That is the feeling you get when you are in control of those nervous jitters and not the other way around. Bear in mind, everyone gets nervous (or should) in public speaking. If your nervousness is in control of you, however, then the outcome of your delivery is highly questionable. Instead, why not allow your adrenaline rush to feed your body instead of depleting it?

Adrenaline is a hormone released from your adrenal glands when your body experiences great stress, exhilaration or is involved in activities that are physically demanding.

On the other side of the adrenaline rush, however, is the release of this hormone caused by excessive fear of public speaking. In this situation, the hormone is not going to aid you in feeling stronger or more exhilarated but instead lead towards panic. If such is the case for you, the best means of controlling that rush of adrenaline is to learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm, also known as deep breathing.

By breathing in this manner, your body’s airways and large blood vessels will still be dilated resulting in more oxygen to the brain and the further elimination of toxins from your blood. (Unfortunately, your habitual manner of breathing actually increases your panic thereby increasing your fear because shallow breathing constricts your blood vessels and does not allow for the elimination of those toxins.)

In brief, the value of your nervousness is in its ability to produce adrenaline and in your ability to take control of it by means of deep, supported breathing. In doing so, you will find yourself more exhilarated at the lectern, more relaxed in your being, and more dynamic in your delivery.

Nervousness is truly a blessing. Next time you are scheduled to speak, take your adrenaline rush for a ride and see if you don’t rise above your expectations!

Imagine you have just spoken for 10 minutes or 40 minutes about your business, an idea, your book or your products and you are receiving good applause. Yes, you just gave a good presentation. My question to you is whether your good presentation was electrifying? What is the difference? Many people are good at public speaking; not quite as many are electrifying.

Those who can compel their audience, who can immerse their listeners with their words in such a way that their listeners lose all track of time and are sorry to see the presentation end, captivate. Do you captivate when you speak?

Internationally renowned speaker, writer, and salesperson, Zig Ziglar energizes and electrifies his audience. He has a magic that is tough to compete with. His stories grab you every time. When given the opportunity to listen to this man speak, I am always saddened to see it end. That is a gift.

So what does Ziglar do so well? He is a masterful storyteller. In addition, he uses his Southern drawl to grab you and to hold on to you. In truth, Mr. Ziglar’s success is not based on his ‘Secrets for Closing the Sale’ as much as his success is based on his marvelous stories and his use of language in telling them.

Speakers who captivate move their audiences to action. They make you want to get up and do it, buy it, try it or use it. They are excellent salespeople because they can make you wonder how you managed to live without it.

When you speak to an audience, can you call them to action? Are you stories well-told and interesting, providing good evidentiary outcomes? Your audience needs to know not only that your product, your service, your idea, or your book is the best but why it is the best. Just because you say so doesn’t make it so. Telling stories about others who have used your product, or your service, or your idea and have been successful is the proof.

Don’t settle for being a good speaker. Next time you are scheduled to speak, energize, electrify and captivate your audience and just watch the results!

What is your approach to delivering a presentation? Do you think it is good to memorize your speech or presentation?

I would to hear your comments as I’m in the midst of a ‘debate’ with a woman who is an actress and teaches public speaking as well.

Let me hear your thoughts,

Nancy

Stop the Ums, Ahs and Uhs and Get Your Message Across

Have you ever listened to a speaker who used so many ahs or ums that you started counting them? When that happens, you then lose the ability to concentrate on what the speaker is saying. Suffice it to say that the ums or ahs become the message.

Ums, ahs, uhs and you know are verbal tics usually heard from inexperienced speakers although I have certainly had occasion to hear them from well-known presenters too. Generally, these verbal tics are found at the end of a sentence or a paragraph but they can also be heard in the midst of a sentence as well. (If you are um-ing or ah-ing every 4-5 words however, either you really do not know your material or you need to work on your communication skills.)

An occasional um or ah is not the problem. The problem occurs when we hear these interruptions in a constant or repeated pattern. This is where the counting begins.

I once had a client, a young college student, who was taking my course along with several other telesales colleagues I would video the participants on the phone in real conversation with perspective clients and then play it back. When this young man heard the number of uhs he used, (he couldn’t even say the name of the company for which he worked without an uh!), he got up, left the room, and did not return to class that evening. A basketball player with amazing drive and determination, this fellow came back the next week and surprised us all when he was able to speak on the phone with nary an um or an ah! What an incredible change we witnessed.

Some presenters are afraid of silence. Admittedly, in conversation, there is always the possibility that your listener may interrupt you; but, on the podium, chances are not likely that someone will try to take over your speech or presentation. [Seminars are a bit different, however, because of the more relaxed nature of the medium in which questions are often asked during the presentation. Should you wish not to be interrupted, inform your audience that you will take questions at the end of the session.]

In public speaking, silence is known as the pause and it is a very effective means of keeping your audience’s attention. It is short, sweet and to the point, but it is there. It allows you to breathe as well as your listeners – to be bombarded with constant verbiage is tiring for your audience. While the pause can nicely fill the gap for the um or the ah, that does not mean pausing every 4-5 words because that type of rhythmic delivery will put your audience to sleep faster than your ums.

If you have a problem with a verbal tic, record yourself delivering part of your presentation. Play it back and listen for the ums. Practice your presentation again, concentrating on your words and the tics. This will take some effort because you will have to train yourself to be more cognizant of the occurrences. When you feel the need to ah, for example, just pause momentarily and then continue.

With a little determination and practice, you can rid yourself of these annoying tics. The notion that ‘silence is golden’ is truer in public speaking than you may have thought.

Nancy

I am a newcomer here but this blog entry caught my eye.

Last week a number of us had to give a presentation at a regional conference. Apparently the speeches were taped and yesterday all of us were given a DVD of our presentations. The boss told us to review our performances in order to improve our presentation skills.

After watching my video, I was amazed at how many times I said “Okay” and “Right” to begin or end a statement. I didn’t realize I was doing that while I was presenting.

Other than watching my video over and over to see how many “Okay’s” I used, are there any other tips I can use to avoid this? I could use some help

Thanks for your time.

Actors wow us, amaze us, and inspire us but one, in particular, displays a level of confidence that I would wish for all in public speaking. The actor I am referring to is Clint Eastwood. In all the roles he plays, he never doubts himself. It is that level of belief in yourself and your abilities which you need in order to wow, amaze, and inspire your audience.

Fear of failure, fear of looking foolish, or fear of forgetting your material are the 3 main reasons many people approach the lectern with such trepidation. With that fear comes a lack of confidence that is formidable. Having little or no confidence in your abilities is the 1st step towards disaster.

With all the advice I give in public speaking, of the most important things I stress is to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in your abilities to deliver a successful presentation, why should anyone else?

Building that confidence, however, takes work.

1. You must know your material inside and out which means you must practice it out loud;
2. You must learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm, the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking;
3. You must talk to your audience and not at them just as if you were holding a conversation in your living room; and,
4. You must speak from your heart. Use your head; but learn to speak with color, with life, with emotion.

If you can accomplish these 4 requirements, you will sound more confident, you will look more confident and you will feel more confident. It is this confidence that will ‘allow’ you to believe in yourself. Not that you are going to give a perfect presentation, but, rather that you will deliver an excellent presentation. Perfection does not allow for mistakes; excellence does.

Bear in mind that everyone in the business, be it public speaking, acting, broadcasting, etc., makes occasional mistakes. It is unavoidable in a live venue. But they do not dwell on the error. Instead, they fix it (if possible) and move on. [If you are looking for perfection in your delivery skills, then you will lose the battle – do not seek something that is unattainable. Perfection in any live performance is subjective.]

The next time you are scheduled to address an audience, approach the lectern knowing that you will do the best job that you can and then do it. Go ahead – make their day!

Nancy

Thank you for your comments, Charlie. I agree, but often the person I envision is nothing like what I later see in person. (Actually, this could be good but it can be bad as well!)

Glad to hear you are doing so well with Voicing It! and that you like hearing your ‘new’ voice on your voicemail!

Congratulations!

I would describe it as getting a mental image of the other person based upon the voice I hear over the phone.

In my earlier post I mentioned that I couldn’t believe that what I heard on my voicemail was my “real voice”, but after taking your advice and listening to co-workers and their voicemail, I realized that the voicemail was accurate. So I guess I may be more “tuned” to this now when listening to others.

I forgot to thank you publically for taking the time to speak to me on the phone; I didn’t believe that I would be speaking to the Voice Lady herself!

As I mentioned in my email to you, I am about to start Session 5 of your DVD course and I much prefer how my “new” voice sounds on my voice mail.

Thanks for taking an interest in my progress.