How to be an Awesome Public Speaker

Public Speaking Basics
By Simon Oldmann

It is no secret that public speaking is causing a lot of fear and stress, in fact public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.

The problem that most of us face is not speech making per se, it is actually any kind of frontal lecture or exchange of information that we need to deliver. College students are well aware of the devastating effects of the fear of public speaking, the need to present seminars or to protect a work from criticism makes public speaking "victims" out of most of us.

There are a lot of tips and advice on delivering a well planned and perfectly executed speech. Lets try and consider the few basic points of good public speaking, the points that matter the most and that will increase your chances of getting to the end of your speech alive and well.

A great speech starts with a great topic. It is so important that you select a topic that interests you, and you believe will interest your audience. Try and find as many things that interest you in this speech, discover things the you know a little more about and that you can use to leverage the speech to your benefit. When researching the topic of the speech look for as many divers subjects within the topic, try and locate one that you feel very comfortable with and that you can base most of the time in your speech to.

Think carefully of your audience and its needs, if this is the silent audience, coming to hear a public speaking and that would be grateful for any piece of information you through their way, or the savvy interested audience that will make your life hard and ask questions, if you prepare for the worst - you will be protected. The problem is that you don't always have the time to spend in preparing for the audience from hell.

Writing your introduction, the base of the speech and the opening of your public speaking should be a powerful one, if you want to capture your audience attention and minds you will need some passion here. Start by writing a 3-sentence introduction. Think of it as trying to explain this subject to someone in a pleasant casual talk, key to giving a speech is a conversational tone. In the introduction tell your audience what you're about to say.

The first thirty seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that period of time you must grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech. Once your audience is interested and intrigued you can move forward and advance to the later parts of your speech.

Now is the time to address each of the general points in your introduction, and apply the "meat" of the speech. You need to explore a few points in a profound way, to show that you have done your homework and give the audience that feeling that you re just talking to them and not reading out a prepared speech. When an experienced speaker gives a public speech the feeling is as if he was talking about something he is very familiar with, that diverting the subject is not a problem, that he is in control over the whole scope of the topic. That is what you should aspire to - not necessarily to actually know this, but to give this feeling.

Most good writing, we are told over and over again, must have structure. A good speech is no exception. By providing your speech with a beginning, middle, and an end, you will have laid the foundations for a successful speech that fulfils all of your aspirations.

The finishing touch, the conclusion is your last touch, and it will probably not make or break you general performance, do not rush to the conclusion, make a lengthy speech before you get to the point when you say "in conclusion", give the audience the feeling that you have exhausted all the possible interesting things you could have said, and move to the conclusion. Make sure you finish with a considerable amount of confidence, it will send you audience home with a feeling that they have learned something, and try to make sure you know what you are talking about.

Simon Oldmann has been studying the effects of cognitive alertness on performance for the last 5 years, he has a wide knowledge of public performance and personality traits. Simon is currently writing tips and advice on Public Speaking for the internet based site www.ZupaTips.com

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Choosing Your Topic

How to Choose a Public Speaking Topic | eHow
Public speaking is a major fear for a great deal of people. There's no need to fear public speaking. Learning how to speak in front of a large group of people can be achieved. Public Speaking is an art form and picking a topic that you are passionate about will help you to be a successful public speaker.

Researching - Becoming a Subject Matter Expert

How to Establish Yourself as a Subject Matter Expert | eHow
Subject matter experts are highly sought-after individuals. Every one has something of value to share with the rest of the world. Establishing yourself as a subject matter expert within your area of interest will allow you to capitalize off of what you know. Follow these steps to become a subject matter expert and begin reaping the incredible rewards.

Understanding the Audience

How to Prepare an Audience-Centered Speech | eHow
When preparing for a speech, you must analyze your audience's temperament, expectations, needs, level of interest, and level of understanding. This analysis will have major effects on your speech's content and how you go about presenting it.

Building the Content

How to Write an Effective Speech | eHow
Effective speakers are only as good as their speech is. Think of speeches that changed history. Abe Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and Martin Luthur King Jr's "I Have A Dream" were all speeches that were delivered effectively because the speaker had a passion about the subject. Even though your speech may not go down in history, here you will learn how to get your point across to the audience members.

How to Write a Speech Outline | eHow
Outlines provide speakers with a clear and logical way to organize their speeches. They help speakers and audience members understand the organizational patterns of a speech while also providing speakers with a script of what to say. Often, speeches presented without an outline lack structure and depth and are difficult for audience members to understand.

How to Organize a Speech into Parts | eHow
Public speaking is a widely shared nightmare. Everyone from teachers to politicians wrestle with the evils of opening their mouth before an audience.For many reasons, giving speeches is terrifying. However, it is mostly due to lack of preparation and organization in a speech. With a little work at arranging the flow, speaking in public can be much simpler and much less terrifying. Breaking down a speech into parts is the way to go, and here you will find how to do just that.

Using Humor

Laugh It Up! The Top 4 Checks To Adding Humour To Speeches And Presentations
By Jason Peck

If you are able to use humor in a speech or presentation you will automatically be able to make your audience listen to you and assert your authority. Making people laugh is a definite attention-getter.

The thing to be aware of is using humor appropriately in your speech or presentation. There are two ways to use humor: the first is to react to material that you already have written using your own sense of humor. The second way is to add appropriate jokes, quotes and stories that relate to your speech topic.

Whichever method you use you need to run through the following checklist before you speak:

1) Is it funny? If you find a line genuinely funny then it will make things a lot easier when you come to deliver the humor to your listeners. The thing to be aware of though is that not every line will make you fall down with laughter. If you have trouble in this area it might be worth researching a quip or humorous line from another speaker or comedian and quoting them in your speech. You cannot pass the line off as your own. If you have to give them credit! You could phrase it as follows: "...and as the comedian Jerry Seinfeld said..."

2) Can you say the line comfortably? If you find a joke that fits in with the material rehearse the line out loud and edit it so that you're comfortable saying the joke. Make elisions if necessary turning "you are" into "you're" and so on. Make sure you don't leave out the punchline though, that bit is crucial.

3) Will you offend anybody? This following may sound stuffy, but the best thing to do is avoid the following areas because not everybody can appreciate humorous lines in these areas. Avoid jokes on: religion, sex, physical appearance, politics and disabilities. Granted someone who is Jewish can deliver Jewish jokes, but even then not everyone in the audience might be Jewish so you could come across as racist. The best thing to do is poke fun at yourself. If in doubt, leave it out!

4) Will you be understood? If you're speaking to a room full of unfamiliar faces then you have to make sure that jokes that are specific to your job or company might not go over. In that situation make sure that there are no in-jokes, or lines based in specifics of your job title.

If the humorous lines that you find are able to pass these four checks then you are well on your way to having an engaging and memorable speech!

Jason a Humorist, Speaker and Consultant based in London, England. He provides empowering speeches, valuable business training and morale-boosting entertainment to businesses, colleges and private functions. If you liked these 4 tips, why not get more? Check out Pro Humorist

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Visual Aids

Timely Top Ten Strategies for Improving Visuals in Your Speeches
By Reed Markham

Can you imagine viewing a speech about a diesel engine without a visual aid? Can imagine hearing a speech about music therapy without some music? Can you imagine observing a speech on diet fads with elaborate posters, book covers, and healthproducts displayed and the speaker fails to discuss the visuals during the presentation?

The most successful speakers in America today use visuals in their presentations- Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Tony Robbins to name a few. But for many speakers a visual is an afterthought. Some speakers fail to create an eye catching visual. Some speakers fail to practice their speech with a visual. We live in a visual generation. Today's public audiences pay more attention to visuals. High quality visuals are essential to public speaking success. Here's my top 10 strategies for using visuals for presentations:

1. Brainstorm ideas- brainstorm all the types of visual aids that could be used for your speech. Try researching Google.images during your brainstorm.

2. Don't forget impact- As you prepare your speech ask yourself the question: Would the impact of my speech on the audience increase with the use of the visual selected?.

3. Reference visuals- Reference your visual during the speech. I have listened to many speeches where the speaker prepared a great visual aid but did not refer to it during the presentation.

4. Learn presentation technology- become. familiar with new technology. For example, the use of PowerPoint slides can enhance the quality of many types of presentations.

5. Be professional- nothing is worse than a poster that has been developed in hurry or a poorly organized handout. The quality of your credibility as a speaker can be greatly enhanced by a professional visual.

6. Practice, practice, practice your speech utilizing the visual aid. Practicing with the visual aid will help you to decide how much time to spend with the visual and whether the visual is adding or detracting from your presentation.

7. Avoid too many visuals- Don't overdo it with visual aids. Too many visuals may detract from the presentation of your ideas and can waste valuable speaking time.

8. Avoid distractions-Don't pass visuals aids around the audience during the presentation. Passing a handout or physical object around the audience is distracting and invites side conversations.

9. Add color- Use color in your visual aids. Color adds audience interest and increases the quality of your presentation.

10. Use visuals- Remember, for every speech topic there is a potential visual aid.

Visual aids can spice up any presentation. The old cliché that a picture is a thousand words is often true. Research shows that the use of professional visuals will increase your credibility as a speaker and help your audience to retain your information.

Reed Markham, Daytona Beach College

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Incorporating Quotes & Anecdotal Stories

How to Find the Best Sources of Stories, Anecdotes and Quotes For Your Speeches and Presentations
By Nickolove Lovemore

Make public speaking your "magnificent obsession" and you will find stories, anecdotes and quotes for your speeches and presentations all around you.

Here are 5 expert tips to help you find great material for your speeches and presentations.

1. Material from Your Life Story

Your first port of call in finding material for your speeches and presentations is your own life. Scan your life and you are sure to find amusing anecdotes and life-defining moments. It is these stories and experiences that make you unique and, what's more, no one can tell these stories like you can. Even if others may later tell your life story, only you can tell it in the first person.

At first, it may be a little disconcerting to expose yourself and your life in this way. You may feel hesitant at revealing your foibles but it is these which help you to build a connection with your audience.

Your audience is not listening to you to judge you. They are listening because they too have their stories but they don't want their past to become their future. They are looking for a guiding light, for inspiration.

They will receive your message more readily if it is seen to have come from someone who isn't perfect. This gives them hope that if you can overcome your limitations then they too can overcome their limiting and negative beliefs and achieve success.

2. Become an Observer of Life

As a speaker you need to become an observer of life and not just people - all life. You can learn as much from observing nature and inanimate objects such as buildings, as you can from watching people. A news story, an incident, a casual remark in a conversation among friends, or even with strangers, can all provide inspiration for a story or vignette that can form material for your speech.

Carry a notebook and or recorder with you at all times so that you can immediately capture these moments of inspiration. If you don't, you may struggle to recall the details later.

3. Become an Avid Reader

If you are a speaker then you will want to become an avid reader and devour the written word. As you read, certain combinations of words will leap off the page or screen and will resonate with you. These phrases and sentences will form some of the quotations that you will use in your speeches.

Some of these quotations will be so powerful that they will generate stories of their own. There are also several online sources of famous quotations such as ThinkExist, QuoteGardens and WisdomQuotes.

4. Put Your Research on Topical Material on Autopilot

So that you don't have to spend time scouring newspapers and the like, you can sign up to a service such as Google Alerts so that you are notified of news stories that relate to your subject matter. You just need to select your

So you have heard all of the rumors that professional speaking is the way to go in order to get your products and services in front of massive audiences and really boost your business. But how do you do it? The truth of the matter is that professional speaking is not a difficult field to break into. You just have to be willing to put in the work it takes to get paid speaking gigs.

The first step is to determine what you are passionate about and become an expert in that subject. Your passion is what will drive you toward success. Learn all that you can about your specialty. Interview industry experts, join professional affiliations and read all available literature. Subscribe to white papers and stay abreast of important innovations. You want to be the one with all of the answers when it comes to your chosen topic.

Once you are comfortable with your subject matter, write a book using the wealth of information that you have collected. Publishing a book helps to establish you as an expert. You will be the resource for people interested in your specialty. The credibility that comes along with being a published author paves the way for speaking engagements. Send out press releases to announce your new book. Create a media kit that includes cover art and a synopsis of your book and forward it to your media contacts. You should also send your media kit to libraries, colleges and other organizations that may have an interest in your subject matter. You will soon find yourself being contacted by these folks to arrange book signings. Books are also a great additional income stream that can be used to boost the revenue you earn at each speaking engagement through back-of-the-room sales. Even if you are not chosen as a speaker for a particular event, your book may still be used in the absence of the chosen speaker having a published work. Most bookstores have a "signed by author" stamp available. Make sure that after every book signing event that you request the stamp and leave behind additional signed copies. People will remember this personal touch and be more apt to contact you.

The third step is to market yourself as a speaker. You will most definitely need a website if your business does not already have one. Make sure that you include a highly visible line that reads "available for keynote or breakout session presentations" within your website's content. Create a brochure that highlights your niche topics and include a short bio about yourself. Send your brochure and a professionally produced presentation clip, if available, to your target audience. Your target audience may include universities, high schools, trade schools, professional associations, chambers of commerce, corporations and community groups. Contact meeting planners, human resource managers, alumni associations, radio stations and orientation coordinators. Decide which group will be most receptive to your expert topics and focus your marketing efforts in their direction.

Sign up with reputable speaker's bureaus. Speaker bureaus provide a service to those seeking to book speakers for their events. Most speaker's bureaus require that you be a seasoned speaker before you can join the bureau. Documentation of your past speaking engagements in the form of digital media must accompany your application and there is usually a fee to be paid. The benefits of joining a speaker's bureau is that they will market your services for you. The bureau then takes a small commission off of any booking you receive through their service.

Be cautious of speaker bureaus that may charge astronomical fees for you to join but have no proven track record of connecting speakers with meeting planners. As a precaution you can Google the name of a speaker listed on the bureau (bureaus omit contact information to remain in control of the lead), contact them and ask if the bureau has done its job before applying yourself. You can save yourself time and money by first checking with your college alumni association. Most alumni associations maintain their own speaker's bureaus that are free and open to former graduates.

Finally, leverage your bookings. Ask for multiple bookings at a time. Many conferences are multiple-day events and will have a need to fill several speaker vacancies. Make the conference organizers aware of your availability to fill more than one slot. This means you could present both a morning and an afternoon workshop. Event planners will be appreciative and remember how easy you are to work with for future events. Request to be used again for events that will reoccur annually. Also, request testimonial letters for a satisfactorily delivered presentation upfront. Most event planners will be agreeable to providing these for you and then you don't have to worry about chasing them down later as they would have already committed to giving you one.

Becoming a professional speaker is not rocket science. It just takes a big of legwork and dedication. The biggest thing to remember is that as long as you have a subject that you are passionate and knowledgeable about, all you need is a willingness to share the information in a way that will help others. Secondly, it is important to note that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that professionals make money so make sure that you charge what you are worth for your services.

Many professionals have heard how the art of professional speaking can be leveraged to help build their businesses; however, most are reluctant to put their first foot forward to break into this field of endless possibilities. Their reluctance stems from fear as a result of several myths floating around regarding the difficulty of becoming a professional speaker.

Myth #1: I have to be famous.

This myth is completely false. There are many no-name six- and seven-figure income earners making their livings as professional speakers. Many organizations would rather hire those speakers who do not possess celebrity status because their audiences will have a much easier time connecting and relating to the average Joe or Jill. How many seminars, workshops and conferences have you attended in which you had never heard of the keynote presenter but he/she delivered a dynamic presentation?

Myth #2: I have to have great credentials.

There are literally thousands of well-paid speakers who do not even possess a high school diploma, let alone a college degree. The only credential that you need to be a speaker is a topic that you are both passionate and knowledgeable about and a true desire to help others by giving them access to what you know. There is a popular speaker's bureau in Chicago that is completely composed of former prostitutes. This group of women travels across the country presenting motivational speeches to empower women and youth to value their own self-worth. Some of this group recently delivered a presentation to a meeting of key decision makers on Capitol Hill.

Myth #3: There is too much competition.

True that there are a lot of professional speakers and aspiring speakers; however, there are more than enough speaking engagements to go around. Every day, in the United States alone, there are approximately 7,000 speaking opportunities. That is over 2.5 million potential speaking gigs per year. There are more than enough speaking opportunities for you to take advantage of even if you share the same or a similar niche with other speakers.

Myth #4: I have to be a really good speaker.

While having good presentation skills can help your audience really tune in to your message, it is not necessary. Even the most wet-behind-the-ears speaker can earn a decent living. I have an aunt who has a speech impediment. She has always had trouble pronouncing certain words even though she is a native English speaker. At first, she thought this would be a hindrance but now she realizes that it is what makes her unique from her competition. Use your quirks and idiosyncrasies to build your brand. Again, the important element in any speaker's presentation is that there is a real message to be heard. Know your subject matter and deliver it with passion. If you can do this, then nothing else even matters.

Myth #5: It is too difficult to get started.

No it isn't! The biggest roadblock to getting started is you. Throw away your fears and doubts and just jump into it. There is nothing to it but to do it. Become an expert on a topic that you feel passionate about it and just start speaking. Share your message with every group you think could benefit from your knowledge and charge them a reasonable fee for your services.