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Build Your Business (on a shoestring): Hire a College Intern
Starting up a new venture or business can be one of the most exciting times of your life. It can also be one of the most stressful. In the early months, or even early years of your business, cash flow is often not what you would like it to be....
Survival Tips For Small Businesses
You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whichever, however or whatever you’ve got to know how is to keep your business alive during economic recessions. Anytime the cash flow in a business, large...
The 6 Stages of Modern Career Development
Career experts say that people will change careers (not jobs) 5-7 times in a lifetime. This being true, career management is an important life skill to develop and cultivate. There are six stages of modern career development: Assessment,...
The ACHILLES’ HEEL OF MANAGEMENT COACHING
While heading home at day’s end, you begin reflecting on a coaching meeting you had earlier that day with an employee, Chris. You hope that, this time, you finally succeeded in getting her to understand the importance of spending less time in...
THE “SEVEN Cs”: PARTNERSHIP DANGER SIGNS - The 6th C: Changing Vision
A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.
The 6th C: Changing Vision
In order for a business to be a success the vision and mission must be reflected in all aspects of the...
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How to Give a Great Speech
As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I have learned from several thousand professional speakers "How to Give a Great Speech." Here are some techniques that I share with my coaching clients who want to become paid professional speakers or business professionals who want to deliver masterful presentations.
1. Speak from the heart. Believe in what you have to say, or don’t say it. If your passionate about your subject the words will come. Speak about the fundamental beliefs you have about life, the simple truths that you believe in with all your heart.
2. Write down two or three specific objectives you have for this speech. Ask yourself, 'What do you want the audience to do as a result of your speech? 'Think differently? Act differently? Do something differently?
3. Write it out. When you give a speech be sure that people need to hear what you have to say. Than you need to understand it so well that you could explain it to an eight-year-old You know, if you write it down enough times, than you will become familiar with it. Don’t read your speech if necessary, just read the lead sentences that you write on a three by five card.
4. Be present. Connect with your audience in the first 60 seconds and than engage them throughout your speech. Once you get the audience rolling, be sure to embellish certain comments that you know are being well-received.
5. Know your audience. Interview the program chair in advance to know who will be sitting in your audience and what they expect to hear from you. Are they men or women? What is the theme of the meeting or conference? What is their purpose in being there? Because that then becomes your purpose. Be sure to give your audiences not just what they want, but also what they need to hear.
6. Room Setup. Be sure to check out the room where you will present your speech in advance. The worst thing that can happen to you is when they put the bright lights in your eyes and blackout the audience. If you go early to do your room check, you can tell them that you can’t give a speech with the audience in darkness. As a speaker, it is important that you see the faces in your audience.
7. Is there a technique? Try to be as natural as possible just speak conversationally. Talk to your smaller audiences as if you were in their living room. Don’t look over their heads or beyond them. Speak directly to them. If you are addressing a crowd of several
hundred or more people, look at one person, than another, than a third. But really look at them.
8. "Ums" and "Ahs." "Ums" and "ahs" come from uncertainty. The key is to know your subject and what you want to say. And than practice, practice, practice. Use your mirror or give your speech to your friends and family. And above all, don’t try to remember exactly the same words.
9. Personal Stories Be sure to share your personal stories with the audience. People will learn from your vulnerability and your mishaps and will be only a step away from their own story. We delineate our thoughts visually and so your audience needs to see what they hear. You don’t have to be clever, just share your life with your audience. Remember you are looking for their trust and trying to help them. So just consider them to be your friends and inject humor wherever possible.
10. Closing your speech Develop an action plan. What do you want your audience to do now that they’ve heard your speech? Go around the room, and ask them to share one nugget they got. Ask them for one idea that they can use NOW. In two weeks. In one month. Be sure to summarize your speech and than give them a call to action.
To find out How to Become a Highly Paid Professional Speaker, go to http://www.schrift.com/ProfessionalSpeaker/
©2004 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved
Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web site address (http://www.schrift.com) in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com Thank you.
Sandra Schrift 13 year speaker bureau owner and now career coach to emerging and veteran public speakers who want to "grow" a profitable speaking business. I also work with business professionals and organizations who want to master their presentations. Get more speaking skills at our "Summer Sizzle" webpage: http://www.schrift.com/summer_sizzle.htm. Join my free bi-weekly Monday Morning Mindfulness ezine http://www.schrift.com/monday.htm
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