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Great Speaking Vol. 1 Number 08
[Sorry this issue is late. I was helping my elderly
parents fight Alzheimers all last week.]
Only A few days left to get your FREE Toaster! (see below)
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GREAT SPEAKING
Circulation 6149
Vol. 1 Number 8 - April 23, 1999
Publisher: Tom Antion tomAntion@aol.com
http://www.Antion.com
(C) Anchor Publishing 1999
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No one ever lost credibility by
being interesting.
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Please feel free to forward this E-Zine to anyone you
know that is interested in being a better presenter, or
who may want to make money speaking and training.
If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and would
like to get your own free subscription, please visit
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PRIVACY STATEMENT: We will not distribute your address
to anyone. Period.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip
2. Advanced Presentation Skills Article
(Beginners should read this too)
3. Humor Technique Series
4. Speaker Marketing Tip
5. Speaker Humor
6. Websites for Speakers
*** SPEAKER BUSINESS LEADS ***
Will be delivered to full subscribers when available.
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************************************
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1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip
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ON STAGE TIPS
by Tom Antion
=> The larger the crowd, the larger and slower the gestures.
=> If you have a small crowd, or if you are videoconferencing,
or on television, use smaller gestures.
=> Work to eliminate distracting or nervous gestures, but
do not kill yourself to add new ones. They will take care
of themselves and most of the time they look affected.
=> Let your words trigger your actions. If you are counting,
hold out your fingers. If you say no, shake your head no.
=> Hold your hands open and wide apart to show sincerity
and honesty.
=> Hold your hands behind your back during question-and-answer
sessions (don't overdo it).
=> Avoid excessive hands in pockets, clenched fists, pointing,
hands on hips, and the infamous fig leaf position where
your hands are crossed in front of your groin.
(Ref. Wake 'em Up Business Presentations Page 121)
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call (301) 459-0738 mailto:tomantion@aol.com
*********************************************
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2. Advanced Presentation Skills Article
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PROPS (Part 1 of 2)
by Tom Antion
The term "prop" is a shortened version of the theatrical term
"property," a word used to describe any object handled or used
by an actor in a performance. As a presenter you are a performer
whether you believe it or not. You have an obligation to use
whatever means that are necessary to get your message across
to the audience.
I think of props as any physical item that is on stage with
you. Your flipchart is a prop. Your lectern is a prop. Overhead
projectors, pointers, notes, chairs, markers, pens, and other
audio/visual aids are all forms of props. Conversely,props are
a form of visual aid.
Why use props?
Props help warm up the audience. They can be used as a substitute
for notes. They help focus attention on the points you are trying
to make along with illustrating them for you. They make better
connections than your words with the visually oriented members of
your audience. They create interest, add variety, and make your
points more memorable.
Props can be used pre-program to pass around in the audience
in anticipation of the program. You see this at large arenas when
beach balls and Frisbees are being tossed around in the crowd. I
pass out snacks and/or custom-designed crossword puzzles about
the group that I make on my computer. The puzzles make especially
great icebreakers because the members of the group get together
to help each other with the solutions.
Do you hate relying on notes? Props can be a substitute for
written cheat sheets. To illustrate this in live seminars and
television interviews I use three hats as an outline for a
program. The first hat is a gag ball cap that has really long
hair attached to it so that you look like a hippie when you wear
it. The second hat is a black top hat. The third is a safari hat.
Each hat prompts me to talk about a thoroughly rehearsed bit or
chunk. Putting on the longhaired ball cap immediately reminds
me to talk about when the company was young and aggressive.
After that section I remove the ball cap (if you have a fun and
playful audience, you could put it on an audience member's head),
then I put on the black top hat. The top hat prompts a section on
the mature growth years of the company. I then put on the safari
hat which kicks off a section on searching for new business.
The whole talk is done without any notes at all. You only have
to memorize your opening and closing and practice each of the
sections independently as you learned in a previous issue.
Didnt someone say a prop is worth a thousand words? Maybe
that was a picture, but its just about the same thing. Many
times a well selected prop will illustrate your point much
better than you could ever do in words. It also focuses
attention directly on the point you are trying to make because
it is something novel that is occurring during the presentation.
People can space out easily on your words, but a unique prop is
hard to ignore. Also, the visually oriented people in your
audience will perk up and get more value when you use props.
Memorability is another good reason to use props. People
remember pictures far longer than words. That is why the great
storytellers try to use words to create images in your mind.
They know the images will be remembered when the words are long
forgotten. If you are not a great storyteller yet, you can use
props to help create these pictures.
Prop Types and Tips in next issue
(Ref. Wake 'em Up Business Presentations Pages 167-169)
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********************************
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3. HUMOR TECHNIQUE
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A SOUND, SOUND SYSTEM (part 8 of a 10 part series)
by Tom Antion
If it is hard to hear, people will not listen. As a humorous
presenter you must have an excellent sound system because some of
the time you will be talking while your audience is laughing.
Stand-up comics need good sound too, but they are a little
different because they tell a joke, then people laugh (they
hope). They tell another joke, then people laugh. A humorous
presenter will be rolling right along making points, showing
product features, telling stories, and dropping one liners and
must be heard all the while.
A humorous presentation demands a better sound system than a
serious talk. In a serious talk, words can be missed and the main
message can still be very clear. In humor it does not work that
way. If key words are missed in a joke or story, it will ruin the
humor. No one will laugh and you will look like a giant goober.
The need for a thorough sound check is another good reason to be
in the room early. You need to check the microphone to make sure
it works. You need to check to see how far your mouth should be
from the microphone. You need to know how loudly you should talk.
Realize that during your check the audio level should be very
loud. People will absorb the sound once they get into the room.
Make sure the sound system is carrying to all parts of the room.
If someone speaks prior to you, try to go to the back of the room
to see how he or she is coming across. If you have someone at the
presentation with you, have them signal from the back of the room
if changes are needed after you have started.
If the amplifier controls are not handy after you have started,
you can adjust the sound by changing the distance between your
mouth and the microphone and/or increasing or decreasing the
loudness of your voice. Try not to use the latter method too
often so you do not strain your vocal mechanism.
(Ref: Wake 'em Up Business Presentations Page 47)
Next issue: To Laugh or Not to Laugh . . . That is the Question.
"We live in a world of entertainment. If you have hard hitting
business content and need a way to inject appropriate humor to
keep people with you, this is the book that will teach you how to
do it."
Bob Pike, CSP "The Trainer's Trainer"
Editor Creative Training Techniques Newsletter
President Creative Training Techniques Companies
********* GREAT SPEAKER REFERENCE *******
BE THE HIT OF YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION!
"Wake em Up! How to Use Humor and Other Professional
Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business Presentations"
"Toms program and materials will cut five years off a speakers
learning curve."
-- Cavett Robert, Founder National Speakers Assn.
For a FREE Chapter visit
http://www.antion.com/products/produc~3.htm
**********************************************
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4. $$$$$$$ SPEAKER MARKETING TIP $$$$$$$$
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COVER ME, IM GOIN IN! (Part I)
By Kathi Dunn, Dunn+Associates Design
Who says you cant judge a book by its cover? The truth is,
a book is literally judged first and foremost by its cover.
This is true also of audio and video covers. The power of a
cover cannot be underestimated: It functions as a your marketing
tool and your sales force as well as making the content of the
your Back of Room (BOR) product immediately apparent.
Just like a billboard, your cover must provoke an INSTANT
response. Research proves that packaging is a major key to the
successful marketing of any product. Recent studies indicate
that a potential buyer spends only eight seconds looking at your
front cover and 15 seconds looking at your back cover before
making a decision. To enhance your products success, be sure your
cover is designed to attract powerfully and inform succinctly.
To increase the effectiveness of your cover, first ask: Who is
your target audience? Who is your competition and what sets
you apart? Where and how will you sell your product? A well
thought out cover design will incorporate all these
considerations prior to its development.
For a winning product, you will need strong ideas, innovative
design and excellent technical execution. An experienced cover
designer will ensure quality results and a cost-effective process
by acting as a liaison who speaks the same language as prepress
service bureaus, printers, and manufacturers. Best of all, a
professional designer takes care of all those niggling details,
freeing you to do what you are really good at: running your
speaking business.
Your cover design is one of the most important investments you
will make in producing a successful book, audio or video. In
the next issue, we will discuss the nuts and bolts of cover
design that result in hot selling speaker products.
Kathi Dunn is an Award winning design for speakers,
publishers, and consultants. Since 1985. To Contact her:
Mail: P O Box 870, Hayward WI 54843-0870 USA
Shipping: 16378 W Stress Rd, Hayward WI 54843 USA
Mailto:dunndsgn@win.bright.net
Phone: 715/634-4857 (9-5 Central Time, Monday-Friday)
Fax: 715/634-5617 (24 hours)
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****************************
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5. SPEAKER HUMOR
=====================================================
=> Here is a speaker who is going places . . . and the
sooner the better.
=> Our next speaker is going to speak his / her mind
. . . so here to say three words is . . .
DEFINITIONS A to H: (From "The Devils Dictionary" by
Ambrose Bierce)
=> Abscond: To move in a "mysterious way" usually with the
belongings of another.
=> Blamestorming: Sitting around in a group discussing why
a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who
was responsible. (not from Devils dictionary)
=> Bore: A person who talks when they should be listening
. . . to you.
=> Conservative: One who is enamored with existing evils
as distinguished from a liberal who wishes to replace
them with others.
=> Consult: To seek another persons approval for a course
already decided upon.
=> Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining individual
profit without individual responsibility.
=> Deja moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
(not from Devils Dictionary)
=> Dentist: A magician who puts metal in your mouth and pulls
coins out of your pocket.
=> Diplomacy: The patriotic art of lying for your country.
=> Discussion: A method of confirming others in their errors.
=> Egotist: A person of low taste, more interested in himself
than in me.
=> Eulogy: Praise of a person who has either the advantages of
wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.
=> Fib: A lie that has not grown up yet.
=> Friendless: Addicted to the utterance of truth and common
sense.
=> Friendship: A ship big enough to carry two in fair weather
and only one in foul.
=> Grave: A place where the dead are laid to await the coming
of the medical student.
=> Hand: A singular instrument worn at the end of a human arm
and frequently thrust into someone elses pocket.
=> Happiness: An agreeable sensation arising from contemplating
the misery of another.
=> Harbor: A place where ships taking refuge from storms are
exposed to the fury of customs.
Lot's more FREE speaker humor at
http://www.antion.com/humor/speakerhumor/speakerhumor.htm
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6. USEFUL WEBSITES
=====================================================
FREE shipping and packing materials. If you use priority mail,
you can get all kinds of boxes, tape and stickers by giving the
US postal service a call at 1-800-222-1811, or visit
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asking at your local post office.
The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations: The Ultimate
Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker" by
Charles Harrington Elster
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395893380/ref=ad_bw1
TRAINING TOOLS SOFTWARE (for software trainers) Reader
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"The Compleat Carry-On Traveler", a non commercial site by
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travel tips from a guy that knows. The "TraveLinks" section is
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***********************************************
=====================================================
FREE ARTICLES FOR YOUR PUBLICATIONS
=====================================================
I have many articles available for reprint in your
publication, company newsletter, etc. You may use
articles written by me that you see here or email me
to request a list. All you have to do is print the
article in it's entirety along with the by line at
top and the credits, and complete contact information
at the end of each article. I would appreciate a tear
sheet or electronic copy too. Thanks
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