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It’s tough to leave the “coach” in me behind when I go on vacation. On a recent spectacular trip to Durango, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico I found myself in analysis-mode while listening to our different tour guides. After all, they were giving presentations. Here’s my analysis from worst to best:

#4: His family nicknamed him the “Yellow Pumpkin” and he guided us through an amazing current working Pueblo village. He was funny and he told great stories….. I think. The big problem was that he mumbled and about 40% of what he said could not be understood. The message was lost.

#3: This was Sandra’s first day on the Durango-Silverton Railroad. Take a look at her picture – you can tell that she is extremely nervous because her eyes are flipping up to the ceiling. She was also out of breath. It seemed as though everyone on the train was also holding their collective breath hoping that she would survive her short talk about the concessions and travel guides available on the train. At least she admitted that it was her first day – a great thing to do. Be honest with your audience. They will sympathize with you….. and we sympathized with Sandra. Whew!

#2: Heather was terrific. She guided a fairly large group through the rugged Pueblo villages in Mesa Verde National Park. She was very conversational, told great stories, and involved the audience throughout the hour-long trek. What amazed me the most was her outstanding voice – great clarity and volume. She received a standing ovation at the end of the tour. Heather was a very close second.

#1: And the winner is Charlie. He was our bus driver on the return trip after the train ride to Silverton, Colorado. He drove us back to Durango. Charlie had a great grandfatherly Southern drawl that made you hang on every word he said. His stories were spellbinding and flooded with local knowledge. He knew when to speak and when to let you just enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Upon arriving in Durango, he wished us all well, and hoped we would have time to visit his favorite museum – the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. In fact, he was so convincing, that we did tour the museum the next day. Great job, Charlie.

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Featured book in the AMA Newsletter

I was really excited to receive an email from a colleague announcing that my book, 101 Ways to Captivate a Business Audience is featured in the new American Management Association newsletter. Wow! That is a great endorsement and great publicity. People love the book because it is a fun, easy read with tons of how-to ideas for immediate implementation. As soon as I heard the news I thought a great deal about what the book writing process was like, and for me, it was a real struggle to get started. If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, here are some tips that might help you.

1. Start writing for one hour before you even wake up. That’s right! Set the alarm one hour early, put on your robe, and proceed directly to your writing station. Do not take a shower, do not eat breakfast, do not drink a cup of coffee – just write. There’s something about the mixture of cobwebs in your brain and the early morning air that really does generate spontaneous writing. I tried this, and it worked.

2. Use a mindmapping system to blast your ideas onto a page. This method is detailed in the book. It’s a quick brainstorming process.

3. If your brain freezes at the keyboard, try handwriting your first few chapters. I was shocked when I realized that I actually had to have pen in hand in order for the creative juices to flow. After the first few chapters, I could compose using the computer.

4. Segment your chapter into available time slots. It was always my goal to complete 1 chapter per roundtrip airline flight. 10 flights and I was on my way.

5. Send each of your chapters out to a trusted colleague or avid reader. They will give you great insight regarding clarity and changes.

Oh I remember those days. And one of the biggest thrills was my first book signing – it was for the local community. People even pre-ordered the book so they were guaranteed a fresh signature. To order your copy of the book: And yes, I will be very proud to sign it for you.

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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!