, , ,

Tip:

When you are making a speech or presentation, you need to be aware that your gestures can support or detract from your message.

Learn to become aware of what your hands are doing while you speak.

If necessary, make yourself hold them still.

Many people have habits that are terribly distracting and yet they aren’t aware of what they are doing. They click or twiddle a pen, play with their hair or their clothes, hold a microphone with fingers unconsciously making a rude gesture, take glasses on and off, put hands in pockets and take them out.

All of these things are not necessarily detrimental in themselves, if the audience is absolutely focused on the speaker and the message. But if there is any reason for the audience’s attention to stray (and we all have short attention spans) then they will become fascinated, at best, and possibly annoyed at whatever it is that the speaker is doing with their hands.

,

Ah … the temptation!

Today's quote about public speaking - well conversation, really, but it applies as well ... don't you think?

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.

-- Dorothy Nevill

,

Aims of public speaking

There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience

--Alexander Gregg

, ,

10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking

by The Princeton Language Institute, Lenny Laskowski
Written by an expert in the field, this book has the tools you need to become a relaxed, effective, and commanding public speaker. A clear, concise, step-by-step approach with dozens of inside tips, 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking will help you:
* Overcome nervousness and discover your own natural style
* Establish an immediate rapport with your audience
* Practice your new techniques daily in conversations with friends
* Write a speech that builds to an unforgettable conclusion
* Expertly blend humor and anecdotes into your talks
* Use special techniques to memorize your speech

http://amzn.to/aDAVwx

Create impact with your presentation

The impact of our presentation is not an accidental by-product of a presentation. It is something you create
deliberately.

The first thing to do is to define what it is that you want to create. What exactly is the impact going to be? In other words, you need to define:

How will your audience respond to your speech or presentation?

What will they take away with them and remember?

What will they remember of you?

Why will they think “Wow what a fabulous presentation!”?

Start by defining the purpose of your presentation or speech.

What do you want its impact to be?

You need to articulate whether you want to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, entertain, shock … You
may even want to do several of these things – in different parts of your presentation. But they must not
be left to chance or you risk creating “Ho-hum …” rather than “wow!”

,

This week's quotation about public speaking

There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience

--Alexander Gregg

,

Three essential body language tips

People can get obsessed by trying to look convincing or slick, and neglect the content of their presentation. They perform all the textbook hand gestures, and what comes out of their mouths doesn’t match up. ...
Here are the 3 biggest body language presentation pitfalls, and what you can do to avoid them:

http://bit.ly/cTaUCx

, ,

Putting the Power in your PowerPoint

This is a 13-Page eBook

The use of PowerPoint as a presentation tool is well acknowledged and accepted. However, Fripp and Prost believe it is frequently used as a crutch that often distracts your audience from the main messages of your presentation. If you are using PowerPoint®, why not learn the "inside secrets" of doing it the right way?

Get the eBook here

,

How to create a TED talk

In a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek analysis, Sebastian Wernicke turns the tools of statistical analysis on TEDTalks, to come up with a metric for creating "the optimum TEDTalk" based on user ratings. How do you rate it? "Jaw-dropping"? "Unconvincing"? Or just plain "Funny"?

, ,

Public Speaking Tip – For Confidence in public speaking, be prepared

This is one of the most powerful sources of confidence – knowing that you are prepared.  During the nervous stages, you can continually reassure yourself that you are prepared and can visualise all the aspects of the successful presentation that you have prepared.  As far as I am concerned, this will provide the major part of your confidence.