When I first started out as a speaker, I have to admit. I sucked.

I read the books and went for the seminars to learn how to be better, how to be good enough to get paid.

But it wasn’t until a one to one coaching for 20 mins with T. Harv Eker that helped me really GET it.

Harv is possibly one of the most captivating speakers and seminar pitchman today. I’ve watched seminar pitches since 2005 and I’m passionate about it.

Harv goes beyond the persuasion models and order of elements of influence. He is a performer through and through.

In our one to one coaching, he had me on the stage delivering my pitch and throughout the presentation, he barked at me.

He would suddenly stand up and give a demo of what I should have done… in the middle of my presentation… then tell me to continue from where he coached.

Every 2 sentences, he shouts:

“Boring!”

And that really sunk in.

There is no such thing as a bad speaker. The opposite of a good speaker is a boring speaker.

As a speaker, there are really simple tools that you can use to be less boring.

Just three to start with.

1. Volume

2. Rate of speech

3. Movement

Vary these 3 and you will find yourself becoming more interesting to the group.

The moment you find yourself in a pattern, you sense your audience getting into the trance you don’t want, vary one of the 3 as stated above.

When T Harv Eker speaks, this is what he does….

Now leave me a comment and share this post!

This speech is a great model of how to wrap a story around a principle you want to share. The story covertly builds credibility for him and his transition to the lesson of the story is seamless!

One tip on convert hypnosis.

When your listener is in a peak emotional state, you can slip in any commands and it’ll slide into the subconscious mind.

Here is the video:

Enjoy and comment on it!

Public speaking is a general thing but there are some specific practices in each country to become effective. The culture and behavior of people need to be considered when you speak. Public speaking in Singapore is not really different compared to the general practices. However, there are some public speaking tips and public speaking techniques to be considered especially when you want to speak to a Singaporean audience. Compared to other countries in Asia, Singapore has a very intent and focused listeners.

To better deliver a speech, it is better to be equipped with the skills by attending a public speaking workshop. A common group that helps to hone this skill is the Toastmaster’s Club. If you fear public speaking, it is best to go through a series of trainings and workshops.

Public speaking in Singapore does not have many requirements. Your confidence in speaking and coherence in everything you say are very important.

Eye contact and gestures are very effective to make your listeners wait for every word that you have to say. Your speech should have substantial content that your audience will look forward to. At the end of your speech, they should feel that they learned something new or you have made them change some of their perspectives by demonstrating your persuasive skills.

You will better learn all of these skills if you engage in activities and workshops that develop them. Public speaking in Singapore is more effective if you join workshops that will focus on identifying your strengths and weaknesses.

This way, you will know the areas you need to improve on and the areas that can make you become a more effective speaker. Eventually, you will have the skills that will make people listen to you.

People who make their living researching what frightens people the most have made a pretty amazing discovery.  Consistently when people list the top five things they are afraid of in life, they have are some pretty intimidating terrors.  But you would think that death would rank number one on that list.  But death doesn’t take number one, it has to settle for number two.  Amazingly, the number one thing that terrifies most people is not death, it is public speaking.  A popular comedian once said that this means that people would rather be the guy in the casket at a funeral than the guy giving the eulogy.

If you have ever been in a meeting listening to a speaker, you can usually tell if they are terrified.  They will get up there and you will see that “deer in the headlights” look.  You know that look.  It is one of extreme fear, panic, and terror so profound that the person is frozen in place unable to speak of move.  And if you have ever been that guy or gal in front of a group giving the “deer in the headlights” look, you know the feeling of terror that happens in front of a group of people can be pretty awful.

So if you know that public speaking is going to be part of your job or something you have to regularly, you have to find a way to neutralize that fear and be able to relax in front of a crowd when you speak.  How often have you sat and listened to a speaker who was relaxed, funny, bright and even able to field questions with no difficulty at all?  It’s easy to admire that kind of public speaker and think that he or she has some magical powers that you will never get.  But they don’t have magic.  That speaker has just learned some techniques for neutralizing those fears so he or she can appear relaxed and as though he or she is having fun up there.  It’s not an inborn talent.  It’s a skill which can be learned.

Of course a lot of the ability to look out at a sea of faces who want to hear what you want to say and not feel sick comes from experience.  But experience teaches you things that you can at least understand before you become an old pro at public speaking.  One of those things is that the crowd out there doesn’t know what to expect.  If you broke down why you feel terrified in front of people, it’s that you think that they think they know what they want and that you are being judged.

But to understand what people really expect when they are looking at you at the podium on stage, just remember the last time you heard someone speak.  You had no predefined idea what was about to be said and you probably had no outline or any frame of reference what that speaker was going to say.  That means that even if you don’t deliver your speech perfectly, they will never know that!  As long as you don’t let on that you are nervous or not sure about your material, they won’t know if you got it wrong.  If you forget an entire segment of your speech, as long as what you do say flows nicely and they never know you forgot it, the people listening will think your speech was just fine and will probably applaud.

Also remember that you are not really speaking to a group.  The group has no ears.  You are speaking to several individuals.  When you are listening to a speaker, you are one person listening to one person.   That is how each person in that audience is receiving you, as individuals.  So if you speak to them as though they are one person, not a crowd, your presentation will be warm and personal and very successful.  And the crowd will like you to which helps a lot.

Just remember that their expectations of you are fairly low and for the most part, people hearing you speak want you to succeed.  So smile at them, use a bit of humor and use that little insider tip to relax up there.  And when you can relax, you can actually have fun at public speaking rather than wishing you were the guy in the casket instead.

How well your presentation goes the next time you step up to a podium depends on several factors.  But one factor you can control completely is your script.  The way you organize your content and how you present the material to that crowd can either totally captivate them and drive them step by step to conclusion or it can bore them to sleep.  Its all in how you construct your presentation and how you present what you want them to know throughout the talk.

The difference between a great talk and a boring one is simple.  A great talk is compelling.  A great talk gets to the heart of a common experience.  It addresses something we all go through and deals with a need we all experience.  In short, a great talk solves a problem.  So to create a presentation that reaches out and grabs your audience and holds them for the entire time of your presentation, you have to create a problem for them.  And then you have to solve it.

The point when you create the problem is in your opening comments.  Now don’t shy away from being a bit melodramatic in your opening.  Remember the goal of the opening is to grab the audience’s group attention and rivet it on your talk.  So present the problem statement in a personal way, how it is meaningful on a personal level to the audience and to you.  A about 20% of the time to the creation of the problem statement.  By the time you have created that big monster in the room, they will be ready for you to guide them toward the solution.

With the audience “in the palm of your hand”, you can move directly into the description of the perfect solution.  The solution phase of your talk can be broken into two parts.  First describe what the perfect solution would look like.  You would not even directly bring up your solution just yet.  Base your description of the perfect solution on the problem statement so you have an aspect of the solution that fits every possible problem created at the first part of your talk.

The next phase is the next to the last and comes about 50% into your time.  Now you have the audience in a perfect place to hear your solution.    Use about 30-40% of your total time on the proposed solution, fitting it perfectly to your discussion of the problem and the outline of what a perfect solution looks like.  By this time the audience is eager to know the solution.  All you are doing now is closing the deal.

If we followed a standard “term paper” approach to a program, the final phase would be to sum up and go over what you just talked about.  Btu we are not going to follow that pattern because this is the time for the “pay off”.  In your closing statements, you finally disclose the action to be taken.  By giving your audience what they can do to take the first step on putting your solution into motion, you are cashing in on all that energy you created in the first 80% of your speech.

Now close the deal by giving them concrete and “right now” things they can do to recognize the problem and start the wheels turning on making the solution a reality.  If its possible make the first step of implementing that solution happen right there in the room with you. That might be signing up for a newsletter, giving you an email address or going to another room for further counseling and discussion.  You know what it is.  But by using that  energy, you convert passive listeners to active participants.  And you did that with a very well designed and a well executive presentation plan.

To say that there is no ego in a person who does public speaking regularly or for a living would be clearly a false statement.  But for those of us who only speak from time to time, when you see a speaker who can walk out in a room of 30 people or a auditorium of 3000 and literally “own the room”, it really is an amazing transformation.  To imagine how  you could ever be that much larger than life is mind boggling.

But in a lot of ways, when you step out to talk to a group of people, you do become larger than life.  That is because you are doing the impossible.  You are having a conversation with dozens of people all at once.  Now, whether you feel like you are having that conversation or not isn’t important.  If your talk is not interactive, you may not know the dialog is happening.  But in the minds of every single individual in that hall, they are interacting with you.  What you are saying is getting down inside of them and they are reacting to it.  But even more than what you are saying, how you are saying it is having an even bigger impact.

So are there things you can do to “become” larger than life?  Well there are some ways of behaving in front of a crowd that differ from daily life.  We do have to accept that you will develop a “stage persona” that is different from your daily personality when you speak to a group.  Does that make you a phony?  No.  Both of those personalities are you.  It is just a different you when you relate to a group than to people one on one and it seems strange because that form of you only comes out on stage.  But it isn’t a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde thing.  Just as you speak to a child differently than you speak to an adult, you will develop a way to talking to a group that differs from speaking to an individual.

Part of becoming larger than life is learning to what they call “own the room”.  This sound egotistic and strange but it really does work when you are about to speak.  Owning the room simply means that when you step out in front of that crowd, they are no longer some random group of people, they are YOUR people.  They are there to listen to you and what you say is of value to them.  If you had any ego problems before you stepped out in front of that audience, check that ego problem at the door.

You must assume that you are adored when you speak to a group of people.  This doesn’t mean you strut about like God’s gift to the world.  But it does mean that you recognize that your value to this group is as a speaker and that your services are wanted and needed here.  In fact, the only way you will be an effective public speaker is if you own the room.  Treat that room like it was your home and these people came here just because being with you is just that great.  If you step out there with that attitude, the audience will buy into your attitude and they will give you the room and be glad you took it over.

It can be a bit strange if you watch yourself become larger than life.  But you can be humble about it and just recognize it is part of the craft of becoming a great public speaker.  And if being good at this art you are gifted to give to the world means owning rooms and becoming bigger for an hour or so, well then why deny the world that experience? Enjoy it and let others enjoy it too.

The very words “public speaking” strike fear in the hearts of many people. It’s a fact that the vast majority of people are afraid of speaking in front of a group. Often this so called fear begins at an early age, perhaps at school where we are often forced to stand in front of a class and give a speech.

For others it is something that simply creeps up on you in adult life where you are suddenly expected to speak to a group but have no idea how to do it.

Public speaking is a wonderful thing to master. Once you can speak confidently in front of people, your whole life changes.
Gaining this confidence however can be a long process, but one that is not impossible.

Public speaking fears can manifest themselves in various situations such as job interviews, employee meetings, wedding speeches and anywhere that requires you to speak in front of more than one or two other people. Often it is the negative thoughts in your head that bring about public speaking woes rather than the act itself.

Some of the most important aspects of public speaking are:

- Body language: Everything counts here from your hands, body, posture, stance, eyes and facial expressions.
- Notes: don’t over use them. Your audience does not want to see you reading a script; rather they want to know what is on your mind. Cue cards are fine, but ensure that you don’t keep your head down for too long.
- Eye contact: aim to look towards the back of the room and even at individual people as much as you can.
- Tone: if your subject can be humorous then use humour. Always know your audience well and speak to them in a way that you know connects with them. Don’t use a monotonous tone; instead inject enthusiasm and passion into your speaking.

The best way to master public speaking is prepare! True, one can not prepare for an on the spot speaking engagement however if you have taken measures of preparing for your speeches in the past then you will not have negative doubtful thoughts in your mind when it comes time to deliver that impromptu talk. Instead, you will recall the last successful speeches you gave and these positive thoughts will flow through to your current speech. This positive flow on effect is how you gain confidence in public speaking.

Public speaking training is the best way to conquer your fear of talking or performing in front of people. This phobia affects an extraordinary number of people worldwide. It is thought that around 75% of Americans suffer from fear of public speaking! That makes it the largest phobia, even greater than the fear of death.

To become a confident public speaker you should undergo some training and practice. This can be done in a professional group with other like minded people. Here no one will laugh at you and everyone is there to support each other. This is an excellent way to increase your confidence in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.

Public speaking training consists of a variety of different exercises and modules. You will first learn how to ease your nerves and how to think positively. Your mental attitude is the only aspect that stops you from being a confident speaker. Once your nerves are calmed and you are in the right frame of mind, your speech will flow. This is what public speaking training will teach you.

A good training course will also show you the best way to prepare your speech. This includes tips on using props, how to use cards effectively as well as gestures and body language. The last thing you want to do when speaking is to read entirely from paper and never lift your head. By mastering the use of cue cards you will learn how to read points and expand upon them in your speech.

Handouts are another great way to enhance your speech. Giving them out at the appropriate time. Let your audience know that you are going to hand out a presentation outline; this saves them taking notes during your speech.

Further learning in a public speaking training course is that which extends to include scenarios such as question and answer sessions at the end of a speech. Often the best public speakers stumble at this point as the questions asked by audience members are unexpected. The best public speakers will not only be great at giving prepared speeches but also at answering impromptu questions from the audience.

Public speaking training is simply the most ideal way to beat your phobia of group speeches. Like anything in life, the more you face your fears, the less you will fear them.

Without a doubt you will come out feeling a lot more confident and ready to tackle that next speech!

Public speaking phobia is highly common all over the world. If you suffer from the fear of public speaking then it’s about time you learned to conquer it!

Here are some public speaking tips that are sure to give you the confidence you need to deliver fantastic speeches that your audience will love.

Plan and Prepare!
Preparation is the key when it comes to conquering your nerves. If you know what you are going to say then all you need to be thinking about is HOW you are going to say it. To be prepared you need to read through your speech many times. You don’t want to be reading straight from cards so make sure you are familiar with it.

Know Your Audience
You absolutely must know as much as you can about your audience. This includes their demographic and interests as well as anything else you can think of that will affect the content and presentation of your speech.

Practice!
Rehearse your speech in front of friends and family. Ask for their opinions and gauge their response. This is a key way to determine if your speech is going to work on a broader scale and how your audience may react.

Crowd Interaction
Interacting with the crowd will actually calm your nerves rather than make you more nervous. Rather than standing there thinking about what the crowd thinks of you, you can make them laugh or ask them questions. This gets them into your speech rather than have them sitting there judging you.

Use Visual Aids and Props
Visual aids can help greatly in diverting attention from yourself. It also garners interest from the crowd as some people are easily bored by a person giving a speech. PowerPoint presentations are a popular aid but use it wisely. Don’t over do the animation, and make sure your presentation is prepared in advance so that you know it off by heart.

Think Positive!
Your thoughts will determine the success of your speech. Tell yourself you are going to be great and you will be great. Focus on the negatives and you will fight a constant battle of fear of failure. Be positive!

They are just a few tips for improving your confidence in public speaking. Remember that you really need to practice on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect is the old saying and in this case it couldn’t be more true!