ON QUESTIONS

Professional and public speakers before delivering their presentations
to any group, need to ask many questions of the program chair so that
their material is relevant to that audience. Here are a few to consider:

• Who will be attending this program? (sexual mix, how many,age range, work titles)
• What are the goals and objectives of this meeting/program?
• What results do you expect from me?
• Will this audience respond to my interactive exercises?
• How much content, how much entertainment?
• Very important – are you speaking at a meal event? This is challenging
for a speaker – I advise you not to speak over a meal because it is
difficult to get and maintain the attention of a group.

The Coach sez . . . those speakers who ask many questions prior to an
engagement are more successful at the platform.



(C)2008 www.schrift.com

ON SPEAKING PERFORMANCE

William Buckley, conservative author, journalist and talk
show host died recently. A tall man who was a speaker/performer
with varied vocal and physical expressions, highlighted with eccentric
movements and gestures. This genius knew how to “rise to the occasion”
to make his point. Other successful speakers connect with their
audience in the first few minutes with a riveting story, a funny incident, a
startling statement , or perhaps a poem. They know how to make their
opening remarks relate to the material that follows. For more articles
on speaking tips go to: http://www.schrift.com/articles.html

The Coach quotes an easy way to craft your speech . . . “Tell ‘em,’ what
you’re going to tell ‘em.’ Tell ‘em. And then tell ‘em’ what you told ‘em.’


(C)2008 www.schrift.com

ON GEMMELSMERCH

Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Crazy Busy, defines gemmelsmerch as the force that distracts us from what we want or ought to be doing. Some examples:

Fixing the computer glitch for 3 hours
Reading magazines instead of doing your work
The telephone, cell phone, blackberry, or Treo. Turn them off and limit your calls.
Television - how much watching is too much?
An open door that allows people to pop in
Radio talk shows - do you find them addicting and lose focus on what you are doing?
The mess - clutter in your office, home or car. File it, shelve it, use it, or throw it away.

The Coach agrees . . . that we need to figure out what matters most to us and do what matters most to us. DON'T GET SIDE- TRACKED.

ON FILLER WORDS

Why do most people use these words? Like . . . (oops)
um, okay, anyway, you know what I mean, uh, so, well,
but. I mean (oops) these are real bad habits, right? The first
step is to become aware that you use these words – get feedback
from your friends and colleagues. Toastmasters uses an effective
technique to help you become aware of the filler words. It is called
the Ah Counter – every time you say a filler, someone uses a buzzer
or clicker to remind you. As if you aren’t nervous enough speaking
to your peers, eh? In my booklet, Speak Like a Pro for Profit, (see #6 below)
I provide some tips and urge you to speak, speak, speak and ask for
feedback. This will remind you to break the habit as often as possible.
And remember to BREATHE!

The Coach sez . . . you know (oops) basically (oops) to tell the truth (oops),
it like (oops) takes a long time to stop the habit of using fillers.
UGGGGHHHHH!


(2008) Sandra Schrift www.schrift.com

ON TRYING IT

“Emanuel Ax, the great concert pianist, recalls the nervousness when his ensemble, which included cellist Yo-Yo Ma , proposed a new variation on an old piece to their partner, the esteemed violinist Isaac Stern.” Since Stern was 20 years older than they, and had probably played the composition hundreds of times before, they thought he would resist the change. Instead, nearly 80 year old Stern, hesitated briefly and said: “Let’s try it.” I think there is a lesson here for professional speakers, business owners and entrepreneurs. (source: AARP Bulletin)

The Coach asks . . . are you willing to do or think something in a new way?




(C)2008 www.schrift.com