(C) 2011        www.schrift.com

A NY Times article states:  “We adopted daylight saving time (during World War I), rejected it (after the war), adopted it again (during World War II), and then left it up to the states and localities until 1966, when Congress once more decided it was a national concern. And as much as we complain and point out that it doesn’t make anyone more productive or save any energy, it persists. Almost every state has eight months of it each year and only four months of so-called standard time. As a result, today we rose with the dawn and next week we’ll be eating breakfast in darkness.”

I learned that the “sage” of Philadelphia , Benjamin Franklin, conceived a system similar to daylight saving time in 1784. While he was America ‘s first ambassador to France , he “estimated that the simple act of awakening at sunrise and retiring at sunset  in the months between spring and fall would result in an annual saving of a little more than 64 million pounds in candle wax for Paris residents. But, unlike us, Mr. Franklin did not live in a world of video games, computers, dishwashers and big-screen televisions. Can anyone do thmath for today’s savings?

 The Coach feels . . . that more light in the day makes me feel better. Do you agree?

Tomorrow night we get to watch the annual Academy Awards and the honorees who portray characters in selected films.  In some ways, actors are like public speakers.  They assume their roles as if they truly believe and live what and who they are portraying.    They convince us that this is who they are . . . even for a short time.  We may come away motivated, inspired, moved and even wanting to make a change in our lives.

Some public speakers are a natural and make it look easy, while others work hard at developing their skills. Here are some of the attributes of a great speaker.

• They have a combination of mind and heart, conviction and compassion.
• They feed off the energy and the hopes of their audiences.
• They are innovators and students of their expertise.
• They set forth a vision of where their audience needs to go and a strategy of how to get there.
• They use their persuasive power and demonstrate persistence.

The Coach sez . . . be good, you are.

I have been booking and coaching speakers for over25 years and have noticed some behaviors that define an influencing speaker.

 An effective speaker influences an audience with detailed content, providing great delivery and a big picture view.

An influencing speaker not only demonstrates what they can offer you but will find a way to make you buy.

An influencing speaker informs and delivers their powerful messages with punch, pizzazz and passion.

Who influences you on TV to purchase their products, try a new recipe, think differently about a subject . . . and why?

Who or what influences you to read an article in your email box or on the Internet?  How often are you informed and inspired?  Or just informed?  Who are the influencing actors and actresses today?

 The Coach asks . . . are you an informer or an influencer?

Do you feel at ease when you are speaking with your friends or your colleagues but freak when you have to present to a group of strangers in a small or large audience?

Would you like to feel comfortable the next time you are asked to do some public speaking?  If the answer is yes, then let’s get started.

 I suggest three key things to remember:

• Know your audience
• Know your content . . . well
• Get over yourself!  (remember you are speaking to a group because you have information they need to hear)  So be there for them – it is not about you.

 To be a polished platform speaker practice the following:

• MEET and GREET – get to your presentation early and “work” the room.  Shake hands, introduce yourself and learn others names.  Then when you begin your speech, some faces will be familiar to you and you to them.
• Before you begin your presentation, BREATHE.  Like opera singers, good speakers learn to breathe from their diaphragms and practice this daily.  Proper breathing calms us down.
• Your OPENING is crucial.  Audiences have short attention spans, so you need to get their attention in the first 30 seconds and sustain it.  Some good techniques for attention getting are:
  1. Ask a rhetorical question
  2. Make a startling statement
  3. Use a quotation or quote from the media
  4. Tell a personal story
  5. Share a funny story
  6. Show a short video clip that leads into your presentation

 Don’t ever begin by saying “thank you” to your introducer or telling your audience how nervous you are or telling them a joke.

 You have their attention and now you need to sustain it.  The following are some ways you can PERSUADE your listeners on your ideas.

• Up front, you tell them what you will be telling them.  This needs to be their agenda and what is important for them to know.
• Your 3-4 points need to refer to the audience’s issues.  Support your points with some stories.  Most people are visual learners, so your stories will help them delineate their thoughts visually.  As they listen to you, they will be a step away from their own story.  Stories create connection.
• Your listeners will respond to your recommendations if you explain how your solution will solve their challenges/problems.  The story is a good place to support your recommendation(s) with evidence.
• Your ending or closing needs to include a summary of what you just told them and a call to action.  For example, you may say, “What is one nugget you can use immediately?” or “What is one thing you can do differently in the next 7 days?’

 Enthusiasm and passion are contagious – so use it generously to persuade your audience to buy your product, use your service, or make some change.  People have short memories, so repeat your key points several times.  Use short, simple words.  Give ‘em the facts.  Don’t bore them with too much detail.  Keep your presentation short. (Obama’s inaugural speech was 18 minutes and 20 seconds long)

 Provide some interactive exercises.  This keeps the audience involved and “owning” some of the material you present.  You can have people turn to their partner and act on an action you present to them.  If there is time, divide in small groups to work on an action.  Make time for some feedback from the group.

 Use a conversational style with your audience.  Use the word “you” as often as possible.  For example:  “What would you do?”  “If you could create a perfect life, what would it look like?”  “How do you feel right now?”

 Now, are you ready to Present with Power and Pizzazz?

 For more speaking tips, go to:  http://schrift.com/blog/

Sign up today for my FREE newsletter, Monday Morning Mindfulness and receive a free e-book “How to Get Your Speaking to the Next Level”.

 Sandra Schrift © 2011      www.schrift.com

We’ve all been there: listening to someone totally botch our introduction to an audience. Now is a time to revisit your approach to your speaker introduction and how you support your introducer. Here are tips compiled (by speaker Jeff Davidson) over the years from various masters:

• Recognize that a good introduction must both set the stage and put the audience at ease. A bad introduction can diminish your impact.
• When writing up your introduction, include your speech title, who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and why you are qualified. Be accurate and make sure that your name is the last word that the audience hears before you go on.
• Keep your introduction short — one minute, or approximately two paragraphs, is more than enough. Let your actual presentation speak loudest about your abilities.
• Help your introducer by employing a large point size on a 6×9 inch index card (which stays rigid). At the top include the message: “Dear Introducer: your role today is crucial and will set the stage for my opening lines. Please be upbeat and affirming. People won’t likely recall what you say, but they’ll remember how you said it.”
• Nod, gesture, or otherwise thanks the introducer as you approach the stage or lectern.

Start strong and be brilliant!

The Coach suggests . . . bring an extra copy of your intro in case the introducer cannot find his/her copy.

This is a good time of year to do a “baggage check.” What do you own that is dated and useless? What do you hang on to that is hurtful and defeating? Do you worry about future events that have or may not happen? Do you agonize over losses? Do you keep reliving past hurts and traumas?  Dr. Lloyd Thomas suggests that to “let go” takes love. To “let go” is to acknowledge that which I cannot change, and pursue that which I can. To “let go” is not to care for, but to care about. To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.  To “let go” is not to deny, but to accept.

The Coach asks . . . are you ready to join me in fearing less
and loving more in 2011?

Over the years, while listening to professional speakers,I notice that the best story tellers deliver a speech with several stories that are accented by their points. They understand that it isn’t just providing content that impacts their audience, but their story.A way to inspire, motivate and get people to take some action, think differently. To make the emotional connection with your audience try Pareto’s Principle: 80% story and 20% content. You must reach their hearts and their souls.

 The Coach sez . . . although people need to know, they must also feel to be inspired to make a change.

(C)2010          www.schrift.com

Writer, Erika Kosina, suggests that a “Tech Sabbath,” a day of rest from electronic communication, will foster our wellness.  An opportunity to reconnect with what really matters in our lives.  Thoreau said it best: “Live deliberately, instead of mindlessly.  I encourage my grandchildren to play outdoors , to detach from the phone, and less TV.  So now I  am working on my own unplugging (after I finish this newsletter) and avoided shopping this Black Friday.

 The Coach likes . . . what San Francisco local businesses did recently; sponsored a Tech-Free Day at a picnic which  banned technology.

The Sabbath Manifesto – 10 Ways to Take a Day Off (www.techFreeDay.org)

1. Avoid technology

2. Connect with loved ones

3  Nurture your health

4. Get outside

5. Avoid commerce

6. Light candles

7. Drink wine

8. Eat bread

9. Find silence

10. Give back

Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, philosopher and author reminds us that the only reliable source of well-being is not what we do for our own pleasure, but what we do to make those around us happy. After awhile, I realize that another speech, another published article, another conference does not feed my soul. When I reach out to others through my Rotary activities and personal contacts with friends and family it feels soulful because making others happy makes me feel good about myself. Happiness through altruism . . . what a concept!

The Coach sez . . . build a school, make a micro loan, buy a child a book, drill a well. And then you come to realize that we all need each other.