Bring it on home!

Fellow speaker,

To make sure you end strongly and don't lose your audience at the end of your speech, memorize the exact words for your closing lines for your speech.  Then, when the end of the speech comes, give those closing lines powerfully and excitingly to your audience.

At the end,

Tim

Here and now

Fellow speaker,

One way to organize your speech is to talk about past and present:

1. Here's were I was
2. Here's where I am now
3. Here's how I got there

Here here,

Tim

Limited engagement

Fellow speaker,

Focus your presentation on getting two or three points across to the audience so the audience has definite "take aways" from your speech.

Limitedly,

Tim

Stand aside!

Fellow speaker,

When giving PowerPoint presentations, stand to the audience's left side of the screen.  That way, when the people read the screen they will continually come back to you after they finish each line.

Leftover,

Tim

Take it easy

Fellow speaker,

When practicing your speech and you get a hoarse voice, rest your voice.  Rest, relax, and in the morning your voice should be stronger.

Restfully,

Tim

It's all in your mind

Fellow speaker,

To help your audience get the most out of your story, leave out some of the information and let your audience use their imagination to "fill in":

• The rest of the details
• How the characters look
• Any other details around the events in the story

Mindfully,

Tim

Finish it off

Fellow speaker,

At the end of your story:

• Solve the ongoing problem in the story
• Add in any final thoughts or moral

Wrapping up,

Tim

Stuck in the middle again

Fellow speaker,

The middle part of your story is for:

• Filling in the necessary detail
• Building towards the high point of the story

Building up,

Tim

Getting set up

Fellow speaker,

When beginning your story set up the:

• General setting of the story
• Main characters
• Event or conflict

Beginning,

Tim

Credit check

Fellow speaker,

When quoting someone or use their content in your story:

• Credit the person who wrote the story
• If you are basing your story on some other story, say, "This story is based on..."
• If the story is based on a folk legend or folklore mention that

Crediting,

Tim

Story decisions

Fellow speaker,

When creating stories decide:

1. What you want the story to mean to the audience
2. What type of emotions you want the audience to have

Emotionally,

Tim

Multi-storied

Fellow speaker,

There are many sources for stories:  things you have heard, things you have read, a picture you've seen, a song you've listened to, something you've made up, etc.

Storied,

Tim

It's all in your mind...

Fellow speaker,

Much of your story takes place in your audience's minds.  This is the "Theater of the Mind" where the unmentioned details of your story are filled in.  Tell a few details in your story and let the audience fill in the details you don't mention.

Mindfully,

Tim

Look the part

Fellow speaker,

Use facial expressions when telling a story.  If you tell a happy story, smile.  If you tell a sad story, frown.  If you tell a sad story, cry.  Use your face to reinforce the story message.

Facially,

Tim

Pointed stories

Fellow speaker,

Keep your stories short and to the point.  Ask "Why does this detail need to be in the story?"  If the detail is necessary for the audience to understand the story, leave it in.  If the detail is unnecessary for the audience to understand the story, take it out.

Thinning the story,

Tim

Size to fit

Fellow speaker,

Make sure your story "fits" your audience.  Use words which fit with the words that the audience normally uses.   Make sure that cultural references in your story fit with the cultural world of your audience.

Fitting in,

Tim

4 minutes

Fellow speaker,

Adult interest tends to "drop off" at about four minutes.  So about every four minutes do something surprising or interesting to "pull" the adult audience back into your presentation.

Pulling,

Tim

I have seen the truth...and it's funny!

Fellow speaker,

To discover humor and comedy:

• Look in the room - see if there is something unusual about the room that you can make a humorous remark about
• Put it all together - combine all the things people have said about you or others into a combined humorous comment that references all the things mentioned
• Take a chance - see if something occurs that you can find humor in

Checking out the humor,

Tim

I see what you are laughing about...

Fellow speaker,

Be alert for opportunities to put in "observational" humor based on what you see and experience onstage:

• Double meanings - listen to what people say and see if there is some sort of "double meaning" you can humorously refer to
• Poke fun at yourself - make a humorous comment about yourself and your abilities based on your observations of speakers who came before you
• Pile on - if someone says something that gets a laugh, see what you can add on to the original joke to also get a laugh

Laughing it up,

Tim

POV

Fellow speaker,

Tell your stories from a different or unusual point of view.  Sometimes the most common story becomes uncommonly interesting if looked at in a different way.

Differently,

Tim

Give away your best lines

Fellow speaker,

When telling a personal story, give the best lines in your stories to some other story character (don't say them yourself in your story).  This will make you appear more modest and likeable to your audience.

Modestly,

Tim

Listen to others before you

Fellow speaker,

If you are speaking at a convention, listen to the speeches of the other speakers.  See if there are any ideas that those speakers bring up you can reference during  your presentation.

Listening,

Tim

Handling the unexpected

Fellow speaker,

When you are asking the audience a question in order to find a certain answer and someone says something that doesn't fit into your presentation:

1. Give the person credit for saying something
2. Moving from their point to the point that you are looking for

Handling the audience,

Tim

Books to help sell your audience

Fellow speaker,

World Champion Craig Valentine suggests these books to help develop your speech selling skills:

• Triggers by Joseph Sugarman (advertising copy genius)
• The Psychology of Persuasion by Kevin Hogan (genius on influence)
• Soft Selling in a Hard World by Richard Vass

Sold,

Tim

All you need is fun!

Fellow speaker,

For the people who want to have more fun in life, make it clear how your presentation helps them have a fun time and get more joy out of their day.

Funnily enough,

Tim

What you get

Fellow speaker,

Make it very clear to your audience exactly what things they will get from your speech.  Let them know they will gain more money, more customer leads, etc. from following your speech.

WIIFMing,

Tim

Produce productively

Fellow speaker,

Suggest that people will be able to get more out of their life or their jobs if they pay attention to your speech.  This will "pull them in" and make your audience listen closely, so they get the important life/job tips you promised.

Pulling 'em in,

Tim