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28 Jun Where Should I Look When I’m Speaking to a Group?
If you view the listeners as piranhas, you’ll grab any chance to avoid looking them in the eye. Lisa, a friendly, charming woman who had just been elected president of a large national church group, was dreading her first talk to the state leaders in her organization. She asked me if it was OK to aim her speech at the clock in the back of the church she’d be speaking in. “Surely,” I suggested, “you can find a face in the audience more friendly than the one on the clock. (more…)
31 May The Best Choice
How many decisions do you make in a day? Hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe many thousands…?
29 May He/She Always Interrupts Me
Both sexes can perpetrate and suffer interruptions. Yet researchers in the art of communication have repeatedly found that from the age of three on, males tend to interrupt and females tend to pass the conversational ball. The right to interrupt or dominate a conversation often serves as an expression of superiority or status. Nevertheless, when women yield the floor to men, it is not so much a display of inferiority as an indication of the importance they attach to accommodating others in conversation.
Even conversationally accommodating people can come off as interlopers. Women like to overlap a speaker with words of encouragement, agreement, or a parallel situation. (“I know what you mean, Bill. My family also had to struggle to make ends meet.”) Though she intends to establish empathy, she may annoy a man who doesn’t value verbal displays of support. (“That wasn’t my point. Let me finish.”)
21 May 3 Ways to Handle Difficult Questions Confidently
Why do people ask difficult questions?
- They need the information
- They want attention from the group
- They want to look smart
- They use the questions to influence and persuade
- They want to intimidate
- Because it’s culturally appropriate
- They want to challenge the presenter
- They want to make the presenter look unprepared/foolish/dumb
- Questions are safer to ask than providing answers
- They want to be disruptive
- They want to change the subject
- They want to give their opinion indirectly
Dealing with difficult questions:
Questions are a normal part of most business meetings. It is also normal for questions to be somewhat confusing or unclear. (more…)
2 May Should I take fear of public speaking medication?
Thinking about fear of public speaking medication? Consider these 5 points.
1. Medication can reduce the uncomfortable physiological signs of nervousness (heart rate increase, sweating, shakiness).
Three other approaches: learning effective presentation skills, controlling breathing, and developing helpful thinking patterns are proven non-medical strategies.
2. Beta blockers, originally developed to control cardiac problems, are often effective and can usually be prescribed on an as needed basis.
Beta blockers inhibit the flow of adrenaline in the body, reducing the physical symptoms of the stress response. Your physician will help you decide whether medication is the best route for you, and can review any potential side effects.
24 Apr 3 Ways Storytelling Can be Effective in Business
Storytelling is an advanced communication tool that can build rapport, increase retention and powerfully persuade. Capturing, structuring and delivering relevant stories is an invaluable skill in business.
1.) Building Rapport – Experiences are unique; however, emotions are universal. Telling a short, interesting, personal story allows the listener to tap into the same emotion as the teller, creating a bonding moment. (more…)
16 Apr Speaking With Confidence at the JFK Library
To be a hi-impact leader in today’s financial healthcare industry requires confidence and grit. How do you hold your own in situations where there are clearly power politics? Financial folks are now more involved in giving presentations, speaking at meetings to clinicians, senior management, and colleagues. And it isn’t enough just to report the numbers and finances accurately, it’s equally important to communicate a high level of competence and confidence.
27 Mar When Students Become Teachers
When a tragedy happens there is a lot of talk. Many people are highlighted, and many issues are discussed. The Parkland School shooting is no exception to this. Since the shooting we have seen politicians, pundits, analysts, and now students getting time to speak about the issues surrounding guns.
Interestingly, the conversation is in many ways being led by these students. As a communication professional who has spent time as a secondary educator and researcher, I think there is something to be gleaned from this national discussion. (more…)
13 Mar Fixing Two Very Common Snags in Speech Patterns
Are you dropping your volume at the end of sentences?
It is normal to soften your volume at the end of a thought, but don’t trail your sentences into oblivion. Assess your volume by recording yourself and checking to make sure you can hear the last words of your sentences. Practice speaking or reading aloud with conscious attention on lessening the decibel drop. Use these practice sentences:
“Let’s meet in the lobby of the downtown Marriott.”
“Sarah James was finally promoted to regional manager.”
In these examples, if you don’t keep your volume up, you’ll be swallowing your main point.
Are you jumbling words together? (more…)