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How Moses Can Help Speakers Wrap Things Up Successfully

The voice of authority is one that any audience will respond to. However, all too often you and I just don't represent enough of an authority figure to command that level of respect from an audience that didn't know us before we started to speak to them. If we want to wrap up our speech in a way that will leave a lasting impression with our audience, we need to find a way to use a voice of authority to deliver our last few words to them...

Bring In Moses

It really doesn't matter what your religious beliefs are (or for that matter, what the religious beliefs of the members of your audience are). That's because everyone knows the story of Moses: he went up the mountain, got some instructions on how to live his life, and came back down with the 10 commandments written on two stone tablets.

What this means for you as a speaker is that your audience is already primed and ready to "receive" 10 commandments from you - and they will instantly associate them with the story of Moses. In fact, they may even start to treat you as if you were Moses and the "10 commandments" that you are presenting to them will be treated as if they come from a higher power.

No matter how this unfolds, presenting your closing points in the form of 10 concise statements makes them very easy to both understand and remember. What you are doing is making it easy for your audience to grasp your main points and to remember them long after your speech is over.

Use An Authoritative Quote To Close

Often times there is a single individual who is associated with the topic that we are talking about. If we're talking about people getting along, Gandhi or Dr. Martin Luther King comes to mind. If it were about space travel then Neil Armstrong would be one of the first people that we'd think about.

Since your audience already knows about this person and the fact that they are somehow a figure of authority in regards to the topic that you are talking about, why not invite them to say a few words during the closing of your speech.

By taking the time to research your subject area and to identify the individuals who are the authority figures for that area, you are already well on your way to winning your audience over. Now take the time to study the quotes that those important figures have made - which one most closely aligns with the closing message that you want to leave with your audience?

When you use a quote from an authority figure, for a brief moment it is as if that person was in the room. With a little luck and if you've selected the right quote, then it will also appear as though they are endorsing or echoing what you've just said. This is what it takes to make sure that your message makes a lasting impact on your audience.

What All Of This Means For You

No matter how fantastic the opening of your speech is or how many powerful points you made during the body of your speech, it's really how you go about closing the speech that will make the difference. Now you have two more ways to do this well.

Using the 10 Commandments closing technique allows you to boil down the main points in your speech into "10 commandments". Your audience will recognize this format and will treat it with additional respect. You can also use authoritative quotes as a way to include an authoritative figure in your closing and make it appear as though they endorse the points that you have made.

In order for your speech's closing to make an impact on your audience, it must have authority. No matter if you choose to create your own 10 commandments or if you invite a respected figure to provide a quote for you to use, adding this kind of authority to your closing will ensure that you end your speech on a high note.

Dr. Jim Anderson
http://www.blueelephantconsulting.com/

Your Source For Real World Public Speaking Skills™

Do you give speeches today, but want to learn how be more effective? Dr. Jim Anderson believes that great business skills are no substitute for poor presentation skills. Dr. Anderson will share with you the knowledge that he has gained while working to improve the speaking ability of both individuals and teams of speakers for over 20 years. Learn the secrets of effective speakers and really connect with your audience during your next speech.

If you want to follow Dr. Anderson on Twitter, he can be found at: http://twitter.com/drjimanderson

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Public Speaking – Research first – Audience as well as content

Everything that you say or do in your presentation has to be geared to your audience... what you want them to do or think at the end, what they will be receptive to, what their triggers are, the language that they will respond to.

So in researching that presentation to write it, or prepare it, you will also need to research the audience.

Find out as much as you can – their age range, gender, income levels, dreams, needs, wants, culture.

You can gain much from a registration form.

You can ask the event manager.

In your preparation routine, you can mingle with them before your speech.

Then you can use that information in constructing your speech. If you need to persuade, for example, you can use your knowledge of their interests and dreams.

You will choose language that they understand, and that is not irritating or offensive to them, and subject matter to suit that audience - themes, supports, anecdotes all will be tailored to them.

I'm not sure whether researching the audience is more important than researching content. What do you think?

I do know that for the content to be effective, the research you do on your audience will be vital.

10 Essential steps to communicate effectively as a Speaker

Being able to communicate effectively through words has been a much-coveted secret for centuries.

Take the blarney stone in Ireland, for example. The blarney stone is part of the Blarney castle in Ireland and it is tradition that those who kiss this stone are given the gift of the gab. If you want to have the gift of the gab but kissing the blarney stone is out of the question, maybe you could benefit from the 10 basics of communication and public speaking.

=> http://bit.ly/hHWTjX

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This week's read – Writing great speeches

Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use (Part of the Essence of Public Speaking Series) 

by Alan M. Perlman

With endorsements from two of the largest and most influential public speaking groups -- the National Speakers Association and Toastmasters International -- this book is written by an expert speechwriter whose eloquent voice leads readers through the difficult process of writing a great speech. In these pages a seasoned speechwriter reveals his trade secrets - from analyzing the needs of an audience to leaving them with a satisfying sense of closure - as he guides readers through the process of planning, writing, and honing an outstanding speech.

How to Deliver and Outstanding introduction for a Keynote Speaker

image source

As the introducer, you are the connector – the broker – between the speaker and the audience.

The article is short yes, but oh so to the point. All are excellent reminders.

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How to Tell a Great Story

by Martin Jugmans

Everybody has a great story. To tell a story well it must be lovingly crafted and tailor-made.
We want to capture the audience's attention and convey a memorable message.

Preparation:
We need to know who the audience is and what is the purpose of our story. Will it be a group of workers on an oil rig or school children? By making references within our story that directly relates to the audience's interests will keep them engaged. Asking and remembering people's names and asking questions we can get a good idea of who will be present.

By writing down the purpose of the story in one short sentence, we establish a clear direction that our story will take.

As an example, we are going to speak to a group of teenagers about "The Power of Writing Down Your Goals".

What would interest a group of teenagers to write down their goals? What are their dreams and desires, to be a great football player, to have the latest gadget, money or a new car, travel or clothes? What are their fears? Exams, failing, lack of self-esteem. Doing this research pays dividends.

Before creating the actual content we need to determine how we want the audience to feel at the end of our story. Write this down:

We want the audience to feel empowered and inspired.

Content:
Now we can start looking for a story in our own personal experience that shows the benefits and illustrates "The Power of Writing Down Your Goals". We want our story to show the audience that they can attain their goals and dreams and it starts by forming a clear picture in their minds.

If you don't have a story of your own, (which I'm sure you do) perhaps you have a friend who in spite of hardship and difficulty went on to be great. Adapt the story.

The opening is vital. Pause for a breath or two and begin. Ask a question or invoke the audience's anticipation and curiosity.

To make our story work we inject liberal amounts of sincere emotion and feelings. Excitement, difficulties and obstacles, disappointment, courage and joy. Above all, humour. Used appropriately, showing sincere emotion in tone of voice and body movements will colour our story and paint pictures in the minds of the audience. Find ways to include fun twists and turns and use an element of surprise. Make descriptions vivid and use poetic licence. Pauses and voice variations can be used to enhance effect. Consider yourself doing a masterful performance.
Masters practice and refine.

Eliminate all that does not help to convey the message (in this example) of empowerment and inspiration. Mould the story until it really begins to shine.

Spend time formulating a conclusion that is grabbing. We want to give our audience something to remember. A conclusion that wraps it all up, is decisive and leaves the audience feeling empowered and inspired.

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Do you need to be truthful in order to persuade?

Edward R. Murrow, and American Journalist early in the twentieth century said, “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.”

Do you agree?

persuasive_believable

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From Pivotal Public Speaking

Busting the Mehrabian myth
Can words really account for only 7 percent of the meaning of a spoken message? This short video animation puts 'Mehrabian's rule' under the magnifying glass and shows why it can't be true

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The 2010 Slideshare Competition Winner – best slideshow!

The winning entry was created by Empowered Presentations

SMOKE - The Convenient Truth

View more presentations from Empowered Presentations, Honolulu, HI.

I love Slideshare - it is always an inspiration. But I am left so dissatisfied, because what I want to see is the speech that went with the visuals.

Still there is always lots to learn about design. What did you think of this one?

Four Persuasive Presentation Secrets

Being able to communicate persuasively with any audience is not just about what you say, it's also about what you do. Here are four tips for making your communication more persuasive

1. Take Time to Build Rapport

When rapport exists, there is a sense of trust and confidence between people that makes each more likely to respond positively to the other. Although there are techniques you can use to accelerate rapport, it has to be earned.

You create rapport by being willing to meet the other person where they are rather than trying to drag them where you want them to be. The biggest mistake most people make in any type of communication is trying to communicate from their own perspective rather than trying to relate to where their audience currently is.

If you take time to understand your audience, whether it's one person or a thousand, you will find it much easier to build rapport and communicate with them more successfully. You create rapport when you use that knowledge to change the way you communicate to suit your audience.

2. Model Successful Communicators

One of the best ways to improve your communication skills is to notice what works well for others and then to incorporate elements of what you see into your own behavior. Modeling is not about copying people. That's often illegal and it doesn't usually work. However, if you learn what makes other people good at something, you can use that experience to improve your own performance.

The key to successful modeling is that it's not just about watching what people do, it's as much about understanding how they think and what they believe. Take advantage of any opportunity to talk to speakers you admire and read as much as possible about them.

3. Always Be Authentic

To become a great presenter, you need to be yourself. One of the secrets of the best speakers is that they appear natural. They are the same on stage as they are in person. Too many people try to invent a persona that they use in presentations as they think that's what is needed. And many people hold off from speaking because they compare themselves unfavorably to other people. The truth is it doesn't matter. People are interested in what you have to say not in your speaking abilities.

Former US President Ronald Reagan is now called the Great Communicator but that's as much for the way his natural personality shows through as for great public speaking skills.

You can improve your speaking skills by enhancing your abilities. But speaking successfully is about using your existing abilities to their full advantage. Just be yourself and you will get the results that you want.

4. Value and Respond to Feedback

Like most things in life, giving presentations is a process of constant improvement - no matter how good you are.

In order to be able to improve, you must:

- Be willing to accept feedback constructively: If you want to improve, listen to what people say and incorporate it next time. Accepting feedback doesn't mean you have to do what others say but all feedback helps you be aware of what works for you most of the time and what doesn't.

- Actively seek opportunities for feedback: If you seriously want to improve your presentation skills, you should actively encourage feedback. Hand out surveys at the end of a presentation or ask someone you know well in the audience for some comments. Try to find people who will be both honest and encouraging.

- Keep doing more: The best way to improve is to keep getting more practice so that you improve your skills, incorporate more of what you learn and build your confidence.

Following these four secrets will help you build your persuasive presentation skills easily and confidently.

Robert Greenshields is a copywriter and marketing coach who helps consultants, coaches and other independent professionals attract more clients and make more profit by packaging and promoting their expertise as a high-value product. Download his free Profit from Presentations report at www.persuasivepresentationpower.com