Start Speaking Now

Share and Enjoy

1. Get a Mentor: A mentor is someone who has achieved the things you have already achieved. (Been-there-done-that) The mentor serves as a role model, offering knowledge, insight, perspective or wisdom useful to the person being mentored. A mentor will able to show the mentee the shortcuts and mistakes to avoid which he or she has experience during the process to the target. You may also get a mentor without meeting them in person. It can be done by reading all their books, watching all the videos, buy the materials and attending their seminars and workshops.
2. Get a Coach: A coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a team or of an individual. A coach will know your vision and mission and monitor your progress through your journey to achieve your target. Everyone needs a coach, world class sportsman or businessman has coaches, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Schumacher, Michael Phelps and many more. A coach will motivates you by reminding your vision and goals, facilitates you to follow your scheduled training and learning, if need be to counsels you when you down and demotivated.

Share and Enjoy

1. DISC: The assessments classify four aspects of behaviour by testing a person’s preferences in word associations. DISC is an acronym for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness.
2. MBTI: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. It compartmental our personality into 16 different types
3. Big Five: The “Big Five” factors of personality are five broad domains or dimensions of personality which are used to describe human personality. The Big five factors are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (common acronyms are OCEAN) the neuroticism factor is sometimes referred by its low pole – “emotional stability”.

What are the results of your DISC Test?

What are the results of you MBTI Test?

What are the results of your Big Five Test?

By first understanding yourself, you will be able to understand your audience without taking any test.

Share and Enjoy

1. Visual: What do your audience see? Put in descriptive words that make your audience picture visually in their minds. Examples; shining golden lights, 200 packs room hall, blue Lamborghini
2. Auditory: What do your audience hear? Put in descriptive words that make your audience picture the sounds of the story in their minds. Examples; the screaming voice of a little kid, the engine sound of the blue Lamborghini
3. Kinesthetic: What do your audience feel? Put in descriptive words that make your audience feel the environment of the story in their minds. Examples; hot and sweaty day, shivering cold room, slippery floor
4. Smell: What do your audience feel? Put in descriptive words that make your audience smell the scent of the story in their minds. Examples; the smell of the Arabic coffee on the table, the smell of the fresh fruits at the market

What are some examples you can think of to put into your next speech?

Share and Enjoy

1. Video:Send a video (2-3mins) to your audience a few days before the event. If they have a Facebook fan page post it on their wall with their organizer’s permission. The video could your previous speech or a short trailer about your upcoming speech.What is the content of your video would record for your next speech?
2. Signages:Prepare your room earlier before your event starts. Have some large signages with some key points they are going to learn during the entire event. Audiences that arrives earlier will able to connect with you before you even take the stage.What are some things you want your audience to read to trigger their curiosity?
3. Homework: You might be thinking, HOMEWORK??? It doesn’t really matter if your audience do your homework or not, it will give them an impression that you mean business and you want them to succeed. It doesn’t have to be a detailed homework, just something to think about.What are some things you want your audience to have a thought before attending your speech?
4. Chit Chat: Easy isn’t it. Appear early to the event, start having little conversation with your audience. This will enable you to build rapport with you audience. Ask them what their biggest challenges are; what are their problems/pet peeves; what would they want to learn from this event.
   What are some things you want your audience to know or what do you want to know about your audience?
5. Video/Music:This video is played before the event begins. It could be pictures of the past year’s event (get the video clip from your organizer) or pictures of your previous assignment. Accompany with music which the tempo suites your energy level of your persona. If you want your audience to feel pumped up, put in some high energy songs. If you want your audience to feel peace and serene, put in some soft melodies without the bass.Some of my personal recommendations
   A.    Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu_zwdmz0hE
   B.     Chariots of Fire by Vangelis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYJzcUvS_NU
   C.     I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7mb102V1F0
   D.    Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioE_O7Lm0I4&
   E.     Eye of The Tiger by Survivor (Personal Favourite) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEjgPh4SEmU

   What are some of the music or songs lead your audience to a specific emotion that relates to your message or style of speaking?

Share and Enjoy

1. Any Given Sunday by Al Pacino http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk
2. 2005 Stanford Commencement Address by Steve Jobs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
3. The Last Lecture by Dr Randy Pausch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoSRKoU6GQ
4. Ouch by  Darren LaCroix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDCzbmLV-0
5. Election Night by Barack Obama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfHbw3n0EIM
6. I have a dream by Martin Luther King http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

Share and Enjoy

1. Question: Ask a question. It might be a rhetorical question (a question that does not need an answer from your audience). Ask triggering questions and thoughts provoking questions. It gets your audience to think and trigger their minds. Examples;
2. Story: Immediately get into the juiciest part of your story. Capture the attention first, don’t start with “Once upon a time…, In the land far far away” In movies or TV series you will be able to notice the movie starts immediately at the crime scene… then slowly the introduction of each characters. 
3. Quote: Starting with a quote is a common way to start. Don’t choose clichés quotes. Use quotes that are seldom used. More importantly choose quotes that matters to you. Examples; If you want to win
4. WIIFM: Start with a bold claim of what you are going to give to your audience. “For the next 25 minutes you going to learn more about speaking than you can learn in a college course” You must be able to deliver the claim in your speech
5. Sensational statement: A speaker once started his speech like this “If you were born today, you already own 186 thousand dollars of the national debt”. It gives the audience a big WOW and the entire hall
6. Reference to the event: Be there early, if you are not the first speaker, take some notes of the earlier speakers, you can use that as part of your opening. If the previous speaker managed to make the audience laugh, remember the punch line and use it at your opening. Your audience will love it and you already have your audience hearts in your hand
7. Silence: Do not throw your first voice when the applause stops. Let the applause slowly died off; scan your audience from left to right. Make sure you get everyone’s attention, smile and then start. You will look calmer, cooler your audience will be impress with your stage presence.

Share and Enjoy

1. Start Winning Now by Lee Xi Wen
2. Versatility is Power by brandjontan http://bit.ly/dem9IN
3. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie http://amzn.to/m3ok72
4. How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People By Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie http://amzn.to/jBoSbI
5. Speaker’s EDGE: Secrets and Strategies for Connecting with Any Audience by Darren Lacroix, Patricia Fripp, Craig Valentine, Mark Brown and Ed Tate http://amzn.to/kgxaZ7
6. Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement by Anthony Robbins http://amzn.to/lD8sFz
7. The Copy Work Shop by Bruce Bendinger http://amzn.to/irncEZ
8. Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin http://amzn.to/lrovdl

Each of this book has it’s own value and perspective. Some may not be entirely on public speaking but the concepts are the same, after all, all businesses have to communicate and most communication are done in public.

Share and Enjoy

Share and Enjoy

1. Name: Our name is the one word that we hear the most time in our life. Remember a time when you are so engrossed in something, totally focussed and you just ignore whatever happen around you, and someone just call your name… you jumps back into reality, totally changing your previous state of being. When you call someone’s name give then an indicator that, “this is for you”, and immediate attention grabber. In addition you will also build better rapport with your listener. It might be a little tough when you talk to a larger audience but it works perfectly well in small groups or one to one situations. When you are going to give the most important message just add their name in front…

Examples; Jim, buying this product will be the best decision you made for a very long time… Patricia, if you really want to improve your public speaking, you should…

2.Most: This is a concept word, a concept of “most” words. Everyone likes the word HIGHEST, RICHEST, BEST or any word that relates an idea of being the MOST. It is like giving your audience the idea of the “best possible” way.

Examples; you will get the 3 FASTEST strategies to wealth creation…. you will learn the 10 MOST persuasive words in communication…

3. Imagine:This is a zero resistance word. Don’t believe? Imagine this, a blue elephant wearing pink underwear… What are you thinking? A blue elephant wearing pink underwear! You can’t say no to your brain. You are not calling them to do something but merely imagining. Make your audience imagine that they are having your products, attending your convention, wearing your designs…

Examples; Imagine you driving this red Ferrari… Imagine you getting new ideas from our speakers… Imagine you holding this Prada handbag….

4. Because:It is a cause effect word. We are condition in our minds when we hear the word BECAUSE it will be followed by a reason or an answer to a statement. Remember when your mom says “Because I said so” and you just do it. Well, I have the same mom as you. This word brings our memories root to our childhood where we just obey. You can immediately improve your persuasion by adding the word BECAUSE.

Examples; I wish you could come to our convention BECAUSE…… You should try our product BECAUSE…..

5. Now:Remember a time your mom says “Close the television NOW” and then what did you do? This word gives your audience a sense of urgency. You don’t have to say with a vigorous military tone. By just adding the word NOW into your speech you will get your audience to take action immediately.

Examples; Join our program NOW…, Buy this product NOW…

6. New:If it’s new it must be better. At least this is what most people think. We always like the new idea, the latest gadget, the fresh concept, the up-to-date story and the first-hand news. Give your audience the idea of they are getting some NEW stuff

7. Miracle:This word evokes the feeling of magic, the surprising factor, the never-happened-before next big thing. This is a perfect tool to continuously hold your audience attention. Example; this miracle formula helps you quit smoking in 20 minutes.

8. How: Chances are, the big-shot you’re speaking to works for an even-bigger-shot who likes to say “give me the solution, not the problem”. And the word HOW is precisely the favourite word they would love to hear.

Examples; 3 simple steps on HOW to bring more revenue to your company, HOW to get back your girlfriend in 7 days…

9. You: If someone’s going to listen to your speech, they’re not going to listen to it because they care about you. They’re going to listen to it because they care about me. Me, me, me, me, me, my favourite person me. Take a look at your speech, count the number of “you/your” versus the number of “I”. Your speech is about them, it’s not about you. Instead of saying, “I am going to give you…” say “You are going to get…”

10. Please, Thank You: Simple yet most often forgotten. The courtesy words that we often forgotten, but the emotion behind these words must be filled with sincerity and gratitude.

If you would just add these words into your speech, you will definitely able to get your audience to buy into your message and more convince of your ideas.

Share and Enjoy