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What is Excellence in Speaking?

Excellence in speaking is being so good, that everyone in the room wants you to speak as much as possible. An excellent speaker is alive with energy, has fully internalized their speech, and captivates and motivates an audience to action. Without gimmicks, without a sales pitch, and without having to be “perfect”, an excellent speaker gets us thinking about our life and how we can live it differently.

On Becoming Excellent

I have mentored and coached speakers ranging from professional trainers and presenters to people who have been scared to death of speaking in front of an audience. The trainers and presenters are similar; they are usually good but they want to be great. The people scared of speaking are usually bad, but they know that it is a fear to be conquered.

After six months of similar practice, both the professional and the neophyte can have the same level of speaking ability. The reality of speaking is that it does not take much practice to become a good speaker. For me, after just six months of Toastmasters, people would tell me that I should become a professional speaker. That I, “have what it takes.” However, they did not watch the tapes.

After watching the video tapes of my speeches, I realized that yes, I was good but I was not great. While my presentations might have impressed a group of Toastmasters, I did not have the content, the connection, and the sparkle that separated good from great. That gap is what most people don’t appreciate, other fear, and many more don’t understand the amount of work it takes to cross.

Why Would Someone Fear Excellence?

A fear of excellence can come from a fear of standing out, a fear of failure, or a fear of change. Self improvement junkies like me want to cross that gap, want to get better, and want to make a difference. Many people are not like me. There are many speakers in this world that don’t want to make a big splash, so they allow that fear to take hold. Those are the ones that do just enough to get good, but don’t cross over to excellence.

How do I Conquer the Fear and Allow Excellence?

There are two keys to conquering the fear and allowing you to become excellent. The first is to admit that you have room for improvement and second is to focus on the steps it takes to become excellent. Let’s talk about each of those in a little detail.

Admitting a Need for Improvement

Admitting that I am only good is something that I struggled with for a long time. Early on in my speaking, many people would tell me I should be a professional speaker. Needless to say, I let that go to my head. Thinking you are great when you are only good is a surefire way to stay stuck at just good.

To overcome this, videotape yourself giving speeches to an audience. The tough part is then watching them as a dispassionate observer and realizing that you are not as good as you thought. When you start doing this, you will notice what needs corrected and you will be able to put those corrections into action. Doing this forces you to get better as a speaker.

Focus on Becoming Excellent

Becoming excellent as a speaker is not as easy as saying you will be better. Becoming an excellent speaker is devotion to both the techniques of speaking and the development of excellent content. There are many speakers in this business that are either excellent speakers or excellent content producers. There are very few speakers that can do both. If you focus, day by day at improving your content and becoming a better speaker, you will move towards excellence.

The Path to Excellence in Speaking

The path to speaking excellence is not a day hike through an idyllic wonderland. Obtaining speaking excellence will require hard work, steady determination, and a dose of professional feedback. If that is something you seek, then attend and participate in as many Toastmasters meetings as possible, continually improve through study, and attend seminars and workshops that will coach you to speak better. It is not going to be an overnight transformation, but your continual dedication to self improvement will pay off. You just have to give it time and don’t fear it happening.

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Manifesto

photo credit: Janex & Alba

manifesto

Noun
1. A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially that of a political party

The CEO of our company will be delivering his manifesto today.

To get a copy of my new Special Report, “Make Money? You’re Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline.” Sign up for my free newsletter!. In addition to the report, you will get occasional newsletter only tips on speaking, professional speaking, and special offers. Don’t worry, I don’t sell, rent, or share subscribers.

Disabuse

photo credit: danorbit.

Transitive Verb

to disabuse

1. To free [someone] from a misconception or misapprehension; to unveil a falsehood held by [somebody]

Example

It won’t take them long to disabuse the new Toastmasters Member of any notions of superiority.

Source

vis-à-vis

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Preposition
1. In relation to or compared with
“Canada’s role vis-à-vis the United States’ in Afghanistan”
2. as opposed to

Adverb
1. face to face (with another)
2. (archaic) In a position facing a specified or implied subject.

Noun
1. (historical) A small horse-drawn carriage for two people sitting facing each other.
2. One of two (or more) people facing or opposite each other during a formal dance.

Etymology
From French vis-à-vis ‘face to face’.

Source: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vis-%C3%A0-vis

photo credit: niznoz

courtier (plural courtiers)

noun

1. A person in attendance at a royal court.
2. A person who flatters in order to seek favour.
I tried to speak to the World Champion of Public Speaking at the last District Conference, but I could not get thru the throngs of courtiers.

I hope that you find the word useful.

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Regards,

Chris Elliott

As a speaker, to give value to the audience, you need to be able to build a connection with the audience that facilitates the transfer of information. In an effective presentation, as you the speaker provide value, the audience you are speaking with provides feedback on that value, which assists in the flow of information between you and the audience. The Value / Feedback loop can only be built when there is a connection between you the speaker and the audience to which you are presenting.

The Value

How often have you experienced a speaker or presenter that was solely on the platform for selling or personal ego gratification? Though the speaker might have been a polished presenter, I am assuming that after the presentation, you left with no insight into your personal life or value added to you career.

That is the difference between an effective speaker and a showman. The effective speaker knows that they are up there to communicate value to the audience. When that goal is accomplished, the audience leaves the presentation with a feeling of learning, the desire to make a difference, or a call to action to change something in their life. The showman is all slick and no content. A showy presentation can be good, but only if the content matches the show.

As a Toastmaster, I fell that sometimes we sometimes emphasize the style before value. Just a few weeks ago, I found myself annoyed by a speaker that was delivering great content, but with no oratorical abilities. Leaving the conference room, I commented that it was a horrible presentation but was chastised by one of the other attendees because the content provided so much value to our profession.

It showed to me that even experienced speakers fall prey to thinking that style comes before substance. It is always a good reminder that you should make sure that the value is delivered, and then worry about the art of presenting the content.

The Feedback

This is going to come as a surprise to many speakers, but sometimes negative feedback from an audience is more important than positive. When you are looking to deliver value, do you want the audience to cheer the “performance” of your speech or do you want them to remember how what you said changed their life?

Now I know that not everything speakers present is life changing, but I wanted to illustrate that sometimes getting the audience to think negatively might be just as important as the cheer. What kind of feedback you need to receive depends on the message you are trying to deliver and the audience. For example, speaking to a group of people that are getting downsized is not going to get you any accolades from the people in attendance, but the feedback is just as important as if you were speaking to new hires.
Getting feedback from every audience is the goal, but how do you accomplish receiving feedback from the platform? It is not a simple process, but I have a few tips to get you thinking about the process:

1. Ask for feedback – When you are trying to make a point or set up a point in your speech. Ask people to say something if they understand the point. If most people yell yes, then test them. Make them respond with the point. Establish the feedback, check that they understand, and then check to make sure you made your point.

2. Look for feedback – This is the most simple. As you are speaking, look around to see if people are paying attention. If everyone is looking around, talking to their neighbors, or walking out of the room, then you might not be adding value to their lives.

3. Move people into action for feedback – Get people to get up and move. In long presentations, it is tough to get everyone to pay attention the entire speech. At points throughout the speech, get people to respond with some physical moment that highlights the point you are trying to make. If people respond, then you are making your point and if not, then you are going to have to work harder to deliver some value.

The Connection through the Value / Feedback Loop

Your presentation will be effective when you have established the value / feedback loop. As you prepare for your next presentation, ask yourself if you are providing value when making a point, seeking feedback, and then moving to the next point in the presentation. The magic of establishing the loop, you will find that you have developed a connection with the audience. That connection makes you more creditable as a speaker, makes you more interesting to the audience, and makes the value your presentation delivers resonate with your listeners.

Whether you are presenting positive or negative value, developing the loop will have established a connection that gets you point across and makes you a more effective presenter. This connection will allow you to sell more products, change people’s opinions, and make you a more effective speaker. Try it out today.

Today Word is:

trepidation

It is a noun. It means:

A fearful state; a state of hesitation or concern.

I decided, with considerable trepidation, to like what Cynthia did with The World Champion’s Edge.

Taking a break from Get Paid to Speak by Next Week, I logged into Google to check my mail and feed reader. As I was doing so, the Top Recommendations caught my eye. I guess Google thinks I need to start reading my own blog.

I am a superstar in my own mind!

If you are attending the District 40 conference this weekend, I will be attending the Sunday session so look for me and say hi. I will likely be wearing a black suit with no tie and a Champions Edge Pin.

“I am just too stressed about my job to come.”

“THEY EXPECT me to be at work more, so I can’t come.”

What excuses have you heard the past few months from your members and potential members?

The Excuses

Excuses, we all have them. What is your excuse for not taking an hour to an hour and a half a week to improve your communication and leadership skills? Do you not have enough time, do you not have enough money, or maybe you just don’t have the energy with the economy and all?

The Reality

The reality is that Toastmasters will not make you a better speaker. Toastmasters will make you a better person. It is a commitment to personal development and that scares some people. To be successful, you have to be willing to take on challenges, take risks, and reap the rewards. So you have to accept that your excuse is not time, it is not money, and it is not really energy, you excuse is that you are scared to change.

The Solution

Even if no one you will ever know what Toastmasters is all about, you are still going to go farther in life because you have been a Toastmasters member. Being in Toastmasters teaches you to change, it teaches you to grow, and it teaches you how to be a better communicator. You might not like that, but if you are committed to taking 100% responsibility for your life and not making excuses, then Toastmasters should be an option.

Why it Makes Sense in a Down Economy

In the 1970’s, Warren Buffet was buying stocks when others were predicting the end of stock markets and trying to sell out. When the stock market recovered, Buffet’s riches grew, because he was doing what others weren’t.

How does this relate to Toastmasters? As the people around you spend less on their education, spend less becoming better speakers, you can be spending the money now, so when the economy improves, you have the skill set to be successful. You will have the base you developed in the lean times to make an impact when times are good.
It is one of the things I find funny about training and research. When a company is doing poorly, they cut back on the one thing that will help them in better times, their people. Why should you be like most people and most companies?

You want to be more successful…right?

Then don’t listen to your fears, spend the time, spend the money, and make yourself a better person today so you don’t have to play catch up when things improved.

I am putting more into Toastmasters because I know that I am getting the experience I need now that will drive me forward faster in the future.