Archive for the ‘Keynote’ Category
Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Acquiring a skill takes time. About 10,000 hours, if you believe Malcolm Gladwell’s research.
If you want to be a polished speaker, for example, it’s best to immerse yourself in the discipline.
Allow yourself to grow into the new skill set through a routine of dedicated study, experiential learning, and monitored feedback loops.
But when your boss asks you to assemble an awesome presentation for a major client inside of just four hours, you may have to skip the immersion and dedicated study.
Want to be a great speaker, like, tomorrow?
Here are 5 cool ideas that will help you become a better speaker quite quickly. You might begin improving, by not using the word “like” as frequently.
1. Search YouTube for the top speakers in your line of work. Focus on people who are better presenters than you so you can learn from them. If you happen upon some crappy speakers, pay attention so you can be reminded of what not to do.
2. Eliminate 10% of your weakest PowerPoint slides right now. Trust me, no one will miss them, including you. Start by taking out the slides that have you saying something like, “You probably can’t see this from the back of the room.”
3. Record yourself. If listening to a recording of yourself will make you want to quit your job, watching a video of yourself may give you thoughts of suicide. But hang in there (pun not intended, but I kinda like it). Recording yourself is painful, but it is without a doubt the fastest way for you to discover what needs to be fixed.
4. Study a helpful information product, preferably a DVD. Reading about speaking is like watching the radio to learn how to dance.
5. All good presentations end with a call to action. Make sure you conclude every presentation by asking the audience to do something. The call to action doesn’t have to involve a business transaction. Learn more from the Present Like a Pro DVD, my best information product on the subject.
From Royal Oak, Michigan-
Michael Angelo Caruso, 248-224-9667
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Tags: dvd, michael Angelo Caruso, powerpoint, Present Like a Pro, presentation, presenting, speaker training, Speaking, youtube
Posted in Career development, Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Entreprenuers, Funny, Growing Your Business, Information products, Keynote, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Self improvement, Selling, Speaking, Success | No Comments »
Sunday, December 9th, 2012
Zig Ziglar
The speaking business has lost one of its best and biggest talents.
Zig Ziglar was the best. He recently passed away at the age of 86.
There are very few “originals” in my business, so the passing of The Master is a big deal.
An acquired taste for some people, Hillary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar used his southern charm on millions of people through his live events and information products. He specialized in the topics of motivation, leadership, and selling.
He and Brian Tracy were the people who inspired me to get into the speaking business.
Zig was one of my role models
Ziglar was a master storyteller. He would drop to one knee as he began to tell a tale. There would be sub-plots and asides, but Zig would sometimes be on his knee for ten or fifteen minutes.
The stories were always interesting, but you would sometimes hang on every word just waiting for the man to stand up again. Great speakers always incorporate verbal messages with non-verbal signals.
Zig had vibrant enthusiasm. When he got excited, he would sometimes speak around 200 words a minute, then slow down just when he wanted you to focus on a particular message.
The pace of his speech slowed when he was driving home a point as he over pronounced key words in the manner of a Baptist preacher. Zig’s comedic timing was quite sharp and his lessons were always delivered with humor and a “see you at the top” theme.
Here’s a video featuring a classic Zig theme: If you work hard, good things will happen for you. Watch:
Wisdom from Zig
Very few speakers produced the type of brilliant content that Zig Ziglar did. Of course, his delivery is what made the messages special, but here are some of my favorite “Zigisms”:
On selling:
People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.
Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the “gotta have it” scale.
On leadership:
You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.
Remember that failure is an event, not a person.
On attitude (which can be applied to both leadership and selling):
People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.
If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.
You can’t make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific.
You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.
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Tags: attitude, brian tracy, greatest speaker who ever lived, info products, Leadership, michael Angelo Caruso, motivation, Speaking, storyteller, Zig, zig ziglar
Posted in Career development, Communication, Entertainment, Funny, Growing Your Business, Information products, Keynote, Leadership, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Selling, Speaking, Success, Training | 8 Comments »
Saturday, August 25th, 2012
One of the easiest ways to improve a speech or blog post is to simply take out the extra words.
Unnecessarily long sentences can make make your message unprofessional and disorganized.
Sometimes one can clean up the message just by removing instances of redundancy.
Here are some common examples of how we tend to repeat ourselves:
• advance planning
• armed gunman
• circulate around
• close proximity
• completely full
• consensus of opinion
• each individual person
• fewer in number
• final outcome
• free gift
• future plans
• general public
• invited guests
• join together
• large in size
• major breakthrough
• my personal opinion
• on a daily basis
• past experience
• past history
• period of time
• predict in advance
• red in color
• revert back
• round in shape
• firm in consistency
• still continues
• sum total
• true fact
• unexpected surprise
• unsolved mystery
• visible to the eye
• 12 noon (or 12 midnight)
• 7 a.m. in the morning
Save your breath
As an added bonus (get it?), let’s include the commonly used question: “Where are you at?”
Drop the “at” from that sentence and the message retains its meaning.
Want to reprint this article?
You can repurpose this article on your website, blog or in your newsletter. Simply send a message to us stating your intentions. There is no charge for this.
Consider it a “free gift.”
Tags: blog, grammar, michael Angelo Caruso, speech, writing
Posted in Blogging, Career development, Communication, Customer Service, Information products, Keynote, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Self improvement, Selling, Speaking, Writing and Publishing | No Comments »
Monday, May 7th, 2012
As this blog post goes live, I’m not quite home from Thailand and back to work.
I should be back to work–it’s Monday, but my speaking/consulting/publishing business is on auto-pilot as I traveled in Asia.
During my trip, I used marketing automation to:
1) Share links to helpful articles on marketing via Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
2) Generate two keynote requests from people who saw my posts.
3) Process several orders for my my info products–the money was directly deposited into my bank account while I was sipping Singha beer poolside in Bangkok.
4) I’ve “automatically” sent you this message to promote today’s webinar on how you can automate your business (details below).
All of the above are automated processes that were put in place before I left the United States. Best of all, I can tweak the processes a bit and repeat the entire sequence whenever I like.
You can use similar strategy to take an extra vacation this year!
What biz wouldn’t benefit from automated marketing?
Marketing automation has become all the rage lately as businesses try to find the best ways to take advantage of drip campaigns, e-commerce, and auto-responders.
Think about it. How can a prospect or client ever forget about you, if they are regularly being reminded about the benefits of working with you?
Plus, referrals, almost always the result of good timing, are much more likely to happen for you when customers and partners are always buzzing about you.
It doesn’t matter if you work for a small business or a Rotary Club. Automated marketing is your ticket to a more vital organization and a brighter future.
You can do this!
Today, May 14 at 2PM ET, I’m speaking on a free webinar with a few of my marketing buddies.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know about automating your marketing and growing your great business.
We’re all using a nifty piece of software called Infusionsoft.
As a satisfied customer and affiliate, I can’t say enough about how this great automation system has improved my business and my life.
There is no obligation and no hard sell, I promise. Just tons of great info on how you can automate your biz and get more time off.
I look forward to talking with you or someone from your team at 11 PM PT, 1PM CT or 2 PM ET time today.
Again, to get more info and to register for the free webinar, click on this link:
Your work life will never be the same again.
Guess I should get back to work now.
Tags: automation, bangkok, CRM, facebook, infusionsoft, land of a thousand smiles, linkedin, Marketing, michael Angelo Caruso, Rotary, Speaking, thailand, twitter
Posted in Career development, Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Entreprenuers, Growing Your Business, Information products, Internet marketing, Keynote, Marketing, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Success | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
It’s been a both a pleasure and an honor to be a professional speaker for over 15 years. I’ve learned a few good techniques along the way and here are 5 Cool Ideas to help you be a better presenter.
1. A good pre-game show will help you get your game on. When creating your presentation, write it backwards, starting with the call-to-action.
2. Use my “Power of Three” to speak without notes. Many people are nervous when speaking in front of an audience. Nerves only make it harder to seem relaxed and stay on message. The secret is to focus on only three points.
3. Do six things in the first five minutes of every presentation. I cover all six tips in on the DVD, but here are two:
a) Teach the audience something they don’t know and they’ll pay attention to the rest of your talk and
b) Get the audience to do something right away, such as write something down, raise their hand, etc. This precedent will come in handy when you issue a call-to-action at the end of your presentation.
4. What you say with your body is more important than what you say with your mouth. Body language doesn’t lie. Saying you’re confident is wasted breath, if your body language says the opposite. Learn to present with congruity.
5. Always ask the audience to take action. If you are very specific and give a reasonable time frame, attendees are more likely to follow through.
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Get more great tips by ordering Michael’s Present Like a Pro DVD. It’s a 45-minute video that both shows and tells how you can be much more effective when speaking to groups. www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com or 248-224-9667 for more info.
Tags: 5 Cool ideas, dvd on speaking, michael Angelo Caruso, michigan, power of three, Present Like a Pro, presentations, speaker, Speaking
Posted in Career development, Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Entreprenuers, Growing Your Business, Keynote, Leadership, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Speaking | 3 Comments »
Sunday, April 10th, 2011
I generate a ton of content!
You may know that I produce a bi-monthly newsletter, post three blogs a week, and maintain multiple accounts on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.
I also conduct monthly teleseminars, post tons of video on my YouTube and Vimeo channels and have created over 75 information products.
People often ask me how I get it all done. Sometimes I wonder, too!
My favorite magic trick
One of my “tricks” involves repurposing content. It’s a useful technique for anyone who works as a leader or supervisor, salesperson, customer service rep or whatever.
When you repurpose your great content, your information becomes accessible to more people in more convenient ways. When your relevant content shows up in multiple places, YOU become more familiar, and people start thinking of you as an industry expert. Pretty cool!
Do you ever give presentations? Here are three easy ways to make your talk available in different modalities:
1) Record your live presentation with a digital recorder like those sold at Radio Shack. Then, import the sound file to a free audio editing program such as “Audacity” and burn audio CDs to giveaway or sell.
2) Record a three-minute highlight of your speech with a Flip video camera and post the clip on YouTube. Be sure to display your Web site on the “bottom third” of the screen to drive traffic to your Web site.
3) Publish an e-book version of your speech. Use voice recognition software to create a transcript or keystroke the speech into a Word doc (if you use a PC) and convert the document into a .pdf.
Oh, and congratulations! When you do #3, you’ll officially be a published author!
Churn out your own info products
For dozens of more tips on this subject and to generate a passive revenue stream for yourself, listen to my 60-minute audio CD, How to Create Info Products. It comes with a 30-page e-book, too!
Thanks for your interest in self-improvement. Now go repurpose some of your great content!
-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan
Tags: facebook, flip video, info products, Information products, Internet marketing, michael Angelo Caruso, michigan, radio shack, repurpose content, royal oak, twitter, vimeo, youtube
Posted in Blogging, Career development, Communication, Creativity, Entreprenuers, Growing Your Business, Information products, Internet marketing, Keynote, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Selling, Seminar, Social Media, Speaking, Success, Training, Weblogs | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Speaking is a lot like driving. We all think we’re good drivers, but there are a lot of dented cars on the road!
Here are 5 Cool Ideas for sharpening your next presentation, followed by a link to order my Present Like a Pro DVD:
1. It’s better to make mistakes when you’re alone.
I teach managers and salespeople how to be more effective. The fastest improvement occurs when clients adopt my motto: It’s better to screw up when you’re alone.
2. Practice the beginning of your talk more than any other part.
Your nervous system is most likely to be under siege at the beginning of your presentation. Practice the first part of your talk more than the middle or the end.
3. Call your own voice mail to record sections of your presentation.
Use this “poor man’s” recording technique to listen to yourself and make improvements.
4. PowerPoint often hurts more than it helps.
Stories are far more effective than bullet points because people tend to make buying decisions using the “emotional side” of the brain. Use stories to inspire, motivate, and get the audience involved. Develop a strong “signature story” and work it, baby.
5. Be specific with your time-sensitive call to action.
All good presentations end with a clear call to action. Don’t say “Please take this form back to your office and send it to me when you have time,” when you can say, “Please fill out this form before you leave the room. I’ll be at the door to collect it from you.”
Order the Present Like a Pro DVD now! It will be especially helpful to your leadership and sales team!
Place your order within 48 hours and I’ll immediately e-mail you a fantastic 30-page, companion e-book at no extra charge. Watch for it and download it quickly.
As with all my products and services, you’ll get much more than you pay for.
Speaking about speaking,
Michael Angelo Caruso, Keynote Speaker T 248-224-9667
P.S. You must order Present Like a Pro within 48 hours to receive the bonus 30-page e-book.
P.P.S. You’re welcome to publish these 5 Cool Ideas in your corporate newsletter, on your Web site and blog. Just send a quick message to Reprint@EdisonHouse.com.
www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com
The Fifth, 432 S. Washington, #1105 Royal Oak, MI 48067
Tags: call to action, michael Angelo Caruso, michigan, powerpoint, Present Like a Pro, presentation, royal oak, Self improvement, Speaking
Posted in Career development, Communication, Creativity, Customer Service, Entertainment, Entreprenuers, Growing Your Business, Keynote, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Selling, Seminar, Speaking, Success, Training | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
The ability to make effective, persuasive presentations is almost an art form.
I often compare the art of presenting to a golf swing. Both activities have a lot going on–and a lot that can go wrong.
Here are a few speaking tips to take your speaking to another level:
1. Personally greet people before you begin speaking. You’ll be much more effective if you build rapport with individual audience members in advance of your talk. This is also a great way to settle your nerves, if you find yourself anxious prior to speaking.
2. Speak to the four different personality styles in your audience. Thinkers like to hear statistics, so give them facts and figures. Directors like you to get to the bottom line; be succinct for them. Relaters want you to identify with them, so tell stories. Socializers want to have fun and laugh, so don’t take yourself too seriously.
3. End the speech using the same words and phrases you used at the beginning of your talk. This technique is called “bookending” and it’s the hallmark of a professional speaker. Bookending helps you finish your talk with style and flair.
Thanks for your interest in self-improvement! If you’d like to become a better presenter, it’s better to watch video than read a book on the subject. Reading a book about speaking is like listening to the radio to learn how to dance.
That’s why I produced a DVD titled, Present Like a Pro, a 45-minute video that tells–and more importantly shows–my best speaking tips. As always, you’ll get much more than you pay for with my products. A 100% unconditional refund if you’re unhappy with this product for any reason.
Tags: bookending, dvd, michael Angelo Caruso, michigan, nerves, personality styles, Present Like a Pro, presentation, Selling, Speaking
Posted in Career development, Communication, Creativity, Entertainment, Entreprenuers, Growing Your Business, Information products, Keynote, Leadership, Personal Development, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Selling, Speaking, Success | No Comments »
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
The earpiece
Communication is critical in any team endeavor, even the Tour de France.
Forbes’ Rich Karlgaard reminds us that the first thing Johan Bruyneel did when he became Lance Armstrong’s bicycle team director in 1998 was fit the entire team with radios and earpieces.
The Tour de France is a three-week endeavor. Communication is an important way to minimize costly mistakes. As a team director, Bruyneel has eight wins and one third place in the Tour de France.
Good communication is key to Detroit’s success, too. That’s why it’s important to hold events like the annual Mackinac Conference. This year’s speakers will no doubt give us ideas on how to handle our many challenges such as the prolonged recession, a humbled automotive industry and insolvent municipalities.
Featured keynote speakers this year include former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich and Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne. Of course the media will be there in force, including WDIV’s news anchor, Devin Scillian, an excellent communicator, himself.
Communication is important on the bike and in the boardroom.
-Michael Angelo Caruso
Tags: Communication, forbes, lance armstrong, Leadership, Mackinac Conference, michael Angelo Caruso, rich karlgaard, team work, tour de france
Posted in Communication, Creativity, Keynote, Leadership, Marketing, Problem Solving, Success | No Comments »
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Improve your presentations by modeling famous speakers. Here are practical tips inspired by five great orators: John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Zig Ziglar, Bill Clinton and Robin Williams.
5 Cool Ideas–Speaking Tips From the Pros
1. Say it in a special way. John F. Kennedy is known for his inspiring, almost poetic, phrasing. JFK kept a notebook of inspiring quotations that he adopted and adapted in his speeches. The famous phrase, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country” was his, but JFK also borrowed verbiage from others.
Kennedy seldom credited to his primary speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, but you should always provide attribution when “borrowing” language from another person.
2. Tell a good story. Everyone loves a good story. Motivational speaker and legend, Zig Ziglar, mesmerized audiences with his funny and informative stories. A Zig story could go on for five or six minutes as he interjected anecdotes, developed motifs and leveraged humor.
Zig used to drop to one knee for all of six minutes. He would often prompt a rousing ovation just for finally standing up again!
3. Smile with your eyes. Words are important during presentations, but non-verbal cues are even more critical. Bill Clinton uses a terrific technique I call “smiling eyes.” He even used this strategy during his impeachment proceedings when he looked into the camera and said, “It depends on what your definition of the word ‘is’ is.”
4. Tell the audience exactly what you want. So many speakers and presenters obscure their messages in fancy language and pretense. Take a cue from Nike’s “Just do it” slogan and just say it. Ronald Reagan was famous for his plain talk during speeches.
In 1987, Reagan spoke at at an event celebrating the 750th anniversary of Berlin. He used the speech to directly appeal to Mikhail Gorbachev, then General Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party. Reagan famously said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
5. Get emotional. Robin Williams is not a conventional presenter, that’s for sure. What he lacks in diction and structure, he more than makes up for in energy and enthusiasm. It’s hard to ignore a person who’s excited about his own message.
Williams presentations are an onslaught of ideas, foreign language accents and gesticulations that audience members cannot ignore. Don’t try to replicate Robin’s wild man delivery. Just amp up your emotion by speaking louder and moving your hands more.
Teleseminar May 25–How to Improve Your Presentations
Join Michael Angelo Caruso at 3:30 PM ET on Tuesday, May 25 to get more great tips for your next presentation. Get more info and register here; ask questions toward the end of the call. Invite your boss to attend at no extra charge.
Can’t attend the live program?
Order the audio CD on the same topic and listen as many times as you’d like.
Reprint the above article
You’re welcome to publish the above article in your corporate newsletter, on your Web site or blog. Simply send a message here.
Tags: better speaker, bill clinton, famous speakers, improve speaking, jfk, john f. kennedy, michael Angelo Caruso, presentation, robin williams, ronald reagan, speaker training, zig ziglar
Posted in Career development, Communication, Entertainment, Keynote, Leadership, Sales and Marketing, Self improvement, Selling, Speaking, Success, Training, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Acquiring a skill takes time. About 10,000 hours, if you believe Malcolm Gladwell’s research.
5. All good presentations end with a call to action. Make sure you conclude every presentation by asking the audience to do something. The call to action doesn’t have to involve a business transaction. Learn more from the Present Like a Pro DVD, my best information product on the subject.
