Friday, June 22, 2007

How to Become a Professional Speaker

Faye B. Roberts

So you've decided you want to make a career of public speaking and want to be the best professional speaker you can be. You have some experience, really enjoyed yourself and feel you have something to contribute. The financial rewards are terrific, you get to travel with all expenses paid, meet new people and see new territories and even new countries.

Whether you are trying to learn more about the speaking industry or you are trying to move from an occasional speaker to professional speaker, there are several resources that you should become familiar with. The best place to start of course is with free resources on the web. It has the best compilation of data available on this topic.

Another excellent resource for information about professional speaking is through newsletters. Many of these are free to join. Two of the most highly recommended sources are: Speaker Fripp News and Great Speaking E-Zine. They can both be found on the web.

Speakers organizations are another great source for information. The National Speakers Association is the leading organization for people who speak professionally. NSA has excellent resources and educational materials designed to advance your skills. Toastmasters International has long been known as the number one source to gain public speaking experience. They have local chapters in almost all major cities. Another organization to consider is the American Training & Seminar Association. It provides a resource for professional speakers, corporate trainers, and seminar providers. See also The Advanced Public Speaking Institute which has a huge catalogue of free articles on the speaking profession.

Even the top speaking professionals in the world work hard to keep demand high for their services. As your career moves forward, it is important to keep working at building customer loyalty and expanding your exposure. You can advertise on your own web site, but word of mouth has proven to be the best form of advertising and as your reputation grows people from outside your local area will approach you to present to their group.

Becoming a professional speaker can be rewarding in many ways. First of all it can provide you with an opportunity to earn a fantastic income. You get to travel, set your own schedule, and public speaking will build your self-esteem. You'll be regarded as the expert in your field and that always feels good. Start small, gain experience as you grow, but start. The rewards and benefits are tremendous!
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Sunday, June 17, 2007

Do You Have a Fear Of Public Speaking?

Faye B. Roberts

A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of adults have a fear of public speaking. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once stated that at a funeral, most people would rather be inside the casket than giving the eulogy! Fear of public speaking can cripple your career since it's almost impossible to be successful in business without having to speak to a large group at some point in time. But an excruciating fear of speaking can make this a painful experience.

Whether you call it performance anxiety or stage fright this crippling fear is a performer's equivalent to writer's block. It can stop you cold in your tracks. The stress of recalling the next line of your speech and the anxiety caused by being on stage can be a powerful combination. Add the fact that a single mistake can mar your presentation and you have a recipe for debilitating stage fright.

Nearly every speaker has had a bout of stage fright at some point in their career. Fear of public speaking manifests itself in many situations, and for people from all walks of life. It ranges from nervousness when talking to more than a couple of people at work, to full blown panic at the mere thought of speaking in any public situation. Whether you are the person who dreads the moment in a meeting when someone turns to you and says; 'What do you think'? or you virtually pass out at the thought of any public speaking, you CAN be helped.

Learning to speak in public is very much like eating an elephant - one bite at a time. Practice on your friends or family. They don't even have to know that they are your "practice audience". Learn some small piece of information and then informally introduce the subject at the next family gathering or outing. Be prepared enough to be able to answer questions on the topic. See, that wasn't so hard.....now go out and gather more information on another topic and do it again....it gets easier each time. Once you feel comfortable speaking in small, informal gatherings then branch out to bigger arenas. Perhaps your church group or bridge club, your volunteer group or a meeting at work.

Your fear of public speaking will diminish each time you repeat the process. As you get more and more comfortable speaking in public you will find that the tension and stress you used to feel may still be there, but you can use it to enhance your performance. All it takes is the willingness to try and you just may find your life is greatly enhanced by it.
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Faye B. Roberts provides ways to overcome your fear of public speaking and puts you on the road to public speaking success. Visit:
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Become A Dynamic Speaker

Faye B. Roberts

A dynamic speaker speaks with energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and variety. Not being dynamic means being unconcerned, suffering from lack of confidence in one's public speaking abilities, speaking in a monotone, and being just plain boring. So how does one become a dynamic speaker? There are a number of factors that influence how other people react to your speech and it's delivery.

Try to mix up the content of your presentation - never say the same thing over and over. Pay attention to phrases or habits you express frequently. Phrases like: "you know" or "eh?" or even the word "like" are often a part of peoples' everyday speech patterns, but they become monotonous and boring during a presentation. Use your voice and your gestures to emphasize important points, a lot of gestures make you look more energetic, which increases dynamism.

Be yourself, because if your audience thinks you are being fake they will not believe you. You're cool, don't worry about it, impress them with your dynamism and your arguments. Change the volume and tone of your voice, but don't talk too loudly or too softly either. And slow down for the important points, but don't go too slow or too fast.

Your face is the most expressive part of your body and studies show that people pay a lot of attention to the expressions on your face. Use facial expressions which match the points you are making. Don't send mixed signals. And don’t be afraid to move around a bit, but don't stray too far from your notes.

Stand erect, don't bend over to read from your notes. And don't take your pen with you when you speak. Especially, do not twirl the pen while speaking and keep it out of your mouth. Needless to say never smoke during your presentation. Smoking isn't cool.

If you know anyone in the audience look sraight at them. Speaking to someone familiar to you will lessen the tensions and then gradually as you become more relaxed include other members of the audience. If on the other hand, you know no one in the audience, pick out three distinct personalities before you begin. Pick one in the centre of the room, one on the right side and one on the left. Perhaps a lady with bright blonde hair, or a gentleman with a rose in his lapel, or even someone with a unique piece of clothing. Any thing that makes them stand out from the crowd. Give all three of them a quick smile and small nod. During your speech you will feel more comfortable speaking to those three people because you have already established a link with them and as you look from one to the other the rest of the audience will see you look around and assume you are looking at everyone.

Most people are not born with the skills needed to be a dynamic speaker. Practice, perseverance, and keeping these tips in mind while delivering your speech will help you become a dynamic, powerful speaker.
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Faye B. Roberts provides ways to overcome your fear of public speaking. Get a free report that will show you some little known secrets you can use right now to get on the fast track to public speaking success. Visit: Get your Free Report Here

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Motivational Speakers Can Change Lives

Faye B. Reports

Throughout history, great speakers have effected the lives of millions of people. Today, throughout North America, motivational speakers inspire students to stay in school, say no to drugs, become leaders, and prepare for life after graduation. Adults are inspired by motivational speakers to follow their dreams, achieve their goals, or better their lives.

Among other things motivational speakers help people succeed in their business, improve their relationships, develop a positive attitude, become healthier, achieve financial success, and generally have more fun in life.

Motivational speakers enjoy the freedom of being their own boss. There are few jobs that offer so many benefits that includes applause and admiration, not to mention thousands of dollars every time you speak.

Don't try to be all things to all markets, carve out a niche for yourself, make yourself known in that one niche. This will increase your speaking engagements because motivational speaking is a product that must be sold. As you become more and more well known in your market you will find your speaking engagements become easier to book.

When approaching potential clients, you should have an outline of your presentation and provide a framework for your talk. Consider a visual presentation as many people gain more from a visual representation than a spoken one. As you get more experienced you will have an ever larger portfolio of past successes.

You can also contact large, non profit corporations and professional groups and make it clear you are available. While there is nothing wrong with directly asking for an engagement, announcing your availability will let them feel privileged to work with you. Also contact speakers' bureaus and notify them you are looking for engagements. Some of them may charge you to list your services yet others charge nothing. Most bureaus take a percentage of your fees for acting as your agent. You will find "speakers' bureaus" on the Internet.

In the beginning of your career you should be willing to work for free to get your name out. Once others hear your interesting story or experience, they may want to retain you. Inform everyone you know that you are seeking organizations that want a good motivational speaker. Call your local service organizations and volunteer to speak at their functions. To help establish yourself as an authority on your subject write and publish articles or books if possible. You don't have to publish a book, you could simply post to websites like wikiHow and submit to on-line magazines and blogs.

You should always draw up a written agreement, or contract, for all engagements. The written agreement should contain, among other things, how the fees will be paid (e.g., cash, check, over time), how long you are expected to speak, whether you will be reimbursed for travel expenses, and the time and date. This will help to avoid any disagreements at a later time.

Many well known motivational speakers no longer seek out speaking engagements. They are inundated with requests and many are booked years in advance. They also receive astronomical fees for their services. With patience, perseverance, and effective speaking techniques, you too can be listed with the elite.
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Faye B. Roberts provides ways to overcome your fear of public speaking. Get a free report that will show you some little known secrets you can use right now to get on the fast track to public speaking success. Visit: Get your Free Report Here

For a sure fired way to make yourself a effective public speaker visit Make Me the Best Public Speaker

Speaking With Confidence

Faye B. Roberts

Speaking with confidence in public can be a tremendously difficult thing for some people. There are a number of things you can do to to overcome your nervousness, but realize that even experienced speakers get nervous. Instead of trying to eliminate your jitters, turn them into energy you can use to boost your delivery. When Carol Channing was asked, "On opening night, do you get nervous?" she replied, "I don't call it nervousness - I prefer to call it concentration."

Being prepared is the first and perhaps the most important step to speaking with confidence. If you attempt to give a speech without being prepared you should be nervous. So do your homework, make notes and get everything organized to help you make a good presentation. And practice.

Practice in front of a mirror, practice with your spouse, practice with your children or even the cat, but practice. Walk around as you speak, talk the presentation through point by point. You can use these points in your notes to remind you of each part of your speech. If you're using an overhead or a power point system, test it before your speech. Nothing will make you feel more nervous (and the audience more impatient) than equipment that doesn't work or needs adjustments.

In the thirty seconds before you begin speaking, take a slow, deep breath through your nose, filling your belly. As you breathe out, say to yourself, "Relax, relax." Concentrate on only your breathing until you can feel yourself relaxing. Give yourself a pep talk. "I am a powerful public speaker. I have what it takes to be an effective speaker."

Keep in mind that most stage fright is caused by self-preoccupation. ("How do I look?" "Am I making sense?" "Am I making a fool of myself?") Stop focusing on yourself, focus on the audience and how your speech is going to help them. And keep your speech short and simple. Most beginning speakers try to put too much information in a single speech. Instead, aim to communicate what your audience can understand in the limited time you have.

Practice relaxation techniques for two days before your presentation. Lie down or sit comfortably in a quiet place and breathe slowly with your eyes closed. Scan your body and consciously relax any tense muscles. Imagine yourself behind the podium, speaking powerfully and with confidence. Make the details as sharp as possible, see yourself accomplishing your goal, hear the applause, bask in the feeling of success.

Just before your presentation talk to a few individuals who will be in the audience. Look them in the eye during your speech, one person at a time. Invariably they will nod in agreement with some point you make during the presentation, increasing your confidence. If you can get your audience to identify with you, your job as a speaker becomes much easier and you can relax.

The only person who will know how nervous you really are is you. The audience can't tell if your palms are sweating or your knees are knocking or your heart is pounding so don't tell them. Use the Alcoholics Anonymous credo: "Fake it til you make it." Hold your chin up and smile. Stick your chest out and speak up. Look confident, even if you don't feel it. After awhile you'll begin to feel it.

Accept that mistakes are part of the learning process. After all what skill have you ever learned perfectly the first time you tried it? Continue speaking in public and soon you will be able to overcome your nervousness and fears and be speaking with confidence. You may even grow to enjoy it so much that you will consider a career in public speaking.
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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Overcoming Public Speaking Fears Forever

Faye B. Roberts

The thought of speaking in public makes most people break out in a cold sweat, feel faint, and see spots in front of their eyes. If you have this type of reaction there are a number of strategies you can use to help you overcome your phobia about public speaking.

Needless to say you must be prepared; have memorized your speech. It's quite alright to bring a sheet of notes or pointers with you, but nothing smells like disaster as much as reading your entire speech.

One method you can use to improve your public speaking abilities is by practicing in front of a mirror. Put a smile, a quizzical expression or other gesture wherever appropriate: you will remember and use them during the actual speech. And speak up! Nothing is worse than listening to a speech no one can hear. So as you practice keep the volume up. When you deliver your speech your volume will indicate confidence, both to yourself and your audience.

There are some things you should (and should not) do immediately before your speech. Don't drink any caffeine based products like coffee, colas or chocolate. Caffeine can cause you to feel jittery and nervous and that's not the effect you want. Contrary to popular opinion, alcohol will not boost your confidence, instead it can cause a panic attack. Relaxing herbal teas make a wonderful alternative. And eat a well balanced meal before your presentation. Low blood sugar can cause feelings of anxiety, increasing your jitters.

Make sure you wear clothes that you feel good in and that are appropriate to the setting. When you step up to the podium you will feel confident that you look good.

As you give your speech do not concentrate on yourself, on how you look or how you think the audience is reacting to you. Instead, concentrate on the information you want to present and how it will effect their lives. Something in your presentation may change someone's life.

The thought of helping others will change you from being a nervous, self-conscious speaker to a comfortable and confident one who people enjoy listening to. Another component of a well delivered speech is selecting a topic of interest to you, if you have the freedom to choose. You will be excited about being able to share this information with others and your excitement will show.

When you first approach the podium and as you are preparing you notes, take a quick look at three people in the audience, one immediately in front of you, one to the left of you and the third to the right of you. Look for something that makes them stand out, perhaps someone with a unique hairdo or an interesting piece of clothing. Anything that makes them stand out of the crowd.

These three people will be your focal points. As you look from one to the other during your speech, it appears that you are looking around the room. Once you are comfortable with those three you will find it is much easier to continue glancing at other members of the audience. Remember to refer to your notes but do not read them, since that is the fastest way to “lose” your audience; look at your audience instead.

No speech will be loved by everyone and no speech will be “perfect,” but each time you speak in public it will be a little easier. You may even find that eventually you will become a proficient speaker and seek out other opportunities for speaking in public.
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Faye B. Roberts is living proof that overcoming your fear of public speaking is possible. Get a free report that will reveal to you some little known secrets you can use right now to get on the fast track to successful public speaking Visit: Get your Free Report Here

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