101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers (3rd Edition)

Description

ISBN: 978-1-57023-229-9 (13 digit); 1-57023-229-6 (10 digit)

By Caryl Rae Krannich, Ph.D

“Hands on, reader-friendly, practical ideas that will help develop the skills and the confidence necessary to present a successful speech. Do yourself a favor…and read this book.”
—Priorities

#3939   Most people fear giving a speech more than any other situation they encounter. In fact, the fear of getting up in front of an audience to speak is often a major impediment to career advancement. Each year thousands of people turn down promotions because a new position requires giving speeches to bosses, co-workers, and/or clients.

The fear of public speaking is something most people can overcome if they learn several winning presentation techniques as well as certain behaviors. Communication and career expert Dr. Caryl Rae Krannich, a seasoned public speaker and trainer to thousands of speakers, reveals 101 of the most important secrets of highly effective speakers. Challenging numerous myths and showing how to build skills and greater confidence, she shares a treasure-trove of winning tips:

• 9 secrets to command attention
• 10 secrets to control fear
• 11 secrets to build credibility
• 10 secrets to prepare like a pro
• 8 secrets to close with power
• 10 secrets to sharpen delivery

Organized according to each step in the presentation process, here’s the book that finally pulls together the major principles and techniques used by today’s most effective speakers. Don’t pass up that next promotion, or head for the podium, without first familiarizing yourself with the 101 secrets revealed in this practical guide to public speaking! 192 pages. August 2004. $15.95. SPECIALS: 10 copies for $139.00; 50 copies for $649.00; 100 copies for $1,195.00; 1,000 copies for $9,570.00.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Before You Begin
• Plan to Exceed Expectations
• Build Your Body – Your Speech Body
• Command Attention – Your Introduction Sets the Tone
• Close With Power
• Prepare Like a Pro
• Control Fear
• Command Attention – Your Demeanor Conveys Authority
• Sharpen Your Delivery
• Respond to Your Audience
• And in Conclusion
• Appendix A: The 101 Secrets
• Appendix B: Frequently Asked Questions

PRAISE FROM READERS AND REVIEWERS

“Easy to read, straightforward style. Author does not talk down to you like so many other public speaking books….It would be an excellent first book on speaking. This is one of the most wisely organized books I have ever read.”
–Reader from Nevada (Amazon.com)

“…Outlines, in sensible order, 101 eminently useful tidbits on public speaking. She covers everything…, giving fledgling speakers insights that might have taken years of trial and error otherwise….Well-reasoned common sense.”
–Reader from Michigan (Amazon.com)

“…Will help even the most petrified potential speaker make it through the steps of preparing and delivering a speech….Offers solid advice.”
—InfoWorld Electric

One of the most frequent laments heard from novice speakers is: My greatest fear is that I will go blank when speaking to an audience. It has happened to be me before, and I live in sheer terror prior to giving a speech that it will happen to me again. How can I overcome this?

If you will follow the secrets outlined earlier, this is unlikely to happen to you again. Most people go blank either because they have tried to memorize their talk or part of their talk and they are so concerned about forgetting their speech that it is all they can think of and eventually it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

First, if you have prepared properly and made notes for your extemporaneous speech, you cannot truly forget your speech. If you go blank, pause for a moment; take a deep, but inaudible, breath, and look down at your notes and find your place.

This should trigger the idea you want to convey next; go on with that next idea in the words that come to you at that very point in time.

There are two major reasons speakers sometimes go blank, and with foresight you can avoid them both.

One reason is that some speakers prepare notes but decide to attempt to present the speech without using them. Their thinking seems to be that if they can get through the speech without looking at their notes, it makes them a better speaker!

So they will avoid using their notes unless absolutely necessary. Since the speaker is not using his notes, he probably isn’t pulling the pages across the lectern as he finishes with the points outlined on each page.

Then when he needs his notes because he cannot recall what he planned to say next, he looks down toward the lectern and the notes he needs are not there. So he has to start flipping through his pages of notes to find his place.

Needless to say, this not only makes the speaker feel more uncomfortable, it does nothing to enhance his credibility with his listeners either.

So prepare your notes well following the tips in Secret 59, and practice the speech following the tips in Secrets 67, 68, 69, and 70.

Use your notes if you are giving an extemporaneous speech, and be sure that the notes on the page in front of you keep pace with the speech as you deliver it. Then, when you look down at your notes, you can find your place easily. This should trigger in your mind what you wanted to say next, and you can move on with your presentation.

Aside from the place in the notes keeping pace with the speaker’s delivery, the other most frequent cause of prolonged blankness is a result of the speaker’s desire to say everything in his speech the way he said it when he practiced it.

Remember the reason for your notes. The notes are there to trigger in your mind the ideas you want to convey in your speech. If the ideas come back to you in the way you practiced them in the way you planned to say them when you deliver your speech to the real audience that is fine.

But if they don’t come back to you in that same way – in other words you might say your mind goes blank – not to worry. Convey the idea the best way you can in the words that come to your mind at that point in time.

If you are bound, set, and determined to say ideas in the exact same way each time, then you are in reality trying to memorize all or parts of your speech.

In large measure, what makes an extemporaneous speech easier for the audience to listen to than a manuscript or memorized speech is that very conversational tone which results from using notes to trigger the ideas that you wanted to convey – then conveying these ideas in the words that come naturally at the point of delivery.

If you know your material, have prepared notes well, have practiced your speech a few times, and will remember to use your notes to trigger in your mind what you wanted to say next, but allow yourself to convey ideas as they come to you naturally at that point in time, you cannot forget your speech or go blank for more than a few seconds as you look down at your notes and regroup!

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