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    Speaking in Public: Incompetence to Confidence in Only 6 Weeks!
    Speaking in Public: Incompetence to Confidence in Only 6 Weeks!
    Speaking in Public: Incompetence to Confidence in Only 6 Weeks!
    Ebook88 pages1 hour

    Speaking in Public: Incompetence to Confidence in Only 6 Weeks!

    By Patrick Burke

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    About this ebook

    Speaking in public is still one of our greatest fears. The authors task in this book is to relate in a clear and concise way on how he can help to reduce our anxieties and give us the confidence we lack. He recommends a minimum 6 week period to prepare and during this time he will take us from a state of fear and incompetence to one of confidence and stimulation.
    The book will be of interest to all those who may need to deliver regular presentations and or give talks and speeches to groups of people. It will also help the individual who has on occasions to propose or reply to a toast. There may be only one time when an individual has to make a speech, perhaps at a wedding, or pay a tribute and they want it to be memorable.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse UK
    Release dateMay 4, 2010
    ISBN9781481798235
    Speaking in Public: Incompetence to Confidence in Only 6 Weeks!
    Author

    Patrick Burke

    Patrick has been a specialist coach and trainer in spoken communication skills for manyyears. He has worked with a variety of well known international companies throughout Europe. He has coached and trained at all levels from graduate new entrant to Chairman and CEO. He is an independent consultant but throughout his career in this field he has also worked for Speak First(www.speakfirst.com) one of the leading communication skills training companies in the UK and overseas. Prior to this part of his career Patrick was the UK Director of Sales and training for the Personal Financial Services division of HSBC. In this position and more recently he has had extensive experience of speaking in public to a variety of audiences. He started writing and delivering speeches when he formed a train spotters club at the age of twelve! He wrote and published the club’s magazines which are still in his possession today and are an hilarious read although they were seriously written! Patrick was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and now lives with his wife Anne in East Sussex. Here are just a few comments from some of those he has trained : • “ Patrick was excellent. Now that I have had this training, I feel I have overcome my fear of presenting” – H.Mckown. Building surveyor • “ Patrick understands the whole idea of public speaking at all levels. He’s very knowledgeable and gave me confidence in him and his ideas” – M.Gardiner, Govt.Agency • “Excellent in his knowledge of the subject and ability to put it across, very empathic, K.Poole, Public utility supplier and manufacturer. • “ He was a good example of the subject” – K.Peel, Advertising executive. • “He gave me increased confidence and support, very knowledgeable and positive” – C. Harris, Public relations and advertising company “Thanks for taking the heartache out of giving presentations .Everyone in the company should attend your training” – M.Donn, International Battery manufactures.

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      Book preview

      Speaking in Public - Patrick Burke

      Contents

      Speaking In Public - Introduction

      What is Speaker Impact and how do we achieve it?

      The Impact of Planning And Preparing My Content

      The Impact of My Body Language

      The Impact of My Voice

      Visual Support Aids - When to use them

      Reducing Anxiety And Nervous Tension

      Question Time And How to Handle It

      Specific Occasions

      a. Presenting To A Panel

      b. A Wedding Speech

      c. Delivering A Eulogy

      d. Talks to Children

      Impromptu Speaking

      Final Plans for Today and the Future

      Check on the Confidence Score

      Acknowledgements

      This book represents the collective experience of many years working with fellow professionals. My writing and speaking in public started at an early age but I am particularly indebted to Cristina Stuart, founder of the company Speak First. It was she who recognised that I had the talent and experience to help others communicate more effectively and confidently. I would also like to say thank you to all other colleagues who I have worked with at Speak First and gave me the inspiration to write this book.

      A special thanks to Simon O’Kelly for his help in my book cover design.

      Finally to my wife Anne for her unfailing support and patience in overseeing much of my input.

      Speaking in Public

      INTRODUCTION

      You are standing at the podium. Your speech has gone well. You are reaching the climax at exactly the right pitch. Suddenly it is over. The applause begins and it gets louder. The audience includes your peers and clients and they do more than clap, they stand and cheer. As you step down, your C.E.O and others rush towards you, smiling, eyes gleaming and hands outstretched, you are a star. Then………you wake up. It’s all a dream!

      So why do so many of us have fears about speaking in public? In the lists of things people fear most, it ranks very highly. Is it really so fearful? Even if we do it badly are we going to get injured, lose our loved ones, or suffer financial loss? I hardly think so.

      So the negative factors are limited, very limited. In most cases they are imaginary. It’s a fact that people admire and respect someone who perhaps for as little as two minutes can stand on their feet and communicate effectively to a group of people.

      We have to analyse the reasons for our fears. List them down yourself. Let’s assume that with different thinking and a certain amount of planning we could reduce these to negligible proportions. Then as a result you too could be added to the list of persons who are are admired and respected as a good public speaker.

      The BBC is so concerned that an ability to speak well in public is a key requirement, that in 2009 they ran a seven week television series to identify young children who could be coached and trained in public speaking. Locations were used throughout the UK and culminated in the choosing of a young speaker of the year. The series attracted viewers of all ages.

      This book has been written to help anyone speak more confidently in public. It may only be for special occasions such as a wedding, or a tribute to a friend or colleague. It may be for more frequent presentations in a business environment or perhaps in social situations when you have to propose or reply to a toast. It might be a panel interview or even a talk to a group of children. There are so many occasions in public and private life when your ability to communicate well will enhance your status and self esteem. It will also lead to you displaying more charisma, which is defined as the quality or power of an individual to attract, influence, or inspire others.

      The first point to remember is that you have to be nervous to be successful. If you think the secret is a magic potent to remove your nerves you are wrong. No nerves equals no adrenaline and the latter is provided free of charge to energise you. Actors who perform regularly in front of the public are often nervous but know the value of adrenaline.

      The majority of us enjoy good conversation. We like to talk if we have something interesting or important to say and we want to listen if the person and the subject is interesting to us. Note I say if the ‘person’ and the ‘subject’ are interesting to us. Put simply, speaking in public is just like good conversation, a lively person, an interesting subject, and whether it’s 1 or 1000, people will want to listen. If it’s dull and boring, we switch off and our minds find other more interesting pastimes.

      So how can we be more interesting to listen to? As with most things in life it’s fairly simple. It’s how we complicate matters that is the problem. For example I play golf. The golf swing is such a simple process but I like many others over complicate it in my mind. No human being on this earth can hope to hit a ball with so many different thoughts going on at one time. So it is with public speaking, cram your mind with loads of technical and often negative thoughts, then I guarantee you will end up a more nervous wreck than you already are.

      You do require some basic skills. The good news is that we can all learn those skills. In the first instance we need to accept that we have to have a disposition that wants to share information with other people. If we are of a type that shuns conversation and communication then this book will be of little value.

      I am therefore assuming that you are like most of us. Fairly confident, know what subjects interest you, and happy in conversation. You contribute to meetings at work or in committees but when asked

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