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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 person it allowed me give a specific speech tailored for that audience. The result? Great interaction and a keynote that hit home.
Simple principle but very powerful.
Here are a few public speaking tips on preparing to speak to one person:
- Select someone you know who represents the audience.
- Ask yourself, “What would I say if it was just this individual in the room?”
- Tailor the speech so it appeals to and impacts the diversity of people in the room.
- Prepare for one, but appeal to all
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 23rd, 2010
Ug! That's what I thought after hearing myself on tape. I had just recorded a presentation and was listening to it. Every "um", awkward pause, and misspoken word flew out off the mp3 and smacked me.
Listening or watching yourself on tape can be painful. That's why many speakers never record themselves. But wait! If the audience had to sit through it, so should we!
Speaking Tip #23: Improve your Speaking Skills fast by recording and listening to every presentation–twice.
What are the benefits of recording and listening/watching yourself?
- What get's evaluated get's improved. Just by listening to ourself we will improve automatically.
- Our errors will jump out at us and we can fix them.
- Minor adjustments will become clear.
When I started videotaping, I noticed I would often lick my lips and even wrinkled my forehead in an almost glaring way. The video camera gave me the brutal truth.
You can grab a digital recorder for anywhere from $30 to $100. Amazon is a great place to check. Flip phone cameras are between $100-$200. If you are serious about improving your public speaking skills, pick one up.
Why listen twice?
The first time you listen, evaluate yourself. What could your improve? What should you have left out? During the second time, just let it play as you do something else. I have been told that even if you are distracted, your subconscious mind is still picking it up.
Still not convinced about the power of recording your presentation? Try it on your next three presentations. Then compare your first presentation to the third. You'll notice a difference.
Grab your recorder and start taking your public speaking skills to a new level.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 22nd, 2010
Are you familiar with Toastmasters? It is an international organization with local clubs in nearly every major city and many smaller cities. They exist for the purpose of helping people improve their public speaking and leadership skills
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Often individuals give 5-7 minute speeches. Many Toastmasters use what Daren Lacroix calls a very weak opening.
Speech Intro Tip #22: Consider not opening with Mr. (or Madam) Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmasters, and guests.
If you have visited a club, you'll notice that it is very customary to say, "Mr. Toastmasters, fellow Toastmasters, and guests." Consider listening to Daren Lacroix and following this advice. Instead, first grab attention and then 10-40 seconds into the presentation you can use this opening (which is good to use).
Think of this line as being like the credits and title scene on your favorite TV show. Do they show those first? No. First, they launched into an action scene to grab your attention, and then they roll the credits. Do the same with your speeches, and it will create a better experience for the audience.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 21st, 2010
You've grabbed attention with a great opening. The audience now has a brief idea of what to expect. It's time to share why they should listen.
Public Speaking Tip #21: Share compelling reasons to listen.
If you are a big name celebrity or have accomplished something newsworthy, people will readily listen to you. However, for the rest of us, we need to give the audience compelling reasons to listen. Here are a couple ways.
Promise
When you leave here today, you will know a five minute method for setting goals which will propel you up the ladder of success.
Give a couple promises up front. Don't forget to follow through on them.
Benefits
What is the difference between benefits & features?
Features describe the car.
Benefits are the improvements in your life because you bought the car.
Feature: You will learn a goal setting method.
Benefit: After today, You'll be able to reach your goals fast.
Proof
The university of _______________ studied 50 people and found that individuals using this goal setting method, attained 85% of their goals.
I shared this system with my friend Sam. He was able to stop smoking in three weeks.
You can use social proof, authority proof like a quote, or research proof. Do what it takes to give reasons for them to listen.
You can write a good speech intro. Just remember to grab attention, preview the speech, and share compelling reasons for them to listen.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 20th, 2010
You've grabbed the audience's attention and are connecting with the audience. What next?
Speaking Tip #20: Preview the Speech
Give the audience a brief overview of what you will be saying.
You will learn how to set goals in three simple steps.
You will learn why drunk driving is such a problem and what we can do to help.
Consider phrasing the overview in "You" terms. Not "I will share", but "You will learn."
Previewing the speech will help your audience remember it and keep their attention.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 19th, 2010
Your speech intro is one of the most critical parts of your presentation.
During these essential few minutes, you want to do three things:
- Grab Attention
- Preview the speech
- Share compelling reasons why the audience should listen to you.
Over the next couple days, we'll be tackle each one of these.
Good Speech Intro Tip #19: Grab their attention with a question, a story, or a startling statement.
Any one of these will get the audience involved and ready to pay attention.
Starting with a Question
Do you remember a time when your were very discouraged or disappointed?
Would this question grab the audience's attention? Definitely, I've used it several times with great success. Three points to remember when asking questions.
First, ask it to one person. Look at one person and ask the question. Second, phrase the question so it is "you" focused. Third, pause after the question to let people reflect on it. One of the World Champions of Public Speaking said, "If they reflect, you will connect."
Starting your speech with a Story
Two years ago, I was…
Stories are an excellent way to grab attention. Just jump right in. No need for clutter phrases like "Here is something interesting that happened to me" or "Now, I will tell you a story." Dive into the story and let the story grab the audience's attention.
Starting with Startling Statement
Last year 11,773 People were killed by drunk drivers. That's like two 747 Jumbo Jets crashing every month.
Did this grab your attention? Think of true, but startling statements to open your speech.
Take some extra time to create a good speech intro with this speaking tip.
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 see if it works for you. My speech came across pretty smooth and I attribute some of that to how to I internalized my presentation with this tip.
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 situation: struggling to remember the next line.
A better way is to internalize your speech. Here you know it so well, it is a part of you. If you were asked to share about a good experience from your last vacation, you could very easily. Why? It's internalized. It's part of you. Every time you deliver it, it may be slightly different, but it comes out natural and you can focus on delivery.
Over the next several days, you'll be learning several ways to internalize your presentation so you can deliver it smoothly and completely.
Speech Preparing Tip #16: Have your presentation prepared and ready 3 days before you give it.
Imagine you have a presentation to give on Friday. Set a deadline to be ready to give it on Tuesday. Why?
- As you run through the presentation a couple times over those three days, your subconscious mind will internalize the speech.
- New ideas will pop up, allowing you to optimize the presentation.
- Research shows that sleeping on information after we've learned it helps put it into long term memory.
By Arlen Busenitz, on March 15th, 2010
 Last week I heard a great tip from Daren Lacroix, the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
Delivery Tip #15: Deliver your opening line to a person on the back row. You'll instantly bring the back row into your speech. This will also bring in the rest of the audience as our eye contact flies over their heads towards the back row. Then we jump into our Figure 8 eye contact pattern or whichever patter you want to use. Combine this public speaking tip with the Hook & Reel Intro and you'll have a powerful opening.
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