Walt Decherd Speak From Heart

How I Overcame the Fear of Public Speaking

How To Improve Speaking Skills By Walt Decherd By Julian Mather

The THUMB Program, which encourages students to adopt a culture of social responsibility has consumed my life for the past 18 months. I conceived it, I wrote it, I perform it, I market it. Still, I have trouble explaining it. It’s a little complex and as there are a number of ways to come at it I’m never sure where to start. Over time this will sort itself out but I don’t have time. You see this weekend I’m doing my first radio interview about it. Am I nervous? Yes. Worried? No. Why?

So you think you’re the only one with an attack of the jitters:

Every week I stand up before hundreds of people and perform. With the safety of a rehearsed script I’m comfortable. But I’m not used to speaking off the cuff, so to speak. This is the core of my attack of the jitters. So don’t think that having spent a lot of performing time automatically means you don’t feel the nerves. I know that if I don’t face up to this and knock these nerves on the head, next time it’ll just be worse. That’s the truth.

Part of my problem is that I’m not a naturally chatty person so I just get out of practise speaking. That may seem strange but it’s true. I communicate by written word so much that I have to be careful I don’t get too rusty on the art of conversation.

Being human is ok:

How will I attend to this. Firstly I don’t take myself too seriously. If I completely mess up in two days time the truth is my mistake is instantly forgotten. Why? Because I’m not important. There was a time I thought maybe I was but here’s the scary reality. As soon as the listener switches off or the audience member walks out of the theatre they are consumed with the really important things in their life: getting the kids to school on time, responding to phone messages, making sure they pick up cream on the way home. Conversely when I get home my wife will smile warmly and my kids will hug me. My small blip will not have affected anyone. So don’t be afraid. I’m not. Imagine what you would try if you weren’t afraid of failing.

My secret weapon against nerves:

This is one of my secret weapons. I know that there are some things I am good at. We all have strengths and weaknesses. By and large we play to these. But the reality is that I’m a beginner at well over 99% of things there are to do on planet earth and beyond. I have no shame in that. I’m not that confident at doing this interview. I’ll happily tell that on air. In fact I’ll play on it a little. Why? Not only will that engender a bit of empathy and rapport with the listeners – it’s my experience that audiences like honesty and candor – but the host may gently guide me through the experience. I’m guessing that I’ll come out the other end unharmed. If anything I’ll be strengthened by the experience and if there is a next time, it’ll be a little easier.

Another confidence building tip:

Audiences have an amazing amount of goodwill. They want you to succeed and be good. Why? Because they want to be entertained, even it it is mildly. It’s an escape for a few minutes where they don’t have to take responsibility for any actions. In effect the audience hands itself over to you. They want you to do well as it’s in their interest so don’t think you have to win an audience over. You don’t have to be funny. Just SMILE a lot and be honest.

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Public Speaking at Any Time

Walt Decherd Successful Speaking Tips By Yuji Ono

Why do you need to practice impromptu speaking? So you can speak quickly and professionally without prior rehearsal. In short, practice will position you to be able to extemporize. How many times have you wished that you could easily voice your opinions on the spur-of-the-moment without feeling like we you were choking on your words and couldn’t seem to get anything out your mouth that was coherent?

Impromptu speaking skills improve oral expression of thought, creativity in voicing your opinion, and enhance your confidence in public speaking situations. The benefits are numerous; being able to think quickly on your feet and verbalize in an articulate manner greatly improves leadership and communication skills.

The more often you allow yourself to be exposed to unexpected questions, the more readily you can relax in social situations, the interviewing process, and just defending your position on whatever topic is presented to you. When you realize you have the ability to deal with the unexpected, the surprise question won’t leave you quaking in your boots.

As you develop the process to put yourself through a regimen of learning for impromptu speaking, make it fun and use the tips below to make it effective:

• Set aside a time every week to practice with a friend or several friends. You can do it by yourself with questions on cards that you randomly draw, but it will be more interesting when you get together with a buddy to learn.
• Be creative – think out of the box.
• Choose topics that range from humorous to serious themes.
• Arrange the topics to center around one subject until you become more confident, than start to mix them up on various topics.
• Use positive words when you create topics – even if it is a controversial issue.
• If you use a closed ended question (answer is yes or no), make certain that the response is backed up with reasons to support the point of view. It is much more effective to use “news reporters questions that begins with how, when, what, where, or why.

Investing time in practicing impromptu speaking is a plus for everyone. You develop skills that will serve you well in every area of your life, and help make the people around you more comfortable in their conversations with you. Go ahead, take a chance! By the way, could you tell us about the first time you went out on a date?

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Basics of Public Speaking – How to Overcome the Fear

Basics Of Public Speaking By Walt Decherd By David Gasser

Speaking in public can be the worst experience for many if they go unprepared for what they have to accomplish. There are several ways to decrease this fear. The first and most important is being prepared and researching your topic as much as possible. Know yourself as well, you know what you have a good grasp on and what you do not. Emphasize areas you understand more than those you do not. By having a good understanding of your topic you can build your confidence level for when it comes time to get in front of other people.

Since speeches are given to audiences you should be very aware of who they will be. Having a grasp on their level of understanding and needs is very important to getting the response you are looking for. Knowing who your audience may also help you to adapt to their needs and understand speech to a group of engineers should be different than a speech given to the marketing department. You must adapt to your audience to get the correct response from those you are speaking to.

Knowing the situation for which you are speaking is also important. You should be aware of how big the engagement will be, if you will be on stage or sitting right in front of your audience. If there is going to be a very large audience you may require the aid of audio and visual enhancements. A teleprompter may be required if you do not have a podium to stand behind. I there is a podium make sure your audience has an unobstructed view of you face, because facial expressions can be a big help with connecting to your audience.

Aim for a response from the people you are speaking to. They came to the event to listen to you as well as give their opinions. Setting time at the end of your speech or even during your speech should be well planned however. Most engagements have set time-frames that people will adhere to, so you must try not to let the audience control your time line. Just keep in mind that the goal of your speech is to get a specific response from the audience, so stay on topic while addressing questions.

Your research must be relevant to the topic. If you’re giving a speech about genetics you may want to leave out the part about your Aunt Flow who has two miniature poodles. While their genetics may be relative to you, others may not understand. While putting together your information make sure it is pertinent and accurate. You may want to use multiple resources on your chosen topic and even speak with other experts on the subject. If you are simply giving speeches at a wedding just ask someone who has already done a speech to give you advice some advice. While developing your research you must come to your event with a reasonable argument that follows and supports your research. You should look for information that reaches the audiences emotions, needs and feelings. Try to be logical with any information so that your audience can connect with your subject matter. The main point you should ask yourself is, “would I believe and understand this”?

Creating a solid structure for you speech will also help you to deliver information in a sequence that makes sense to everyone. You must lead the audience with your ideas and message. A well structured speech will give it good coherence, without it your ideas may not be understood. Use smooth transitions from one idea to the next and summarize each idea as you move into another. This technique will help the audience create mental notes that will allow them to follow your message.

For a good clear cut delivery you must speak directly to your audience. Eye contact and clear emotional facial expressions can help you connect faster to your audience than looking at the floor or fighting with your shirt while you speak. There are so many different ways to give a speech that you should make sure to follow earlier steps and know your audience and yourself before you start. Some different types of speeches are impromptu speaking in which you are put on the spot. A memorized speech is one that you practice over and over until you know it by heart. Then there is a manual speech in which you read to your audience. All of these are to be considered when getting to know your subject and your audience.

For the best results you should practice your speaking techniques with friends and family and be prepared for some criticism. Taking criticism while practicing can help you get past your own image of how you are doing. You may think you’re doing terrible and yet when you speak in front of your class they sit quietly in awe at how well you executed your well practiced speech. This is part of you knowing yourself. You can get a greater understanding of yourself through the eyes of others. So practice as much as possible and don’t be afraid of criticism, this is the best way to know yourself and give you the power to change the areas you need more practice at.

You will almost always have a fear of public humiliation while speaking but you must face your fear and have the confidence in knowing that you are prepared to give an excellent speech and your research will help you out when you need it.

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Relaxation Techniques For Public Speaking

Walt Decherd Relaxation Techniques By Trevor Johnson.

Relaxation techniques for public speaking can be tremendously important in helping you to overcome the nerves that commonly precede speaking in public. You may be surprised to learn that even people who must speak in public on a regular basis often experience a case of the nerves. The difference is that they know how to utilize relaxation techniques for public speaking to help them calm their nerves so that they can give their speech or presentation.

There are many different techniques that can be used to help you relax prior to giving a speech. Progressive muscle relaxation is one of the most common and the most effective. You may have noticed that prior to giving a speech, it feels as though every muscle in your body is taut with tension. This can make your nerves even worse so it is important to learn how to release that tension. You can do this by relaxing each muscle group in your body progressively. Begin with your feet. Flex each foot for about fifteen seconds and then release it. Do this with each muscle group as you move all the way up your body. You should end with the facial muscles. Once you have finished you will likely notice that your muscles do not feel nearly as taut and that you feel calmer. Try practicing this technique a few minutes before you must give a speech.

Another effective technique for relaxing before you must give a public speech is deep breathing. Have you noticed that you have a hard time catching your breath before you must speak in public? Are you afraid you are going to hyperventilate? If so, this technique is for you. To practice this technique, inhale slowly. Make sure you have taken a full, deep breath. Hold the breath for several counts and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Perform this technique several times and you should begin to feel some of the stress and anxiety melt away.

Dry mouth is another common problem for some people. You may have difficulty swallowing just before you give your speech. Staying hydrated the day before you give your speech can be helpful it can also help to keep some sugarless candy in your pocket as well. Try sucking on a piece of candy just before you must give your speech.

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