Speech Presenting – Seven Ways to Tailor Your Speech to the Audience – Public-Speaking
Speech Presenting - Seven Ways to Tailor Your Speech to the Audience
Every speech has an audience and every audience is different. Tailoring your next speech to its audience is as important as the content in the speech. So how do you connect with an audience so your message matches their expectations, wants and needs and you get your message across effectively.Here are the Seven Strategies to Target Your Business Presentation Message With Laser-Like Precision1. Research your audience prior to the presentation.The more you know about your audience the more likely you are able to connect with them. I'm often blown away by the number of business people who just don't bother to find out anything about their audience. The more specific you can be the better. For example one of the best briefs I received from a client was the following description of the audience:"The majority of the group are on a two days, two nights, four off roster. These are largely process technicians. The remainder are on a five-days-on two-days-off roster. Day shift people include tradespeople (we call them maintenance technicians) and lab, administration and professional employees. Average tenure across the group is eight years ranging up to over 30 years. Average age across the group is 38 years. Gender Split: Females 6 per cent, Males 94 per cent"What a great start and fantastic research statistics on the audience. From this I could work out nearly half the audience hadn't been with the company very long, they were predominantly a younger audience and mostly male! This provided a strong foundation to tailor my message to connect with this group. Please note this was an exceptionally good briefing from the client and most of the time you will have to do the legwork to find out who your audience is!2. Find Out What Your Audience Want.Again ask key questions of the event organiser such as 'What are the key issues impacting on your industry, business or members?' I always try and meet as many of the audience as
possible prior to a presentation as ask "what's on your mind at the moment and what do you want to get out of this presentation?" Be specific.Here's an example I used for a recent presentation for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. I discovered most potential investors will want to know 3 things when trying to raise finds. What are the sales projections? Who are your target customers? What is the exit strategy? Provide this and you've won them over.3. Use Examples.Nothing builds empathy and rapport with your audience as powerfully as examples. Remember you are selling intangible ideas and practical examples make these ideas more memorable, believable and tangible.4. Use Vignettes.No, this is not a type of dressing you put on your salad! It is a short story, example or incident. The key point is they are easy to remember and tell. But they must be short and relevant.5. Use Metaphors.These are powerful words that conjure up vivid images in the minds of your audience. They are a proven speechwriting technique. I recently heard former US President Bill Clinton speak. Clinton used the metaphor of the gap between the invention of the club and the shield to describe the present situation in the war against terrorism. He said,
"this gap needs to closed". This makes intangible concepts have more impact with an audience.6. Be Specific.The more specific you can be with actual examples, case studies, and results the more laser-like your precision will be in targeting your message. Know your content and don't be afraid to reveal personal stories as examples in your speech, this will strengthen your relationship with your audience.7. Use the Incident/Point/Benefit Technique.This one is really powerful. Tell the story, make the point and then importantly, reinforce how this will benefit the audience. It took me years to work this one out but it will make
a big difference to the impact of your presentations.Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com
10 Ways to Shatter Writers Block
10 Ways to Shatter Writers Block
1. Use Logic: Check for External PressuresAre you under physical or emotional stress? Is your diet lacking? Do you need more sleep, or more restful sleep? Would a visit to the doctor be in order before you start beating yourself up about your inability to concentrate?2. Start brainstormingJot down all the possible plot permutations you can think of. At first, these will be fairly logical. Then, as you run out of options, you'll find that you start to come up with more off-the- wall ideas. These might be just what you need to get you going again.3. Ease into your writingStart your writing session with something that's 'easy' - a letter, a shopping list, a recipe, a 'to do' list. Then move on to a brief session of free writing. THEN go back to your story. You may find, as others have in the past, that a half-hour session of writing in a journal or diary is a good warm-up for a writing session.4. Take some time outOnly you know how much time this should be. Sometimes the subconscious simply needs time to work its magic. That might be a day, a week or a month. Obey your instincts. You might think that the danger is you'll never get back to it. Okay: perhaps that means you don't LIKE it enough to get back to it. Writing shouldn't be a penance. Find a job or a hobby that you DO like.5. Revisit the last few pagesGo back ten or twenty pages and revise. You could even retype the last page completely, and see if that releases new ideas.6. Use the tried and true 'carrot' trick. Reward yourself!Think of something you'd really, really like. (Of course, the family might object if you want to reward yourself for your diligence with a trip to Bali.) A chocolate? A trip to see a movie? Dinner out? New clothes? Set yourself a task that is commensurate with the size of the reward - and DO IT.7. Pressure Cooker TacticsSome of us work well only under pressure. You'll probably know if this applies to you by thinking back to how you handled homework, assignments and exams at school. If you can produce when the pressure's on, then set yourself a deadline. Don't make that deadline too unrealistic, though, or you may find that you're setting yourself up for failure - again.8. Change the time and venueJ.K. Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in extended stints in a cafe (or so the story goes). Roald Dahl worked in a battered garden shed. Try changing the venue or the time of your writing - from home to a library; from late evenings to early morning; from the kitchen table to a table in the corner of your bedroom.9. Meditate or go walkingSometimes it helps to get out in the fresh air, or to sit quietly and move into a meditative state and just let the ideas flow. Or not flow. Perhaps what you need is to dissociate yourself from the world for a while.10. KEEP walking... remember Forrest Gump...Don't want to write any more at all? OK. Then walk away and keep walking. Nobody said you have to write. Why write if it makes you miserable? It may ALWAYS make you miserable. If that's the case, don't do it. It really is that simple.Or...it may be making you miserable NOW, but you loved it in the past and you expect you will again. If so, walk away just for a while. Give yourself an extended break - and only go back to the keyboard when you just can't stay away any longer. That's the best cure there is for writer's block. (c) copyright Marg McAlister Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
10 Ways, How To Get Significant Exposure For Free – Ezine-Publishing
10 Ways, How To Get Significant Exposure For Free
Ezine are one of the best source of information on the web today. They are generally free and can make a huge impact marketing success if used correctly. Ezines may include ads, articles, jokes, quotes, advertorials, business opps, brief up dates about the publisher's site or business, testimonial and much more.The word "ezine" is short for electronic magazine, also known as a newsletter. They are an excellent way to find detailed information about specific field on interest. At the same time they expose a gold mine of contact and possibilities! Ezines are delivered via email and 99 % of them are free. They can be sent daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly, it just depends on how the publisher of the ezine wishes to distribute the newsletter. Ezine is breakthrough of marketing solution today. We can promote our business with change banner, swap ad and write article. You can literally get hundreds of hits per day without spending a dime on advertising using ezines! There are ten techniques how to promote in ezine, although the impacts are indirect. They work and the potential is unlimited.1. Write Testimonials!Most Internet business look for and need testimonials. Testimonials give a business credibility and businesses know this. So they are always looking for kind words about their company that they can show to new prospect of customers. Therefore, anyone that comes to site and sees testimonial may well check out the site.2. Write Articles and submit them to Ezine publishers!Writing articles is really a great way to get free exposure. This particular method does take more time and some work but it can really reap huge rewards. I'm sure you've noticed when you read the articles in your favorite ezines , the author's information is listed at the bottom ( this is called a by ?line ). Of course if you wrote an article, you would also include your own by- line. This tells folks who wrote the article and a little bit about the author including your URL. By submitting your article to as many ezines as fit your criteria, you have the potential of getting thousands of targeted hits FREE.3. Give Away a Freebie!Ezine publishers are usually looking for ways to keep their subscribers reading and interested contest are really a great way to accomplish this. A good way to get free exposure is to participate in a contest.For example: Let's say that you sell health supplement. Suggest to an ezine publisher that relates to health possibly that you will be willing to give away one bottle of supplement to one lucky winner each issue. The publisher can do the drawing and email you the lucky winner's email address. Of course an announcement would take place in that issue and your company name and URL would be credited for the generosity. Of course you are giving away something of value but at the same time you are building credibility with the readership, creating recognition for your name and product .4. Some Ezines Accept Free Advertising!Do a search using The Directory of Ezines for ezines that accept free ads. This is a quick way to find them and is another way to get exposure at no cost. One thing to keep in mind, most ezines that accept free advertising are new and don't have many subscribers. Of course they are free you can place ads in as many as you have time for thus getting your ad in front of hundred of people.5. Swap Ads !This form of promotion may not apply to you unless you have your own ezine, another way to advertise free is to swap ads. Find other ezines that a circulation close to yours and who relate to what it is you are advertising. Offer to swap ads. Most will be glad to! This allows both of you to get fresh exposure. You will have your site being expose to hundreds of targeted.6 . Trade links with other web sites. They should be related to the subject of your web site. Instead of trading links, you could also trade banner ads, half page ads, classified ads, etc.7. Form an online community. It could be an online message board, e-mail discussion list or chat room. When people get involved in your community they will regularly return to communicate with others.8. Participate on message boards. Post answers to other people's questions, ask questions and post appropriate information. Include your signature file at the end of all your postings.9. Post your ad on free advertising areas on the internet. You can post it on free classified ad sites, free for all links sites, newsgroups that allow ads, free yellow page directories, etc.10. Start an e-zine for your web site. When people read each issue they'll be reminded to revisit your web site. They'll see your product ad more than just once which will increase your orders.ERNY SETYAWATI IS THE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF BALI GLOBAL MARKET. To know more visit us : http://www.baliglobalmarket.com