There’s a buzz in the air about the new Tony Robbins tv show, “Breakthrough,” and it reminded me of the time I attended a full-day motivational workshop – over 15 years ago. There are several things I remember from that day that are permanently branded in my system:

1. Be Authentic. There is no doubt in your mind that Tony is for real. His conversational style, his mesmerizing voice, and his wealth of real-life stories put the stamp on his sincerity.

2. Oh Yes! Tony explained that when he’s in his hotel room, getting pumped up for the session, he looks in the mirror, claps his hands, and says “Oh, yes!” I’ve told this story many times to nervous presenters. Belief + attitude will certainly help to put you in a positive frame of mind for your presentation.

3. The Back Rub. The session was held in a crowded hotel ballroom. Members of the audience were seated on very uncomfortable metal chairs. In order to keep the energy up in the afternoon, Tony had us take a back rub break every 20 minutes. Everyone would stand, pick a person standing nearby, and give him or her a very vigorous back rub (but only if you felt comfortable doing that), and then switch. If you wanted something a little less intimate, he suggested karate chops on the back. How fun! That was a great energizer and never failed to create lots of noise and laughter throughout the room. It worked! Great idea – always gauge the energy level of your audience and have some fun at the same time. You can create your own buzz.

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I have asked Kate Peters, voice coach and speaker, to share her favorite tips on developing a dynamic voice

A monotone voice is an audience’s nightmare. Too often, however, the speaker doesn’t know that their voice is boring. Perhaps worse yet, they know it’s boring, but they don’t know what to do about it. For example, what if you are in the 20% of the population that has trouble distinguishing one pitch from another, and your presentations coach keeps telling you to vary the pitch (which is a good idea if you can hear it!)?Here are three techniques to vary your sound without varying your pitch, that can take your voice from boring to soaring.

1. Vary the pace. When you want people to respond with energy, pick up the pace. When you want them to take in what you say and digest it completely, slow down. Create contrast for interest.
2. Vary the volume. Emphasize key phrases by either speaking more loudly or more softly. Create drama for interest.
3. Accentuate important words or ideas by elongating them, or clipping them short. Use consonants percussively and draw out your vowels from time to time for added interest. Create rhythm for interest.

Even if your kid does tell you not to sing when everyone else joins in with Happy Birthday, your voice is multi-dimensional. With awareness and practice, it can sound as interesting as you really are!

Bio: Kate Peters is a singer/actor, voice coach, and speaker, and the author of Can You Hear Me Now? Harnessing the power of your vocal impact in 31 days http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Hear-Me-Now/dp/0977640701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263322232&sr=1-1 Through her presentations, seminars, workshops and private coaching, Kate helps hundreds of executives, speakers, and performers find the strengths in their voices to better express themselves in their professional and personal lives. For more information, please visit Kates blog at www.katepeters.com/blog

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Public Workshop: November 6-7, Washington, DC

I am very excited to be providing a two-day SpeakersTrainingCamp® workshop this fall near Washington, DC – at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. The Protocol School of Washington will be sponsoring this workshop on November 6-7, and they will be opening it up to the public. I offer only a limited number of public workshops, and for years clients have begged me to offer something on the East Coast. This workshop will feature the very popular Presentation Planner, Applause! Meter, and the famous SpeakersTrainingCamp® individualized coaching system. Each person can expect to improve dramatically within the two-day period. For registration, please contact me by phone or email, and I will supply you with all the details. Don’t miss this great event – plus the croissants are fantastic!

I created this video for people who are considering the Certification Program. My objective was to make it both informative and entertaining. In three action-packed training days individuals become trained and licensed to deliver this top-rated program. Reports from new trainers are fantastic – they are receiving five-star ratings the very first time they deliver the SpeakersTrainingCamp® workshop. Wow! The next session will be September 14-15-16, 2010. Enrollment is now open. Be sure to send me an email if you have questions: sue@successworksusa.com

Nervous Alex gets the boot

Alex Lambert has a great, smokey voice. He was one of the best singers on American Idol, so why did he get eliminated? For the same reason many presenters get eliminated from achieving their objectives…….. nervousness. When Alex performed, he sounded terrific, but he looked pale, stiff, and lifeless. He had no personality at all. Judge Simon Cowell gave him some advice that works for presenters too: “Take yourself to another place.” If Adam had imagined that he was in his bedroom singing away or performing in his favorite bar, he could have put some life into the song. I work with many petrified presenters who make great strides when they take themselves elsewhere – maybe imagining being in their own living room while they chat with friends. Or sitting at lunch discussing the topic. Next time you feel the butterflies – fly away to your favorite location, in your mind, that is.

Clown raises the 4th arm of the cauldron in the Closing Ceremonies

Oh Canada – you did it! What a wonderful conclusion to the Olympic events. I was really excited about the humor and ingenuity used to fix the glitch of the questionable 4th arm of the cauldron that malfunctioned on the opening night. Congratulations to the event team for turning the glitch into a humorous situation: a clown fixed the problem to the delight of everyone. They not only poked fun at the situation (one of the best ways to handle a problem) – but they came full circle to the point of the beginning. That’s a great technique to use in your presentations, too – come back to the theme of the beginning. If you start your presentation with a story about your first day on the job – then come full circle in the close and tell another story about your first day on the job. It’s as though you’ve tied a ribbon around your presentation.

Sadly, the Olympics are over. I hope you have enjoyed this series of Presentation Olympics. Good luck, and may your next presentation be filled with the excitement of Shaun White, the grace of Lindsey Vonn, and the heart of the Canadian hockey team.

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He skis; he smiles; he waves; he does not win….. except in the hearts of the fans. African skier Kwame Nkrumah-Acheompong is known as “The Snow Leopard”….. coming from a land where skiing is almost non-existent. He’s already won a gold medal in charisma – here’s how:

1. His Goals are Real: According to Kwame, he has two goals: to finish the race, and to not finish last.

2. He is a Copy Cat. He calls himself a copy cat because he copies the styles of other skiers
As presenters, one of the fastest ways to improvement is to observe and practice the style skills of someone you admire.

3. He is “Mr. Charisma”: everywhere Kwame goes people flock to have their pictures taken with him. His smile, his personality, and his honesty shine through.

As a presenter – practice the techniques of “The Snow Leopard” – be realistic, copy the strong techniques of others better than you, and let your personality explode, and you, too will have a great run!

Go Kwame – nice guys don’t always finish last.

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