Many of our readers vacation during the summer. So, we decided to publish two issues during these months. You'll receive a June/ July issue and an August/September issue. We hope you have a great summer filled with excitement and fun. ----------------------------- 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 6 August/September, 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** Need a Speaker for a Seminar or Workshop? *** "I was very impressed by Allan's (Kaufman) extensive preparation -- he knew exactly how to customize his public speaking seminar for the unique needs of our professional association. Allan led the informative seminar with great enthusiasm and encouraged a high degree of interaction among participants. While we are not sweating our next public speaking opportunity, we enjoyed the seminar so much that we'd like to ask him back to next year's meeting." Christopher Symanoskie Director of Corporate Communications Laureate Education, Inc. Baltimore, MD 21202 www.laureate-inc.com President, NIRI Baltimore Chapter www.niribaltimore.com If you need a speaker to conduct a customized seminar or workshop for your organization or company, go to: http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/speaking.html and http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/contact.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- *********************** 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. 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **The Ten Biggest Public Speaking Myths and How to Bust Them! -- Part 3** by Allan Misch (c)Allan Misch - All rights reserved. http://www.nosweatspeaking.com Actress Terri Garr said, "I think there are a lot of myths about MS, and it may have affected my career." Many presenters are ineffective, because they believe public speaking myths. You can break out of those myths and boost your effectiveness. In Parts 1 and 2, I addressed myths one through six. In this article, I'll discuss how you can bust the last four Myths. To review, the ten myths are… 1. You need to be nervous or anxious when presenting. 2. The speaker needs no introduction. 3. If you know your topic, you can just wing it. 4. Tell your audience you're nervous and they'll support you. 5. If you can't tell a joke properly, you can't be funny. 6. Technical presentations should inform, not entertain. 7. Content is the most important aspect of a presentation. 8. If you have a loud voice, you don't need a microphone. 9. Telling a joke is the best way to start a presentation. 10. Experienced speakers are the most effective. *Myth # 7 -- Content Is the Most Important Aspect of a Presentation* When presenting, you have two goals -- image goals and substance goals. Substance is your content, and it is important. If your presentation lacks meaningful content, you waste your audience's time. Image is the feeling you want your audience to have about you. Within a few days after your presentation, your audience will have forgotten most of your content. However, they will retain the image you left with them. So, make sure your content meets their needs. But more importantly, make sure you project the right image to be believable and memorable. *Myth 8 -- If You Have a Loud Voice, You Don't Need a Microphone* I was on a multi-speaker program in an auditorium. The audience sat in the front six rows. The speakers preceding me did not use a microphone. They spoke loudly but were barely heard and appeared weak. I used a microphone and looked powerful. When you speak to a small audience in a venue with a public address system, use the microphone. Everyone will hear every word, and you will leave your audience with a powerful impression. A microphone doesn't just make your voice louder. It gives your voice power, and power is related to image. *Myth #9 -- Telling a Joke Is The Best Way to Start a Presentation* Using humor in your opening is appropriate, but it is not necessarily the best way to start your presentation. It depends on your audience, the occasion, and other factors. Instead, analyze how you should open. You might need to start with a question, dramatic statement, quote, or anecdote. *Myth #10 -- Experienced Speakers Are the Most Effective* When I learned to ski, my friend and I went to a ski resort for a week. I signed up for daily ski lessons. I asked him if he planned to take any lessons. He said, "No, I've been skiing for ten years." At the end of the week, my skill level was almost the same as his. I thought, "You haven't been skiing for ten years. You've been skiing one year, ten times." Just because someone has experience, it does not mean they are more skilled than someone with less experience. It just means that they have been doing it longer. The most effective speakers are the most skilled speakers, not necessarily the most experienced. To be effective, develop your skills. So be wise and avoid the myth trap. Have good content, but pay attention to your image goals. Use the microphone when it's available no matter how loud your voice is. Start with a joke only when it is appropriate. And become skilled, not just experienced, if you want to be effective. Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "We love them [myths] for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality." Bust those illusory myths, and you will be a more dynamic speaker. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **What Can You Do When Nobody Asks a Question?** by Allan Misch (c)Allan Misch - All rights reserved http://www.nosweatspeaking.com You may not get questions if you're program is running late just before lunch, break, or the end of the day. You won't get questions if your audience doesn't understand your presentation, or if it doesn't meet their needs. In these situations, just conclude, and let them leave. Also, most people don't like to be the first to ask a question. You can start by offering the first question from a list of questions for which you have prepared answers in advance. Say, "One question I get often is ?" Usually, audience questions will follow. If not, make your concluding remarks and end. During a break, if someone asks you a question, you could say, "That's a great question. Others in the audience can benefit from hearing your question. Would you mind asking me it during the Q & A session?" ----------------------------------------------------------------- *** 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- **Use Funny Sounding Words** by Allan Misch (c)Allan Misch - All rights reserved http://www.nosweatspeaking.com Some words and sounds are funnier than others. Using them in your anecdotes, stories, and jokes can make the difference between a hardy laugh and a room full of blank faces staring at you as beads of sweat form on your forehead. For example, the name "Fanny" is funnier than "Elizabeth." "Bucky" is funnier than "Bill." And "Corky" is funnier than "John." Why? Because humorists have learned that hard consonants are funnier than soft consonants, especially the "k" sound. Also, names ending in the "ee" sound are funnier than other names. Couple the "k" and "ee" sounds together, and you really have a winner. So instead of saying, "my aunt Rose," say, "my aunt Cloey." Instead of "my cousin Lance," use "my cousin "Rocky." Instead of "This guy went to…." say "My friend Vinny went to…" Changing some of the words and sounds in your presentation can make a big difference in the reaction you get. You might even "knock the socks off" your audience. ----------------------------------------------------------------- **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 10,000 megs of space, 2500 POP email accounts, 250 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://partners.ipowerweb.com/z/52/CD1893/&dp=1622 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Dear Allan and Allan (Answers to Your Questions) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Allan and Allan, I have difficulty getting my thoughts down on paper when I have to prepare for a presentation. It really is hard for me to start and I end up being disorganized. Any ideas on how I can deal with this problem? Disorganized In Detroit Dear Disorganized In Detroit, To learn how to organize a presentation, check out our ezine archive at... http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/ezine/back_issues-2002.html. You'll find plenty of information on how to organize a presentation in our NSS Ezines. Writing a concise purpose/objective statement will help you to define what you want to accomplish. From there, you can begin to organize your presentation in an outline structure. Some people find it difficult to write using a linear, or tradiltional, outlining approach. That may be why you have difficulty starting. You might consider outlining using a mindmapping approach. A mindmap is an outline tool that uses a visual approach. It uses graphics and text to capture ideas in a non-linear fashion. I use a program called MindManager by MindJet to draw mindmaps of my presentations. You can get more information at... http://www.mindjet.com 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? 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