a meal for her family.


The ad takes us through various phases of her fight from using a chain saw to cut it up to answering the door to a construction man with a huge crane mounted building demolition ball she had ordered to help her break up the meat.


She doesn't have to use this because she has just discovered Zip Lock bags which enables her to freeze her meat in small individual portions.


It is a very humorous story (remember the power of humor too) which helps us to remember the final solutions to such kitchen problems -- Zip Lock bags.


We can use such effective story telling our our presentations and speeches as well -- just plan your humorr and and relevant stories carefully

The Illustration of the Butterfly

There is a wealth of possible illustrations in the world around us. Take the case of the caterpillar I encountered the other day.


While doing some security work I saw a rugged looking construction worker carrying a caterpillar on a small piece of cardboard across the site from the highway to the nearby bush area.


He explained the it was heading for certain trouble almost near the highway when he found it and decided to help it out by carrying it back to the nearby wooded area.


It seemed like a lot of trouble by a person you wouldn't think would go to such lengths to help a little caterpillar, but a few days later standing near the spot where the worker had put the caterpillar down and it crawled into the bush I beautiful butterfly suddenly flew off a nearby branch. I have never seen such a beautiful butterfly, happily flying from one flower to another.


And it suddenly dawned on me that this worker going to such lengths going to such lengths was indeed worthwhile -- for it gave this little creature a chance to morph into a beautiful, useful insect helping to pollinate plants


It also dawned on me that the incident with the construction worker and the caterpillar was loaded with possible illustrations for use in a speech or some other presentations.


It could be used, for instance, to illustrate how we should never judge a person by first appearances.  Who would have thought that such a rough looking person would have such compassion for other living creatures.


It could also be used to illustrate how such compassion for and willingness to help -- both people and other life around us -- can help them to blossom out and fulfill their role in life.

Remember Faces

Remember faces and names is an essential skill for any communicator. So here's a little exercise to help you to recreate the faces of persons you meet.


You can practice at any time when walking through a mall or just down the street.  When someone passes you on the street  try to recreate that person's face in your mind after they have passed.


This will help to quickly take in the features of persons you are speaking with. Now all you have to is attach a name to that face and the next time you meet them you'll have less trouble remembering who you are greeting any talking to.

Do A Brain Dump!

Having trouble getting started with the writing of your presentation?


Then try doing a brain dump  centered around the main point of your speech or presentation.


This can be done in a wide variety of ways from freewriting -- just grabbing a pen  (or keyboard) and letting your mind go writing down as quickly as you can whatever you can think about the topic or particular point in your material. Don't stop to edit at this point.


Another way to do this is to do a cluster -- point the main point in the center of a large piece of paper and then in words, or brief phrases  clustering whatever you can think about the topic. These are literally clustered in circles around that main idea you just wrote down and circled in the center of the page.


 Like freewriting, don't stop to think edit the ideas pouring out. Related ideas are strung out in a series of circles branching out from that main idea like the fruit on an apple tree or grape fine.


 The idea is to keep related ideas together on a single line brnching out from the nucleus  point. Then  just just start a new line of clusters for each completely  new idea that you think of. 


Eventually, using either freewritng or clustering technique  -- usually sooner than later -- you'll think of  exactly what it is that you want to say and your on your way.


Remember, don't stop to edit at this point.  That comes later after you have completed your first draft.


(For more information on this idea of clustering click on Writing the Natural Way.

See You Next Week with More Ideas.

See you next week with more ideas.  In the meantime remember if you are ever going to be giving a presentation through an interpreter,  make sure that you collaborate with her or him very closely so she understands your goals and material just as well as you do. Don't just throw your talk at him and expect miracles.


Schedule enough time for this additional and critical work.

Control Those Pre-Presentations Jitters

Everybody gets those pre-presentations jitters, but there are ways to control them such as taking deep breaths just while waiting to speak or taking a quick walk around the block or wherever you can go.


But there are better ways  such as taking the time to write out your presentation by hand  with a pencil or pencil or if you are familiar with technique making that Mind Map of the main points in your introduction -- just before leaving  home or the hotel room for your speaking venue.


Learning technique researchers have found that writing things out like this is the best way to learn and remember information.




Once you have done either of these things, on your way to where you are going to be speaking, and after your arrival, while waiting to speak --  visualize yourself  making that presentation.  Picture yourself  (Don't get too carried away in traffic though.) going through your entire presentation: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion -- but especially your introduction.


Once you are through that introduction in an impressive manner  the rest of your presentation will be much easier and much more successful.

Don't Destroy Your Credibility!

There is nothing that will destroy your credibility -- or the credibility  of the organization your represent faster than inaccuracy.


Double check everything. Make sure not only that you have understand and written everything down correctly when doing research in some publication or other source or interviewing somebody -- but -- also do research on the experts you are quoting.


Always question their credibility as an expert. What is their track record as an expert in their field? How honest are they known to be  in the information they present as proven facts?


Assume nothing.  Experts, especially medical researchers and doctors have a tendency to make up things -- at times -- to asppease the huge pharmaceutical and other corporations funding their initial research.


Don't be tempted to try and cover over dubious information or worse yet -- information you know is very dramatic -- but not totally true.

What You See in Post Below Will Help You In Your Presentations As Well!

New Study Says Exercising Increases Your Paycheck - MediaJobsDaily

New Study Says Exercising Increases Your Paycheck - MediaJobsDaily

Look to Nature for Illustrations

Need to refresh parts of your presentation or speech with new illustrations or analogies to help clarify important points?  The source of these is all around you.


Nature.


For instance if you were giving presentation or a part of your speech on the pressures of hectic modern life  you could compare   daily life as being caught up in a raging torrent that left you struggling just to keep your head above water never mind accomplish anything beyond survival.


Or you could compare the brief respite from your pressure-packed day when you arrive at home in the evening with being momentarily in the eye of the hurricane. Safe for now but uncertain about what you are going to be hit with next.


Of course not all of your comparisons need to be negative or depressing. You could easily turn that one about the hurricane around to illustrate how a happy family and social life is like an island of security that gives  you the opportunity to build your strength and resources to go on.


So n your reading about and your actual travels through the natural world around you keep an eye open for things in the natural world that you can use to make your presentations more colourful, easy to understand and  memorable.

Don't Forget That Pause!

Don't forget to make effective use of pausing when speaking to others after you have asked a question -- made an important point -- or made a funny remark you hope your audience will respond to by answering, writing down what you said -- or erupting in laughter.


Giving you audience time to digest and respond in some way to what you just said will make  your presentation much more effective.


Don't forget to make good use of this technique.

Have You Tried It Yet?

Have you tried using Mind Mapping while doing research, writing, or editing your  speech or presentation yet?  If not you are missing out on a great technique that could make your work much easier and quicker.


I find, in many cases, that mind or idea mapping using a pen or coloured pencil much easier, but you can also get some great computer programs for this.


Just click on one of the mind, idea,  or business mapping sites. Most of them have free trials of some sort that will enable you to find which program  technique works best for you.


Everybody is different.  I like the "old fashioned"  pen and pencil method with a large sheet of paper best when Mind Mapping or clustering , but, one of the electronic formats might work best for you.

Picture Yourself!

A little nervous about giving that presentation to an audience you've never met before? Make it easier to succeed by picturing yourself up on that stage, relaxed, breathing easily, and speaking clearly.


Professional (and some amateur) athletes do this before their game or   sporting event and it does work wonders. And from personal experience I can tell you it does work.


Just last I was schedule to  give reading  before an audience of about 100 hundred people -- and was more than a little apprehensive because  of  some respiratory problems I was having because of cough. I was sure I was going to botch the whole -- slurring and stumbling my way through the whole thing.


Then several day before the reading I started visualizing  myself  reading crisply and clearly through the whole thing. And I did pull it off successfully.


So never forget the power of visualization.  Just like it  works for athletes as well as actors, singers, it help your in your presentation.

Practice Proper Breathing

Proper breathing is critical to having enough breath to speak clearly -- without  muffled words or slurred endings. This is especially true when you are speaking for any length of time . Without it your voice will become hoarse and muffled


Proper breathing  can be difficult, however -- even for veteran news anchors or reporters -- who you can hear gasping for air on occasion -- unless it becomes  a part of  everyday breathing.  Most of us go through the day  taking in just enough air with shallow chest breathing to keep from collapsing.


If this is a problem you have one way to overcome it is through regular practice of correct breathing.  Start by lying on the floor or mattress. Place your hands on your sides about waist level and take in a deep breath to the count of three or four.


If you are doing this properly you should feel your waist expand as your diaphragm presses downwards on your intestines -- not your chest -- which happens when your breathing is very shallow. Now hold your breath for a few seconds and gradually exhale to that same three to four second count.


Gradually extend the length of these breaths and exhalations making both these of phases of breathing last as long a possible without becoming uncomfortable or breathless.


When you have mastered this correct breathing lying down  stand and start practicing the same thing (or even while sitting). Eventually through regular practice it will all become automatic. You'll feel much better and your speech --even when not in front of an audience will become much clearer.


It can all feel a little awkward at first but it is just like learning to ride that bicycle.






This is the first stage in gaining control of your breathing when making a presentation or. Eventually it will all become automatic when you are speaking, when you want to be focusing on your material -- not your breathing.  

Make Visuals Clarify Your Presentation

Good visuals in your presentation can clarify main points and make it much easier for you and your audience  -- whether the visuals are illustrations on a flip chart, whiteboard, slide projector, power point projector or video.
But.


But remember  that they must be used to help develop the main idea or concept behind your presentation or talk. And the visuals must support what you write and say as you develop this.


Used properly  good, professionally created visuals difficult or complex parts of your presentation much easier to understand.


So don't just throw in a bunch of visuals just to make your presentation more colourful.  Doing this will only make it more confusing.


Site down and plan everything carefully when you first start working on your presentation and make sure those visuals support your main idea and what you have to write or say about it.


And just remember that visuals do not need to be elaborate Power Point presentations to be effective.


Remember that old KISS formula:"Keep It Simple Stupid." The stupid part comes in when you  go overboard  to Shock and Awe  your audience with elaborate visuals that only draw attention to themselves.

Grab a Think Pak!

Need a little help in coming up with ideas or revising your presentation?

You might want to grab a Think Pak developed by Michael Michalko, author of Thinkertoys, published by Ten Speed Press in California.

This is a brainstorm tool that comes in card format in a box along with a small instruction booklet.

The basic ideas behind the techniques Michalko suggests sare embedded in the acronym SCAMPER. He says when solving idea problems following the steps suggested here  you can: (1) Substitute something (2) Combine it with something else (3) Adapt something to it (4) Modify Magnify it (5) Put it to some other use (6) Eliminate something or (Reverse or Rearrange it.

While it was not designed specifically for speech writers or presenters I've found you can use it to come up with new ideas in your presentation quite effectively.  

You might not use all of the steps presented in SCAMPER technique but together or singly these brainstorming steps can help you to come up with new ideas or to revise some part of your presentation that just doesn't seem to work.

The Think Pak  might work for you or it might help you to devise your own brainstorming and editing tool that's quick and easy to use. For more information  click on "Think Pak" online.


(See "Teeth" Below)

Protect Those Teeth!

Good oral health -- including teeth and gum care can help you to speak clearly as they play a big role in turning that breath of air coming out of your throat into pleasing words.


I know of one talented public  speaker who neglected good oral health care when he was younger  and now  is confronted with the problem of having to work extra hard to pronounce some words clearly.


And in addition to this he is very conscious of missing and discolored  teeth  and so often does not smile enough when making otherwise excellent presentations.


Now he is faced with the problem of having to get dental implants


Do not let this happen to you!

Stand or Ssit?

What is the best thing to do when giving your presentation -- stand or sit?  That  depends.


It depends first of all on your setting. Do you have a small audience of one to six persons?  Then it is often better to sit because it creates a warmer atmosphere. That is unless you have are working with slides or a power point presentation. Then it would become pretty awkward to keep jumping up and down to change slides or operate the projector.


With larger audiences it is better to stand as it is much easier to enliven our presentation with appropriate gestures, body language, and even move around the stage to get closer to your audience -- when possible -- rather than giving your presentation from a static position behind the lectern -- or to work with that whiteboard,  slide or  power point projector.


Just remember to stand unsupported by anything. Never lean back on a table with your hands supporting you on either side or put one leg up on chair.  You might think it looks more relaxed. It doesn't.  It might work in some rare situations -- if you were making a presentation  to a group of construction workers in a makeshift lunch room for instance -- but be careful.


Next Tuesday we're going to take a look at  effective humour. Until then have as great Victoria Day weekend -- or just a great weekend.

Speak with Conviction

When dealing with sensitive or important issues  you need to speak with convictions  if you want your audience to consider serious what you are saying -- and then act on it. The key is to use language  that reflects that conviction.


That means, however, that you must take the time  to understand your material and are moved by it yourself first. Before you say your first word you be fully convinced  of the truthfulness and value of what you are going to tell your listeners.


Obviously just copying material from the Web or from some printed source and then just reciting that will not work.


Although we live in the electronic age the best way to absorb and understand your research material when preparing your speech or presentation is still in write your drafts by hand, stopping to think about what it all means -- as well as what each word the writer of the source material used means.


Either that or do you information analysis in that mind map form.

Be a Good Fisherman!

When  preparing your  presentation be like a professional fisherman. He doesn't just go fishing -- be goes prepared to catch a fish. He uses the right bait or lure to attract and hook that fish.


That is the same thing want to do  -- to attract and hook your audience with that right lure or bait -- whether it is a startling question, a dramatic statement, a quotation.


Think about what you are going to use very carefully. If he or she is after a trout the fisherman (or woman) doesn't use something that would work wonderfully  -- with a salmon.


So too, make sure your introductory lure  is something appropriate for both your material and your audience.




Have A Great Weekend!

How Are You Going to Develop Your Presentation?

There is a lot to think about before you even start you start gathering material for your presentation: Like an essay a presentations can be developed a number of ways to bring out the main points effectively.




Although nothing is cut in stone you should decide this before you even begin to gather material. Sit down in a personal brainstorming session and ask yourself:  Is it  going to be based on Description, Narration, or one of the other techniques to build the main points and supporting material of your speech such  as: Compare and  Contrast;  Cause and Effect; Problem and Solution; Classification and Division;  or How To ? Or are you going to use a combination of these?


Or -- is your presentation going to be argumentative or persuasive?


Lay all of this out in the Mind Map and think about it carefully. It will make the rest of your speech or presentation research and writing much easier.


Just which method you use, of course, will depend on your material, audience, and purpose. You should have a clear mental picture of these last two --especially -- before you do anything

Keep Your Eyes Open

Keep that notebook or recorder handy -- in your pocket or on the car seat beside you and be alert for possible illustrations you can use in your presentation. You just never know where and when they'll pop up.


For instance let's say you just passed a  white-water river being run by rafting enthusiasts.  How could this be used as an illustration?  


Could you use it to illustrate how the hectic pace of life today is like being caught up in such a river -- without a rubber raft -- or perhaps the difficulty in reaching some goal?


Or  perhaps you just read an article on the box fish -- a very square looking specimen with bumps or  all over it. The magazine feature  points  out that  when you first encounter this fish you would probably think that it looks very cumbersome, but despite its very square shape it is actually very aerodynamic and can speed through the water very easily (Look up box fish on line and you'll see what i mean.) and automobile designers have actually copied its shape in designing their vehicles because of this.   How could you use this information in a speech?


It could make a good illustration of need not to get carried away with first impressions when making decisions about things or people because first impressions can be deceiving.


You probably run into even better potential illustrations so keep on the lookout for them and keep that notebooks or voice recorder handy to just them down for use in some current or future presentations..  Some people even use their cell phone cameras to record such things for future reference.