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

Before you begin your speech remove all barriers between you and your audience . That means remove the podium and anything else that is blocking you from your audience. When you speak to your audience you want to be able to make eye contact and connect to them as you re-live your story. Nothing should be in your way! I learned this the hard way! I recently gave a speech at my Toastmaster club and did not move the table sitting in the area I was speaking in, which created a barrier between my audience and me. The Toastmaster who evaluated my speech “reminded” me to remove all barriers before speaking. Please share your thoughts and comments about this blog. Until next week remember before you begin your speech or presentation remove all barriers between you and your audience to make your story memorable and visual. Madeline Frank,  Ph.D., is  a 2014 Certified World Class Speaking Coach. She has been coaching and mentoring business professionals to be champion...

When you have a long presentation to make, give your audience a map to follow during your speech presentation. Craig Valentine, World Champion of Public Speaking and one of my coaches , calls this a “Road Map” for your audience to follow: For example in my speech presentation on “Connecting with Others” I will introduce my “Road Map” by saying,   “And this comes to you in the form of the 4 Ls, for “Levels of Conversations”. 1) How you can begin your first level of conversation with “Small talk”. 2) Then you’ll pick up your second level for “Fact disclosure”. 3)   You’ll then pick up your third level for how to connect your conversation with ‘Viewpoints and opinions”. By giving your audience a “road map” to follow, in three steps, your presentation will be clear, concise, and meaningful to your audience. Please share your thoughts and comments about this blog. Until next week give your audience a “Road Map” to follow during your speech pres...

Giving your audience to much information can have them tune out of your speech. Is there a rule to guide you in writing your speech? Craig Valentine, World Champion of Public Speaking and one of my coaches , calls this the “10 to 1 Rule of Thumb”. He says, “For every 10 minutes you speak, make 1 major point and illustrate it.” When you give a 30-minute speech you will be making 3 points. When you make a 45-minute speech you will be making 4 points.  So, how many points will you make in a 60 minute speech? You will make 6 points. Please share your thoughts and comments about this blog. Until next week give your audience just the right amount of information using Craig Valentine’s   “10 to 1 Rule of Thumb” to make your speech clear, memorable and visual. Madeline Frank,  Ph.D., is  a 2014 Certified World Class Speaking Coach. She has been coaching and mentoring business professionals to be champion speakers for over 5 years.  She is an  A...

By knowing how many words you speak per minute you can write your speech to fit the time you are given, whether it’s a 7 minute speech, a 30 minute speech, or a two hour workshop program. David Brooks, World Champion of Public Speaking says, “The average rate of speech for men is 125 words per minute. Women average 150 words per minute.” Please share your thoughts and comments about this blog. Until next week check out how many words you have in your speech, so you fit the speech criteria you have been given, to make your speech precise, memorable and visual. Madeline Frank,  Ph.D., is  a 2014 Certified World Class Speaking Coach. She has been coaching and mentoring business professionals to be champion speakers for over 5 years.  She is an  Amazon.com  Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary t...

When you are giving a long speech presentation, 30 or more minutes, you will want your audience to listen carefully to the tools and techniques you will be giving them.   How will you deliver these tools and techniques to them? Craig Valentine, World Champion of Public Speaking, one of my speaking coaches and mentors calls this the “Big Promise”. This tells your audience at the beginning of your speech, after your opening story, what new tools your audience will get from listening to your speech. Remember, your “Big Promise” should be “ you” focused! For example in my speech on “How to Deal with Difficult & Toxic People at work or anywhere else” I say, “In the next 45 minutes “ you” will pick up the 3 tools and techniques to deal with toxic and difficult people at work and anywhere else. This tells your audience exactly what they will get before they leave your speech presentation. By making your “Big Promise” at the beginning of your speech presenta...