September 1, 2010
Keith Longmire asked:
Most of us are familiar with using visual aids in our public speaking. Even if you are not an active public speaker yourself it is pretty certain that you have suffered from the odd day or two of ‘death by PowerPoint’. There are alternatives.
One of the most memorable presentations I ever saw used a child’s toy as a prop. Jon was a project team leader. He had to give an update on his project to a group of team leaders, project managers and support staff. An audience of twenty five to thirty in all.
On the face of it his subject matter was not that great. He was responsible for the implementation of a payroll outsourcing service. The client was a pubic service works company. They were particularly well known as refuse collectors in the London area though the services they offered were much more wide ranging.
All in all, the client employed around 20,000 monthly paid staff and almost 10,000 weekly paid workers. At $2.00 a payslip this deal was worth just short of $1.5m per year. No small matter for a relatively junior project leader.
I was a bit surprised that Jon didn’t prepare any slides. Instead he turned up with a large plastic supermarket bag. When it came to his turn to present Jon stood up with his bag in his hand. He outlined the basic details above. And then reached into his bag and pulled out a pretty well used and abused child’s toy. It was a battered refuse truck.
Jon then proceeded to use features of the toy to illustrate his project.
To start with Jon pointed out that the two characters in the cab of the truck were not looking at each other. He used this to describe the relationship between the client’s project manager and their existing payroll manager. They didn’t get on, weren’t communicating with each other or him.
He then spun one of the wheels – it was distinctly wonky (does that translate in American?). When pushed the truck moved reluctantly and erratically. Again Jon used this to describe the difficulties in maintaining progress, directions and momentum.
The presentation continued in this vein for some time. Each quirk of the truck was used to illustrate some feature of the project. All delivered with wit and controlled humour.
Once we understood the difficulties Jon then explained what he had done to correct each problem. The wheels were aligned and balanced, the headlight fixed, the suspension greased.
At the end Jon pulled out a new toy refuse truck. It was bright and shiny and in the client’s corporate colours. Jon then removed the 2 figures from the cab of the first toy and placed them in the cab of the new one. Both figures were still rigidly facing in opposite directions. It seems he had fixed all he could but he couldn’t get these two protagonists talking.
Now, I can’t remember all the points that Jon made – it was more than five years ago. The fact that I remember the presentation at all is truly remarkable. How much of your public speaking is as memorable?
Next time you are tempted to base your public speaking on a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation you might just consider if you could use a prop instead.
Most of us are familiar with using visual aids in our public speaking. Even if you are not an active public speaker yourself it is pretty certain that you have suffered from the odd day or two of ‘death by PowerPoint’. There are alternatives.
One of the most memorable presentations I ever saw used a child’s toy as a prop. Jon was a project team leader. He had to give an update on his project to a group of team leaders, project managers and support staff. An audience of twenty five to thirty in all.
On the face of it his subject matter was not that great. He was responsible for the implementation of a payroll outsourcing service. The client was a pubic service works company. They were particularly well known as refuse collectors in the London area though the services they offered were much more wide ranging.
All in all, the client employed around 20,000 monthly paid staff and almost 10,000 weekly paid workers. At $2.00 a payslip this deal was worth just short of $1.5m per year. No small matter for a relatively junior project leader.
I was a bit surprised that Jon didn’t prepare any slides. Instead he turned up with a large plastic supermarket bag. When it came to his turn to present Jon stood up with his bag in his hand. He outlined the basic details above. And then reached into his bag and pulled out a pretty well used and abused child’s toy. It was a battered refuse truck.
Jon then proceeded to use features of the toy to illustrate his project.
To start with Jon pointed out that the two characters in the cab of the truck were not looking at each other. He used this to describe the relationship between the client’s project manager and their existing payroll manager. They didn’t get on, weren’t communicating with each other or him.
He then spun one of the wheels – it was distinctly wonky (does that translate in American?). When pushed the truck moved reluctantly and erratically. Again Jon used this to describe the difficulties in maintaining progress, directions and momentum.
The presentation continued in this vein for some time. Each quirk of the truck was used to illustrate some feature of the project. All delivered with wit and controlled humour.
Once we understood the difficulties Jon then explained what he had done to correct each problem. The wheels were aligned and balanced, the headlight fixed, the suspension greased.
At the end Jon pulled out a new toy refuse truck. It was bright and shiny and in the client’s corporate colours. Jon then removed the 2 figures from the cab of the first toy and placed them in the cab of the new one. Both figures were still rigidly facing in opposite directions. It seems he had fixed all he could but he couldn’t get these two protagonists talking.
Now, I can’t remember all the points that Jon made – it was more than five years ago. The fact that I remember the presentation at all is truly remarkable. How much of your public speaking is as memorable?
Next time you are tempted to base your public speaking on a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation you might just consider if you could use a prop instead.
Filed under Speaking Nothing To Fear by on Sep 1st, 2010. Comment. 
September 4, 2010
Mike Perras asked:
It should be obvious these are not the same thing. There are a great many people that engage in public speaking and ultimately, a rare precious few that actually speak well!
Most politicians are public speakers, most do not speak well. JFK is a great example of an articulatory master. He could take almost any phrase and articulate it in his Kennedy style that would make it memorable. His famous “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country” is the classic example. Let’s be fair but let’s be honest too, these words in of themselves are by no means profound. They were delivered in such a way that made them seem profound. JFK had a gift, a gift we can all be learn from, he was clearly a master of speaking well.
The perception one gives when he or she speaks well is one of authority. Of course the opposite happens when one does not speak well. You may know your stuff better than anyone else, but because your speaking-well skill set is underdeveloped, the perception is that you are not an authority and thus not taken as seriously as you deserve.
Let’s be honest here, speaking well is not easily learned in a book. It’s an exercise that requires regular practice and coaching. No one is blessed at birth with a speaking well gene. It’s something that is developed over time. There is no easy quick fix here.
Most professional people understand all of this and many are in coaching programs to improve this one area. We can all dress for success in 60 minutes or less. We now have the optics in place until we have to speak that is. Those that have both working at the same time are clearly in the very top 5% of their profession.
Everyone acknowledges the advantages of speaking well. And again, it’s that top 5% that are willing to do what it takes to further their speaking well skills. This knowledge is within the grasp of anyone. Keep in mind also that speaking well is ageless and without gender. In fact I guess it needs to be said, the better you look, male or female, the higher the expectation when you speak.
I have been a professional broadcaster and public speaker for 30 years. Enunciation and articulation were my personal coaches. I certainly would not have lasted long without either. I still practice speaking out loud every day, it’s an exercise I’ve never stopped doing. Practice, practice, practice!
So your action item here is, do I continue on as a public speaker getting the same results? Or do I step it up a notch and learn to speak well and join that top 5% group.
Cheers,
Mike Perras, P.Mgr
It should be obvious these are not the same thing. There are a great many people that engage in public speaking and ultimately, a rare precious few that actually speak well!
Most politicians are public speakers, most do not speak well. JFK is a great example of an articulatory master. He could take almost any phrase and articulate it in his Kennedy style that would make it memorable. His famous “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for you country” is the classic example. Let’s be fair but let’s be honest too, these words in of themselves are by no means profound. They were delivered in such a way that made them seem profound. JFK had a gift, a gift we can all be learn from, he was clearly a master of speaking well.
The perception one gives when he or she speaks well is one of authority. Of course the opposite happens when one does not speak well. You may know your stuff better than anyone else, but because your speaking-well skill set is underdeveloped, the perception is that you are not an authority and thus not taken as seriously as you deserve.
Let’s be honest here, speaking well is not easily learned in a book. It’s an exercise that requires regular practice and coaching. No one is blessed at birth with a speaking well gene. It’s something that is developed over time. There is no easy quick fix here.
Most professional people understand all of this and many are in coaching programs to improve this one area. We can all dress for success in 60 minutes or less. We now have the optics in place until we have to speak that is. Those that have both working at the same time are clearly in the very top 5% of their profession.
Everyone acknowledges the advantages of speaking well. And again, it’s that top 5% that are willing to do what it takes to further their speaking well skills. This knowledge is within the grasp of anyone. Keep in mind also that speaking well is ageless and without gender. In fact I guess it needs to be said, the better you look, male or female, the higher the expectation when you speak.
I have been a professional broadcaster and public speaker for 30 years. Enunciation and articulation were my personal coaches. I certainly would not have lasted long without either. I still practice speaking out loud every day, it’s an exercise I’ve never stopped doing. Practice, practice, practice!
So your action item here is, do I continue on as a public speaker getting the same results? Or do I step it up a notch and learn to speak well and join that top 5% group.
Cheers,
Mike Perras, P.Mgr
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 4th, 2010. Comment.
September 5, 2010
AmondaRose Igoe asked:
Public Speaking is the number #1 fear that people have. When I am giving a presentation, most people assume that it has always been easy for me. That is so far from the truth. I had horrifying experiences when I was in grammar school that left me feeling completely embarrassed and absolutely mortified. I promised myself I would never allow myself to be put in those situations again.
When I look back on those events, I now look at those experiences with gratitude. I am who I am today because I learned from those experiences. They have absolutely made me a better Public Speaking Coach. If I can overcome my fear of being in front of an audience, I know anyone can.
Great Public Speaking Tip – Overcome Speech Anxiety Today!
Relaxing is as Easy as One, Two, Three – At one time or another, everyone including the most experienced speakers will feel some form of nervousness and anxiety. Most speakers have become so accustomed to breathing shallow breaths, especially when they are feeling nervous, uncomfortable or rushed. Shallow breathing will absolutely increase a speaker’s level of anxiety. As I have learned from personal experience, it can also lead an unpleasant higher pitch in the speaker’s voice.
The opposite type of breathing, deep belly breathing, has a dramatic and instantaneous positive relaxing effect on your body, voice and your mind. The best speakers know that one of the easiest ways to relax is to learn how to breathe properly. Deep breathing is a simple and effective technique for getting our bodies and our minds to relax.
Right now take a really deep breath. I mean really deep all the way in to your lower belly. Watch your lower belly rise and fall. That is how we are supposed to breathe all the time. Take a look at your breathing when you are speaking to a group of people. If you find that you are breathing shallow breaths, you will need to take time to retrain yourself. Take a few minutes each day to practice deep belly breathing. Before long, it will become your natural way of breathing and you will be able to use this simple breathing tool any time you want to feel calmer, more relaxed and confident. What are you waiting for – Go ahead and Breathe!
Public Speaking is the number #1 fear that people have. When I am giving a presentation, most people assume that it has always been easy for me. That is so far from the truth. I had horrifying experiences when I was in grammar school that left me feeling completely embarrassed and absolutely mortified. I promised myself I would never allow myself to be put in those situations again.
When I look back on those events, I now look at those experiences with gratitude. I am who I am today because I learned from those experiences. They have absolutely made me a better Public Speaking Coach. If I can overcome my fear of being in front of an audience, I know anyone can.
Great Public Speaking Tip – Overcome Speech Anxiety Today!
Relaxing is as Easy as One, Two, Three – At one time or another, everyone including the most experienced speakers will feel some form of nervousness and anxiety. Most speakers have become so accustomed to breathing shallow breaths, especially when they are feeling nervous, uncomfortable or rushed. Shallow breathing will absolutely increase a speaker’s level of anxiety. As I have learned from personal experience, it can also lead an unpleasant higher pitch in the speaker’s voice.
The opposite type of breathing, deep belly breathing, has a dramatic and instantaneous positive relaxing effect on your body, voice and your mind. The best speakers know that one of the easiest ways to relax is to learn how to breathe properly. Deep breathing is a simple and effective technique for getting our bodies and our minds to relax.
Right now take a really deep breath. I mean really deep all the way in to your lower belly. Watch your lower belly rise and fall. That is how we are supposed to breathe all the time. Take a look at your breathing when you are speaking to a group of people. If you find that you are breathing shallow breaths, you will need to take time to retrain yourself. Take a few minutes each day to practice deep belly breathing. Before long, it will become your natural way of breathing and you will be able to use this simple breathing tool any time you want to feel calmer, more relaxed and confident. What are you waiting for – Go ahead and Breathe!
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 5th, 2010. Comment.
September 7, 2010
Tom Antion asked:
Make sure you find out exactly what you are supposed to accomplish when you are asked to do a public speaking engagement. It is best to have it in writing. This can be handled with a question on your pre-program questionnaire. If you don*t get this information, you are open to complaints that you did not achieve the goals of the meeting organizers.
P.S.: Just because this is a short article doesn’t mean you should ignore it’s BIG message. Ignore this point and it can mean BIG trouble.
Make sure you find out exactly what you are supposed to accomplish when you are asked to do a public speaking engagement. It is best to have it in writing. This can be handled with a question on your pre-program questionnaire. If you don*t get this information, you are open to complaints that you did not achieve the goals of the meeting organizers.
P.S.: Just because this is a short article doesn’t mean you should ignore it’s BIG message. Ignore this point and it can mean BIG trouble.
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 7th, 2010. Comment.
September 13, 2010
Anurag Aggarwal asked:
”DESTROY ALL THE MISCONCEPTIONS, INSECURITIES, FEARS,
SCATTERED THOUGHTS AND ALL CONFUSIONS THAT ARE
PREVENTING YOU FROM SPEAKING IN PUBLIC WITH CONFIDENCE”
What is Public Speaking?
Public speaking is an important skill in communicating knowledge and expressing ideas to groups of people. It is a primary medium for presenting and selling your products and ideas. Delivering an effective presentation to 20 or to 200 people is difficult.
Why is it compulsory to be a Good Speaker?
There is need for people who can effectively make presentations and speak to others. Your knowledge and skills in this area can help advance your career or improve your business. Also, if you are good or really enjoy public speaking, you may even choose speaking as a profession.
How to become world’s Best Speaker?
Effective public speaking can be developed by joining a club such as Rostrum, Toastmasters International, Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC), in which members are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills. Members learn by observation and practice, and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions followed by new public speaking exercises. These include——
-Effective opening & closing
-The use of gestures
-Voice modulation
-Vocabulary, register, word choice
-Speaking notes
-Using humor
-Developing a relationship with the audience
-Body Language
-Dressing Sense
What’s the Solution for Public Speaking problem?
Institutes like ‘Anurag Aggarwal Institute of public speaking’ help to improve public speaking skills after receiving professional training and developing one’s ability to speak well.
One never becomes a “perfect” speaker; developing public speaking skills is a life-long experience. But ‘Anurag Aggarwal Institute of public speaking’ will get you started in becoming the speaker you want to be and the speaker your audience wants to hear.
”DESTROY ALL THE MISCONCEPTIONS, INSECURITIES, FEARS,
SCATTERED THOUGHTS AND ALL CONFUSIONS THAT ARE
PREVENTING YOU FROM SPEAKING IN PUBLIC WITH CONFIDENCE”
What is Public Speaking?
Public speaking is an important skill in communicating knowledge and expressing ideas to groups of people. It is a primary medium for presenting and selling your products and ideas. Delivering an effective presentation to 20 or to 200 people is difficult.
Why is it compulsory to be a Good Speaker?
There is need for people who can effectively make presentations and speak to others. Your knowledge and skills in this area can help advance your career or improve your business. Also, if you are good or really enjoy public speaking, you may even choose speaking as a profession.
How to become world’s Best Speaker?
Effective public speaking can be developed by joining a club such as Rostrum, Toastmasters International, Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC), in which members are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills. Members learn by observation and practice, and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions followed by new public speaking exercises. These include——
-Effective opening & closing
-The use of gestures
-Voice modulation
-Vocabulary, register, word choice
-Speaking notes
-Using humor
-Developing a relationship with the audience
-Body Language
-Dressing Sense
What’s the Solution for Public Speaking problem?
Institutes like ‘Anurag Aggarwal Institute of public speaking’ help to improve public speaking skills after receiving professional training and developing one’s ability to speak well.
One never becomes a “perfect” speaker; developing public speaking skills is a life-long experience. But ‘Anurag Aggarwal Institute of public speaking’ will get you started in becoming the speaker you want to be and the speaker your audience wants to hear.
September 18, 2010
Nassautiger asked:
Won first place in the HBS Public Speaking Contest in 2006. PJ Kim ended up not accepting any of his job offers and decided to run an anti-poverty nonprofit program in New York City to help low income families receive tax credits, nutritional assistance, health insurance, and financial and legal counseling. He is now running for New York City Council to represent District 1: Lower Manhattan. www.PJKIM.com Part 1 of 3
Filed under Howto by on Sep 18th, 2010. 18 Comments.
Leandro Moreira asked:
Speaking in public is not easy for vast majority of us, almost everyone gets anxious when you publicly speak, the main key about speaking in public is the fear (a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger), we must get rid of it.
There are three main points of public speaking fear:
1 – Lack of knowledge on the subject
If you do not know enough about the subject, during the presentation, you will be always following for an unknown way, fearful of forgetting some important data or of appearing somebody in the auditorium knowing more about it than you do.
2 – Not Acquainted with speaking in public
if you don’t have experience of speaking in public, you will be fearful of not presenting it well, then your professional career could be harmed.
3 – Lack of self-knowledge
if you do not know yourself, specially in front of the public, you will be fearful of not knowing your actions during the speech.
Since we know the causes of public speaking fear, it is a little bit easier to get rid of it:
1 – Get acquainted with the subject
You must know very well the subject. You should know what you are going to present, do not need to speak during one hour or two hours. Study about the subject, get confidence on it. Plan a sequence of the presentation, you should know what people are expecting from that you about the subject
2 – Practice and Acquire Experience
Try to speak in public as much as possible, practice at home for your family, at school, etc… Attend to more Speeches, post more questions during presentations, try to speak more when you are in public. Try to expose your opinions. You need to practice for getting confidence.
3 – Identify your skills
We could say easier about our speaking problems, it is more difficult to say about our qualities of speaking. Therefore it is necessary that you identify your skills.For instance: if you have a good voice, or good vocabulary, or good corporal expression, sense of humor. After identifying them you should explore them.
The Fear does not disappear, but you will be able to fight and dominate the fear of speaking, but it always could be close.
Speaking in public is not easy for vast majority of us, almost everyone gets anxious when you publicly speak, the main key about speaking in public is the fear (a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger), we must get rid of it.
There are three main points of public speaking fear:
1 – Lack of knowledge on the subject
If you do not know enough about the subject, during the presentation, you will be always following for an unknown way, fearful of forgetting some important data or of appearing somebody in the auditorium knowing more about it than you do.
2 – Not Acquainted with speaking in public
if you don’t have experience of speaking in public, you will be fearful of not presenting it well, then your professional career could be harmed.
3 – Lack of self-knowledge
if you do not know yourself, specially in front of the public, you will be fearful of not knowing your actions during the speech.
Since we know the causes of public speaking fear, it is a little bit easier to get rid of it:
1 – Get acquainted with the subject
You must know very well the subject. You should know what you are going to present, do not need to speak during one hour or two hours. Study about the subject, get confidence on it. Plan a sequence of the presentation, you should know what people are expecting from that you about the subject
2 – Practice and Acquire Experience
Try to speak in public as much as possible, practice at home for your family, at school, etc… Attend to more Speeches, post more questions during presentations, try to speak more when you are in public. Try to expose your opinions. You need to practice for getting confidence.
3 – Identify your skills
We could say easier about our speaking problems, it is more difficult to say about our qualities of speaking. Therefore it is necessary that you identify your skills.For instance: if you have a good voice, or good vocabulary, or good corporal expression, sense of humor. After identifying them you should explore them.
The Fear does not disappear, but you will be able to fight and dominate the fear of speaking, but it always could be close.
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 18th, 2010. Comment.
September 19, 2010
Ronald Myers asked:
I’m going to share with you some of my ethics in public speaking. There are some unwritten rules that speakers follow that you should definitely take into consideration. When you have these ethics down, you’ll be a much better speaker.
Don’t Turn Your Back
I notice this a lot, but people seem to turn their back to the audience. People didn’t come to see your back, they came to see you speak to them. Turning your back is very disrespectful. The only people that can really pull this off are stand up comedians, like Bill Hicks. This isn’t for speakers. People aren’t interested in your back or hearing you speak away from them.
Keep Self Promotion To a Minimum
People will always want to know who you are, but you want to keep this short. People don’t want to feel like they’re sitting through a bragging speech. People just don’t like hearing people talk about how great they are, they want to hear the actual meat of the speech. Keep your own self promotion to a minimum and get on with your speech.
Meet Your Audience
You’re not just getting up in front of everyone and speaking. Your job is to communicate with the audience and this means talking with people before and after. Go up and shake someones hand. Talk to them for a minute. This builds rapport with your entire audience and will make them more receptive to your speech.
Use these ethics in public speaking and your audience will have a better appreciation of you. Always hold the philosophy of doing no evil and being an ethical speaker.
I’m going to share with you some of my ethics in public speaking. There are some unwritten rules that speakers follow that you should definitely take into consideration. When you have these ethics down, you’ll be a much better speaker.
Don’t Turn Your Back
I notice this a lot, but people seem to turn their back to the audience. People didn’t come to see your back, they came to see you speak to them. Turning your back is very disrespectful. The only people that can really pull this off are stand up comedians, like Bill Hicks. This isn’t for speakers. People aren’t interested in your back or hearing you speak away from them.
Keep Self Promotion To a Minimum
People will always want to know who you are, but you want to keep this short. People don’t want to feel like they’re sitting through a bragging speech. People just don’t like hearing people talk about how great they are, they want to hear the actual meat of the speech. Keep your own self promotion to a minimum and get on with your speech.
Meet Your Audience
You’re not just getting up in front of everyone and speaking. Your job is to communicate with the audience and this means talking with people before and after. Go up and shake someones hand. Talk to them for a minute. This builds rapport with your entire audience and will make them more receptive to your speech.
Use these ethics in public speaking and your audience will have a better appreciation of you. Always hold the philosophy of doing no evil and being an ethical speaker.
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 19th, 2010. Comment.
September 22, 2010
Dr. Mark Clayson asked:
Public speaking has been in existence since the dawn of time, the origination of man’s desire to communicate political and social issues has been a component of human interaction since ancient civilizations. Public debate was exemplified through ceremonial and religious expression, public forums to discuss daily life and courtrooms to practice and enforce laws. The ancients believed in the significance of public speaking because of man’s proclivity for politics and social matters and our inherent need to disagree with each other. Human beings have been using language to communicate in an ordered fashion since the first cave man uttered the first groan of discontent. The goal of debate is a practical one, to find the outcome of a problem or suggestion to improve quality of life. The situational and organized theater of public debate exists within formalized and unique circumstances.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines rhetoric as:
1) the art of using language persuasively; the rules that help one achieve eloquence;
2) the persuasive use of language;
3) a treatise on persuasive language;
4) prose composition on a school subject.
Inventiveness within debate, rhetoric or public speaking is the most important ‘canon’ of the use of language, according to Aristotle. Style, delivery, arrangement and memory also play key roles in the creation of effective communication through speech and discourse. In the ancient Greek text from Aristotle’s ‘The Rhetoric’, he establishes three methods for persuasive public speaking; ethos, pathos and logos.
Aristotle defined ethos as the most significant of the three components of rhetoric. It is the character or persona of the speaker. It is not only the individual’s personality, but a projected personality, our appearance to others and to ourselves. Instruction and habit make up most of what ethos contains, making us a product of our environment. Ethos, the ethical appeal of language through the use of character, is the art of using what you know to illustrate your point, whether from personal history, invented situations or drawing from what can be observed in order to relate to an audience.
Pathos is the speaker’s use of emotional appeal. Since ancient times, this is the most distrusted use of language, bringing debatable dichotomy to light between emotion and reason. If a speaker uses this powerful tool effectively, great change may occur within the mindset of an audience. It is a difficult argument as people are attached to their emotions and emotions are shared experiences that can bring about empathy or sympathy between speaker and audience. It is highly manipulative and if the audience identifies emotionally with an issue and they are close to the argument, it is wise to tread lightly when using pathos. Using style in conjunction with pathos is the most effective way to persuade.
Logos signifies the use of logic or logical appeal to persuade an audience. When a speaker uses logos, they are using scientific data, numbers, polls or hard facts that are difficult to deny. An audience can be won over with this use of information, making the speaker appear as an expert on their subject and the impenetrable certainty with which the speaker uses this mode of persuasion.
The use of rhetoric as an art in public speaking or commonplace language gives people an opportunity to debate issues without coercion or violence. Rhetoric enables people to communicate ideas about what is important to an individual or group and reflect on personal thought, distributing power through language.
Public speaking has been in existence since the dawn of time, the origination of man’s desire to communicate political and social issues has been a component of human interaction since ancient civilizations. Public debate was exemplified through ceremonial and religious expression, public forums to discuss daily life and courtrooms to practice and enforce laws. The ancients believed in the significance of public speaking because of man’s proclivity for politics and social matters and our inherent need to disagree with each other. Human beings have been using language to communicate in an ordered fashion since the first cave man uttered the first groan of discontent. The goal of debate is a practical one, to find the outcome of a problem or suggestion to improve quality of life. The situational and organized theater of public debate exists within formalized and unique circumstances.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines rhetoric as:
1) the art of using language persuasively; the rules that help one achieve eloquence;
2) the persuasive use of language;
3) a treatise on persuasive language;
4) prose composition on a school subject.
Inventiveness within debate, rhetoric or public speaking is the most important ‘canon’ of the use of language, according to Aristotle. Style, delivery, arrangement and memory also play key roles in the creation of effective communication through speech and discourse. In the ancient Greek text from Aristotle’s ‘The Rhetoric’, he establishes three methods for persuasive public speaking; ethos, pathos and logos.
Aristotle defined ethos as the most significant of the three components of rhetoric. It is the character or persona of the speaker. It is not only the individual’s personality, but a projected personality, our appearance to others and to ourselves. Instruction and habit make up most of what ethos contains, making us a product of our environment. Ethos, the ethical appeal of language through the use of character, is the art of using what you know to illustrate your point, whether from personal history, invented situations or drawing from what can be observed in order to relate to an audience.
Pathos is the speaker’s use of emotional appeal. Since ancient times, this is the most distrusted use of language, bringing debatable dichotomy to light between emotion and reason. If a speaker uses this powerful tool effectively, great change may occur within the mindset of an audience. It is a difficult argument as people are attached to their emotions and emotions are shared experiences that can bring about empathy or sympathy between speaker and audience. It is highly manipulative and if the audience identifies emotionally with an issue and they are close to the argument, it is wise to tread lightly when using pathos. Using style in conjunction with pathos is the most effective way to persuade.
Logos signifies the use of logic or logical appeal to persuade an audience. When a speaker uses logos, they are using scientific data, numbers, polls or hard facts that are difficult to deny. An audience can be won over with this use of information, making the speaker appear as an expert on their subject and the impenetrable certainty with which the speaker uses this mode of persuasion.
The use of rhetoric as an art in public speaking or commonplace language gives people an opportunity to debate issues without coercion or violence. Rhetoric enables people to communicate ideas about what is important to an individual or group and reflect on personal thought, distributing power through language.
Filed under Speaking by on Sep 22nd, 2010. Comment.
September 25, 2010
Cristina Favreau asked:
Speaking is selling. It’s an effective marketing strategy because it showcases your knowledge and expertise to many people at once. People will remember you and will think you’re successful. It gives you higher visibility and credibility which will increase over time.
But you already know that. Now you want more. You want to know HOW to get started. It’s actually quite easy to promote your service-based business by public speaking.
To help get you started, I’ll share with you the steps I took that got me started public speaking and giving presentations.
It all started with an article.
Step 1: October 2006. I wrote an article entitled “How to Get Unstuck and Regain Momentum.” It appeared in that month’s newsletter, on my blog and was submitted to online article sites.
Step 2: November 3, 2006. The readers’ response was so great; I decided to continue the discussion, a very casual one, using Skype. Around 6 people joined the call.
Step 3: November 5, 2006. I was surprised with how interactive the ‘call’ went. Most everyone joined the conversation. I asked questions and those present shared their insights then asked their own questions – I hardly did any talking. Following that session, I posted a review of the call on my blog “Marketing momentum discussion continued.”
Step 4: About the same time, a call went out to members of a networking group, asking for volunteers to speak at their upcoming virtual summit. I didn’t have a presentation nor any material prepared, but I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. My heart in my throat, I replied, offering to give a presentation on regaining momentum. My offer was accepted.
Step 5: For the next month and a half, using my article, Skypecast notes, blog comments and additional research, I worked my butt off writing a presentation description, bio, the actual presentation and PowerPoint slides.
Step 6: January 12, 2007. I nervously gave my first presentation “Regaining Loss of Momentum” in a virtual room and it was a success.
That’s when things really took off. That single presentation led to invitations to give the same presentation to their groups. To date, this is the most requested speaking topic. It also increased my confidence, so I was more willing to volunteer.
I had a similar experience with my blog post entitled “How to create a compelling 30-second pitch.” Not only do I offer this as a workshop topic, I’ve turned the content into an information product — a guidebook called “Designing a compelling 30-second intro” – that I give away when signing up for my newsletter.
In the short time I’ve been speaking, I’ve given numerous presentations for virtual events, been interviewed on the radio and via Podcast, participated in radio round table discussions, appeared as a guest host for online networking meets, hosted group discussions and given teleclasses.
Despite my maternity hiatus, I still receive speaking invitations. My goal is to start Podcasting this year, and I may team up with 2 entrepreneurs to do a weekly internet radio show.
The steps outlined above are simple strategies I used to get started. There are many other speaking opportunities available to you. And if you’re willing to speak for free, you’ll find more than you know what to do with.
You may want to expand and improvise on my suggestions for your own business. The point is, just get out there and start speaking. The first few times are the most difficult, but you’ll find the more you use public speaking to raise awareness about your business, the more comfortable you’ll be doing it. You may even find that you like it.
Copyright. Cristina Favreau. All rights reserved.
Speaking is selling. It’s an effective marketing strategy because it showcases your knowledge and expertise to many people at once. People will remember you and will think you’re successful. It gives you higher visibility and credibility which will increase over time.
But you already know that. Now you want more. You want to know HOW to get started. It’s actually quite easy to promote your service-based business by public speaking.
To help get you started, I’ll share with you the steps I took that got me started public speaking and giving presentations.
It all started with an article.
Step 1: October 2006. I wrote an article entitled “How to Get Unstuck and Regain Momentum.” It appeared in that month’s newsletter, on my blog and was submitted to online article sites.
Step 2: November 3, 2006. The readers’ response was so great; I decided to continue the discussion, a very casual one, using Skype. Around 6 people joined the call.
Step 3: November 5, 2006. I was surprised with how interactive the ‘call’ went. Most everyone joined the conversation. I asked questions and those present shared their insights then asked their own questions – I hardly did any talking. Following that session, I posted a review of the call on my blog “Marketing momentum discussion continued.”
Step 4: About the same time, a call went out to members of a networking group, asking for volunteers to speak at their upcoming virtual summit. I didn’t have a presentation nor any material prepared, but I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. My heart in my throat, I replied, offering to give a presentation on regaining momentum. My offer was accepted.
Step 5: For the next month and a half, using my article, Skypecast notes, blog comments and additional research, I worked my butt off writing a presentation description, bio, the actual presentation and PowerPoint slides.
Step 6: January 12, 2007. I nervously gave my first presentation “Regaining Loss of Momentum” in a virtual room and it was a success.
That’s when things really took off. That single presentation led to invitations to give the same presentation to their groups. To date, this is the most requested speaking topic. It also increased my confidence, so I was more willing to volunteer.
I had a similar experience with my blog post entitled “How to create a compelling 30-second pitch.” Not only do I offer this as a workshop topic, I’ve turned the content into an information product — a guidebook called “Designing a compelling 30-second intro” – that I give away when signing up for my newsletter.
In the short time I’ve been speaking, I’ve given numerous presentations for virtual events, been interviewed on the radio and via Podcast, participated in radio round table discussions, appeared as a guest host for online networking meets, hosted group discussions and given teleclasses.
Despite my maternity hiatus, I still receive speaking invitations. My goal is to start Podcasting this year, and I may team up with 2 entrepreneurs to do a weekly internet radio show.
The steps outlined above are simple strategies I used to get started. There are many other speaking opportunities available to you. And if you’re willing to speak for free, you’ll find more than you know what to do with.
You may want to expand and improvise on my suggestions for your own business. The point is, just get out there and start speaking. The first few times are the most difficult, but you’ll find the more you use public speaking to raise awareness about your business, the more comfortable you’ll be doing it. You may even find that you like it.
Copyright. Cristina Favreau. All rights reserved.
Filed under Different Ways To Increase Passive Income by on Sep 25th, 2010. Comment.