----------------------------- No Sweat Speaking(tm) Ezine ----------------------------- Speaking Tips for Greater Confidence, Skill, Influence, & Profit "Your next presentation doesn't have to make you sweat!" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 5, Number 1 January, 2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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) 2006 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 TWO 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- *********************** Check This Out! *********************** "Last year, I made a career change from engineering management to marketing at a new company. Public speaking and even presentations to small groups were my greatest fears and I had gone to great lengths to avoid them throughout my career. In my new company, public speaking was not something I could avoid and my speaking ability would be quickly tested. After a lot of research, I turned to Allan & Allan. Most other companies only offer skill training. What I needed was to overcome my life long fear of speaking in front of groups. The No Sweat Speaking system seemed illogical to me at first and I was skeptical. The great part about the system is that you don't have to understand it or believe that it will work. It just happens. Today I speak in front of groups, give media interviews and conduct training sessions on a routine basis. Not only is my speaking anxiety gone, but my skills continue to improve and I look forward to my next opportunity to speak. I give my highest recommendation for Allan and Allan's system. If it works for me, it can work for anyone." Thanks, Jim M. Connecticut --------------------------------- Is Speaking Fear Holding You Back, Costing You a Lot of Money? --------------------------------- 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? A whole lot. Let's be honest. If you have performance anxieties, you know you need to kill those butterflies in your stomach, but you're afraid to take the next step and/or you're not willing to invest in yourself to make it happen. One man just said to us that he knows he really needs us to coach him, but he thinks he can't afford to. What he can't afford to do is do nothing and continue NOT getting promoted and continue NOT seeking better job or business opportunities because he may have to speak in front of people. This is so sad. It's especially sad when that same person will take out a $20,000 car loan on a depreciating asset. Getting rid of your speaking anxieties and developing your speaking skills are appreciating assets. They increase your value. This means once you do it, you continue to reap the rewards. One promotion leads to another one and another one, but if you don't do what you need to do to get that first promotion, you can forget about it. You could be promoting your businesses and increasing your income by speaking to groups who need your products and services, but your speaking anxiety and other performance blocks are holding you back. Probably, you're reading our ezine because you have some speaking anxieties. If they're bad enough, don't you think it's time to do something about it and improve your self-confidence? How much is having a sense of confidence worth to you? Not just in your work and business life but also in your social life? Have you ever thought about being the life of the party? About being less shy? --------------- We Can Help You --------------- Using our unique No Sweat Speaking(tm) techniques, we provide personal coaching to help you get rid of your speaking anxieties in a relatively short period of time. Go to our website and complete the Coaching Inquiry Questionnaire at http://nosweatspeaking.com/coaching_inquiry.html. Completing the questionnaire doesn't obligate you or us to work together. We will assess your situation and send you a proposal about how we can assist you. It doesn't matter where you live. Our coaching can be done via email and phone consultations. ----------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Featured Article 2. Presentation Skills Tip 3. Humor Tip 4. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Featured Article ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Two Reasons Why Many Stories do NOT Connect** by Craig Valentine Why is it that the stories some speakers use do not connect? Why is it that other speakers connect deeply with each story they tell? What is the difference that makes the difference? There are actually two! All of us know to tell stories and make points. The problem is that, in our stories, we do not give our characters a chance. *Give Your Characters a Chance* Give them a chance to do what? We need to give our characters a chance to be *seen* and a chance to be *known.* *Give Your Characters a Chance to Be Seen* How can audience members connect with characters that they cannot see? My speech coach, Patricia Fripp, explained to me that the audience members remember what *they see* in their minds while you speak. Therefore, I believe it is important for us to make our characters visible. How? Give your characters a description. If you can give a brief 1-2 line description of your characters I guarantee that an image will pop into the mind of your audience members. For example, the wonderful Motivational Speaker Keith Harrell describes an experience he had in Kindergarten when he sat next to a girl who wore glasses and pigtails. What image pops into your mind? What do you already assume about the girl? Well, when he delivers her lines she turns out to be exceptionally smart for a 5-year old. I already saw her as intelligent in my mind. Famed Ohio Sportscaster Jimmy Crum tells a story of two young siblings and before he delivers the young girl's line he describes her as having blonde hair, blue eyes and innocence written all over her face. I was in the audience, and I could tell that we all had our own vision of her. It was so powerful that the next day in my seminar, I asked the audience members (same audience) to tell me what she looked like. In unison, they yelled out, "Blonde Hair and blue eyes!" Twenty-four hours later they were still seeing her. In fact, they probably still see her now. Since in speaking we use the rule of three, let me give you one more example. In a story I give that introduces a supervisor who tried to keep me employed by offering a significant increase in my salary, this is the description I use: "he was a young guy with black slicked-back hair which made him look like a young Pat Riley." If you don't know who Pat Riley is, you can still see the supervisor from the description given. If you do know who Pat Riley is, you can see the supervisor even clearer. Whatever you do, give your characters a chance to be seen so that we can connect to them. With your upcoming speeches, make sure each character you introduce has at least a brief description. The more important the character, the more specific the description should be. *Give Your Characters a Chance to Be Known* It is not enough to see your characters. We also need to know them. If, as an audience member, we do not know the characters, we will not care about them. If we do not care about them, we will not connect with them. So how do you get your audience to know the characters? You give what Patricia Fripp calls a back story. Give us an idea from whence they came. How? You give another line (or a few) about their past. For example, in a speech I give about a formerly homeless man who is at the end of an 18-month program that I used to lead, I use the following scene and dialog to describe him: "Jermaine, look at you. Eighteen months ago you came into the program as a 6 foot 3 inch 120 pound disheveled man. Your beard was raggedy, your clothes were torn and you had no life in your eyes. Now look at you! You're clean shaven with your sharp black suit, you're working with Johns Hopkins Hospital, and your eyes are shining." I had already set up more of the back story earlier when I mentioned that the average participant in our program was a 42- year old African-American male with over 18 years of drug use and a criminal background. Later in the story I mentioned that Jermaine represented the average participant. The audience always makes the connection. The key is to find interesting ways to give the background of each of the major characters. I happen to give Jermaine's back story though the actual character dialog, which is more interesting than simply narrating it. By the end of that story, many of the audience members really genuinely care when they find out that Jermaine's son (who was also my client) was shot and killed. They can see Jermaine, know Jermaine, and hopefully they can now feel for Jermaine. With their hearts open I can now drive home my point. *Your Takeaway Tools for Your Tool Belt* Remember that your audience members will remember what they see in their minds while you are speaking. Give your characters a description so they will be seen and give them a back story so they will be known. These are the differences that make the difference. As a result, you will connect more deeply than you ever have and be more memorable than you have even been! *Do You Want More?* For more information including giving back stories, descriptions, moving with a purpose, integrating dialog, and other necessary storytelling strategies, check out Craig's new CD entitled How to Go from Lackluster to Blockbuster Storytelling: Craig Valentine Live from Ohio. Visit Craig at http://www.craigvalentine.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Keynote was a huge success! You were right about everything -- from bringing my introduction to adding humor. I ended up adding about 9 humorous things to my presentation -- I actually brought the house down with the expandable ball visual. Thanks for everything. You made all the difference." Best, Trish "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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Presentation Skills Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- **How to Use Notes** by Allan Kaufman Did you ever see presenters who write a presentation in long hand, single-spaced, double-sided, with all the pages stapled together? During the presentation, they stop because they can't read their handwriting, or they lose their place. Throughout the presentation, you see their notes as they turn the pages. This is surely the sign of an unskilled speaker. Most presenters don't know how to use notes properly. Here are recommendations for using notes that don't detract from your presentation. Type your notes on one side of the page. Use at least a 14-point font. Double-space or triple-space your lines. Put only one thought in each paragraph. Underline in red the key phrase in each paragraph. Put a page number in the upper right corner of each page. Do not staple your notes together; use a paper clip. At the lectern, place page 1 on the left and pages 2, 3, 4, etc. on the right with page 2 on top. Begin your presentation with pages 1 and 2 in front of you. As you finish page 1, look at page 2. Begin page 2. unnoticeably to the left onto page 1. Now you have pages 2 and 3 in front of you. When you finish page 2, look at page 3 and slide it onto page 2, revealing page 4. Continue this process until you finish. When you use this system, your audience will not see your notes throughout the presentation. Use index cards instead of 8-1/2" x 11" paper, when you give a short presentation or one with which you are very familiar. Put key phrases on the index cards, usually one to a card. If a lectern is unavailable, use a portfolio. Put your notes in the portfolio until you are ready to speak. Use the same process for moving the pages as described above. Your gestures may be inhibited, but if you need your notes, you must make do with what you have. Consider investing in a portable lectern to keep in your vehicle's truck. You can purchase one for around $50 or less. You can buy a nice portfolio for under $15. Using notes is appropriate. When you do use them, follow our system. Your audience will not be distracted by your notes. You will be more comfortable and confident using your notes. And you will appear to be a polished, skilled presenter. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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 URL into your browser. http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=50475&u=www.an tion.com/public-speaking.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Humor Tip ----------------------------------------------------------------- **How to Make Fun of Your Audience** by Allan Misch Sometimes, it's appropriate to have fun with your audience. Other times, it's not. Avoid making fun of anyone in your audience if you give an address to an internal executive or management group, especially if you're not a member of the group. If you're a guest speaker at a non-work related event, it may be more appropriate to have fun with your audience. When you do, always make sure to first make fun of yourself. Also, clear what you intend to do with those who will be your humor targets. Follow your jibes with positive comments about the humor targets or the group. So remember, avoid making fun of some groups or individuals in the groups. At times, it is appropriate to make fun of your audience. Just be careful to: clear your plans with anyone affected by the humor; first use self-deprecating humor; and follow your witticisms with positives about your humor targets. ----------------------------------------------------------------- **If You're Looking for a Home for Your Website, iPowerWeb Makes Website Hosting Simple!** We did a lot of research on Web hosting companies and compared many of them. We decided on iPowerWeb to host our website, and we made a good decision. iPowerWeb is rated #1 for affordable, high quality web hosting. You get an incredible 1,000 megs of space, 500 POP email accounts, 40 gigs of transfer, website builder, 24/7 customer support, free setup, marketing package, and much more... all for an incredible $7.95 per month! So if you're interested in establishing a presence on the Web for the first time, or if you want to change your Website hosting company because you're tired of getting ripped off, check out iPowerWeb. http://www.ipowerweb.com/cgi- bin/tracker/trackeraf.cgi?rid=afftrend ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Allan and Allan, At a break during a recent presentation, I was in the restroom and noticed that the top 3 buttons on my blouse were undone. I was horrified. My audience couldn't help notice what I had on under my blouse. I fastened the buttons and went out to reface my audience. I know the rest of my presentation was adversely affected by my embarrassment. What should I have done? Red-faced in Rhode Island. Dear Red-faced, We understand how you must have felt. Be thankful that you had something on under your blouse. Once, Allan Misch's fly was open during the first half of his presentation. At the break, in the restroom, he too discovered the embarrassing problem. Here's what he did. Like you, he corrected the problem. He zipped up his fly. Then he continued to present to the audience as if nothing happened. Another speaker we know, had his suit cleaned the night before he was to speak. The suit came back with all of its jacket buttons missing. At the beginning of his presentation, he called attention to the problem. He and his audience had a good laugh, then he proceeded. We recommend that you forget what you can't change, and either call attention to the potentially embarrassing situation, if appropriate, or just move on. Allan and Allan Submit questions to mailto:questions@nosweatspeaking.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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. 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