THURSDAY Public Speaking Tip
by The “UnSpeaker”, Ter Scott!
The great magician Howard Thurston joins me today in assisting you to become and remain relaxed and confident in delivering your speeches.
Being
relaxed at the lectern (one stands behind a lectern and stands on a podium),
starts during your preparation. Knowing your subject very well, having a
passion for your subject matter, and loving your audience will have you confident
and presenting well as an “Instant Public Speaker”.
Investing one hour (to two hours) per each minute that you’ll speak is a good rule of thumb. This includes creation time and practice; however it may take you a bit more or a bit less; depending on your speaking skill and experience, your experience with a topic, and other variables. Different situations may dictate otherwise. By investing a good amount of time in developing your presentation, will have you knowing your material so well that you can use a simple 3 point outline and expound on each point which makes you sound as if you are the expert you are! You can be an “instant public speaker” when you are always speaking about something you already know, love and are passionate about sharing with others. In this way, you are just adding that special ingredient: “you”. Because I get so involved enjoying the process and focusing on the positive results during preparation, I sometimes have trouble tracking the amount of time I spend on my speech creation and practice. When you love what you do you’ll find that you don’t notice the minutes flying by. It is always best to do research on something that interests you long before you’ll be called upon to speak about it. So “build the well before you need the water, and enjoy learning something new everyday!
Because up to this point that you’ve read things, made note of things around you that pertain to your topic, and experienced things; you are more of an “expert” than your audience and you definitely “know” your subject. Never worry that you don’t know “everything”; just be sure to know more than your audience.
TIP: What if there is an “expert” in the audience? No worries. You can still be the expert in your own right. How can you know this? You can be sure of this because you have lived and experienced different things and can offer a different perspective. Just be sure to use stories and illustrations from your own experience; not from others. Trust in yourself that your own stories will move your audience. If you have an expert in the audience you can be pretty sure that he or she has heard the “one” from the Chicken Soup for the Soul, but probably not the “one” from your soul! Remember that to be a success at the lectern, always add “you”!
Your audience doesn’t expect someone (even experts) to know everything. Was Albert Einstein an “expert”? Most people think so. Yet he told us: “I don't need to know everything; I just need to know where to find it, when I need it.” Be an expert.
Visualize yourself being relaxed and confident at the lectern. I “live” my presentation and find myself visualizing my delivery, the audience response, and the play between us during my prep time of the entire process from idea to delivery. I teach my students and clients, and still do this myself, to physically walk to the lectern confidently and start speaking to an “audience” getting beyond the introduction of the speech through past the introduction and into the first point of the speech. Doing this in practice, and also in the actual room if you can get there early enough, is very beneficial. It’s just as if you are the actor in a play rehearsing. I remember reading in Dale Carnegies’ book: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” about a great magician from history, Thurston, who before performing for his audience would say over and over: “I love my audience, I love my audience”.* When you love your audience and are focused on the audience so much more than yourself (as Thurston showed us) will have you relaxed and speaking like a pro and as an “instant public speaker”!
Make it a great day!
Ter
Don't miss out on these Thursday morning get togethers right here at Instant Public Speaker. Sign on as a "follower by email" on this page and get each article in your email as it's posted!
The great magician Howard Thurston joins me today in assisting you to become and remain relaxed and confident in delivering your speeches.
Investing one hour (to two hours) per each minute that you’ll speak is a good rule of thumb. This includes creation time and practice; however it may take you a bit more or a bit less; depending on your speaking skill and experience, your experience with a topic, and other variables. Different situations may dictate otherwise. By investing a good amount of time in developing your presentation, will have you knowing your material so well that you can use a simple 3 point outline and expound on each point which makes you sound as if you are the expert you are! You can be an “instant public speaker” when you are always speaking about something you already know, love and are passionate about sharing with others. In this way, you are just adding that special ingredient: “you”. Because I get so involved enjoying the process and focusing on the positive results during preparation, I sometimes have trouble tracking the amount of time I spend on my speech creation and practice. When you love what you do you’ll find that you don’t notice the minutes flying by. It is always best to do research on something that interests you long before you’ll be called upon to speak about it. So “build the well before you need the water, and enjoy learning something new everyday!
Because up to this point that you’ve read things, made note of things around you that pertain to your topic, and experienced things; you are more of an “expert” than your audience and you definitely “know” your subject. Never worry that you don’t know “everything”; just be sure to know more than your audience.
TIP: What if there is an “expert” in the audience? No worries. You can still be the expert in your own right. How can you know this? You can be sure of this because you have lived and experienced different things and can offer a different perspective. Just be sure to use stories and illustrations from your own experience; not from others. Trust in yourself that your own stories will move your audience. If you have an expert in the audience you can be pretty sure that he or she has heard the “one” from the Chicken Soup for the Soul, but probably not the “one” from your soul! Remember that to be a success at the lectern, always add “you”!
Your audience doesn’t expect someone (even experts) to know everything. Was Albert Einstein an “expert”? Most people think so. Yet he told us: “I don't need to know everything; I just need to know where to find it, when I need it.” Be an expert.
Visualize yourself being relaxed and confident at the lectern. I “live” my presentation and find myself visualizing my delivery, the audience response, and the play between us during my prep time of the entire process from idea to delivery. I teach my students and clients, and still do this myself, to physically walk to the lectern confidently and start speaking to an “audience” getting beyond the introduction of the speech through past the introduction and into the first point of the speech. Doing this in practice, and also in the actual room if you can get there early enough, is very beneficial. It’s just as if you are the actor in a play rehearsing. I remember reading in Dale Carnegies’ book: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” about a great magician from history, Thurston, who before performing for his audience would say over and over: “I love my audience, I love my audience”.* When you love your audience and are focused on the audience so much more than yourself (as Thurston showed us) will have you relaxed and speaking like a pro and as an “instant public speaker”!
Make it a great day!
Ter
Don't miss out on these Thursday morning get togethers right here at Instant Public Speaker. Sign on as a "follower by email" on this page and get each article in your email as it's posted!
*Do
magicians of today still need to be relaxed and confident when they present
their legerdemain (skillful use of hands when one performs tricks)? I would
say, most certainly, as Mr Dane shared in his post at The Magic Café. In his
post, you’ll read about Thurston’s interview with Dale Carnegie and his love
for his audience. I recommend that you visit and read this interesting excerpt
from the book. Visit: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=350066&forum=27
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Thanks for placing your comment! Ter Scott!