LiveSpeech Blog

Melania Trump is boosting her public speaking skills for First Lady role

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:55:35 GMT

Melania Trump is undergoing media training to boost her public speaking skills before relocating to Washington DC in May. Since her husband assumed office as the President of the United States, Melania Trump has been living in New York City. But that's about to change.

Recent reports say that Mrs Trump has been preparing to officially move to Washington DC to assume her full time role as First Lady. She has since been taking media training to help her improve her public speaking skills, which is an excellent idea.

In a report published yesterday in the New York Daily News, Melania Trump is "ramping up her public appearances", as she gradually settles into her role as First Lady. "She's been getting media coaching to make her more comfortable speaking," the report quotes a family source.

On Monday, a new director of communications was appointed for the First Lady's office, as they continue to put things in place ahead of her arrival in the White House.

She's been getting media coaching to make her more comfortable speaking [in public].

It would be recalled that Mrs Trump did not relocate to Washington DC in January with her husband after he was sworn in as President. Instead, she chose to stay back in New York to allow their 11-year-old son, Baron, to finish the school year by the end of May.

Well now that May is drawing near, First Lady Melania Trump is preparing to step into the spotlight. Expect to hear more of her!

Buhari 2015 Presidential Inaugural Speech Full Text

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Fri, 29 May 2015 12:16:44 GMT

"I am immensely grateful to God who has preserved us to witness this day and this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy.

"Nigerians have shown their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.

"I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.

"I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive.

"I thank all of you.

"Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians.

"I belong to everybody, and I belong to nobody.

"A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue.

"Our neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethren should be rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it. Here I would like to thank the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their armed forces to fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria.

"I also wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21st century.

"At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.

"In recent times Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding fathers, Mr Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis Osadeby, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance.

They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house.

"Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable domain. The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernize and uplift Nigeria.

"Daunting as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system.

"For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past. The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.

"Elsewhere relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account.

While the Federal Government can not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch.

"However, no matter how well organized the governments of the federation are they can not succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity. The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in Africa. My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism.

"My appeal for unity is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting into. With depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts the Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting us, namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and unemployment especially among young people. For the longer term we have to improve the standards of our education. We have to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical infrastructure.

"The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

"This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.

"Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram. We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces.

"Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture.

"The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people.

"No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians.

"Unemployment, notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party’s Manifesto. We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises. We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and general infrastructure.

"Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long–standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.

"Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar:

'There is a tide in the affairs of men which,

taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life,

Is bound in shallows and miseries.'

"We have an opportunity. Let us take it!

"Thank you."

Prince Harry Admits His Fear of Public Speaking

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:53:08 GMT

Prince Harry has revealed he gets "incredibly nervous" about public speaking and feels very "anxious" facing a room full of people. He made the confession in a YouTube video as part of the #FeelNoShame campaign for World AIDS Day (1st December). In the video (see below), he says:

"Believe it or not, I get incredibly nervous before public speaking no matter how big the crowd or the audience. Despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the time, I get incredibly nervous, if not anxious actually, before going into rooms full of people when I am wearing a suit.

"Now that I have confessed that, I will probably be even more worried people are looking at me!"

Can you blame him? It's hard to imagine that for a prince who has been exposed to the public ever since childhood, public speaking for him should have already become a "been there, done that" sort of skill. Well, the reality here is that this is not always the case.

The fear of public speaking (known as glossophobia) affects very many people around the world and, according to one famous research done in the USA some years ago, the fear of speaking in public was ranked #1 among all fears -- beating spiders, snakes, heights and even death!

The #FeelNoShame campaign is driven by his Sentebale charity (co-founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho) in commemoration of this years's World AIDS Day and hopes to reduce the stigmatisation of people living with HIV helping them come forward for support.

Prince Harry's secret is the latest in a series of "confessions" by celebrities who agreed to disclose some personal secrets in support of the cause. Singer Joss Stone confessed that as a child, she once wet herself in a shop after drinking too much tea, while the actress Gemma Arterton admitted to never having seen a Star Wars or Back To The Future film. Ricky Hatton disclosed that, although fearless in the boxing ring, he is absolutely petrified of cats — ailurophobia . (Wow!)

The video posted less than two days ago on YouTube has already gathered more than 65,000 views. Singers Nicole Scherzinger and Paloma Faith also took part in the campaign.

So what do you think about the charming prince's true confession? Leave your comments under.

7 Powerful Ways to Open a Presentation

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 11:25:05 GMT

"Things are always at their best in the beginning." — Blaise Pascal (Scientist)

Powerful speakers start powerfully. They engage their audiences immediately.

You must gain the audience's attention and interest within the first few minutes you appear in front of them. Without that attention, you won't get your message across, you'll have trouble sustaining whatever interest there is, and you won't have established your leadership and control—the keys to being a powerful speaker.

As a speaker, you are an unknown quantity, but only for the first 60 seconds of your speech. After that, everything you say will be heard and judged in the context of that first impression, those opening sentences. So it's very important to master your opening: plan it, refine it and rehearse it over again.

OPENING YOUR PRESENTATION

So how do you start your presentation? Here are seven ways to consider.

1) A Shocking Statement

You could open by diving straight into your presentation using a surprising or hardly-known statement of fact, without the usual formalities of introducing yourself. This opening style is appropriate if you had been properly introduced and so you do not need to go over telling your name again.

For example, a public health worker might open a malaria fundraising speech by declaring:

"Sixty seconds ago, a child somewhere died of malaria; . . . [pause] . . . as I speak, another child has just died; . . . [pause] . . . in another sixty seconds, yet another child will die. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how fast malaria is killing the children: one child every 60 seconds.”

A statement like this sets the perfect tone for the presentation, and immediately arouses in the audience the right emotions that the campaign is meant for. But be careful with opening this way. It is very easy to get it wrong especially for a beginner. It could back-fire and simply fall flat!

2) A Bold Claim

Another way is to start with a bold claim. For example, if I am to deliver a lecture on public speaking I might open by proclaiming boldly:

“In the next 45 minutes I am going to teach you more about speaking than you could learn in a year.”

Someone else might start by saying: "In this seminar, I'm going to show you five proven strategies to help you meet your quota." If you choose to open with a bold claim, be sure you can follow through. Don’t promise what you can’t do. Fail to deliver on your promise and you might lose your credibility.

3) A Quote

You could also start your speech with a quote (check out mine at the top of this article). Two advantages of starting with a quote are:

It could help you summarise your entire presentation, if well chosen.
It could help you build credibility, especially if you’re quoting a highly respected individual.

If your audience remember your quote, they are likely to also remember what your presentation was about. By quoting an authority, or a person of very high repute, you build credibility by association.

Now in opening with a quote, never you start with: “I’d like to start my speech with a quote. . ." No, no, no, no, no, no! That is childish. By starting like that, you kill the vibe. Instead, you could pop it in this way: "As the great Philosopher Socrates said: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.'"

Needless to say, whatever quote you choose must tie in with what you’re talking about.

4) Crack Some Joke!

How can we forget a light-hearted "crack ya ribs" opening to loosen up the atmosphere? Popping up some laughs within your audience is many people’s favourite. But here are five words of caution for you: be very, very, very careful!

Comedy is a talent and not everybody has it, although you might get somewhere with practice. If you memorised a nice joke you heard last night from Basket Mouth, you could go ahead and tell it and NOBODY would laugh. One simple reason is this: you are NOT Basket Mouth.

There are other things [e.g. gestures, demonstrations, body language and vocal variety] that go into telling a joke and making it sound funny which the comedian uses. So if you just memorise the words of the joke, that’s not enough. Your copy-cat joke would likely fall flat—very, very flat.

One mistake people often make with joke-telling is similar to the one I mentioned about quote-telling. Please do not tell your audience you’re going to tell them a joke. Consider this:

“There’s this funny joke I want to tell you. You see, in life, there are two things involved. It is either you’re a man or you’re a...”

May God help you if your audience already know your joke [I guess you know this one I started above]. If they laugh, they are more likely laughing at you than at your dry joke.

There are several more ways to open a presentation, buy let's stop here for now. The 5th, 6th and 7th ways which I'd like to share with you are of special importance, so I've reserved them for special treatment.

Public Speaking – Importance of a Powerful Conclusion

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 11:29:35 GMT

"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending." — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

You grabbed audience attention in the opening, you held it throughout your speech, and now you want to close. It may seem to you like a time to simply summarise, say “Thank you”, return to your seat and happily breathe a sigh of relief, right? WRONG!

No matter how vivid the words that came before, no matter how strong your arguments and points were, no matter the beautiful images you had in your slides, your conclusion is your prime time. It is what your whole speech or presentation should build up to. Don't squander it. Instead, build up to it, and make sure it is stimulating and memorable.

FIRST & LAST

In public speaking, there is something we call the Principle of Primacy and Recency , and it’s quite simple. It means that, in a speech, the audience will remember best what you say first and what you say last. In other words, your Introduction and your Conclusion are critical to a memorable speech.

But even between these two, what do people remember the more? It is what they hear last! Yes, your conclusion. Unfortunately, so few speakers devote any special thought or preparation to their ending. They just fade away from the podium, and they and their speeches are soon forgotten.

As the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. That's right. Nonetheless, in public speaking, even if you started poorly, you do have a chance to end powerfully and get results. I have seen people so relieved that their assignment (or punishment?) on the podium is over that they begin to pack up their materials even before they have finished speaking! Why the hurry?

So, according to the Principle of Primacy and Recency, in order to be truly memorable, you must end as strongly as you began. Pay attention to your closing, work on it, refine it, rehearse it over again. Effective speakers save a burst of energy, excitement and concern for the end, and they make the conclusion the dessert of their presentations — something delicious, with a memorable and lasting after-taste.

So, how do you actually craft a powerful Opening and a lasting Closing? More on that to come.

Public Speaking Coaching in Abuja — Nigeria

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 10:16:18 GMT

Train and practice 1-on-1 with a professional coach in Abuja.

LiveSpeech provides executive coaching in public speaking and presentation skills for individuals and groups. The emphasis is on practice, with a robust post-training follow up.

Training is exclusive, 100% confidential, and brought to you on request in the comfort of your residence or office in Abuja, Nigeria.

How It Works

Public speaking skills mean different things to different people, so the first task is to identify your personal learning and development (L&D) needs and then drawing up a framework for your training.

This requires a proper conversation with the Coach and is typically done by phone.

LiveSpeech is practical. Your training will involve on-your-feet practice drills on over a dozen principles and best practices of public speaking. These include your thought process, impromptu speaking, presentation planning, body language & presence, voice modulation, PowerPoint slide design, and so on.

You will train with a professional coach and practice in front of the cameras. The coach will guide you along, listen to you speak, and critique your quality of delivery frame-by-frame on video playback.

What You Learn

An important benefit of private coaching is that your programme will focus on your personal areas of inadequacy, so that you can derive maximum benefit from your investment.

Generally, here are 4 broad objectives that we can help you reach.

1 - Develop your speaking style — effectual and unique. From Barack Obama to Nyesom Wike, there's an abundance of speaking styles that may tempt you enough to emulate. But how about finding your own?

2 - Articulate your thoughts . The mind thinks faster than the mouth could ever speak, so we will optimise the thought process to channel the best ideas for eloquent expression.

3 - Speak on short notice , with on-the-spot readiness. An entire course module is dedicated to impromptu speaking. From the vote of thanks to the welcome address to media interviews, train to think on your feet and speak off the cuff.

4 - Master your delivery . Public speaking is a performing art, so there's a dramatic — or charismatic — aspect to it that catches attention when a polished orator starts to speak.

You may already be competent in some broad aspects, so your training can be adapted to specific areas that need attention.

Key details

+ Cost : ₦400,000 to ₦700,000.

+ Venue : your office or residence. Also available virtually.

+ Duration : three course options of 3, 4 and 5 days, respectively.

+ Follow Up : 3 to 6 months.

Flexible timing and schedule allows you to begin training at your convenience. You may also request a joint private coaching for a small group of up to 4 persons.

Getting Started —

You can place your request for private coaching now, complete your booking, and start as soon as next week. To continue, CLICK HERE .

How to Make Your Audience Remember Your Presentation

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:11:56 GMT

People often ask: "How can I make my audience remember my presentations better?"

Research shows that the average audience member can hold and retain about 3 to 5 ideas in his working memory and his attention span lasts an average of 25 minutes. What this means is that if you bombard your listeners with a topic like a "15-point Action Plan to Diversifying Your Income", they'll probably end up remembering less than five points and the rest will be quickly forgotten, even before they walked out the door!

You might be asking, "What if I MUST talk about all the 15 points I have, how do I do it?" Well, the answer is simple, although it is not very commonly used: HANDOUTS!

First, select the 3 or 4 most important points out of the 15 you have on your list and develop your presentation around these few. Second, put the rest in a well-printed handout and distribute to the audience after your presentation.

Your explanations of the main points during your talk should help them understand the remaining (less important) points when they settle down to read your handout at home or back in their offices.

However, if your presentation is such that the audience must take a decision right there and there's no chance for them to go away and read the handout, then, you could try distributing the handout BEFORE your presentation. Give them time to read it through (up to 10 minutes) before you start. This way, you get to cover all your points without overwhelming them with too much.

The positive side of this strategy is that, having read your handout and now listened to your speech, the audience will (or should) come up with a lot of questions for you after your presentation. Now, except you're one of those who fear the Q&A, you should be happy about this. The Q&A session is a personal favourite whenever I have to educate or persuade an audience on anything. Every confident speaker/presenter always looks forward to it, and so should you.

Using only a few main points in your presentation is one of several ways to make messages that stick. So, the next time you're giving a presentation, do not overwhelm your audience with too many points. Slim your content down to three or four main ideas, and focus on them.

Good luck!

"I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained." - Walt Disney

The Three Necessary Ingredients That Go Into Every Presentation

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:37:50 GMT

You could learn to deliver more powerful presentations by understanding in-depth the three necessary ingredients that go into making a great presentation. They each never work in isolation.

The three ingredients are as follows.

[1] The Structure

This is the foundation and organisation of how you put your remarks together. It is the framework, the skeleton, of your presentation. It is more commonly known as the outline. An outline is the layout of your presentation. What it is you intend to say first, second, third . . . and so on. Do you wish to organise your content in a chronological manner or in a hierarchical manner? Do you want to first describe all the problems before recommending solutions or do you prefer to address and solve each problem one at a time? This should all be spelt out in your structure.

[2] The Material

What it is you actually say — your knowledge, your wisdom. Are you a financial analyst presenting your company’s performance report for the year ending? Are you a researcher presenting the results of an experiment or survey? The material is the content of your presentation. It is the reason your audience have gathered. It is the stuff you have for them. It could be the details of a policy, an idea, a strategy, a result, a complaint . . . anything.

[3] The Delivery

After the structure and the material comes the delivery — how you say it. You may have heard the popular saying: “It is not what you say but how you say it”. Well, it’s not true; at least, not entirely. Instead, I think that statement should be: “It is not only what you say but also how you say it”.

The fact is, the WHAT you say is just as important as the HOW you say it. Having developed your outline and done your research and obtained your materials, how then do you deliver it? Do you go about it reading a script, or extemporaneously, or out of memory? How do you use your voice? How about body language? Do you stand in one spot or do you make good use of available floor space? What do you do with your hands? Do you use them to mould and shape your ideas or do you use them to distract your audience? Are you using PowerPoint, a flip-chart, a white board, or do you have an exhibit to pass round the audience? What emotions do you intend to stir in your audience? Fear, pity, surprise? All these form aspects of your delivery.

Now just because I've listed several things that go into delivery doesn't automatically make it the most important here. Delivery and material are equally important [it’s easy to see this if you realise that it is your material that the audience are actually after. That's what they've gathered to hear]. And like our bodies, the structure is the skeleton that holds everything in place. Together they form a tripartite of equals. No single one can be called the prime ingredient.

So the next time you have to ‘cook up’ a presentation, don’t forget your ingredients!
. . . .

Want to improve your own presentation skills here in Nigeria? Learn more about LiveSpeech public speaking coaching .

The Difference Between Gossip and Rumour

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 13:49:16 GMT

A rumour results when there is incomplete, unclear, information. People aren't sure what they know. They tread with caution as they speculate about the little they know until a clear, formal, release of information is done that ‘clears the air’ once and for all.

On the other hand, a gossip is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent information, regardless of whether that information was clear or unclear to the gossip originators (and they really don't care).

Damage Control

A gossip usually has malicious origins and is intended on purpose to cause damage to the reputation and credibility of a person or institution. Unlike a rumour, you cannot just dispel a gossip simply by releasing official statements (e.g. a press release) to clarify the subject in question. The gossip originators and propagandists will most likely twist your statement in some way in order to further their sinister motives!

So, although they look (and sound) alike, the main difference between a gossip and a rumour is the original intention. While a gossip is deliberate, targeted and malicious, existing to cause damage; a rumour is speculative, unsubstantiated and, usually, innocent, existing purely to fill a vacuum in the absence of accurate, substantive, information.

Companies, organisations and highly-visible individuals (e.g. politicians, socialites and celebrities) need to be extra careful with silence in the midst of controversy.

Dealing With Rumours

When a rumour breaks out, you must take action as quickly as possible to clear the air by officially releasing information. Hopefully, the rumour would die a natural death. In releasing official statements, remember to identify individual areas, specifics, or points, in the rumour that are not true and specifically address them.

For celebrities and politicians, you could grant a press interview or, if you own a website/blog, post an official response on-line.

For companies and organisations, a good old-fashioned press release is probably all you need to deal with issues. However, if the rumours have run a little too deep (like in the case of a damning controversy), a senior executive of the company could make a formal pronouncement on the issue to back up the press release.

As for dealing with gossip, after you must have released an official statement expressly clarifying the facts and separating the fiction; if someone continues to peddle false, misrepresented, information, you could simply sue them to court for libel. Make them pay for their mischief!

Withholding information for too long creates just the right conditions for rumours to germinate and propagate. In the absence of information, people will always find something to speculate about and to pass around. From a PR perspective, the issue of "bad press" is very real. Release accurate information in a timely manner as silence in the midst of controversy is dangerous.

Remember that nature abhors a vacuum — something must fill the gap! It is either you fill it by yourself or someone else will fill it for you (and don't expect to like the result).

So, what do you think about rumours and gossips? Have you, or a company or institution you know/work with, been a target of gossips and rumours and bad press? How was it dealt with it? Please drop your comments below.

What If Your Teleprompter Goes Dead During A Live Speech? The Michael Bay Example

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 10:42:27 GMT

Teleprompter Failure: The Michael Bay Story

Public speaking is not *that* easy. There is the common fear of forgetting what you had planned to say, sounding stupid, or making mistakes in front of the audience.

The Teleprompter was invented to help out with this but, as you will see in the following example, technology could fail you at the very wrong time, leaving you totally lost for words!

Michael Bay is the producer of several blockbuster action films you may easily remember such as Transformers and Friday the 13th. He ran into quite a bit of a crisis, recently, while he was speaking at a Samsung press event. In front of a large gathering of people, he was supposed to be discussing the new Samsung curved HDTVs and their impact on film, but it turned out the Teleprompter malfunctioned and left him totally at a loss for words!

This utterly unbelievable situation played out live right in front of, perhaps, hundreds of world journalists and tech-enthusiasts at this year's annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA from 7th - 10th January, 2014. Not knowing what to say next, Mr Bay gave up and walked off the stage!

Click the link below to watch a 2-minute video clip showing the moment when this happened. Just imagine this happening to you at a major global event, before a large, formal, gathering such as this. Wow! Click to watch:

https://www.electronicproducts.com/what-not-to-do-when-the-teleprompter-malfunctions-during-your-ces-speech/

What do you think of this? Do you think he should have tried to continue, rather than giving up and walking off-stage? Drop your comment below.

Dealing With Stage Fright - 5 Tips

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:04:42 GMT

Public speaking is one of the most difficult tasks for many people, cutting across barriers of race, region and religion. Perhaps, it is safe to assume that stage fright is one of the few truly common aspects of global society!

This “psychomotor disorder” (as some psychologists like to call it) afflicts more people in the world than malaria and worries more people than poverty!

Imagine what could happen to you if you suddenly lost your voice — you can’t talk anymore — you’re dumb. What happens to your schooling, your skills, your career/profession, and all your abilities and capabilities? Okay, but you can talk, right? Now imagine you have all the skills you have right now but you CANNOT communicate your value or worth to the world even though you can talk?

Without the ability to express yourself, you could lose your entire worth. So how do you get over stage fright?

OVERCOMING STAGE FRIGHT

The technical name for the fear of public speaking is glossophobia. It is the single most feared entity in the world, even feared more than death, darkness, heights, spiders and snakes!

Cold feet, excessive sweating, a pounding heart, upset stomach as if you were being pulled into it and nervous breakdown are all commonly observed symptoms of stage fright. Every such person (which is 3 out of 4 persons in this world) wish they could be as flamboyant, with a bold demeanour and confidence as their friends, colleagues or relatives who are so articulate in their expressions even in front of a crowd. Some pessimists think that there is absolutely no need to even try how to get over a stage fright.

The biggest fact you need to understand is that even the most excellent orator, or that person whom you desire to speak like, is also nervous, maybe as nervous as yourself. This may sound a bit ironic, but if you happen to talk to a willing person who is well-versed with public speaking techniques, he will reveal that most of the time, even he is scared. So, how can you deal with your own fears?

[1] Focus on The Task at Hand

Great speakers get nervous too. It is the will power, positive thinking and the passion to get your point across to the audience that drives a good speaker to get over this fear. So, one of the assured ways of dealing with stage fright is to marginalize the natural reactions of your body by simply focusing on your will to convey your part.

For, example if you are about to deliver a presentation in front of your boss and some top-level people, it is human and completely normal to be nervous. However, if you are determined to make the presentation a success (by thinking about what you stand to gain if everything goes well) such that every word that you speak comes right from the bottom of your heart, there is no scope for social anxiety to rein the thought process in your mind.

2] Pay Attention to Your Breathing

Breathe deep, slow and steady. It can work wonders on stabilising the thinking process. Even on being nervous, make your bodily actions more sturdy and positive. If you are sitting and waiting for your turn to addressing the gathering, sit with an upright posture, tall, with a gentle smile playing on your lips. It does take some effort to do that, but make it happen, even if forced. Such positive body movements will translate into a confidence boost.

[3] Draw Up Beautiful Images

Create positive mental images of the task you are about to perform. If you are performing a dance, imagine being in the most gracious of moves, enjoying every step as you perform. If you are about to speak in front of a packed hall, imagine a thunderous applause across wade across the hall in appreciation of your talk. This should make you get the desired effect in reality, with the same result as imagined.

If it is a debate, imagine yourself so fluent and articulate that the audience virtually clapped all through your speech. Or, imagine that the audience delivers a resounding applause after you make one of the strong points you have in your speech. Remember, the point here is to paint such a beautiful mental picture that you forget your fears!

[4] Music?

Some people listen to soft music, which too can be a good technique to relax your mind. This may divert your focus from your fears.

[5] Be Honest With Your Preparation & Work

Some people try to evade under-preparation by stage fright excuse. Learn to shoulder your share of responsibilities. If you prepare and rehearse well, the effort is bound to produce positive results. Knowing that you’ve done a good job with your research, you’d be more open to the prospect of declaring your capabilities.

The ability to deliver a nice speech or a rousing performance like a play, dance or some trick in front of people is one of the most satisfying feelings on earth. It can have the most positive implications on your personal and professional life.

Social acceptability, and your share of fame, is the most prized appreciation for many celebrities and socialites. Therefore, a little effort with a lot of will-power will make you a star in your own way.

Prashant Magar contributed to this article .

Building Confidence in Public Speaking - Part 3

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 09:14:14 GMT

The nervousness of many men and women in addressing an audience is partly due to a lack of proper elocutionary training. They have no knowledge of the speaking voice and its use, no facility of musical expression, and no idea of what to do with their hands and arms.

People do not come to realise the importance of this kind of training until they have actually tested themselves before an audience — and failed.

Then, perhaps, it dawns upon them that the art of public speaking, like any other art, must be developed first through study and then perfected through practice. Usually, the two are taken simultaneously.

[1] Give all aspects equal attention

A writer says, "My subject is not elocution, or emphasis, or dramatic reading, or gesticulation, but public speaking.'' He forgets that he cannot properly consider one without the other. The public speaker is deeply concerned with all the elements of elocution—of inflection, emphasis, pausing—and he cannot be a good speaker if he disregards any one of these.

In this study there must, of course, be taste and judgment. A man's elocution, although important, is not to be prominent. Proper expression will not attract attention to itself. The purpose of the study of elocution is ultimately so to free the speaker's mind that he can safely abandon himself to spontaneous expression.

This knowledge of technique is an essential part of all art. The painter, musician, sculptor, architect, writer, no less than the orator, must at first be conscious of the principles that underlie his work, since it is the perfection of this knowledge that finally gives him perfect freedom.

[2] Be rich in words

A large working vocabulary is a valuable aid to self-confidence. The speaker is not hampered by a lack of the right word, nor is he embarrassed by poverty of language. Should his memory fail regarding one set of words, he promptly brings forward others to take their places.

One of the best ways to amass a fund of such words is to read aloud daily two or more pages from some master stylist, and carefully note his use of language. Reading aloud gives the additional advantage of hearing the words, familiarity, and flexibility by fitting them to the mouth parts—to the organs of articulation.

[3] Work on your voice

The voice receives much of its quality from the lips, tongue, palate and throat. If these are held rigidly, the voice will be of like character. In very earnest argumentation the speaker should be cautious about contracting the muscles of the mouth and throat. This is the time to be particularly careful to give the vocal apparatus its greatest possible freedom, and to keep the key of the voice low.

The speaker may be intense, but not loud; he may enforce, but not threaten; and, above all, his voice should accompany, not lead, his argument.

There are times when a speaker must express himself with unusual feeling. The power of the mind and the earnestness of the speaker will project themselves into his eyes, mouth, voice, gesture, perhaps into a single finger, and this passion made so manifest will the more likely become aroused in the hearer. But in whatsoever manner his subject may require him to speak; he must not violate elocutionary canons but do all with becoming grace and skill.

Cicero's advice to the student of oratory may be followed to advantage:

"The qualities that attract favour to the orator are a soft tone of voice, a countenance expressive of modesty, a mild manner of speaking; so that if he attacks any one with severity, he may be seen to do so unwillingly and from compulsion.

"It is of peculiar advantage that indications of good nature, of liberality, of gentleness, of piety, of grateful feelings, free from selfishness and avarice, should appear in him; and everything that characterises men of probity and humility, not acrimonious, nor pertinacious, nor litigious, nor harsh, very much conciliates benevolence, and alienates the affections from those in whom such qualities are not apparent.

"The contrary qualities to these, therefore, are to be imputed to your opponents. This mode of address is extremely excellent in those causes in which the mind of the judge cannot well be inflamed by ardent and vehement incitation. Energetic oratory is not always desirable, but often smooth, submissive, gentle language, which gains much favour for the defendants, a term by which I designate not only such as are accused, but all persons about whose affairs there is any litigation. For in that sense people formerly used the word."

— Marcus Tulius Cicero (Roman Orator and Politician)

Adapted from “How to Develop Self-Confidence in Speech and Manner” by Grenville Kleiser [Funk and Wagnalls, 1910]

6 Ways to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 14:07:56 GMT

Critical thinking skills are a must for sound decision-making to achieve the correct result. Read on to know more about the ways and activities to develop critical thinking in an individual.

“Not everything that can be counted counts; and not everything that counts can be counted.” — Albert Einstein

Einstein has so beautifully explained what critical thinking is. Critical thinking is analyzing and evaluating a situation logically in order to find out the correct result or conclusion. This demands the brain to come out of its usual framework and think about a situation or a problem from all possible aspects, before giving a judgement. This skill is essential for every individual, be it an adult or a child. So, after understanding the importance of critical thinking skills, let us see some of the ways to master it.

Critical thinking can be developed in number of ways like making it a regular habit, by intentional analysis of any situation or by converting it into the habit. Inculcating strategic and analytical thinking in the habit would help in developing critical thinking skills.

Education too plays a vital role in the development of this skill as it also involves logical thinking and reasoning. The areas that require the process of collecting and evaluating information before jumping on to the conclusion involves critical thinking as well. Brainstorming and triggering the mind to think would also contribute in the development of critical thinking skills.

Now-a-days, critical thinking has become important in many professions to carry out the work efficiently, like engineering, research, critics and nursing. So, teaching critical thinking skills should be integrated in the curriculum right from schools for children to training sessions for professionals. Here are some of the basic critical thinking skills exercises.

[1] Puzzles & Riddles

This critical thinking skills activity can be good for both kids as well as adults. Logical puzzles involve mathematical calculation and brain teasing activities that would coddle your mind in logical analysis to solve the problem. This, for kids in later stages would help during complex decision making. Solving these puzzles would boost the morale and stuff you with more confidence to solve the next level. Riddles would help an individual to think out of the box and analyze the situation from various angles and enhance the problem solving skills.

[2] Games

Games designed from the strategic thinking point of view, whether indoor or outdoor can be a great source to actuate the still and dull mind. Activities like scavenger hunt, obstacle course and outdoor camping would be very useful for encouraging the mind to evaluate, think and act.

[3] Optical Illusions & Brain Teasers

These also foster critical thinking by utilizing the hidden creativity and imagination stimulating the mind to think critically. Along with the fun and enjoyment involved, it also develops the thinking ability and generates the interests through different challenges.

[4] Interactive Activities and Sessions

Critical thinking exercises for kids that involve interactive sessions are different from that of the adults. For kids, a quiz can be a way to make them read more and acquire knowledge. For adults, interactive sessions can be debates, presentations, working on problematic situations and discussions that would include thought provoking questions.

[5] Creative Writing

Creativity and critical thinking are the two sides of the same coin. The writing can be of any form like story or poems would be helpful activity in developing creative thinking as well as critical thinking exercises for children. And for adults, report analysis or open-ended questions can be great to foster this skill.

[6] Reading

Reading is no doubt an 'all time hit' activity, whether we talk about children or adults. Irrespective of the age, it can be adopted to sharpen thinking skills and to enhance knowledge. This is an activity which should not be thrust, rather should be accepted as an integral part.

These are six critical thinking exercises that encourage the mind to analyse a situation from different perspectives. There can be many other ways to develop this skill depending upon age and requirements.

For example, the training methods involved in critical thinking in nursing are different from that of engineering because of the different sets of requirements for the job. These skills should be inculcated in an individual right from childhood, as they will be required at every stage in later life, be it personal or professional.

Megha Tiwari also contributed to this article.

Should You Ever Apologise to the Audience?

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 09:58:41 GMT

Not all errors are worth pointing out.

In public speaking, there are certain things speakers/presenters do that could damage their credibility in front of the audience. Some of those things are content-oriented and some are speaker-oriented. One of them is apologising to the audience.

Should You Apologise to The Audience?

Now, this is not to say that it's utterly bad to apologise. The key thing here is to know when to say sorry to your audience and when to simply ignore and move on.

For example, if you had planned a PowerPoint presentation to include a sound-clip or a voice-over (tricky thing to do; be careful!), when you get to that part of the presentation and your clip fails to play, should you apologise to the audience about it, or just move on to the next slide as if nothing happened?

This can go two ways.

FIRST, if the audience did not know about the clip and there is no way for them to know that something is missing, then you should simply get on with your presentation and leave out that "Oh, I'm sorry the sound clip is not coming up".

Why? Because by apologising for your error, you are actually drawing the audience's attention to something that they didn't even notice about your presentation!

SECOND, on the other hand, if the failure of the clip leaves a big hole in the continuity of your presentation (depending on what function it was meant to perform), then you should consider tendering an apology. That is the polite thing to do.

There are other instances when things could go wrong during a presentation. Remember Murphy's Law? It says: "If Anything Can Go Wrong, It Will". So don't ever be too sure nothing unexpected will happen (even your laptop could crash on the morning of an all-important presentation).

The simple advise to follow is this: withhold your apology if you're sure the audience cannot notice the flaw/error/omission, or whatever. You'd only be calling their attention to your (apparently) poor preparation and then your precious reputation as an expert/professional might come under heavy gun fire!

But, what happens if you completely mis-judge the audience's perception and fail to apologise for something that even a blind man in the audience could see is missing or very wrong with your presentation (the classical elephant in the room)? I hate to even think of it. God help you!

[Related article: Building Confidence in Public Speaking]

How Do You Make The Right Decision?

Perhaps it is easy to see now that there is a fine line between what you should apologise for and what you should simply ignore. It takes some degree of cleverness to determine which is which in any given situation. The decision is actually contexual and wholly depends on the particular situation that you're in. Failure to take the right decision at the right time could mean bad for your reputation in front of that audience.

One thing you can do for yourself to raise the odds that your on-the-spot decision to apologise, or not to apologise, is the right one, is to know your material down to the bones! This is one of the reasons why you must avoid giving a presentation on behalf of somebody else, unless you were actively involved in the process that created or developed the presentation (at least, to a reasonable extent). Remember, it is YOUR own reputation that will come under fire if things go wrong, not the reputation of the colleague or friend (or boss) that you're standing in for.

Full "cover-to-cover" knowledge of your presentation content, slides and equipment will guide you in making the right decision and avoid the pitfalls of excessive, unnecessary, apologies.

So, have you ever apologised to your audience during a technical or business presentation? What went wrong in your case? How did they feel about it? Please leave your comments below.

Building Confidence in Public Speaking - Part 2

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 09:52:33 GMT

To become thoroughly self-confident as a public speaker, you should believe in your own ideas, live them, and advocate them with earnestness and conviction. You will be steadied by the consciousness of being in the right - that you truly know what you’re saying.

All of these mean that you should spare no pains to ascertain the facts bearing upon your subject, or topic, before attempting to present them before others. Getting the facts is the very foundation of self-confidence in public speaking.

It follows therefore that the first rule in building confidence in public speaking is none other than P-R-E-P-A-R-A-T-I-O-N !

Next to having a solid foundation in facts and figures, you should also know how to present them interestingly and effectively. You cannot hope to do this without developing your powers of expression and of persuasion, respectively. If you have no control over the pitch of your voice, but permit your nervousness to carry you into a high key or unduly loud tone, you may fail to convince intelligent people as you should.

Indistinctness of enunciation (unclear pronunciation), a common fault with timid speakers, will tell seriously against you, since people get less attentive when they have to strain their ear drums to hear you. Un-gracefulness and violence of gesture will detract from the impression made by the speaker. In fact, any shortcoming in delivery, however slight, will have its share in producing an adverse effect.

Sometimes this nervousness in a public speaker, even in the case of experienced orators, is due to over-anxiety. You wish your speech to make a good impression, or your cause to succeed, or a sense of personal responsibility presses on you. All these seem legitimate in themselves, but a good speaker should know that undue anxiety will possibly defeat the very purpose he has in view.

When you are over-anxious you are not at your best and you can never be. You lack freedom and flexibility, and your real self is, for the time, in subjection. Your mind is divided between your subject and the impression you are making; self- consciousness is inevitable, and your fear silently but surely communicates itself to the audience.

Believe me when I tell you: audiences are usually good at sensing the anxiety in a nervous speaker. If they do (as they sure will) your speech is as good as ruined.

However, a slight nervousness at the beginning of a speech may act in your favour by enlisting the sympathy and goodwill of your hearers. Still, you must be able to rise above this feeling as you enter into your subject, lest you fail to carry conviction.

When Gladstone was asked if he was ever nervous in public speaking he said, "In opening a subject, often; in reply, never."

The assumption is that once a speaker is well started, he no longer thinks of himself, but pours into his delivery all the power, intensity, and courage that his subject demands. Thus, a word of note here is that everybody does get a bit anxious the first few moments of starting a speech, even the most experienced orators do. But the difference is in the ability to get over it right away and deliver.

Adapted from “How to Develop Self-confidence in Speech and Manner” by Grenville Kleiser (Funk and Wagnalls, 1910)

Building Confidence in Public Speaking - Part 1

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 10:23:53 GMT

The one thing needful in the development of self-confidence in public speaking is practice. In all first efforts, whether it be to write, to swim, or to dance, we have crudeness, uncertainty, and limitations. Similarly, as a beginner in public speaking, you’re on unfamiliar ground, and cannot help being self-conscious.

This is a necessary part of your development. There can be no proper freedom in what you’re saying so long as you constantly have to think of how you’re saying it—that’s self-consciousness. Your first efforts should, for this reason, be simple. A few ideas, plainly spoken, are all you need here attempt.

After you have gained some facility and self-reliance, you may, like the novice swimmer, venture into deeper water. Let us assume that you who read these pages are afflicted with an extreme form of fear and diffidence in attempting even this simple first effort. You may belong to that class described as "trembling at the knees," or "glued to the chair," when invited to address an audience.

In short, what is a man to do if he cannot bring himself to the point of facing an audience at all? The answer is rather simple.

BUILDING SELF CONFIDENCE

The very first thing you must do to build confidence and conquer your fear of public speaking is to have something to talk about. That's obvious, isn't it? In other words, you must adequately prepare. But there are two who need to prepare—the first is the speech and the second is the presenter, yourself.

Consider jokes as the perfect analogy here. Have you ever heard a very funny joke from a comedian and which you really wanted to share with your friends? Well, you might have discovered that the same joke that got you rolling on the floor woefully failed to amuse your friends one bit.

They didn’t laugh as you expected not because the joke had lost any measure of sense, but because the one who’s saying it [you] didn't say it as skillfully as the original comedian did it. The joke is the same, but the jokers are different.

Likewise, if you’re given a professionally well-written speech you still might not be able to pull a wonderful delivery. So, like a joke, how you deliver the content matters as much as the content itself.

Here are a few ways in which you, the speaker/presenter, can prepare yourself [not the speech this time] for facing the audience. Bear in mind that these methods serve to prepare the speaker and not the speech.

[1] Use a mirror

You could begin by declaiming your speeches in the privacy of your room. You must become accustomed to "hearing yourself speak.” This should be rendered aloud, while standing before a looking-glass, with suitable voice and gesture. You may imagine an audience before you, and speak as directly and earnestly as you would were they actually present.

[2] Speak before a friend

Next, you may invite a member of your family, or a friend, to listen to you. Gradually but surely you will find yourself gaining in assurance; and at the proper time, you will be ready for your "maiden effort" in public. No matter how slow the process may be, the ultimate results are certain.

[3] Make it your story

Another excellent preparation for self-confidence in speaking is that of telling stories—discussing it with people. These stories should be as new as possible, have good points, and be told in an interesting manner. You must concentrate your mind upon the story and really relish telling it, so that you will be sharing a pleasure with others. Here again you may begin with the members of your own family, who will be lenient with you if these first efforts are not wholly effective. Story-telling is not a difficult art, but consists chiefly of two things:

Getting a good fund of stories, and
Telling them without self-consciousness.

A few short recitations, thoroughly memorised, may also be used as a means of accustoming yourself to facing an audience.

[4] Use a video-tape

The very best way of determining how well, or how badly, your preparation is going is by being able to see yourself doing it. Replaying the video tape of your preparatory speech can show your faults at an instant. It becomes a great deal easier to spot your errors and make corrections. If someone was to tell you, “I think you made too much hand movement while you spoke” you might not get the extent of the “too much” hand movement. But if you were to watch yourself speaking, you would probably laugh at your own goofs.

[5] Arm yourself with knowledge

Let me remind you that a frequent cause of timidity in public speaking is improper knowledge of the subject. An audience becomes severely critical when a speaker appears not to have an adequate grasp of the facts due to inadequate research. They may overlook your diffidence, setting it down to modesty, but they will not overlook palpable weaknesses and uncertainty in the subject-matter.

A man who has the facts may readily be forgiven for lack of ability in presenting them, but one who stands to speak before others without proper knowledge of his subject is justly regarded as a pretender. And God help you if you're presenting to a technical audience full of experts in the same field!

[6] Watch others speak

The best way to learn anything is by doing it. The second best way to learn anything is by watching others doing it. Having gone through the above five methods of preparing yourself, which involve actual practice, it is a good idea to move on to the second level of learning.

Get yourself videos, tapes and written speeches of great orators and study them. There are countless numbers out there on the Internet. Just do a Google search. Look for speeches by masters like Winston Churchill, Dale Carnegie, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, Charles de Gaulle, Mao Zedong, Napoleon Bonaparte, and so on. Get videos as well as transcripts of their speeches. Learn how they combine various rhetorical tools to add power to their speeches.

Watching the masters do something is a sure way to build inspiration. And a healthy dose of inspiration is a very good way to cultivate confidence in public speaking. Give it a try, today!

Adapted from “How to Develop Self-confidence in Speech and Manner” by Grenville Kleiser (Funk and Wagnalls, 1910)

4 Business Negotiation Tips

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 12:46:53 GMT

Business negotiation skills may seem like a daunting accomplishment that takes years of studying to obtain, but that need not be the case, as this article endeavours to present.

[1] Prepare and Plan

Business negotiation can be anything from getting colleagues to co-exist professionally, to establishing an agreement or contract of business interaction. One essential negotiation skill that is often overlooked is the one that precedes all others, namely planning and strategizing the negotiation in advance. This involves doing research and gathering all information into a cohesive format which may be easily conveyed to others once the actual negotiations begin. The information should be relevant, reliable and should be the essential information needed to ensure a productive and effective negotiation.

[2] Find mutual ground

The ultimate aim of any negotiation is for two winners to emerge.

The mutual goals of all parties involved should be the primary focal point. Negotiation skills pivot upon effectively keeping the focus of the entire negotiation centred on the mutual goals of all parties, and how your suggestion or service is able to satisfy or in minimalist terms oblige their needs and goals. In a competitive or corporate environment it is then specifically important how your company is able to do this better than any of the competitors who are able to provide the same satisfaction.

[3] Be logical

Bear in mind that most human beings depend on hard evidence when making decisions, it is how we survive in life and this is equally true in the business world. Thus, it is a good strategy to put forth solid evidence which shows all other parties why they would benefit from working with you. This can be done by emphasizing your past experiences with other clients like them and how those clients benefited from their interaction with you. Including clients’ testimonials is a solid strategy, but be careful not to use too many as this may become tedious and laborious to the extent where you alienate instead of attract clients.

[4] Deal with yourself

A very effective stratagem is to put yourself in the shoes of those with whom you intend to negotiate. Try and ask yourself why you would do business with you or take you up on your offer if you were one of them. Be very critical and honest with yourself because they wouldn’t hold back criticism, so you have to try and emulate their thoughts and feelings as accurately as possible so that you are able to cover all your bases and rectify any problems that you may find with your proposal. This will help you to make your negotiation as attractive as possible, before it has even begun.

If you are unable to be critical of yourself, the best thing you could do is to get a friend or family member to screen your proposal or offer. To do this effectively you should let them pretend to be the other party while you present your proposal, and ask them to react honestly and critically so that you will be prepared for anything that the client party could possibly throw at you.

These are simple strategies, but they are extremely effective business negotiation skills.

10 Useful Speech Writing Tips

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:53:08 GMT

Speaking is one of the most powerful tools of mass communication and very helpful in case one has to communicate with a large audience.

A speech is prepared according to the audience and their language. Speeches used to be spontaneous but the modern day speeches are well planned and there are speech writing tips that can make a lot of difference to the quality of a speech.

Public speaking is about delivering the thoughts of the speakers to the audience effectively. A speech well written and prepared in advance can help a person to face the audience with confidence. Here are ten speech writing tips to help out.

[1] Primary Objective

A speech writer should present and emphasise on the primary objective of the speech. A speech written with too many ideas will divert the intention of the speaker and confuse the audience. Normally, focus on three or four ideas only and build your speech on these. Better to hit three strong points properly than to attempt to make ten but end up poorly tackling them.

[2] Speech Structure

A good speech should be written in a structured manner to present the audience with the ideas in a 'query and solution' form. A speech can be segregated into Opening, Body and Conclusion

[3] Content

A good speech should have a good quality in the right quantity. An excessive content written in an uninteresting manner will dilute the idea of the speech and make the speech ineffective. Be prudent with your write-up; make every sentence count. Avoid using too many words to describe something you could quite easily describe with fewer words without loss of meaning — unless you deliberately mean to do so for reasons best known to you!

[4] Target Audience

The speech writer should consider the type of audience for whom the speech is intended. The language of the speech or the medium should be easily understandable and comfortable to the target audience. Depending on the topic, you would not speak to teenagers and youths the way you’d speak to parents or middle-aged people. Both groups could potentially interpret your message in very different ways.

5] Facts

A good speech should have multiple numbers of facts to validate the speech. Relevant facts related to the subject should be used in the speech as without facts a speech, however good it may be, will be invalid. Do not quote incorrect figures. One misquoted date, for example can harm the authenticity of your presentation and ultimately harm your own integrity and reputation. Always cross-check facts and figures properly. Use reliable sources.

[6] Emotional Quotient

A good speech writer can add an emotional touch by using personal stories, examples and even some metaphors. A human touch to the problems is useful in presenting the speech. Depending on the type of speech and occasion, you might want to weigh the appropriateness of emotion in the speech. See the Four Types of Public Speaking for more on this.

[7] Strong Opening and Closing

A strong opening will make an effective and strong impression and a good closing a useful reminder. First impression is very effective as it has a lasting impression on the audience. A good closing, with a strong call to act, can help in reinforcing and imprinting the idea of the speech in their memories.

[8] Handouts

A printed handout with details of the speech can be provided to the audience after the speech is over. A printed handout will be a written reminder and will make the audience more receptive to the speaker. If you plan to hand out printed scripts of your speech or presentation, it is advisable you inform your audience before the speech. This will allow focus on your presentation rather than struggling to jot down bits of information from your presentation as you speak. This normally divides audiences’ attention.

[9] Simple & Short Language

A good speech with short and simple words to express the idea without the use of jargons will make it easier on the audience to grasp the idea. Simple words and simple language will make the speech much clearer to the audience making it easier in retaining the speech. Don’t try to be a Soyinka or a Shakespeare. Why use a 15-syllable Latin word where a 2-syllable English word could do just fine? Don’t confuse your own audience!

[10] Evaluate the Speech

A good speech can be improved by taping and listening to the speech, before presenting it to the audience. The writer can make improvements in the speech with the feedbacks to bring perfection.

As the eminent poet Robert Frost observed:

"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say but can't, and the other half who have nothing to say but keep on saying it." ~ Robert Frost.

Speech writing tips like these can help a speaker without creative writing skills to still prepare a decent speech and, hopefully, eliminate much of the shortcomings most speakers have in expressing their ideas effectively.

Netrajit Laishram contributed to this article.

The 4 Types of Public Speaking

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 08:24:35 GMT

Public speaking is when you stand before an audience and deliver a speech on a topic. This could be at a formal or an informal occasion. For many people, speaking in front of a large audience is a daunting task, so it is quite natural to become very nervous (with effective training this fear could be overcome).

As public speaking has become a serious career option, many people are enrolling for public speaking classes where they are taught skills and techniques to speak well and speak effectively before a gathering. However, to be a good speaker, you should know the four types of public speaking and their peculiarities.

1. Speaking to Inform

When you give a speech before an audience to impart information on a particular topic or issue, it is said to be an informative speech. Business presentations, seminars in colleges, class presentations in schools are some examples of informative speeches.

A person preparing for an informative speech has to research the subject or topic very well. It should be short and precise because long informative speeches (e.g. lectures) can easily bore your audience. The success of an informative speech will depend on how much the audience could understand from the speech.

The burden of excellence here are the accuracy of your content and your credibility as the messenger. People need to be able to trust the information that they're getting from you.

2. Speaking to Persuade

Persuasive speeches are those where you try to change the way your audience views an idea or product or person and so on. These speeches aim to influence and change their opinions to either favour or disfavour the subject matter. This can be a difficult task, as you might be facing a group of people who may hold very different views from your own.

If you want to influence other people's views and ideas, the most important point to keep in mind here is that you have to show your enthusiasm while speaking. Yet, you must remember that you are not there to wage a war and so you should speak without hurting their feelings.

Persuasive speeches are often given by sales and marketing people to attract interest in their products. They are also used to influence political and religious views.

3. Speaking to Actuate

Speaking to actuate is a higher level of persuasive speaking. Here, the speaker goes a step beyond persuasion and convincing. The aim is to motivate people enough to take a specific step— to act . This is a powerful level of speaking. Very few people have achieved this level of mastery of the art of persuasion where they could so deeply convince people to move into action.

This type of speech is useful in conflict situations like war. It is also seen in action when a speaker not only tries to gather support for a cause or advocacy but also wants the people he’s speaking to to join him in actualising it through concrete action. It is characterised by a show of charisma, very vivid words, strong appeal to emotional triggers, and a display of personal conviction.

A speech to actuate typically does not rely on facts and figures, though they may be offered. The speaker’s aim is to get his listeners so emotionally agitated that they wholesomely adopt his idea, his principles, his reasoning, as theirs, and literally take up the cross and share his burden. Sometimes, listeners may be so deeply moved that they take up the cause more seriously than even the person who invited them into it! This is the pinnacle of persuasive speaking and, indeed, of public speaking.

4. Speaking to Entertain

Ceremonial speeches are another form of public speaking usually given at weddings, funerals, graduation parties, retirement parties etc. One very important factor to make these speeches effective is to add a personal touch.

You will likely give a ceremonial speech for people you know. If it is a ceremony in honour of a person, such as a wedding or a birthday party or a send-off party for a retiring colleague, it is useful to bring in personal stories or recall events about the celebrant. The speech can be humorous or emotional, to suit the mood of the occasion. You must take care not to hurt feelings by making snide remarks at this occasion. Remember, your audience are gathered to have a good time. Do not ruin the atmosphere.

Conclusion

Public speaking is a skill that is best mastered through sustained practice. A talkative person may not necessarily be an eloquent speaker. To give a great speech, you must understand the type of speech you are expected to give, and prepare along those lines. An effective public speaker understands the needs of the audience and is flexible enough to adopt changes that may arise even while delivering the speech.

The Importance of Eye Contact in Communication

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 10:56:20 GMT

The importance of eye contact in communication cannot be neglected. Studies conducted over the years have affirmed that eyes play an important role in both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Researchers studying human psychology are of the view that non-verbal communication plays an important role in effective communication. Eyes are known as the "windows to the soul" and they express our emotions when words fail us.

Eye contact in communication enables us to develop a connection with the person we are speaking to and not making eye contact can send out signals to others that we are uninterested. Maintaining an eye contact doesn't mean staring constantly into the other person's eyes, doing this, in fact can send an offensive non-verbal message.

Public speaking still ranks highly on the list of most dreaded activities in the world, but there are times when we have to come out of our comfort zone and deliver a speech, especially in our professional lives. If you are an able orator and can impress people with your oratory skills, then your bosses are more likely to sit up and take notice. There are a lot of things that make a good speech, but as this article is on the importance of eye contact, we will focus our attention on the necessity of engaging your audience through effective eye contact.

Presentations

While delivering a speech, it is important that you make eye contact with several people or groups of people. Fixing your gaze on one particular individual or group may make other members of the audience feel that they do not hold any importance to you and this can cause them to be disinterested.

This can happen when you spend more time facing or looking at a particular section of the audience, hardly turning to face others. It is important that you know an appropriate duration till which you are supposed to make eye contact with the members of the audience.

There is a difference between making eye contact with your friends and loved ones, and members of the audience. It is important that you remember that. When you’re speaking to one particular individual, all your attention is focused on that one person, but in case of an audience, you have to make sure that you make eye contact with as many people as you can. Successful orators agree that the way they use their body language to put their point across plays an important role in delivering an effective, well-received speech.

Interviews

Interviewers often make statements like, "we selected her because she appeared more confident" or "he came across as an assured young man, with a lot of potential". How does an individual make himself/herself appear more positive than others? The answer to this lies in how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally in an interview.

If you fail to make eye contact during an interview, you run the risk of being labelled a weakling or the interviewer may get a feeling that there is something not right about you. Making eye contact portrays one in the right way and ensures creating a positive impression on the interviewer.

While we have mentioned the importance of eye contact in communication, it is also very important to know that in various cultures, making an eye contact is considered offensive. For example, in China people tend to avoid making eye contact as they consider it a mark of respect.

In Middle Asian countries, eye contact between a man and a woman is minimal unless you are closely related to each other. Women don’t look men that are not their husbands straight in the eyes. It is very important therefore that you do a bit of research on how to conduct yourself in public, if you are planning to make a speech to a multi-cultural audience or a trip abroad.

It is important to mention here that making eye-contact with people while speaking is the most difficult part of dealing with fears of public speaking. This is why among people who are glossophobic, the hardest thing for them to do is look at their audience. Many would prefer to fix their eyes on the ground or even on the ceiling!

If you are glossophobic but you do manage to get yourself to look into your audience, then you have accomplished the single biggest task in dealing with your fear of public speaking. Take it from me; no other task is tougher than this one.

Our eyes have the power to communicate what we are feeling and how we perceive a situation. It is imperative for us to put in the required effort so that we master the art of making appropriate eye contact to ensure that we are good with our social and interpersonal skills.

PS: glossophobia is the "fear of speaking to a gathering of people." That is, fear of public speaking.

Rahul Pandita also contributed to this article.

What is Interpersonal Communication?

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:46:17 GMT

Effective interpersonal communication helps us express ourselves and share our thoughts with the people around us. Have you ever seen a job advertisement where they required that applicants must possess “good communication and interpersonal skills”?

I’m sure that like most people, you must have included this line in your CV, right? But let’s be honest here, most people don’t even have a clue what that skill entails. If they did, then employers would not continue to complain about the rampant failures at job interviews due to poor self expression by applicants.

Do you merely state it in your CV to fulfil all righteousness? How much do you really know about this thing called “interpersonal skills”? Read on to find out.

Interpersonal communication is the process where a person expresses his thoughts, converts the thoughts into a well designed message and sends the message across a communication channel (oral, visual, written, etc.) and the receiver receives the message and responds to the message and sends his reply back via the communication channel. Interpersonal communication can be a formal dialogue between two people at a workplace, or even an informal tête-à-tête between two friends.

Communication can occur with or without words and through a number of communication media. Here are the various channels of communication that can be used in interpersonal communication:

Oral Communication (face-to-face or on the phone)
Written Communication (emails, letters, instant messaging and SMS)
Visual Communication (body language, gestures, or symbols)

FACTORS OF COMMUNICATION EFFICIENCY

[1] Clarity of Message

The way in which the sender presents a message plays an instrumental role in the success or failure of the communication process. A message should be formulated taking into account the receiver’s frame of mind and simple message formulation that conveys the correct meaning.

[2] Communication Channel

Choose the right communication channel according to the situation and the receiver. For example think whether in a particular situation having a face-to-face conversation would be a better option instead of speaking on the phone, or writing an email. This is why you often hear words like, “No, this is not something we should talk about on phone. I’d rather wait till we see”. We all have at one point or another had to choose a particular channel of communication over its alternatives simply because of the type of message we wanted to pass. I know I have done so, many times. Haven’t you?

[3] Rapport between Sender and Receiver

If the sender and the receiver share a common background and have faced similar experiences, it increases the mutual understanding level and hence enhances the outcome of the communication process. The development of rapport will depend on the educational background, social background, family upbringing and the kind of experiences the person has come across.

STYLES OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

There are various styles of interpersonal communication, which are as follows:

[1] Controlling Style of Interpersonal Communication

The controlling style is actually a style of interpersonal communication wherein the sender leaves little or no room for the receiver to provide feedback or reply. People who are generally senior in workplace hierarchy use it to communicate with their subordinates. That is the status-quo in the military. It is the idea behind the popular saying, “Soldier go, soldier come”. Fela’s popular song “Zombie” describes the unquestionable nature of military commands.

Although this style might prove to be an efficient form of communication during crisis situations, it can intimidate the receiver or the audience and can actually create a communication gap, which may prove counter-productive in the same crisis situation. Hence, because there is little room for feedback or reply, extreme clarity in the message is essential in order to prevent misunderstandings.

[2] Egalitarian Style of Interpersonal Communication

The Egalitarian style of interpersonal communication is much more efficient than the controlling style above since it facilitates healthy two-way communication wherein information is shared mutually. This style of communication encourages the participants to express their ideas and hence creates a co-operative and healthy atmosphere.

[3] Structuring Style of Interpersonal Communication

The structuring style of interpersonal communication is generally used to communicate specific goals and bring co-ordination to an organisation. To avoid making this a one-way conversation it is always better to modify this style and keep it more open to responses from the audience.

[4] Dynamic Style of Interpersonal Communication

This is style of interpersonal communication is a high-energy approach which involves use of motivating words and phrases to encourage the person to get inspired and achieve a certain goal. However this style cannot function when the receiver does not have enough knowledge about the required action desired out of him/her. In other words, no matter how sensational and motivational your speech may be, you cannot move a mechanical engineer to represent you as your attorney in a court of law. It won’t work. He just doesn't have it (unless, of course, he is also a trained lawyer).

[5] Relinquishing Style of Interpersonal Communication

The relinquishing style of interpersonal communication is highly open for ideas to the extent that it can transfer the responsibility of the communication to the receiver. This style of communication works well when the sender and the receiver are equally interested in carrying the conversation ahead. It is common among senior officers of an organisation or business who together contribute ideas to the running the establishment.

The head of the organisation would speak to his “junior” colleague (who is actually a senior officer in the organisation as a whole) like they were equals. Ever heard a Chairman discussing with a Director of a company? They talk at a somewhat “higher level” than they would if either of them were talking to someone much lower down the ranks in the organisation.

So, an idea from the Chairman could easily be taken up by the Director, who is at liberty to make sound modifications of his own—contributing his own ideas. But when this “finished” idea is to be passed down to the junior workers (in an internal memo, for example), what started out as a Relinquishing Style now reaches the workers either as a Controlling Style or as a Structured Style interpersonal communication—little or no room for any further inputs.

[6] Withdrawal Style of Interpersonal Communication

It is ironic to call this process a style of interpersonal communication since the withdrawal style is basically the failure or lack of communication. This is a style of interpersonal communication in which the person shows complete disinterest to participate in the communication process or carry it forward.

Sometimes, people do this deliberately when they wish to cause a break-down in interpersonal relationship between themselves and someone else—it could be malice. At other times, people do it with good intentions (thinking their trying to build good relationships) only to end up ruining whatever that was left of the “relationship” due to ignorance of tactics. It’s like taking the wrong medication for an ailment. It could be deliberate—suicidal at times—or it could be plain ignorance on the part of the one involved.

Interpersonal communication is the process by which we express our feelings, ideas and thoughts and share them with the people around us. Efficient interpersonal communication is a very good quality that helps people in every aspect of life be it personal or professional.

“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, and use this understanding to guide our communication with others.” — Tony Robbins

In the end, no one is an island.

The Four Types of Communication

jonas.ezeanya@gmail.com (Jonas Ezeanya) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 23:38:15 GMT

Communication is the exchange of information in the form of messages, symbols, thoughts, signs and opinions.

There are several different types of communication, depending on the medium, path or channel used, or the way in which information is transmitted and received.

Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts can be done via different forms of modern communication media, like, e-mail, telephone and mobile. Some of the basic ways of communication are by speaking, singing, sign language, body language, touch and eye contact.

These basic ways of communication are used to transfer information from one entity to other. The different types of communication can be classified into four main groups. In the order in which they were developed (at least, in my opinion), they are as follows.

[1] Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of communication, like, tone of the voice, touch, smell, gestures and body motion. Creative and aesthetic non-verbal communication includes singing, music, dancing and sculpturing. Symbols and sign language are also included in non-verbal communication.

Body language is a non-verbal way of communication. Body posture and physical contact convey a lot of information. Body posture matters a lot when you are communicating verbally to someone. Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the signals conveyed by a body posture. Physical contact, like, shaking hands, pushing, patting and touching expresses the feeling of intimacy. Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication. Reading facial expressions can help you know a person better.

You could read your audience in this way and gauge their level of interest during the course of your speech. You could tell whether they are following or whether their interest is fading along as you speak. Every good public speaker never fails to observe his audience’s body language. By reading your audience as you speak you get immediate feedback on the progress of your speech.

[2] Verbal Communication

Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking. Language is said to have originated from sounds and gestures. There are many languages spoken in the world. The bases of language formation are:

Gender
Class
Profession
Geographical area
Age group
Other social elements

Speaking is an effective way of communicating and is again classified into two types namely: interpersonal communication and public speaking . There isn't much difference between the two. They both share far more in common than they differ. The exact, same, principles of communication work in both. The difference, however, is that while one is performed in public before a group the other is performed rather more in private to one person, and therein lies the source of the differences.

Good verbal communication is an inseparable part of business communication. In a business, you come across people from various ages, cultures and races. Fluent verbal communication is essential to deal with people in business meetings. Also, in business communication self-confidence plays a vital role which when clubbed with fluent communication skills can lead to success.

Public speaking is another verbal communication in which you have to address a group of people. Preparing for an effective speech before you start is important. In public speaking, the speech must be prepared according to the type of audience you are going to face.

The content of your speech should be authentic and you must have enough information on the topic you have chosen for public speaking. All the main points in your speech must be highlighted and these points should be delivered in the right order—to avoid mental chaos in your listeners. There are many public speaking techniques , or public speaking tools, and these must be practised wholesomely for an effective speech.

[3] Visual Communication

This type of communication is the communication through what we can see. Visual communication is visual display of information like topography, photography, signs, symbols and designs.

Television and video clips are the more popular electronic form of visual communication. In making a media presentation whether in the office or at school, you might find yourself making use of graphics and signs and symbols.

The favourite software tool currently in use for this is Microsoft PowerPoint. With PowerPoint, you could take your presentation to a whole new dimension engaging your audience with clear graphical illustrations and animations. All serve to help convey the message in your speech in more powerful and retentive way.

[4] Written Communication

This last form of communication entails communication by writing. Good written communication is essential for business purposes. Written communication is practiced in many different languages.

Textbooks, e-mails, reports, articles and memos are some of the ways of using written communication in business. The written communication can be edited and amended many times before it is transmitted to the second party to whom the message is intended. This is one of the main advantages of using writing as the major means of communication in business activity. Written communication is used not only in business but also for informal communication purposes. Mobile SMS is an example of informal written communication developed in more recent times.

So, those are the four types of communication: gesturing, speaking, illustrating and writing. The different types of communication media are increasing and evolving day-by-day with an aim to enhance clarity and eliminate ambiguity in communication.

Do you want to learn more on how you could develop yourself in public speaking? LiveSpeech public speaking training is deliverable in Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and in major cities across Nigeria.