public speaking

Hi San!

You'll find a wealth of tips on the other posts in this forum, such as:
http://www.uncommonforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=822

Is there anything else specific you wanted to know?

Cheers

Roger

Hi San,

That's an interesting presupposition that the best orator speaks in a hypnotic voicetone all the time - I think the best orators have the flexibility to use a variety of voicetones, body language and gestures, using what is most appropriate at the right time.

I think one of the most useful things to learn is how people learn! Different people have different strategies for learning, or receiving information and a good public speaker will attempt to satisfy as many of these as possible - for example, some people want the big picture, others the detail.

I think one of the most useful tips for public speaking I learnt was to think in terms of the states of mind of the audience - easier to demonstrate than explain, but here goes:

What will be their state of mind when arriving (state 1) and what is the state you would like them to have when leaving (state 5). Then think what the halfway state is between the two (state 3), and then the halfway betweeen state 3 and state 5 - this is state 4. Then think of the halfway between State 1 and State 3 - this is state 2.

You know have 5 states that you wish your audience to be in for your presentation, then think how you will trigger each of those states in your audience.

I find this a helpful way of preparing and avoids getting bogged down in content too early on.

Interesting Mike, it has made me realise that I spend quite a lot of time assessing what state 1 will be with an audience (especially a new one) and making my intro fit with that, for rapport reasons obviously.

For example, on a hypnosis workshop where people have come in 'off the street', something that parallels their likely scepticism is a good idea.

The approach I've described above, of thinking about present state, desired states and the states in between is useful for a lot of things besides public speaking - for example 1:1 meetings, relationship conflicts, meetings etc.

For example last week I worked with someone who wanted a work change - she didn't know what she wanted to do, so did some work to get her desired outcome - this seemed too large a jump from her present situation, so broke it down in this way - which not only clarified what she wanted and how she would get there, but also by doing state 2 at the end, means that the next step is the last thing discussed and makes it seem an easy and worthwhile step for getting to the desired goal.

thanks alot!
i got lot of useful information which i need this moment,
specially thanx to Mike.
well i have a firend, very old but whenever he talks -people almost go into trance, his VOICE makes listener very quite.
i dont know very much about NLP but is it possible to copy someones voicetone?
can we use self hypnosis to improve or change our voice?
i have listened to some of the greate orators and i think that their voice is not natural.
is there any technique?
i think one more factor is important and that is *energy*
this old person has a certain kind of energy, which anyone can feel.
i think if we can mix Mikes recipy with that viocetone and energy then...may be
what do u think?

Hi San

I think that your tone of voice conveys energy. Try listening to a radio presenter and notice the amount of inflection - the different pitches they use when talking. As you say, it is not natural, but it is certainly attention-getting.

The more fascinated, or intense you sound, the more you convey to your listeners "this is important - listen". Perhaps the clearest example of this is an urgent whisper - almost impossible to ignore.

an urgent whisper - almost impossible to ignore.

I think David Attenborough is a great example of this - whispers, but with a great deal of energy and excitement, and draws people in.

And of course there is another trick that public speakers use to keep you hanging on for more, but I'll tell you about that later!!

hm mike is that trick is creating suspense or anticipation
using l-o-n-g pauses? (we'll ask this question to Mr.President after a short break)
or is it something different?

an urgent whisper is impossible to ignore.

one of my firend speaks in lower pitch (with lot of pauses) and we concentrate on him;
and we feel that what he is telling is very important.
one more thing i have observed that when u take a long pause u can check inside and make small changes or choose the right word.
can u tell me something about posture and body language?

Hi San,

Some people like animated speakers pacing the stage arms waving, other's prefer a more sedate, still speaker. How you move on stage affects the energy level of the audience. Keeping your eyes on a busy speaker is exhausting over time however at the opposite end a still speaker will have your audience snoozing comfortably. Echoing Mike's suggestion about breaking your presentation into stages, you may want to consider the amount of energy required for that stage, and therefore how physically active you want to be.

First things first, if you are new to presenting, I would opt for the calm end of the spectrum as this will help you manage involuntary, nervous movements. And practice in front of a video. Replay with the sound switched off and see how you come across physically. Where are your eyes looking? What are your hands doing?

As an interesting aside, watch newsreaders and notice how still they hold their heads. If you held your head that still in a real life conversation people may think you have a neck problem, but it works for TV or video-conferencing.

Tony Blair is a good politician to watch for posture whilst presenting. One favoured gesture to emphasise a point is using both hands, knuckles bared to the audience. (Difficult to describe but watch and you'll spot it quickly). This is an aggressive gesture, challenging his audience to contradict his point - hence the knuckles.

Bill Clinton uses a lip bite when aiming to convey sincerity, as if he is too emotional to say the words. And analysis has proven that he uses this as a conscious technique to manipulate the emotional state of his audience.

You may want to consider your appearance. Clothes, hairstyle, jewellery etc can enhance or detract your appearance, so take a moment to think about what impression you want to make.

I hope that this gives you something to think about San! Let us know how you get on.

thanxs Lyn!
i like watching good public speakers on TV screen,
and many times i notice their bodylanguage and subtle gestures,
and its interesting that many times one find himself using 'exactly'
same gestures unconciously...