The Sykes Group's OnPoint

How to Give Outstanding Speaker Introductions in Five Easy Steps

During the recent National Football Association Hall of Fame ceremonies, I had an opportunity to listen to heart-felt, insightful, and funny speeches. However, what stood out was one speaker's introduction of and inductee. The introduction took away the attention and thunder from the inductee and made the introduction speech more about the speaker than the inductee. The introducer's speech was twice as long as the award winner's speech, and I could see audience members grow weary of the introducer as he sapped the energy from the ceremony before the hall of fame inductee even said the first word of his speech.

Whether you are introducing an award winner or introducing the next presenter in your sales presentation, the following five secrets to introducing the speaker will make the audience motivated to listen to them:

1. Keep Your Speaker Introduction Short
   Your introduction of the speaker should never be longer than the speaker's actual presentation. Keep your introductions from thirty seconds to two minutes depending on the situation. Remember, your job is get the audience excited about the next speaker in the shortest amount of time possible. If you must tell a short story, keep it short.

2. Work With the Speaker
   Communicate with the speaker you are introducing to find out if they have a basic introduction they want you to follow. If they do, take time to familiarize yourself with the introduction so that it sounds natural when you read it. Unless authorized by the speaker, do not ad lib and add something into the introduction that could possibly embarrass the speaker or take away from their presentation. I remember seeing the horror on a speaker's face as his introducer deviated from the planned introduction and started to tell a story in the introduction that the presenter was well known for giving in his presentation. Stick with the introduction.
   
   If the presenter whom you are introducing doesn’t have a standard introduction they use, ask them what their goals are for their speech, what they want covered in the introduction, what subjects they might want to stay away from, and how to pronounce names and/or places pertaining to the speaker or the speech.

3. Don't Tell Secrets
   You may know the presenter on a personal basis and would like to tell the audience a funny story of personal embarrassment to the presenter. Don't do it unless the speaker approves the story. What you find funny may take away the presenter's credibility with the audience.

4. Sell the Speaker
   Sell the speaker to the audience. Talk about the speaker's experience and credentials, and the benefits the audience will receive by listening to the speaker. Your speaker introduction should answer the following question for the audience, "How will it benefit me to listen to the following speaker?"

5. Don't Steal the Speaker's Thunder
   Remember, it's not about the introducer. It's about the speaker. I have seen some introducers, who know that they will be introducing a dynamic speaker and try to be more dynamic than them. Your job as the introducer is to get the audience excited about the speaker without taking away the speaker's thunder. Once you know the style of speaker, work to compliment the speaker so that they are the star of the show.

Remember, giving a speaker introduction is never about you as an introducer, it's about the setting the stage for the speaker so that they are successful. Follow the five secrets to giving outstanding speaker introductions and you will create motivated audience members while making your presenters happy.

Ten Powerful Presentation Skills Secrets to Outselling the Competition

Usually, you have one opportunity to present your organization's ideas, products, and/or services to the audience. You work on the account for months and the presentation is your big moment. You speak to an under enthusiastic, yet polite audience; they thank you for your presentation and say they will get back to you. Unfortunately, after the presentation you learn that they went with another vendor.

What Happened?

It amazes me how often we see presenters with only one opportunity to make a presentation to sell their products, services, or ideas who come nowhere near meeting the needs of their audience. It's almost as if the presenter is apologizing for making a presentation, and this prevents them from presenting well.

Why is it important for you to give a powerful presentation that sells you and your organization? You face more competition during these economic times, so you need to stand out so that the prospective “customer” chooses you as their provider. Your job as a presenter is to convince the decision-makers to choose your organization or act on the information shared during your presentation. The following are ten presentation skills secrets that will help you give a powerful presentation that will sell you to decision makers:

1. Research Audience Needs
   Invest time to find out what is important to the audience members so that you can meet their specific needs. Find out what challenges they face and how you can help them overcome these challenges. You will find out your audience members will appreciate your presentation more since you took the time to find out what is most important to them.

Read the rest of the story ...

How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking in Seven Powerful Steps

Have you ever avoided a career or business opportunity because it required you to speak publicly? Did you ever have a great idea you wanted to share in a group setting but didn't because of your fear of speaking in front of a group of people?

You are not alone in the fear of public speaking. In my travels, I have seen where the fear of public speaking have kept otherwise very successful people in all walks of life from achieving their full potential. When you let this fear dominate your life, you lose out on promotions, business opportunities, community activities, and most of all self-confidence.

The following are seven powerful secrets to empowering you to overcome your fear of public speaking and achieving a new level of success in your career, your business, and your life:

1. Ask Yourself the Important Question
   Ask yourself, "Where does my fear come from and is it real?" Was there a public speaking opportunity in the past that you think didn't go well or that you felt was poorly prepared? Maybe you had to stand up in front of your classmates in high school or college and someone made what you perceived as a negative comment concerning your presentation. Maybe you gave a good speech but you started to over analyze every detail of the speech.
   
   First, realize that whatever happened did so at another time and place and you are no longer that person. With new experiences, you have grown into a more confident person with much to offer. Second, embrace feedback, extract the true areas of improvement from the feedback and work to improve your public speaking ability. Be honest and fair with yourself and determine if the feedback is coming from someone who is qualified to give quality feedback. I had one presentation skills student whose manager told her she was a poor speaker because she moved her hands and arms during the presentation. Was the manager giving qualified feedback? Doubtful. Yet, this manager's feedback affected this employee in a negative way for years until the employee became my coaching student.
   
   Again, separate qualified feedback from unqualified feedback and learn from it. Also, don't allow negative public speaking situations that happen in the past apply to your present or future public speaking opportunities.

2. Face Your Fear of Public Speaking
   The fastest way to overcome any fear, much less the fear of public speaking, is to face your fear and attack it. Look for and embrace opportunities to make presentations. Start with non-threatening opportunities such as your children's school meeting or a non-work related situation and work your way up to more important, high pressure situations such as work meetings.
   
   Realize that each time you speak is an opportunity to improve your speaking ability. Look at your public speaking skills as a muscle. The more you exercise your public speaking muscle, the stronger it becomes and you will improve your speaking abilities.
   
   Go into each public speaking opportunity with a clear set of goals. Maybe for your first speech, you may have a goal of eliminating "hums" and "ahs." For another speech you may have a goal of completing your speech with a powerful ending.

3. Visualize Your Public Speaking Success
   Invest time the night before you speak to visualize what a successful speech looks, sounds, and feels like and how you will feel while giving it. If you don't see it yourself, it won't happen. Most presentations can be dramatically improved just by investing time ahead of the presentation to visualize a successful outcome.

4. Master the Material
   Invest the time to know what you are presenting. Invest time to rehearse several variations of your speech. Rehearse your speech as if something goes wrong. What if your PowerPoint goes down, you forget a section in your speech, or someone heckles you? How will you react? If you know your material well enough, you will be able to overcome any presentation challenge.

5. Master Your Public Speaking Mind
   During a group coaching session, a presenter started speaking, made a mistake and promptly announced, "I hate speaking in public!" In this instance, she did not manage her public speaking mind, and let her fear of public speaking take over her performance.
   
   When you make negative statements concerning public speaking, it will reinforce your fear of public speaking. Take the time to replace negative statements with positive public speaking affirmations.

6. Take Time to Analyze Your Performance
   In most cases, we are our own toughest critics when speaking. Whenever you speak, videotape or audiotape your presentations, sit down, and honestly analyze your performance. Once you start to record your presentations, you will realize that some of the issues you were worried about aren't in your speech and you will instantly see areas of improvement and address them accordingly. As the old saying goes, "The video doesn't lie."
   
   Ask for feedback from people you respect and who can give you quality, supportive feedback that will empower you to want apply the feedback in your next speech. Before your speech, tell the person you ask to give you feedback what your public speaking goals are and what you are working to improve.
   
   Once you analyze your areas of improvement, immediately go out and exercise your public speaking muscle and apply the improvement.

7. Reward Yourself
   Reward yourself for any improvements in your public speaking skills. The reward is up to you, but make sure to immediately reward yourself.

Bonus Public Speaking Secret: If you forget a word or a phrase during your speech, never apologize and keep speaking as though nothing happened. Unless the audience has a detailed transcript of your speech, they won't know what you forgot. Don’t let the fear of forgetting something in your speech keep you from giving great speeches.

Now, go out and exercise your public speaking muscle to give outstanding presentations. When you apply the seven secrets to overcoming your fear of public speaking, you will realize more opportunities and gain a new level of confidence.

Are You Singing Your Song of Success? Five Secrets to Following Your Dreams and Achieving More Success in Your Life!

Recently, Susan Boyle, an unemployed forty-seven year old single woman from the small village of Blackburn, Scotland decided to compete in the television program, "Britain's Got Talent." She did not look like the typical "star quality" contestant. So, when she first walked out on the stage, the audience and judges started laughing and giving her cynical looks. Then she sang. The audience and judges were instantly won over and she continued to the next round of competition. Because the program was on television and the video of her program appeared on YouTube, she won over millions of additional fans with her unique talent. Whether she wins the competition or not, she already won by living her dream. By taking the bold step of competing, Susan won over millions while creating unlimited opportunities to sing her song of success.

So I ask you the following:

Are You Singing Your Song of Success?

Are you letting your song of success go silent? The following are five secrets that will guarantee that your song of success is heard and you can also live your dreams:

1. Create Powerful Goals to Be Successful
   Take the time to set clear, concise life and success goals that you can be excited about on a daily basis. Refer to your goals every day so that you can stay on course to achieve your dreams. Make your goals S-M-A-R-T-E-R: specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, time-based, encouraging, and rewarded.

To read the rest of the article and see Susan Boyle in action, go to Success

How to Master Interview Questions and Think on Your Feet!

You may never be in front of Katie Curic of CBS News answering questions like Sarah Palin, but there will be opportunities in your life where you will be asked questions on the spot. How will you handle those situations? As you can see in the above video, Sarah Palin had a difficult time being clear and concise in her answers.

You may never find yourself on national television, but you may find yourself in a similar high pressure situation at work, in business, or in the community. Simply follow the below link for five techniques you can use to master impromptu speaking so that you can master your thinking on your feet skills:

Thinking on Your Feet

Public Speaking Skills Prepare You for Future Opportunities!

Recently, during my presentation skills workshops or public speaking coaching session, I was asked the following question:

Mr. Sykes, who do you think is the better public speaker, Barack Obama or John McCain?

First, I always start by saying "Taking the politics out of it (I am asking the same of those who are reading this post), it's Barack Obama."

It's because Senator Obama exhibits the following traits of a great speaker:

• He is comfortable speaking in front on two or several thousand people.

• He is in control of the stage all the time.

• He is a master of vocal variety, inflection, tonality, and also a lost art ... the pause.

• He makes the audience feel he is personally talking to each member of the crowd.

• He is able to communicate a vision that others want to buy into.

• He, from a leadership standpoint, moves people to action with his speaking style.

John McCain is the master of the town hall presentation. He feels comfortable with small, intimate gatherings where he is quite engaging. However, when he is giving a speech, it is summed up by a recent Newsday.com (by way of Politico.com's Jonathan Martin) article:

"Why McCain should be so bad at giving speeches is fairly mystifying since he is actually a very good conversationalist, clearly at ease with reporters and the countless voters he's appeared before at town-hall meetings."

I mention the above quote because I hear many times from students, "Speaking one-on-one I'm fine, but when I am in front of an audience, I just freeze or fall apart." Senator McCain is not the only person who finds public speaking a challenge. It is a very common challenge that many people have when it comes to public speaking.

Well, it's important to understand that developing outstanding public speaking skills prepares you for opportunities on a future "big stage." You may never know what these opportunities are today, but they are coming in the future. Why not prepare for them?

If you want to start your journey to overcoming public speaking fear and start your journey to giving outstanding presentations, read this interesting article at Overcome Fear.

Maybe some day you will be able to become President ... of your company, association, business, or even the country.

Coming to 0rder: Five Public Speaking Lessons Learned from Judge Judy

If you have watched T.V. lately, you’ve probably noticed a growing popular genre - reality courtroom shows. These shows are centered on litigants bringing small-claims court cases in a televised forum. Some of the cases can get pretty racy and you might think there is little you can gain unless you plan to go to court yourself. What if I told you that watching Judge Judy can not only expand your understanding of the law, but teach you how to make better presentations? The following are five public speaking lessons you can learn from following courtroom protocol and procedures:

Lesson 1 – Concentrate on I and Why
Every plaintiff, before proceeding into a courtroom, needs to be able to answer one simple question, “Why am I here?”

The same is true in public speaking. When you give a speech, you need to focus not only on the “I” but the “why” of the program. You need to know the purpose for your speech and clearly be able to answer:

Why is this talk important?
Why should the audience listen to me?
Why should the audience put my talk into action?

When you choose to focus on the “I” as well as the “why” of your presentation, you are more likely to connect with your audience and increase the overall value and effectiveness of your speech.

Lesson 2 – Dress for Success
Imagine walking into a courtroom and attorneys are dressed in pajama pants, a polo shirt, and worn fuzzy slippers? What about drooping pants and a top with a plunging neckline and bulging cleavage? You may laugh at the thought, but odd and outlandish attire choices seem to be more of the norm for many who are not court officers. Why is this so important?

One universal truth we know to be true is that people are strongly influenced by visual cues. Your attire can accentuate or detract from your message. How? In thirty seconds or less, the audience will assess your look and decide whether or not you “appear” worth listening to. Choose to make a strong impression as you increase your credibility quotient; always choose polished and professional apparel.

Lesson 3 – Get to the point
The calendar of any court judge is full daily with no time to waste. Time is a precious commodity. If you waste the time you’re given, you risk being cut off by the judge and left wondering how you lost your case.

When you address an audience, it’s important to remember that their time is precious. Waste time and the audience will choose to tune you out and you will lose their attention and the ability to make your points. Plan, prepare, and practice your speech with information that is relevant, interesting, and concise.

Lesson 4 – Make Eye Contact
The eyes have it - truth is in the eyes. “Don’t look up there or look over there; look at me!” is a common admonishment you’ll often hear the popular Judge Judy often extol. Eye contact is the connection that helps judges and audiences alike to connect with the speaker. Audiences are more likely to believe what you say when you are able to look them in the eye without wavering. Make eye contact with your audience often and watch your credibility and connection with your audience go up!

Lesson 5 – Speak Up
Mumbling in court is not optional. Fail to speak up in court and you risk others speaking over you and drowning out your opportunity to make your case. What good is testimony if the judge, court reporter, attorneys, litigants, jury and court observers can’t hear it? When you make a presentation, ensure that the eloquence of your message isn’t lost. Use your voice and be sure to maintain an appropriate volume for the venue in which you speak. Speaking to a conference room full of your peers will require a different need that giving a keynote given at an industry conference. Make the choice - choose to speak up.

Apply these five public speaking secrets and you will always give outstanding presentations and be in control of any room.

International Make a Point Day! (Five Public Speaking Secrets for Getting Your Point Across)

Have you ever been in a meeting where the presentation when on and on. Have you ever asked yourself, "What's the point to this presentation?"

Here are five public speaking secrets that will keep your message on point:

1. Start with an End in Mind
   Ask yourself, "Why am I speaking?" "What do I want the audience to do after listening to my speech?" This will help you focus on the message you want to share with your audience. It will help you focus on who is your audience, the key points, and what you want your audience to do after listening to you.

2. Keep It Simple
   Keep your presentation simple by learning to "speak to express instead of speaking to impress." What I mean by speaking to impress is when you see speakers using $5 words for $2 situations during speeches and they look uncomfortable doing it. Another example of this is when presenters overuse PowerPoint. Your audience will soon lose interest in what you are saying. Also keep it simple with the structure of your speech. An opening, body with three major points, and a closing will help you connect with your audience. Just be sincere, concise, and simple in your presentation and you will always connect with your audience.

3. Make an Outline
   Create an outline of your speech. Depending on your own individual thought process, you may want to mind map, a freestyle way of putting ideas together, or outline. Outline your beginning, body with three points, and ending.

4. Start and End Strong
   Concentrate on knowing the beginning and ending of your presentation. Feel confident in giving the beginning of your presentation, and you will become more comfortable giving the rest of your speech. End on a strong note because your speech ending will be the last thing your audience will remember about your presentation.

5. Stay Within the Time
   Many times when you are given an award during a meeting, conference, etc., you are also under time restrictions. In most cases, you will have longer than thirty seconds. Take the time to ask the person in charge of the meeting how much time you have for your speech. Also, make it a habit to look at the agenda ahead of time to see how much time you have been allotted. It may be only three minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes, but find out ahead of time. By finding out ahead of time and staying within the time given to you, you show respect to your audience, the people in charge of the meeting, and most of all yourself. Once you go over the time allotted, you can see the audience members start looking at their watches and stop listening to your important speech.

Follow these five presentation secrets for staying on point and your presentations will have more impact and will create new business, career, public speaking, and life opportunities for you.

Martin Luther King Jr. Motivating Millions with the "I Have a Dream" Speech

January 21st is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. His "I Have a Dream" speech motivated millions to dream and take action to make the United States a better place.

Many of my presentation coaching students think that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave that speech for the first time on the Washington Mall. My students are surprised to learn that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been practicing by giving different variations of that speech for over a year. He consistently made changes until the speech became the masterpiece that changed the world.

Great presentations start with great preparation! Enjoy!

Presentation Skills: Seven Presentation Secrets Learned from the Academy Awards

Academy Awards come and go, but one thing is a constant: bad acceptance speeches. You may never win an Academy Award, but you may be asked to give an acceptance speech for an accomplishment in your business, your career, your community, or your organization. Sometimes your acceptance speech will be for what you accomplished, or for what your team has accomplished.

The following are seven presentation secrets to giving an outstanding acceptance speech in any situation:

1. Prepare For the Moment- You may have heard the Oscar winners say, "I really didn't think I would win," or "I really didn't think I would be standing here tonight," and then give an acceptance speech like they didn't think they would win. Well, my question is, "Why did you think you were invited to this gala event?"
   
   Most likely, you will know ahead of time that you will be possibly winning an award, so take the time to prepare your presentation. Practice your speech using a tape recorder or, better yet, a video camcorder. Also, if you can, give a dress rehearsal of your speech in front of friends, family, or colleagues.

2. Agree Who Will Give the Speech- Time and time during the Academy Awards Ceremony, the first person to the microphone will speak for the full thirty second time limit and not allow the other winners in the group (many seen clutching their own acceptance speech notes) the opportunity to give their acceptance speeches. Where this moment should be one of the happiest moments in their lives, you can see the disappointment on the faces of the winners who didn't have the opportunity to speak.
   
   When you are working as a team on a project and are receiving an award, agree in advance who the acceptance speaker will be. This might be the team leader, the manager, vice president, etc., but work this out before giving the speech.
   
   If you decide on one person to give the speech, then you need to decide on who will be recognized during the time this person gives the presentation. Also, when speaking for the group, make sure the "I's" are changed to "We's." For example, when speaking for the group say, "We would like to acknowledge the following people..." instead of saying, "I would like to acknowledge the following people..." Remember, the designated speaker is representing the group.
   
   If decision is to have several team members speak, achieve consensus on how much time each person will have to speak so that each person has an equal opportunity to express appreciation.

3. Use Notes to Enhance Your Presentation- At the Academy Awards Ceremony, one person read his entire speech from his notes, not once looking at the audience. What he had to say was very heartfelt and sincere; however, his sincerity didn't translate to the audience because his notes were in the way.

   When giving an acceptance speech, use notes as a tool to enhance your presentation and not as a crutch. Only use notes for remembering the opening sentence, important names to thanks, or whatever facts you need to mention. Don't have the entire speech on notes.

   The following are some quick tips for working with notes:

   • Practice with your notes so that your speech is natural.
   • Type your notes. In the heat of the moment and sometimes bad lighting, our eyesight can become a little challenged. Type your notes in 16-18 point fonts.
   • Double space your sentences so that you can easily read your notes.
   • Type only on the top half of a full page so that you are less likely to lose your place after looking up at the audience.
   • Look up at the audience after every two or three sentences to maintain rapport with the audience.
   • Number your notes in case they fall and become scrambled so that you can quickly recover.
   • Practice a smooth transition for pulling your notes out of your pocket or portfolio.
   • Don't flip your notes because the flipping noise will cause a distraction for your audience. Practice sliding your notes.

4. Share the Wealth- How many times have we seen at the Academy Awards ceremony where some persons went on about how they personally achieved the reward or, worst yet, forgot to acknowledge the most important person for whom they would not have achieved the award (Remember Hillary Swank not remembering to thank her husband?).

   Take the time to give appreciation to the organization giving you the award and to those who helped you achieve the award. No person is an island. You achieved the goal through the help of someone(s), so acknowledge and appreciate them. To save time, if it is a few people, acknowledge them by name. If it is a large group of people, department, or organization, mention the group by name. For example, you might say, "I would like to acknowledge the people in marketing for their hard work on the Peterson project for making this moment happen. If it were not for their time and effort, we would not have won the XYZ account. Thank you."

   Also, only thank the necessary people during your acceptance speech. Don't thank Guttenberg for inviting the printing press if he has nothing to do with why you accomplished your achievement. Stay focused on only those people who had a direct effect on your achievement.

5. Let Sincerity Flow Through Your Speech- Let your appreciations come from the heart. Briefly convey your own feelings regarding your appreciation of the award and all that it represents. Be honest and don't over exaggerate your feelings while accepting the award.

   Be clear and concise in your showing of appreciation because you will most likely be under time constraints.

6. Value the Award- Many times during the Academy Awards Ceremony, you will hear the winner of an award say, "I really don't deserve this award," or "I really shouldn't be standing here." When you make statements like that, you devalue the award and recognition given to you. Also you question the judgment of the people who chose you to accept the award. Simply acknowledge their judgment and recognition and continue your speech.

7. Stay Within the Time- At the Academy Awards, the Oscar winners have thirty seconds before the band starts playing the "wrap it up" music. In many cases, the winner attempts to speak over the music. Between the band and the Oscar recipient, who do you think wins? Of course, it is the band. As soon as the band starts playing the music, the audience stops listening to the recipient.

   Many times when you are given an award during a meeting, conference, etc., you are also under time restrictions. In most cases, you will have longer than thirty seconds. Take the time to ask the person in charge of the meeting how much time you have for your speech. Also, make it a habit to look at the agenda ahead of time to see how much time you have been allotted. It may be only three minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes, but find out ahead of time. By finding out ahead of time and staying within the time given to you, you show respect to your audience, the people in charge of the meeting, and most of all yourself. Once you go over the time allotted, you can see the audience members start looking at their watches and stop listening to your important speech.

   Note: If you can't find out ahead of time how much time you have to make your speech, assume you have very limited time and keep you comments brief.

Take the time to apply these seven acceptance speech secrets and you will give an outstanding presentation each and every time you receive an award.

How to Prepare an Outstanding Presentation in Thirty Minutes (Seven Secrets to Giving the Impromptu Speech)

Uh, oh, I need to give a presentation in thirty minutes! I think I would rather have a root canal instead.

It's 2 p.m. and your manager walks up to you with that look on his face. He announces that the company president wants you to give a presentation to him concerning the high profile project you have been working on...and he wants the presentation to start in thirty minutes. Now you have a look on your face as if you had just seen a ghost.

No problem. The following are seven secrets to preparing an outstanding presentation when you have less than thirty minutes:

1. You Don't Need the Perfect Presentation
   Get started! Don't freeze expecting perfection. When you think you need to be perfect, this can lead to paralysis. Management realizes, because of the short time period, that you will not be perfect. The key is to work quickly, not frantically.

2. Start With an End in Mind
   Ask yourself, "What do I want to accomplish with my presentation?" Do you want to persuade, entertain, or move the audience to action? Once you have these answers, work to develop your presentation to achieve these goals.

3. It's About the Audience
   Ask the following questions:
   
   
   • "Who is my audience?
   • "What does the audience want?"
   • "What does the audience want to gain from the speech?"
   • "What is the level of expertise of the audience members?"
   
   Once you have the answers to these questions, you can tailor your speech to meet the audience's needs.

4. Keep It Simple
   Don't be overwhelmed with information overhaul. Keep your presentation clear and concise by focusing on three main points. This will save you time when collecting your backup information.

5. Make an Outline
   Create an outline of your speech. Depending on your own individual thought process, you may want to mind map, a freestyle way of putting ideas together, or outline. Outline your beginning, body with three points, and ending.

6. Start and End Strong
   Concentrate on knowing the beginning and ending of your presentation. Feel confident in giving the beginning of your presentation, and you will become more comfortable giving the rest of your speech. End on a strong note because your speech ending will be the last thing your audience will remember about your presentation.

7. Your Presentation Starts in the Mind
   Find five minutes before your presentation; go to a quiet place, if possible; and meditate. Think about the positive results of your presentation. Visualize your giving an outstanding presentation and how well the audience is receiving your speech. Also find a mirror; hopefully, in a private area; and look into the mirror and say any of the following affirmations:
   
   
   • "This presentation is a great opportunity for me."
   • "Every opportunity to speak is an opportunity for success."
   • "I am a great speaker."
   • "The audience will enjoy my presentation."
   • "I have something of valuable to share with the audience."
   • "I appreciate this opportunity to make a presentation."
   
   Note: Your affirmations become more powerful when you keep them short and keep them in the present state (Future state example: I will become a better speaker.).

Now that you have read these secrets, you have twenty-five minutes left. Remember, the speech will not break your career. However, being able to rise to the occasion and give an outstanding presentation can enhance your career, business, and life opportunities. Apply these seven secrets and you, too, will give an outstanding presentation in less than thirty minutes.

Speak for Success!

Today is National Speak Up and Succeed Day! Great communication skills will set you apart from the competition and new opportunities will open up for you. Read the following article to find out how you can speak up and succeed:

"Career Advice: Three Secrets to Telling Your Story for Career and Job Success"

What is the Secret to Having a Great Conversation?

Watch as Joy shares the secret to a great conversation.

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Career Advice: Three Secrets to Telling Your Story for Career and Job Success

When was the last time you received a job promotion? You are doing a great job at work but everyone else seems to get the promotion you want. You may even start making excuses as to why you are not getting the career promotions you deserve. Well, I ask you the following question:

The following career advice story will show you how to put your career on the fast track:

Recently, I was facilitating an oceanfront retreat for over two hundred employees of a university. During this session, I had the participants think of something or somebody they appreciate. I then asked for volunteers to share with the group whom or what they appreciate and why this is important to them.

Lonnie volunteered and stood up in front of the group to share his thoughts of appreciation. Lonnie explained that in his job he helps children improve their lives. He mentioned that whatever the lowest pay and title scale was, he was at that level. However, he said that was all right because of the joy he received from helping the children. You could hear and sense the passion in his words as he shared his experiences with the audience.

About a month later, Lonnie was in another workshop I was facilitating, and he asked to speak with me before the start of the session. I could see the excitement in his eyes as he explained what had happened to him since the oceanfront retreat. One week after sharing his story at the retreat, he received a call from the Office of Academic Affairs. Someone of influence, who was impressed with Lonnie's speech and the way he told his story that day, wanted Lonnie to come in for a job interview. Lonnie went to the interview and received the job of Assistant to the Dean of Academic Affairs, with a substantial increase in pay and title. That was a career quantum leap from just a couple of weeks earlier.

Lonnie told his story for career success. Like so many of you, you are toiling away in your careers everyday and making a difference for your organization. But if no one knows about your successes, your passions, and your ideas, you will not achieve job and career success.

The following are three secrets to putting you on the fast track to career and job advancement:

1. It's Not What You Know... - I'm sure you have heard the old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," when talking about getting ahead in life. Well, in this new age of information and self responsibility, I am declaring that this saying is dead. Instead, I always say the following:
   
   

   "It's not what you know. It's not who you know. It's who knows what you know that creates success for you."

   
   There are people doing a great job everyday. There are people everyday that know people of influence. Yet, unless these people of influence know what you know (your skills, your knowledge, your ideas), you won't be put in a position for success. Lonnie, during his two-minute presentation, let people of influence know that he was passionate about helping children at his job and he was willing to do it for little compensation. That's a powerful message. It moved people to help him and make him a part of their team.

2. Prepare Yourself for Powerful Story Telling - When the opportunity comes to tell your story, will you be prepared? Lonnie was prepared and made the most of his opportunity. However, I have seen many opportunities vanish for a person to tell his/her story because of the fear of speaking in front of a group or in a meeting. Whether it's in a job interview, monthly meeting, or at a conference, have the confidence to tell your story. You may never get another opportunity to do so. Have the courage to work on your presentation skills. There are various resources for improving your presentation skills. You can take a class, join Toastmasters, or hire a presentation skills coach.
   
   Also, outline what you will tell in your story. Think of your successes and how you achieved those successes. Thinks of the challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Express the joy you felt while achieving your goals. Relate how your activities helped you develop your skills, your creativity, and your determination. Let your passion show in your story.

3. Create Opportunities to Tell Your Story - When Lonnie volunteered, he created an opportunity to tell his story. How can you create opportunities to tell your story? You can volunteer for job-related assignments and give reports during management briefings. You can be active in workshops or seminars and tell your story among a variety of people that normally might not be exposed to your story. Join various associations and groups and tell your story. This is a great way to network among people who are active in their industries. Contribute your story to your in-house publication, local newspaper, or magazine. Create a blog or website and tell your story. The more you tell your story to a wide variety of people, the greater the opportunity to increase your success.

Apply these powerful career advice secrets and put your career advancement on the fast track. Tell your story and others will sit up and take notice.

Outstanding Presentations Start in the Mind: Five Secrets for Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

Public speaking presents such a challenge for many people. In the Book of Lists, public speaking anxiety and making a presentation constitute the number one fear; the fear of dying is number two. Like the old saying goes, "People would rather be in the grave than make a presentation." You see people sweat, shake, and quiver while they are speaking. Sometimes, employees bypass promotions, and business owners bypass business opportunities rather than give a presentation. I saw a manager who was on the corporate fast track quickly become derailed because she couldn't complete her presentation in front of senior management.

So what do great speakers do to prepare themselves to be great presenters? They prepare their minds to give a great presentation. That's right; it all starts in your mind. How can you develop a great speaker's mindset and start giving outstanding presentations? The following are five secrets for powerful public speaking:

1. Believe It So That You Can Achieve It
   I am approached by people who say, "I can't speak in public," "I am a bad speaker," or "I could never speak in public." Without hearing them speak, I say, "You're right." Because once you make those negative statements, they become self-fulfilling prophesies. When you say, "I am a bad speaker," your subconscious mind is thinking, "Well, he or she said it, so it must be true; so I will act like a bad speaker." Positive speaking attitude (PSA) is one of the first things I work on during my presentation coachings. Replace the negative speaking attitude with a PSA to master your self talk and improve your presentation skills. Instead of saying, "I am a bad speaker," say the following:
   
   
   • "I am improving my public speaking abilities everyday in everyway."
   • "Every opportunity to make a presentation is an opportunity for success."
   • "I am a good public speaker today; and, with continued practice, I will be a better public speaker tomorrow."
   • "I am mastering my presentation skills everyday!"

   When you make these positive affirmations, your subconscious mind hears it and says, "Yeah, I am improving," or "Let me speak because it is an opportunity for success," or "I am mastering my speaking skills."

   Manage your self talk for a PSA. You will feel a new confident attitude concerning public speaking.

2. Think About What You Want to Accomplish
   I will ask the question, "What do you want to accomplish with your presentation?" Many times I will be on the receiving end of a blank stare or the student might say, "I just want them to listen to me."
   
   Take time to think about what you want to accomplish by giving your presentation. Is it that you want to entertain the audience, do you want to persuade them on an important issue, or maybe you want the audience to take action after hearing your presentation. Going into your presentation knowing what you want to accomplish creates focus and is a big confidence builder.

3. Visualize Success
   Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at an association conference with over five thousand people in the audience. Joy, my wife, was sitting in the audience with our friend Jim who came to hear me speak for the first time. As I was about to speak, Jim leaned over and asked Joy if I was nervous speaking in front of such a large group of people. Without blinking an eye, Joy said, "He was born for this day. He saw this day coming when he first started speaking."

   I visualized that day long before it happened. Whenever I give a presentation, I take time to visualize a successful presentation and positive outcome. The more details I include in my visualizations, the more vivid and real it becomes for me. The night before the presentation I will find a quiet place at home or, if I am on the road, a hotel room, and meditate to start the visualization process. I will visualize my drive to the event, greeting the host and audience, and how my powerful presentation will sound and look on that day. I will also visualize the audience's positive response to the presentation.

   Take time to visualize the details of giving a great presentation. Like the old saying goes, "Fake it 'til you make it." If you visualize you are a great speaker, you will take the steps and create opportunities for yourself to become a great speaker.

   Visualize that the audience wants to hear your message and they want you to do well. Remember, it's their time also and they want to receive value out of your speech.

4. Own the Room
   Whenever I speak, I "own the room." I mentally tell myself that for the next thirty minutes, hour, etc., I own the room. The corporation, association, or government may own the building or venue I am speaking in, but during the time I am speaking, I am the owner of the room and the audience will be my guests, my friends. That way I am always in control to give an outstanding presentation.

   Think of your speaking area as your house, your home, your castle. When you invite friends into your home, aren't you in control and want to provide a safe, entertaining environment for your guests? The same is true for your speaking audience; you want to provide a safe, entertaining, and enriching experience for them.

   I always say, "Giving presentations is not about me, it's about you (the audience)." What I mean is that if I am constantly thinking about how I sound, look, and feel while I speak, I am not thinking about what I can share with my audience. Concentrate on the value you will give to your audience members and you will never go wrong.

5. Eat the Elephant
   Many times I hear the following:

   "I could never speak in front of a group of people, but one-on-one I am fine."

   Well, I ask, "How do you eat the elephant?" Break the elephant into smaller pieces. It is the same when you "digest" the audience. Don't think of the audience as a whole, think of the audience as individuals ready to hear your message. Concentrate on thinking of your audience as individuals, and your message will come across that way to the individual audience members.

Follow these five secrets for creating a positive mindset for confident public speaking. Overcoming your public speaking anxiety will improve your presentation skills and create new opportunities for you through public speaking.

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes are Featured Leadership Speakers at Toastmaster International Convention

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes will be featured speakers at the 2006 Toastmasters International Convention held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on August 26th. The title of their presentation is "The Business of Toastmasters: How to Create a Vibrant, Motivated and Profitable Club."

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes will share secrets for treating your club, association, or group as a growing business. Ed and Joy, while volunteering for Toastmasters as Club Extension Specialist and District Public Relations Officer, respectively, have created and mentored five new clubs in 2006: Norfolk Naval Shipyard HRSC, GEICO, Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Verizon, and Johnson Controls, with vibrant starting memberships of over thirty plus and growing. They are currently working with State Farm Insurance to start a new club. These organizations realize that outstanding communication skills improve employee morale, customer relations, and, ultimately, better performance and bottom line.

"Many non-profit groups act like they are non-profits," says Ed Sykes. "However, they have an obligation as leaders to market, provide the product or service guaranteed in their "contract" (the membership application), and take care of their "customers" (the members). "Just like a corporation," says Joy Fisher-Sykes, "you are responsible for working with your "shareholders" (your area, division, and district officers) to provide the best product or service for your customers to grow your "business" (the organization).

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes Receive Award from School for Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes, Co-founders of The Sykes Group, received an award from Seatack Elementary School in Virginia Beach, VA, for volunteering and leading the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program. They led a group of third through fifth graders on an eight-week program to improve their leadership, presentation, and motivation skills.

At the Seatack graduation ceremony, Ed and Joy were presented with an award from Principal Katherine Everett for outstanding contributions to the enhancement of public education. Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes, in the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership Program, coached and mentored the participants in officer elections, Robert's Rules of Order, how to run a meeting, presentation skills, thinking on your feet skills, and how to give positive evaluations. By the second session, the participants are running the sessions with coaching from Ed and Joy.

"We find that our participants will always raise to the high bar we set for them in leadership, presentation skills, and evaluation skills so that they are more confident as students and leaders, and are ready to become global citizens," says Ed Sykes. "They are like little sponges and they instantly absorb new skills, many times much better than many adults." Joy Fisher-Sykes says, "We know our efforts are worth it when we see immediate results or when the participants ask us to come back next year. One young program participant said that it was difficult growing up as a child. Our program allowed her to voice her concerns about growing up as a kid and feel comfortable doing it."

Explain Yourself! The Reason Why Excuses Sabotage Your Success

Have you ever been in a situation where you were unable to make good on a promise or commitment? Perhaps you were late with a report to your manager, unable to take a child to the playground, or late for dinner with your partner. The question is, after the realization sets in that you can not deliver, how do you explain why you were unable to meet your obligation? Do you stand in the truth, own your actions and give an honest reason, or do you make excuses concerned only with freeing yourself from blame?

Is there a difference?
For many of us, we have probably thought of the two as being one in the same. You may be asking yourself, "Is there really a difference?" At times, the distinction between the two can be difficult to see. After all, excuses have the ability to be disguised as reasons fooling you into thinking, "That sounds like a valid reason." In fact, when you tune in and really listen, the facade of an excuse will quickly give way to expose the truth of falsehood.

Explanations come in two forms - excuses and reasons. Remember: you make excuses and you give reasons.

Explanations
An excuse is an attempt to free oneself from blame by deflecting attention and responsibility onto someone or something else. Excuses diminish your power and say "I am not willing to take responsibility. Instead, I will settle for whatever path others choose for me as a result of my actions." Making excuses will erode others confidence in you, and destroy your self-respect. The refusal to be personally accountable is rooted in the fear of failure - to be known as someone who did not deliver. This defense mechanism results in a plea to convince others to overlook your part and to minimize the damage caused by your role in a given situation.

To say one has a "good excuse" is an oxymoron which implies there is a difference between good and bad excuses. All excuses are bad and unacceptable. Here are some examples:

• "I was late to the meeting because the clock in the lunchroom has been broken for a month."

• "My report is late because my manager didn't remind me it was due today."

• "I am not ready to give my report to the Board of Directors tomorrow because I was on vacation the last two weeks and I didn't prepare."

A reason is defined as a legitimate, truthful account of a situation which includes explanation of your part. Rooted in good judgment, there exists a willingness to own your actions and deal with the consequences. Reasons seek to clarify what happened, who was responsible, and how to deal with the situation and seek immediate solutions so that one can do better now and in the future. A reason is not motivated by fear, but driven by respect and integrity. Here are some examples:

• "The reason I am late is because I had a flat tire."

• "Although I was assigned this report last Friday, the reason my report is late is because the mainframe crashed Friday afternoon and has been down ever since. I have attempted to retrieve the information from our satellite location, but to no avail."

• "The reason I will not give a Power Point presentation is because the projector just died. Since it will be at least an hour before we locate a replacement, I will proceed without it and ask that you follow along via my handout."

Action Steps
When you are in the moment of truth, remember the choice is yours - you can make excuses or you can give valid reasons. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you speak out to determine if you are about to make excuses or provide a reason:

1. What is your intent - is it to release yourself from total blame or to provide a straightforward, honest account of the situation and your actions?

2. Are you willing to accept the consequences of your actions and take steps to improve the situation?

3. Are you willing to honestly acknowledge the degree of your responsibility, and is there anything you could have done differently?

The next time you are faced with the prospect of explaining your actions, ask yourself "Is this an excuse or a valid reason?" Always find the courage to behave with integrity and honor your self-respect. When faced with a choice, the question is what will you do?

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes are Keynote Speakers at Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Banquet

Ed Sykes and Joy Fisher-Sykes were the keynote speakers during the Big Brothers Big Sisters Appreciation Banquet on February 3rd at the Little Creek Naval Base Chief Petty Officer Club in Norfolk, VA. The banquet was to acknowledge the Big Brothers and Big Sisters for their efforts in making a difference with their "little brothers" and "little sisters."

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive future for at-risk children. They match children, the little brothers or sisters known as "littles," with a mentor or Big Brother or Sister known as the "bigs," to invest time and provide guidance to their mentees to create a positive future for the "littles."

The banquet was attended by Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA) and Portsmouth Mayor Bill Holley among others. Ed and Joy gave the speech, "Make a Difference," highlighting the positive experiences they had mentoring children. Ed let the volunteers know that they were heroes because they invest their time and effort to make a difference in the lives of the children, their little brothers and sisters. Ed also said, "We make a difference by setting positive expectations for children who have negative influences in their lives." Joy spoke about the need for the children to be comfortable with themselves. "We must teach our children that they don't need to have the most expensive clothes, cars, and jewelry to be great and be successful. They must be 'comfortable in their own skin' so that they make the right decisions because it's the right thing to do, not based on what other people want them to do." Joy also mentioned that the volunteers benefit from their experiences because they develop a new perspective on life and enhance their listening skills. This leads to improved personal and business relationships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampton Roads is located in Chesapeake, VA. They can be reached at telephone number 757-549-7437 or at their website, www.bbbsofshr.org.

Five Secrets to "Thinking on Your Feet"

Many times we are put into situations where we are asked a question and need to give an answer on the spot, or "think on your feet." It could be a sales or customer service situation, your manager asking you for a progress report, a request for your ideas on a new community project, or a job interview.

During these times we can feel the pressure. Our heart begins to race, we start to sweat, we feel our knees knocking, or we want to hide under a rock. This is because sometimes the answer we give could mean that big sale, the customer being satisfied, a promotion or raise, or that dream job.

The following are five secrets to help you master your "thinking on your feet" skills:

1. Listen
   Many times when we are in a high pressure situation where we are so nervous we really don't hear the actual question. Been there, done that. To make sure we understand the question and give the right answer do the following:
   
   
   • Breathe slower (Benefit: Relaxes body and mind).
   • Look directly at the questioner. (Benefit: Increases comprehension.)
   • Ask questions (Benefit: increases clarity and shows you are listening).

2. Pause to Organize
   It is okay to pause. Pause to gather your thoughts. When you pause you look and sound poised and in control. Remember, there is power in silence.

3. Repeat the Question
   This has several benefits:
   
   • Buys you time to think.
   • Communicates a complete piece of information.
   • Allows you to take control of the question by rephrasing the question to a more positive light if needed.
   • Enables everyone, if in a public setting, to hear the question.

4. Focus on One Main Point and Support It
   The number one reason why we sometimes freeze up when asked to think on our feet is because we have so many ideas running around in our minds. We don't know which idea to mention.
   
   Here's the solution: Go with the first idea that comes to mind and say it. By sticking with that one point you can focus on two or three supporting points. You sound more direct and confident when giving your answer.

5. Summarize and Stop (SAS)
   End your answer with some SAS (Summarize and Stop). Give your answer, summarize, and stop. Don't apologize and don't ramble on beyond the finish. Try this trick: repeat the essence of the question. For example, you may be asked, "Why did you stop the project?" In your summary you might say, "And that's why we decided to start another project." Then stop.
   
   Give your answer, let them know the end is near by saying:
   
   "In summary..."
   "In conclusion..."
   
   Then simply stop. Remember SAS.

Apply these techniques so that you can become a master at "thinking on your feet" and give great answers. You can practice these skills by joining Toastmasters. In their meetings they have an exercise called "table topics," in which you can practice this skill in a supportive environment

Want to learn how to give outstanding presentations? Our How to Give Powerful Presentions or Assertive Communication workshops can help you give outstanding presentations. Also read our articles on presentation skills, etc. Call us at 757-427-7032 or e-mail us at info@thesykesgrp.com.

Bite Your Tongue! 10 Ways to Be an Effective Listener