Speech Coach Training - Certification »

Plant Seeds!

 

I’m always looking for spectacular and memorable ways to end my training sessions.  During the last SpeakersTrainingCamp Instructor Certification Program I ended by handing a packet of flower seeds to each graduate.  My message was:  continually plant seeds.  As a successful business professional, keep meeting people, networking, join organizations, pursue referrals.  Always plant seeds for future business, and then nurture your contacts by keeping in touch with them.  Seeds won’t grow without the proper conditions, and neither will a business.  I hope they’ve planted the seeds in their gardens, and I hope they have begun planting the seeds for their sprouting businesses.

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Public Speaking Workshops »

Rx for an Outstanding Career

Several pharmacy students from Oregon Health Sciences University are heading to the top of their profession.  They requested a SpeakersTrainingCamp to help them with presentations in their current classes and to prepare them for the many speaking engagements they will experience as experts in their field.  I am always thrilled to work with students, and it is lots of fun to see their eagerness – they soak in every word.  From the first presentation to the last I could see remarkable improvement.  Their levels of “coachability” were very high.  One of the things that kept coming up was my suggestion for many of the students (all female) to increase the volume of their voices.  Volume (loudness) is critical to the perception of power and confidence.  We performed some special exercises to work on this particular skill, but it is their carryover to the real world that will make all the difference.  A great presentation delivered with a weak or soft voice will be instantly diminished.

Two weeks after the training I received an email from one of the students.  She reported that in a recent class presentation she received an A, with the volume of her voice being rated a 10 – the highest score possible.  Bingo!  That’s the secret to presentation success – take it to the real world….. coachability…. the art of accepting feedback and putting it into action.

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Upcoming Events »

Enroll Now for Upcoming Sessions

Sept. 14-15-16 Instructor Certification Program:  Become licensed to deliver the SpeakersTrainingCamp® workshop

Oct. 5-6 SpeakersTrainingCamp® two-day public workshop

March 2-3-4, 2010  Certification Program:  Become licensed to deliver the SpeakersTrainingCamp workshop

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Nerve Center »

Rutgers Student Stumps Me….. almost

Why are people so fearful of speaking?  Jeremy, a student at Rutgers, phoned and asked me this question for a class research paper.  I have to admit that I paused for a while.  In all my years of training, no one asked me this very simple question.  I explained that I did not have any research to back up my hunch…. But here goes:

 I think it’s all about judgment and peer pressure.  Little kids in Kindergarten do not seem to have a fear of speaking in front of their class for show-and-tell.  A five-year old will freely talk about the new underwear he or she received for a birthday present.  A first-grader will happily get up in front of the room and tell the story of losing a tooth.  But then something happens….. I’m guessing 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th grade.  Kids start caring about what others think – they worry about how others judge them.  Peer pressure kicks in.  I think that’s the magic moment when fear of speaking begins. 

 

….. fast forward to the adult speaker/presenter….Most presenters feel as though they are being judged, and they are worried about making mistakes.  They are fearful of fumbling in front of their peers or the audience.  On the other hand, people who have no fear (or at least very little fear) of speaking are confident in their own ability and focused on how the audience is going to benefit from the presentation.

 

No-Choke Point:  Realize that speaking and presenting is not that big of a deal.  Compared to your health and world peace, it is insignificant.  Put it in perspective. You know more about your topic than anyone in the room – you are the expert.  People are there to hear what you have to say and will learn something, do something, buy something, or change something as a result of listening to you.  Also, by the way, everyone in the audience is probably really happy that it is you standing in front of the room and not him or her.

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Nerve Center »

Doggone Nervousness

My dog, Indy, has taught me more about handling nervousness than all the corporate executives I have worked with in the last 30 years. Indy and I compete in dog agility. Perhaps you have seen it on tv – the dogs race through an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, see-saw, weave poles, etc. At least once or twice a month you can find us at a local, regional or national competition. Indy is extremely talented, but quirky. If he detects the least amount of nervousness on my part, he will not perform to his full potential. There’s the challenge: in a presentation we can “fake” confidence and a calm demeanor, but a dog will sense any type of nervousness. I had to learn to handle my nerves completely, from the inside out.

The same techniques I use in agility competitions can be used in presentation settings:

1. Deep breathing. When you are tense, your breathing is strained. You can feel a tense jaw and clamped teeth. Get into a deep breathing mode as soon as you get up in the morning. Inhale through your nose for a slow count of eight, and imagine that the air is going to the top of your head. Then exhale through your mouth for a slow count of eight, and feel the air going down to your toes. Keep that pattern going all day – right up to presentation time.

2. Imagine the familiar. Instead of obsessing over the importance of the competition, I imagine that Indy and I are just having a blast as we practice in my yard. The last thought that enters my mind as we step out onto the course is, “It’s just me and you Indy, at home, having a good time”. That keeps me centered and relaxed. The same thing will work for presentations. Instead of thinking, “Oh no, here I am giving a very important presentation in front of 50 people”, think “No problem, I’m just having a chat with a group of people hanging out in my office.” Imagine the familiar and it will help your confidence in your next presentation. It’s not a big deal.

And what about Indy, my quirky dog? He is on his way to a major national title. Maybe he’ll even be good enough to be on tv someday. Look for us – I’m the one not wearing the spandex!

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