http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcome-fear-or-anxiety-of-public-speaking-blog.html How to overcome fear of public speaking, tips and resources for writing and delivering successful speeches. en-us overcome fear or anxiety of public speaking Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:10:44 GMT Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:10:44 GMT write-out-loud.com http://www.write-out-loud.com/welcome-speech.html An easy-to-use, adaptable welcome speech template to help you prepare any type of welcome speech plus a sample to use as a model Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:10:44 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/i-am-a-communications-teacher-who-is-always-looking-for-interactive-exercises-to-get-my-often-anxious-college-students-engaged-and-learning-about-the-power-of-effective-public-speaking.html I teach a public speaking course that is the sole required communications course for many of my technically-oriented students (including chemistry, IT, Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:56:38 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/free-funeral-poems.html Free funeral poems; a timeless cross-cultural collection of the best loved bereavement verses for your use. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:20:53 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcome-fear-or-anxiety-of-public-speaking-blog.html#Sloppy-Speech-Blues <p>Have the pronunciation police ever pulled you over to issue a warning?</p> <p><i>'Madam, I've been listening to you and I haven't understood a word you've said. You've left off the 't' and 'd' at the ends of words. 'I want to' blurred into 'I wanna' and I noted 4 instances where you transformed double 'tt' into 'dd'. Repeat after me, 'mutter','stutter'... I do not want to hear, 'mudder' or 'studder'. Unless you get that mouth operating properly your speech will be permanently sidelined.'</i></p> <p>Ouch.</p> <p>Does it matter?</p> <p>I think it does. Sloppy speech hinders communication. Clear speech helps it. If you've prepared a speech, surely you want your audience able to understand it?</p> <p>You know you've been issued a warning if you've had feedback comments imlying that you:</p> <ul type="square"><li>mumbled</li> <li>gabbled (spoke too quickly)</li> <li>blurred or blended words together</li> </ul> <p>Here's <b>3 tips to help banish the sloppy speech blues</b>.</p> <ol><li><b>Listen to yourself.</b> You'll never really know what others hear until you record yourself.<BR> Often what we 'think' we sound like and what we 'actually' sound like are two different things. Make sure you get a resonable chunk of speech. You want enough for the self-consciousness of 'Oh my goodness, I'm recording myself.' to have subsided so that you can hear your habitual speech patterning.</li> <li><b>Practice articulation exercises.</b> Those old-fashioned tongue twisters really do work. They'll force you to slow down and will reform habitual lazy pronunciation.<BR> There's a bunch of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/dictionexercises.html"> tongue twisters here.</a></li> <li><b>SLOW down.</b> Often sloppy speech is the result of speed wobbles. The rate that your words rocket from your mouth is exceeding your skill to control and form them properly!<BR> Tongue twisters will help the articulation but so too will slowing down.<BR> There are suggestions here to<a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/rate" target="new"> slow or vary your speaking rate.</a></li></ol> Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:11:05 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/speech-rate.html Speech rate is measured in the number of words spoken per minute,(wpm). Find out what is a slow or fast rate of speech and how to improve communication by varying your speaking speed. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:29:58 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/quick-and-easy-effective-tips-for-speaking-rate.html Get quick and easy effective tips for speaking rate. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:24:59 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/voice-health.html Good voice health is essential to many professions: teachers, call-center workers, coaches...Get the facts here Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:11:46 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-tribute-speech.html A sample tribute speech and sample tribute speech outline to help you easily write your own Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:05:59 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-eulogy.html Read a sample eulogy to help you with ideas & suggestions for the funeral speech you need to write. There are two here; different in style, unique, as were the people they celebrate. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:02:59 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/inspirational-quotations.html Inspirational quotations from many cultures and times especially selected for use in eulogies, funeral speeches and to comfort. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:36:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/howtowritespeech.html How to write a speech - easy to follow step by step guidelines, plus a summary speech writing checklist. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:15:30 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcome-fear-or-anxiety-of-public-speaking-blog.html#Demonstration-Speeches-at-work There are many situations that call for a <i>'show and tell'</i> or 'how to' demonstration speech at work.<BR> Perhaps you need to demonstrate a new software application.<BR> Or it could be that there's been a change in an admin. process and you're required to teach staff the new one.<BR> Your audience could range from one to many but the basics behind a good <i>'how to'</i> are the same. </p> <p><b>Here are 5 tips for a great work place demonstration speech.</b> <ol> <li><b>Know what you want to teach, why and what outcome you want.</b><BR> When you are clear about what it is you are doing, why and what you expect the end result to be you will communicate that more clearly to your audience. The consequence is they will be more attentive.</li> <li><b>Know your audience</b><BR> Good teaching starts with knowing who the audience is - their level current knowledge, their capacity to learn new skills, the vocabulary or language best used enabling them to understand...</li> <li><b>Be prepared to adapt</b><BR> Consider your audience alongside what you want to teach. Do you need to break the new skill set or information into chunks and schedule several sessions rather than going for one large one? Is it suitable for big groups or would it be better in smaller ones or even one on one teaching? Do you need to de-mystify the vocabulary replacing jargon with plain English? Is this a <i>show and tell</i> session or a <i>show and do</i>? (<i>Show and tell</i> is passive. The audience watches as you go through the steps. <i>Show and do</i> is active. The audience goes through the steps themselves after you've shown them how.)</li> <li><b>Prepare</b><BR> Go through step by step what it is you want to teach BEFORE you try to teach it. Break the information or skill set down into a logical sequential process and as you go through it explain each part of the sequence clearly as if you were really teaching.<BR> Consider what you need to illustrate your talk. Do you need diagrams? How big do they need to be for all the audience to see them? Do you need actual items for the audience to handle?<BR> As you go through your preparation from the audience's point of view you'll find out what you need and where you need it.</li> <li><b>Rehearse</b><BR> Once you've got the basic outline of your speech and the props(maps, graph, diagrams, bits of equipment...) together try it out and ask for feedback on clarity, timing (too long, too short), use of props.<BR> What was good? What could be improved and how?<BR> Use the feedback to modify your presentation. Rehearsal is invaluable as it identifies problem areas before you go live with the real thing.</li> </ul type></p> <p>Find out more about giving <a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/demonstration-speeches.html" target="new">great demonstration speeches</a> to take the stress out of teaching new skills in the workplace. Not only will it boost your confidence and self-esteem but you'll gain in respect from your colleagues as well.</p> Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:27:27 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcome-fear-or-anxiety-of-public-speaking-blog.html#The-Freedom-and-Safety-of-Cue-Cards <p>To cue or not to cue? That is the question.</p> <p>Do you write out your full speech and read it or do you use speech outline prompts on cue cards and deliver it largely from memory?</p> <p>I've done both and the experience it delivers is different.<BR><BR> The occasions I've used a full script have been when I've rushed through preparing my speech and haven't allowed enough time to thoroughly practice to the point of being comfortable without the word for word text. Although it's never been disasterous, (as in losing my place in my notes OR shutting out the audience entirely because I'm head down reading intently), I always knew I could have done a whole lot better.</p> <p>The result is I'm for cue cards. And I'm for cue cards ahead of completely memorizing my speech too. The reason for that is if I've learnt something by rote (word for word) and have a memory blip, it's difficult without a prompt to begin again.<BR><BR> When I've prepared a speech well a set of good cue cards allows me to: <ul type="square"> <li>interact more freely with the audience because I'm not too busy concentrating on keeping my place in a script. I can make eye contact, smile...</li> <li>be more spontaneous sounding even though I've rehearsed. The cue card outline keeps me on track but it doesn't tell me the exact phrasing to use. It can vary each time I say my speech.</li> </ul type="square"></p> <p>If you haven't tried <a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/cue-cards.html" target="new">using cue cards</a>, do! You'll find full instructions on how to make them by clicking the link. I promise that once you've experienced the freedom of not being slavishly tied to a script, you'll realize you've lifted your public speaking up a notch.</p> Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:17:10 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/quickeasyeffectivetipsforvocalvariety.html Get quick easy effective tips for vocal variety and stop boring your listeners Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:35:28 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/eulogy-for-my-brother.html Eulogy for my Brother - Jose Juan Ornelas Ben wrote about why he decided to share his eulogy for his brother in an email to me. They are posted here Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:50:52 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/voice-image.html Voice image can make or break a career yet very few people consciously control what their voice says about who they are. It's not the actual words but how they're spoken that makes the difference. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:20:36 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/proper-pronunciation.html What will proper pronunciation do for you? Get the benefits & a list of commonly mispronounced words & phrases. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:04:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/in-loving-memories.html Jerry Winston 1957-2010 Mr. Jerry Winston, 52, of Laurel Maryland, died Wednesday, January 13, 2010, after losing his battle with cancer. Born in Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:33:52 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-write-a-tributeretirement-speech.html The 'how to write a tribute/retirement speech' question below came via my contact form. I'm entering it here to show you the types of questions I get Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:13:45 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/index.html Overcome fear or anxiety of public speaking. Tips on how to write and give successful speeches: eulogies, wedding and birthday speeches, presentationsSource quotations and poems. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:18:23 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/storytelling.html Successful storytelling in speeches keeps your audience actively listening and involved.Make them laugh, sigh, gasp with wonder... Learn how to include real and relevant stories in your speeches. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:46:38 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/dictionexercises.html Diction Exercises. Make sure they get your message. Learn how to speak clearly. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:33:04 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/controversial-speech-topics.html Controversial speech topics: Understand what makes a good controversial speech & then select your topic from the references provided. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:20:28 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/birthday-speeches.html Birthday speeches: An example of a speech written for a man's 50th birthday. Use it as a starting point for the speech you have to write. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:14:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/acuteanxietyhelp.html Proven acute anxiety help tips to successfully overcome fear of public speaking. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:08:05 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/action-verbs.html Action verbs give your speech color and passion telling your story precisely and powerfully. They can set a scene or change a mood quickly and concisely. Get the sizzle of succinct action verbs now. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:31:16 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/acceptance-speeches.html Acceptance speeches:- how to write and deliver a good one. Unlike some of the most publicised, they do not have to be a long list of 'thank-you's' punctuated by tears and silence. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:29:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/tribute-speech.html The Tribute Speech: what they are, how to plan one easily and links to examples. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:15:51 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/improv-games.html Improv games -5 superb drama games to sharpen focus and concentration, encourage mental flexibility while developing awareness of body language and communication. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:59:42 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/great-funny-speeches.html Great funny speeches: how to write a funny speech, get the keys to using humor effectively Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:26:46 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/fun-speech-topics.html Fun speech topics: a light hearted list of 60 giggle, chortle and smile ideas for humorous speeches. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:08:20 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/free-word-games.html Free word games -improv speech and drama games for fun; spontaneity and confidence building. Suitable for 13+ yrs.. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:07:17 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcoming-public-speaking-anxiety-breathing-exercises.html Banish fear with overcoming public speaking anxiety breathing exercises Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:43:47 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/declamation-speech.html A declamation speech is the term for the re-giving of a famous speech. The speaker 'lives into' the original, reproducing its power. Find out more about choosing and delivering one here. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:43:54 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/birthday-quotations.html Witty & wise birthday quotations ordered by age group to help you find the perfect birthday quote for your birthday speech Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:41:59 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/wedding-poems.html A collection of wedding poems & readings drawn from many cultures for your special day. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:19:50 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/thank-you-speech.html Give the thank-you speech you'd love to receive by adapting a ready-made template and inserting your choice of thank you quote Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:22:49 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/thank-you-quotes.html Thank-you Quotes to help you say 'thank-you' creatively Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:17:49 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-speech-outline.html A sample speech outline or template to help you prepare a successful speech. Easily followed step by step guidelines. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:14:58 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/retirement-speech-sample.html Searching for a retirement speech sample? There's one here. Use it to kick-start the process of writing your own. Step-by-step guidelines and a large selection of retirment themed quotations. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:50:12 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/impromptu-public-speaking-topics.html 50 impromptu public speaking topics to sharpen impromptu public speaking skills Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:41:17 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-write-a-speech-for-kids.html How to write a speech for kids: simple step by step guidelines for a successful speech Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:35:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/essentialtipsovercomingperformanceanxiety.html Simple effective solutions to manage public speaking fear. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:11:17 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/demonstration-speech-topics.html 100 + demonstration speech topics to kick-start your creativity. Choose your topic and then use the links to prepare & deliver a successful demonstration speech. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:07:37 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sales-speaker.html Sales speaker: How to prepare effectively for successful sales speaking. An interview with Brian Clough on sales presentation. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:40:23 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-tips.html Public speaking tips from Steve Barancik, Hollywood scriptwriter, children's writer, web master and comedic storyteller - Learn how he overcame fear of public speaking and more Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:46:58 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-end-a-speech.html How to end a speech effectively - 3 examples of good speech endings to help you prepare a powerful closing statement for your speech. Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:12:04 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/christmas-speech-sample.html Christmas speech sample: Easily adaptable - use it as a model to write your own Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:21:13 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/student-council-speeches.html Student Council Speeches - a student council speech template to help create your winning 'vote for me' speech with planning and delivery guidelines. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:47:07 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/impromptu-speaking.html Yes, you can learn to love impromptu speaking. Although feeling fearful is natural, you needn't succumb to it. Use the KISS formula for impromptu speaking success. Get tips and templates here. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:36:35 GMT