The SpeakersTrainingCamp® is the fastest and easiest way to improve your presentation skills

Here are just a few reasons why people have named the SpeakersTrainingCamp® as the fastest and easiest way to become a fantastic and fearless presenter:

1. Learn to prepare a presentation in 5 minutes or less
2. Become twice as energized and dynamic
3. Discover how to rivet your audience (no more snooze button)
4. Cut those nerves in half
5. Have a great time learning, trying, and improving

2012 sessions will be held:

March 20-21 Portland, OR/Columbia Gorge
July 22-23 Washington, DC
October 9-10 Portland, OR/Columbia Gorge

Click here for more information and registration

The SpeakersTrainingCamp® is also available on-site.

I’m often asked who some of my favorite presenters are. Steve Jobs is always one that I mention. Here’s why:
1. Always conversational

2. He took 100% of his personality into each and every presentation. Steve, the presenter, was the same Steve you would meet on the street.

3.His PowerPoint slides were incredibly vivid and simple

4.He usually had some sort of creative surprise for the audience: pulling a floppy disk out of his pocket as though he were a magician, sitting on a living room chair as he was demonstrating the iPad…..

5.He cared – through his voice and through his expression, there was no doubt in your mind that he really cared about the products, the message. He was authentic. He had charisma.

6.He spoke in everyday language. He left the techno-babble behind.

7.He dressed in a way that reflected his style: simple and different.

8.He was always well-organized and often used a numbered list for his organization. I am a great fan of lists.

9.Steve used the stage freely – took up space and addressed all sections of his audience.

10.He always exuded pride in his products and his company. His vocal inflection and facial expression gave us a clear picture of his feelings.

Steve was one of the very best role models for business presenters. He was an iPresenter. Just like his iproducts. He was one of a kind.

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1. Practice going from a low level of energy to a high level. Think of something that you do not like (maybe you don’t like cats), and practice speaking about that topic in a very flat, soft, uninteresting voice. Then think of something that you are wild about (maybe a certain sports car). Speak about it in a very loud, energetic voice with lots of inflection and expression. Now go back to the cats…. then to the sports car…. then back to the cats. What you will be experiencing is a “texture” change in your message.

2. Find a sentence in a magazine, and read it with 5 different emotions: excited, bored, scared, tired, questioning. Those emotions should bring out a great vocal range.

3. Use the elements of voice change to let the audience know that you really care about the topic. Your voice has is like a radio with lots of buttons: you can change the volume, the speed, the pause button, and the frequency (high pitch, low pitch).

Release those vocal qualities. Remember that variety is key. Unleash your voice for a more memorable message.

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I am very excited to announce that the SpeakersTrainingCamp® will be coming to Washington, DC on July 9-10 and September 24-25. People have been asking me for years to do more East Coast sessions. The workshops are hosted by The Protocol School of Washington. I have been training for the School for over 15 years, and they offer world-class training in protocol and etiquette. Everything they do is fabulous, including the location, the attention to detail, and even the snacks are the best! When you attend a workshop all day and work hard – those snacks really help to maintain your energy level. Registrations are already coming in, so you will want to reserve your space right away. The SpeakersTrainingCamp® has been top-rated, hands-on, and famous for results for over 25 years. You will learn to be a fantastic and fearless presenter – and have fun doing it – guaranteed! (Can you tell I’m excited about it??)

For registration and more information, click your desired date:

July 9-10

September 24-25

Hope to see you in DC – for a great workshop, great people, and great snacks!

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Wow! I loved the movie, The King’s Speech. The characters were rich and the story was terrific. Most of all, it reminded me of my jobs, both past and present. My degree is in Speech Therapy, and I began my career as an elementary school speech therapist. I remember working with a few stutterers, and they were always a puzzle. Some improved, and some did not. There is no known cure for stuttering.

The thing that struck me the most in the movie, however, relates to my current position – helping nervous speakers. Lionel, the speech therapist in the movie, gave the king my #1 tip on overcoming nervousness during a speech. When the King was standing by the microphone, ready to give his coronation address, Lionel gently reminded him, “Say it to me as a friend.”
Bingo! That’s it – one of the best ways to overcome nervousness in a presentation. Imagine that you are talking to a friend – in your living room or at lunch. It will help to keep you relaxed and conversational.

So the next time you are faced with a burst of anxiety, take Lionel’s advice. It really works.

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Ted Williams has start power

His image and story are everywhere. Ted Williams – homeless man – has suddenly found stardom. What are the secrets of his sudden rise to fame, and how can presenters enhance their own skills using these secrets?

1. The Voice. Of course Ted’s low, mellow, golden voice is his ticket to fame. Low is gold in the world of business and selling. I’ve worked with many people who have high abrasive voices. Anytime you want to exert authority or interest, concentrate on lowering your voice (a deeper sound). If you are really serious about improving the vocal quality, use a tape recorder and listen to yourself speaking at various levels – high, medium, and low.

2. The Smile. He has a Tiger Woods million dollar smile. Most presenters do not smile enough. It’s really hard to do when you are nervous. Think about showing the enthusiasm for your subject in your facial expressions.

3. The Story. Ted’s story of potential success makes him unique. Everyone has one or two signature stories – sometimes you have to dig deep to find yours. In our advanced SpeakersTrainingCamp® we actually spend a half day extracting each person’s signature story. It should be meaningful and memorable.

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Surely someone has suggested that you imagine your audience naked in your next presentation. Remember, the audience frightens you because, if you believe you did poorly, you will think they think you did horrendously, and that might destroy your self-esteem.

And of course, if you imagine them bare-skinned, you will be a lot less nervous, since they will appear ludicrous – and thus inferior – to you, so you will not perceive your audience as imposing, and your nervousness will just evaporate.

Fun, but it does not work. If you have not tried it yet, do it the next time around and let me know if you agree with this:

First, you get distracted from the message you want to convey to the audience. You will focus on yourself, trying to carry out a complicated exercise of imagination. It is already difficult to try it while you are bored at the beach, watching people walk by, go figure while you are facing a whole bunch of people staring at you. You won’t have enough time! All right, that guy at the back surely has a fat hairy belly, the lady in the corner is a tanning bead freak, the blonde in the first row has had her cellulite removed, and Mr. Straight-Face here must be wearing his army cammo underwear. Too much work when you are engaged in something as intense as public speaking, which occupies your mind fully.

Also, you disconnect from your audience. You are fantasizing, instead of thinking about them as the receivers of your message. You need to connect with each one of them, to talk to them as individuals, and to make sure they understand your message and find it relevant. If you detach yourself from the situation, you lose the opportunity to convince them

And, how do you think your face looks like when you are eyeing someone while imagining him or her naked? You will surely have problems in maintaining visual contact!

Instead of imagining them naked, imagine how much they are enjoying your presentation. Imagine yourself bowing to a standing ovation. It is in that precise moment, if you really have that perversion, that maybe you can imagine them all naked.

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Buzz, the tracking dog, locates the cash prizes

I hope all of the contestants had a good time. I certainly enjoy meeting new people and connecting with clients and students. One of the winners admitted that this is the first time she’s won anything. Just as in business, winning is all about tossing your hat in the ring.

Congratulations to our 2010 Website Scavenger Hunt Winners:

1st place: $200: C.C. from the state of Washington
2nd place: $100: J.S. from Georgia
3rd place: $50: R.B. from Quebec, Canada

Here are the answers:

….. an attorney said that he learned more in the first morning of the SpeakersTrainingCamp® than he did in an entire 12 week course held by a national training company

…. the Certified Instructor is from Sydney, Australia

… the SpeakersTrainingCamp® will help you cut your nervousness in half, and help you become a fantastic, fearless presenter

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Jessica, from New York, was one of last year's cash prize winners

Hurry! The contest ends at 5pm Pacific Standard Time, December 15. Ready, set, go…… and good luck! This will take no more than 5 minutes:

Prizes: $200, $100, $50

Rules: Answer 3 questions correctly and you will be entered in a random draw for the prizes. One entry per person. It’s OK to forward to your colleagues and friends, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Deadline: December 15, 2011 at 5pm Pacific Standard Time

Winners will be notified by email – December 16 and announced by initials on my blog

Hints: Be sure to use the helpful hints. They will save you lots of time. Have fun and happy hunting. Good luck!

To enter: click here

Please forward to your friends and colleagues

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When you Skype a potential client or current customer, what should you wear? The answer is very simple – wear what you think they would expect you to wear. Last week I Skyped a potential client in New Zealand. It was a very casual day for me at the office, but I actually changed into a business suit for the Skype date. I only had one shot at projecting the image I wanted and I had two choices:

1. A top-rated trainer worthy of her business (including a trip from New Zealand and a three-day training fee)

2. Someone who was having a nice casual day at work

Of course I chose Choice #1. I learned my lesson about a year ago on Facebook. Thinking that Facebook was a more casual meeting place, my profile picture included me wearing a pink top, holding my new Golden Retriever puppy in a beautiful fruit orchard. Someone from the Philippines sent me a personal email explaining that she was shocked by my Facebook photo – this was not the Sue Gaulke image that she saw on my website. Immediately I changed the profile picture to a corporate look. The lesson I learned was that image needs to be consistent throughout your cyber existence. People expect consistency. Imagine if Cheerios suddenly changed to a blue box!

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