Using both sides of the brain for Public Speaking success

Men can think faster than women, transmitting nerve impulses more rapidly - according to a controversial study recently reported in The Sunday Times. It measured nerve conduction velocity (NCV), the speed at which messages pass through brain cells and found males had four times faster NCV's than females. (Mind, the researchers are all male...)

Whatever your gender, do you have trouble thinking fast when put on the spot, Bronwyn? Whether during question time after a presentation, in the board-room or at team meetings, a tough question fired out of left-field can send anyone into panic.
We are more effective presenters if we can balance our logic and analysis (left brain hemisphere) with colourful imagery and expression (right brain).

Confidence trick: Accessing both brain hemispheres enables us to present with security - assuming we've prepared and know our topic!

The power of the whole brain Educational Kinesiology and Brain-Gym programs develop brain-body wholeness with simple movements like cross-crawl, i.e. crossing over the mid-line between brain hemispheres, as we do when walking. Originally conceived to correct learning disabilities, Brain-Gym's whole-brain learning is used by people from many fields (professionals, students, athletes, dancers, musicians, artists) to draw out their hidden potential and to make it readily available. http://www.braingym.org/

Some over-diligent people, by trying too hard, "switch off" the brain-integration mechanisms necessary for complete learning. Thus, information which is received by the back brain as an "impress" is inaccessible to the front brain as an "express." This inability to express what is learned or to stay "centred" locks us into a failure syndrome, resulting in irrational fear, flight-or-fight reactions and frozen emotions.

Even a simple action like the steepling of fingertips balances and connects the two brain hemispheres. And it's a poised look for a presenter about to take the spot-light.
Before presenting, if you feel an urge to pace, don't resist it! Walking sends blood circulating to your brain, helps you handle curly questions with clarity.

(Precis from "Don't Freak Out- Speak Out; Public speaking with confidence", available as hard-copy, e-book and audio CD from http://ruthbonetti.com/books.php3

public speaking

Speech Making Success Tip:

Eye contact is a wonderful tool to convey sincerity. It is also useful to help you to stay aware of how the audience is reacting to you. Stay aware and adapt by changing your presentation style and content to keep their attention and interest.

This is an excerpt from the Pivotal Public Speaking ezine which goes out today. You can view it here or subscribe to receive tips, articles, links and resources. Subscribe to Pivotal Public Speaking by clicking here.

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Public Speaking: No Brainstoppers!

From the Great Public Speaking blog

I made this term up so don't try to find it anywhere else. A "brainstopper" is something you say or do that causes the mind of an audience member to stop to think. This can be a good thing, but most of the time when I catch a coaching student delivering a brainstopper, it is a bad thing.

Here is an example of a good brainstopper. You might say, "Take a moment and think about the first toy you had as a child."

A command like this would take the audience member's mind from where it is now to a time long ago. For most of the audience this will be a pleasant experience. For some it may be unpleasant. Either way you still are directing the show. You might do this to make some kind of point about how simple things used to please us, or something like that.

Here is an example of a bad brainstopper. You might say, "That man's elocution is impeccable." For all of us highly educated and brilliant folks the word "elocution" obviously means fine form in speaking or reading.

If this word was used in a less educated arena, the instant it came out of your mouth, the brains of the audience members would be racing to figure out what the word "elocution" means. Thus, their brains have stopped because you used a word that was not easily understood. The audience member will not hear your next few sentences because they are still trying to figure out the word "elocution." Do this several times and they will tune out altogether ... unless of course you are Deepak Chopra who gets high praise for being totally unintelligible hahahahaha

Another way to stop someone's brain is to distract them by your actions. You might display an odd prop before explaining what it is. This would make an audience member stop listening while their minds tried to figure out what the prop is. If you were talking during this time, they wouldn't hear a word you said.

Look at your word choice and actions carefully before you exhibit them on stage. It is hard enough to keep attention in today's short attention span environments. Don't make it worse by using bad brainstoppers.

public speaking

Art journals are a form of daily devotion. They are experimental and a great place to explore new materials and techniques. They are an excellent way to record a full and immediate life. As I become more present with everyday life as it occurs and not so invested in long range goals, everything feels meaningful. A scrap of junk mail, a fragment from a magazine, a word, old letters. Everything can be gathered with a new frame of reference and be seen with new eyes and fresh meaning.

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art, journals, journalling, creativity