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Author:
Sandra Schrift

Public Speaking is the number one way to advance your business career.
Do you get nervous when speaking to a group? Do you feel butterflies in your stomach? The following tips will help you get your butterflies to fly in formation.
1. Everyone feels some nerves before a presentation. Try to do a quiet meditation, visualization, or exercise before you speak. Breathe deeply. Memorize those opening linesand then quickly engage your audience with a question or humorous story. 2. Three keys to being a top presenter: practice, practice, practice. In front of your mirror, in front of your stuffed animals. Use a tape recorder and a cam recorder for playback and feedback. Try your material out with service clubs.
3. Embrace your audience. Remember, it is about them, not you. Are you going to challenge them to think differently, behave differently or perhaps, confirm them.
4. Use the rule of 3. The most successful speakers limit their remarks to 3 major points. Here is where you use your signature stories to support your points and help people visualize what you are saying.
5. Prepare for white space. Always allow for audience participation, questions, role play, interaction. These may be the moments that just occur and may not be part of your prepared text. Lots of practice will let you get comfortable enough to do this.
6. Use your props. Visual aids help to reinforce your points. Power Point provides professionalism. Toys create humor and playfulness. Adults delineate their thoughts visually...so be creative.
7. Leave a trail. Provide a handout or a flyer about other programs you offer and how people may contact you. Collect their business cards and raffle a prize. Ask for written feedback and for referrals.
Copyright © 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. To find out How to Become a Highly Paid Professional Speaker, go to http://www.schrift.com/ProfessionalSpeaker/. Join my free bi-weekly Monday Morning Mindfulness ezine http://www.schrift.com/monday.htm.

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Professional Speaker... Public Speaking - A Starters Guide The record fear among most people is the horror of communal speaking. So how do you go about becoming a good presenter if you’ve never tried it before? First, you’re going to have to live it out. You want to come across a venue somewhere that you can give relaxed generous speeches. Start out by speaking in front of a copy – act as if you’re happy to give a speech. You can talk in front of a mirror, smooth practiced speakers use this as a practice to understand their facial expressions and how to vary them. This will present you the reassurance level you want to begin speeches or presentations in front of a group or audience. Connect a local speaking set. The Toastmasters are a good one – it’s a club for people who fancy to pick up their speaking skills, and they have people of all experience levels. Don't go to large just tiny audiences are good to start with. It’s a good deal easier to talk with a tiny group as a trainee than a multitude – you just act as if you’re conversation with friends, and regularly the pressure and jumpiness will go away. If you don’t have one in your neighborhood, you could try looking in your region for contests sponsored by the local Rotary club or other organizations. Alternatively, you could just get people to eavesdrop on you. If you’ve got a life-size presentation at job that you’re apprehensive about, do it quite a lot of times in front of people that you know and are relaxed with. You’ll have to live out the authentic thing. Always remember public speaking is fun, focus positive thoughts not negative when you are speaking. And these kinds of things always help - You'll be GREAT! About the Author : Public Speaking - Education for Public Speaking. Fear of Public Speaking - Overcome the fear. Illustrations ...