by Peter Jeff
End your speech with an attitude, not a platitude.
Instead of firing off a perfunctory “thank you,” consider launching fireworks of final passionate thoughts from the podium.
The Fixer Upper
by Mary Kay Andrews
The delightful New York Times bestselling author returns with a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to redo an old house . . . and her life
Watch a video of Mary Kay Andrews talking about The Fixer Upper
Buy the book ... List Price: $25.99
Discount Price: $17.15 
The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential ... in Business and in Life
by Leo Babauta
D Less. Get More Done.
With the countless distractions that come from every corner of modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary — freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better.
The Power of Less will show you how to:
- Break down any goal into manageable tasks
- Focus on only a few tasks at a time
- Create new and productive habits
- Hone your focus
- Increase your efficiency
By setting limits for yourself and making the most of the resources you already have, you’ll be able to work less, work smarter, and focus on living the life that you deserve.
Use this book to help transform your life, accomplish your goals, and work and live in a saner and simpler manner.
Ever watch a colleague take credit for your idea, been accused of being emotional, taken jokes too personally or been interrupted frequently in a meeting?
Most women will nod yes to such scenarios, say the authors of "Code Switching: How to Talk So Men Will Listen," a new book on communication, or the lack thereof, between men and women.
Men and women communicate differently, say authors Claire Damken Brown and Audrey Nelson, in ingrained styles learned from birth and deeply embedded in the workplace structure.
They propose "code switching," which they describe as using knowledge of more than one culture and language to communicate.
http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN0749127520091008
Have you talked in front of many people? Have you wondered what to do in order to get your ideas across?
Any public speaker who has faced a crowd of listeners knows that humor has a great effect and brings out a point like nothing else. I have talked to many presenters and all of them say they have a number of jokes up their sleeve, as well as visual gags -- CARTOONS.
A stunningly inventive, deeply moving fiction debut: stories that take us from the slums of Colombia to the streets of Tehran; from New York City to Iowa City; from a tiny fishing village in Australia to a foundering vessel in the South China Sea, in a masterful display of literary virtuosity and feeling.
Print is still king according to this post.
Surprise.
All generally accepted truths notwithstanding, more than 96 percent of newspaper reading is still done in the print editions, and the online share of the newspaper audience attention is only a bit more than 3 percent.
"Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is… It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best."
-- Sir Laurence Olivier
It’s embarrassing for the nervous speaker and it’s embarrassing for the audience - those awkward, horrible moments when something goes wrong, something embarrassing happens. They are an experience neither the audience nor the speaker wants to have to endure.
Here are four situations where you can smooth out those embarrassing moments … and a powerful strategy to use in the future.
1. The mental blank
That terrible moment when someone loses complete track of what they are saying - there is a blank, their face drops, and then becomes more and more frantic. This is painful not only for the speaker but for the audience. Develop a strategy now so that if, despite your best preparations, a blank happens, you have something to say. You could remark, “Oops I’ve lost it” and maybe you can add some appropriate humour (“Must have left the speech in front of the mirror!”) and then add something like “Now where was I?” Look at your notes if necessary – “We were talking about …” If it’s really bad, ask the audience. Whatever strategy you use along these lines, you keep the audience, and yourself, moving on, returning to target and none of you is embarrassed. So if you fear the blank moment, be prepared with a strategy that will allow you to deal smoothly with the situation.
2. The audience is bored
It’s a moment that nervous speakers dread – to realise that most of your audience is bored. They’re glassy eyed, maybe even falling asleep, chatting or texting on their mobile hones. Horrors! Worse still and more embarrassing is the presenter who becomes frantic, attempting to regain attention. Avoid the whole situation if you can by ensuring you have variety wired into your presentation, and have something up your sleeve that you can move into if necessary. Introduce a new visual. Involve the audience. Change your stance, body language or walking pattern. Stop. Stand still. Whatever you use, it will become a smooth, professional piece of your presentation instead of a situation that embarrasses you and your audience.
3. Dry mouth
Do you have a persistent dry mouth? Then take a glass of water with you. Before the speech, organise a place to put it and then choose a time where you can drink without interrupting the flow of your speech. Incorporate this into the planning of your presentation and your visualisation of your successful presentation. If it does interrupt, then find a way to explain it, incorporate it, or joke about it.
4. Those other embarrassing physical symptoms
The same applies to anything else you expect might embarrass you or detract from your speech. If you cannot overcome the physical symptoms in the lead up to the speech, then these are the ones you need to develop strategies for.
And use this same set of tactics for any other symptoms like blushing or shakes –if they detract from your speech – find a way to
explain it,
incorporate it
or joke about it.
Then you will have defused any embarrassment that you feel or your audience feels.
In all of these situations where you might make mistakes or have a mishap, there is one underlying powerful principle that works to avoid embarrassment:
“It doesn’t matter what happens. What matters is how you deal with what happens.”
It really does not matter!. The embarrassment for everyone lies not in the event itself, but in how you respond to it. So instead of being embarrassed, respond, instead, with professionalism and confidence. Be as prepared as you can for whatever may arise, and be prepared to explain, incorporate or joke if something does happen. Then you will have been able to deal with it, confidently and professionally - without embarrassment.
The added bonus? You are reducing your nervousness and increasing your confidence in the process.
Did you know that public speaking nerves are good? They keep you on edge, push you to produce your best work.
Let this eBook show you how to harness your nervousness and be successful.
Before you have to face giving another speech or presentation,
arm yourself with these simple proven strategies that will guide you to success and confidence.
E-Book - "How to overcome your fear of public speaking" http://www.consultpivotal.com/nerves_ebook.htm
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”
