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About Professional Speaker |
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Humorous Motivational Speaker - What To Look For In A Speaker |
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The process of becoming a professional humorous motivational speaker really never occurred to me. I was going along with my life paying attention to the normal stuff, family, work, and friends. And then it was suggested that I attend the Players Workshop of The Second City, one of the oldest and most prestigious improvisational comedy schools in the world, located right in my own backyard, Chicago. This is where I decided to embark on a professional humorous motivational speaking career. Being a humorous motivational speaker and trying to motivate people is a difficult business, influenced by a myriad of psychological and environmental factors which alter from person to person, from... |
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Murphy's Law: How Speakers Can Prepare for the Unexpected |
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"Anything that can go wrong, will"- Murphy's Law Public speaking may still be the number one fear but it's not just speaking that scares people. Many speakers are afraid of what can go wrong-once they're already on the platform. Sooner or later you'll come face-to-face with Murphy. So your best offense is a good defense. Anticipate Problems-Step one to ensuring a successful presentation is to anticipate what could go wrong. What's your worst nightmare? Technology failure? Travel delay? Bad weather? You forgot your presentation? You didn't pack your shoes? Identify everything that could possibly go wrong. Have an Action Plan-Once you identify the roadblocks come up with a contingency... |
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The Role of the Public Speaker |
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Throughout the years of my life, I have addressed many people through public speaking. I have also met many, who could not make themselves go before an audience, in spite of their, deep personal knowledge, of interesting subject matter. If you are having this troubling experience, read on, and we will explore some of the tricks, and tribulations, of public speaking. One of the most frightening experiences a public speaker may encounter is; walking out on the stage and seeing hundreds of people in the audience. This can be overwhelming to public speakers, even those with years of experience. One might try to look at your audience, intently. Seems aggressive to some people, but, this is... |
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How to Scare the "Gooey" Out of a New Public Speaker
Author:
Doug Staneart
95% of the population has some type of fear of public speaking, and a great deal of this nervousness or anxiety comes from well-meaning friends or coworkers who offer constructive criticism as a way to help a new presenter improve his/her public speaking. Public speaking is not unlike any other new skill that is developed in that when we try to speak in front of a group for the first time, every one of us will be nervous (just like the first time you used a computer, or the first time you drove a car, or the first time you rode a bicycle.) What happens next, though, usually determines whether the first-time speaker will gain confidence or become more nervous. Any time we try something new and have what we consider to be a success, we gain confidence in that skill. Any time we try something new and feel like we failed, we diminish confidence. Think about learning to speak in front of a group as we do about riding a bicycle. When a kid hops on a bicycle, rides for a few yards, then falls over, the Mom or Dad, usually says something like, “Look how far you rode! Let’s see if you can go farther next time,” not “You did good, HOWEVER, toward the end there, you really tapered off, so you should probably keep pedaling a little longer and make sure you keep a firm grip on the handlebars, and oh yeah, by the way, you looked a little shaky, so keep your posture upright so you can have better control of the bike.” Most Nervousness in Public Speaking Comes From Perceived Failures Created From Constructive Criticism HOWEVER, that’s the way most friends and coworkers coach speakers. We tell the speaker something good, but then we follow up with either a BUT or a HOWEVER. What that tells the speaker is, “What I just told you was just to make you feel better, BUT here is how you really did.” A seasoned presenter will be able to accept this type of coaching more positively. A new speaker, though, will most likely reduce his/her confidence and focus primarily on fixing the problem instead of presenting well. For instance, if we count “Uhs,” then over time, a new presenter will focus on not saying “uh” instead of on presenting his/her talk well. Consequently, the speaker will most likely say “uh” more often. Constructive criticism in public speaking usually sounds like the following (I’ve included natural interpretations that we all internalize when we hear these types of comments about ourselves): - Slow down (You talk so fast that people can’t understand you.)
- Speak up (You timid little person… We can’t hear you.)
- Stand up straighter (We can all see that you are not confident enough to present well.)
- Take your hands off the lectern (We want to be able to see your hands shake.) And there are dozens more. Just remember, the best type of coaching you can give a new speaker is to tell them they look natural and confident (if that is a stretch, tell them how much courage they have.) Let them get comfortable speaking a few times and have a few successes in front of a group. After a few successes, a lot of the menial nervous ticks and symptoms will start to diminish. When the trust is high between you and the speaker, and he/she knows that you think he/she is confident, then you can begin to offer a few constructive comments a little at a time. Doug Staneart, doug@leaderinstitute.com, is CEO of The Leader's Institute, www.leadersinstitute.com, specializing in leadership, public speaking, and team building training for individuals and groups. He can be reached toll-free at 1-800-872-7830.
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Public Speaking: How to Make a Point with Humor |
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One of the old saws of public speaking says that you should 'Tell em what you're gonna tell 'em. Tell 'em. Then tell 'em what you told 'em.' When you want to make a point during your presentation, you can use a similar formula. You tell 'em the point, illustrate the point, then tell 'em the point again. This formula, however, can seem boring and redundant if you don't spice it up a little. One way to do it is to use humor. Here's the formula: 1. Make your point. 2. Illustrate your point (in our example below we're using a humorous two-liner, but you could use props, humorous props, funny stories, serious stories, case studies, etc.) 3. Restate your point. Here's an example where your point is 'The Importance of Communication.' 1. First make your point by saying, Accurate and clear communication is an important part of our everyday lives. 2. Then illustrate your point. In this case use a humorous two-liner. It's like the student pilot who was asked over the radio to state his altitude and location. He said, 'I'm five feet nine and I'm in the left seat.' 3. Then restate your point in a slightly different manner by saying, You can see how what we may think is clear communication could be interpreted incorrectly especially when people are under pressure. When you use humor in a public setting . . . especially when you are speaking to a business audience, or any audience who is not specifically there for humor, make the humor reinforce your point and you will get a much better response. Copyright © 1998 - 2005 Advanced Public Speaking Institute Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills... |
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