Speakers Weekly Tune Up: How To Improve Your Speaking Skills Every Day by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Just adding in a bit of humor can lighten up a serious situation. For example in my true story “Negotiating For My Life On Top of the World”, I am inspecting a roof by standing on the roof taking video pictures of the roof when the roofer, Mr. S who resembles a “linebacker” comes over demanding more money! I heard him approaching sounding like “a heard of elephants”. I stopped what I was doing and looked at him!”   Here’s what happened: Mr. S says, "I need $3,000 right this minute"! He tried to threaten me by moving me to the edge of the roof. He was so angry! I remained calm, looked him in the eye and reminded him he had received his payment three days ago and that he needed to fix the gapes and bubbles in the membrane of the flat roof so he could receive more money.”   (His next draw from the contract.”) “I explained I did not carry that amount of money with me. I said to him, “Do you see an ATM anywhere up here?”     He stopped and looked around...

By describing your scene you make your story into a live three-dimensional movie. Even though it was many years ago when I played for Frank Sinatra in Carnegie Hall, I can still visualize the scene of the concert. “ Picture this: The lights at Carnegie Hall are lowered. You can feel the electricity in the air. The hall is filled to capacity. The orchestra on stage is given the signal to begin. Frank Sinatra walks on stage, commanding attention, by looking tall, fit and trim wearing a tailored suit that fits him to perfection. He smiles and makes eye contact with his audience making each person feel as if they were “an honored guest” and he was singing just for them. The audience was riveted to the stage. They could not take their eyes off him.” http://ezinearticles.com/?First-Impressions-Are-Fast-Impressions:-How-Do-You-Succeed-at-Both?&id=6928987 This description invites you into the scene at Carnegie Hall.You can feel the excitement  and electricity inside o...

Can your audience visualize your characters? Do they have a mental image of what he or she looks like? As a child of eight my life changed after meeting Mr. William Whitson. He became my favorite teacher. What did he look like? “Mr. Whitson was a tall, handsome, young man who looked at me with a big smile, with a bright light shining from his eyes, that said without saying a word, you can be a good student, and I will show you how.” “His positive attitude just glowed from him. He was in the military. I did not know at the time that he was only 23 years old.” Here is the full article: http://madelinefrank.com/blog/a-compassionate-teacher/ By reading this description of Mr. Whitson you can visualize him and see him in front of you! Even today I smile when I think of Mr. Whitson. Please share your thoughts and comments about this blog. Until next week remember to describe your characters to make your story memorable and visual. Ma...

Choose words for your speech that are both memorable and descriptive. Some words because they are so well chosen, live on through history. For Example: President Abraham Lincoln's: (272 words) Gettysburg Address: "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” House Divided Speech : “ A house divided against itself cannot stand." Emma Lazarus' :   Pedestal Statue of Liberty: “ Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 
 I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Patrick Henry's: Second Virginia Convention: “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Prime Minister Winston Churchill's : Never Give Up speech: “ Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or sm...

Movies are told in dialogue with the interaction between two or more people. Instead of telling your story in a monologue, by a single character, tell your story as a dialogue like in your favorite movie.  For example, in my story “Quietly Walk Away From A Snake”  the scene between the two characters on the telephone is in dialogue. “ Conversation on telephone between J and Husband”: Husband: (excitedly) “Hi   J, “I opened the boat hatch to start our boat and by the battery were 3 large black snakes by the moth balls!” “Remember a month ago, we opened the battery hatch and a mother bird and her babies were sitting inside the hatch by the battery. Well, they finally left the hatch and we cleaned it out with disinfectant and put in mothballs to keep them from returning. How do we get rid of the snakes?” J- “Well, the snakes smelled the birds eggs and slithered in! Mothballs do not stop Snakes. Open the hatch and let the sun light in. The snakes will le...