----------------------------- No Sweat Speaking(sm) Ezine ----------------------------- Speaking Tips for Greater Confidence, Skill, Influence & Profit ----------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 2, Number 1 January, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Allan Kaufman & Allan Misch, Editors, Allan and Allan, Inc. mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com http://www.nosweatspeaking.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- This monthly newsletter is distributed by request only. If you want to stop it, you can find instructions at the end of the newsletter. (c) 2003 Allan And Allan, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Please send this Ezine to those you know who (1) need to give technical, sales, marketing, or management presentations; (2) are interested in developing or improving their presentation skills; (3) want to make money speaking and training; (4) need to improve their performance; or (5) have a fear of speaking or are nervous when they speak. This newsletter also is good for building relationships with your clients, customers, associates, and friends. Send this to them with a note that you're thinking about them. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Attention *** If you're receiving this issue from someone and would like to get your own complimentary newsletter plus 2 valuable BONUS reports, please visit... http://www.nosweatspeaking.com or... mailto:nssezine@nosweatspeaking.com?subject=Subscribe ----------------------------------------------------------------- PRIVACY STATEMENT: We absolutely will not share your address with anyone. Period! ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Learning to communicate is like taking out an insurance policy. You never know when you'll need it, but it's too late to take it out after you need it." Allan Kaufman as quoted in Baltimore Magazine ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Publicity Prospecting *** Publicity Prospecting helps Professional Sales People, Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners in Prospecting, Selling and Publicity Strategies. Learn how to get priceless exposure for your firm or cause by getting free media exposure. Promote your ideas and sell your products through public speaking. Advanced networking techniques, and powerful sales closing skills. For your complimentary subscription to the eMagazine "Publicity Prospecting" simply click mailto:subscribe@MichaelpHart.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** For Our Toastmasters Friends *** We're excited about this. We've added a new Toastmasters Resource section on our website at... http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html. Want to know how to be the Toastmaster of the Day? Go to http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html. Want to know how to be the Table Topics Master? Go to http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html. Want to know how to answer a Table Topic? Go to http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html. Learn how to evaluate, how to introduce, etc., etc., etc. at... http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html. Plus more to come, a whole lot more -- like Contest Tips and How to Bring in New Members. So when you have a Toastmasters question or need to fill a new role or an old one, go to http://nosweatspeaking.com/toastmasters.html and get the answer. Spread the word. Share this with every Toastmaster you know. ----------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Featured Article 2. No Sweat Speaking(sm) Tip (Reducing Performance Anxiety) 3. Presentation Skills Tip 4. Stealth Communication(sm) Tip (Communicating Subconsciously) 5. Humor Tip 6. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Fast-Track to Become a Confident Speaker *** Say Adios to Speaking Anxiety and Grow Your Business! http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/coaching.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Featured Article ----------------------------------------------------------------- **The Ten Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes... and How to Avoid Them** by Allan Kaufman 1. Not making a good first impression. 2. Not being prepared. 3. Not being enthusiastic. 4. Not knowing how to write and deliver an organized presentation. 5. Not staying within your allotted time frame. 6. Not knowing how to effectively use eye contact, gestures, and body language. 7. Not using vocal variety. 8. Not using visual aids. 9. Not using humor. 10. Not overcoming your fear of public speaking. In this issue, we'll examine Public Speaking Mistakes #7 through #9. Mistake #7: Not Using Vocal Variety Speaking in a monotone will put your audience to sleep. Project your voice, then speak softly at times. Speak quickly and sometimes more slowly. Also change the pitch of your voice for emphasis. Mistake #8: Not Using Visual Aids Visual aids make your message memorable, make your presentation interesting, and appeal to visual learners. Use videos, overheads, PowerPoint slides, flip charts, marker boards, or physical models. Mistake #9: Not Using Humor Humor to a presentation is like herbs and spices to a salad. Both turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Grab your audience's attention with humor. Tell a humorous story to make your point. Use humor to transition from one point to another. End your speech with humor. Check out the "Humor Tips Section" of our Ezines for techniques and strategies for using humor in your presentations. In the next issue: Mistake #10--Not Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking -- plus a BONUS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Check This Out! *** "It's Bad Enough That Most Public Speakers Are Knee-Knocking Scared; Even Worse, Most Are Deathly Dull! You Don't Have to Be One of Them." http://www.instantspeakingsuccess.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. No Sweat Speaking(sm) Tip (Reducing Performance Anxiety) ----------------------------------------------------------------- **It's All How You Look at It!** by Allan Misch Often, anxious presenters don't look at their audiences. They look at their notes, the ceiling, or the back wall. If they do glance at their audiences, it's usually in a quick scanning pattern. Actually, looking at your entire audience with a quick scan, or looking at several in the audience at one time increases your anxiety. What you see is a bunch of eyes staring at you. Often the appearance of those eyes are exaggerated. They appear large or even cartoonish. This can heighten your anxiety. So what should you do? Pick out a friendly face in the front of the audience, make direct eye contact, and talk to him or her for 5 to 7 seconds. Then talk to another person directly for another 5 to 7 seconds. Work your way around the audience, talking to one person at a time. Instead of speaking to a sea of eyes, you give your presentation to one person at a time. Soon, your anxiety will lessen, because it's all how you look at it! ----------------------------------------------------------------- "In minutes you were able to do for the audience what some people have been trying to do for themselves for a lifetime. You two helped audience members get rid of the fear of public speaking right before my very eyes.... Any organization can benefit greatly by witnessing your seminar.... You two are a great team!" Craig Valentine Toastmasters International 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Presentation Skills Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Four Transition Secrets Revealed** by Allan Kaufman You may be familiar with the three main parts of an organized presentation -- opening, body, and closing. However, there's another important part of your presentation -- transitions. Transitions help your audience follow your message throughout your program. They link one part of your talk to another and one idea to another within the body of your speech. Here are four transition secrets... => *The Pause* Pause and look at your audience. Your audience expects a new thought after a short pause and a new point after a longer pause. => *Contrast* "As good as [idea #1] is, [idea #2] is better." or "Instead of [point #1] try this [point #2] out for size." => *Humor* Tell a funny story or joke. Link a word or phrase from the story to a similar word or phrase in the first sentence of your next point. => *Lead-in Phrases.* These are short and can help your audience understand where you are in the presentation or what's coming next such as "In addition," "First," "Second," "Finally," "To summarize," or "In conclusion." Now you know four secrets for using transitions. Use them throughout your presentations. They'll help your audience follow your logic and organization. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Great Speaking Resource *** Turn your speaking, training, or sales skills into cash. Check out a great professional speaking resource. We recommend it highly. Lots of great tips and tricks. Just click on or paste the 2-line URL into your browser. http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=50475&u= www.antion.com/public-speaking.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Stealth Communication(sm) Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stealth Communication(sm) is communication that's fast, can't be seen or heard by the conscious mind but consistently hits its target -- the subconscious. **Use a Gesture to Trigger an Emotion** by Allan Misch Here's a powerful technique to trigger a particular emotional reaction -- such as "feeling in a fun mood" -- in your audience. Every time you say something funny and your audience laughs, clap your hands, snap your finger, pull your ear, or use another gesture that you don't normally use in your presentation. Soon, whenever you use that special gesture, your audience will experience an emotional shift to feeling in a fun mood. You'll "anchor", or associate, the special gesture to an emotional response in your audience. So use special gestures to trigger emotional responses. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Hot Internet Business Secrets *** Over 1,000+ PAGES of the Hottest, Proven Profitable Internet Business Secrets Broken down Into An EASY-TO-DUPLICATE System! We highly recommend checking out this site. It's jam-packed with THE EXACT INFORMATION YOU NEED to start, build, and grow your very own, profitable Internet business. So visit... http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/769587 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Humor Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Don't Advertise a Joke!** by Allan Misch Especially at the beginning of your presentation. That's usually a ticket to disaster. When using humor at the beginning of a program, the inexperienced speaker usually will advertise a joke like this: "I'd like to start off with a funny joke I heard...." Usually, the joke is not related to the presentation and it's not funny. The audience doesn't laugh. Instead, attendees are saying to themselves, "Oh no, I'm stuck here for another 45 minutes... groan!" The speaker, with sweat now starting to adorn his or her brow, prays for invisibility. Don't be that speaker. When you use humor in your opening, don't advertise it. Just tell the joke, story, or anecdote. Personalize it. Relate it to your topic or thesis. If your audience doesn't laugh, they may not realize it was supposed to be funny. So you can move on to your next prepared remark. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Allan and Allan, I sell audio-visual equipment such as data projectors. Often, I have to demo my products to evaluation teams, who make the buying recommendation to the boss or contracting officer. Sometimes, I'm competing against other vendors. What can I do to improve my chances of closing the sale? Ken in Kentucky. Dear Ken in Kentucky, There are a number of strategies to be concerned about. Two important ones are do your homework and be over-prepared with your equipment. Make sure you talk to each member of the evaluation team (or as many as you can) and learn why they need the equipment -- the benefits to them. Also find out all of their requirements and criteria for making a buying decision. Then present using *only their requirements and criteria.* Show them how you and your products will meet their needs. Make sure you have all the right equipment with you to conduct a flawless demo. Don't count on their equipment such as laptops, cables, etc. You should bring everything. Most vendors don't do both -- research and double check their equipment for demo presentations. If you do, you'll rocket your sales! Allan and Allan Submit questions to mailto:questions@nosweatspeaking.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Attention Small Business Owners *** Here's one of the best websites on the Internet for small business marketing. We use this site and its great information as a resource. Get a free 24-page Marketing Plan Workbook. Visit... http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=50478 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **************************** Earn Referral Fees **************************** You can earn a 15 percent finders fee for referring Allan and Allan, Inc. for speaking and training engagements. 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But sometimes people sign up their friends. If you received this issue and don't recall requesting it, refer to the email address at the end of the Ezine. If it's not yours, then someone sent it to you. To get your own copy, sign up now. To stop the newsletter, refer to the instructions below. ----------------------------------------------------------------- To Request the No Sweat Speaking(sm) Ezine: http://www.nosweatspeaking.com or mailto:nssezine@nosweatspeaking.com?subject=Subscribe To Stop Receiving the Ezine: http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/unsubscribe.html For Back Issues: http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/ezine/back_issues-2002.html To Submit Questions to Dear Allan and Allan: mailto:questions@nosweatspeaking.com For Feedback on the Content of This Issue: mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- "I just had to write to thank you for that wonderful seminar.... Your 'No Sweat Speaking' offered us a new approach to calming our fears associated with public speaking.... You worked individually with each participant to determine each person's needs. The technique is easy to understand and applicable in any situation! Public speaking is not a threat after having learned how to soothe any anxiousness associated with speaking to large groups." Karen Henry, President Anne Arundel County Employees Toastmasters ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- No Sweat Speaking(sm) Ezine ----------------------------- Publisher: Allan and Allan, Inc. Editors: Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch P.O. Box 2721 Columbia, Maryland 21045-1721 USA Tel: 410-363-0080 Fax: 410-356-8374 mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com http://www.nosweatspeaking.com "Your next presentation doesn't have to make you sweat!" Experience No Sweat Speaking(sm)! -----------------------------------------------------------------