The Art Of Public Speaking

By Rupal Jain

As rightly said, "Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't; the other half have nothing to say and keep saying it". Public Speaking is explained as the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listener. It is a powerful tool used for various purposes such as motivation, influencing, persuasion, information, translation, entertainment etc.

A research revealed that 75% of the people suffer from "glossophopia" or "stage freight" which means fear of public speaking. Even the world's best speakers faced nervousness and stage freight. "There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars"- Mark Twain. However, the good news is that you can overcome the fear through sincere efforts and dedication by adopting few techniques which are stated below:-

1. Understand the occasion, venue and the message to be conveyed before the speech.
2. Analyze Who are the Listeners? What you want to communicate? When you want to convey the message? Where is the venue? Why should the audience listen to you? and How will you convey the message?
3. Prepare yourself before the speech; as said by someone that those who fails to prepare is preparing for failure.
4. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Emphasize on your strengths to overcome the weaknesses.
5. Structure the opening, body and closing of the speech effectively.
6. Use proper body language, gestures, tones, facial expressions and eye contact with the audiences.
7. Speak slowly and clearly, i.e. neither too fast nor too slow.
8. Keep the sentences short and simple and don't read word-to-word from your notes/ material.
9. Use appropriate technical details, graphs, diagrams, pictures, charts and other visual aids but don't over use it.
10. Support your statements with proper examples.
11. Don't get into arguments with the listener, if he/she disagrees with your ideas.
12. Stay Relaxed / Calmed; Be Enthusiastic, Positive and Confident.
13. Know when to stop; keep a watch on time.
14. Allow question and answer session in the end.
15. Always use language that you are comfortable with.
16. Finally, believe in what you are saying to boost your morale.

Wish you all the best for better Public Speaking!

Rupal Jain, Lecturer, Atharva Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai), and I can be reached at jainrupal@sify.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rupal_Jain

Top 10 Problematic Speaking Skills

By Lynda Stucky

Without a doubt, communicating effectively in the work place benefits both the employee and employer. Here are some common problems that may necessitate further action to improve speaking skills and elevate your presence.

1. You hear yourself on tape and you refuse to believe that it is you speaking. Believe it or not, the way you hear yourself on tape is the real you! When you hear yourself speaking from within yourself, you are hearing the vibrations of sound vibrate off of the bony structures of your head. It sounds different when you hear your voice "outside of yourself" on a tape-recorder.

2. People mistake you for the wrong age and the wrong sex. If this is happening to you, you are probably speaking with the wrong pitch!

3. You have to repeat yourself more than once or twice a day. You might be mumbling or speaking too softly. A foreign accent might also be interfering with the listener's understanding.

4. Your speech has caused people to laugh. Not a good thing at all! Hope this never happens to you. You might be "hypernasal" or sound like you are speaking through your nose.

5. Voice and speech skills can be detrimental to career advancement. This happens quite frequently since people climbing the corporate ladder are usually asked to spend more time in the public eye. Employers want a polished-looking representative of their company.

6. You've received negative feedback somewhere. Did you ever give a speech and your written feedback was that people couldn't hear you or understand you? That's a miserable feeling if you receive this kind of feedback. Besides, you probably worked very hard at creating the perfect presentation.

7. You refrain from public speaking because it is terrifying. An easy solution to feeling comfortable speaking in front of a group is to get in front of a group more often! The best place to do that is at a Toastmasters Club (most cities have them) where the purpose is to practice speaking in front of groups. Club members have the same goal as you!

8. People can tell where you are from by your regional accent. Being identified by your regional accent isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, some regional accents have a negative image and make the speaker sound uneducated. How is the accent of your region perceived?

9. Your voice tires during the day or you lose your voice completely. Not a good sign if you lose your voice completely. You may be harming your vocal cords by speaking too frequently, too loudly, or at the wrong pitch. Good voice care (or vocal hygiene) can make all the difference maintaining symptom-free voicing especially for heavy voice users!

10. You emotions show through your voice. What pushes your hot buttons and how do you do talking about these issues in public? Employees in the public eye need to be careful about showing their emotions in public. Many company spokespersons need to pass this test before being put in front of a camera. An essential skill that can be developed is voice control!

Copyright (c) 2008 Lynda Stucky

Speech and voice expert Lynda Stucky shows you how to use your voice effectively to establish credibility, position yourself within your company, and enhance your reputation as an authority in your area of expertise. She is a corporate speech pathologist who consults with business professionals on speaking to captivate, engage and inspire. http://www.clearly-speaking.com

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Want To Learn How You Can Make Millions Speaking?

By Paul Vann

How many times have you heard someone say, I want to become a professional speaker. That is not all, they go on to say, I am passionate about speaking.

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard someone said they wanted to be a speaker, I could buy a barrel of oil. Get it, buy a barrel of oil?

For the uninitiated, if you want to make millions as a professional speaker do not and I repeat, do not try to go it alone. Do not become a lone ranger and try to figure out on your own it will cost you a lot of money and aggravation.

If you want to make millions in the professional speaking industry, I recommend you hire a speaking coaching. Why?

A speaking coach will cut your learning curve in half and you can concentrate on honing your speaking skills and secure speaking engagements. Let it be said, when the student is ready the teacher will appear.

Some of the things on your checklist for finding a professional speaking coach reads as follows:

1. Research and find a speaker coach who has been where you are trying to go.

2. Request a list of clients your speaker works with, however privacy may be an issue but you can always ask.

3. Review the client list of the organizations the speaker coach works with.

4. Interview your speaking coach and ask for credentials, such as speaking schools or workshops they have attended, etc.

5. Inquire if the speaker coach has a coach, this speaks volumes of their commitment to speaking.

6. Meet with your speaker coach in person and then schedule phone, webinar, and or e-mail coaching.

7. Enroll and attend your speaker coaches training if they offer it.

8. Ensure your speaking coach gives you their professional and undivided attention during each session.

9. Become an active listener and a student of the speaking craft.

10. Ensure your coach provides a comprehensive review of your speaking abilities, including vocal variety, gestures, practice time, history of the audience, etc.

11. Request to attend your speaking coaches live events, assist them throughout their speaking engagement.

12. Fight early and often for feedback, this will make all the difference in the long run.

To be the best, meaning you want to become a million dollar speaker, you must focus on being excellent. In other words, your mandate must include practice, practice, and more practice.

The key to becoming an in demand speaker is to accept nothing less than hard work. Hard work will pay dividends in the long run and you will live your passion as a world renowned professional speaker.

When it comes to achieving success, always surround yourself with a great team of experts. You will soon discover great talent, attracts great talent, choose your team wisely and ensure you select the right speaker coach for you, it will lead to you making millions speaking.

Paul Lawrence Vann is CEO of the Wealth Building Academy, a professional speaking, training, coaching, and publishing company. He is a speaker coach who delivers a two-day live training titled, Make Millions Speaking. Vann's first speaking coach was the late Dottie Walters. Learn more about Paul's speaker coaching program at http://www.paullawrencevann.com or http://speakercoaching.blogspot.com or call the Wealth Building Academy at (800) 476-8976.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Vann

Want To Become A Great Speaker?

By Zohra Sarwari

Learn How In Five Easy Steps!

Don't think public speaking skills are important? Well, think again. Public speaking is crucial for just about everything...it's crucial for students in school, for workers, for personal events.

Did you know...

• Most people would rather die than speak in public?

• The number one fear most people have is public speaking.

As Jerry Seinfeld points out, this means that people would rather be the guy in the casket than the person responsible for delivering the eulogy at a funeral! Pretty crazy, right?

And those who have to speak regularly - like business executives and students - either put the whole thing off until the last minute and winging it, or they delegate the task to someone else.

Strangely enough, though, there are many reasons that people should be involved in public speaking. The most important reason is that public speaking is the only sure-fire way of getting yourself heard and potentially making a difference in the world. Everyone from politicians to top celebrities makes public speeches regularly to make their sentiments known on specific topics.

Hopefully, you're seeing the significance of public speaking at this point. If you're not convinced how important this activity is, well, you try getting your voice heard any other way.

Once you recognize that public speaking is a very important past time for anyone who wants to make a difference, you can apply these five tips to become an effective public speaker:

1. Be Charming:

A charming person has the power to make other people feel important. To be charming is to focus your attention, thoughts, and actions on others. To be charming in any situation, monitor your thoughts, and change any negative thoughts to positive ones, channeling positive thoughts to focus on your audience.

2. Be Charismatic:

By being charismatic you are being expressive and opening up to all those listening to you. You're showing your passion, and love for whatever it is that you're talking about. People will be able to feel what you're saying, instead of just hearing the words.

3. Know your Niche:

Be knowledgeable about your subject matter. Know what you're talking about inside out. Study it, then try to make speeches from your mind and heart.

4. Make an outline for each presentation:

People are visual learners so making an outline for your presentation will help to offer a visual representation. An outline can also be a framework for your talk and a marketing piece for potential clients.

5. Contact Non-Profits and Professional Groups:

Let people know that you are out there for speaking engagements. Contact Speaking Bureaus and let them know of your specialty and availability. Some might charge a fee; others might take a percentage for acting as your agent. Either way, you'll have the opportunity to get some much needed experience as a public speaker.

Implement all of these steps and get ready to become as a great speaker!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zohra_Sarwari

Speak and Touch the Heart

By Bhavna Sharma

Presentations and seminars become all too familiar in the business world. Jim Speaker is there with the overhead projector and PowerPoint slides-each with four of five points. Hours later the seminar is over. Seminars are informative but can be deadly. Just give me the handout and I’ll read it at home!

It takes a dynamic presenter to step out from behind the lectern and shake up and motivate their audience.

Facts touch or mind, but it is the power that comes from stories that touch hearts.

Everybody loves a story. Stories give us insight life and human nature. They can make us laugh and they can make us cry. Story telling will go beyond the bullet points and will make a memorable impression on the heart that can change a life.

As a speaker, how can you use stories to give your presentation the impact that you desire:

• Tell inspirational stories to persuade, motivate or entertain. Use stories to illustrate the point you want to make. Try to find stories that are relevant to the audience. For example, for software engineers, tell a story about the young engineer who started a company in his garage and how Microsoft changed the world.

• Tell a story from your own experience. Make a habit of keeping a story journal and record your day’s experiences. You will have a rich supply of unique experiences to draw from to illustrate your point.

• Use gestures and acting techniques to bring your story to life. Don’t just tell your audience about a difficult client; get up and show them. Actions have a greater impact on the point you are making.

• Use description and dialogue. Take your audience into the story by using description and dialogue. Help them visualize and feel that they are part of the experience.

• Practice your story until it’s natural. Use the pacing and rhythm to communicate your message to your audience. Listen to a tape recording of yourself. Check how you have varied the tone of your voice and your speed to create the biggest impact in your story.

Remember it’s not about you; it’s about your audience. You have a great story and an important message to convey. By concentrating on your audience, you will become more confident and relaxed. This will result in your audience feeling comfortable and more receptive to your message.

For More Free Resources visit www.onlinepublishingsite.com

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Public Speaking - How To Be Sure You Look And Sound Just Right

By Tony Hall

Do you think that if you knew that you looked and sounded just right, that your confidence to get up and make a speech would be boosted? Would your public speaking fears be banished by having the knowledge that the way you present yourself reflects a confident and assured speaker to all those who see you? Well in my experience it most certainly would and I have a way that might just help.

You see when I first went on a presentation skills course many years ago I had no confidence at all in my own ability to speak in front of an audience. The mere thought of it would bring me out in a cold sweat and I would be overwhelmed by nerves. The idea of me giving an assured and confident presentation in front of any audience seemed ridiculous. But within a couple of days all that changed!

The course was very much hands-on and involved role play routines and we went through the whole process of putting together a presentation. We learned how to research it, plan it and how to give it the correct structure. Then we formed up into pairs and actually filmed each other doing our talk.

Now if you've ever heard your voice on a recording you will know how it always sounds totally different to how you expect. So you can imagine what it was like to sit and watch the recording of our films.

It was quite a shock to see myself, but it was also a real education.

I could look at how I stood, examine the movements I made, and despair at how little I smiled. I was also able to listen to the tone of my voice, see where I did or didn't put pauses and hear the intonation and emphasis in my talk.

We had the chance to identify the good bits and to see where we could make changes to make it better. Then when we had done that we filmed it all over again.

The improvement was amazing and we got to keep the recordings so that we could show them to family and friends. When I showed mine the positive feedback was great and I've never looked back since. Seeing myself making that presentation really boosted my confidence and it can do the same for you.

So do whatever you can to get a way of filming yourself, you may even be able to set up a camcorder, or even just a webcam, and do it yourself if you prefer not to have anyone else present. I would recommend though that you involve someone you know and trust as their opinion will be invaluable.

Simply prepare a short speech, no more than five minutes, and film it. Then see how you look and sound. Examine the following:

- How you look.
- Do you smile enough?
- Your movements
- Your body language
- The tone of your voice
- Where and when you take pauses
- Your breathing
- Your intonation and pitch.

Decide what is good and what you can make better. Then do it all again, a number of times if you have to. Then, when you are happy with how you look and sound, be brave and show it to someone else. I'll be very surprised if they are not full of praise and give you lots of positive feedback.

Then you can be proud and confident that you can get up and talk to anyone knowing that you'll look and sound just right.

This article was written by Tony Hall who runs his own business providing individuals with personal and business skills development. You can learn more about developing your public speaking skills by visiting the website at:
http://www.selfimprovementskills.com/publicspeaking.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Hall

The Power of the Spoken Word

By: Ivan Bruno

There are three kinds of words: the written, the meditated, and the spoken.

The pen is more dangerous than the sword, says an adage. However most people do not understand that when written words become spoken words, they explode like firecrackers! If books speak volumes, speeches fire up entire lives.

Written words give full spectrum of probabilities and inform about a topic or event. Meditated words have the potential to bring out great ideas. However when both the written and meditated words are verbalized, the result is amazing, to say the least. Spoken words are fired from the barrel of a gun (the mouth), through a triggering mechanism (our tongue). When used correctly, words are like bullets that hit targets accurately and leave an indelible mark.

It pays to learn how to speak with fire or have a flowery tongue. The power of the spoken word is insurmountable. Entire nations have been either united or divided by one dominant leader who spoke winningly of a cause. Abe Lincoln spoke and persuaded divided Americans to unite, and this was before modern sound systems and media were used.

Speaking is a very unique technique of conveying messages. It involves body and soul. It can create a visual drama with live emotions and gestures that put life into the message like no written or meditated messages can achieve. In speaking, you are the message rather than the words you speak. Thus, entire multitudes can go berserk in public with a moving speech.

Vladimir Lenin, on the other hand, spoke with fire to sway Russian peasants and workers to bolt away from Czar Rule, and even called on the Proletariat or working class of other nations to a similar action.

You can also wield this powerful tool of speaking very credibly to an individual or crowd by just learning and practicing the chief points of public speaking. You may be amazed that steps to potent public speaking skills are very simple and easy, yet practicing them is important. Delivering the spoken word with power is a science and an art that requires persistence.

Power is gained through mastery. Powerful leaders since ancient civilizations have mastered the ways of the spoken word handed down to them by their forerunners. And if you want to attain the power of the spoken word, you have to persistently practice your skills in public speaking.

Article Source: http://www.article.e-booksdownload.com

Ivan Bruno is a professional public speaker and has 10 years of experience in public speaking arena and give many speeches in many occasion. He recommends public speaking classes at www.PublicSpeakingDot.Com