This Blog has moved

Hi gang a quick post to let you know that after almost 3 years of blogging on here I’ve been seduced by the goodies on offer over at Wordpress! 

You can follow the crowd over there to.

You’ll find all the updates, speaking and presenting tips and techniques over at:  http://paulmjohnstone.wordpress.com

Hope I see you over there.

All the best Paul M Johnstone

Do this every time you speak

 You will have received lots of tips and guidance on how to improve your speaking and presenting skills. However there is one I recommend above all other tips, techniques and tricks. 

You will know by now there are a lot of ways to become a more effective presenter. The one I'm going to share with you today is absolutely critical. This technique will elevate your presenting way beyond anything else you do!  

In fact you will never get past a certain point in your presentation effectiveness unless you do it. If you use it, you will improve - no matter how good you are right now.

This is a three part technique, and like anything with three parts, miss one out and it fells wrong.  Like your holiday, it’s got to have a great hotel, a great resort and appropriate weather.  Miss one and somehow you fell let down or unfulfilled.

Part one: Record yourself every chance you get. This could be at a Networking group, Chamber of Commerce, a school parents association, or your local interest group.  In fact, you should do this anywhere where you express your thoughts or opinions.  Starts by using a voice recorder, many smart phones have the facility, or you can pick up an inexpensive digital audio recorder.  Every time you speak, switch it on and have it in front of you so it picks up everything you say.

Part two: Once you have become familiar with the sound of your own voice and at easy with your digital audio recorder, start to video every talk you give.  And yes Chamber events, Women’s Institute talks, Networking meetings, everywhere you speak, tape it.

Part three:  Review each and every recording so you can plan your way forward.  You know about learning from your mistakes, well this is a great way to check what you have done, and where you see improvements can be made – Make them.   

A quick note : A lot of people do Step One only. This process will ONLY work effectively if you do Steps Two and Three.

Having the right equipment will help and you can no pick up a Digital audio recorder for about £50:00 and most of us will have a camcorder of one sort or another.  If you can use an HD version it will help, because it will pick up more of the facial nuances you may not be aware of.  And as the advert goes “every little helps”

Feedback is one of the most important tools you have. And you should ask for it at every opportunity. Here is an offer when you start doing this send me a link to your talk and I will review it and send you a detailed review.

And while we are on Feedback, I thought I would share with you a fantastic book I am reading.  The DNA of success by Chris Norton, is full of fascinating stories gleaned from leading figures from sport, politics, business, the military and the arts from some of the most influential business and thought leaders in the UK today.  So far I’m getting lots of real good information. 

Anyway please take a look and it would be nice if you fed that back to me.  Here is the linkhttp://bit.ly/tlfMbw I hope you enjoy it.

About the Author

Paul M Johnstone is a Professional Communicator, Speaker, Executive Mentor and PowerPoint Guru! He works with companies, charities and individuals, helping them improve their communication skills and deliver successful presentations. 

Paul can be reached at +44 (0)7711 324362or through his website at http://www.pmjohnstone.co.uk/ and http://www.paradigmshakers.co.uk

Know your Audience, Public Speaking ~ Paul M Johnstone

Whenever I get a booking to speak, I always ask the following questions of the meeting organiser.  This is because the more I about the audience, the better I can tailor my speech.  Once you know their profile you are half way there.  This is a great way of preparing for your presentation and helps overcome the fear of public speaking that is those who are still a little nervous.

Here are the questions I currently ask: You may of course have your own parameters that are important for you.

The first set are about the venue and will give you a much better idea of what to expect.

• Where is the venue?
• Is there parking?
• Do I have preparation time at the venue? (changing space etcetera)
• IS the venue lager enough to require the use of a microphone? 
• Can you visit the venue beforehand?
• Are there any known issues with the venue? (poor sight lines, iffy acoustics, uncomfortable seating)

The next questions relate to the event itself.

• What sort of event is it? (Seminar, exhibition, Training day, Networking event, After Dinner, discovery day, team building etcetera)
• What topic do you want?
• How many people are expected?
• What are their responsibilities?
• Why Are they coming?
• Are their partners invited?
• How much of the event is business and how much social?
• What is the average age?
• And what are the age ranges?
• Are there any non English speakers attending?
• If so what's the percentage?
• What is the male/female ratio?

Here are a couple of questions are about where in the programme you will be.  You will be surprised that the position and timing of your slot can make a huge difference on your audiences reaction to your presentation. If you get the graveyard slot, that's the one straight after lunch, you will need to prepare for your audience who are still digesting their food and may not have the highest levels of concentration!

• What slot do I have?(if you get the graveyard slot you need to know in advance)

•  And who am I following and what is their topic?

• Who is on after I speak, and what is their topic? (You might get a great audience profile, but be doomed to failure because of the program schedule)

I started to formulate these questions when I was in the corporate world, where missing anything in your presentation could be a lot more damaging to your career than just about anything else.

On accepting the engagement, these questions are repeated on the pre-program questionnaire. This may seem like overkill but you are being rewarded for your efforts, you want to be remembered as a quality speaker who delivers professionally and does what it says on the tin.  That way you are more likely to get repeat work and recommendations from your audience for other jobs.

You will want as many levels of verification as you can get, so that
I know what I am getting into. Some people use a scoring chat which may well help you.  I prefer to listen to the answers and where appropriate ask supplementary questions in order to form my opinion. However I always have a set of criteria I look for which is event dependant. 

You’ll discover over time which events and topics that work for you.  Assessing possible work is not a science it’s an art.  You will quickly get used to what to listen out for and which events work for you. 

I would love to hear from you and I am interested in your comments.  So please leave your remarks once you have read this blog, Thank You

About the Author

Paul M Johnstone is a Professional Communicator, Speaker, Executive Mentor and PowerPoint Guru! He works with companies, charities and individuals, helping them improve their communication skills and deliver successful presentations. 

Paul can be reached at +44 (0)7711 324362or through his website at http://www.pmjohnstone.co.uk/ he can also be reached at http://www.paradigmshakers.co.uk