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ARTArticle***If You Clip Your Words, Your Message Can Get LostRecently I was talking on my cell phone to a woman from my credit card company and I was continually asking her to repeat herself. When our business was completed, I told her that because of the way she clipped her words, I had missed much of what she was saying.ARTArticle***Keep It Simple in Public SpeakingHow often had you heard the premise in public speaking that you should tell your audience what you want them to hear, tell them again what you want them to hear and finally tell them once more what you have already told them? The reasoning behind this advice is that your listeners will only remember between 10% and 30% of your message; thus, it is to your advantage to repeat the information which you want them to remember.ARTArticle***Preparation Is the Key in Public SpeakingI cannot tell you how many of my clients have admitted to me that they do not prepare for their presentations. When I hear that I am always stunned. If you know in advance that you are to speak to a group of people for whatever reason, how can you not prepare in advance? This is a no-brainer in my opinion.
Do you not think that every single athlete, musician, singer and actor prepares for the big game or opening night in advance? Yes, they may be extraordinarily gifted in their abilities but that does not mean they can afford not to practice or rehearse.ARTArticle***Public Speaking Is Not about You, It Is about ThemDo you know what the purpose of public speaking is? Think about that for a moment. Too often, we are so consumed by our fear, our topic, or our delivery, that we often miss our reason for public speaking. You could be standing on a stage or in the front of a classroom or at the head of the conference table. Wherever your location, your purpose is to impart knowledge to a select group of people.
Whether your intention is to inform or persuade, your reason for being in front of those people, be it to a group of 5 or a crowd of 500, is your audience.ARTArticle***The 3 Factors That Influence the Sound of Your Speaking VoiceThrough my many years in the voice business, I have learned more from my clients than any book or theory on voice. What has been extremely fascinating is what I have discovered as to why we sound the way we sound.ARTArticle***The 5 Biggest Mistakes Made in Public SpeakingI recently had the opportunity to hear a world-renowned public speaker and was surprised as well as disappointed by his delivery. While his message was excellent, his means of delivering that message would have gotten him a C- in my college public speaking class. Without a doubt, content is important in any form of public speaking; however, if your entire script is written out word-for-word in your PowerPoint presentation, why bother? It would be a better use of the audience’s time if you would Xerox it, pass it out, and then everyone can go home!ARTArticle***The Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response in Public Speaking – Which Reaction Describes You?So, you have been scheduled, invited, or commanded to speak. It could be the quarterly budget report for your firm. Maybe you are a member of Toastmasters. You could be enrolled in a local public speaking course. Perhaps it is your best friend’s wedding. Whatever the reason for your upcoming speech or presentation, what is your reaction to public speaking? Fight? Flight? Freeze?ARTArticle***Think Your Voice Is Nasal? Try This TestIt has been interesting for me to hear how many people think they have a nasal voice when in fact they do not. The reason this happens is because the voice they hear in their head when they speak (which is how they think they sound) is deeper in pitch than the one they hear on their answering machine, voicemail, or some other form or recording equipment. And, once they hear their recorded sound, the higher pitch makes them believe – rightly or wrongly – that their voice exhibits nasality.ARTArticle***Troubled by Hoarseness or a Persistent Sore Throat?You have been to a specialist and been told that there is nothing medically wrong but you still suffer from hoarseness and/or a persistent sore throat. You may even lose your voice by the end of the day. Yet the doctor sees nothing wrong with your throat or vocal cords aside from some redness. What is causing the redness, the hoarseness, or the pain and how can you put an end to it?ARTArticle***What does love depend on?I was recently in Puerto Rico at the semi-annual meeting of the Transformational Leadership Council. This is a group of transformational leaders, formed by Chicken Soup for the Soul co-creator Jack Canfield, and includes John Gray, Paul Sheely, Joe Vitale, Steve Pavlina, and Stewart Emery. We have a lot of workshops where we learn from each other, but mainly we just enjoy each other’s company. Every six months when I arrive I feel as if I am coming home, because I am with people who have a similar vision, passion, and commitment in life: to improve the quality of people’s lives.ARTArticle***What Image Do You Project When Approaching the Lecte
?Often we are so consumed by our speech or presentation, our delivery, or our nervousness, that we fail to recognize the value of composure in approaching the lecte
or the head of the boardroom table. You are judged not only when you begin to speak but also during your walk to the front of the room or onto the stage of the auditorium or the hall.
If your shoulders are slouched, your head hanging low and your eyes staring at your feet, how confident do you look?ARTArticle***What Is Color in Public Speaking?Color is the life, the emotion, the animation, and the passion you express in speaking. Whether you are in conversation, holding a conference call, or giving a speech or presentation, not expressing color when you talk is referred to as speaking in monotone. Another way of saying it is boring.
I have found a distinct relationship between dressing colorfully and speaking with expression.ARTArticle***What is My Job As A Parent?“How many times do I have to tell you?”
“What am I ever going to do with you?”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Don’t you ever listen?”
Imagine yourself to be a young child listening to your parents repeatedly ask you questions like these. … If you stop for a few moments, listen to these words inside your head, and experience what it feels like, you will have a clear picture of what far too many children feel every day.ARTArticle***When You Answer the Phone, Does the Caller Ask to Speak to Your Mother or Father?Nothing is more humiliating then answering the phone and having the caller ask to speak to your mom or your dad and you are 20 or 40 or 60-years-old! While this problem is generally more common among women than men, it is demoralizing to have others think you are a child over the phone.
In person, you obviously don’t look like a child, but the image you are projecting if you sound like an 8-year-old is definitely not an image that lends credibility to you or instills confidence in your listeners.ARTArticle***Which World-Renowned Motivational Speaker Is Suffering from Severe Vocal Abuse?The other day I heard a commercial with 2 motivational speakers and was appalled at how bad one of the voices sounded. Having not heard this particular man in several years, I was stunned by the amount of hoarseness with which he is afflicted. Considering that his voice is his meal-ticket, I cannot believe that he has not taken a course in voice improvement to fix the problem. The man I am referring to is Anthony Robbins.
- Chronic hoarseness is the result of talking for extended periods of time and pushing the voice from the throat.ARTArticle***Why You Should Not Memorize the Body of Your Speech or PresentationAt a workshop I was holding in Toronto, one of the participants proceeded to deliver part of a rote, memorized persuasive presentation. This man, who I will call Bill, told us that he was a ‘professional’ speaker and that his presentations lasted 90 minutes. Luckily for us, he was only allowed to speak for 8-9 minutes; however, it took just 5 minutes of his memorized script for the attention of the group to begin to fade, as their eyes glazed over.
What was so interesting about Bill’s delivery was that at one point, he forgot a word.ARTArticle***Your Soft-Spoken Voice Is Not an Asset – It Is a Liability!Speaking in a normal volume of sound can be especially tricky for the soft-spoken. If you are asked to repeat yourself or are often interrupted, then you should consider remedying the problem if you expect others to hear what you have to say. Those who are unable to hear you, tire of asking you to repeat yourself. And, in most cases, you will be interrupted because those with bigger voices will take over the conversation.ARTArticle10 Appeals to your Leadership PotentialEveryone is a leader. What differs is the number of people you are leading. By virtue of your existence you are leading someone every day. That person is you. Others choose to increase in leadership when they start leading a family, leading in a company department or at the very top (CEO) or a government ministry, to presidents. At each level of leadership there is a need for situational sensitivity. By this I mean that you need to adjust and be flexible to realize that the way you lead yourself or your family differs to the way you may want to lead a project team.ARTArticle10 Business Fundamentals for Success10 Business Fundamentals for Success
Rabison Shumba 23Apr 2010
Your understanding and correct use of the available business tools will determine how far the business goes. Regardless of size, every business needs tools to setup, administer and properly run. Some of those tools are purely financial in nature. A fair understanding of finances is necessary for every leader regardless of profession. You ignore your financial performance at your own peril. You are able to make better, informed and calculated risks or decisions whenever you know the financial implications.ARTArticle10 Common Statements That Hamper ProgressYou are as strong as the confessions and statements you say out loud or within you’re the confines of your own mind. There are common statements which our human nature naturally gravitates towards at the expense of progress and tasks at hand. Sometimes these statements are said spontaneously, without even thinking or winking. When you say something to yourself long enough, you begin to believe it totally. When you believe something, your actions and decisions are directly affected and ultimately real character is formed. Your statements you say to yourself are sometimes called affirmations.ARTArticle10 Destiny Questions Everyone Must AnswerA question is a sentence that solicits for information. A question has a corresponding answer or set of answers. In life, one must be able to ask themselves vital questions pertaining to life and destiny. This is a questionnaire that you carry throughout life which acts as a guideline or compass on how your life must run. Many people shy away from these vital questions which require introspection, looking at life in retrospect and evaluating what the future holds. Whether you like it or not, one day you would have to answer the questions.ARTArticle10 Greatest Enemies of GreatnessGreatness remains a birthright for every living human being. Your greatness is guaranteed and without question or negotiation. The capacity to dream is built in and grafted to everyone at the point of conception. This function is enabled more as you arrive on earth and become aware of what could be, possibilities and opportunities as well as potential obstacles that you face in the process called growth and experience. However, your ability to dream and guarantee of greatness is has equally opposing forces which seek to either delay, derail, destroy and mutilate your progress towards destiny.ARTArticle10 Guidelines to Effective Public PresentationIn my 13 year career as a businessman and trainer, I have either attended or presented papers at seminars and I am now accustomed to this subject. I have witnessed how even with the most detailed and exciting content most people usually see their presentation crumble for one reason or the other. As a leader or someone whose influence I know is growing, you will have to start getting used to standing before audiences to sell or market your idea, to teach or even give a speech when you get an award one day.ARTArticle10 Management Lessons from my Cookery ClassYou will be forgiven for wondering what on earth a cookery lesson my wife took me through has anything to do with management, leadership and so on. If you have read some of my articles you will realize that I derive lessons from what I see and experience every day. Indeed I received some coaching from my cookery mentor, my wife. It was worth the time as I now appreciate the fact that a meal does not just happen at the touch of an Emergency SOS button. It calls for time, planning and many other leadership and management aspects I share with you today.ARTArticle10 Office Etiquette TipsIn this article, I will show you how we need not take our workplaces for granted. Every workplace has a general feel and expected etiquette. It sometimes does not necessarily need to be documented for your to behave in a certain way. The ambiance communicates the expectations to you. However in some organizations, expectations are clearly laid out in company code of conduct documentation from Human Resources Department. I have documented common guidelines.ARTArticle10 Palace Principles - Etiquette Before KingsIn you lifetime, you will get to a point where your gift brings you before kings and people of major influence in society. You may not enter the real palace but for the sake of this document, I will look at etiquette considerations when you are meeting someone significant e.g. your mentor, minister, chief etc. The principles I share with you today apply to the real palace when you meet a real king or when you meet an authority figure. No longer will you live on assumption but you will be deliberate and intentional about some of the things you do.ARTArticle10 Priorities for Every LeaderThere is nothing as wasteful as a leader in a position and is ignorant of his/her priorities. I have always shared the notion that in every human being is the craving and desire to lead. Everyone is potentially a leader. However, some are very successful at thwarting and suppressing the leadership potential through various well-crafted excuses. I have discussed some before in another article. Now that you know you are a leader in your team, I need to acquaint you with your priorities.ARTArticle10 Steps towards ExcellenceWithin every individual is a desire to be excellent in that one does. Unfortunately for many, excellence remains a desire and is never acted out practically. No matter how much you can desire to be excellent, it will not come on a silver platter. It will cost you in terms of action, standing up and beginning to do those things that are building blocks for ultimate excellence. Excellence can also be referred to as distinction or pre-eminence. When you boldly take the steps I will give you below, you will soon make excellence a way of life. It will be a part of you.ARTArticle10 Wisdom keys to keep employees longerIt is one thing to hire the employees you desire and require to get your vision on track towards fulfillment but it is yet another thing to ensure those people are fruitful and fulfilled to a point where they stay with your company long enough to make the impact you desire. The employee-employer relationship is such that there is mutual benefit. The employer meets all the required expectations while the employee attacks the key results areas so as to deliver results befitting of the benefits accruing to their name.ARTArticle11 Possible Marketing Strategies for Nonprofit OrganizationsAll nonprofit organizations market their services and programs in some manner. This can range from e-mailing an electronic newsletter to posting an ad on a highway bulletin board. Whatever marketing strategies nonprofits choose to employ, they must always be conscious of their marketing budget. This article provides 11 possible marketing strategies nonprofits can employ, depending on their budget.