Had a great time this weekend speaking at the District 66 Toastmasters conference. Friday night with a Social Media Bootcamp and Saturday morning about leadership. Great group of people focused on improving their leadership and communication skills.
Many people ask me why do I also speak about social media. Well, social media is another powerful communication tool that leaders need to master to be more successful in their careers, their organizations, and in their lives. I find that many leaders are “behind the curve” when it comes to communicating with social media. They are losing an opportunity to reach their followers.
The following are two resources that can help you become a better communicator and leader:
Seven Leadership Secrets to Being the Outstanding Leader Everyone Wants to Follow
The April 2012 OnPoint success newsletter is available now! You will learn how to take advantage of career opportunities, stay motivated during challenging times, and how to present yourself so that your audience wants to act on your message.
Read your copy of the OnPoint newsletter at OnPoint success newsletter!
Enjoy!
“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” - Dorothy Nevill
Reward and/or acceptance speeches are some of the most difficult speeches to give. It doesn’t need to be that way! You are under pressure to appreciate the moment, be humble, and appreciate others.
The following are seven secrets I learned from watching Academy Awards acceptance speeches and how you can apply them in your life:
How to Give an Acceptance Speech: Seven Presentation Secrets Learned from the Academy Awards
By Ed Sykes
Academy Awards come and go, but one thing is a constant: bad acceptance speeches. You may never win an Academy Award, but you may be asked to give an acceptance speech for an accomplishment in your business, your career, your community, or your organization. Sometimes your acceptance speech will be for what you accomplished, or for what your team has accomplished.
Will you be ready when it is your time to give an acceptance speech?
The following are seven presentation secrets on how to give an outstanding acceptance speech in any situation:
- Prepare For the Moment – You may have heard the Oscar winners say, “I really didn’t think I would win,” or “I really didn’t think I would be standing here tonight,” and then give an acceptance speech like they didn’t think they would win. Well, my question is, “Why did you think you were invited to this gala event?” (Read the rest at Reward Speech)
“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” – Anthony Robbins
It’s that time again…the monthly meeting. You break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. Whether you present to your managers or your employees you are saying to yourself:
- What if I mess up during my presentation?
- What if I repeat myself during my presentation?
- What if the audience doesn’t like my presentation?
- What if I forget a part of my presentation?
- What if I look nervous during my presentation?
It’s okay! You’re not the only one feeling this way. The Book of Lists states that the #1 fear is public speaking. This fear is greater than the fear of death.
Well, I have the answers to your fears and can help you become an outstanding presenter. These 10 tips will help you gain outstanding presentation skills, overcome public speaking anxiety, and become more confident making presentations that achieve results.
- Start with an End in Mind – Ask yourself, “Why am I speaking?” “What do I want the audience to do after listening to my speech?” This will help you focus on the message you want to share with your audience. It will help you focus on who is your audience, the key points, and what you want your audience to do after listening to you.
- Keep It Simple – Keep your presentation simple by learning to “speak to express instead of speaking to impress.” What I mean by speaking to impress is when you see speakers using $5 words for $2 situations during speeches and they look uncomfortable doing it. Another example of this is when presenters overuse PowerPoint. Your audience will soon lose interest in what you are saying.
Also keep it simple with the structure of your speech. An opening, body with tree major points, and a closing will help you connect with your audience.
Just be sincere, concise, and simple in your presentation and you will always connect with your audience. (Read the other secrets at Presentations)
August 7th is Professional Speakers Day! We know that picking the right professional speaker for your audience can be a job onto itself. The following are five secrets to easily picking the right professional speaker for your next event:
- Book a professional speaker with a proven track record – Your professional speaker should have a long list of happy clients. Ask how long they have been practicing their craft.
- Book a professional speaker who is engaging – When watching videos or live performances of a professional speaker, see how they engage the audience. Do they use humor? If humor is important to you, when selecting a speaker make sure your speaker is actually funny, clean, and considerate of the audience members. The last thing you want is a professional speaker who uses humor that offends people in your group.
- Book a professional speaker who works well with clients – Learn more about your speakers recent clients. Check with your potential speakers’ past clients to make sure that your speaker is as professional OFF the platform as he is ON the platform. Is your professional speaker candidate easy to work with concerning your needs? Do they ask you the right questions? When we take on a client, we make sure we are available for Skype discussions, meetings, or telephone calls to discuss our client’s needs.
- Ask your potential professional speaker ton of questions. Why should I book YOU? How do I know you’ll deliver? Are you easy to work with? Can you tailor your message to my group? You say you are an expert… how do I know for sure? How do you approach humor? How will my group feel after they meet you?
- See if the professional speaker is used to customizing their presentations – Ask how they will adapt their presentation based on your organization’s needs and goals. See if they will incorporate certain organization stories or situations in their presentation. We had a recent presentation for a client and used many of the stories/situations they shared with us with their employees. The client was happy and we had many audiences members come up to us at the conclusion of the presentation to ask if we ever work at that organization because it seemed like we knew them so well through the stories we used.
When you apply the following techniques to finding your professional or keynote speaker, you will hit a home run with your audience every time.
