=> "All my wives were my favorites." -- Cary Grant born January 18, 1904
=> "You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap." -- Dolly Parton, born January 19, 1946
=> "Happiness is having a large, loving, close-knit family .. . in another city." -- George Burns, born January 20, 1896
=> January 21, Hugging Day
=> Hugging is a means of getting two people so close together they can't see anything wrong with each other.
=> January 21, Speak Your Mind Day
=> A narrow mind and a wide mouth usually go together.
=> Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
=> "I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves." -- August Strindberg, born January 22, 1849
=> "To age well it helps to have two things. Fame and money." -- Jeanne Moreau born January 23, 1928
=> "I keep the commandments. I love my neighbor as myself, and to avoid coveting my neighbor's wife, I desire to be coveted by her; which, you know, is quite another thing."-- William Congreve born January 24, 1670
=> "In America you can always find a party. In Russia, the party always finds you." -- Yakov Smirnoff, born January 24, 1951
=> It is very unfair to expect a politician to live in private up to the statements he makes in public." -- Somerset Maugham born January 25, 1874
=>"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." -- Lewis Carroll born January 27, 1832
=> "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with"and,
=> "A thing worth having is worth cheating for." and
=> "I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. WC Fields born January 29, 1880
=> "I am as pure as the driven slush." --Tallulah Bankhead born January 31, 1903
=> "You don't know anything about a women until you meet her in court." -- Norman Mailer born January 31, 1903
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Public Speaking : USE ALL THE SENSES
Audience members assimilate information in three different ways. Some people hear the information, some see the information, and some feel the information. Although most individuals switch their emphasis frequently, one style usually predominates for a given individual. The styles of information transfer are called respectively auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
For you to connect with the most audience members, you should include information throughout your program that appeals to all three of these styles. People that are primarily visual assimilators may be day dreaming throughout the portions of your presentation where you are using only words to convey your information. They will perk-up when you use a visual aid such as an overhead, flip chart, or prop.
People that are kinesthetically oriented are looking for those words that describe feelings and that evoke emotions. They will also wake up and come to attention if you have them come up on stage with you and you shake hands with them or put your hand on their shoulder (not in Asia). Auditory assimilators might just love to hear you talk or they might like to hear a recording of JFK or some type of music.
When you plan your program so that auditory, kinesthetic,and visual elements are interspersed throughout, this will increase your chances of connecting with all the audience members and decrease the chance that old Mr. Sandman will come knocking on their heads.
For you to connect with the most audience members, you should include information throughout your program that appeals to all three of these styles. People that are primarily visual assimilators may be day dreaming throughout the portions of your presentation where you are using only words to convey your information. They will perk-up when you use a visual aid such as an overhead, flip chart, or prop.
People that are kinesthetically oriented are looking for those words that describe feelings and that evoke emotions. They will also wake up and come to attention if you have them come up on stage with you and you shake hands with them or put your hand on their shoulder (not in Asia). Auditory assimilators might just love to hear you talk or they might like to hear a recording of JFK or some type of music.
When you plan your program so that auditory, kinesthetic,and visual elements are interspersed throughout, this will increase your chances of connecting with all the audience members and decrease the chance that old Mr. Sandman will come knocking on their heads.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Public Speaking : OPENING TIPS
=> Make points that folks agree on first. Never create controversy early, unless you are doing it for dramatic effect.
=> Never tell a long involved story unless it is HIGHLY TESTED. If it bombs, you will have a tough fight to win back the audience.
=> Never tell any story or joke that has a remote chance of offending someone. After you warm up the audience, you may be bolder.
=> Somewhere in your opening you must tell the audience why you are there. They need some selfish reason to listen to you.
=> Using humor in your opening tells the audience that yours is going to be a fun presentation. It tells them that they might actually enjoy it. Don't disappoint them by telling an opening joke and boring them the rest of the time.
=> Never tell a long involved story unless it is HIGHLY TESTED. If it bombs, you will have a tough fight to win back the audience.
=> Never tell any story or joke that has a remote chance of offending someone. After you warm up the audience, you may be bolder.
=> Somewhere in your opening you must tell the audience why you are there. They need some selfish reason to listen to you.
=> Using humor in your opening tells the audience that yours is going to be a fun presentation. It tells them that they might actually enjoy it. Don't disappoint them by telling an opening joke and boring them the rest of the time.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Public Speaking : HOW TO DELIVER A PUNCHLINE PART II
In Part I we discussed the actual delivery method used for the punch line. Now let's see how to pick the correct person in the audience. Remember to deliver to one person and one person only.
The person to whom you deliver the punch line is NOT randomly chosen. I deliver punch lines to a person I know is going to laugh. How do I know? I pay attention. That's how I know. It all starts with my pre-program research. If I have spoken to any of the audience members and they were laughing with me on the phone, I'll seek them out before the program so I know where they are sitting. That way I can look directly at them during the program. Before the program starts, I mingle with the participants, not only to meet them, but to see who is and who is not "in fun"(mingling with them helps to put them in fun). In addition, I watch the audience when the emcee or program coordinator is talking. This gives me a mental note of the people who are not only having fun, but also paying close attention tothe person speaking. Don't be fooled by an audience who appears to be having great fun. It could very likely have been induced by alcohol at their social hour. They may be oblivious to what's happening on-stage.
After you have begun your presentation, another way to tell who to deliver to is by closely watching the audience. Some audience members who are really in tune with what you are saying will nod their head gently in approval. You should have great success delivering to these people.
There are two reasons for delivering your punch line to someone you know will laugh. The most important is that you want that person to be a good example for the rest of the audience. If you direct a punch line or comment to a person in the audience, the other members of the audience will naturally look in that direction. If they see someone laughing, there is a high probability they will laugh too. If you deliver your line to some sour puss that hasn't laughed for 20 years, the rest of the audience will see an example of someone NOT laughing and they will be negatively influenced. A 1976 study by Antony Chapman and D. S. Wright supports the notion that the lack of laughter or inappropriate laughter (the kind of laughter you would get if you pick on someone or some group inappropriately and they laugh to save face) are inhibitors of laughter.
The second reason for delivering your punch line to someone you know will laugh has to do with confidence. There is little chance that you will get old sour puss to laugh nomatter what you do. If you kill yourself trying and fail, as you probably will, it will knock your confidence level and affect the rest of your performance. Combine this with the fact that you will be ignoring the rest of the audience, who will be watching this person not laugh, and you'll be quickly swinging in the wind. Deliver to the ones that appreciate you!
The person to whom you deliver the punch line is NOT randomly chosen. I deliver punch lines to a person I know is going to laugh. How do I know? I pay attention. That's how I know. It all starts with my pre-program research. If I have spoken to any of the audience members and they were laughing with me on the phone, I'll seek them out before the program so I know where they are sitting. That way I can look directly at them during the program. Before the program starts, I mingle with the participants, not only to meet them, but to see who is and who is not "in fun"(mingling with them helps to put them in fun). In addition, I watch the audience when the emcee or program coordinator is talking. This gives me a mental note of the people who are not only having fun, but also paying close attention tothe person speaking. Don't be fooled by an audience who appears to be having great fun. It could very likely have been induced by alcohol at their social hour. They may be oblivious to what's happening on-stage.
After you have begun your presentation, another way to tell who to deliver to is by closely watching the audience. Some audience members who are really in tune with what you are saying will nod their head gently in approval. You should have great success delivering to these people.
There are two reasons for delivering your punch line to someone you know will laugh. The most important is that you want that person to be a good example for the rest of the audience. If you direct a punch line or comment to a person in the audience, the other members of the audience will naturally look in that direction. If they see someone laughing, there is a high probability they will laugh too. If you deliver your line to some sour puss that hasn't laughed for 20 years, the rest of the audience will see an example of someone NOT laughing and they will be negatively influenced. A 1976 study by Antony Chapman and D. S. Wright supports the notion that the lack of laughter or inappropriate laughter (the kind of laughter you would get if you pick on someone or some group inappropriately and they laugh to save face) are inhibitors of laughter.
The second reason for delivering your punch line to someone you know will laugh has to do with confidence. There is little chance that you will get old sour puss to laugh nomatter what you do. If you kill yourself trying and fail, as you probably will, it will knock your confidence level and affect the rest of your performance. Combine this with the fact that you will be ignoring the rest of the audience, who will be watching this person not laugh, and you'll be quickly swinging in the wind. Deliver to the ones that appreciate you!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Public Speaking : DELIVERING THE PUNCH LINE Part I
Most jokes are designed to end with a humorous climactic word or phrase. Here's an example from Larry Wilde's book "Library of Laughter:"
I can't understand why you failed in business. Too much advertising. You never spent a cent in your life on advertising. That's true, but my competitor did.
Everything in the joke up to the comma after "That's true" is the setup of the joke. "But my competitor did" is the punch line. The punch line gets its name from the delivery technique used. You must punch the line out a little harder and with a slightly different voice than the rest of the joke. Lean into the microphone and say it louder and more clearly than you said the setup lines. If the audience does not hear the punch line, they are not going to laugh.
Just before the punch line you should pause slightly (to emphasize and draw special attention to the line. After you deliver the line, don't utter another sound. Give the audience a chance to laugh. Words or phrases appended to the climax tend to delay or impede laughter. Until you get some experience, it is really tough to wait. Beginners tend to be afraid that no laughter will come, so they keep going. If you keep talking during this period, you will easily squelch the laughter. As your confidence builds, pausing will become easier and easier. Sometimes waiting the audience out will actually give them a cue to laugh even if the joke wasn't that great.
When you deliver your punch line, deliver it to one person and one person only. It doesn't matter how large the crowd is, you can look one person right in the eye and deliver your line.
Next issue we will learn how to pick the person to whom you deliver your punch line.
I can't understand why you failed in business. Too much advertising. You never spent a cent in your life on advertising. That's true, but my competitor did.
Everything in the joke up to the comma after "That's true" is the setup of the joke. "But my competitor did" is the punch line. The punch line gets its name from the delivery technique used. You must punch the line out a little harder and with a slightly different voice than the rest of the joke. Lean into the microphone and say it louder and more clearly than you said the setup lines. If the audience does not hear the punch line, they are not going to laugh.
Just before the punch line you should pause slightly (to emphasize and draw special attention to the line. After you deliver the line, don't utter another sound. Give the audience a chance to laugh. Words or phrases appended to the climax tend to delay or impede laughter. Until you get some experience, it is really tough to wait. Beginners tend to be afraid that no laughter will come, so they keep going. If you keep talking during this period, you will easily squelch the laughter. As your confidence builds, pausing will become easier and easier. Sometimes waiting the audience out will actually give them a cue to laugh even if the joke wasn't that great.
When you deliver your punch line, deliver it to one person and one person only. It doesn't matter how large the crowd is, you can look one person right in the eye and deliver your line.
Next issue we will learn how to pick the person to whom you deliver your punch line.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Public Speaking : BACKGROUND MUSIC
Background music playing when participants enter a room is a great way to set the mood for a NO ZZZZZs meeting or event.It also makes you look like a more polished presenter. The proper selection of music gets people in the right mood and adds a touch of drama to the presentation. You can also use music when the participants are leaving to give them a pleasant atmosphere as they exit. Avoid turning music on or off suddenly. It should always fade in and fade out slowly.
When selecting music, generally you would pick up beat music for upbeat presentations and slower music for more seriousoness. This is very subjective, but not usually too critical unless you're the type who would play loud rock music at a retirement home. If you have no clue how to pick music, get some expert help or buy music designed for presentations from a training supply company that has labels that tell you when to use it.
If you are on a tight budget and can't arrange for professional sound equipment, don't worry. In small rooms a decent boom box will suffice. If you are in a larger room, you can put the microphone that will be used for the presentation in front of the speaker of the boom box. This will send the music through the room's sound system.
BIG WARNING: DO NOT PLAY COPYRIGHTED MUSIC WITHOUT THE PROPER LICENSING OR YOU WILL BE SORRY. THE MUSIC POLICE WILL GET YOU. Don't worry though, I'll explain below how you can still use music without the threat of a lawsuit.
There have been many lawsuits between meeting planners and organizers and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) and The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers(ASCAP). If you want to use copyrighted music, make sure you tell your meeting planner. At the time of this writing, the sponsoring organization is ultimately responsible for the proper licensing of music played at an event. However, the real life story says that you should clear your use of music with the sponsoring organization well in advance of the program. If you don't, you may be the one responsible for a lawsuit against the organization that hired you. Better hang up your laser pointer because you won't last long as a speaker pulling those kinds of stunts.
HOW TO GET LICENSING If you are doing your own public seminars and you want to use copyrighted music, you must obtain your own license. Call BMI or ASCAP in New York City for details.
When selecting music, generally you would pick up beat music for upbeat presentations and slower music for more seriousoness. This is very subjective, but not usually too critical unless you're the type who would play loud rock music at a retirement home. If you have no clue how to pick music, get some expert help or buy music designed for presentations from a training supply company that has labels that tell you when to use it.
If you are on a tight budget and can't arrange for professional sound equipment, don't worry. In small rooms a decent boom box will suffice. If you are in a larger room, you can put the microphone that will be used for the presentation in front of the speaker of the boom box. This will send the music through the room's sound system.
BIG WARNING: DO NOT PLAY COPYRIGHTED MUSIC WITHOUT THE PROPER LICENSING OR YOU WILL BE SORRY. THE MUSIC POLICE WILL GET YOU. Don't worry though, I'll explain below how you can still use music without the threat of a lawsuit.
There have been many lawsuits between meeting planners and organizers and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) and The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers(ASCAP). If you want to use copyrighted music, make sure you tell your meeting planner. At the time of this writing, the sponsoring organization is ultimately responsible for the proper licensing of music played at an event. However, the real life story says that you should clear your use of music with the sponsoring organization well in advance of the program. If you don't, you may be the one responsible for a lawsuit against the organization that hired you. Better hang up your laser pointer because you won't last long as a speaker pulling those kinds of stunts.
HOW TO GET LICENSING If you are doing your own public seminars and you want to use copyrighted music, you must obtain your own license. Call BMI or ASCAP in New York City for details.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Public Speaking : DOORS
One of the biggest sources of distraction has to do with something every meeting room has and that is a door. Doors squeak, they slam shut, and they allow people to walk in the audience's line of sight. According to Tom's Law of Presentations, these three things are only allowed to happen at the exact moment of your best punch line or most dramatic statement.
Doors are very easy to deal with if you can gain access to the room early. The first thing I do is check to see if the doors squeak. If they do, I call maintenance or find a little oil can and oil the hinges. If it's an old hotel, this probably hasn't been done in 30 or 40 years. Then I let the door swing shut on its own. This tests the closing mechanism. If it is hopelessly weak and allows the door to slam shut, I either ask for it to be adjusted (which no one ever knows how to do) or I have someone stand at the door to open and close it for latecomers. The latch of the door can make lots of noise to, so you simply tape the catch mechanism shut.
Door location can also be a pesky problem. Sometimes the room is set so there is a door behind or very close to the stage area. If someone would enter this door during your presentation, it would be very distracting.
You can usually tape up a "Please Use Other Door" sign to help with this. When you know you have any kind of door problem, try to alert the planner or recruit people from the organization to police the doors for you.
Doors are very easy to deal with if you can gain access to the room early. The first thing I do is check to see if the doors squeak. If they do, I call maintenance or find a little oil can and oil the hinges. If it's an old hotel, this probably hasn't been done in 30 or 40 years. Then I let the door swing shut on its own. This tests the closing mechanism. If it is hopelessly weak and allows the door to slam shut, I either ask for it to be adjusted (which no one ever knows how to do) or I have someone stand at the door to open and close it for latecomers. The latch of the door can make lots of noise to, so you simply tape the catch mechanism shut.
Door location can also be a pesky problem. Sometimes the room is set so there is a door behind or very close to the stage area. If someone would enter this door during your presentation, it would be very distracting.
You can usually tape up a "Please Use Other Door" sign to help with this. When you know you have any kind of door problem, try to alert the planner or recruit people from the organization to police the doors for you.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Public Speaking : Stick em Up!
I use all types of stickers and labels to help market my business and to save money. You can use labels for all sorts of things. I use them in the following ways:
=> To turn generic pocket folders into marketing pieces by putting brightly colored testimonial stickers on the outside. I pick the testimonials that are appropriate for the client.
=> To make my packages and mailers really stand out in the mail room, or on the desk of my client.
=> To promote my website. Just about everything leaving my office has a bright red website sticker on it.
=> To promote me. Most client packages have a sticker that promotes my catch phrase, "Tom Antion, a Rare Mix of Business and Entertainment"
=> To save money. My main mailing label is printed in two colors and has my photo on it. It is sized so that it perfectly fits on a business envelope. This gets me out of buying custom printed envelopes. I use the same label for all my book shipments and just about everything that goes out of my office.
I use the computer program "Avery Label Pro" (about 50 dollars) for everything except my photo label. It allows me to make all kinds of customized labels in minutes. I even used it to make aone-of-a-kind label for a specialized audio demo tape requested by a bureau.
=> To turn generic pocket folders into marketing pieces by putting brightly colored testimonial stickers on the outside. I pick the testimonials that are appropriate for the client.
=> To make my packages and mailers really stand out in the mail room, or on the desk of my client.
=> To promote my website. Just about everything leaving my office has a bright red website sticker on it.
=> To promote me. Most client packages have a sticker that promotes my catch phrase, "Tom Antion, a Rare Mix of Business and Entertainment"
=> To save money. My main mailing label is printed in two colors and has my photo on it. It is sized so that it perfectly fits on a business envelope. This gets me out of buying custom printed envelopes. I use the same label for all my book shipments and just about everything that goes out of my office.
I use the computer program "Avery Label Pro" (about 50 dollars) for everything except my photo label. It allows me to make all kinds of customized labels in minutes. I even used it to make aone-of-a-kind label for a specialized audio demo tape requested by a bureau.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Public Speaking : FAMILY
One way to build rapport with an audience is to include information about your family. Most people in the audience get the warm fuzzies when you mention your spouse or kids in a positive light. Of course, you do run the risk that a few people in the audience may not like their spouse or kids. Generally the benefits of this technique far outweigh the risks.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Public Speaking : RAISE YOUR FEE AND GIVE AWAY YOUR PRODUCTS
I started using this tip the moment my latest book came off the presses, but you can use any kind of product to make it work. Here*s how it works.
You always want to add extra value for the people hiring you as their speaker. Let*s say you give the meeting organizer 100 books or audio tapes when he or she hires you to speak. The products can be given away to the audience members, or sold at the event to help defray the cost of your appearance.
This technique also makes you more attractive to speakers bureaus because your fee is higher. If you create the products yourself and keep the unit cost low, you still come out ahead after paying for the product and the speakers bureau commission. AND the client gets added value too. Everyone wins and that*s what keeps us working.
You always want to add extra value for the people hiring you as their speaker. Let*s say you give the meeting organizer 100 books or audio tapes when he or she hires you to speak. The products can be given away to the audience members, or sold at the event to help defray the cost of your appearance.
This technique also makes you more attractive to speakers bureaus because your fee is higher. If you create the products yourself and keep the unit cost low, you still come out ahead after paying for the product and the speakers bureau commission. AND the client gets added value too. Everyone wins and that*s what keeps us working.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Public Speaking : N0 BRAIN STOPPERS
I made this term up so don't try to find it anywhere else. A "brainstopper" is something you say or do that causes the mind of an audience member to stop to think. This can be a good thing, but most of the time when I catch a coaching student delivering a brainstopper, it is a bad thing.
Here is an example of a good brainstopper. You might say,"Take a moment and think about the first toy you had as achild." A command like this would take the audience member's mind from where it is now to a time long ago. For most of the audience this will be a pleasant experience. For some it may be unpleasant. Either way you still are directing the show. You might do this to make some kind of point about how simple things used to please us or something like that.
Here is an example of a bad brainstopper. You might say, "That man's elocution is impeccable." For all of us highly educated and brilliant "Great Speaking" readers the word "elocution" obviously means fine form in speaking or reading. If this word was used in a less educated arena, the instant it came out of your mouth, the brains of the audience members would be racing to figure out what the word "elocution" means. Thus, their brains have stopped because you used a word that was not easily understood. The audience member will not hear your next few sentences because they are still trying to figure out the word "elocution." Do this several times and they will tune out altogether . . .unless of course you are Deepak Chopra who gets high praise for being totally unintelligible hahahahaha
Another way to stop someone's brain is to distract them by your actions. You might display an odd prop before explaining what it is. This would make an audience member stop listening while their minds tried to figure out what the prop is. If you were talking during this time, they wouldn't hear a word you said.
Look at your word choice and actions carefully before you exhibit them on stage. It is hard enough to keep attention in today's short attention span environments. Don't make it worse by using bad brainstoppers.
Here is an example of a good brainstopper. You might say,"Take a moment and think about the first toy you had as achild." A command like this would take the audience member's mind from where it is now to a time long ago. For most of the audience this will be a pleasant experience. For some it may be unpleasant. Either way you still are directing the show. You might do this to make some kind of point about how simple things used to please us or something like that.
Here is an example of a bad brainstopper. You might say, "That man's elocution is impeccable." For all of us highly educated and brilliant "Great Speaking" readers the word "elocution" obviously means fine form in speaking or reading. If this word was used in a less educated arena, the instant it came out of your mouth, the brains of the audience members would be racing to figure out what the word "elocution" means. Thus, their brains have stopped because you used a word that was not easily understood. The audience member will not hear your next few sentences because they are still trying to figure out the word "elocution." Do this several times and they will tune out altogether . . .unless of course you are Deepak Chopra who gets high praise for being totally unintelligible hahahahaha
Another way to stop someone's brain is to distract them by your actions. You might display an odd prop before explaining what it is. This would make an audience member stop listening while their minds tried to figure out what the prop is. If you were talking during this time, they wouldn't hear a word you said.
Look at your word choice and actions carefully before you exhibit them on stage. It is hard enough to keep attention in today's short attention span environments. Don't make it worse by using bad brainstoppers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)