Archive for the ‘Public Speaking’ Category

You Need to Inject Energy, Humor, and Personality into Your Presentation

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Inject Energy, Humor, and Personality into Your Presentation

You Need to Inject Energy, Humor, and Personality into Your Presentation

The number one rule of speech making: do not bore your audience. Therefore, you need to inject energy, humor, and personality into your presentation.

Unfortunately, it is easy to bore your audience when you are feeling anxious or when you are new to speaking. Sometimes you are concentrating so hard on making sure you do not forget your next point that you wind up sounding like a toy robot running low on batteries.

If you want to keep your audience interested and engaged, you must inject energy, personality and humor into your talk.

Now you might be thinking that public speaking is not really your biggest strength. Do you think that you cannot possibly get up on stage, remember your presentation, and give it with great energy!

But you would be wrong. You can be funny and energetic. You do not need to become a comedian. But you can bring some zest and vigor to your talk. Just think, you might find you even enjoy it.

Here are three ways to inject energy, humor, and personality into your presentation.

1. Start with Practice and Preparation.

You must know your speech inside and out. Only when you know your speech inside and out can you be more comfortable improvising and making those off-the-cuff remarks and points that can take your audience by surprise. Those off-the-cuff remarks are the moments that will bring the laughs.

In addition, a smart way to practice is to record your presentation. When you record your practice session, then you will be able to watch yourself. This is a must do for all great speakers. Watching a recording of yourself helps you to identify problem areas and spots where you could use a bit more sparkle.

2. Improve your mood.

Watch funny television shows instead of crime dramas. Visit the local comedy club. Smile more. Get more exercise. Ask a few questions of the audience right from the beginning of your talk.

Not only will your overall mood improve, but you will bring that extra energy and happiness to all your presentations.

3. Start off on the right foot.

Before your each presentation, do not hole yourself in your hotel room going over your speech one more time. Instead, go for a brief walk or do a few jumping jacks just before you go down to the meeting room.

I also like to interact with the audience before my presentations. I can gauge their interest. I can find out their most pressing concerns. Then when I get on stage I can interject points from my conversations with them into my presentation. It has been my experience that audience members like being referred to. Walking around the room and introducing yourself to the audience members shows your confidence and command of the subject. It also humanizes you!

Are you still not feeling like you can give your presentation that burst of energy that will make it more memorable? Consider joining Toastmasters or another local club focused on presentation.

Here is one last point. The best way to put some personality into your presentation is simply to have one. Remember, do not walk on the stage acting like a business owner. Go out there and be you. No one can tell your story like you can. The audience is there because they want to hear from you, so give them what they want. Let your personality shine!

I got wonderful experience learning how to think on my feet as a trial and appellate court litigator. Answering questions from a judge trying to poke holes in your case quickly teaches you the importance of preparation and knowing how to respond to a tough audience.

If you do not have the time or the inclination to become a litigator, you can learn how to think on your feet and get comfortable on stage by practicing with an improv group!

Conclusion

If you are interested in making an impactful speech, then you need to inject energy, humor, and personality into your presentation. Begin by following these three steps:

Start with Practice
Improve Your Mood
Start Off on the Right Foot

At My Biz Dream Team, we show you how to break out of the chains of your day-to-day job and build an internet lifestyle business that can help you reach your financial goals.

If you have already left your job and are building a business, check out The Podcasting Power Playbook, to help you increase your visibility, credibility, and authority status. Let us show you how to reach your goal of creating a lifestyle and a business that you love. Act today!

Pamela Montgomery

I am Pamela Montgomery, author, online marketing strategist, speaker and attorney, providing you results-oriented strategies that help you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!

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How to Step into the Spotlight as a Leader and Public Speaker

Have you ever wondered how to step into the spotlight as a leader and public speaker?

I certainly have!

To help me in this quest, for the past 3 months I have been planning and hosting a monthly meeting for a local interest group. This experience has increased my exposure in the local community. It has also put me in the spotlight as a leader and a public speaker.

What have you done to become known and seen in your community? Are you a local celebrity? One of the best ways to become a local celebrity is to step into the spotlight as a leader and public speaker.

For many people the idea of public speaking is often scary and nerve-racking. To help you overcome the jitters and learn how to get started with public speaking, I recently wrote a blog post on the topic.

Click here to read my blog post: How to Get Started with Public Speaking

Let me know what you think!

Mindset Tip of the Day

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Business Tip of the Day

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Resource of the Day

Here is a link to a free business assessment quiz from my friends at Coach Glue, Nicole and Melissa.

Conclusion/Call to Action

Are you ready to step into the spotlight as a leader and public speaker? If so, check out the following articles:

How to Sound Like a Savvy Pro Podcaster

How to Make a Powerful Presentation

Start Your Speech with a Powerful Hook

How to Start Showcasing Your Expertise with Public Speaking

At My Biz Dream Team, we show you how to develop an internet lifestyle business that can help you reach your money goals. Check out The Podcasting Power Playbook, to help you increase your visibility, credibility, and authority status. Let us show you how to reach your goal of creating a lifestyle and a business that you love! Act today.

Pamela Montgomery

I am Pamela Montgomery, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and speaker, providing results-oriented strategies that help you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!

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How to Start Showcasing Your Expertise with Public Speaking

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Start Showcasing Your Expertise with Public Speaking

How to Start Showcasing Your Expertise with Public Speaking

This episode of My Biz Dream Team: Opportunity Wednesday Training Series focuses on how to start showcasing your expertise with public speaking. Nothing says you are an expert like standing in front of the room to address an audience.

I recommend that you showcase your expertise online and offline. You can make presentations to local business organizations and you can host your own webinars and podcast series. See, “How to Showcase Your Fabulous and Authentic Voice” for examples of places to share your expertise.

As you prepare to start showcasing your expertise with public speaking, you need to focus on the positive outcome of this type of branding and leadership. Be sure to begin with the right mindset.

1. Never be afraid to market yourself!

Remember that great leaders are great communicators! So, do not let fear get in the way of marketing yourself!
One of my favorite books: “Sales Dogs: You don’t have to be an attack dog to be successful,” by Blair Singer, makes this point. In this seminal book on sales and marketing, Singer offers several mindset boosters for success.
My favorite mindset boosters are:

(a) Face the challenge

You may feel fear and anxiety when facing the challenge of public speaking. However, according to Singer, rather than filling your head with images of failure, you should rely on memories of similar successful experiences from the past. These successful memories of the past offer you powerful assistance to boost your confidence now! Remember that your strength comes from past. Learn how to capture those past successes and use them in the future.

(b) Celebrate all Wins

To help you create positive memories of past successes, it is important that you celebrate all wins. This is probably the most difficult mindset shift for many adults. As we grow older we often lose the spontaneity and fun that we felt when we were younger. We need to respond to success when anything positive happens. Then we need to imbed that positive emotion in our mind, by congratulating ourselves for being the reason for the success. After all, you earned it. You worked for it. You are smart! Using this powerful technique will cause your energy to soar! This great energy will lead to your next success.

Dexter and Pamela Montgomery

(2) Share powerful stories

As you start showcasing your expertise through public speaking, remember to share stories that lend credibility to your brand. Your stories make you unique and will attract your ideal clients to you.

Remember that your personal brand is much more than your logo and the color on your website. Your life experiences, or your story, play into the development of your personal brand. Personal branding is about the image you put out into the world, how others see you. Stories of your past shape how others see you. Stories help the truth come alive!

(3) Identify your ideal client

Before you start showcasing your expertise with public speaking, identify your ideal client. These are the people your public speaking should attract. Begin to think about their attributes and create a detailed description, including their demographics, struggles, and what their daily life is like. What are they searching for? Show how you have the solution to their problem!

Conclusion/Call to Action

As you start showcasing your expertise with public speaking, remember:
(1) Never be afraid to market yourself
(2) Share powerful stories
(3) Identify your client

By preparing yourself with these powerful strategies you can begin confidently to start showcasing your expertise with public speaking.

At My Biz Dream Team, we can show you how to develop an internet lifestyle business that can help you reach your money goals. Check out The Strategic Pathway to Success Program™. Let us show you how to reach your goal of creating a lifestyle and a business that you love! Act today.

Pamela Montgomery

I am Pamela Montgomery, attorney, author, online marketing strategist, and speaker, providing result-oriented solutions to help you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!

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How to Use Public Speaking to Grow Your Business

As an entrepreneur, public speaking is a key skill that you should master to grow your business. Nothing showcases your leadership and expertise like standing in front of the room to deliver a presentation. When you are standing in front of your ideal audience, your knowledge, wisdom, and friendliness shine through. You gain credibility and have the opportunity to develop a trusting relationship. I just love sharing with entrepreneurs the tips and techniques that I have learned and developed over more than 40 years of public speaking experience. Today, I will share with you a 3-step methodology that will show you how to public speaking to grow your business.

Whether you are speaking to two people or a crowd of 2000, your ability to speak in public can connect you to an audience in a way that a telephone conversation does not. You can quickly grow relationships and become a trusted resource for the people who attend your presentation. For more detailed information on this topic see, How to Attract New Clients Through Speaking and Writing.

I know about the power of public speaking. I have used public speaking throughout my professional and business career to advance my goals and grow my business.

There is nothing more immediate and impactful as arguing for a client’s life before judges. My words had an impact on a person’s freedom. Perhaps you want to try talking to recruits about joining the Army. I have done that and more!

However, the anxiety associated with public speaking often causes entrepreneurs not to engage in it. Like most skills, you can master it. With enough practice and experience you can overcome your fear of public speaking and learn to use public speaking to grow your business.

1. What is Your Goal with the Presentation?

After years of representing clients and agencies, I have learned that the key factor in any presentation is getting clear on your message. Once you know what you want to achieve, then you can craft a presentation to meet that goal. Do you want them to follow-up with you later? Do you want their email address today? You need to be very clear in your mind, what you want to achieve. If you do not get clear about the results, you may not get there. As Stephen Covey stated in the 7 Habits of Effective People: Begin with the End in Mind.

2. What is the problem that you are solving for your audience?

Make the audience the focus of any presentation. Be sure that you understand them. Talk to the organizer to gain insight into who they are. In addition to addressing the major issue that is the topic of your presentation, also address the key issues that they are thinking about, but not vocalizing. Demonstrate that you understand them and their issues. Those first 30 seconds are key to audience engagement. Make sure that you start your presentation with a hook, that shows them immediately that you understand them. Remember, the presentation is about the audience. It is not about you!

3. Why should they use your solution?

Throughout your presentation, you are fashioning a narrative about who you are and why they should use your solution for their problem. The stories and anecdotes that you share with the audience make the solution and the presentation uniquely yours. Be persuasive! Set forth the best case why you have the answer to their problem.

Conclusion/Call to Action

By strategically crafting a presentation that (1) focuses on the audience; (2) addresses their problems; and (3) offers a compelling solution of the problem, you are on your way to using public speaking to grow your business.

Remember to ask yourself the following three questions as you prepare your presentation that will to position you as a leader and expert:

What is the goal of your presentation?
What is the problem that you are solving?
Why should they use your solution?

At My Biz Dream Team, we can show you how to develop an internet lifestyle business that can help you reach your money goals. Check out The Podcasting Power Playbook. Let us show you how to reach your goal of creating a lifestyle and a business that you love! Act today.

Pamela Montgomery

I am Pamela Montgomery, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and speaker, helping you create the life of your dreams as you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!

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3 Public Speaking Tips for New Entrepreneurs

As a new entrepreneur, if you want to build your authority status and showcase your expertise, then you want to get started public speaking. Nothing highlights you as leader, like public speaking. If you have fears about public speaking, do what I did. Schedule yourself to speak regularly. As you gain experience with public speaking, you become more confident in your ability. This article highlights three public speaking tips for new entrepreneurs that help you start public speaking on a regular basis.

Give Mini-Talks for Local Business Organizations

You can give short-mini-talks on your signature topic for local business organizations, if you want to start public speaking on a regular basis. You will receive several benefits from following this strategy. You gain experience, showcase your expertise, and build your authority status.

Local business and civic organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary Clubs, are always looking for guest speakers. As Christopher Witt stated in Getting Started with Public Speaking, “Each time you speak, you meet potential customers, network with professionals, establish credibility and gain free publicity.”

Keep your mini-talks to fifteen minutes or less. You can use the remainder of your time to answer questions and respond to comments. Your host will appreciate the brevity of your remarks, especially during a luncheon meeting.

Host Local Workshops

You can host local workshops, if you want to start public speaking on a regular basis. The workshop will be an expanded version of your mini-talk.

If you belong to any local business organizations, then offer to host a workshop for the members. Libraries, churches, and community centers are other ideal locations for hosting workshops. Be sure to understand the needs of the audience. Focus on the audience. Think about the group’s reality and how you can engage them.

Your workshop does not need to last all day. A workshop of 1-2 hours is sufficient. Be sure to prepare handouts for your audience. You may want to prepare one or more of the following as handouts:

Tip sheet
Summary of Key Points
Resource List

Prepare for Last Minute Speaking Opportunities

Prepare for last minute speaking opportunities when a scheduled speaker fails to show up at a business meeting. When this happens, you should be ready to fill the gap.

Plan to have a mini-speech totally prepared before every business meeting that you attend. As I mentioned in, The Overcome your Fear of Public Speaking Checklist™ set goals before going to events. Always be prepared to have a practiced and polished mini-speech on a topic relevant to the group.

Planning to have a practiced and polished mini-speech will help you overcome your nervousness, if you are asked to speak that day. Also, always being prepared helps you improve your public speaking skills.

Remember to include a “hook” in your speech. Make your presentation memorable for the audience. Engage them and draw them into your presentation. See, Start Your Speech with a Powerful Hook, for more information on this topic.

Conclusion/Call to Action

As you follow these 3 public speaking tips for new entrepreneurs you will be speaking on a regular basis, in a way that showcases your expertise and builds your authority status.

Most entrepreneurs are not willing to step out of their comfort zones and engage in public speaking. By doing so, you will show yourself to be a leader.

Remember to follow these 3 public speaking tips for entrepreneurs,

Give mini-talks for business organizations
Host local workshops
Prepare for last minute speaking opportunities

These 3 public speaking tips for new entrepreneurs are in addition to podcasts, teleseminars, and videos that you can do online. To find out more about those online public speaking opportunities see, How to Attract New Clients through Speaking and Writing.

Pamela Montgomery

I am Pamela Montgomery, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and speaker, helping you create the life of your dreams as you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!

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Archive for the ‘Public Speaking’ Category