There, I’ve said it. Anyone Can Be A Good Public Speaker.
Some are naturals who take to it like ducks to water but the majority of us are terrified by the thought of having to speak in public.
According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
Despite what Jerry Seinfeld said, public speaking is something we are all capable of. In fact, everyday of our lives we engage in public speaking, ordering a sandwich, buying a train ticket, talking about “the big game’ over a coffee, chatting with work colleagues.
That all qualifies as public speaking, although it is a matter of scale.
Talking one-on-one is less intimidating than an audience of 250,
However the principles are the same. Know your audience, know your subject, make in personal, and leave them wanting more.
The benefits of being a good public speaker manifest themselves in all areas of your life.
Obviously on the work front the ability to stand up in front of colleagues and clients and outline the companies philosophies and attributes will put you at the head of the promotional queue.
Going through your personal life there are many times you may need to say a few words. At your 18th, 21st birthdays. Engagement parties, weddings, major anniversaries.
If you get a reputation as someone who can speak on their feet the word will spread and you will be much sought after.
That doesn’t go unnoticed in the professional world.
Type “public speaking” into Google and you’ll get plenty of free advice and most of it you can use to practice and hone your public speaking skills. You’ll be amazed at how you can improve and gain confidence by practicing in front of a mirror.
However, if you think you need some one-on-one professional help contact me at Good Innings Media.
Anyone can become a good public speaker, some will go on to be great.
More and more businesses who appreciate the value of video to promote their product/services are turning to inhouse productions.
With technology the way it is this is very doable – Smartphones shoot high quality pictures. The vision can be edited on software that is freely available on Windows and Mac.
Nine quick tips for making your own videos
If you don’t have a high quality video camera a modem smartphone will do
If using a smartphone shoot landscape format not portrait
Audio is every bit as important as the video – Invest in a microphone
Lighting – where possible use natural light – if not invest in a small set of lights – cheap on the net
Plan your project before you start. What do you want to achieve? How to best deliver your message
Make the video entertaining. No one will sit through a boring video not matter how worthy
Keep the video short. 60 seconds is a good length.
A videos success can depend on the way it is edited. Keep each shot fairly brief. Make sure each shot flows into the next
End with a call to action. What do you want your viewers to do next?
Self improvement guru Dale Carnegie once said “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
If there’s one thing we all love it’s to talk about ourselves. If that’s the main aim of two people in conversation, well, a lot will be said but how much will be heard or for that matter learned?
You know what I’m talking about.
You’re listening intently, not to what’s being said by the other person but, waiting for a gap to jump in with your story.
It’s no sin, we all do it, but think ahead to next time you engage in conversation. Instead of leaping in at the first breath pause, bite your tongue and listen, or even better, ask a question based on what you have heard.
It’s called ‘active listening’ which may sound easy but does take some effort. It means listening to not only what the other person is saying but reading the thoughts and feelings that are unsaid.
Be Patient
It’s also important not to reach conclusions on what you’re hearing before the person has finished.
Good listening also means total commitment to the conversation. Put your mobile phone away and any other distractions out of your head. If your trying to think of what you are going to say next your not listening.
Michael Parkinson English broadcaster
If you want to see a great conversation first hand look at the work of Michael Parkinson, the finest TV interviewer I’ve ever seen.
In fact interview is not the right term at all, when Parky speaks with a guest it’s like a chat between two old friends.
He never has to ask the blunt question to get a headline reply, instead he will gain their confidence, make them feel they were talking just to him, and invariably they open up and reveal all.
Know your place
While Parkinson was every inch a star, he knew his place in an interview was to be the conduit to get the best out of his guests.
While your ‘interviews’ mightn’t be seen by millions, the principle is the same. If you make the other person the centre of your attention you’ll learn plenty and get a reputation for being a caring, well-rounded human being.
Richard Branson, CEO Virgin Group
To quote Richard Branson, Virgin Group CEO ‘the most effective leaders and entrepreneurs listen more than they speak.’
It’s worked for Richard and it can work for you.
If you want to brush up your presentation and public speaking skills or if you need executive coaching contact Graeme Goodings now.
One of the joys of working in country radio was you got to turn your hand at everything, copy writing, commercial production, sales , news reporting.
It could be a steep learning curve but it certainly prepared you for almost anything throughout your media career.
When you’re in TV or radio you receive lots of requests to host or MC or compere events. It can be a nice little earner and there are plenty of opportunities to do something for charity donating your fee back to the cause or simply not charging.
I have always been happy to do my bit for good causes as I believe most people in the media are.
However, if it’s a money making venture I like to take a slice of the action.
While to the outsider a Master of Ceremonies might look like a cosy gig there are many elements involved. In fact if the MC makes it look easy and the event goes off seamlessly then he/she is just doing their job.
I learned early on to make sure enough work had been put into the planning and preparation. Too often you’d turn up to an event to find a rundown (list of events to happen throughout the night) hadn’t been prepared. And the organisers, and I use that term loosely, would often suggest you just ‘wing it. ” Or they’d hand you a hastily compiled list of introductions and interviews on a paper napkin.
I’ll never forget one of the early functions I compered in Tasmania, a football night at a country local town hall.
One of the basic needs when MCing is a good sound system so you can be heard.
On arrival I asked about the PA system and was lead to a small room behind the stage. Sure enough there was a microphone on a stand, I turned it on the and did a sound check. Even from the back of the stage the sound was good, I’d have no problems being heard over the rowdy football crowd.
Then I went through the rundown which was basic but adequate. Right, everything checked out. Or so I thought.
The Club President thought it would be a good idea if he introduced me with the mike which I would then take from him and run out onto the stage making a grand entrance.
It all sounded pretty good. What could possibly go wrong?
“Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the Cressy Football Club Ball”.
“A big round of applause for our host for the evening from 7LA and Channel 9 Graeme Goodings.”
With that I grabbed the mike and set off towards the stairs leading to the stage about 15 metres away. That’s when I discovered one of the basic rules of physics. A 10 metre microphone lead doesn’t stretch to 15 metres.
I pulled up 5 metres short and as the sporadic applause faded I did my opening welcome totally out of sight of the 250 confused footballers their wives, girlfriends, families and friends.
And so it was for the rest of the night. Despite a frantic search the ‘missing’ microphone extension lead could not be found.
Oh! I did try to work without the mike but these country folk were here to party not to listen.
A band turned up later in the night, they had microphones, and extension leads, but it didn’t really matter by then.
I’d sunk without trace.
The faceless MC. When you could hear him you couldn’t see him and when you could see him you couldn’t hear him.
I vowed I’d never go back, even if they begged me.
In traditional marketing you go out and seek customers – with inbound marketing they come to you.
Sounds ideal but just how easy is it in reality?
It’s all about attracting people to your website, giving them a reason to check you out.
So what is it that will attract them like bees to a honeypot?
Having a good looking website is a start, then you need to be a prolific blogger, writing about stuff that shows you are an expert in your field and someone to be trusted.
Regular, new content is the secret to success, informative articles about you, your product or service and your staff.
Videos – an absolute must – any website today without video is rapidly losing ground to competitors and losing profile and Google ranking.
Video can take on many forms – an explainer video detailing what you do and what you offer, How to videos, testimonials, corporate events, and very importantly a call to action.
Not restricted to only your website, videos are vital for your social media, emails and news letters.
The power of social media
The key thing is to be providing relevant information on tap at all times. It’s just there when people (read prospective clients) need it 24/7.
The way people buy today has changed dramatically. They are far better informed and don’t rely on a salesman walking them through the pros and cons of a particular product.
They’ve already done their research on Google. That’s the way I operate and you probably do to.
Nothing frustrates me more than to go into a store to inquire about a product only to find I know more than the salesman.
The end result is I do more research, makeup my own mind and the salesman ends up just taking my credit card.
This is where inbound marketing works. If your website is compelling, your blogs show you to be the expert in your field, prospective customers will flock to your site, and conversion rates will soar.
Traditional marketing is losing impact.
We suffer from media overload – so many TV channels so many radio stations, we are bombarded by advertising. Even the good ads we are sceptical about.
PVR’s the advertisers worst enemy
However, the technological age has allowed us to fight back, PVR’s allow us to record TV shows and fast forward through the ads. Social media is an early warning system revealing the shonks.
Even our smart phones have a caller ID so we can weed out the cold callers.
And those very same smart phones allow us to find and research any product or service we require.
Lastest figures how a third of all internet access is via smart phones and that figure is growing rapidly.
Information is as close as your smart phone
Inbound marketing is non-invasive; it’s people coming to you to learn more about what you have to offer.
The skill then is to give them what they want, in a non-confronting way, give them a reason to trust you, and a reason to buy from you. But each step is in the consumers’ hands. It’s up to you to provide the perfect platform to take them from visitor to customer and ideally repeat customers.
The traditional way of attracting business is hugely expensive. For a radio or TV campaign to gain traction you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and your ads can still get lost in the crowd. Print advertising is very expensive and it’s a shrinking market.
While radio advertising production costs are relatively cheap, producing a TV commercial can be very expensive, and then you have to pay to put a campaign to air.
Even with a generous budget you’re fighting for space among the big guys who have six and seven figure budgets.
You just have to work smarter.
Producing videos for a website is incredibly cost effective. You only have the production cost, there are no ongoing charges and that one video can be used on social media and email – three uses for the price of one.
Video for EZ Finance
Prospective clients often share your videos with friends or family, spreading the word even further.
So up scaling your inbound marketing doesn’t have to break the bank, a good quality video or videos to start then a well crafted blog.
The importance of a blog cannot be over stated. Articles about your product or service will position you as an industry expert, someone to be trusted.
But you must write regularly, fresh new posts are not only relevant to keep your visitors informed but it will go a long way to improving SEO (search engine optimisation). That means a higher Google ranking.
Once you write the blog articles, post the link on your social media pages, and email your subscribers and contacts to help spread the word.
Inbound marketing is relatively cheap to implement but does require ongoing effort, however the rewards are there to be reaped.
The way modern consumers do their shopping has changed forever, and as such, your business must adapt in order to survive. The beauty is, the change to inbound marketing is far more cost effective and you’ll develop are much closer relationship with your customers. A win,win.
If you think we can help you give us a call at Good Innings Media
