Thanks to our many new readers from nosweatspeaking.com and Toastmasters. ----------------------------- No Sweat Speaking(sm) Ezine ----------------------------- Speaking Tips for Greater Confidence, Skill, Influence & Profit ----------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 2, Number 4 April, 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** A Fantastic Resource *** Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links? "Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for using *free* articles to drive Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate links... without spending a dime on advertising! We use this resource and it's incredible! The idea is simple and ingenious. Find out more at http://hop.clickbank.net/?aanosweat/ezarticles. ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Get Your Business Message Out to Thousands by Creating a BIG EMAIL LIST Fast!** Some of you have a business. Some of you want to have a business. Get your message out to a lot of people by building a large email list that you can send your message to every week at NO CHARGE TO YOU. When you understand the power of this concept, you'll email us a note of thanks for sharing it with you. Just go to www.listfire.com/6620. Read more about it. Then sign up by entering your email address. Whereas you agree to accept up to no more than 14 emails a week, you get to send out your message to a growing list of people (could grow to thousands) who have agreed to receive your message. A win/win for everyone. If you have any questions, just email... mailto:allank@nosweatspeaking.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **How to Grab Your Audience by Their Corpuscles and Wake Them Up!** By Allan Kaufman and Allan Misch All eyes are upon you. Tension fills the air. Your audience awaits your first words. So what should you do? You cut the tension and "break the ice" confidently and powerfully -- you grab their attention, get them leaning forward with anticipation, and make them feel that they're going to get what they came for. How do you do that? First... *Pause dramatically for a few seconds.* Lean forward slightly. Make eye contact with some in your audience. Smile if you'll be starting on a light note. Feel the exchange of energy between you and your audience. Then begin by using one of these strategies... *Tell a memorized personal anecdote or short story that introduces your message.* Use visually descriptive words that cause your audience to experience emotional shifts that are congruent with the emotional aspect of your message, or... *Relate a memorized personalized joke or humorous story that ties into your thesis.* This builds rapport rapidly and gets your audience into a "I want to hear more" mood. Keep it short and don't introduce it by saying, "I want to start by telling you a joke [story]." Just get into it, or... *Make a shocking or unexpected memorized statement and stare at your audience.* For example, "I made ten thousand dollars on the phone last night in my polka dot PJs... legally." (Pause and stare.) "I'm going to tell you exactly how I did it and how you can do it too." or... *Ask a memorized rhetorical, involvement question.* Then hold up your hand and wait for your audience to raise their hands. For example, "How many of you work for a living?" or "How many of you sell?" You accomplish four things by doing this. First, you get your audience's attention. Second, you put your audience in a positive emotional state with a YES answer. Third, by following your lead and raising their hands, your audience demonstrates their rapport with you. And fourth, they get involved physically in your presentation, or... *Cast your premise into a memorized "would you rather" question with a predetermined answer.* For example, "Would you rather be working your own business, making your own decisions, choosing your own hours, making a six- figure income, or be working at a job 8 to 10 hours a day building your boss's dream? (Pause) Today we'll discuss how you can develop your own business, be in control of your own life, and build your own dream." An attention-grabbing opening is critical for presentation success. Memorize your opening to insure a flawless delivery. Use a strong pause. Tell a descriptive story that moves your audience emotionally. Do or say something unexpected. Ask a thesis-related question that involves your audience either physically or emotionally. Launch your presentation with one or more of these strategies, and you'll seize your audience's attention and wake them up! ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Check This Out! *** *Is Your Public Speaking Fear Holding You Back?* Are you not getting the job you want or the promotion you deserve because you suffer from speaking anxiety? How much money, loss of opportunities, or damage to your reputation is this fear costing you? *We Can Help You!* Using our No Sweat Speaking(sm) techniques, we provide you personal coaching to help you get rid of all your speaking anxieties in a relatively short period of time. Send us an email and tell us you want assistance. We will email you some questions to assess your situation and then send you a proposal as to how we can help you. It doesn't matter where you live as this can be done via email and phone consultations. mailto:allank@nosweatspeaking.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. No Sweat Speaking(sm) Tip (Reducing Performance Anxiety) ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Change Your Focus from "I" to "You"** by Allan Misch If you worry about what the audience will think of you, you're focusing on yourself when you speak. Take the pressure off of yourself. Focus on your audience. Prepare for your presentation by asking yourself, "What can I say and do to benefit this audience -- to make their time well spent? Design your presentation to meet their needs, not yours. Arrive early at the event and make sure the speaking environment is set up to maximize your audience's learning experience. When you shift your attitude from "how can *I* look good" to "what can I do to benefit *you*, my audience," you'll begin to remove the anxiety spotlight. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Tape Record Your Presentation** by Allan Kaufman When was the last time you heard yourself giving a speech, if ever? Tape yourself as you give your next speech. Then listen to it, and take notes. How did you sound? Nasal? Clear? Did you use vocal variety? Did you talk loud at times and soft other times? What about your rate of speaking? Did you speed up when you were excited and slow down just before you made your point? How did your audience react? Did they ever laugh? If so, was your timing good, or did you step on their laughter? Was your ending appropriate? Did you call for action? So record your next presentation and listen to it. Ask yourself the above questions. Then work on improving each area, and you'll make your next presentations even better. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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 the URL. 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. **Why Stories Are So Powerful** by Allan Misch When you tell a story with your imbedded message, or point, to others, their subconscious minds' receive and process the message. Often, their conscious minds' are unaware that they received the message. This is a powerful way to communicate, because your message bypasses their conscious filters. So pepper your presentations with stories that illustrate your points, then follow each story with your point. This way you direct your message to their conscious and subconscious levels of awareness. That's why stories are so powerful. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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. This is what we used to get started. So visit... http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/769587 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Humor Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- **How to Tell a Joke In Six Steps** by Allan Misch Telling a joke isn't difficult. It just takes practice and belief that you can tell it successfully. Here's how to do it. First, keep it short. Second, personalize it. Third, separate the setup of the joke from the punchline with a slight pause. Fourth, punch the end of the joke (punchline) by raising your voice (such as "Take my boss... PLEASE!"). Fifth, practice it on your friends and associates about 25 times before you use it in a presentation. Finally, pause and wait for your audience to laugh... then continue. Don't step on your laugh. Follow these six steps and practice, practice, practice. Before you know it, you'll be good at telling jokes. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Allan and Allan, What are your thoughts on any effective, safe and mild medications to reduce performance anxiety? Annabelle in Alabama Dear Annabelle, We don't recommend drugs or medications to reduce performance anxiety. Medication doesn't reduce or eliminate the problem. It may tranquilize you and reduce your emotional discomfort. The next time you have to perform, guess what you have to take? In our opinion, medications mask the problem and do little for your emotional health, self-confidence, and self-esteem. If you have to perform just once and a "safe" medication can help you get through it, that may be an acceptable strategy. If you have to perform more than once, if you avoid performing opportunities, or if the performance anxiety is affecting the quality of your life, you probably should look for a way to get rid of your anxiety. That's what Allan and I do. We help people severely reduce and permanently eliminate performance anxiety. Our unique process enables us to do this in person or by phone. 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. For details contact us at... mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- Complimentary Articles for Your Publications ----------------------------------------------------------------- We will have articles available for reprint in your publication, company newsletter, etc. You may use articles written by us that you see on our website at... http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/articles/article_index.html and in the NSS Ezine. 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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 Personal Coaching Inquiries: mailto:allank@nosweatspeaking.com 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- We like to think that what we do has a positive impact on others. That's one of the reasons why we publish this Ezine. It's gratifying when we get positive feedback from our readers. Here's what one reader sent us. "I have no idea where or how I subscribed to your newsletter, and the sad part is that I cannot say, "Thank you!" to the person who extended this blessing to me. I am a networking coach who happens to speak... but I've trained endlessly, and I've even taken an extended course at UCLA Extension in California. The course was about $500.00 and lasted 8 weeks. I've learned more from 2 of your newsletters than I learned in an 8 week course. It wouldn't be right if I did not pause to let you know that your newsletter is incredible, enlightening, informative and a real treat for many. Without a doubt, your newsletter is the best I've read to date... and I've read some good ones! Keep up the outstanding job... you are making a tremendous impact. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Warmly, Janice Smallwood-McKenzie The Networking Coach/Author "101 Commandments of Networking: Common Sense But Not Common Practice" http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/2513 (The link is for your information. We make nothing on it.) Thanks Janice for your warm thoughts. You obviously practice what you preach. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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)! -----------------------------------------------------------------