It’s a well known fact that the one of the greatest fears of the majority of people in the world is public speaking, i.e. standing in front of a group of unknown people and speaking.

Then there is about 1% of the population whose greatest fear is speaking full stop, not just in front of unknown people, but in most situations! These are people who stammer or stutter.

So if you’re a person who stammers, why would you want to try out public speaking?
In my opinion there isn’t a better way to increase your confidence in speaking up. In the process you will also learn a bunch of other key skills to help you in your everyday life.

In order to get started, I’m going to suggest that you join a Speakers Club – the Association of Speakers Clubs in the UK or Toastmasters worldwide.
The beauty of Speakers Clubs is that you get feedback and you can practise in a relaxed, friendly and supportive environment.

So now let’s take a look at the five benefits you can expect from your public speaking:
 

1 – Learn to speak up

Put simply, you will learn to speak up.
By getting up in front of a group of people and speaking out aloud, you slowly begin to break down the fear of speaking. By doing so, you increase your ability to speak up in everyday situations, with friends, family, colleagues and with people you may have just met.
 

2 – Assertiveness

By continuing to get up in front of a group and talking, your assertiveness will increase, particularly in those situations where you would normally hold back.
There is nothing like the feeling of voicing your opinion during an occasion you know you would usually avoid!
Gaining confidence in speaking can also mean you will be more likely to speak up in a situation first, which just increases your assertiveness even more!
 

3 – Listening skills

A big part of public speaking is standing up and giving mini and longer speeches.
Equally important is giving a review of the speech of another person.
This not only involves you to keep your eyes open, so you can assess the performance of the speaker you are reviewing, but also to keep your ears open so you know what they’ve talked about.

Doing this again and again can improve your listening skills tremendously. This in turn can help greatly at work and in social situations, when you’re having conversations with other people.
 

“One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.”
James Earl Jones

One of the iconic voices of our time, James Earl Jones stuttered as a child and took acting lessons to help.

4 – Increase your leadership and management skills

As you gain experience in public speaking at a particular club, you then also have the opportunity to get further involved in the running and management of a club, should you wish.
This can include taking roles such as Treasurer where you oversee the finances of your club, Social Secretary where you help to promote your club and organise social events, right up to Vice-President and President where you lead your club and have final say for major decisions to be made!
All the skills you develop from such roles can directly be transferred both at work and at home.
 

5 – Increase your social circle

Attending public speaking meetings is a great way to improve your social skills because you get to interact with other members! By doing this you make friends.
There is usually an interval during a meeting, which is time to catch up with existing members, and chat with new ones over a cup of coffee, or half a pint if you’re close to a pub!

Clubs also usually have their own special seasonal events such as formal dinners and casual lunches where again you can socialise.
 

And in conclusion ladies and gentlemen….

So there you have it.
Five ways that public speaking can help you, if you’re a person who stammers.
As you can see the benefits go far beyond increasing your speaking confidence.

What you will learn can be transferred in your everyday life to improve both your professional and social life. Sometimes the impact that public speaking can make in your life can be drastic.
I know believe me… it helped me get a job!
 

Time to have your say

Has public speaking helped with your stammer or stutter?

Has public speaking helped you overcome any other problems?

Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or pass on tips of your own in the comments below.
 

About Hiten Vyas PhD
Hiten is a personal development coach.
Early on in his life he experienced extreme amounts of fear and anxiety because of difficulties due to stammering, which pretty much crippled all aspects of his life.
He entered the personal development field in 2003, and since then has transformed himself into a successful individual.

It is now his passion to help you overcome your own difficulties, and assist you in living the life you want and deserve.

He has a PhD in Biomedical Information Systems, is a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), trained by Dr Bobby Bodenhamer in the United States, and is an Associate Member of the Association of Coaching.

You can contact Hiten via his main blog hitenvyas.com
or via his twitter account.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to Hiten for covering such a difficult subject in a knowledgeable, supportive and sensitive manner.

Please contact Hiten via his main blog hitenvyas.com
or via his twitter account.

What’s the best speech title you ever came up with?
Whilst you’re thinking about it I’ll carry on.

My best title was… “The Tyranny of the Or”

“The Tyranny of the Or” is a concept discussed in the book “Built to Last” published by the Stanford Business School.
In the Authors words…
 

“The tyranny of the or moves people to believe that things must be one way or another… but never both.

You can be either conservative or bold, work for purpose or profit, be a low-cost producer or offer a high quality product… but never both.”

I took that idea and applied it to the lives of everyday folk, pointing out how we limit our potential and pigeon hole ourselves.

“As toddlers we’re shy or precocious, independent or clingy…..

Yes, I can see a few mummy’s boys out there.

At school we’re lots of things, sporty or academic, dunce or swot,

doing well….. or could do better.”

I gave that speech at the Association of Speakers Clubs National Finals in 2008 and even now, people quote the title back to me.

Seems that titles are powerful things, so let’s delve a little deeper.
 

The secret of a good speech title

According to Laura Rozakis author of “The Idiot’s Guide to Public Speaking” speech titles have two purposes:

“They suggest the general content of the speech while simultaneously grabbing the audience’s attention.

Think of the title as an advertisement. If successful, the title should make the listener want to hear more.”

So there you have it, follow the lead of the advertisers, make your titles punchy, catchy, and memorable.

Who knows, perhaps your next speech title will be:

“Lip smacking, thirst quenching, ace tasting, motivating, good buzzing, cool walking, high talking, fast living, ever giving…..PEPSI!”

Too long?

OK try the Renault advert:

“Rain? Kiss my glass.”

Ooooh, now that is naughty, but it’s a title you won’t forget.

Write your title last

Because titles come at the beginning, people assume that you have to write them first, but you don’t.

When you write your speech ideas will come in thick and fast and those ideas will include speech titles.

Keep a record of the titles you come up with and take a fresh look at them once you’ve finished writing your speech.

“Write the title last, after you have finished the entire speech.

Creating a title that is both intriguing and suitable will be easier after you have written the rest of the speech.”

Laura Rozakis, Ph.D.

There’s no rush to decide on a title.

It’s not needed until your speech is finished, so write it last.
 

To create closure… finish on your speech title

When you deliver your final line, the audience has to know that it’s your final line and they will start clapping… hopefully.

If they don’t know it’s your final line, they won’t clap and you will be forced to say… “Thank you” the audience will then clap and you will be taken away by the “Speech ending” police and shot.

“The conclusion must give your audience a feeling that your presentation is complete.

People have a psychological need for closure.

They want a presentation to have a beginning, a middle and an end – especially an end.

They don’t want to be left hanging. Your conclusion must address this need.”

Malcolm Kushner

A sure fire way to let the audience know that you are delivering your final line, is to finish on your Speech title.

I gave a speech whose purpose was to persuade people to go on a skiing holiday.

The title was “An Alpine Aria.”

During the speech I said…

“You’ll make lots of pals skiing and they’re all slightly odd.

I used to ski with a guy called Marko.

During the summer he worked at Glyndebourne opera house, and when he skied he sang an alpine aria to the whole mountain.”

I finished with…

“And so madam chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to join me.

To see those mountains, to ski those slopes, and to sing your own, alpine aria.”

Do you see how it puts a full stop at the end of the speech?

It gives a marvellous sense of closure and cues the audience to start their standing ovation… if only.

Ideas for great speech titles

It can be difficult to come up with a good speech title, so here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Adapt a book title – “The Unbearable Darkness of Seeing”
2. A film (movie) title – “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”
3. Use a pun – “Product Pricing: Now Makes Cents!”
4. Ask a question – “Now I’ve got a Computer, What Do I Do with it?”
5. Be surprising – “Say Yes to Stress”
6. Be a little naughty – “Discipline without Bondage”
7. Adapt a saying – “Sedimentary My Dear Watson”

Hope that those help, but if they don’t, there is one method of finding a speech title that never fails….

Your title is in your speech

The truth is, your title is often hidden in your speech.

A phrase, a sentence a little flash of rhetoric.

“Lincoln, in his first inaugural address said:

“The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched… by the better angels of our nature.”

The phrase “mystic chords of memory” would have made an eloquent title of that speech if custom didn’t dictate that it be simply labelled “Inaugural Address.”

Thomas Montalbo

So write your speech in full then read it through and find that magic phrase that sums up your speech and then you can go with “Inaugural Address” or you can use your own “Mystic Chords of Memory”.

A trick for your blog post titles

Blog post titles are a little trickier than speech titles because not only are you writing for people, you’re writing for the Search Engine bots and in particular Mr Googlebot.

That means that your title has to be a great advert and contain your keywords… seems like an impossible task.

So here’s my solution:

When you first publish your post go with that punchy eye-catching headline.

Once the interest drops off and the comments stop coming in, change the title to one that contains your keywords.

Works for me, hope it works for you.

Time to have your say

So what’s the best title you’ve come up with?

What gems have you crafted over the years?

Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or pass on tips of your own.

About Keith Davis
A Yorkshireman who now lives in Solihull in the West Midlands about half an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon.

I’m a member of the Association of Speakers Clubs and I’ve appeared in both their Speech and Evaluation National finals.

My CommentLuv profile describes me as…
“A passionate Public Speaker with a mission to help you overcome your fear of Public Speaking.”
Hope you enjoy the post.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to the following from whose books I have learnt much and quoted often.

Laura Rozakis, Ph.D. “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Public Speaking”

Malcolm Kushner “Public Speaking for Dummies”

Thomas Montalbo “The Power of Eloquence”

Stanford Business School “Built to last”

And thanks to the following whose graphics add something that words never could.

UggBoy via Flickr for the Meaning of Life graphic.

J from the UK via Flickr for the Mariah Carey graphic.

When I tell people that I’m a member of a Speakers Club at which we give speeches for fun, they look at me as though I’m a few fries short of a happy meal.

When I tell them that some of the speeches are impromptu, they look at me with the eyes of a man who has been to the edge… and looked over.

If public speaking makes people slightly uneasy, then impromptu speaking makes them shake like a rumba dancer in the throes of colic.

It seems that in the hierarchy of Public Speaking fears, impromptu speaking deserves top billing.

“In the speech biz, speaking at a gathering with very little preparation and without the use of notes is called impromptu speaking. In everyday life, it’s often called “hell” and a few other words we can’t print here.
But despite its terrifying reputation, impromptu speaking need not be likened to trial by fire.”

Laura Rozakis, Ph.D.

Sure, impromptu speaking can be scary but there’s a lot you can do to make things easier.
 

Your speech is already written

The first thing to remember is that you are not likely to be asked to give an impromptu speech unless you know about the subject, so you’re already ahead of the game.
The second thing to remember is that your speech is already written!
Don’t believe me?
Here’s a little story to show you what I mean…

A man had just given a speech… it had gone down a storm.
The crowd were on their feet, clapping, shouting, asking for more.
When the applause had died down, the speaker returned to his seat, and the man next to him leant across and said….

“That was the finest speech I’ve ever heard, tell me, how long did it take you to write it?”

And the speaker replied…

“All my life….. all my life.”

He didn’t mean he’d been scribbling this speech all his life,
He meant that your speeches are shaped by your experiences.
Who you are, what you are, what you believe in.

The process of writing your speech is really about organising your thoughts, researching facts and presenting your material in the most eloquent and persuasive way possible.
You know before you start what you want to say.
In truth, your speeches are written… long before you pick up the pen.

When you walk to the front to deliver your impromptu speech, don’t forget, you’ve been preparing for that speech… all your life.

Be prepared

Someone once said of Winston Churchill, “Winston has devoted the best years of his life to preparing his impromptu speeches.”

Although it was intended as a putdown, it’s actually a compliment, because smart speakers are always prepared – to speak.

“If you’re going to a meeting where there is the slightest chance that someone might ask you to speak, go the Boy Scout route: Be prepared.
Make some notes about the topic that might come up in the discussion.
Jot down ideas throughout the presentation or panel discussions.”

Laura Rozakis, Ph.D.

Same applies to you, if you’re going to an event and there’s any chance that you will be asked to speak, prepare a few notes.

Your speech should have a purpose and a pattern

Your speech may be off-the-cuff, but you should still stick to the rules.

Firstly, your speech must have a purpose.

I don’t think that I’ve ever given a speech whose purpose was anything other than to persuade the audience to my way of thinking.
When you speak to persuade it brings out your passion and enthusiasm. You become alive and animated.
Whatever your subject, speak to persuade.

“The common knowledge divides presentations by various purposes.
Traditionally the big three are speeches to inform, speeches to entertain and speeches to persuade.

The uncommon knowledge is that everything you say involves persuasion.”

Malcolm Kushner

Secondly, your speech must flow logically and be easy to follow… it must have a pattern.

Here’s a simple pattern that you can use for any speech, prepared or impromptu:

1. Introduction – an attention grabbing opening and an indication of what your speech is about.
2. Development – three points to explain your argument and back up your point of view.
3. Conclusion – a summary of your main points, a call to action and a big finish.

As speech patterns go they don’t come easier than this one – use it when you’re under pressure and have minimum time to prepare.
 

Build up a stock of all purpose openings

The beginning is one of the most important parts of your speech; it’s also the time when you’re most nervous.
Make it easy on yourself – put together a list of “all purpose” openings.

Here are a couple to point you in the right direction:

If the audience know you have been asked to give an impromptu speech…
“At the very start, let me just say that we both have something in common.
You don’t know what I’m going to say… and neither do I.”
Robert Orben

My pal used to say, “I know very little about politics / economic / world affairs / cats / dogs / Mr Blobby… and care even less.” But maybe we should care.
Keith Davis
 

Quotes and one-liners are a great source of “all purpose” openings. And they’re easy to remember.
Here are a few to get you started plus an indication of the subjects where they can be used.

1. They say that change is inevitable… unless it’s from a vending machine.
   (time / the passage of time / changes in society)
2. Everything is possible… apart from skiing through a revolving door.
   (opportunities / life planning / challenges)
3. I must admit, whenever I feel the desire to exercise… I lie down until it goes away.
   (keep fit / diet / health / exercise / modern life)
4. My old boss used to say “There are only two things you need to know about life – Where there’s money there’s corruption and where there’s men and women – there’s hanky panky.” But was he right?
   (money / greed / life / life’s problems / complexity of modern life)
5. Clint Eastwood playing Harry Callaghan (Dirty Harry) once said to his lieutenant “I like a man who knows his limitations.” So what are your limitations?
   (setting goals / achievement / self imposed limitations)

That should get you started.
Please feel free to use them or better still, put together a list of your own.
 

Practise your impromptu… Join a Speakers Club

If you’re a regular visitor to easyP you’ll know that I’m a passionate advocate of Speakers Clubs. They are great places to learn all things Public Speaking related and they even have opportunities for you to practise your impromptu speaking.

The two big Speakers Club organisations are Toastmasters (internationally) and The Association of Speakers Clubs (throughout the UK).

Both offer challenges, which are specific to impromptu speaking:

1. The impromptu Speech assignment – in this assignment you are given three speech titles and you have ten minutes to choose one of the titles and prepare a six to eight minute speech. The impromptu speech assignment is a bit like ballet… it keeps you on your toes.
2. Topics – no preparation time at all here, you’re given a topic (a topic can be a word, a phrase, a saying, anything) and you walk to the front and deliver a two or three minute speech complete with introduction, development and conclusion.
   The topics session is often called the fun part of the evening… I’ve never understood why.

Speakers Clubs, a great place to learn the art of Public Speaking, impromptu or otherwise.
What are you waiting for?
Join today!
 

Time to have your say

What do you think?
Are you a little more relaxed about your impromptu speaking?
Do you have an impromptu speech success to share?
Please feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or pass on tips of your own?
 

Many many months ago I promised Melanie Kissell over at Solo Mompreneur that I would write a post on impromptu speaking. But then came the summer and my resolve faded in the bright summer sun.

To the indictment for Serious Procrastination, all I can do is hold up my hands and say “Guilty as charged.”

Here it finally is Mel, my sincere apologies and I hope you enjoy it.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to the following from whose books I have learnt much and quoted often:

Laura Rozakis, Ph.D. “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Public Speaking”

Malcolm Kushner “Public Speaking for Dummies”

Tony Carlson “The How of Wow”

“Like fine wine trickling out of a decanter.”
That was my initial description of Randy Cantrell’s voice.
As soon as I heard it, I knew that I had to share it with you, so I contacted Randy.

I contacted him one Friday night and received his video early on Saturday morning – now that is service with a smile.

With a voice like that, I assumed that Randy would be some big shot with an American TV network or maybe a voice over artist for MGM or at least the guy who announces…

“This is Jack Killian, “The Nighthawk” on KJCM, 98.3 and Good night America… wherever you are.”

But no, Randy tells me he’s no big shot in the US, just a guy who enjoys producing videos.

So ladies and gentlemen, my original intention was to treat you to the mellifluous tones of Randy’s voice, but his video is far more than the celebration of a glorious voice.

An online video speech

With that voice Randy could read the telephone book and sound interesting, but thankfully he didn’t. He put together a talk that is a real and polished speech.

It has an introduction, a development and a conclusion with a real call to action.

It’s sprinkled with humour, it contains gestures, he varies his voice, he talks to the audience and most importantly… his talk has a purpose.

Watch Randy’s short video (3min 55secs) and then we’ll take a look at the speech elements in more detail – enjoy.

What makes Randy’s presentation a real speech?

If you’ve recovered from listening to that voice, let’s take a look at the points that make Randy’s presentation a real speech.

1. An introduction that grabs your attention – “… they all stem from a single question, two words… why not?” notice the pause after “two words” – makes you really wonder what those words are.
2. Concrete examples to prove the point – Benjamin Franklin and his inventions relating to the question “why not”.
3. Rhetorical questions to involve the audience – “You know those library stools…”
4. Repetition to drive home the point and make it memorable – “why not…. why not… well why not.”
5. Answers the question “what’s in it for me” by moving from the general to the personal – “A valid question to ask when it comes to our own personal desires and dreams and aspirations, why not?”
6. Addresses your fears and reluctance – “We have such self limiting beliefs and notions, we cross bridges that we’ll never get to.”
7. Humour to put your fears into perspective – “Oh and heaven forbid if it should fail, if it should not work…”
8. Conversational language to put you at ease – “Maybe old Ben was the one sitting around…. kinda teeter.”
9. Gestures to add to and reinforce the words – “We can rock back and forth…”
10. A definite and well signalled ending – “My question to you, that I’m going to leave you with is… why not you?”

There you have it folks, ten points that turn a casual chat into a polished and professional speech and all presented in a 3 min 55 sec video.

Time to have your say

Does Randy have the coolest voice on the internet or do you know an even smoother one?
How many speech techniques did you spot in Randy’s video?
Have you ever thought of videoing your own speeches or have you done it already?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below.

My name is Keith Davis… see ya.

About Randy – Randy Cantrell is the Founder of Bula Network, LLC, a company designed to teach, inspire and encourage higher human performance in education and business.
Sharing 35+ years of business building leadership with public education in an effort to give teachers and administrators real world solutions to one of our society’s biggest problems – how to make schools work better.
The focus is individual performance and small group performance. Entrepreneurs, creatives, employees, educators – I help the people involved in the chase.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Randy Cantrell for sharing his voice, for sending me a video in double quick time and for waiting patiently for me to publish it.

Randy’s main site is http://bulanetwork.com/
Hope you’ll pay him a visit.

If you want to know how to add power and dynamism to your blog, visit Marcus Sheridan, Ingrid Abboud or Danny Brown.

If you want to have a little banter and get involved with the blogging community try Melanie Kissell, Theresa Bradley-Banta or Barbara Swafford.

For WordPress security John Hoff, for stunning WordPress themes Nick Roach and for how to turn the technique of online video into an art form… Mr. Tom Breeze.

The art and technique of online video

I first came across the phrase Un Art… Une Technique in Georges Joubert’s book “Le Ski: Un Art… Une Technique.”
In his book Joubert explains that behind every great artist there is a serious amount of technique which allows them to express their art.
Take away the technique and the art is diluted and lost like tears in the rain.
As Joubert puts it…..

“What skier was able to contain their admiration while watching Ingemar Stenmark play with the difficulties in a slalom which the other skiers wildly attack like savages?

Who wasn’t aware of the touch of genius in some of Franz Klammer’s downhill runs?

Certainly it is inspiration that makes them artists, but without technique, how would they express their inspiration?”

Georges Joubert – “Le Ski: Un Art… Une Technique.”

So, before you can express your inspiration via online video, you have to learn a little technique.
In the video below, Tom Breeze of Tom Breeze TV covers ten techniques that are essential if you want to master online video.
Watch, listen, learn and be aware… you are in the presence of an artist.
BTW – Tom’s video is in HD so if you want to see him in full screen mode, just click on the expand icon at the bottom right of the video – enjoy.

Tom’s mini course in Online Video

In answering my ten bullet point questions Tom has given us a mini course in online video.
To act as a memory jogger, here is a list of the points in the order that Tom covered them.

1. That zoom in and out that you do.
2. Audio quality.
3. How to speak to the camera as though it were an audience – keeping it conversational.
4. How to sound confident.
5. Script, notes or off the cuff.
6. Adding a little humour to liven things up.
7. Sitting down or moving about.
8. Smiling and making your smile look genuine.
9. Equipment.
10. Background – not cluttered.

There you have it folks, all the technique you’ll ever need and the art?…. that’s up to you.

Time to have your say

Tom would love to have some feedback so please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.
Which technique did you find most helpful?
What else would you like to know?
Do you have any tips of your own that you can share with us?
And perhaps most importantly of all… do you believe Tom when he says that he doesn’t watch Eastenders?

About Tom– Tom Breeze is an Online Video Marketing Expert and runs three very successful businesses using video marketing as his main strategy for business generation. Since creating his first business video in 2007, the world of video marketing has seen many changes and technological advances, making it a must for any business owner.
Tom states that, “If you’re one of the ‘good guys’ and truly care about your customers and clients then through video you’ll build long lasting relationships that will serve your business well. If you believe that business is about building relationships, then make it your business to build relationships.”
Tom now focuses most of his energy on his new site tombreeze.tv – go check it out and say hello!

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Tom Breeze for his fantastic video Tom’s main site isTom Breeze TV

Last month the traffic to my blog increased by 250%.
Do you want to know why?
In a word… video.

Sure I did a little re-branding to my site, but the big difference was my use of online video.

The power of video is that it’s shareable. If you upload your videos to a video sharing platform such as YouTube and someone likes your video, they share it. They embed it on their own site, they Facebook it, they Tweet it and that gives you the potential of a huge audience.

And don’t forget who owns YouTube… the big G, the overlord of the web surfing kingdom, Google.

Video blogging and Public Speaking?

I’ve done a lot of Public Speaking, hence my connection with Keith Davis and EasyPublicSpeaking. I’ve taught over a dozen undergraduate classes in Public Speaking and I’ve spoken to audiences ranging from two to two thousand, but talking to a video camera is a hell of a lot different to standing and talking to a live audience.

I’ve made a few comments in my video, which should allow you Public Speaking types to strut your stuff without sounding like Richard Burton playing Hamlet or blowing up the microphone.

Videos are easy to produce… and they’re cheap

The great thing about video blogging is that you don’t have to have expensive equipment or amazing editing skills. Just like a ‘live’ speech, your focus should be on having a conversation and keeping folks entertained.

Take a look at my video and then we’ll chat about the main points that I make.
Hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Main points I cover in the video

Here’s a summary of the points that I made in the video.
Try them, use them, see what works for you.

1. Practice for your speeches and presentations – video is a great way to practice your speeches and presentation without the intimidation of a live audience.
2. Content is important – you still have to offer or share something meaningful. People aren’t going to watch you unless they’re getting something out of it.
3. Keep your video short – it’s the old attention span thing so keep your video short, under five minutes. Just like a good speech you have to Edit, Slash, Cut… you get the idea.
4. Breathe life into your content – tell a story, give examples, bring life to your content, make it real.
5. Keep it natural – don’t write everything down and try to remember it. Work from written keywords that will jog your memory and keep you going.
6. Voice projection isn’t so important – you’re not trying to reach that guy in the back row, you’re talking to someone in their living room so you can tone it down a bit.
7. Articulation – don’t present it as though you were an “actor” – keep it clear but conversational.
8. Speed of delivery – you may want to pick up the speed of delivery a little – back to that short attention span thing, people want video short and sharp.
9. No audience feedback – speech and presentation techniques such as….. pauses, don’t always work on video.
10. Ferrets are good listeners – if you can’t speak without an audience, do what I do: use your pet ferret as an audience, they really are good listeners and they give great feedback.

There you have it folks, my whistle stop tour of the world of video. Hope you found it useful and I hope you enjoyed your trip.

Time to have your say

This isn’t an exhaustive list of video blogging tips, so please feel free to ask questions and continue the conversation in the comments.
Do you use video or are you thinking of using video on your blog.
What do you think is the key to performing well on video?
Do you have any video tips that you can share with us?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below.

About Kristy – Kristy Fifelski is a speaker and public servant. She created GovGirl.com and is the Web Services Manager for the City of Reno, Nevada, USA. She serves as the West region director for the National Association of Government Webmasters. Kristy is also an experienced teacher, having the privilege of instructing classes at TMCC, NIU and the University of Phoenix. Kristy graduated with honors from Northern Illinois University with a Master’s Degree in Communication.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Kristy Fifelski for her super guest post. Kristy blogs over at GovGirl.com

I know this is a public speaking blog – but I want to talk today about online video. Bear with me and I’ll connect the dots for you in a paragraph or two.
You see, online video is the coming wave. Whatever line of business you’re in, if you don’t use it in marketing, you’ll get left behind. Far-sighted competitors who’ve adopted video will already be surfing that wave into the future.
Good online videos can do wonders for your business, yet many never get past the first hurdle.

Here’s where online video meets public speaking

Want to know the main reason most people don’t make videos for their business?
Because they hate the sound of their own voice.

“For many people this loathing of the sound of their own voice becomes a form of resistance – and stops them from pressing record on the camera again.”

So what can you do?
Here’s a thought for you – what voice do your present clients hear when you talk to them?
The same voice YOU hear when you press playback on a video recording!
The sound of your voice is something that you can do little to change – and you don’t need to.

Ever have a Client pull out of a possible business deal because he didn’t like the sound of your voice?
Nope, thought not.
So the first thing you need to do is change your mindset. Even though you hate the sound of your voice when you playback a recording, you just have to accept that it’s your voice. And get over yourself.

Confession time

I use Video a lot. I’ve got around 120 videos on my YouTube Channel, so I hear the sound of my own voice a lot. And I still loathe it.
But here’s the important thing – though I loathe the sound of my own voice, I don’t let it stop me creating the videos I need for my business. I’ve just learned to deal with it.

Now I didn’t know any better when I started creating videos, and it took me about thirty attempts before I started getting comfortable with the sound of my voice when I was editing. And I posted every single one of those first thirty videos to my YouTube channel.
And I can’t watch them now. They make me cringe. If I was doing it again I’d create a series of videos purely for the express purpose of getting comfortable on camera.

That’s what I came here today for – to share a way YOU can do this, if you’re in the position where you need to create online videos for your business but are finding it a struggle.

Get comfortable with video – One take at a time

So here’s what you do, create a series of 10 videos, edit them, post them to your YouTube channel and make them private or unlisted so no-one will ever see them. Even though you are never going to show these videos to ANYONE – not even your nearest and dearest – you still have to be professional

Set up your video camera in a room where you can have privacy and film a 5 to 10 minute monologue once a day for 10 days. I don’t care about lights or how the shoot is set up – all I care about is that you get comfortable with talking to a camera and editing your footage and not freezing at the sound of your voice.

The only other ingredient you need is a topic list. Pick 10 topics that you can talk about for 5 to 10 minutes. You could talk about your favourite sports team, your favourite band or your favourite film.
I know Keith likes his films, so every day for the 10 Day duration you could talk about a different film. And why you liked it. Or how it could be made better. It doesn’t really matter what you talk about.

Just talk into the camera for 5-10 minutes, then when you’ve finished, it’s vital that you take that footage,import it into your computer and edit it as if you were going to post it for all to see. (But don’t!)
It’s amazing, how quickly you get comfortable talking into a camera. You’ll find that though you never grow to like the sound of your own voice, when you hear it in your headphones it’s becoming bearable.
Once you get to that stage, you can start thinking about harnessing the power of online video.

The Gary Vaynerchuk test

Have you heard of Gary Vaynerchuk, he’s the poster boy for the online video generation? I won’t bore you with how he’s leveraged online video – Google his name and read about him, you’ll find out for yourself. He was probably one of the first video bloggers out there – he started in 2006 and he started creating a daily video on the topic of Wine.

Go to his website – tv.winelibrary.com – and watch a few of his latest videos. When you’ve watched two or three episodes, find the Archive section and go back to 2006 and watch some of the early videos and compare the two. The Gary V of 2011 is totally comfortable in the video medium and to use his own words, is absolutely crushing it. But the Gary V of 2006 is a bit stilted, awkward and unsure of himself. The difference is that he’s had a ton of practice at speaking to a camera and got very comfortable.

The more comfortable he’s got, the more his personality has come through. The more personality he’s displayed, the bigger his audience has become. It’s no coincidence that the bigger his audience, the more his business has grown (from a turnover of $4 million a few years ago, to $60 million now).

Online Video is only going to get bigger

I lied to you earlier, I said Online Video was the coming wave. Well, it’s not, it’s already here. Gary V has been making videos for 5 years and I’ve been making them for 2 and a half years. The question is why aren’t you making videos to promote your products or services? If you’re not making videos because you don’t like the sound of your own voice…. that’s something you can fix.

With a small investment of time you can get to the stage where you are no longer feel like sharp nails are being dragged down a blackboard when you hear yourself. You’ll still loathe the sound of your voice, but what’s important is you won’t let it stop you from creating videos.
And then you too, can surf the video wave to promote your business.

Time to have your say

Do you use video on your site?
Do you like the sound of your own voice or have you just learned to live with it?
Has this post tempted you to have a go at using video on your website?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below – look forward to hearing from you.

About Paul – Paul Wolfe started out as a Quantity Surveyor but found that the 9 to 5 didn’t agree with him. He escaped to the French Alps where he formed a group and played bass guitar. He took his first online steps teaching bass guitar via online videos and soon had students in America, Canada, Argentina, Holland, Australia, Singapore, Germany and Denmark. Paul now teaches business online at his hugely successful site “One Spoon at a Time“. If you’re interested in Marketing or Online Business be sure to pay him a visit.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Paul Wolfe for his super guest post. Paul blogs over at “One Spoon at a Time“.
Mish Sukharev for the Microphone thumbnail on flickr
Katie Tegtmeyer for the Finger to lips photo on flickr

What a great occasion, the 2011 Oscars Award Ceremony, attended by the great and the good and there standing out like a varicose vein in winter, “The King’s Speech“.
Best film, best director, best original screenplay and of course best actor, Mr Colin Firth.
From Darcy’s wet shirted enticement to stirrings in his abdomen… does this man have no self control?

But enough talk of his peccadilloes let’s take a look at Colin Firth’s acceptance speech.
I don’t know what you think, but I loved it. This is my take on his speech:

1. Humorous opening – “I have a feeling my career has just peaked” – nice easy start to his speech, relaxes the audience and the laughter relaxes him.
2. Humility – “I’m going to be brief with my gratitude for being on this extraordinary list of nominees” – even hugely successful movie stars need humility.
3. Gave thanks – “My deepest thanks to the academy” – one of the main purposes of an acceptance speech is to give thanks.
4. Humour throughout – “Harvey who took me on twenty years ago… when I was a mere child sensation” – a smattering of humour throughout keeps the audience with you.
5. One serious point to give the speech focus – “David Seidler whose own struggles have given very many people the benefits of his beautiful voice” – even a humorous speech needs one serious point or the speech becomes a piece of fluff.
6. Just enough emotion – he stays in control but there is just a hint that his voice is on the verge of cracking.
7. Spoke to the time he was given – the winners have obviously been told to be brief… and he is. It’s just good manners to stick to the time you have been given.
8. Finished by going back to the beginning – “And now if you’ll all excuse me, I have some impulses I have to attend to back stage” – audiences love closure, finishing by going back to the beginning is a great way of providing closure and signalling that you have finished.

I’m not saying it was a perfect speech, there were a few umms and ahhhs and he kept looking down at the award… but eh, I enjoyed it. Take a look at the video below and see what you think.
This is the best quality video I could find, my apologies for the sound and picture quality.

Did you notice how quiet the audience were?
Silence can mean boredom, and I should know, but on this occasion the audience are quiet because they are listening intently to what Colin Firth has to say. They want to hear more.
Colin has both good content and delivery, but he has something else that lifts his speech… occasion.

Content delivery and…. occasion

In my last post I looked at Content and Delivery but both are secondary to the occasion.
If you look at the truly great speeches, they were all delivered at times of heightened emotion or emotional turmoil.

• Abraham Lincoln – “Four score and seven years ago our fathers…”
• Winston Churchill – “We shall fight them on the beaches…”
• Martin Luther King – “I have a dream that one day this nation…”
• John F Kennedy – “Ask not what your country can do for you…”
• Earl Spencer – “I stand before you today the representative of a family in grief…”

Five classic speeches delivered on occasions of high emotion and I defy anyone to read them… and not be moved.

“Churchill’s speech after the military disaster that led to the evacuation of the British Army from Europe at Dunkirk… is a great speech… not only was the prime minister’s deep throated delivery forcefully defiant in a hushed Parliament, and broadcast to the world, but the overriding reason was the historic occasion: at that moment tyranny was on the verge of victory, and democracy’s main weapon was Churchill’s rallying voice.”
Great Speeches in History – William Safire

The Oscars may not have the gravitas of the occasions above, but there is plenty of emotion flying around. As Paul Hogan points out in his 3G’s speech… “The atmosphere is pure electricity.”

Your speeches, your great occasions

What are your great occasions, your occasions of heightened emotion?
You may never have to deliver a “Fight them on the beaches” speech, but there will be times when you can make a difference.

• Family events – christenings, weddings, funerals.
• Work related – job interviews, presentations.
• Social – your speeches at the Speakers Club you’ve just joined.
• Blogging – videos, guest posts.

I know what you’re going to say… these aren’t great occasions. Well they are to you so perhaps you should treat everything you write or perform, as though it was your Gettysburg Address, just in case.

Time to have your say

What did you think of Colin Firth’s acceptance speech?
What great speeches have you heard and what was the occasion?
Do you deliver your speeches as though every occasion was a great occasion?
Do you write your blog posts as though each one is a historical gem?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below – look forward to hearing from you.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Period Dramas for the Colin Firth thumbnail

I was chatting to Colin Firth last week…. not that Colin Firth, my neighbour Colin Firth.

Incidentally my wife has never been the same since she saw that Colin Firth in the lake scene in Pride and Prejudice.
Even now if you mention Mr. Darcy… her legs turn to jelly.

Anyway, I was explaining to Colin that many actors just can’t give speeches. They can breathe life into lines written by others, they can add drama and passion, but ask them to be themselves and deliver their own material and they deliver the lines with all the verve and panache of a speaking clock.

“…the only example of an actor who did become a great public speaker that I can think of is Ronald Reagan, but he’d already been rolling his own speeches on the lecture circuit for General Electric long before he became Governor of California – with a contract from the company that required him to tour GE plants ten weeks out of the year, often demanding of him fourteen speeches per day”
Professor Max Atkinson

And it was reassuring to know that Colin agreed with me. He may have had a couple of white wines, but he did agree with me.

Thing is, a great speech is a mixture of two things… content and delivery.
The content gives a speech form and meaning and the delivery holds the attention of the audience and makes your words stand out, like a varicose vein in winter.
Content and delivery, the Yin and Yang of a great speech, without both, your speech falls apart.

A great speech needs content and delivery

What an actor brings to a speech is the delivery, so if you want to learn how to deliver a speech watch the actors.
If you really want to see actors deliver a speech, take in a little Shakespeare at your local theatre. There are lots of great speeches in Shakespeare’s plays and stage actors really know how to use their voices.

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”
Shakespeare – Henry V

Fortunately I live about half an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon so I’m a regular visitor to the RSC and Swan theatres. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the theatre, take a look at this fantastic video with over 40 examples of great speeches in films.
It’s only a couple of minutes long and don’t blink… or you’ll miis half a dozen.

That is one great video, which I first saw over at JohnZimmer’s Public Speaking site and I hope it reminds you of some of your favourite films and some of the great speeches in them.
Point is, as the video shows, actors can deliver great speeches, but they need great material to produce a great speech.

Time to have your say

So what’s your strong point, content or delivery?
I guess that most bloggers are good with content, but could you deliver your content with power and passion?
Perhaps you have a great voice but can’t write a speech to save your life?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Professor Max Atkinson for his post on Award Speeches
RSC for the Actor thumbnail
John Zimmer over at Manner of Speaking for posting the film clips video

All this talk about which film will win the best film award, The King’s Speech, Black Swan or The Social Network, has got me thinking about the Oscars.
And when you think about the Oscars, you can’t help but think about those awful acceptance speeches.

These guys may be trained actors who know how to use their voice and deliver lines, but when it comes to a real speech, they couldn’t lead a congregation in silent prayer.

But why should we expect actors to be any good at giving speeches?
This is what Professor Max Atkinson has to say:

“After all, their skill is to deliver other people’s lines in a way that portrays characters other than themselves, which is a very different business from writing your own lines and coming across as yourself.”

Fair comment Prof.
So if you’re an Oscar nominee looking for advice before you pen your acceptance speech, fear not dear friend, your acceptance speech doesn’t have to be a blubber fest, easypublicspeaking is here for you.

Advice from Crocodile Dundee

Fortunately Mr Paul Hogan, Crocodile Dundee himself, has looked into the problem and has some useful advice for the winners when they deliver their speeches.
His advice can be summed up in the three G’s.

• Be Gracious
• Be Grateful
• Get off

I don’t think that I can improve on that so just sit back and let Mr Hogan spin his straw words of wisdom into golden nuggets of advice.

There you have it dear friends, the 3 G’s of golden advice from Mr Hogan himself.
And in closing I’d like to thank my mother, my father, my…………
I love you all, goodnight.

Time for you to have your say

So what do you think?
Why are acceptance speeches so bad?
What’s the most cringeworthy acceptance speech you’ve ever heard. The one that made you wriggle with embarrassment?
Are there any Brits out there who changed their nationality after watching Kate Winslet’s acceptance speech at the 2009 Golden Globe awards?
Let me have your thoughts on anything and everything in the comments below.

Credits:
My thanks and gratitude to:

Professor Max Atkinson for his post on Award Speeches
Prayitno for the Oscar photo thumbnail on flickr
Melanie Kissell over at SOLO MOMPRENEUR for showing me how to write short sharp posts