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7 Key Ways to Gesture Effectively

from "10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking"
(Chapter 5 - pages 107 - 110)
Copyright, 2001 Philip Lief Group Inc & Lenny Laskowski
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Gestures are reflections of every speaker's individual personality. What's right for one speaker may not be right for another; however, if you apply the following seven rules, you can become a dynamic, confident speaker who uses gestures well.

1. Respond naturally to what you think, feel and see. - It's natural for you to gesture. If you inhibit your impulse to gesture, you'll probably become tense.

2. Create the condition for gesturing, not the gesture. - When you speak, you should be totally involved in communicating - not thinking about your hands. Your gestures should be naturally motivated by the content of your presentation.

3. Suit the action to the word and the occasion. - Your visual and verbal messages must function as partners in communicating the same thought or feeling. Every gesture you make should be purposeful and reflective of your words so the audience will note only the effect, not the gesture itself.

4. Don't overdo the gesturing. - You'll draw the listener away from your message. Young audiences are usually attracted to a speaker who uses vigorous gestures, but older, more conservative groups may feel your physical actions are overwhelming or irritating.

5. Make your gestures convincing. - Your gestures need to be lively and distinct if they are to convey the intended impressions. Effective gestures are vigorous enough to be convincing yet slow enough and broad enough to be clearly visible without being overpowering. For example, if you are conveying excitement about a point or topic in your speech, show it in your face such as with a big smile. If you are excited and don't show it, your body language sends a negative message. Your gestures need to match your words and the mood you are conveying.

6. Make your gestures smooth and well timed. - This rule is the most important but also the hardest. Why? Gestures have to be somewhat planned in advance so you can incorporate them during your speech rehearsal. In addition, practice sessions allow you to get a sense of how early you need to start your gesture so it coincides with the point you are making. Every gesture has three parts:

* The approach-Your body begins to move in anticipation.
* The stroke-The gesture itself.
* The return-This brings your body back to a balanced posture.

The flow of a gesture - the approach, the stroke, the return - must be smoothly executed so that only the stroke is evident to the audience. While it's advisable to practice gesturing, don't try to memorize your every move. This makes your
gesturing stilted and ineffective. For example, you're standing on the left-hand side of the stage (the audience's left) and you need to use the flip chart to illustrate a
point, but the flip chart is on the far right-hand side of the stage (the audience's right). You may say to your audience. "Let's take a look at it on the flip chart."

As you start this statement begin walking toward the flip chart (the approach). Your goal is to start your gesture early enough so you can walk naturally toward the flip
chart. At the word "flip" place your hand on the flip chart. This combined walking and placement of your hand on the flip chart is the gesture or the stroke. After a
brief moment, place your hand on the flip chart and then take your hand and move it to one of your resting positions. This is the return or completion of the gesture.

7. Make natural, spontaneous gesturing a habit. - The first step in becoming adept at gesturing is to determine what, it anything, you are doing now. For example, pay attention to the gestures you use in everyday conversations and try to use these gestures during your presentation. If you prefer, you can videotape your practice speech. The camcorder or video camera is truthful and unforgiving. If you want to
become a more effective speaker, you need to make the camcorder your best friend. Recording yourself is a surefire way to eliminate your distracting mannerisms. Videotape yourself and identify your bad habits. Then work at eliminating them.

All of my private executive coaching sessions and seminars, use a video camera to help the participants "see" what they are doing and what changes they need to make. To improve gestures, practice - but never during a speech. Practice gesturing when speaking informally to friends, family members, and co-workers.

Simply Speaking...Selling Yourself & Your Ideas E-Zine

Published by Lenny Laskowski
Copyright LJL Seminars(tm), 2003
All Rights Reserved

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Outline Essay Useful Tool For Speeches

Writing an essay, taking a pop quiz, and giving a speech probably are three of the tasks students dread most. Speaking in public terrifies many people of all ages. Adolescents are not immune. It doesn't matter that they may be speaking only to their closest friends; most students feel very nervous because peer pressure is so intense. Usually there are a few students who delight at being given a chance to address their classmates. Over time with practice, the rest can learn to enjoy making oral presentations. They simply need to learn a few secrets.

The steps involved in writing a good essay are the same as those used to prepare a good speech. Both require the student first to organize his ideas and then to present them systematically. This helps readers and listeners to understand his line of reasoning.

Secret #1 is to write an "outline essay."

The first sentence answers the question, or makes a general statement. Each of the following sentences expresses a single reason or argument to support the first sentence. Think of these sentences as "bullet points;" students will elaborate on these points with facts and details in subsequent paragraphs. The last sentence offers a preliminary conclusion.

The "outline essay" becomes the first paragraph of the paper. It provides an overview of what the student is going to tell the reader. Then he actually tells him in the paragraphs that follow. Finally, he uses the final paragraph to remind the reader what he was told. The "outline essay" provides the student with a road map for presenting his ideas in an orderly manner.

The outline essay also can function as a "crib sheet" for presenting the essay's content orally to the student's classmates. So what? How does this make it any easier to stand up in front of the class and give a speech?

Here is secret #2: It is not necessary to memorize every sentence in the essay.

The other people in the class won't have a copy of the essay in front of them. They don't know what the student wrote. It won't matter if he leaves out a few minor details. All that matters is presenting the ideas in a logical sequence to make it easy for classmates to understand them. Think about it: What do folks fear most about giving a speech?

A) They are afraid of appearing foolish.
B) They are afraid of losing their train of thought.

No one enjoys listening to someone reading a speech word for word. It sounds awkward and stilted. More important, it prevents the speaker from making eye contact with individuals in the audience. A relaxed speaker can use vocal tones and voice inflections to add another dimension to the content of a paper, causing it to be even more persuasive.

Accomplished public speakers always know their material well, yet they present it as if they were merely having a conversation with the audience. After writing the essay itself, a student should be familiar with its content. It should be fairly easy to address his or her classmates about the essay's topic, referring to the outline essay occasionally to stay on track. Giving a speech provides students with a taste of what it's like to be in "Show Biz." The fear of ridicule is offset by the delicious sense of power that comes from delivering a speech, which is well received by the audience. Presenting an essay orally to classmates is excellent training for becoming a competent public speaker. This skill can be useful to students for the rest of their lives..

Michael Strong created the ColorCode System to teach his daughters afflicted with A.D.D. how to write an essay. By demonstrating visually the format of a properly structured essay, the ColorCode System enabled his daughters to grasp this important concept in less than 30 minutes. The pattern of the colors helped them think logically and organize their ideas. They used those ideas to write an outline essay, which became the first paragraph. By following the format illustrated in the color-coded sample essay, they learned how to present their ideas systematically for every essay assignment, regardless of topic. They began writing good essays and getting better grades. Both daughters gained admission to their "first choice" college. You can learn more about the ColorCode System at http://essaywritesystem.com

Michael Strong earned a Diplome from the University of Lyon, France; a B.A. in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During the '60s, he served as a Page Boy in the British Merchant Marine, a Private 1st Class in the US Marine Corps and a Midshipman at the US Naval Academy. During the '70s, he taught school; opened Town Hall - the legendary Chapel Hill nightclub; managed Brice Street Band and ran the UNC Campus Mail Service. From 1983 until he retired in April 2009, he worked as a stockbroker and as a Certified Financial Planner. He and his wife Nancy have been married 38 years and live on 12 wooded acres 5 miles south of Chapel Hill NC.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

Some speaking sins, like the occasional “ah” or “um”, will not doom your presentation. With good content, you can earn forgiveness from the audience for those sins.

Other speaking sins are so grave that when you commit them, your speech or presentation is certain to fail. This article reveals the seven deadly sins of public speaking.

http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/2009/09/21/7-deadly-sins-public-speaking/

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10 Ways to End Your Speech with a Bang

by Peter Jeff

End your speech with an attitude, not a platitude.

Instead of firing off a perfunctory “thank you,” consider launching fireworks of final passionate thoughts from the podium.

http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/10-ways-to-end-your-speech/

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Creating Distinction in the Speaking Industry:How to Make the Marketplace Irrelevant


 with Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE


Scott McKainWhat if you could find a way to make the fluctuations in the economy have a less-than-significant impact on your speaking business? What if there was a way that you could stand out and move up, even while others are facing difficult times? What does it take to differentiate yourself, so you become a “movie star” of speakers, rather than merely one of the pack?

We’ll look at the three “Destroyers of Differentiation” and the three levels of recognition and why you want to avoid the first two.

Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE has been studying what makes some professionals stand out — while others are adrift on a “sea of sameness.” He’ll take the findings from his new Amazon.com and 800-CEO-READ bestseller, Collapse of Distinction: Stand Out & Move Up While Your Competition Fails, and apply it directly and specifically to speakers. Add this to the fact that Scott was the first speaker to center his business on using the entertainment industry as the metaphor for every profession — his “ALL Business is Show Business” dates back to the early-1980s! — and you will discover what it takes to attain a level of distinction beyond your current position.

You’ll learn:

  • the Three Destroyers of Differentiation — the dangerous elements common in every speaker’s business that pull you back to the undifferentiated pack like a magnet.
  • why Level One is the WORST place for any speaker to be — constant fee pressure, difficult clients, endless prospecting — and how to escape.
  • why Level Two is where many speakers settle — a lot better than lower; infinitely less rewarding than the top.
  • how Level One speakers transcend transaction and build lasting careers. Ever wonder why the same speakers are the “superstars” at NSA? Here’s the answer...
  • the four steps you MUST take — and take in a specific order — that will make you stand out and move up, even during a challenging economy and a difficult time in the meetings industry.
  • how to create a place for yourself at the absolute top of the profession!


Register or order the CD or MP3 recording. Note: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free.

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Advice for speakers and presenters – 7 ways to turn a free gig into a financial windfall

You've been asked to speak for an audience. However, the event organizer or meeting planner tells you they can't pay you. Your heart sinks knowing that speaking for free will cost you in the long run. You think of all the expenses you'll incur  gas, parking, photocopying materials, babysitter  and speaking for free means you won’t be reimbursed for these incidental costs.Although a free gig can eat into your bottom line, you don't need to refuse it altogether. If you're still building your expertise, free gigs can help you to refine your message and try out new concepts on an eager audience.

The only way you can make money if you’re speaking for free, is to sell something. You just have to. Otherwise, known as back of the room (BOR) sales, here are some tips for ensuring that you rake in the cash even if you're speaking for free.

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The bizarre, the unexpected, the fascinating – English phrases

Phraseology

Thousands of Bizarre Origins, Unexpected Connections, and Fascinating Facts about English's Best Expressions

by Barbara Kipfer

Phraseology is the ultimate collection of everything you never knew about the wonderful phrases found in the English language. It contains information about phrase history and etymology; unusual, lost, or uncommon phrases; how phrases are formed; and more than 7,000 facts about common English phrases.

Find out more or buy the book at The Book Depository or Amazon.

Really Effective Communication begins with "S

Ï just came across this via a tweet from @PresentingPower.
The Four-S Method of Really Effective Communication


from John C. Maxwell - Simplify, See the person, Show the Truth and Seek response.

You can read the details here

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Reconsidering PowerPoint

From David Feith at the Wall Street Journal

Speaking Truth to PowerPoint

Dunkin’ Donuts insists that “America runs on Dunkin’.” Actually, America runs on PowerPoint. Slide, by slide, by slide.

But maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe—while we reconsider how we bank, manufacture cars, emit carbon and visit the doctor—we should also rethink how we PowerPoint. Maybe cutting the cord is change you can believe in.

Read more ...>

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Connecting with your audience

Tim Wilson makes a short but very valid point about the questions to ask while speaking so that you can connect with the audience.

http://speakingquicktips.blogspot.com/2008/07/power-of-moment.html