3 HABBITS OF GREAT PUBLIC SPEAKERS

Eric Thomas, Zig Ziglar,Les Brown, Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Nick Vujivic, Wyne Dyer.

What do all these motivational speakers have in common? I will tell you

                          They love

                   what they say.

I will call this point the most essential element of good public speaking. Great public presenters and speakers are nothing less emotional and passionate about their message. They are totally absorbed in their subjects so much so that when they speak, nothing else matters. This keen concentration they possess come from the strong believe that they have something of importance, a real value that needs to be heard by the whole world.

                                 They know

                       what to say.

Have you ever wondered why some people are so fluent in their presentation or public speech? The answer lies in the knowledge they have about their topic. This is something we all can relate to. When you talk about what you really love and know, your attention shift from self-consciousness to the impact of the message you are delivering. Great speakers are modest enough to acknowledge that they are not too experienced to prepare their speech. A good speaker knows what his audience already knows, how they feel about what they know, what could be new to them and grey areas where he can clear their misconceptions. Harmed with such information, he gives a polished delivery. He deliberately emphasizes new points or state old ones in an interesting way to hold the attention of his audience.

            They add value to lives

                            with their speech.

This is the very reason why some guys are called motivation speakers. They make motivational speaking their career because they want to make people act and act quick enough to take responsibility for their lives. Ordinarily, an individual will tune-out from listening if he senses that what is being said contains nothing of value to him. To avoid this, good speakers always have a moral lesson, a new way  acting, a change in idiosyncrasies spelt out clearly in their speech. Doing this ensures there’s always something every individual in the audience takes home.

Now, why all these details? Tony Robbins answers “I realize that success leaves clues and that people who produce outstanding results do specific things to create these results”

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE

A presentation is much like marketing. No one is interested in you or your product until they feel it fills a need or it’s valuable to their progress in life. Little wonder then, why companies spend millions of dollars on market research to know what their would-be consumers want. Having a good knowledge of your audience will help you give a presentation that’s worthwhile listening to. The following audience analysis will help you.

1.     Who will be there?

You need to know who will be listening to your presentation. Are they a group of teenagers, working-class adults, retired people, or business professionals? You should also find out about their cultural and religious background, their values and challenges. This will help you tailor your presentation to suit your audience and know what’s acceptable to them.

2.     What do they know about your subject?

This is essential if you hope to get your audience attention and hold it through your presentation. If they are experts on the subject on  hand, don’t dwell on the basics but build on these fundamentals. If they seem novice, it’s even simpler for you but try to speak clearly in a way they can grasp what you are conveying.

3.     What do they expect?

This is like asking why they will come to listen to you. This question will help you know what motivates your audience. If you are able to beat their expectations, wow! That will be awesome.

4.     What’s the size of my audience?

This will help you know what to expect and prepare your mind for it.  Believe me; it will knock you off your feet if you found out on the day of your presentation that upward of a thousand people will be listening to you when you had fifty in mind. Knowledge of the size of your audience will also help you understand the physical rigors involved in your speech like how much walking around you need to do while speaking. If you will be speaking to a large audience, it means you’ll need a microphone. Also, It will be of great help to you if you visit the venue of the presentation before the day of the speech.

5.     What’s the attitude of my audience?

If your audience feels that they don’t need to hear you, then you first have to correct that impression otherwise you’ll putting money into a leaking bag. Their attitude can be corrected by preparing a fitting introduction.

5 WAYS TO CONCLUDE YOUR PRESENTATION IN A BANG

Have you ever experienced a speaker close is presentation so abruptly without any form of motivation whatsoever? That’s not a good way to conclude even if the presentation have being going on so well. Why? Because your conclusion is of utmost importance in driving home your main point. What the audience hears last is what they often remember first and longest.

Your conclusion must be directly related to the main points you have presented. Your speech must have a signal of finality by using words like ‘in conclusion or finally’. It must move your audience to a specific action and motivate them by stating the reasons why they should act and the benefits of doing so.

There are several ways to end your presentation powerfully and memorably. Here are some:

1.     Challenge close

This method is used to motivate your audience to take a specific action. For example, you might say: “the worst people in the world are not those who cause the problem. They are those who see the problem but do nothing about it. Do something today by…..”(State the specific action required)

2.     Refer-back close

This form of conclusion refers back to an incomplete story you said earlier in the course of your presentation.

Example: “do you remember the boy I told you about, who knew no one to call his family, who was fostered by a kind woman? He is the brain behind this company. He is my boss”

3.     Quote closure

A motivating quote from a renowned individual is used to close the presentation. You might say something like this: I leave you with Abraham Lincoln’s words: I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he his right, and part with him when he goes wrong”

4.     Question close

This involves the use of a well phrased rhetorical question to move the audience to think and act. One speaker concluded his speech by asking the audience “do you want to live forever?" Many said yes.  He added:” the answer to that question is neither a mere yes nor no. Your own answer is how you live your life now”

5.     Audience –involved close

This technique involves closing your presentation with a phrase you have repeated several times in your speech and then inviting the audience to say it. For instance, if you used the phrase ‘if we want change, we must be the change’. In conclusion, say to your audience ‘if we want change’ (pause for audience to complete it)

Like I said earlier, there are several ways to end a presentation well. Practice how to use the 5 explained here and your next presentation will conclude in a bang that will make your speech stick indelibly to your audience memory.

HOW TO GIVE A STUNNING INTRODUCTION (part1)

Sometime ago, a guy was asked  to speak to  a Japanese audience. Though they understood English, the presenter wanted to start his speech with something exceptional. He earnestly learned how to say good morning ladies and gentlemen in Japanese. On the day of his presentation, he began by greeting this way. It was quiet surprising but interesting to him to observe that everyone in the audience adjusted promptly to listening to him. At the end of the presentation, someone in the audience walked up to him and asked “why did you start your presentation which such a weird greeting? I was wondering why you said good morning toilets and urinals”

   His introduction though improper served its purpose- it held the attention of his audience. The experience helps us to understand why the opening statement of a presentation should be interest arousing.

    The introduction to your presentation is very crucial because your audience makes their judgment about you and how interesting your speech will be the first 60s of your speech. If your presentation is a meal, then the introduction is the aroma. A good aroma, I’m eager to taste the food, a bad one, I lose my appetite. That the audience sitting in front of you doesn’t mean they will always listen to what you have to say because they have a lot of things going through their minds. At the beginning of your presentation, you have to prove that your speech is more important for now than anything else they are thinking.

So, what’s the best way to start a presentation?  I first intend to tell you what to avoid. Don’t say ‘ my name is…., and I am   here to talk about …… that’s  just too boring.

You can use any of these:

1.     A quote

2.     A question

3.     A short story or illustration

4.     A startling experience

5.     Statistics

6.     A personal anecdote or experience

7.     Joke

8.     An expert opinion

9.     A proverb or parable

10. A success testimony

Whichever you choose to use, note that an introduction has three main purposes:

• Getting your audience attention

• Clearly identifying your subject and

• Showing why the subject is important to your audience.

Anything short of this is not a good introduction.

WHAT YOU MUST DO BEFORE YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION

Do you know what I did before publishing this post? I thought of what to write and how I can write it so you will benefit from reading it. I prepared my mind. Next, I did some research on preparing a presentation and incorporated my own experience to have a complete detail. My outline came next. I sort it fit to type my full post into my computer and save it as a draft so that I can revisit it days after to make corrections before finally publishing it. Your preparation should not involve anything less.

If you have a presentation and haven’t prepared well and practiced repeatedly, I will advice you not to border trying to give it. Even if it’s impromptu, you still need a mental preparation. 

                 5 WAYS TO DO IT

1.     Prepare your mind

Once you are aware you are going to have a presentation even if it comes up months later, start to prepare for it now. Don’t procrastinate. If you have any information on the subject scan through it to have an idea on what it is all about. As you carry on your daily activities, reflect on what you need to do to give a great presentation. Listen to people and be observant. You will likely find a good illustration or story to use.

2.     Do research

You have to find out more details on your presentation topic.  This is especially important if you are going to speak to an audience of professionals. Browse the internet, read books. There’s something waiting for you there to make your presentation informative.

3.     Prepare an outline

Do not leave out this step. It is very important because a body cannot stand without the skeleton. To find out more about writing a good outline, read my post “how to write a good presentation outline.”

4.     Read and understand your material

Don’t just read and memorize the speech, make sure you understand what you intend saying. If you wish to motivate your audience, you really need to.

5.     Practice, practice and practice

Until now, you only have been writing and reading. Now is time for action. Now is time to present before the presentation. Try practicing aloud in front of someone and do so several times before the presentation.

I will like to end this post by telling you why I wrote it in the first place. It is because of what Abraham Lincoln said “ if I had eight hours to chop down a tree , I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe”

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PRESENTATION OUTLINE

When a speaker reads directly from a manuscript, it will be very obvious to his listeners. His pace and pattern of speaking will not be natural and spontaneous as an  every day conversation. His attention will be most focused on his papers than the audience. There’s very high possibility that minds of many in the audience will wander off. If you want your presentation to be conversational and motivational you have to stop completely relying on a piece of paper. You need an outline.

Basically, an outline is a skeletal description of your presentation. It contains main points and supporting ideas  arranged in logical order. Time is also allotted to each of the points. The outline is meant to help you recall ideals and maintain good eye contact with while you speak.

You can have a written or mental outline.  Both forms of outline helps you to organize your thought before speaking so that you don’t wander aimlessly from one point to another or say something you later regret.

There are three parts of an outline- the introduction, body and conclusion. You might find it helpful to write down few sentences as your introduction. As you prepare your presentation, try to connect the main points to the overall theme. Think of how you can explain the points clearly, illustrations and examples you can use to aid understanding your speech. Practice your presentation and see if you can cover the points within the allotted time. Always remember, focus on ideas not words. Don’t memorize, understand what you intent presenting.

To help you further I have prepared an outline of a presentation titled “mobile devices- a blessing or a curse?”

                                    INTRODUCTION (2MINS)

Relate two stories. The first involves someone who benefited from using a mobile devices on his job and other of a teen who is obsessed by and addicted   to his mobile phone.

                                             BODY (6MINS)

                  Benefits derived from good use mobile devices

                 Sad outcomes of unwise use of mobile devices

                           Best ways to use mobile devices

                                     CONCLUSION (2MINS)

                                     Recall important points

Illustrate: mobile devices are much like a sharp knife. It can kill, but is also a valuable tool in your  kitchen.

Call to action on the best involving wise and balance ways of using mobile devices

 

3 MISCONCEPTION ABOUT PUBLIC SPEAKING

I just can’t stop thinking about it, hundreds if not thousands with their eyes glued on me will listen to my presentation. My heart beats faster than ever. I wish can just hide from this impending failure. What if my speech doesn’t make sense, what if.....?

 Have you ever found yourself in the sort of situation described above? Many of us have. it is completely natural to feel nervous sometimes. Even Barack Obama has audience fear. I know you be thinking now, how do I know? Because everyone has a degree of audience fear. You just need to learn how to control it. The nervous energy you have can be channeled positively into a mind blowing speech. Your speech will be recorded  and played over and over again. How will you like that? I'm ready to share secrets, important secrets that will propel your progress.

Misconception 1

you  can’t hold the attention of the audience

Firstly, you need to understand that your audience is not actually sitting to judge you. At least, most of them anticipate what they can learn from you. You should understand that they have made considerable effort to be in the audience. In effect, while watching you , they are saying 'we will like to hear what you have to say'. Keep this in mind (very important).

Secondly, you must recognize that your audience will stay as motivated and enthusiastic as you do. I repeat, motivated as much as you are. If you are not interested in what you are saying, the way you speak and your body language give you out. Your audience will lose interest. this is often the reason why some  sleep or text during a presentation. To them the speaker is speaking  gibberish.

Misconception 2

 you will fail again

It might be a business or class room presentation. The last time you did it, it did go the way you wanted. Your audience already knows you are not a good speaker. But wait a minute! don’t you think this is an opportunity to prove them wrong? Just imagine a child of 7 who refuses to walk because he fell down the first time he tried. He concludes that this walking thing is not for him, so he remains in his comfort zone-crawling. Remember, failure cannot cope with persistence

 misconception 3

you will forget what to say

Sincerely, everyone forgets sometimes. At times you try to remember something you know and it seems it is at the tip of your tongue but it doesn’t just want to come out. We often forget when we are distracted or when the information isn’t so important to us. That is why you can't forget the name of your best friend. To overcome forgetting important points during your presentation you need to do two things- write out the presentation outline and absorb yourself into your subject by thorough preparation and practice.

10 PRESENTATION TIPS THAT ARE SUPER EFFECTIVE

Know your subject well

You must have a thorough knowledge about what you are going to say. This requires research. To be sure, you are going to find more information about your topic than you possibly need. Just keep the important ones and discard the chaff.

Clearly define your goal

Every speech has an objective. Are you speaking to entertain, motivate, convince or encourage your audience? Each objective calls for a different approach. For example, if you wish to motivate, you will have to reach the heart of your audience. Entertaining calls for humor and convincing requires presentation of facts.

Draft out an outline for your speech

An outline contains the main points in your speech and shows the flow of ideas. When you have a well prepared outline, you overcome the tendency of reading directly to your audience instead of speaking. I have prepared a post on this too.

Practice your opening remarks

The introduction of your presentation is very important. If you get it wrong here, you’ll likely find it hard to recover your balance through your presentation.  Check my post on how to give a stunning introduction.

Know your audience

It is quite essential that you have some knowledge about your audience if possible before the day of your speech. You need to know what sort of people they are, what their challenges are, their expectation and so forth. You need this to create a common ground and involve them throughout your presentation. To learn more about the audience, check out my post what your audience wants to hear

Know the highpoints of the presentation

Speech making is like travelling through a hilly terrain. There are always highpoint or point of high audience interest. These can be areas where you present something new or say something old in an interesting way

Search for good illustrations and short stories

If you want your audience to keep talking about your speech days, months or even years after it was given, you  need to incorporate an interesting story or an illustration whose message is very clear into your speech. This is the part I enjoy the most while handling presentations and obviously the audience love it too.

Practice, practice, and practice

I cannot overemphasize this because it is a prerequisite to public speaking success. Try practicing aloud. You could also make an audio recording of your speech and play it over to correct mistakes or practice in front of your friend or mate. This is important because it gives you a feel of reality and help improve your presentation skills. Read more about preparing for your presentation here.

Think of a powerful conclusion

There are three things the audience often remembers at the end of excellent presentation-  your introduction, an illustration or a short story, and your closing words. Your conclusion should achieve your speaking goals and be powerful enough to be remembered and motivate your audience to action. learn how to give a banging conclusion.

Look presentable for your presentation

You could apply presentation tips 1-9 but fail to give a good presentation if you care less about your looks. If you dress shabbily, overdress or dress too flashy, your audience will be looking at you instead of listening to you. It will just be like a great meal with all ingredients in place but with too much salt. So choose something neat and dignifying for the occasion, yet comfortable. When you dress well, you confidence is boosted.

IF YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL OVERCOME PUBLIC PRESENTATION ANXIETY

 Imagine the hall for your speech is on fire and you were able to rush to the stage to shout directions to your audience. Will you be anxious about what to say? Will you be thinking about your look? Obviously not.  But why?

   You have actually conquered self-consciousness because you have an important message, not just to you but to your audience. The value of what you need to say drives out all thoughts of fear.

What can we learn from this?

                               

               Have something

               to say.

     Even if you are an experienced public speaker, don’t make the  mistake of not preparing well for your speech hoping a miracle will happen. Sure a miracle will happen. The nearest unimportant thought will fill the vacuum. Loads of questions will keep running through your mind as you speak. You start wondering; what will I say next? How do I look? Then you conclude, I know I will fail and you are already failing.

            Love and understand

            the importance of

                 what you say.

    When preparing your speech, ask yourself what does my audience stand to benefit from this? What do they already know about this topic and how can I help them further. If you love what you say and add value to it, you gain full concentration and mastery over yourself and your audience. Please remember that you should be more concerned about the thoughts you are conveying to your audience and less about the specific words you use.

 

               Make your presentation 

                    conversational

     

     You don’t have to fear your audience because they want your presentation to be a success as much as you do. Before you say any word, pause briefly and make eye contact with some individuals in the audience while smiling. A reciprocated smile will put you at ease. Also throughout your speech, speak to individuals not the whole audience and don’t pay too much attention to frowning faces. Try to speak slowly and clearly. If you treat your presentation as a conversation you will be able to control your anxiety.

            

             Begin with the

           end in mind.

     Albert Einstein once said “imagination is more important than knowledge”. There’s something all great speakers and in extension all successful people in their various careers have in common- they possess the power of imagination. They see success even before attaining it. So as you give the final touch of preparation to your speech, imagine yourself giving an excellent speech, see yourself holding the attention of your entire audience. Ask yourself positive questions. Instead of asking yourself what if I fail to give a good presentation. Ask yourself how will it be if I give a incredible presentation? Close your eyes and envision the quietness in the room as they listen to you. Then see them giving you a standing ovation. This is not just wishful thinking, it works! And it has worked for me several times.

So what’s the point of all I have been saying? This is the point:

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LOVE, UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR SPEECH, PREPARE WELL, BE CONVERSATIONAL  AND EXPECT SUCCESS BEFORE YOU GET IT.

WHY YOU FEAR PUBLIC SPEAKING

What scare people more than death? The answer might surprise you. According to research, a lot of people actually fear public speaking than the threat of death. The unfortunate thing is that, we will have to stand and address a large audience someday whether we like it or not.

   To prepare you for the raining day, you have to first admit and understand your problem. To improve on your presentation or public speaking skills, you must answer the question- why do I fear making a public speech? The answer is simple but a fundamental truth. From my personal experience and that of others, our greatest fear is the fear of being judged by our listeners. All humans irrespective of background or life status have a need of social acceptance, approval and love by others. When it seems we're not going to be accepted but rather  embarrassed, our hearts starts resonating in fear. Our fear is that we can’t motivate ourselves let alone others. Our fear is that what we intent to  present is useless to our target audience.

  Until you change the way you think about yourself and what you are capable of doing, no magic book, no professional training classes, not even a zillion motivational posts from me will make you a pro speaker. Underline it, asterisk it, mark it if you wish. It is just the simple truth. The change you so desire must come inside-out not outside-in. By this I mean the solution lies within you not others. You have to and must take up the responsibility. I strongly believe you can.

  I will leave you with the famous words of Eleanor Roosevelt

                                                 "I believe anyone can conquer fear 

                                                  By doing the things he fears to do

                                                  Until he gets a record of successful

                                                   Experience behind him"