Everett Ofori - Guaranteed Formula for Public Speaking Success

Table of Contents

Guaranteed Formula

for

Public Speaking

Success

by Everett Ofori, MBA

CCB Publishing

British Columbia, Canada

Guaranteed Formula for Public Speaking Success

Copyright 2011 by Everett Ofori

ISBN-13 978-1-926918-93-8

First Edition

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Ofori, Everett, 1963-

Guaranteed formula for public speaking success [electronic resource] / written by Everett Ofori 1st ed.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Electronic monograph in PDF format.

ISBN 978-1-926918-93-8

Also available in print format.

1. Public speaking. I. Title.

PN4129.15.O36 2011 808.51 C2011-907069-3

Illustrations: Ahn Soo Kyoung

Author contact:

Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. The publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Publisher:

CCB Publishing

British Columbia, Canada

http://www.ccbpublishing.com

Dedicated to all who understand that communication is not just about speaking but also about listening

Other books by Everett Ofori

Succeeding From the Margins of Canadian Society:

A Strategic Resource for New Immigrants, Refugees and International Students

Written by Francis Adu-Febiri and Everett Ofori

2009 ISBN 978-1-926585-27-7

Read Assure:

Guaranteed Formula for Reading Success with Phonics

Written by Everett Ofori

2010 ISBN 978-1-926585-83-3

Guaranteed Formula for Writing Success

Written by Everett Ofori

2011 ISBN 978-1-926918-22-8

Acknowledgments

Thanks very much to Ms. Asta Lee and other members of the Hong Kong Toastmasters Club ( Mr. Lap Wong, Mr. Edwin Lui, Ms. Tina Wong, et al . ) , who so impressed me with their dedication to communications excellence. Ms. Lee, evaluator par excellence, also shared with me some of her winning techniques, some of which have found their way into this book.

Members of Thames Valley Toastmasters Club, London, Ontario, Canada, under the leadership of Harold Usher; Thunderbird Toastmasters Club, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; and Atsugi-Zama Toastmasters Club, Kanagawa, Japan, of which I count, Mr. Bruce Perkins, Mr. Tom Myslinski, Mr. Masashi Wada, Ms. Yuki Tateishi, Mr. Takamasa Sakuragi, Mr. Shintaro Inagaki, Ms. Yayoi Komura, Ms. Ai Tanaka, Mr. Masaru Horioka, Mr. Shigeru Maruyama, and Ms. Kanako Takayanagi, to name a few, have all been for me, models of commitment, persistence, and excellence.

My gratitude also goes to Mr. Kris Esplin of Phoenix Associates, Tokyo, Japan, who provided me with an opportunity to test out the techniques presented in this book in the real world: helping business executives to communicate effectively.

The support of Mr. Peter Owans, President and CEO of Phoenix Associates, Mr. Adrian Crawley, Mr. Yohei Akiyama, Ms. Megumi Matsuo , Ms. Hiroko Takagi, Mr. Shuji Yamada, Mr. Hiro Mikata, Ms. Candace Tarasawa, Ms. Saori Eto, and others, is noted with much gratitude.

Feedback from executive coaches and trainers who have used these materials, including Mr. John Anderson, Mr. Jon Southurst, Ms. Araminta Hammond, Dr. Vikas Sood, Ms. Diana Camargo, Mr. Robert Brinegar, Mr. Andrew Gleboff, Mr. Michael Mitchell, M r. Ian Gordon, Ms. Gail Euen (who made numerous editorial suggestions), and others, is also very much appreciated.

Furthermore, I have benefited greatly from the scores of students who have used these materials and demonstrated through their efforts that there is value in expending the energy necessary to make ones dreams come true.

Many thanks to Ms. Diana Camargo , who used these materials several times , and proofread them for me. Similarly, Mr. Frank Pridgen brought his sharp editorial eyes to bear on the work. Still, as the author, I take full responsibility for any errors of omission or commission.

Introduction

Sooner or later, you will find yourself called upon to give a presentation or to say a few words at a party, a boardroom, or a rally. What you say on such an occasion may soon be forgotten but your inability to rise to the occasion may stay with you for a long time. Hopefully, your desire to become a better speaker is rooted less in the fear of such an eventuality and more in the desire to be a better communicator so that you can bring more light of understanding where none exists, contribute to a meeting of minds where people are working at cross-purposes, or bring a measure of goodness, grace, and greatness to your little corner of the world.

In practically every society, those who learn to communicate well are apt to become leaders in their clubs or circles, communities, counties, or countries. Or they may become the ones that leaders turn to again and again for advice on how to communicate matters of local or national importance.

Whether in personal matters, business affairs, or political life, the ability to express oneself well in public is both a prized and powerful asset. While the mention of public speaking might strike fear into the hearts of men and women the world over, the good news is that it is a skill that can be improved with diligent effort.

The would-be speaker cannot hope to become proficient from reading books alone, yet the techniques and ideas picked up from books can help make the public speaking journey a far more enjoyable one.

Whether you are a public speaking novice or one with a few dozen speeches under your belt, Im certain that you will find some new nuggets herein that will help you move closer to the ideal speaker you desire to be. Happy speaking!

Everett Ofori, MBA (Heriot-Watt University)

ACS ( Advanced Communicator Silver - Toastmasters International)

Unit 1

First Things First: How to Use this Book

This book has a successful track record. It has been used to train businessmen and women who need to communicate frequently to groups of people as part of their job. Users of the techniques in this book have included those with practically no experience at all standing in front of an audience and those who may have had experience with public speaking but did not feel that their previous efforts yielded the kind of results they expected. Because the book was geared initially towards helping people for whom English is not a first language, it was necessary to break down concepts into easily digestible chunks. Native speakers who have used this book have also found this approach useful.

P ublic speaking students can benefit most if they participate actively in speaking activities. For use of this book in a group class, one of the most effective approaches has been for the facilitator to assign each of the students in the class one section, a full unit, or part of a unit, to review, either in class, or as homework, and to have the student present the information in front of the class.