So you’ve done something great at work such as finished a tough project, discovered a new way to be profitable or solved a difficult problem. You’re a star, your coworkers and peers admire you and you’re rewarded by … having to give a speech about it.

As you probably know, public speaking is the number one social fear (and some studies show people fear it even more than death). If you’re already uncomfortable speaking to groups, the added pressure of having to do it well as part of your job can cause you reason for panic. Fortunately, you can succeed – it’s not as bad you think it is.

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With all the hype surrounding the upcoming High School Musical 3 movie, I figured I’d take a moment to comment on something that bothers with the second movie. More racy pictures of Vanessa Hudgens? A scandal? The cast making unruly demands? Not at all. What really bothers me is the way the major conflict within the movie is handled: the premise that it’s more important to be liked than it is to go after your goals.  Read more... (816 words, 2 images, estimated 3:16 mins reading time)

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The way the audience reacts can often make or break your presentation. I’ve seen dead audiences bring down great presenters and excited audiences make so-so speeches come alive. From my own personal experience as a speaker, I thrive off of audience energy – it’s like a natural high. There’s nothing like the feeling of an audience positively reacting to your speech.  Read more... (394 words, 1 image, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)

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In Part 1 of this series, we talked about what causes hostile audiences, now we’ll discuss some measures to help prevent them. In general, you need adequate preparation to prevent a hostile audience and that boils down to researching your audience. When you’re nailing down the details for your speech with the person organizing the event, a little research up front can go a long way.

Since everyone’s situation is different, not all of these tips may apply to you. For example, if you’re delivering an inspiration story about how you survived cancer, you’re not worried about people judging you based on the company you work for. So we’ll discuss some preventative measures for each of the main points from part 1.  Read more... (1613 words, 1 image, estimated 6:27 mins reading time)

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Have you ever been accused of over communicating? Many of us tend to add in more details than necessary when we communicate. Hence the term “TMI,” an acronym for “too much information.” So let’s look at over communication in a bit more detail.

What is over communication:

Over communication occurs when we provide irrelevant information or get too deep in to details when we communicate. For example, if someone you barely know asks how you’re doing, an over communicated answer would be:  Read more... (613 words, estimated 2:27 mins reading time)

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I always look back at the five years that I was involved with Toastmasters International with fond memories. I served as V.P of Education and Club President with a great group of officers, as an Area Governor and mentored several people. I’ve earned several awards, conducted speech contests and participated in a variety of Toastmasters related events. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting some of the friendliest people (hundreds of them) within my own clubs, through events at the district level and even on-line through my blog, e-zine subscribers and other discussion groups.  Read more... (1371 words, 1 image, estimated 5:29 mins reading time)

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We all want our audiences to laugh with us, not at us and let’s face it – it just feels great to have the audience laugh at your jokes. Great speakers are able to entertain us while they educate us. There is also a perception that having the audience laugh with you throughout your talk means that it’s well received.

Humor is one of the best attention getting devices out there. If someone isn’t paying attention and the audience laughs, he or she will focus back on you to see what go the reaction. As a general rule, you want to put an attention getting device into your speech every three to five minutes to prevent losing your audience. In addition to humor, the other common ways to get attention include:  Read more... (685 words, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)

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