How Important Is Your Walk to the Lectern?
on Jul 16 in UncategorizedThis past April when Susan Boyle walked onto the stage and approached the microphone on Britian’s Got Talent, the Irish singer was judged entirely on her appearance. Her audience assumed that her performance would be a disaster and responded to her entrance most negatively and with laughter. Even after she opened her mouth in answer to Simon Cowell’s questions, those in the crowd were expecting this woman to make a fool of herself. Little did they know.
When you approach the lectern for your speech or presentation, do you walk with confidence, with purpose? Is your back straight and your head held high? Do you smile at those in the audience, acknowledging their presence? How you approach the lectern or the podium or even the head of the boardroom table says a lot about you before you even open your mouth to speak.
Obviously Ms. Boyle was made fun of as she walked to the center of the stage but she did something which speaks volumes about her. She walked with confidence, with composure, and with the knowledge that she would do an excellent job. It took tremendous fortitude for her to ignore her audience’s reaction and to continue on. She possesses an inner drive and strength that is enviable by even the best of public speakers.
If your shoulders are slumped and your head is down, you are not displaying the confidence for which your audience is deserving. They came to hear you speak. For whatever the reason, you have an audience who expects and wants you to succeed. They are there for you.
You, then, must be there for them which means you must walk onto the stage believing in yourself, in your words, and in your ability to satisfy their needs. If you are unable to believe in yourself, how well do you expect to do?
Too many novice speakers are more concerned with their own ‘public speaking’ issues and give no consideration to the fact that they have an audience who has chosen (in most cases) to attend their speech or presentation.
Give them what they want but before you open your mouth to speak, before you look into the eyes of those in the audience, and before you take that breath to settle your nerves, walk with purpose. Tell yourself that you will do the best job that you can do, and let your audience see that you are pleased to be there and confident in your abilities.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, group and corporate training in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit her website at Voice Dynamic and watch as Nancy describes the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/how-important-is-your-walk-to-the-lectern-1040717.html
What Constitutes Perfection in Public Speaking?
on Jul 15 in UncategorizedWhat constitutes perfection in public speaking? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You can type a paper perfectly. You can have a perfect score on a test. You can sew or cut a perfectly straight line. But who is to say that a presentation or a speech is delivered perfectly? Perfection in such a situation is subjective. What I may consider perfect, you may not.
If you strive for perfection in any form of public speaking, you have just lost the battle; and, if you are typical of the Type A personality, you may have difficulty accepting this idea because your life is often ruled by the desire to achieve perfection in all that you do. Unfortunately, excessive stress follows you everywhere because you are striving, in many cases, for the unattainable.
Just the thought of needing to be perfect when you deliver your next presentation adds a tremendous amount of pressure to your preparation, your practice, and your eventual delivery – stress that is unnecessary, unwarranted, and unfounded. Susan Boyle, the Irish singer who stunned the world with her performance on Britian’s Got Talent, did not deliver a perfect performance: she gave an excellent performance.
Excellence is what I want you to strive for. It means:
- knowing your material extremely well;
- acknowledging your audience by making eye contact with them;
- speaking with color, with life, with emotion and with animation;
- learning how to control your nervousness so that it works for you and not against you;
- believing in yourself.
If you can accomplish those 5 prerequisites, you are guaranteed to be successful. Too often, those who are new to public speaking (and even some who are experienced) try to be someone or something they are not when standing at the lectern. My advice is to be yourself, first and foremost.
Accept the fact that you may make a mistake or two. Everyone does. If your presentation is filled with mistakes, then you don’t know your material and you are to blame. But if you are prepared and have practiced your material out loud, recorded some of your rehearsals, studied your delivery and made changes where necessary, then you have accomplished one of the most important aspects of your presentation. You will discover that the other 4 components are much easier to achieve if your preparation beforehand is solid and rehearsed.
Prepare, practice, deliver and strive to do the best job that you can do. That is when excellence is achieved.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and watch Nancy as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/what-constitutes-perfection-in-public-speaking-1037602.html
Public Speaking with Confidence
on Jul 15 in UncategorizedIt’s been said that the number one fear in the world is public speaking. This means that more people would rather die than get up in front of someone and speak. While you might be one of the people that feel this way, you don’t have to be forever.
Developing confidence in public speaking can be done with a few tricks. While it won’t be easy right away, you can develop the confidence you need to succeed.
The first thing that you need to realize is that speaking in public isn’t inherently a problem for you. You might think that you were just born to be nervous in front of people, but this isn’t possible. The fear of speaking in front of others was learned by watching someone else.
You got to thinking and the next thing you knew, you were nervous in front of a crowd. Just realize that because it isn’t ingrained in your being, you can overcome it.
After you realize this, the next thing that you need to know is that it’s all about perception. Shakespeare once said that “Nothing is either good or bad. Our thinking makes it so.”
This means that while public speaking might be the most terrible thing in the world for one person, the public speaker in the next room is making a lot of money at it. It’s all in the perception that you hold.
If you believe that you’re going to fail miserably and be embarrassed in front of hundreds of people, you will be. However, if you believe that you’re going to get up there and wow the audience with your presentation, there’s a good chance that you’ll do that as well.
Developing confidence in public speaking is all about feeling. If you feel nervous before you go on stage, you’ll probably stutter and stammer your way through the speech. However, if you feel like a conqueror, a world-beater, that can teach these people something valuable, you will probably deliver a great speech.
A great trick that has been used to overcome fear of public speaking is a visualization technique. Think of a time where you felt totally comfortable talking to other people. Everyone can hopefully find at least one example in their life. It doesn’t have to be in front of a lot of people. Maybe you were just sitting around and had a great talk with your friends.
Now picture this image as vividly as possible. Remember what was going on in the background, the smells, sounds, etc. Now recreate that feeling in your self right now.
Now picture yourself in front of an audience with that same feeling of confidence. Transposing the feeling of confidence onto the task at hand will make it much more do-able. You’ll be able to speak with confidence in front of large groups.
When you’re preparing your speech, remember to keep it short and sweet. You normally only need two or three main points for a good speech. Any more than that and people will start to lose interest.
Don’t build your speech up to be this gigantic thing in your mind. Just keep it simple and you will be greatly rewarded with a new feeling of confidence in public speaking.
Maneesh Sah, a self-confidence coach, writes about self-confidence building and gaining trust in ones own abilities at ConfidenceSimplified.com. Learn more about public speaking with confidence. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/public-speaking-with-confidence-1038143.html
Getting Rid Of The Fear of Public Speaking Phobia
on Jul 12 in UncategorizedI remember getting cold and forgetting my entire talk on stage. As I rushed backstage I could hear the auditorium burst into laughter. Since then, each time i have been approached to deliver a speech on any subject I have conveniently rejected the offer.
- But with time I realized that there is no point in acting like an escapist. The truth is i was so afraid of making a fool of myself on stage that I kept avoiding such invitations.
However, I am glad to tell you that all that is in the past now. The change in attitude happened completely when I heard about a concept called the Lefkoe Method.
Let me share my secret with you. Today, I suffer from no jitters or anxiety pangs when I have to go on stage to deliver a speech. Speaking in front of a large gathering can be nerve wracking.
But the moment we choose to de-stress and take things easily is when we move a step closer to delivering a great speech without fear.
The Lefkoe Method is a simple, easy and convenient way of getting over the fear of public speaking. A certified facilitator guides you through the completion of the Lefkoe Method.
The interesting point is that the sessions take place over the phone. Four, sixty-minute sessions are held over the phone where the certified facilitator gives you tips on how to conquer your fear of speaking in public.
With each session you begin to notice a remarkable change and a drastic reduction in your fear. To enroll into this program all you need to do is log on to their website.
Talk to their certified facilitator by using the number mentioned in the website. They will explain everything in detail. And witness the change in you unravel.
If you want to learn how to get rid of your public speaking phobia fast, i recommend you check out the Get applause now guide by Darren La Croix, a world public speaking champion.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/getting-rid-of-the-fear-of-public-speaking-phobia-1031797.html
How to Be a Motivational Speaker
on Jul 12 in UncategorizedPublic Speaking is one of the fears that most people have. However, some people actually have raw talent when it comes to public speaking. If you have talked or has given a speech in your best friend’s or a relative’s wedding and enjoyed the experience, then you might have the skill to become a motivational speaker. If you want to pursue this kind of career, here are some steps on how to start being a motivational speaker:
1. Find something that you can speak about. The best place to start is with your own life. List down the goals and achievements that you have attained in your life, such as finding the love of your life, the first time you received your paycheck on your first job, or how you started your own business. In doing this, sharing your success or how you attained your goals through your hard work could really inspire people, especially if what you have attained is something special or extraordinary.
2. You must find your specialty, if you want to be a motivational speaker, you must find the area that you are an expert of. Most people hire a motivational speaker to be able to help them in a certain area.
3. Once you have found your specialty, it is now time to find your targeted audience. Your audience should be the people who can benefit from your specialty. If you’re area of expertise is on relieving stress on the workplace, then your targeted audience should be career oriented people or corporate offices, since stress is part of their daily lives.
4. It is always a good idea to write your speech before you give out your speech to an audience, this way; you will have an outline or a guide on how to go about your speech.
5. Improve your speaking skills, even if you feel that you are already confident in your speaking skills, there are always room for improvements. How can you improve your speaking skills? You can join clubs, classes or an organization that specializes in developing speaking skills. This way, your skill as a motivational speaker can really improve. Another way of improving your speaking skills is to watch other professional motivational speakers in action.
6. Having your own marketing materials to promote yourself as a motivational guest speaker should be your next step. You can have a media kit, which includes the following: video recording of one of your speeches,business cards, an introduction leaflet, your resume that includes your experience. Testimonial or referral letters from other people who have heard you speak in public.
7. After identifying your targeted audience and preparing your marketing materials, it is now time to approach those targeted audience through sending them your media kit or visiting them in person.
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Speaking: A Skill that Must Be Studied, Sharpened, and Developed
on Jul 11 in UncategorizedSpeaking is a universal means of communicating and conversing with other people. If you know how to speak well and talk to other people in a manner that is understandable and pleasing to the ears, you sure will conquer greater heights. But do you know that every person isn’t born a great speaker? This just goes to show that speaking effectively is something you’re not born with, for it is a skill that is learned, honed, and cultivated.
Now, does the abovementioned statement bring relief on your part? To help you embrace wholly ways on how to become a good speaker, here are speaking-enhancing tips you can consider. So, say goodbye to stage fright and welcome a path towards a confident you.
1. Speaking means knowing and not memorizing your content. You may be wondering why a lot of great speakers have the ability to speak well, it’s precisely because they know what they’re talking about, they have extensive knowledge of their subject matter, and most importantly, they do not have to memorize their content. Since the substance comes from their words and not from other’s work, all they do is read through it, and the moment they hit the stage, they’re able to cite major fine points flawlessly.
2. Speaking means not copying someone else’s approach, but to be plainly and uniquely, YOU. This means to say that conversing and communicating in front of a huge crowd entails uniqueness. It is only achievable by being you, you, and only you. Need we say more about this? That alone vividly explains the point.
3. Speaking effectively means to have fun. Just enjoy the moment and opportunity of being able to speak in front of many people. It may sound simple, but its outcome is surprisingly incredible.
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Facing Your Fear of the Lectern or the Video Camera
on Jul 11 in UncategorizedSome of the people with whom I work are not comfortable standing at a lectern or in front of a video camera when they have to make a presentation. So I have them sit when they first begin work on their delivery. I ask them to imagine that they are simply having a conversation with me in a living room as they deliver their material.
Surprisingly, this technique is very effective. I do record them but I don’t point the camera in their direction. At this stage, I’m only interested in picking up their voice. When I play it back, it is wonderful to hear their reaction. They are surprised at how natural and normal they sound. My job then is to get them to sound the same way standing at the lectern or in front of the camera.
At this point, many of my clients are ready; however, not everyone is. So, for those who can’t quite make it to the podium, I will have them stand by their chair and deliver it again. I will record it, play it back, and once again, let them hear how well they did. If they don’t do as well standing, they go back to the chair and do more practicing sitting down.
My job is to build their confidence; and, video equipment is the best tool for this type of training so that they can hear themselves and eventually see themselves on camera.
Part of good presentation skills training is to teach the individual to speak to their audience and not at them. The problem for many people is that they think they have to be someone other than themselves when they deliver their material. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you listen to good speakers, they are first and foremost themselves.
One of my clients, a very out-going and well-spoken lawyer, was scheduled to give a presentation on real estate law to a large group of realtors. Here was a man who had no problem in the courtroom getting his points across; however, ask him to stand on a stage and speak to an audience and he was beside himself. He phoned me in distress, stammering as he admitted that he could not do this presentation. In working with him a few days later, I found his delivery to be very boring. When I played back his video, he could see and hear how stiff and flat he looked and sounded.
I had him sit, suggesting that he imagine he was at the kitchen table with his wife giving this presentation. He felt that it wouldn’t sound natural. (Of course his earlier presentation sounded anything but natural!) He did as I requested; I played it back; he was amazed. Why? Because he sounded like he was having a conversation. He was then able to stand at my lectern and deliver an excellent presentation with expression, with emotion, with color.
[Incidentally, he phoned me immediately after speaking to the realtors, telling me that he had done a great job and that he loved doing it!]
If your fear is holding you back, first practice your presentation sitting down with your camcorder running; play it back; and watch it. You may be surprised at just how good of a job you do.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and watch Nancy as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/facing-your-fear-of-the-lectern-or-the-video-camera-1027991.html
What Every Speaker Needs To Know If You Want To Leave Your Audience Mesmerized & Inspired
on Jul 10 in UncategorizedIt has been a while since I was moved to tears by a presentation. Today was one such evening. The speaker is a self-made multi-millionaire who has undergone tremendous adversity before enjoying his current status.
And my training company, AdvantEdge Coaching, had the good fortune of inviting him to share – on an exclusive basis – his secrets of living an extraordinary life.
Not only was I reminded of life’s valuable lessons through his stories, I saw how he applied some of the best speaking practices that made his 2 hours presentation an unforgettable experience. Allow me to give you a low down.
This entry will be done in two parts. One centres around the strategies he adopted that made his presentation a highly memorable and inspiring one. The second part covers some of the life lessons he has learnt and I am going to give it a spin by applying them into public speaking.
1. The importance of prep work
Like a martial artist, he was disciplined and understood perfectly the importance of prep work. He came to the venue yesterday to do a rehearsal. A full 2 hours. Got his wife and best friend to give him feedback so that he can fine-tune. How many speakers actually go the extra mile to do that?
Today, he came two hours earlier to set up the place and run through his slides another time. Wow.
That’s not all. After the set-up was done and he was satisfied with the lighting and sound, he got himself INTO THE ZONE. That’s right. He got himself into the zone. That’s what many sportsmen call it. The zone. It’s a space of serenity and focus. Nothing matters except that particular presentation. When his friends came by, they knew well enough not to “disturb” him. So there the speaker was, with his ipod, running through parts of his lines intently, and with a fierce intensity. I was impressed.
Although, his technique was opposite of what I usually do i.e. get flesh-time with my audience, you can still incorporate that into your pre-presentation phase. Here’s my recommendation. An hour before your speech – when everything is all set up – find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Run through the thoughts into your head. Clear them. And keep your mind focused on your mission at hand – What do you want to achieve at the end of your presentation? Increase your stake by reminding yourself why you are delivering this presentation in the first place and its significance.
If you need to, go listen to your specially selected music or watch a short video clip (for me, I watched my favorite speakers in action). Do whatever you need to get yourself prep and ready for the big moment – your presentation.
2. Make your presentation multi-sensory
This is one of the powerful strategies adopted by Anthony Robbins. Apparently the speaker knew about it too because he did the same too. The consequence was much appreciated. His audience – including me who was sleep deprived for the past week – was thoroughly engaged throughout the entire 120 minutes.
Let’s do a quick run through.
Auditory (hearing):
He did that very skilfully through music. Right when you enter the room, you will be greeted with high energy music that stirs up your spirit and make you want to dance. Near to the end of his presentation, when he got us to perform an act of courage (details below), he played the theme song of Rocky. And it was timely because he showed us a clip from Rocky before that. At his last slide, he played another piece of music that was highly emotional (gradual at first, intense at the end). Tied in with his conclusion about how we should DREAM BIG, he really made you want to rush out of the room and declare to the world how you want to relive your life. Cool stuff.
Visually (seeing):
Mainly through his slides. And he only used three colours. Red. White. Black. When he was dishing out key lessons, his slides were white on red. When he was sharing about some of the low points in his life, his slides were white on black. That’s what we call anchoring. This strategy helps the audience remember better and I strongly encourage you to try that in your next presentation.
He showed us a video too, from Rocky 6. Let the video speaks for itself.
Kinesthetically (doing):
This was highly unexpected yet if you think about it, this activity makes sense since he is a martial artist. He got us to write down ALL our fears on this A3 wooden board. And then near to the end of his presentation, he challenged everyone of us to break the board with our fist or palm, signifying our intention to fight through all fears. Really cool. And you should see how the ladies were apprehensive and uncomfortable. Yet the activity was also the highlight of the presentation because you see how each and everyone of the participant (there were 31 of us) came down to the stage and literally destroyed the board.
In fact one of the participants was so gungho that he went down with TWO boards. Not only did he NOT break the board, he injured the fingers of the speaker. I thought it was funny. (and yes yes, I should learn to be more sympathetic). But trust me, this is going to be memorable because one, the participant was courageous and two, the speaker showed pain which is usually unlikely in a motivational speech. At the end, the participant destroyed both boards, one at a time.
I was meant to show you the broken boards but the pictures are not with me. Will show them in the next entry.
So as you can see, the speaker’s presentation was one that feels like a Spielberg movie, with both high and low moments, with a lot of action and adventure. Now, that’s a blockbuster speech that you want to create the next time round! And it doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need to do is to get your audience to SEE, HEAR and DO something and you will already be on your way to becoming more interesting and engaging.
3. It was a story-driven presentation
His objective was clear right at the beginning. First with his speech title and second in his introduction. “I want to share with you how you can unleash your potential”. And then he immediately went on to his first story, his favorite fairytale – the one about the Thai princess.
If you were to analyze his presentation, you will realize that this story was strategic to begin with. He cleverly used this simple fairytale to set up his presentation i.e. in life, there will always be a hero, a coward and a princess (analogous to the prize). And the choice of becoming a hero or coward is up to us, which later led him to talk about the one thing that separates heroes from cowards. Both face fear but one of them face it while the other runs away from it.
And then he went on to share about his life story, centering around the numerous failures he had… from his divorce to being broke and then to him being fired from a job and etc. He later contrasted on his failures with his current successes which leads us to a question – what did he do different?
And his answer is straightforward – he never run away from his failures. In fact, he embraced them and learn from them.
Did he just stopped there? No, of course not. He went on to share about his deaf buddy, a brave individual who have every right to give up because of his limitation, but he did not. I cried at his encounter partly because he was also moved (he was very sincere!) and partly because I admire the deaf guy’s courage.
And even till the end, the speaker brought up a story, his best one. It was a story about Bunkerd Faphimai, a world champion of thai boxing.
Saw what he did? His entire presentation was essentially stringed from one story to another. And the message served as a transition to the next story and the next. The common thread of course was the objective – how do we unleash our potential. This is a structure that is definitely worth modelling, one that has proven successful and will continue to be IF YOU TELL AUTHENTIC STORIES. Remember, no one cares about stories you picked from Chicken Soup from the Soul. Your audience care more about the stories that happen in your life and the lives of people in your world. Remember that!
(Click here to explore how you can craft an engaging and entertaining story that will leave an impact in your audience)
And finally…
4. The power of silence
He was a highly energetic speaker. He paced around a lot and he speaks relatively fast. However before every important point he has to make, he will ALWAYS stop for a moment and ponder (by putting his finger on his lip). And then he espoused on the secret he has discovered or lesson he has learnt the hard way.
The momentary silence has a very powerful effect on the audience. It caught our attention and heightened our senses. If you are in the audience, you will feel the invisible force pulling you forward in anticipation for that point which you know is going to make a deep impact in you. And when he finally let you in on that particular lesson or secret, you will soak it in and the effects linger. You really got to try it to know what I am talking about. Let’s crossed our fingers that he allow me to put up the video online. And then you can watch it for yourself.
So the lesson is simple. The next time you are about to share an important point, pause for a moment. Take your time and look into the eyes of your audience. Increase the tension built up. And then let them in. I guarantee that you will be having your audience eat out of your hands! Very nice effect. Go try.
So there you go, four very powerful practices you can adopt in your next presentation to leave your audience mesmerized and inspired. Let me recap.
1. The importance of prep work
2. Make your presentation multi-sensory
3. Develop a story-driven presentation
4. Pause before every important point you make
Eric Feng is the go-to guy if you want to learn how to impress your customers, employers and investors through public speaking. Eric has successfully helped over 3000 people to become confident and compelling speakers. To watch FREE videos on how you can unleash the speaker in you and charm your audience in 8 simple steps, go to: www.TakingTheStageNow.com.
Always Leave Your Audience Wanting More
on Jul 10 in UncategorizedThere is nothing worse than sitting in the audience, checking your watch as you wait for the speaker to close, knowing your presenter still has 8 more main points to cover and you have already heard 14 of them! When this happens it is interesting to note that the speaker usually seems totally unaware that the audience has lost interest.
A good presenter knows his limitations; a mediocre presenter does not.
The advice given by all who write on public speaking, from highbrow collegiate texts to the numerous ebooks available at your disposal on the internet, is that you should limit your main points to anywhere between 2 and 5. Admittedly, there are some who can get away with more than that but they are few and far between. (Steven Covey happens to be one of them!)
If you find that you are creating your presentation with the idea that you want to say as much as possible, stop and rethink that approach. The purpose of public speaking is to inform, persuade, or entertain. In all three situations the secret of those who are truly successful is to leave their audiences wanting more.
Most people today have a limited attention span when it comes to public speaking. We are too busy, too harried, and too scheduled to be able to enjoy a 2-hour speech. While 120 minutes of scripted material was common in the days before radio, TV, and film, today it is important to recognize that your audience has an attention span that generally does not last for more than 40 – 50 minutes of material.
When you create your speech or presentation, limit your main points and ‘tighten them up.’ Look at each of your main points as one individual block of material and avoid that which is superfluous. By all means use anecdotes but make sure your anecdotes are relevant to that particular block of information. The tighter your presentation, the less likely your audience will be packing up their portfolios and hoping to make a quick getaway before you finally arrive at your closing.
Years ago I was giving a presentation on voice and I remember thinking afterwards that I had forgotten to discuss projection, which is the ability to increase your volume without shouting. I wanted to kick myself afterwards but then I realized that my audience didn’t know I had forgotten anything because they didn’t know my script. Was I less successful because I had forgotten something? No.
If your presentation is well-planned, well-timed and tight in its format, don’t be tempted to add more material on the spot, droning on and on, no matter how receptive your audience. One of the best pieces of advice my mother taught me was to always get up from the table feeling like you could eat more. Take that advice and apply it to your next presentation. Don’t try your audience’s patience – leave them wanting more.
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, group and corporate training in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit her website at Voice Dynamic and watch as Nancy describes the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/always-leave-your-audience-wanting-more-1024832.html
Art Of Persuasion: How Do You Get People To Say Yes To You
on Jul 09 in UncategorizedWhile research shows that most people believe they can’t be sold, the fact is those same people can indeed be persuaded if they don’t recognize that a sales tecnique is being used.
The trick lies in the different persuasive strategies used then and now. Lets use a car salesman this time since they top the list as the people you absolutely cannot trust in a poll.
Then: They go on downloading information in you, telling you EVERYTHING you need to know AND don’t need to know.
Basically, its like taking a shotgun with pellets in it, hoping that one of them will hit the target. This doesn’t work anymore!
Now: Being subtle.
The following are strategies for you to adopt as you attempt to persuade your audience, be it one or many.
1. Aiming at the Target
Have you been in a situation where a salesman or saleswoman was trying to sell you something by giving you the 4-1-1 of what he or she is selling while you absolutely couldn’t wait to get away from the guy? That he or she was boring you nuts with all the information?
You felt like running away as soon as he turns his head because he never found out what was IMPORTANT to YOU.
Ask a simple question : “What’s most important to you when you buy a car? ”
“What’s most important to you when you enroll your kids to a programme? ”
“What most important to you when you look for a life partn…( ok you get it by now don’t you? ) ”
This simple question is what gets you the most answers. So for example, if I’m going to go buy a car, what’s important to me is the price.
So if you’re going to sell me a car, you should immediately address my pricing concerns and not go rambling on how energy-efficient and how many awards the car has won. This saves your breath and of course, time spent.
2. Never start your questions with ” WHY? “
Not only is it annoying but you get only excuses.
Lets use an example: If your kid comes back from school with his report card dominated with D’s and E’s and (God Forbid, F’s ), You’ll probably be in a rage and ask ..”WHY did you get D’s and E’s ?? ”
And the answer (or rather, excuse) that you’re going to get is:
“My teacher ate my test paper.”
“My teacher doesn’t really like me.”
“The kids bully me if I get A’s.”
So how can you ask the same question but get solutions instead?
Start your questions with “What” or “How”
These 2 words empowers action in people. You’re still asking the same question, but you shift its mode and then you start to get changes!
3. Use STORIES to convey your message.
Its important to highlight before I continue with how we can use stories that people tend to be too obvious when they use their stories. As a result, they shift back into a sales mode.
Most people cannot come up with a story on the fly. Even Paul suggested practice and fine-tuning our stories to ensure an impactful message and one that really sinks into the human psyche. Remember? Stories, like humour is a process. Your stories are not going to come out fantastic the first time you tell them. Hence, you must be willing to let your stories develop over time.
Eric Feng is the go-to guy if you want to learn how to impress your customers, employers and investors through public speaking. Eric has successfully helped over 3000 people to become confident and compelling speakers. To watch FREE videos on how you can unleash the speaker in you and charm your audience in 8 simple steps, go to: www.TakingTheStageNow.com Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/public-speaking-articles/art-of-persuasion-how-do-you-get-people-to-say-yes-to-you-1018145.html
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