Self
Help: A Priceless Speaking Formula
Today I'm going to give you a
simple, 4 step formula for getting rave reviews when public speaking.
Step
One
When you are alone, rehearse out loud the exact words you are going to use
to present your ideas.
Most
people assume that articulate people are spontaneous. This is rarely the
case.
Virtually
all top performances are heavily rehearsed. I learned this from one of
Canada's top comedians, Irwin Barker.
Irwin
confessed to me that the real genuis of live performers is that they can
deliver rehearsed material in an off-the-cuff way...as though they just
thought of each joke.
You
can do the same by preparing your words and then delivering them in a
casual, relaxed way.
Step
Two
When you are preparing for the meeting, imagine you are already at the
scene. Visualize the audience in your mind. Hopefully, you will get a
little nervous, and then you can work on calming your nerves.
To
calm your nerves, you must realize that public speaking is not that
difficult. It is not necessary for you to be brilliant, funny, or
entertaining. Entertaining people is not what public speaking is about.
You
can be average. You can make mistakes and get tongue-tied, and still have
your audience rate you as excellent. All you have to do is give your
audience valuable information, and they will enjoy their time with you.
Step
Three
Just before your presentation, if you are nervous, say to yourself: 'It's
OK to be nervous. It's OK to be afraid of making mistakes.'
Most
people do the opposite. They say to themselves, 'I'm calm, confident, and
cheerful!' when they are filled with anxiety. This makes them feel worse,
because they are pretending to be confident when they aren't.
Telling
yourself it's Ok to be nervous will relax you, because you aren't forcing
yourself to try and feel confident when you aren't. You're just trying to
accept yourself.
Also:
you can't control your voice, your throat, or your fear. If you could, you
would never feel anxious or shaky. Since you can't control these things,
simply accept yourself by telling yourself that your reaction is completely
understandable.
Your
audience is aware that you are vulnerable up there, and they appreciate
your vulnerability.
Step
Four
When you are speaking, stop paying attention to how you feel, especially if
you are stressed out.
Instead,
pay attention to what's happening with the audience or meeting. What's
being discussed?
If
you are giving a presentation, you can do this by interacting with the
group by asking them questions about your topic. Then you can genuinely
respond to what they are saying.
Bring
yourself into the present moment.
When
you are in the NOW, you don't get stressed out about success or failure.
You're just responding to what people are saying.
This
takes practice, so start bringing yourself into the NOW as often as you can
when speaking to a group. Connect with one person at a time.
If
you take the focus off yourself, something radical will happen: you'll
start having fun.
If
you're reading this right now and would like to improve your public
speaking skills, a colleague of mine has a system that will make you
irresistible at the front of the room.
It's
Tom Antion's Wake 'Em Up Professional Video Speaking System.
Whether
you are a speaker or a leader in your company who makes presentations,
check it out... Tom's the real deal.
The
details are here:
Wake 'Em Up Professional Video Speaking System
I'll
talk to you again soon.
Your
friend,
Lisa B.
Advanced Self Help Institute
#106, 527 - 15 Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta T2R 1R5
Phone: (403) 261-2726
Fax: (403) 261-2725
Email: info@lisabrown.ca
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