Tag Archive for: public speaking

Public Speaking Techniques for Staying in Control: Effective Recovery From Interruptions

An aide comes in with a note. Someone's cell phone rings repeatedly. A baby cries. Two people chatter. An audience member faints. The fire alarm goes off.

For many presenters who haven't had public speaking training, interruptions like these destroy their concentration, the mood they have set, and their overall impact. How can you be the exception? By learning these public speaking techniques to stay in control. We have split the speech interruptions into two types: annoying and serious. They should, obviously, be handled differently.

Minor interruptions:

Control is key.

Whatever the situation, let the audience know that you are not only aware of it, but that you will handle it. When something unusual happens in a group situation, everyone becomes tense. There is an individual and group feeling that somebody should do something about it. You need to be that 'somebody'.

First, acknowledge the interruption. Ask the aide who he/she is looking for. Tell the cell phone offender that while you all love his special ring, you'd appreciate him and everyone else turning off their phones. Also ask if he needs to leave to take the call. For the crying baby, you might make a joke about agreeing with the baby's complaint because what you are discussing is a terrible situation, then invite the parent to take the child out for a stroll.

Gabbers in your audience are a special case, because you don't know whether they are discussing last night's hockey game or making fun of what you are saying. Depending upon your confidence level, you have a couple of options.

The most dramatic way of bringing attention to the situation is to stop dead. For a few seconds, the chatters will continue to chat and others will become very uncomfortable and probably stare at the offenders and back at you. You can then make some comment about "just checking to see who was actually presenting".

While a tempting technique, this has enormous risk in that not only will the chatters probably dislike you for embarrassing them, but the rest of the audience may resent being made a part of the obvious reprimand. Still, if you have exhausted all other approaches and they keep on talking, you may want to resort to this public speaking technique.

Before you do, however, here are a couple of other options. The simplest is to look directly at the offenders and ask, "Do you have a question about what I just said?" In most cases, this will remind them that they should use their ears rather than their mouths. If it is a small group, you can walk over beside the chatters, stop and focus your comments at them. They will quickly get the point.

Interruptions with health or safety implications:

Control here is vital.

You are the person with the microphone and with the attention of the group. Use it.

It goes without saying that you will immediately stop your presentation and deal with the emergency. If it is a medical emergency and you are not a medical person, ask if there is a doctor or nurse in the audience. If there is, direct them to the person in distress. Also, ask the rest of the group to make room for both. If none is available, ask a specific person to call for an ambulance - otherwise, wait until the medical person determines the severity of the situation, then ask. If it is determined to be a minor incident, ask the people around the person in difficulty to escort him or her from the room.

If it is a safety issue, eg.) the fire alarm goes off, stay calm and encourage others to stay calm and leave the room in an orderly way (you should, before your speech, have checked out where they should go once they leave the room). Keep them moving quickly but orderly. You are the captain of the ship: you leave last!

OK, we've had all this excitement and now you have to finish your speech! How to start again?

After the medical emergency has cleared the room (and you have figured out what to drop from your presentation to fit the time loss), thank everyone for their support of the patient, give them a synopsis of his or her condition, and let them know you will still finish on time. Sadly, they may care more about that than about the person who had the problem. Now, tell them where you were in your talk and continue.

If it was a safety interruption, chances are you will have almost no time to complete your talk. If this is the case, make some comment about them being a supportive group with whom to share an emergency, and offer to post your presentation on a website so they can get the information. Then, leave them with a memorable thought, poem, etc. from your ever-present presentation 'kit bag.'

Interruptions, whether major or minor, need not disrupt your presentation or shake your confidence. Use these public speaking techniques as part of your preparations, and you'll be able to pull it together and save your speech!

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Delva Rebin is part of a family of professional speakers. Collectively, Norm, Delva and Niki Rebin have spoken to, trained or coached over one million people. The biggest question they are asked is: "How can I control my public speaking fears?" For your FREE e-book download, "50 Tips for Calming Your Public Speaking Nerves," visit here.

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What you say …

What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.

 -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (bio)

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Why use Handouts?

They allow you to provide more detailed information than you would put on a slide. They give your audience something to take away from your presentation, to review later. They are one more way for your listeners to be reminded of you and your key messages.

Handouts are especially useful if your presentation is highly technical or complex. They can further explain important information. For example, you may want to include in your handout supporting data that you chose not to include in your presentation, such as contact information, case studies, references, marketing literature, or other collateral materials.

Your handout also can serve as a summary of your key points. In any case, your handout can include more detailed information than you may have had time to cover in your presentation, or which — for your own good reasons — you've chosen not to include in your presentation.

Before or after? => http://bit.ly/rCqnC9

Help …

If you can't help all of them, help at least one

~ Mother Teresa

Who will you help with your speaking today? Which one person?

The Top 4 Tips for Promoting Yourself As a Professional Speaker

Promoting yourself as a professional speaker is not like promoting any other product because what you are really marketing is yourself. That fact alone should shift your perspective as you consider the best ways to market your business. The strategies you choose will have a huge impact on your career.

Here are some things to consider as you begin to promote yourself as a professional speaker.

#1 Who is Your Target Audience?

The first step in selecting your marketing strategies is to clearly define your target audience. Look closely at your niche market. What are the main concerns, pains, needs and issues within that niche? For example, if you are concentrating on being a motivational speaker for teenagers, you must know what makes them tick and what is relevant to them. Similarly, if you want to be a business speaker, it is critical that you have a solid understanding of the world of business. Once you have identified your target market, you will be able to tailor your promotional efforts to that specific group.

#2 Professionalism

To have a great career as a speaker, you must present yourself in a highly professional manner. This is of the utmost importance. In order to come off as a professional, you must handle all of your business with maturity and a high level of skill. Demonstrating your dependability and integrity are critical. It is through these traits that you will gain credibility as a speaker. Always deliver what you promise. Better still, deliver more than you promise. Respond promptly, and make yourself available, to your customers and potential clients. Speak from the heart to make genuine connections with your target audience. Don't be afraid to show them who you really are. These are the things that define a truly professional speaker.

#3 Who is Your Competition?

Know who your competition is, but just knowing who they are is not enough. Any winning sports team understands the value of studying their opponent, and so should you. Be on the lookout for what they are up to. What does their website look like? Is it optimized? What other products and services are they offering? How often do they speak and where? Once you have sized up your competition then you can develop your marketing strategies in new and inventive ways that will set you apart as the "go to guy" in your niche. Think about new and innovative products you can offer that will distinguish you from the rest. Try new ideas, and adapt to change as new competitors enter the market.

#4 Spending

Obviously promoting your speaking business will require that you spend some money. However, before you go out and invest in a lot of expensive marketing, take the time to learn all you can about alternative marketing strategies. Now that the Internet is the primary way most people gather information, there are many ways you can use it to your advantage.

Learn how to use your website and blog, the social networks, video sites like YouTube and pay-per-click advertising to your advantage. These are just a few of the many highly effective ways to market yourself at a fraction of the costs of old school marketing strategies. The time you invest in learning how to use Internet marketing strategies will pay off for you in a big way.

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For over 25 years Dr. Arnold has been CEO of Windhorse Corp., where he assists the nation's top speakers, coaches, authors, entertainers, business owners and sales executives.

His mission is single focused: to help his clients learn the insider secrets how the Top 1% of Speakers earn massive amounts of money with their speaking career in the most direct and easiest way possible.

To get more tips you can use immediately to improve monetizing your speaking, presentation, and coaching skills, sign up for Dr. Gary Arnold's monthly e-newsletter by visiting http://www.6figureSpeakers.com and entering your email address. http://www.windhorse.org

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Words …

I have always loved this quote ... I like the thought of words taking on their own energy.

Sometimes I feel they do, and that is when they truly can engage an audience ... or assault the unthinking.

Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.

John Maynard Keynes

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Six Myths of Professional Speaking

Many of us either speak professionally as an added component of our value to clients, or speak because we must in order to market our services to wider audiences. Whether we mount the platform with relish to gain additional revenues, or ascend with trepidation to try to convert a few more hearts and souls, we should beware of the myths surrounding professional speaking. As someone with a foot in both consulting and professional speaking camps, I thought I'd provide this public service. => http://bit.ly/vtPQBZ

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Storytelling is the Game

Storytelling is the most underrated thing when it comes to business, it is everything when trying to convey emotion and attachment to your brand and in today's world a Press Release is JUST not gonna CUT IT!

http://bit.ly/tr3yZ0

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The Qualities of Top Business Speakers

Business speakers are speakers whose target audience is business professionals. Their primary role is to motivate and inform people in business. The demand for business speakers is high. Corporations are always looking for ways to train and motivate their employees. Even with the high demand for business speakers, this is a role not just any speaker can fill. A business speaker must have experience and solid expertise in the field. However, experience and expertise are not enough. There are certain qualities that a speaker must possess in order to succeed in the field.

What are the qualities of a good Business Speaker?

1. Credibility: To earn credibility, business speakers must establish a reputation for excellence and integrity. Their track record in their own business affairs must be beyond reproach. As a speaker, you can't motivate others if your background in business is sketchy or questionable.

2. Optimism and Confidence: There will always be problems in the business world. The solutions are not always obvious. That is where a good business speaker comes in. The speaker's job is to show their audience that for every problem, there is a corresponding solution. It is particularly helpful if the speaker has direct experience with finding solutions to difficult situations. To convince an audience that there are always solutions an optimistic outlook and demeanor must be evident in the speaker. Confidence plays an important role in this as well. A confident and optimistic speaker will be far more likely to motivate others to believe that difficult situations can be overcome.

3. Sincerity: Keep it real and be yourself in your talks. Your audience will be able to relate to you on a much deeper level if they see you as someone who has "walked a mile in their shoes" in the real world of business. Let them know you feel their pain, and have solutions to offer.

4. Passion: In order to capture the attention of your audience you must demonstrate that you are passionate about your topic. Your passion will translate into a talk that is entertaining, engaging and inspiring. If you don't believe in your message, you won't convince anyone else, especially a group of savvy business professionals.

5. Knowledgeable: A business speaker has to have a high level of knowledge in their particular niche, and they must bring something new to the table. The speaker must be prepared to answer questions; a surface level understanding of the topic will not suffice.

6. Leadership: A huge part of being successful in business is having strong leadership skills. This is true for the business speaker as well. A big part of that skill set is excellent communication. The speaker has to be able to communicate their message effectively to a wide variety of personality types in order to lead them to new knowledge and solutions.

To become a top business speaker, look closely at your own strengths and weaknesses. Focus on developing and strengthening these qualities. If you can cultivate these qualities, and accompany them with a good sense of humor, you will have the makings of a great business speaker.

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For over 25 years Dr. Arnold has been CEO of Windhorse Corp., where he assists the nation's top speakers, coaches, authors, entertainers, business owners and sales executives. His mission is single focused: to help his clients learn the insider secrets how the Top 1% of Speakers earn massive amounts of money with their speaking career in the most direct and easiest way possible.
To get more tips you can use immediately to improve monetizing your speaking, presentation, and coaching skills, sign up for Dr. Gary Arnold's monthly e-newsletter by visiting http://www.6figureSpeakers.com and entering your email address. http://www.windhorse.org

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Nothing to say …

There may be other reasons for a man's not speaking in publick than want of resolution: he may have nothing to say.

Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

Could this be the reason so many people fear impromptu speaking?