Short one today. I am collecting a list of useful phrases. Some short, some a little longer, that you can use at various places in a presentation.

That list will be in Module 6 – Putting It All Together, in my upcoming course.

Here is a keeper…

“If I were to tell you one thing that I want you to remember/use/tweet/apply/tell your spouse/yell at your boss from today’s presentation, it would be this: _______________________.”

Bam. You just told everyone to put down their phones and pay attention. This is important. It could be your wrap up. It could even be used much earlier in your presentation.

And just noodling this out will help you focus your thoughts, and therefore, your presentation.

Working on my list. It will be in Module 6.

If you are serious about this presenting thing, you should be checking this out: https://ready2speak.com/course

Course registration opens Monday. Closes Friday. 2 for 1. Money back warranty. Loads of cool stuff. You will get much better.

Maybe it’s for you…

Tom

An experiment to start off the New Year from the secret Ready2Speak laboratory. But first a fun story.

A small lifetime ago I was stage coordinator at a big-time industry conference here in Atlanta. We had 1500 practitioners from all over the world come in for three days of meetings and exhibits. It was as big a deal conference as this particular industry would see in those days.

I was in charge of what went on at the front of the room – basically the stage. Speakers, lighting, sound, fixing this and that, making sure it all worked right. It was a great education.

It was where I got a real taste of how a well-organized, confident presenter could captivate his or her audience. And how a disorganized speaker was a snooze-fest.

We would close the conference every year with the same presenter. A well-known spiritual leader who had a unique technique for – – – – – – – – pausing.

He would insert very long pauses – – – – – – in all – – – – – – the places you wouldn’t – – – – – – – expect.

To me it became this hysterical, crazy habit that I couldn’t unhear. Maybe the audience didn’t notice, but for – – – – – – me, who had heard him now for 10 years, it was a – – – – – – major – – – – – – distraction.

I had often thought that he had gotten weird advice from some “How-be-a-better-speaker” book that he should pause more. And this was the result.

Two quick points here.

One. The most innocent behavior, if done too much or too unusually, can become a distraction.

Two. Not all wisdom is wise.

We all have these slightly out-of-bounds habits that we might want to keep under a little control.

The cure? My favorite practice tool of course: Video.

Besides making us squirm at the reality of our looks and voice, video will show us, in glorious color, all our nasty habits. Like that thing you do with your glasses.

As uncomfortable as it may be, watch yourself anyway. It is a feedback loop of unrivaled value.

Now the experiment.

Take a small portion of a presentation that you know cold. Maybe an opening example or story. Just a few minutes long.

1. Imagine you have all the time in the world.
2. Turn on the video camera.
3. Recite your piece with a very open (slow) cadence.
4. Now make it slower.
5. Even slower (to the point of excess).
6. Add pauses where you think they belong.
7. Now double or triple the length of those pauses.
8. Put pauses in places where you don’t necessarily expect them.
9. Watch the video and see what works and what doesn’t.

My bet is that when you speak slower than you think you should and use longer pauses than you think you should, you will sound so much better. And smarter.

Almost like you are an expert.

The above is the kind of practical voodoo I offer inside my upcoming 6 week course.

Registration will be available from dawn on January 6 to midnight on January 10.

I will be telling you a bunch more over the next few days.

And it will be lightyears ahead of that crazy advice my preacher friend heard about – – – – – – – – – – pausing. This will be the – – – – – – – – stuff that – – – – – works.

Take a gander here at https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

p.s. Did I mention I have a course opening soon? Yeah, I guess I – – – – – – – – did. And that registrations will be 2 for 1 all next week? That’s worth pausing to think about.

Gestures and what to do with your hands are always a concern – even with some not-so-new presenters.

There is a lot of advice out there from the gurus and experts about gestures but one of the best I have seen was a few years back from Kelly Decker at Decker Communications.

It was simple: “Go big and then go home.”

A reason first, then an explanation.

Many presenters are reluctant to gesture. And when they do, they are reluctant to gesture broadly – even if they are in front of a larger group in a larger room. Many glue their elbows to their sides and look like a flailing T-rex. Or they cover their you-know and look weak and unsure.

To be sure, there is a lot to unpack about gestures, different kinds, how to use them, how to practice them, how to make them appropriate and how to discover your comfortable style.

Kelly’s admonition, “Go big and then go home” suggests using a broad, arms-stretched-out movement followed by letting your arms go down to your sides.

This accomplishes a number of things:

• At the right time, this can add a wide, inclusive emphasis to your words.
• Dropping your arms to your sides after makes the broad gesture more powerful by contrast.
• The combination avoids the elbows Velcroed to the speaker’s sides effect that is so common
• It makes your gestures look intentional, but casual. And it avoids the wild, arm waving that some presenters resort to in an attempt to put a gesture to every word or phrase.

There’s a bunch more about gestures and other “stage skills” as speaker people like to call them. How to practice and get comfortable. How to avoid that horrible thing you do with your nose.

All that in my new course. Find out more: https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

p.s. There is no risk. If you watch the videos, use the worksheets and put in the practice you will get better. Much better. Now be honest, if it’s not for you, well heck, why would I want to keep your money? Just let me know in 30 days and you will get it all back. But I trust you. Be honest.

I was never a big football fan growing up. American football. That is until superfan Gloria Friedgen enlightened me that it was a sport where the smallest role was still critical to the team’s success. A star quarterback was of little use if the center couldn’t snap the ball to him.

I watched Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons yesterday and I was marveling at his confidence. The team was having a bad season. This game was a struggle. It would have been frustrating for anyone. But Matty Ice was having none of that. He was as confident in his and his team’s ability to make it happen as ever.

Confidence. It is the magic elixir. The drop of oil that can make the whole machine run like a top.

Here’s the connection to Matt Ryan, the Falcons and your ability to present well:

Matt Ryan has a system, a playbook, a process, a team of 50 to 100 people who, when they do their job, form that well-oiled machine.

Now to be sure, everyone there is a consummate professional. They practice long hours. They have years of experience. These two items all add immensely to their confidence.

But the system. That is their reliable tool. It is polished and refined and ready to give them the best possible chance of winning any game.

The system.

Here comes the cheesy sports metaphor…

The system is big for you as a presenter too. It is a major component that will build your confidence. The system will offer you a reliable process you can count on to deliver a powerful, effective speech.

Sure, practice and experience, like in sports, are part of the formula as well. But when you have the system…

• You get a rock-solid presentation that you can put in your pocket and know it is the best tool possible to connect with your audience.
• You know you can modify and changeup for different groups, topics and points-of-view. The system will help you make it work.
• You have something, like that family of football teammates and coaches, that you can rely on to give you your best shot in any situation.

That’s confidence.

That’s what a system can do for you as a presenter.

When I began to assemble my course, I knew that my system – the Ready2Speak system — would be the key.

A step-by-step system to help you build and deliver a proven, powerful presentation.

And my system will go a long way to build confidence for any presenter – newbies and experienced alike.

My 6-week course will be available next Monday, January 6. I invite you to join. It will change the way you present. It is for anyone who wants to connect more, influence more and/or sell more.

You’ll have a chance to supercharge your confidence with a powerful system. A system that you can use over and over again to make presentations you’ll be proud of.

Until Monday. In the meantime, check out the details…

https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

p.s. As a charter member (that’s you), there is a 2 for 1 deal. Next week only. Effectively giving you half-off. And making you a generous hero to your coworker, your friend, Aunt Ruby or that random person you see on the street. Check it out.

Patricia Fripp, Mark Scharenbroich, Ken Futch, Jeanne Robertson, Dan Thurmon, Connie Podesta, Neen James, Alan Weiss and, of course, Gene Griessman. And maybe a few hundred others.

I watched and learned from them all — either live, on audio or online. I was captivated by people who spoke. Who could weave ideas and stories and passion and theatrics together to create an experience that would beguile an audience. That would sell ideas. That would sell things.

Was there a method to their magic? Did they leave clues? Were there patterns and techniques and processes they used to create those amazing experiences?

It turns out, yes.

To be sure the folks mentioned above are the best in the world. They are the Michael Jordans of the speaking world. They operate at a different level then us mere mortals.

But they also worked hard with the raw materials we all have to get better and better and better.

Some of those above are introverts. They have faced their natural fear of failure, of looking foolish and decided they could conquer it. They have found that their place at the front of the room allows them to connect with the world in a way that suits them.

There are lessons and tools they use that we all can learn from.

• How to prepare
• How to understand your audience
• How to find the golden nugget to organize your presentation
• How to stir emotions
• How to sell
• And so many more.

These are the core of my upcoming course.

It is for entrepreneurs and small business people and subject matter experts and anyone who wants to create a pro-level presentation.

Lessons I’ve learned from the pros. Lessons I’ve modified or created from my experience working with raw beginners, big shot executives and even Hall of Fame speakers.

If you want to give better presentations at any level, for any reason, I invite you to take my course.

It will change the way you relate to your audience and connect with them. It will change the way you present.

Registration for our next session starts January 6th, 2020.

Sign up to find out more here: https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom