----------------------------- No Sweat Speaking(tm) Ezine ----------------------------- Speaking Tips for Greater Confidence, Skill, Influence, & Profit "Your next presentation doesn't have to make you sweat!" ------------------------------------------------------------ Volume 6, Number 3 March, 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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) 2007 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 send a blank email to nssezine@nosweatspeaking.com with "Subscribe NSS Ezine" in the subject. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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! *********************** "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? --------------------------------- Let's be honest. If you have performance anxieties, you know you need to kill those butterflies in your stomach, but you may be afraid to take the next step and/or you're not willing to invest in yourself to make it happen. One man 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 stagnate. You could be promoting your business 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 by 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ **"Murder Board" -- The Perfect Speech Practice -- Part 4: Steps 6 and 7 of Seven Steps to a Successful Murder Board** by Larry Tracy (c)Tracy Presentation Skills 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.tracy-presentation.com This is the last of four articles on the "Murder Board." Part 1, which defined the "Murder Board," appeared in the November 2006 issue. In the January 2007 issue, we covered steps 1 and 2 of a seven-step process to ensure a successful and productive Murder Board. Last month, we covered steps 3, 4 and 5. These are the seven steps. 1. Recruiting 2. Sharing audience intelligence 3. Role-playing by participants 4. Video-taping and/or audio-taping 5. Critique of presenter's style and substance 6. Recording on cards all questions asked 7. Revision of the presentation In this article, we examine steps 6 and 7, recording questions and revising the presentation. 6. Recording all questions asked on cards Now it is just you, a VCR, a tape recorder and a stack of 3x5 cards. Why the cards? Because you are now going to go through the painful process of listening to how you answered the questions posed by your colleagues. Place each question asked on the front side of a 3x5 card. On the back--in pencil--place the answer you gave, or a better one if it occurs to you now, and it probably will. Why pencil? Because you are going to come up with better answers the more you think and research. Review the cards. When you are at home watching television, have that stack of cards nearby. When a commercial comes on the screen, select a card at random, look at the question, give an answer, and turn the card over. If your new answer is better than the one on the back of the card, make the correction. Go through this procedure a few times, seeking each time to improve your answer so that you not only address the specifics of the question, but also find ways to reinforce your main points. Following this procedure will do much to remove the fear of the unanticipated question, which has such a direct influence on fear of public speaking. Keep the cards. Do not discard the cards after the presentation. They can serve as the foundation for your next presentation. If possible, catalog them by subject matter and place them in your database. When you are called on at the last minute to make a short presentation, this card file can be a lifesaver and a career-enhancer, as you can quickly build a new presentation around one or two old questions. People will think that you are indeed a silver-tongued orator who can put together a well thought out and extemporaneous presentation at the last minute. Let them think that. You will know that you are drawing on the "blood, sweat and tears" that went into your Murder Board. 7. Revision of the presentation Having completed your Murder Board, you are now faced with a dilemma. What do you do with all the new data generated by this most intense practice session? What if the audience doesn't ask the questions for which you have developed such great answers? Do you just leave this information in your files? The answer is a resounding NO. Remember, your responsibility as a presenter is to provide maximum relevant information in minimum time in the clearest manner possible. You must make a judgment as to which information best fits your objective and the informational needs of your audience. Some of the material you had originally had in your presentation may well have to be dropped, replaced by information that surfaced as a result of questions and discussions in the Murder Board. An approach I have found useful is to time the Murder Board to be somewhat shorter than the time allocated for the actual presentation. This permits a time cushion that allows you to add new material without deleting too much of your original presentation. It is best to schedule the Murder Board at least two days prior to the actual presentation so you have enough time to revise it to reflect the changes dictated by the questions and comments of your colleagues. This will allow you to integrate the new information and answers that came about as a result of your practice session, and to develop new visuals, as well as giving you the opportunity to practice delivering the revised presentation. * The bottom line on the Murder Board * You need to conduct a Murder Board for the same reason that professional football teams, despite having injured players who could benefit from a rest, go through physically demanding practice sessions before the next game. These athletes and their coaches realize the team will be better prepared by having practiced against what the coaches have anticipated, through scouting reports, the game plan of the opposing team. Presenters must follow the same logic. It is foolish to deliver a "chips on the line" presentation without going through an intense Murder Board. The wise presenter realizes that he or she should put as much effort into the presentation as has been put into the product or service being sold. --- Larry Tracy has been cited in several publications as one of the top presentation coaches in the United States. President Ronald Reagan described him as "an extraordinarily effective speaker." His book, The Shortcut to Persuasive Presentations, is the textbook for the Oral Presentations course at the Center for Leadership Education at Johns Hopkins University. Visit Larry's website, http://www.tracy-presentation.com, which is number one on Google for "Persuasive Presentations." This website has free tips on public speaking. He will be featured in the April 2007 issue of MAXIM magazine, providing advice for making business presentations. Contact him at (703) 360-3222 and info@tracy-presentation.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 ------------------------------------------------------------ **Avoid Distracting Gestures and Body Language** by Allan Kaufman Eighty-three percent of what we learn is from what we see. Seventeen percent of our learning comes from our other senses. Therefore, how we use our body, hands and eyes may be more important than what we actually say. Even the best- organized speech may be no match for distracting mannerisms. Avoid distracting body language such as: >> Parade Rest -- hands clasped behind your back >> Fig Leaf -- hands clasped in front below your navel >> Lectern Clutch -- hands clasping right and left side of lectern as if holding on "for dear life" >> Jingle Jangler -- hands in pockets, jangling keys or change >> Pan -- head and eyes continuously pan audience without focusing on any person >> Eye Dart -- eyes dart left and right like a "scared rabbit" >> No Eye Contact with Your Audience -- eyes focused on notes, lectern, floor, windows, ceiling or "outer space." Gestures should be natural and compliment your words. It's okay to use your hands to make a point. When not making a point, consider keeping your hands along your side or half raised in your own natural position. Using appropriate body movements as you deliver your presentation will help your audience stay awake and remember your message. ------------------------------------------------------------ *** 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ **Know When to Use Humor** by Allan Misch A professional speaker was asked if a presenter should use humor in a presentation. He responded, "No. Not unless you want to get paid." In other words, speakers should use humor if they want to be in demand. I disagree. I believe humor is appropriate for some presentations and not for others. It depends on circumstances and your audience. For example, at my mother's funeral, I gave the eulogy. I talked about her keen sense of humor in a light humorous way. That was appropriate for the occasion and the audience. Some audiences want high content and no humor. Other audiences may expect a mixture of humor and content. Give them what they want. Do your homework. Find out whether humor is appropriate for the occasion and for the 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 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, I am starting a new business. As part of my marketing plan, I am considering speaking to local organizations and local government agencies. The thing is I don't have any formal public speaking training. What can I do to quickly develop the skills I will need to pull this off? Marjorie C. Dear Marjorie, Congratulations on your new business. Giving presentations as part of your marketing plan is a great way to go. To develop your presentation skills, we suggest the following actions. First, look into joining a local Toastmasters club (http://www.toastmasters.org). Second, take a public speaking course at a local college or adult learning center. For the fastest results, get a presentation skills coach who can customize a program that will meet your public speaking development needs. 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. 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For Back Issues: http://www.nosweatspeaking.com/ezine/back_issues-2002.html To Submit Questions to Dear Allan and Allan: mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com For Feedback on the Content of This Issue: mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com ------------------------------------------------------------ No Sweat Speaking(tm) 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: 410-381-8924 mailto:cust-serv@nosweatspeaking.com http://www.nosweatspeaking.com "Your next presentation doesn't have to make you sweat!" Experience No Sweat Speaking(tm)! ------------------------------------------------------------