Sep 30 2010

Where to Find Professional Speaking Jobs

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 11:43 pm

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Professional Speaking is certainly no exception.

You’ve got your engine running and you’re ready to get out there and find some professional speaking engagements. The only problem is that you haven’t got a clue as to where you can find jobs!

One of the first steps as you launch your professional speaking career is to get good at what you do. You’ll find that you’ll need to speak for free. Gain experience and build your client database. In doing so, you’ll be able to go after higher paying jobs as you can demonstrate your professionalism, credibility as a speaker and your ability to draw large crowds.

- There are a number of places that hire professional speakers and many of them are in your neighborhoods. Places like universities, colleges, your local Toastmasters organization, speaker bureaus, non-profit organizations, businesses, and libraries are just a few of the places that have a need for professional speakers. Make contacts with people in these organizations and offer your services.

- You can also do an online search for the keyword term “calls for speakers” or “speakers wanted”. You’ll obtain a listing of organizations and meetings that are requesting professional speakers.

- Search speaker’s forums for paid jobs. While this place does not have a lot of paid jobs, you might be able to find one that suits your niche.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Professional Speaking than you may have first thought.

- Review conference schedules of various associations related to your topic. Many associations hold annual conferences and they will post a call for speakers. This call will be placed about 6 – 8 months in advance of the speaking engagement.

- Work as a trainer with training companies. Places like Fred Pryor hires contract speakers for many different topics. This is a paid job that requires travel and often times, a hectic schedule, but the flip side is that paid speakers can make over $75,000 annually.

- Research the NTPA (National Trade and Professional Associations) Directory. You can purchase it for about $150. Issued in February each year, it gives you the information you’ll need to begin making contacts in the association market.

- Research the meeting planner’s directory. The Directory of Association Meeting Planners costs $550 and is available every March in a CD format. There is another directory called the Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners. This second directory costs approximately $450 and is available every March in a hard copy format.

- Network with peers and potential clients in your industry. Word of mouth referrals are by far the most popular way that meeting planners find speakers for their events. With that in mind, it’ll definitely be worth your time to network!

These are places where you can find jobs, however, you will need to also put together a promotional kit. Start with a simple letter and build your promotional kit up. You’ll also have to develop a marketing strategy to build and maintain a potential client listing. Using this listing, you can use direct mail or make phone calls to promote yourself as a professional speaker for hire. Now that you know where to look, you’ll be able to start going after speaking engagements and gaining experience!

Sometimes it’s tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I’m positive you’ll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 23 2010

A Professional Speaker Sets the Tone for the Message

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 4:06 pm

As a professional speaker, everything you do the minute you walk into the room sets the tone for your message. Without even speaking one word, you can determine just how many people you will reach because their engagement to your message depends on you; not on them. You can have a great topic to speak on and great presentation skills, but without communication the passion you have about your topic, none of it really matters!

Go before your audience expecting to make an impact! People aren’t interested in what you know. They want your information for themselves and passion is like the “grease” that lubricates that passage of information! Do you expect that your audience will receive what you have to say? Do you communicate that you’re excited to be there and you’re also excited that they are there as well?

Be mindful of the needs of your audience. As a professional speaker, we can get caught up with our message because you know it’s what your audience needs. The problem with that train of thought is that it leaves one key person out of the equation – your audience member. Prepare yourself beforehand to figure out what your audience may want to know or needs to know and then deliver that message.

The more authentic information about Professional Speaking you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Professional Speaking expert. Read on for even more Professional Speaking facts that you can share.

Change things up for maximum impact! There are going to be times when you can’t stay stuck to your outline. Learn to improvise and adjust to the needs of your audience. Find ways to engage them as you proceed throughout your message. Do you remember in school that one teacher you had that you could never seem to connect with? Students were falling asleep in class and the teacher still plodded on with their message! How effective is that? Change your presentation and tailor it to engage your audience no matter where they might be! Don’t stay stuck in a routine!

Relate to your audience. Relating to your audience goes beyond just speaking to them. It encompasses everything from the greeting you give, the way you dress and your tone of voice you use to address them. Part of relating to your audience means knowing who they are and what appeals to them. You’ll have to research beforehand who your audience members are. If you do this, you’ll be positioning yourself to be more relatable to them.

Passion is the key that opens their hearts and minds to receive what you have to say! If you’re passionate about your topic, that will come across in your speech by default. Conversely, if you lack passion about your topic, that too will also come across. Do you really believe in what you’re talking about? Do you see the value that you and your message have to offer your audience? When you practice your speech, do you motivate yourself? Just about every professional speaker starts off practicing by looking at themselves in the mirror! Try doing that and take a good look at what you see!

You are the key to a successful delivery of your message. If you want to see results, understand that you set the tone in your meeting and it’s up to you to maintain control of that tone!

There’s a lot to understand about Professional Speaking. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 18 2010

How to Market Yourself as a Professional Speaker

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 8:51 pm

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

The ability to market yourself as a professional speaker is undoubtedly the key to your success. Marketing means that you must advertise your skills and talents. Since many people don’t do that, they end up leaving their career to the wind by default. You have to get your name out there. You have to find ways to connect with people who can and will hire you.

1. Network in speaking organizations. If you’re not networking, you’re not working. Building relationships with your peers and prospective clients is a must do if you’re really serious about your career as a professional speaker.

2. Have a business card. As you take time to network and build relationships with people, you’ll want to give them something to remember you by – your contact information. Your business card should have a professional look to it. Since it will be the way people remember you, what do you want them to remember?

3. Create your marketing portfolio. Also known as your promotional kit or your media kit, this portfolio will have everything that speaker bureaus and meeting planners need to determine if you are the speaker for them or not. Your portfolio consists of the following elements: a content sheet, a demo video of previous speaking engagement, your bio, testimonials from previous engagements, a price list of your products and resource materials you sell, a sample client list, and your fee schedule.

The information about Professional Speaking presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Professional Speaking or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

4. Develop a website. With so many people and businesses flocking to the internet for information, you’ll want to have this as a means to market yourself. You don’t have to have a website with all the bells and whistles. While your website should look professional, you can still get a started website with low to no monthly costs. Use your website to be an additional location where you sell your resource materials as well as offer information about your topic.

5. Use online social networks such as LinkedIn and MySpace to begin making connections with your industry peers. You can also use speaker forums as a place for additional resources, sharing speaking tips and tricks as well as getting to know other people in your field.

6. Create and use a direct marketing strategy. Send mailers and postcards to past clients as well as prospective future clients. While many speakers aren’t hired as a result of their mailers, they are still an easy way to keep your customers in touch with your business. Additionally, direct mail pieces are relatively inexpensive to create and send and as a result, they are a great way to canvass organizations and get the word out that you are available for hire.

7. Market yourself through articles and product materials. Using other resources as a means for getting your name out will help to spread your name like wild fire! Think of it this way, you create the article one and include a short 2 – 3 sentence bio and you’ll have that work for you for as long as it’s available!

The way you market yourself will determine whether you will have a great career or not. Start using these avenues of getting your name out there and start to get noticed by meeting planners and speaker bureaus. Start marketing yourself today!

Now you can be a confident expert on Professional Speaking. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Professional Speaking.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 16 2010

The Real Message that Professional Speakers Send

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 2:47 pm

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Professional Speaking. When you start sharing the fascinating Professional Speaking facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Are you really communicating what you think you are? There are two basic messages that are included in any speaking engagement – the verbal message and the visual message. As a professional speaker, your message should be effectively communicated in all aspects of both these areas. Whether you are a novice speaker or have years of experience, you’ll want to find out about what you’re actually saying and adjust your delivery for best results. In doing so, you’ll deliver winning presentations every time!

The first message type is the verbal message. First off, your verbal message should be clear and concise. Your discussion points should be detailed and well supported by data, testimonials and perhaps even visual aids. Discussion and transition points should flow and lead your audience from point A to point B.

Supporting this verbal message is the message you send with using the tone of voice. The tone of voice has the ability to liven up your topic. Emphasize highlighted points with excitement and enthusiasm. A quiet, somber tone of voice can bring seriousness to identifying problems you present when you present your solution. A loud, booming voice can emphasize definitive statements.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Professional Speaking experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Professional Speaking.

The second type of message is the visual message. These messages (along with the message you send using your tone of voice) are often inferred messages that aren’t directly spoken but they still have lots to say about you as a leader and the message you bring.

The environment that you hold your presentation in impacts your message as well. The room itself can be a distraction and you can lose your focus and worse yet, you can lose the attention of your audience. Details like the room temperature (too cold, too warm) or noisy traffic (beeping horns and emergency vehicle sirens) may seem like they are out of your control, but you do have some control. Other environmental considerations include the appearance of the room. Is it professional? Is it warm and cozy? Does it enhance the message you want to convey or does it take away from it? It behooves you to minimize as much as possible all of these types of distractions from your presentation.

Another visual presentation you make is the one with your personal appearance and attire. Your audience doesn’t know you. If you say that you are a professional, do you look like it? You don’t have to have the Armani suits or the Dolce & Gabbana dress, but you should at least look like the professional you claim to be. Men speaker should avoid loud colored shirts. Leave those shirts at home for the night out. Women should dress conservatively. You don’t have to be wearing a burlap sack, but low-cut blouses and high skirts don’t belong here. Your goal is to create credibility as a professional.

There are many other messages that your audience picks up during the course of your presentation. They know exactly how you’re feeling about the topic you present by the enthusiasm in your voice. They already make assumptions regarding your credibility as a true professional. Don’t take chances and send the wrong message!

There’s no doubt that the topic of Professional Speaking can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Professional Speaking, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 11 2010

What Does the First Year of Professional Speaking Look Like?

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 3:30 am

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding Professional Speaking. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about Professional Speaking.

Unless you’re already a celebrity, you’ll have to work through building your professional speaking career from the ground up. This does mean work, but if the topics you plan to be speaking on are your passion, this will not be a chore to do! Also, depending upon how fast you are able to build connections and establish your reputation as a speaker will determine how fast you pass through this phase of career building.

The first phase of building your career is filled with getting the word out that you are available for hire as a professional speaker. You’ll also gain experience as you speak for free. Yes, that’s right – free. Your goal is build a database of clients and testimonials concerning your work before you hit the big time. One resource stated that you should plan on speaking for free for at least 200 hundred times to build a successful reputation and foundation of experience. The reason for all of this is that many speaker bureaus and meeting planners want speakers with experience and an established reputation in the field they’re in. As of now, you are working on creating your future success!

Here are some things you can do as you begin your professional speaking career.
1) List the topics you can speak on. Join a social network like LinkedIn (known as the social network for professionals) or forum and list those topics there.

2) Write some articles on these topics and post them on the free article websites. You can also post articles on your own website and add them to social bookmark sites. Whoever reads your article will see your bio at the bottom of each article and you’ll promote yourself as a speaker for these topics!

3) Get as many free speaking engagements as possible. Check with your local library or the Chamber of Commerce. Get feedback from your free speaking engagements and start compiling a list of these.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

4) Take a professional picture of yourself. People want to feel connected to you and personalizing your website by adding your picture to it is just one of the ways. Additionally, you’ll need a professional photo for your portfolio

5) If you’re an expert in a trade, write articles for your industry’s trade publications. Sometimes these publications will ask for a short (1-2 sentence bio) where you can list “professional speaker” as part of your career listing. One benefit is that you can also get paid writing.

6) Get online and create a blog or website about the topics that you cover. Utilize social networking to build relationships with potential clients as well as peers in your industry. Promote yourself as a professional speaker and a thought leader in your industry.
7) Add a tagline to your email signature. Whoever gets your emails will see that you are a professional speaker for hire.

8) Research the industry for pay rates and start developing a fee schedule for your speaking engagements. We mentioned earlier that you should expect to speak for free, however, speaking for free could easily turn into a paying job for you. What would you charge?

9) Create a demo video of a speaking event you’ve done. You can use clips from several of your speaking jobs (including the free ones).
During this first phase, you’re basically building your professional speaking portfolio. You’ll need this portfolio to go after higher paying jobs with speaker bureaus and meeting planners. You’re already working towards your future success!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 07 2010

Organizing Your Professional Speaking Presentation

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 7:39 pm

You may have just been asked to make a presentation by your boss or maybe, you’re starting on a new professional speaking career. Whatever the case may be, starting your presentation means you’ll have a ton of details to organize into a relatable format for your audience. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

One of the most difficult aspects of making your presentation is getting started. You may be feeling overwhelmed even if you’ve been working with your materials for years. Maybe you’re looking for a way to simplify your research process. In any case, the first step is to jump in there and get started.

1. Research your material. Collect and read as much information as possible. Make some notes and also look at the validity of the information you are collecting. Is the information outdated? Is it relevant to the actual subject you are going to talk about? Start taking notes and highlighting potentially key points of your presentation.

2. Once you feel you’ve gathered enough information to present, review your notes and select the information you are going to present. Look for key ideas that support the purpose of your talk. Decide how deep you will go when presenting your information? Consider your audience. What do they need to know to take action on your subject? How much detail do they actually need? Consider also, the length of the time you’ll have for your presentation.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

3. Organize your key ideas into an outline form. Start with the key points you will make and add two to three supporting elements to it. When you speak, you will be leading your audience from point A to point B. You’re taking them somewhere even if it’s only in their minds. Does your outline show a path to take? Is it relevant? Adjust your key points until you do lead your audience to where you want them to go.

4. Decide how you will present your organized information in your presentation. What visual aids can you use to strengthen your points? Is there data or research that you can bring into your presentation? How can you vary the delivery of your message? Your presentation will be more interesting if you do more than just talk. People can easily tune out of your message especially if it’s during a meal or immediately following one.

5. Organize your presentation outline to incorporate your visuals and method of delivery in your presentation. Review what it looks like on paper. Your outline is like your map for success. Is your map clearly defining the information you want to say? Are there any weak points were the information is not as strong as you’d like it to be? If it’s not, revise and review and keep doing this until you get your map the way you want it to be.

Organizing the material for your presentation is a process. As you take your audience from lack of knowledge to having knowledge, your background work is to create an outline map of your journey. This map is the key to your success and the only way to be successful is to have a plan of action. Start today in creating your map of success!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 07 2010

Create Your Professional Speaking Portfolio

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 9:17 am

Are you looking for some inside information on Professional Speaking? Here’s an up-to-date report from Professional Speaking experts who should know.

All professional speakers will need a promotional kit in order to market themselves effectively and obtain more and higher paying jobs. Speakers fail to achieve the desired incomes because they fail to properly market their skills and talents. No more failure! Reach the income you’ve heard and dreamt about by using a promotional kit!

Speaker bureaus and meeting planners expect to see certain pieces of information in order to see if you are the professional speaker they are looking for. These pieces of information include a content sheet highlighting the material you’ll be presenting, a speaker biography, testimonials / reviews, a list of the services you provide including educational materials and fee schedule, a sample client list, a demo video and a business card with contact information. You can also include a letter on a personalized letterhead stating your interest in the event and why you feel they should choose you.

1. Content sheet – include a general outline of the presentation you’ll be making. Your material should relate to the theme of the convention or seminar being hosted.

2. Speaker biography (bio) – highlight certifications and qualifications in your 2 -3 paragraph narrative. Each paragraph should be about 2-3 sentences long and should tell give bureaus and planners an idea of who you are and what you’re about. This bio may also be used as part of the advertisement of the speaking engagement and may be shortened to a short paragraph. You should also send a picture of yourself.

3. Testimonials / Reviews – This information helps to build your credibility as a speaker because it tells what others are saying about you. In order to build this area effectively, you should also consider requesting feedback after each speaking engagement whether they are free or for fee.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

4. List of services and products – This section of information includes a price list of books, CDs or videos that you produce related to your speaking topic. This section can also include other types of speaking engagements that you do along with the respective prices that you will charge.

5. List of the clients you’ve worked for – you can combine this with your testimonial and review sections however, keep in mind that not everyone will respond to your request for feedback. Either you didn’t ask for a review or they didn’t take the time to fill out your review sheet. You can still keep a running list of the people who have used your services.

6. Demo video – This should be on the subject you are being asked to speak on. It gives your prospective planners an idea of what they will be getting should they choose to hire you. This should also be professionally done.

7. Contact information – include information on the various ways that speaker bureaus and meeting planners can get in touch with you should they decide to hire you.

Successful marketing ensures that you are on the path to becoming a successful professional speaker. It also presents you as a professional and an established leader in your field. Create your portfolio and get to marketing yourself today!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 04 2010

How to Feel Confident in Front of Your Audience

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 4:26 am

The only way to keep up with the latest about Professional Speaking is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Professional Speaking, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.

The fear of public speaking is one of the top fears that people have. Statistics show that over 41% of people have some level of fear or anxiety with regards to speaking in front of an audience. This fear often manifests as excessive sweating, sweaty palms, increased heart rates, blanking out (memory loss), nausea and sometimes difficulty breathing. There are many speakers who have been in front of audiences for years and they still deal with anxiety to some degree.

Since having this fear often has no bearing on whether you have to do a presentation or not, you’ll have to find some ways to overcome your anxiety. The first step is to know that you are not alone and that you can prepare in advance so that the level of fear you feel is significantly reduced. Here are some other interesting statistics.

- Proper presentation and rehearsal of your message can reduce your fear by about 75%.

- Utilizing breathing techniques can reduce your anxiety by another 15%.

- Preparing for your mental state can reduce your fear the remaining 10%.

With these statistics in mind, here are some preparation tips to help you relax and reduce how you feel before going in front of your audience.

1. Know the environment you will speak in. Become familiar with the area by arriving early and walking around. Know how much space you have and the physical distance between you and your audience. As you acclimate yourself to your stage, you will find yourself feeling more comfortable.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Professional Speaking. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

2. Know your audience. You should find out who comprises your audience and do some research to find out their likes and dislikes. When they enter the room, greet them and take time to get to know some faces.

3. Know your presentation inside and out. If you don’t know what you’ll be presenting how can you expect yourself to feel fearless?

4. Implement breathing techniques to help you relax. Breathing techniques have been scientifically proven to invigorate the body and help you get rid of nervousness.

5. See yourself on stage before you actually get there. Replay images of your successful presentation in your mind. If you visual success, you’ll find it.

6. Know that your audience wants you to succeed. Your success means they get what they want and need. If they’ve paid money to attend your presentation, they have a personal stake in your success. If you’re providing training, they have a personal stake in your success. If you’re delivering a graduation speech at a local university, the graduating class has a personal stake. Get the idea? Your audience wants you to succeed.

7. Don’t draw attention to your being nervous. Many people won’t even realize that you are nervous. Most times you will find that while you have your audience’s attention, they are really thinking about themselves. They are absorbing what you say and processing that into how that relates to them.

8. Know that there is a purpose to your message. You have a message to deliver. Sometimes it’s a cause that you are passionate about. Other times, it may be training that your company needs you to give.

Preparation is the key to your success! Through preparation, you can also overcome most if not all of the feelings of fear that you might have so prepare, prepare, prepare!

Is there really any information about Professional Speaking that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 03 2010

How to Tell a Story in Your Professional Speaking Presentation

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 5:31 am

Telling stories is a fun way to humanize your topic. The story brings the “real-life” element into your topic making it more relatable to your audience. Telling stories are also a great way to change the pace of your presentation. Here are some tips to help you incorporate story telling into your presentations.

- Stories serve many purposes in your presentation. They can by used to highlight and clarify a specific point you want to address in your presentation. Stories can also reemphasize those points in your message to stress their importance.

- Stories should be relevant to your topic. The stories should also match the audience’s needs and wants in terms of intelligence levels, experiences, and other demographic data such as age and occupation. The stories should be relatable to your audience and easy to understand.

- Telling a story can change the pace of your message. Stories can serve as a mental break for your audience so they can process the information they’ve been given.

- Humorous stories are great presentation openers and can set the tone of your message. Tell about problems and errors that you’ve made. Audiences like self-effacing humor because they can see themselves making the same mistakes or having the same issues.

- Get rid of unnecessary details of your story in your presentation. You can potentially lose your audience with all those details and if they serve no purpose, then get rid of them.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Professional Speaking story from informed sources.

- Use short humorous stories in your presentation. If your story is too long or you take too long in getting to the punch line, your audience could tune you out.

- Tell where your story happened. Give your audience concrete information to think about and draw their own mental image in their mind.

- Use things that your audience is well associated with in your story. Your audience should be familiar with all the details of your story to they can remain hooked into it, however, only be as detailed as is common knowledge. Specific knowledge or “insider information” will not be relatable to most people since only a few people know about it.

- Let your words work for you. Emphasize adjectives and verbs so that they are more interesting to your audience.

- Rehearse your story telling. Every word counts and leaving out details can impact whether the story relates to your audience or not.

- Get the emotions involved in your storytelling. Hook your audience into your story by playing on their emotions.

Storytelling is not a difficult element to add to your professional speaking presentation. By practicing, you will be able to add more stories to your presentation to liven it up and change the pace. You will find that your audience will become more engaged in what you’re saying because they can mentally relate better to your information. As you tell your stories, they will have mental images playing in their minds. They will also see themselves in the stories you tell and have it relate better to them. Start by adding one short story and then grow your story telling abilities from there.

Those who only know one or two facts about Professional Speaking can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO


Sep 02 2010

Practice Makes Perfect!

Category: Professional SpeakingAnders Eriksson @ 12:33 pm

Professional speakers rehearse their material. Killer presentations don’t just fall out of the sky! They’re worked on and fine tuned and honed to perfection right up until the time that they are delivered into the hands of audience members. As a result, presentations like these are effective at reaching many people!

Rehearsing your presentation is your key to delivering a successful presentation. Even if you’ve been doing the same presentation for years, you’ll want to practice the different aspects of your delivery in the fine tuning process of rehearsing. Here’s what you can do to have successful practice that will make your delivery a success every time.

The first step is to write out your speech word for word. Write it as you would say it or would intend to say it. Include every piece of information including what you would say about your visual or audio aids. Every word you put on paper will impact what your audience picks up in your presentation.

Read your written speech out loud. Tape record yourself to get some idea of what your presentation sounds like. Note the length of your presentation and also if the points you want to emphasize are actually the ones being emphasized. Refine and retune your message until you are confident the message you are sending is the one you want to send. Also, practice speaking your presentation the way you would want to say it – with passion and enthusiasm. Yes, enthusiasm does have to be practiced.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Professional Speaking. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Condense your written speech into outline form. Once you’ve created your written speech and you’ve taken the time to revise it, the next step is to turn your written speech into a condensed outline with notes. You don’t want to read your speech to your audience. You want to speak spontaneously and make your presentation flow. The key is to have notes that are easy to read. Remember to also make notes about the flow of your enthusiasm levels during the presentation.

Once you’ve created your notes, tape your spontaneous speech. In this recording, review the timing of your presentation. Listen for the number of times you’ve said filler words like “umm”, “er” and “ah”. Work on eliminating these words and re-record yourself until you speak smoothly and confidently. Also work on presenting your speech with the emphasis and passion that you intend to deliver it. Working the emotions of your audience will help them feel more connected with you and your material.

Practice your presentation in front of a practice audience. The primary goal of this section is to get constructive feedback. You will want to find out if you made your points clearly and accurately. You will also want to know if you were speaking too fast or too slow. You’ll also want to know if there were too many of those distracting words in your presentation. A secondary goal is to gain more confidence and feel more comfortable in making your presentation.

Rehearsal is the key to your success as a professional speaker! Practicing more than just your topical information, you’ll need to practice the method of delivery you choose. Here’s to your success!

There’s a lot to understand about Professional Speaking. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO



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