We are currently looking for an Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Public Speaking". If you have expertise in Public Speaking and your own website and/or product for this topic, please review this form for complete details. The Official Guide Position is part of our Premium Placement Package
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who are so concerned with their visual image, watching their weight, working out, donning the most recent style of clothing, and yet are totally in the dark when it comes to the sound of their speaking voice. If you are plagued with a voice that ... Views: 6798
Speed in public speaking, or for that matter, in any type of communication, is very similar to that in driving a vehicle. If you move along at 100 miles an hour, you stand a greater chance of having an accident than if you are doing 75 mph. While I am a strong advocate of learning how to ... Views: 1976
Presentation skills – the very term suggests that we’re not naturally capable of communicating our ideas well. So, are some of us born lacking these skills? Or do they become blocked by traumatic childhood spelling bees and dictatorial supervisors? Whatever the case might be for you, I hope ... Views: 753
If you answer the phone and the caller asks to speak to your mother, you might want to consider voice training in order to add some ‘years’ to your voice. Not that I want you to sound old. I don’t. Good voice training means that you will no longer sound like a teen or pre-teen. Instead, you ... Views: 9729
One of the best pieces of advice I give to my clients when teaching presentation skills is to always be prepared for the unexpected and that goes for your clothing as well as your visual image. Without a doubt, what you are saying and how you are saying are the most important aspects of your ... Views: 3310
Imagine watching a speaker who has wonderful words of advice, encouragement, experience and/or success and that speaker never once looks in your direction – in fact, that speaker never acknowledges you or anyone filling those seats to hear his/her wonderful words. Does that happen? More often ... Views: 3813
If you are a member of a business or social organization, such as the Lions, the Rotary, a chamber of commerce, BNI or another type of leads or referral group, there is the possibility that you will be responsible for introducing a speaker at one of your meetings or functions. Known as the ... Views: 12335
Can the very thought of giving a speech cause you to break into sweat? Many people, when asked to stand in front of others, can suffer from anxiety in many forms, even panic attacks.
Some studies have concluded that many people are more afraid of public speaking than death!
However, it may ... Views: 1010
Context and Premise: Without intending to turn public speakers into actors or performers, the validity and power of acting skills can be demonstrated time and time again within my coaching and directing experience. A good speaker is a good performer no question about it! Performance skills, ... Views: 1088
High-caliber, marketing-savvy professionals and business owners realize that public speaking is not only a low-cost/ no–cost marketing strategy – it is also one of the best ways to position and brand yourself as the local “go-to” expert in your field.
The value of becoming a key-note speaker ... Views: 2421
If you are scheduled to give a speech or presentation, plain speaking should be your choice so as not to appear affected, superior, or on exhibit. Plain speaking, simply put, is the ability to speak and be easily understood by all in attendance. And, it goes hand-in-hand with the theory of ... Views: 2985
If you are scheduled to give a speech or presentation, plain speaking should be your choice so as not to appear affected, superior, or on exhibit. Plain speaking, simply put, is the ability to speak and be easily understood by all in attendance. And, it goes hand-in-hand with the theory of ... Views: 1428
A survey was recently taken showing that the top fear is public speaking. The fear of death was later on down the list. Do you know what that means? It means most people would rather die that speak in public!
How about you ? How do you feel about public speaking?
Having coached thousands ... Views: 1084
You may be surprised to learn that, with rare exceptions, your audience is rooting for you. Every time you step up to speak, they want you to succeed.
If you’re ever witnessed a comedian bomb or a singer hit a “pitchy” note, you’ll know exactly what I mean. The audience shudders with ... Views: 2689
If you are scheduled to give a speech or presentation, plain speaking should be your choice so as not to appear affected, superior, or on exhibit. Plain speaking, simply put, is the ability to speak and be easily understood by all in attendance. And, it goes hand-in-hand with the theory of ... Views: 2607
Instead of trying to eliminate or put an end to your nervousness, would you be interested in one simple remedy that will allow you to grab on to your nervousness and take it for a ride? That is the feeling you get when you are in control of those nervous jitters and not the other way around. ... Views: 2526
Most people report that a fear of public speaking is more frightening than even dying. So then what can a person do to get started getting over public speaking fear if they feel anxious about delivering a presentation in front of a crowd?
Effective speaking and presentation skills are very ... Views: 933
How many times have you spoken to a stranger on the phone and formed a mental picture of that individual only later to be surprised when you met that person face to face? How we speak and how we sound often conflict with our education, our cultural background, and even our intelligence.
Your ... Views: 2377
Imagine standing at the lectern. You see the many smiling faces of those in your audience. Your countenance, however, says anything but that you are glad to be there. While you may not be thrilled at the prospect of giving that speech or presentation, if your face displays your displeasure, ... Views: 5623
When you hear yourself on your voicemail, chances are good that you don’t recognize what you hear. Chances are even better that you not only don’t recognize the sound but that you find it embarrassing, shocking, or revolting.
Because you are unable to hear yourself the way everyone does, the ... Views: 3860
Imagine you have just spoken for 10 minutes or 40 minutes about your business, an idea, your book or your products and you are receiving good applause. Yes, you just gave a good presentation. My question to you is whether your good presentation was electrifying? What is the difference? Many ... Views: 2831
“It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.” - Bill Watterson
I think I’m having another Wake Up Alice/Alex moment. It’s time to come out of Wonderland people. How many of you are playing the role of King or Queen of Denial? You know, that’s when you think that if you ... Views: 1141
Usually, you have one opportunity to present your organization’s ideas, products, and/or services to the audience. You work on the account for months and the presentation is your big moment. You speak to an under enthusiastic, yet polite audience; they thank you for your presentation and say ... Views: 1335
When promoting live seminars, as well as virtual events such as teleseminars and webinars, it's critical to continue promoting your event right up until you start delivering content. Seminar producers who track their sales typically see a dramatic increase in their registrations in the days ... Views: 2360
Preparing a speech can be like sculpting. You keep removing the excess clay until you have your work of art. If you want to start your presentation with a bang instead of a bust avoid these ten mistakes. These tips will show you how not to start your speech.
1. You like me, you really like ... Views: 2137
Stress is one of the most debilitating factors affecting our lives today. From the stress of losing a job to the frustration of finding a new job, from the strain of running a household to the additional pressure of handling a career, from the stress of raising children to the stress of trying ... Views: 8744
While many public speakers ideally want to speak to the masses and are looking for large audiences with which to market their knowledge, their opinions, or their products, there are definite rewards in addressing small groups.
And while your format will be the same, your delivery will be ... Views: 2549
In addressing an audience, be it to 4 people or 400, one factor will remain the same: the format of your presentation. You will still have an opening, a development, and a closing. However, there are major differences in your delivery as well as your contact with your audience which is ... Views: 6221
When it comes to image, everyone is concerned about how they look, how they project themselves, what they say and what they wear. Yet few are aware that the sound of their speaking voice accounts for a large part of that image. So, my question to you is, do you like hearing your voice on your ... Views: 3559
While public speaking may be man’s greatest fear, often those who are scheduled to speak waste too much energy worrying about their talk and not enough energy in the planning, creating and delivery of their material. Whether you have been scheduled to speak at your next presentation skills ... Views: 2592
On many of my workshops, I quote a piece of well known research into the effectiveness and impact of communication. The effect on those with whom we communicate is dictated by body language, tone of voice and our words. Body language accounts for an enormous 56% of the overall effect, tone of ... Views: 2043
I recently gave the luncheon keynote speech for a state association. In the program that I presented, Emotional Eloquence, I usually tell three stories, which I call: The Oscar Story, The Chicago CEO Story and the Dagger Lady Story.
Because I was speaking after lunch, I knew I needed to keep ... Views: 1856
I once had a cat named Hermione. She got sick. So I went to the vet and he gave me some pills and told me to give them to her. That sounded pretty simple until I tried to do it.
Hermione did not want to take her pills. She gagged and wiggled and scratched my hand, but she would not take her ... Views: 2106
At a recent corporate storytelling workshop for Microsoft, I was asked a question that I hear frequently: “How do I open my speech?” Several others in the room agreed that the first two or three minutes of a speech are often the most awkward.
Is it that way for you, as well? Do you have a ... Views: 3465
One of the most common mistakes speakers make is to plaster a smile on their face and keep it there, regardless of what they’re saying. This is as true for my public speaking students as it is for my corporate storytelling students. I encountered this situation twice in the last month.
One ... Views: 1716
Can there be any greater fear than fear of public speaking?
And the crazy thing about this fear is that very few of us ever get to do any speaking in public. Just the thought of our deepest fear is enough, it seems, to mean that we will do almost anything to avoid facing our public speaking ... Views: 1746
Statistically speaking more people are afraid of public speaking than are afraid of death! I used to be one of these people. I can honestly say that there was a time in my life where I would rather have died than given a speech! My palms and other more visible and embarrassing areas would start ... Views: 1574
Selling from the front of the room and getting people to run to the back of the room to buy your stuff takes practice. The best closers are the most sought-after speakers because of the amount of revenue they generate. Whether you have an inexpensive product to sell or a high-priced item, it ... Views: 1345
That is such an interesting question and I am confident were I to do a study on the subject I would receive just as many 'no' answers as 'yes.' Telling your audience a ‘fish story’ may be seemingly harmless, but even a little white lie can lead to others questioning your credibility. And, ... Views: 3984
Have you ever considered opening your speech or presentation with a story? If done well, a true story is an attention-grabber. It can be humorous, suspenseful, thrilling, provocative, or dramatic, any of which immediately lends credibility to you as the speaker. Don't stop there, however: good ... Views: 2543
When it comes to public speaking, most people are aware that it is man’s greatest fear. Thus, it is not selective in who it affects nor how it affects those who stand at the lectern or at the head of the boardroom table to give that all-important presentation. There is no doubt that practice ... Views: 3011
Authenticity. You've seen it preached here countless times as a vital component to a home-run presentation. But what if the material you're delivering isn't your own?
A colleague recently auditioned to become a certified trainer for a well-known sales guru, delivering customized versions of ... Views: 1304
Hi there everyone!!
Why is it important to distinguish the categories of public speaking? At one point or another, we’ll find ourselves present in all three of these possible situations. If we’ve ever thought, “this is so boring,” or “teach me something new,” or “I don’t feel like ... Views: 2561
Imagine if public speakers were super-heroes. What wold their powers be? If I were to describe the powers of Public Speaking Woman or Orator Man, this is how I would do it:
The Power of Eye Contact
Sincerity is a great element in public speaking. No other part of the body can show it better ... Views: 1867
In the world of public speaking, there are only 2 reasons for giving a speech or presentation (not counting the ‘after-dinner’ speech which is a topic unto itself). You are addressing an audience to either inform or persuade. That being said, if your subject is informative in nature, your job ... Views: 2921
Let’s say that you are interested in pursuing a career in public speaking. Or maybe you have a presentation due in your public speaking class. Possibly you are a member of Toastmasters and you are scheduled to speak at your next meeting. Why should people listen to you? Why should others ... Views: 4321
While nervousness or fear of the speech or presentation is researched frequently on the internet, some of the finer points of one’s personality and delivery are often excluded. Once you are able to control your nervousness, it is important to recognize some of these finer points, the most ... Views: 3464
First, the square wooden object placed at the center of the room is properly called a lectern, not a podium. The word podium comes from the word podiatry which means: the care of the human foot, the diagnosis and treatment of foot disorders. Therefore, a podium is a stage you stand on not what ... Views: 1871
Feedback is BAD when you're speaking to a group or recording (unless it's guitar feedback, but as a guitarist, I'm biased), but GOOD afterwards. I mean, of course, the kind of feedback provided by a happy client or an enthusiastic audience.
But if you aren't getting feedback? How are you ... Views: 1321
It's easy for speakers, voice artists, studio owners, and really, any entrepreneur who has fun in their work doing creative projects, to start getting a little too lax in how we treat our time and our mindset.
Many of us in the speaking or audio fields have left a 'first career' in a less ... Views: 1549