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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The speaking business has lost one of its best and biggest talents. Tweet this
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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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:
Often there is a co-host. Sometimes we give a lesson to a bunch of listeners at once. Sometimes we dedicate the call to a single attendee.
On a recent Monday, a lucky woman named Rosemarie received some serious attention from me and my speaker buddy, Steve Holt. Steve’s a Google Guru who has developed quite a reputation as a speaker.
Rosemarie was getting ready to co-host an industry trade show and wanted some tips on how to take her presentation skills to a higher level.
At the beginning of the call, I ad-libbed a little and promised our guest three dozen power tips. Steve was a little surprised at my bold promise, but we delivered.
Here are the three dozen tips, all delivered in a 60-minute phone call.
1. Be on time, hit your marks. Especially important when hosting an awards show. 2. Know your stuff. Memorize your content, rehearse it like crazy. 3. Fake it til you make it. Don’t tell them you only had a little time to prepare. They don’t care. 4. Be animated. Use your eyebrows! 5. The best facial expression (unless it’s a a somber event) is bemused. Remember, people will be looking at you the whole time you’re up there.
6. Go with the flow. Use the comedy ad lib known as “Yes, and…” 7. Use dress rehearsal to practice everything, e.g, walking on/off.
8. Sit in the four corners of the room in darkeness and light to see what others see. 9. Practice. Presenting is much harder than it looks on TV. 10. Write your own intro. Never trust a stranger with your image.
11. Watch video of speakers who are like you. Women, watch Ali Brown. Older folks, watch Les Brown. 12. Watch my videos on YouTube (search “Michael Angelo Caruso”). 13. Practice the beginning 10x more than the rest of your presentation. The beginning is when you’ll be the most nervous. 14. Forget past reviews. No one in the audience knows you bombed your 7th grade oratorical contest.
15. Call your own voice mail and practice bits of your speech (Poor Man’s recording technique). 16. Do your thing in front of a video camera (Rich Man’s technique). 17. Do your thing in front of a mirror. NOT the rear-view mirror while driving. 18. Craft and tell good stories. Short stories, not tall tales. 19. Get coaching. Michael and Steve Holt do speaker coaching via Google Hangout and Skype.
20. Break up your talk with energy shifts, e.g., volume fluctuation, pace changes, physical movement vs. standing still. 21. Raise the volume occasionally to recapture attention. 22. Be careful with humor. Don’t force it. Remember, all humor makes fun of something or someone. 23. Everything leads to the Big Finish! 24. Solicit applause at the end. Ask audience to give themselves a round of applause. Do a ticket drawing, whatever.
25. Nervous? Distract yourself from your own emotions by visiting with attendees. 26. Don’t drink alcohol before you speak–especially if the event is being recorded. 27. Still nervous? Remember to breathe. 28. Never tell people you’re nervous. Most people don’t know. 29. Teach the audience something they don’t know. (Use a statistic or a factoid from history.) 30. Send a “thank you” note to whoever booked you.
31. Say it right. Say it once. No need to repeat yourself or embellish if you’re clear the first time, right? 32. Keep it simple. Use short words, short sentences. 33. Practice how people will join you on stage. This is a type of dance. Don’t “upstage” anyone. 34. Always end with a “call to action,” e.g., donate, please attend again next year. 35. Get talented members of the audience involved when possible. They will make you look better.
This one-hour program comes with a 30-page e-book and it’s loaded with fabulous tips that will help you be a more effective speaker practically overnight.
All of Michael’s products and programs come with an unconditional money-back guarantee.
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A while back, I did something most business people never do. Tweet this
I started giving away my products and services. And it’s the best thing I ever did for my consulting business.
Every Monday at 4:00 ET, I jump on a conference call to dispense free advice on how to improve your next presentation. Of course, everything is a presentation so we cover topics ranging from how to speak without notes to getting high click-through rates on your outgoing emails to delivering a one-slide PowerPoint presentation. The call-in codes are below.
Many callers are speakers who have to give a talk soon and want to polish their existing presentation.
Some callers are looking for tips on how to make their presentations more of an event.
Some callers are already customers of mine and have attended my keynotes or purchased my information products. Others have yet to do business with me. It doesn’t matter; I treat everyone very well with no strings attached.
You should consider giving away your products and services. If you cannot afford to give away any of your current products, think about developing a product that you can make available.
“Set the hook” by sample selling
Fisherman know that you have to “set the hook” when the fish nibbles at the bait. Setting the hook is that small jerky motion that pulls the hook through the fish gill. The hook is a reversed-barbed piece of metal that makes it difficult for the fish to escape once he takes the bait.
That’s what free information and free products do. I call it “sample selling” because its like giving folks a free sample of what you do so they become interested in spending money with you.
It’s an easy marketing strategy to implement and everyone wins.
Free call and great marketing advice
Michael Angelo Caruso
You can hear how I do this and get yourself some terrific speaking advice by being on the call this Monday, from 4 to 4:30 PM ET. And did I tell you that the call is free?
Use call-in number: 218-339-3600, access code: 686134#
What does your company give away to promote business?
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.
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.
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.
Here’s a fun video that underscores how important it is to shut up once in a while.
This is especially true during any presentations that you give. You should always remember to give your audience time to think, laugh, and react to your content.
I am constantly reminding salespeople and CEOs how valuable it can be to pause when speaking in meetings, sales presentations, and your holiday work party.
Watch–I mean listen–to what happens when my cameraman goes rogue and does a lo-o-o-o-ng unplanned pan of the crowd. I abruptly stop talking for almost 20 seconds–and the audience loves it!
Get more great tips for improving your presentation from the popular Present Like a Pro DVD.
Conversing with high school leaders at (Rotary's) RYLA event
In my booklet, Hmmm . . . Little Ideas With BIG Results, I write “people are your greatest resource.” Everyone seems to believe this, but most people aren’t very graceful at starting conversations. Basketball coach Phil Jackson writes that the champion Los Angeles Lakers were great trash talkers during games, but withdrawn and quiet during important meetings. Here are 5 Cool Ideas on how to start a conversation.
1. Work with a conversation-starting quota. The next time you go out to lunch, pledge to yourself that you will start at least four conversations. You might speak to someone on the elevator, on the way to your car, while waiting to be seated at the restaurant and maybe in the lobby of your building upon your return.
2. The person who reaches out has the power. In her book, How to Create Your Own Luck: The ‘You Never Know’ Approach to Networking, Taking Chances and Opening Yourself to Opportunity, author Susan RoAne reminds us that luck is a “make-it-happen” communication process. I’ve learned that the person who initiates the conversation usually has influence and power over the conversation.
3. Open with small talk, but not too small. If you initiate conversation about sports and the weather, most of your conversations will be about sports and the weather. On the other hand, if you open with fast-lane topics like politics or sex, you may be moving too quickly for the other person.
4.Treat the other person like a celebrity. Ironically, the best technique for starting a conversation is asking a question and then listening to the answer as if the other person is the ultimate authority on the subject. Ask people their opinions and then hang on every word. Smile and nod your head frequently.
Soliciting an opinion is kind of like asking for help. People love to help. People also love to be helped. Most people won’t ask your opinion because they haven’t read this book.
5. Give people what they want, unless what they want is negativity. Conversation isn’t always about what you want. Shared dialogue is primarily about what the other person wants. Go with the flow if the dialogue is fun and good-natured. Nurture conversations that are positive and up-beat in tone. Excuse yourself from gripers and complainers. There are over 260 million people in the United States. Let’s start talking.
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.
Speaking is a lot like driving. We all think we’re good drivers, but there are a lot of dented cars on the road!
The ability to make effective, persuasive presentations is almost an art form.
