The Princeton Language Institute - 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking

Copyright 2001 by Philip Lief Group Inc.

All rights reserved.

Warner Books

Hachette Book Group

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New York, NY 10017

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The Warner Books name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

First eBook Edition: July 2001

ISBN: 978-0-7595-2500-9

Also by The Princeton Language Institute

Grammar 101

Guide to Pronunciation

Rogets 21st Century Thesaurus

Also by Lenny Laskowski

Dynamic Presentation Skills for the Business Professional

No Sweat Presentations: The Painless Way to Successful Speaking

This book is dedicated to my wife,

Joan; my son, Michael; and my

daughter, Kelly, for their continued

support and encouragement during my

journey of helping others become

better speakers and presenters and

during the writing of this book.

Some very good friends and colleagues allowed me to use their material and input. Thank you: Tom Antion, Susan Berkley, Janet Esposito, Kare Anderson, Tony Jeary, Lilly Walters, and Patricia Fripp.

If you poll a group of people and ask them their greatest fear, public speaking usually ranks number one. In fact, in surveys I have conducted with clients at hundreds of seminars and workshops, 67 percent find public speaking difficult. The remaining 33 percent are comfortable with their public speaking skills but feel there is room for improvement. No matter which percentile you fall into, 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking will help you assess your speaking skills and learn fast, effective strategies to become a better, more confident public speaker.

Throughout my career as a public speaker, I have identified many reasons why people are not comfortable speaking in front of a group, large or small. Some people are self-conscious about their appearance or voice. Others are afraid they will be laughed at or criticized. Such fears can compromise your effectiveness, preventing you from becoming a more confident public speaker.

Improving your public speaking and communication skills increases your self-confidence, but studies have revealed an additional benefit: Professionals with good communication skills are promoted more often and faster within their job environment. Top company executives polled said that the one essential skill they look for in an employee slated for promotion is the ability to effectively communicate ideas. 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking provides you with proven, successful methods to increase your confidence as a public speaker. As a public speaking coach and keynote speaker, I have used these tips and methods to help clients from all over the world enhance their speaking, presentation, and communication skills.

10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking is divided into ten days, each one building on skills learned from prior days. Chapters are sprinkled with Tips of the Day, Top Ten Lists, Lessons from Mom, and Confidence Builders as well as practical exercises and strategies. Here is a glimpse of what you will take away with you in the course of your ten-day journey.

Day 1: We begin with tips on how to improve your public speaking skills in every area of your life, from career to personal life to social situations. Along the way you will learn a Lesson from Mom on the importance of practicing and polishing your skills. And you will learn quick tricks about ways to introduce yourself to an audience.

Day 2: The most important skill when preparing a presentation is developing speech content. In this chapter you will learn a five-step approach for devising material for your speech or presentation. Also, you will learn the proper structure of a speechthe introduction, body, and conclusionand hints for eliminating the visual and verbal clutter in your speeches.

Day 3: This chapter focuses on relating to your audience. We begin with steps to analyze your audience and the importance of preprogram and customized surveys to tailor your presentation to meet your audiences needs. The day also includes a Top Ten List of tips and secrets to keep your audience awake and energized during your presentations. You will also learn the five types of speeches, from informative to impromptu.

Day 4: You will learn the four most common methods for remembering speech and presentation material and the pros and cons for each. In addition, you will find a resource list of Internet Web sites to help your presentation shine. Day 4 ends with how your speech or presentation location can interfere with or enhance your performance.

Day 5: The crux of Day 5 focuses on gestures and the role they play in your presentations. Also, you will learn five tips about facial expressions and why they are an important part of effective communication. The day ends with on-the-spot advice on what to do when you are asked at the last minute to give a presentation.

Day 6: This chapter focuses on the language and ethics behind speech giving, including guidelines for proper attribution of statistics, research results, and quotes. In the process, you will spend some time looking at excerpts from the top ten influential and memorable speeches in history. Also, you will learn ten ways to incorporate humor in your presentation. Day 6 takes an in-depth look at the first of the five types of speeches you learned in Day 3.

Day 7: Throughout Day 7 you will learn tips and secrets that professional speakers, trainers, and entertainers use when the unexpected happensfrom room changes to equipment failure. In addition, you will learn fun icebreaker games to use at a training session or seminar. Day 7 also gives you an example of a ceremonial speech.

Day 8: This chapter discusses a variety of special techniques to help you develop and hone your speaking skills. Day 8 also gives an in-depth review process of videotaping yourself as a way to critique your speech before the big day. Finally, you are given a sample of an after-dinner speech.

Day 9: The focus of this chapter is how to psych yourself up for the big moment. The chapter is sprinkled with tips and strategies to show you how to become your own best coach and the importance of making a checklist. In addition, you will learn the humorous way one presenter prepares himself just before hes introduced. Finally, you will get a glimpse of a persuasive speech and how to deliver bad news or negative results in a speech.

Day 10: This chapter shows you how to end your speech or presentation with a memorable conclusion using five surefire methods. You are also introduced to the most effective way to handle the question and answer period following your speech or presentation and how to deal with hostile questions from audience members. Finally, you are given a sample of the fifth type of speechthe impromptu.

Okay, its time to get started. Turn to Day 1 and get yourself ready for a journey to the world of more confident public speaking.

Getting Started

Overcoming Your Fears

F or as long as I can remember, I always think back to when I was only five years old. I would spend the day outside either playing in the dirt or building. At the end of the day I would talk my parents ears off (I assumed they were listening) about what I built or what I was going to build. Little did I realize that my training as an engineermy first careerwas already beginning.

One day in school, somewhere around the turn of the century, my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Collins, asked the class for volunteers to speak to the class about what we loved to do. Immediately my hand shot into the air. No one else raised a hand except those who all of a sudden needed to go to the bathroom. I was excited to talk about the latest pirate ship I had just built. My talk was such a success that I was asked to share my story with other classes. Even then I was a natural public speakermy second careerand anxious to share information with an audience. Now, when people ask me how long I have been on the speaking circuit, I can honestly say since I was five.