|
|
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 26th, 2010%
The phone rang.
"Hello, this is Arlen."
"Hi Arlen. This is John. We are looking for a speaker on August 12 in the evening."
"What can you tell me about the event?"
"………"
"Yes, John. My calendar is open. I do have some questions for you."
"Sure Arlen, go ahead."
Speech Research Tip #26: Be a Detective and Research your Audience.
Knowing your audience is essential before preparing and delivering the presentation. This knowledge will enable you to connect with the audience and tailor a presentation that hits home.
I may have the same keynote I give to various audiences, but I tweak it depending on if I am talking to Junior highers or retired seniors.
Back to the phone conversation. I asked John a series of questions to get a grasp on exactly who I would be speaking to. This helped me to create a "Chris" and focus my presentation.
What is . . . → Read More: Tip #26: Being a Detective–Not Just a Speaker
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 24th, 2010%
When you are preparing a speech, what is your first step? Do you brainstorm a topic, make an outline, or research? Consider this next speaking tip:
Speech Preparation Tip #24: Find your Chris and Prepare the Speech for Chris.
Several months ago I spoke to about 50 energetic jr. highers. As I was preparing, I selected another jr higher in the area whom I’ll call Chris. He was a good representative of the audience I was speaking to. I prepared speech as if I was giving it to Chris. I asked myself several questions. What problems does Chris have? What would keep Chris’s attention? What info will help Chris? I kept asking these questions and prepared a customized keynote for Chris. Yes, audiences are diverse and I did seek to add material to target the whole room because of the various backgrounds of the audience. However, by focusing on one . . . → Read More: Tip #24: The First Step in Writing or Preparing your Speech
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 18th, 2010%
On a warm summer day, I was out riding the lawn mower around the yard. As you know mowing the lawn can be a low concentration task leaving plenty time for daydreaming and/or speech rehearsal.
If you had been standing there, you would have seen my lips move as I worked around the yard. I was applying this next speech preparation tip:
Tip #18: Practice your speech while distracted.
If you and I rehearse a presentation in our living room or office, we can be maybe 90-95% focused on the speech. However, practicing the speech while distracted and suddenly your concentration may drop to 50% or lower.
This makes it more difficult for us to rehearse the speech and thus prepares us for the presentation.
How can you practice your next presentation while distracted.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 17th, 2010%
Recently I was involved in a Toastmaster speech competition. Unfortunately, I did not follow yesterday's speech internalization tip, and made some major changes the day before. How was I to internalize the speech so I could deliver it smoothly?
I used this next speech internalization tip:
Speech Preparing Tip #17: Mentally rehearse your speech before bedtime.
At 10:45 I delivered the presentation in my living room. Next, I shut the light off, crawled into bed, told my wife I would be concentrating, and rehearsed the speech in my mind. Another alternative of this is to visualize yourself in the front of the room with an audience. Now deliver the speech in the theatre of your mind. Why is this public speaking tip so effective?
I have read various researchers who claim that what you think about before bedtime stays on your mind all night. Plus this is a relaxed learning enviroment.
Try it and . . . → Read More: Tip #17: How to Practice & Internalize Your Speech Presentation – Part 2
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 16th, 2010%
Update: My draft was accidently posted this morning. Here is the final version.
A couple months ago, I was giving a 7 minute speech presentation at my local Toastmaster Club. If you had been there listening, you would have seen and heard me lose my place 3 minutes into the speech. Awkwardly, I struggled to get back into the speech.
Eventually I did, but long pauses and losing my place are not acceptable in speeches. Why did this happen?
(The rough draft was accidently posted this morning. Here is the final version.)
I had failed to properly practice and internalize the speech. There is a difference between a memorized speech and an internalized speech. When your speech is memorized, you know it word for word. You can rattle it off. Problem is that sometimes it may sound memorized. Also, if you forget just one sentence or get distracted, you may find yourself in my . . . → Read More: Tip #16: How to Practice & Internalize Your Speech Presentation – Part 1 (Updated)
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 12th, 2010%
Several weeks ago I was 5 minutes into my presentation and the computer with my slides choked. Immediately, the technician jumped into gear to get it fixed. What do you do when this happens to you? Do you have a plan for the future (because it will happen)?
There was an obvious distraction as the technician worked to get it fixed. Instead of skipping the slides entirely, I used the next speaking tip.
Presentation Tip #12: Have Several Emergency Stories to Share at a Moments Notice.
I knew that if I kept on my speech road map, I would lose half the audience as they looked at the distraction. immediately, I jumped into a completely unrelated story. The story grabbed the audience's attention back, and kept them involved until the Power point computer came back online. This "off the cuff" story turned a speech pot hole into a launching pad for . . . → Read More: Tip #12: Have an Emergency Story Ready
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 11th, 2010%
When you deliver a speech, what is your underlining motive and purpose?
Is it to:
1. Get recognition from the audience, please a boss, satisfy a requirement, win a contest?
2. Serve the audience, help them, and give them a good experience?
The first motive is what motivates most people to get on stage. A work report must be given. There is a Toastmaster Contest. A college class forces participation.
However, once we have committed, our focus needs to quickly switch to the second motive.
Presentation Tip #11: Focus on how you can serve the audience and give them a good experience.
Give to the audience. Think of ways to give them a good experience. Customize your content for them. Entertain them, not yourself.
Walk up with this attitude and your audience will quickly pick up on it. You’ll likely connect better. Because you have an attitude of giving, not taking, the audience will . . . → Read More: Tip #11: What is Your Purpose?
By Arlen Busenitz, on November 7th, 2009%
Just 12 hours ago, my beautiful wife and I were sitting in a hotel conference room listening to one of the top nutrition formulators in America. He used a very powerful advanced public speaking tip.
He was very specific. This speaker did not say "Over 20 million people suffer from diabetes in America." He said, "23.6 million people suffer from type I and type II diabetes". (My memory may be off on the exact numbers)
Again and again throughout his presentation, he was very specific.
Why is being specific a very powerful advanced public speaking tip? Three reasons.
Being Specific Increases our Credibility
When he said, "There are 405 mg of Vitamin A in this product.", it gave the impression that he knew exactly what he was talking about. (Which he did).
Imagine two investment advisers talking to you.
Person A: "The stock market has averaged over 10% return the past 50 . . . → Read More: Advanced Public Speaking Tip: The Power of Being Specific
By Arlen Busenitz, on October 19th, 2009%
When was the last time you listened to a speaker who actually held your attention for almost the entire presentation?
Just five hours ago, I was listening to a speaker who grabbed my attention and held it. Yes, he was good, but it was not because he was using a lot of slick or advanced public speaking tips.
He was using one of the most powerful public speaking formulas a speaker has in his/hers arsenal.
Tell a Story and Make a point.
Hour after hour, this speaker would tell stories and make points. Sure, he took time to define his content, use quotes, and make some humorous comments. However, He probably had a different story every 5 minutes or so.
After telling a story using effective story telling techniques, he would pause and drive home his point. Next, he would pause to let the point sink in.
Did it work? Yes.
Why is this . . . → Read More: Why this Public Speaker Held My Attention for 3 Hrs
By Arlen Busenitz, on October 15th, 2009%
Would you like a speaking tip that will help you prepare speeches faster and have greater impact? I learned this tip from several World Champions of Public Speaking (Mark Brown, Craig Valentine, etc). Check it out and let me know what you think.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlrU_AKsaIw[/youtube]
|
|
