Today I was going to a networking meeting but unfortunately broke down in the pouring rain on the way.  I was, however, well prepared and can therefore go next time with little preparation.

As someone who has been to many networking events I always try to find a different way of being remembered.  Of course business cards are useful but I collect more than I give out as this gives me added contacts.  Today I thought “What prop can I take to enable me to stand out from the crowd?”

I am  a voice coach and presentation skills trainer and have written two books on various aspects of public speaking.  When networking I usually prepare a few questions such as:

You know when people have to chair a meeting and really feel nervous?  or..

Have you ever felt you needed more confidence when addressing a business seminar?  or

How do you think and plan for a business presentation?

However today I decided to make a mock microphone and thrust it under the nose of my speed networking partners!  Have you ever had that done to you? It’s quite scary if you aren’t prepared and people always tell me they get so nervous they can’t think clearly.  Then I proceed to tell them that there are some really useful tips to prepare for even the most last minute situations.  We end up laughing and they feel relieved that the mic isn’t real!!

If you go to networking events on a fairly regular basis you will know that people get tired of hearing the same old lines.  What they never get tired of,  is amusing or genuine stories about your customers or services. 

Last time when I did a 10 mins presentation at a local event I told of a client of mine who had to meet and greet Prince William and introduce him to his staff.  He was simply terrified.  This was a very experienced engineer but he was totally unused to speaking in public.  However, when I asked him to tell me some amusing incidents that had happened during the year he was able to come up with several.  He then wove these stories into his welcoming speech and then introduced some of his staff who had been in the stories (naturally he got their permission first!)   This took the “Oh no now I have to speak in public” fear away as he was, in effect, just telling stories and enjoying the chance to show how hard he and his team had worked. 

My home made microphone has been a great prop in the past.  People always remember it and I was only sorry that today the weather got the better of my car (it needed a new battery!!)

Next time I think I’ll do a competition by numbering my business cards and pulling one out of a hat.  The winner will receive one of my “Speaking on Special Occasions” Hodder Ed. books. – www.howtobooks.com

Step one – Facing the fears

Your speaking fears and 101 tips to speak with success will be addressed in the following blogs 1 – 10

This week I was lucky to be invited to speak at a local Property Networking Club on “Setting and Achieving Goals”   – I was quite nervous as I had not spoken to this group before and I did not know the audience well.  However, I know that nerves are good as they give you a feeling of slight tension and this can be used to your advantage.  After doing some breathing exercises I focused on channeling that nervous tension into excitment and anticipation.  I tried to remember what my strengths were as a speaker and visualised myself in the room actully giving a good speech. I “saw” myself and where I would walk and where I would focus my attention. 

The message we deliver is far more important than our own feelings and I really wanted the audience to go away with something of value.  So here are some tips for the next time you speak (it helps me to remember them too! )  :

One – Top tips for facing your fears of public speaking:

Many people feel that the pressure is on them when asked to speak at a meeting, a family event or a business conference.  Butterflies start flying around and the nerves kick in.  However there are many great strategies to help you and this is the first of 10 tips blogs to help you on that path to speaking success.

1/ Remember that fear makes you sharper and heightens your reflexes – channel the fear so it becomes excitment

2/ Understand that fear usually occurs before your are on the stage – it often goes when you get into your stride.

3/ Use visualisation to “see” yourself giving a successful and interesting talk – do this on a regular basis before you speak

4/ Close your eyes and imagine the audience listening and applauding – tell yourself your message is more important than your impact

5/ Concentrate on what you do well – write down three things

6/ Practice what you feel is a challenge – use a mirror and ask your friends.

7/ Think about your desire to help and inform the audience – it’s not about you.

8/ If you memorise your opening and closing – the middle will take care of itself! (use small cards you can fit in your palm as aids)

9/ Arrive on time and greet as many friendly faces as possible

10/ Imagine you are talking to a group of your friends – “see” them in the audience.

 More tips to follow in subsequent blogs

Jackie

So there I am with my third book published and on the shelves!  But wait a minute what happened to the other two “Raise Your Glasses Please” & “Speaking on Special Occasions”  and how are they selling?  Well, that’s where the fun starts! 

Publishers do what they are good at – they publish and then they do a little bit of marketing for you and then…..it’s up to you!  I will never forget what my agent said when I brought out my first book on Public Speaking –  her very words were “The publishers buy you as much as they buy the book content”  In other words they look for people who can prove they are good at marketing and promotion.  Well I didn’t really believe that until now, because actually my agent was prooved right, it’s all down to the author to get the books noticed and selling.  So people who are famous get their books sold, regardless.  If you are high profile your books will sell just as your name can be lent to an advertisement or a newspaper article. 

So here we are the Jo Bloggs of the world looking to get our books sold and it takes a lot of effort, sweat and a few frustrated tears!  But hey lets not get too downhearted, after all we HAVE written a book, it is out there and our name is on the cover – that feels as if we’ve achieved something. 

So here I am in my office thinking how can I market both myself and my books?  Well I could hire a PR person to help me (could be good as they know who to call and what to say)  I could try phoning the local radio stations and mags to see if they are interested, I might also walk down on Brighton seafront with a banner (think I’ll give that a miss)  You see where I am going with this don’t you?  Short of  causing a scandal (now there’s an idea!) I am at a loss. 

Of course I am a public speaker and I have presented at conferences in the past so that seems like a solution.  However, how do I get myself in front of the right people for my latest book on “Coaching Skills for leaders in the Workplace” (PR agent again? free book ?) Yes I suppose I could contact all the Personal & Professional Development conferences and those doing Business & Career Development etc..Also I am thinking about the Women in Business and Enterprising Women’s conferences too…umm there’s a possibility they may be looking for speakers and presenters. 

last week I was asked to present at a local event on “The mindset of a winner – how to get and achive goals” which was fun – unpaid but at least 30 people could hear about my book and some even bought it!  Still I would like to reach 3000 if at all possible.   I have had some success on Linkedin.  I asked people to write a review on Amazon in exchange for a free copy of my book and I ‘ve had replies from all over the world.  That was a great way of connecting to like -minded people so that worked. 

Any more ideas out there? I’d welcome your experience and hope you have learned a little from mine too.

Jackie

I am promoting my latest book on workplace coaching.  Are you a trainer or do you work in HR ? – Please review my latest book “Coaching Skills for Leaders in the Workplace” by How to Books  – you will receive a FREE copy of the book if you reply with your postal address to my profile on linkedin or this blog.  Many thanks.

It has been very gratifying to be able to connect to many people via linkedin and ecademy and to exchange ideas on how to market books and products. There is just so much out there it can sometimes seem a bit daunting.  I do think that investing time in e-networking can be helpful.   It allows people who you may not have seen for a while to re-connect and see what you are up to.  Also there is a wealth of talent/information to draw on and you can feel safe in the knowledge that services have been personally recommended by a colleague. 

I have been invited to do a podcast and a video interview about my book so this is also a great way to raise your profile.  I am lucky in that I know Petra Tiziani who runs a great video production company IDarena.com so I am assured of a good service.  Other ways of networking are to join face to face networking clubs such as The Chamber of Commerce, BNI, BRE or Business Link. 

A colleague Sean Toole has started a Property Networking Club in Brighton’s Metropole Hilton which I was invited to speak at last week.  I spoke to about thirty people on having ”The mindset of a winner”  and I explained how when we start a new project so many people want to tell us that it’s not possible or that the idea isn’t sound etc..I continued by telling a couple of my own stories about how I built up three businesses by not listening to those who would put down my idea.  I surrounded myself with people who supported me and used an acronym I developed:

 IDEA  I=idea D=determination E = enthusi-action A= authenticity 

This helped me to keep focused and develop my ideas from a seed to a strong tree that had firm roots, manageable branches and healthy leaves.  How did I do that – well that’s my next book!

Jackie

This week we have been preparing to do a presentation on coaching for over 100 people.  Doing a presentation for this number of people presenta a challenge as you would like to make the day as interactive as possible.  Dividing the delegates into smaller groups for discussion and then getting one person to feed back to the whole group is a way of overcoming a sea of hands and everyone wanting to speak at once.

One thing we have also been considering is the different skills and backgrounds of the group.  Do they all want the same from the presentation?  Are their needs different? How can we meet all their needs and still give value for money?

Getting clarity from the client at the outset is key to a successful presentation.  The make-up of the group, their expectations, any tensions or areas to avoid, what people are wanting to go away with, all this information can aid the process.  Also we have found out about the equipment that will be available on the day and made sure that the layout of the room is convenient for all participants. 

It is exciting to speak to so many people about coaching.  A real opportunity to show how supportive, non-judgemental and genuinely appreciative of people’s potential coaching can be.  How it can effect dramatic changes that ensure the outcomes people really want in their lives.  How important it is for coaches to build up their own essential coaching skills and coaching presence for those changes to happen. 

Now I’m off to put all the materials onto my memory stick and to prepare the handouts for printing. (The client is usually more than happy to do this if you ask)

What a great opportunity, I’m looking forward to it!

Keeping on track during your presentation:

When someone gets lost in a presentation, chances are they are getting lost while trying to make a transition between the various components.
For example, I noticed during a speech last week that I had moved from the opening to the first main point with no real sign-post to let people know. This can also happen when moving from main point to main point, or from the body to the closing. It’s all about planning the language and gestures in advance so people know where you’re going.

I often use specific language to transition from openings to the body such as “Let’s get started on the first topic…,” or “My first main point is…” or “First let’s ask ourselves what we need to consider…” or “OK, so what are the real issues here? Let’s consider..” Asking a question is also a great technique to start the main body of a speech or presentation. “I wonder if you knew that…?” or “Have you ever considered..?” You do not need an answer to the question but it serves to involve the audience from the outset. That’s what I should have planned to do in the example above.

Between the main points I often use something like, “That gives you the outline, now let’s talk about some of the details,” or “The second point I’d like to bring to your attention is ..” or “Following on from this ..” or “Moving to the next point, I’d like to focus on…” It was obvious that I had not planned my speech on that occasion, as well as I usually do. This was a definate wake-up call for me!

I also plan in advance for transitions using visual aids or moving to a different location on the platform as it can be very effective. Combining verbal cues with a physical change adds to the impact. A powerful technique when finishing a presentation is to move towards the audience prior to making your closing statements. This will add emphasis to what you are saying and enable the audience to become more involved.

The closing is probably the most important, yet often most
neglected, part of a presentation. People will always remember what you said
last! Every closing should include a recap of your main points. Simply end your presentation by summarising the key ideas you have covered. It is good to end on a quote or a startling fact.

Making these important transitions seems really quite obvious but I am glad that I noticed my error last week as it gave me the opportunity to re-visit my planning strategies for the future.

Jackie Arnold
Voice Coach

Before giving a speech or presentation, I look out over the audience and smile before I start — this is something I always do. It’s a reminder to myself that I choose to enjoy it. Yet many people are more terrified of public speaking than they are of death itself. Perhaps it’s because there’s no security once you’re up in front of people. You’re totally exposed. But you also have tremendous opportunity — the chance to influence people, to make a difference in their lives, to have an impact. If security is more important than opportunity, you’ll deny yourself some tremendous opportunities, both to help others and to help yourself.
Last week I coached a young woman who had just been given a wonderful opportunity. She had been asked to present to the international board of directors at her company. She was terrified. Her words to me were:
“I am rubbish at public speaking, I dry up and feel totally inadequate.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I know that this young woman was an event manager in her last job. She had stood up and spoken in front of parents and children on a regular basis. She had presented ideas for events to her peers and taken the plans to the committee. She had organised events and was totally unaware that 50% of her job had been “public speaking”
I asked her to tell me about the times when she had given presentations and spoken in public. She was amazed to realise that she had, in fact, given many successful speeches and presentations. So what was it that was blocking her in her new role? She was considerably younger than most of the international board members. She had only been with the company for eight months and she felt inferior. She was anxious that questions might arise that she couldn’t answer. She also felt her voice was not strong enough.
So after some questioning what solutions did she come up with to help her? She decided to speak to her direct Boss who had asked her to present. She would find out exactly what information the board needed. She realised that her voice would be stronger when she was more confident. She would try to anticipate any questions that might arise and be comfortable with saying:

“I am not able to answer that right now but I will come back to you by the end of the day if at all possible” or “That’s an interesting question, may I come back to you on that?”
She was also going to create rapport by asking hypothetical questions and involving them in her presentation where possible. She would look at ways to do this and we would discuss them later. She was going to open the presentation with a couple of interesting facts that she felt would get their attention.
Being prepared to ask for help was a first step. Then to think about planning and organising her presentation to suit her audience. Finally, to realise that she was a competent speaker and that presenting to the international board was a privilege and a great opportunity.
Jackie Arnold