How many of you have had this experience…?

There is something you want to learn more about. It seems, from your initial examination, to be dense and unfathomable. It has many moving parts and there doesn’t appear to be a path or a logical route to take that will give you a good grip on this illusive topic.

It could be building a two-story doghouse or learning to juggle razor sharp knives or, as in my case years ago, public speaking.

When I began, I had the bug. I was enthralled with some of the great speakers I had seen. How did they appear so confident? How did they make complex subjects easy to grasp? How did they manage to get onstage without throwing up?

I wanted to be a really good speaker but there seemed to be so many random skills that I needed, and I didn’t know where to start.

I searched and searched on the mighty Interweb but it was a jumbled jigsaw of good, mediocre and horrible information from unknown “experts”.

What one person told you to always do – the next would tell you never, ever do.

Akkkkk! It was very frustrating.

But as I got better in my skills and confidence, I saw in real speakers, both live and online, what was working and what wasn’t.

I became a student of this speaking world as the only way I could figure out how to figure stuff out.

This all lead to my career as a speaker, as a presentation designer and finally as a coach.

I saw that the people I coached struggled with the same things I did. I could help them navigate this crazy world of presentations because I had been there and (trying to be modest here) done that.

Things like:

• How to begin a presentation that builds massive curiosity in your audience’s minds.
• How to get rid of the total information overload that ruins so much of our best efforts
• How to tie together a presentation so that you audience will “get” your core message.
• And perhaps most important, how to build the confidence muscles that are critical to delivering a top-notch talk.
• Plus, a gazillion other small and large techniques and understandings.

So, what is all this about you ask?

I have built a course. Actually, I have rebuilt a course I created last Spring. It is infinitely better. It is amazing.

Over 6 weeks my course will take you and your presentation from a jumbled jigsaw puzzle in a paper bag to a polished gem ready for you to make your star turn.

It has all the stuff, all the insights, all the ideas I learned and developed over the years.

And best of all, it is offered to you in a logical, step-by-step blueprint that will make your next presentation just about better that anything you have ever done.

Certainly, better than that pain-in-the-butt guy down the hall who is trying to get your job. This will smoke his ***.

So, (the gurus tell you never to say “so”) it will be ready for you to jump in and get lightyears better on January 6. That’s in just a few weeks.

In the meantime, as I finish everything up, I will be giving you some ideas of how cool it will be.

If you are on my email list, I will send you a special invite and a really cool offer as a Founding Member.

Send this to everyone you know so they can get on my list.

But not to that jerk down the hall.

Sign up to be notified first here. https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

P.S. I must tell you that this is not for everyone. I created my course for people who are willing to put in the effort, step outside their comfort zone (just a little) and become better – much better — at presenting. This speaking thing is sometimes difficult (My goal is to make it as easy as I can for you to succeed). But the rewards, as they say, are priceless.

Ho, ho, ho!

Here is an idea you can use if you want to be loved by your audience the way little kids get all wiggly and excited when they see their big red-suited Christmas buddy at the mall.

Think “What do I have that I can give to my audience that will be most valuable?”

If you are an expert speaking to a group of humans, then you are presenting them with something. Make it something that will enrich their views, their pockets or their lives. Something really valuable.

Just like a present under the tree.

They will love you just like Santa. No red suit necessary.

Season’s best,

Tom

I think this is an idea I stole from friend and humorist Jon Schwartz (aka Vinni Verelli). He would tell his class of up and coming speakers how he would always voice-record his gigs and then listen to them on the way back home. He would especially listen for laughter because you can never remember what draws laughs and what doesn’t in the moment. You have to listen and learn later.

So, I came up with this slight modification.

I like to wake up very early and have “me time.” That usually means watching videos of homeless dogs rescued by the side of some road in Romania to writing about stuff. Any stuff.

I am sure it was after a presentation I made and the next morning I was writing something like this:

“Ten things I learned from speaking to the Solid Waste Management Association.” (This was a real gig. Ah, the life of a speaker.)

And I wrote my list. I only got to five. But when I forced myself to write all ten, I really got to some of the interesting stuff.

• Slide showing worker at landfill connects more than just landfill image. (people like seeing people they might work with)
• Making book giveaway for asking best question added energy and fun.
• Everyone loves their world even if it stinks like garbage.

The point is it was a debrief. I was writing down and burning into my memory details I would surely either not remember or maybe not have ever noticed.

This is a great way to learn effortlessly.

I encourage just about everyone I coach or speak to about presenting to try it. If you are a student of this speaking thing or you just simply want to get better at communicating, then do a quick debrief on the way home or in the next day or so after an event of any significance.

I have a bunch of journals with these lists in them. The truth is I never go back and review. I don’t have to. Just making and writing the list is enough to learn the point.

And here is an old school tip: Write them down longhand. Yikes, I know. But it works.

More profound, semi-profound and stolen ideas can be found here: https://ready2speak.com

Merry Christmas and all other seasonal celebrations,

Tom

Today, Two quick lessons of clicker abuse or rather lack of clicker abuse.

Example number 1. Joe (we are not using his real name to protect him from public ridicule) stepped up to the front of the room. He then fumbled with his laptop for about 5 minutes to get plugged in and to load his slides. Finally, he stepped away and began his talk.

Clickerless Joe stopped his presentation, walked over to his laptop and pressed the enter key to advance his next slide. If he only had a few slides it would have been bad enough.

But we were not so lucky. Joe had many slides and his interruptions were a major distraction. Come on Joe!

Henrietta, like-wise, did not invest in a clicker. When she arrived at the venue she found that her laptop had to be set up far away from where she would speak. She enlisted a helper to advance her slides whenever necessary using a very discrete hand signal. All worked well until her helper advanced too many too quickly and then it was a fun time watching as they both tried to get back on track.

Don’t be like Joe and Henrietta. Be prepared.

Buy a clicker, they are less than 20 bucks. Practice with it. Get to your location early. Test everything out.

And then hope the little nasties that live in every speaker’s laptop and PowerPoint program don’t sabotage your best efforts.

Because, if you are not watching, they will.

You can’t avoid all the bad stuff, but his guy will help you deal with most of it: https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom

Yesterday I rattled on about how a presenter can enhance their credibility by citing reliable and appropriate sources for the statements they make to their audiences. If done right, these references can show that you are not just blowing some smoke from your dorm room in the 70s but have actual research or expert knowledge behind your ideas.

My Toastmaster buddy and friend Sandy Pon quickly shot me this: “Idea for a sequel: How to cite many sources, i.e. what and how much to say for enough cred, in a speech without bogging it down, esp if you’re not using ppt.”

Sandy is a superstar research librarian and I assume she has to deal with technical people who are very demanding of established sources for any claims they may make as a speaker.

I have created presentations for this type of situation many times. There is always a need to give citations to sources. Often many, many citations.

My solution as with any presentation where you must show too much small detail – detail that will become a certain energy killer if spouted from the speaker — use handouts.

Handouts are a presenter’s safety valve.

Keep your oral presentation focused on your few powerful action items – the take-aways. Provide the major supporting details. But assign the minutia to a handout.

You will have satisfied both masters – the need to deliver a powerful message and the need to get into the weeds and prove you know your stuff.

Hope this helps.

Help could be heading your way: https://ready2speak.com/course

Tom