How To Have Fun With Speeches
While most people consider speaking in public worse than a death sentence, it does not have to be so. In fact, public speaking can be a fun and fruitful endeavor in the hands of a speaker with the right mindset.
And the first agenda when it comes to public speaking is to approach it in terms of having fun.
How can you ever have fun speaking to a large audience hanging on to your every word and gesture, you say? The answers are simple.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Choose a subject near and dear to your heart. There is no better supplier of knowledge than experience. Your audience knows when you just read off a book and when you’re speaking from having been there yourself.
Frankly speaking, unless you speak with emotional involvement with the subject, you cannot endear yourself to your audience. The audience looks for it, wants to know that whatever they are learning from you is worth their time and effort to listen to.
You want to be earnest, enthusiastic, excited, and persuasive. No other technique does this faster than being personally involved.
2. Capture the feelings you had about the topic. Again, your feelings are the key to a convincing speech and is the ability to project the feelings you had of the subject across the whole audience. Some may not agree with you and some may have felt you could have said it another way. But, none of them will forget you.
Speaking to the public monotonously and indifferently creates a sense of objectivity not appreciated by the audience. The stage is not the time to become dispassionate. Imagine the reason why we patronize movies and theater so much. It is partly because we want to see depth of emotion expressed fully.
As human beings, we need to see humanity in others.
3. Speak and act sincerely. You must approach the speech like a man going to have a good time, not like a man heading for a hanging. No matter what happens, you must have the will to survive with a sense of humor. In this tip, one must find a way to appreciate the situation he is in, and then find a way to turn the tables to his advantage.
The ability to float right-side up when you are down is a great test of personal character more than anything. To act with sincerity in all that you do will permeate his being and will become most noticeable with the audience.
persuasive speaking
And the first agenda when it comes to public speaking is to approach it in terms of having fun.
How can you ever have fun speaking to a large audience hanging on to your every word and gesture, you say? The answers are simple.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Choose a subject near and dear to your heart. There is no better supplier of knowledge than experience. Your audience knows when you just read off a book and when you’re speaking from having been there yourself.
Frankly speaking, unless you speak with emotional involvement with the subject, you cannot endear yourself to your audience. The audience looks for it, wants to know that whatever they are learning from you is worth their time and effort to listen to.
You want to be earnest, enthusiastic, excited, and persuasive. No other technique does this faster than being personally involved.
2. Capture the feelings you had about the topic. Again, your feelings are the key to a convincing speech and is the ability to project the feelings you had of the subject across the whole audience. Some may not agree with you and some may have felt you could have said it another way. But, none of them will forget you.
Speaking to the public monotonously and indifferently creates a sense of objectivity not appreciated by the audience. The stage is not the time to become dispassionate. Imagine the reason why we patronize movies and theater so much. It is partly because we want to see depth of emotion expressed fully.
As human beings, we need to see humanity in others.
3. Speak and act sincerely. You must approach the speech like a man going to have a good time, not like a man heading for a hanging. No matter what happens, you must have the will to survive with a sense of humor. In this tip, one must find a way to appreciate the situation he is in, and then find a way to turn the tables to his advantage.
The ability to float right-side up when you are down is a great test of personal character more than anything. To act with sincerity in all that you do will permeate his being and will become most noticeable with the audience.
persuasive speaking
Listen Intently, And Choose Your Words Wisely
Last week I had the opportunity to speak to a group of investment executives in California. One of my mentors, Doug Wood, attended the meeting. Doug has 40 years of experience in the investment industry, and is a legend in the investment wholesaling business. He is a master salesperson, manager, trainer, and entrepreneur. He started out as a speech and drama teacher, and he has always been a stickler for making exceptional presentations. After every presentation he provides me, (or any of the hundreds of other salespeople he has trained) with critique and guidance on how to improve my presentation. One thing I love about Doug is that he always tells me the truth. As a sales trainer and professional speaker, this is invaluable!
One thing I have learned from Doug is that the biggest part of selling is listening. All other things being equal, the salesperson that listens best is the one who gets the sale, and in the most effective sales presentations, professional salespeople listen 60 to 80% of the time. If we truly follow this guideline then we need to make sure we choose our words carefully.
Selling is a profession of numbers and averages, and we want to be certain we have all of the odds in our favor. This includes everything, including our attire, sales materials, presentation and closing technique, service, and even the words we choose to use in our presentations. Years ago I heard of a study conducted at Yale University over a 30 year period of time which yielded a list of the twelve most persuasive words in the English Language. These words are as follows:
You, Money, Save, New, Results,Discovery, Easy,Help, Safety, Proven, Guarantee, Have
When we construct our sales presentations, we pay attention to their structure. For example, we want to start off with the challenge or problems that the prospect faces, then a description of how our product of service provides a solution, and close with a strong call to action. However, this is not enough. Everything is important, including personal appearance, sales and collateral materials, how we position ourselves in the “Selling Space,” as well as etiquette and manners when we entertain.
If a professional salesperson is only speaking 20 to 40% of the time, it is common sense that they should choose to use words that provide the greatest opportunity to be persuasive and move the prospect to action. We have all heard that you should “Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak,” and the mental imagery that we use is made up of carefully chosen words and phrases. Make sure, as Dr. Stephen R. Covey says, to “Seek first to understand, then be understood,” and when it becomes time to be understood, use these words to make your presentations even more powerful and effective.
Persuasive communication
One thing I have learned from Doug is that the biggest part of selling is listening. All other things being equal, the salesperson that listens best is the one who gets the sale, and in the most effective sales presentations, professional salespeople listen 60 to 80% of the time. If we truly follow this guideline then we need to make sure we choose our words carefully.
Selling is a profession of numbers and averages, and we want to be certain we have all of the odds in our favor. This includes everything, including our attire, sales materials, presentation and closing technique, service, and even the words we choose to use in our presentations. Years ago I heard of a study conducted at Yale University over a 30 year period of time which yielded a list of the twelve most persuasive words in the English Language. These words are as follows:
You, Money, Save, New, Results,Discovery, Easy,Help, Safety, Proven, Guarantee, Have
When we construct our sales presentations, we pay attention to their structure. For example, we want to start off with the challenge or problems that the prospect faces, then a description of how our product of service provides a solution, and close with a strong call to action. However, this is not enough. Everything is important, including personal appearance, sales and collateral materials, how we position ourselves in the “Selling Space,” as well as etiquette and manners when we entertain.
If a professional salesperson is only speaking 20 to 40% of the time, it is common sense that they should choose to use words that provide the greatest opportunity to be persuasive and move the prospect to action. We have all heard that you should “Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak,” and the mental imagery that we use is made up of carefully chosen words and phrases. Make sure, as Dr. Stephen R. Covey says, to “Seek first to understand, then be understood,” and when it becomes time to be understood, use these words to make your presentations even more powerful and effective.
Persuasive communication
