Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time!

Murphy lurks EVERYWHERE and if you are preparing for your speech, trust me… it will manifest itself right before you and at the worst possible time. I had to give a presentation to my program director and consulting professor a couple of days ago. It was a rather important presentation and there was no room for screw-ups. And as you have guessed by now, it did…

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You guys have been awesome. Thought I should give all of you a little treat. Presenting the top five posts from April and May.
Happy reading!

1. Stage Time!!! - This is part five of the Speaking Secrets Revealed series.

2. The Power of Body Language - Enjoy this absolutely funny video that demonstrates the power of body language.

3. How to create a speech in less than 10 mins - Essential read for all presenters! It was also featured in Ezine.com last month.

4. Al Gore’s Speech on Global Warming - Learn how you can become an outstanding presenter from Al Gore’s presentation

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Hi folks! (grins) Yes, my graduation went amazingly well last night. It was an evening of fun, tears and LOTS of picture taking. We have definitely redefined speed - 500 pics per hour! No kidding.

As promised, I will do a quick review on the three tips I gave you in How to make the butterflies in your stomach fly in formation and evaluate its effectiveness.

Suggestion #1 - Forget about your speech!

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The long awaited graduation is finally here; tonight 5pm at Downtown Club, Philadelphia. In the half an hour special segment, I will be giving a 7 mins long graduation speech. And boy am I nervous AND excited! Nervous coz’ you never know how the speech will turn out. Excited coz’ I will get to share with more than 120 people about the significance of our graduation PLUS I will get stage time! (Click on link to learn why stage time is extreeeeeeeemmmeeeeeeeeeely important!!)

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Body language is one of the most powerful forms of communication. Unfortunately, a lot of speakers fail to harness its power in their delivery. Not sure where to start? Simple. Videotape yourself at your next speech! Playback the video but mute it. See for yourself if your body language is helping you or detracting you from your speech!

Here’s an article to get you started: Five Ways to Make Your Body Speaks

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No… this is not a betting tip although there is some truth in it! (grins)

But seriously, if you are dying to become a much more competent speaker in the most effortless way, you gotta start small to win big! Starting something - say losing weight - is always the easiest because of the initial wave of enthusiasm and optimism. However as time goes, your balloon of enthusiam and optimism get pierced by the reality of your world. No time. No energy. No results. That’s why our new year resolutions rarely change…

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Knowing your audience is simply not good enough. You have to BE your audience. Get into their heads and figure out what they really want to listen. Sounds obvious? Yes but trust me, we all forget sometimes. And it can cost you. In my case, the first place trophy and a chance to get into the finals of the International Speech Contest.

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Telling personal stories or anecdotes is one of the easiest and most effective way of connecting with your audience. It is fool-proof. You can be the most boring speaker in the entire universe but when you tell a personal story, you will automatically be forgiven. Not only do your stories build rapport with your audience, they differentiate you from the rest of the speakers. In the eyes of your audience, you are unique!

However many speakers fail to take advantage of their wealth of stories that they have accumulated over the years. It is like a gold mine waiting to be tapped! And I urge you to START MINING FOR STORIES!!!

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Humor is all about creating surprises! The bigger the surprise, the more laughter you create. This video is an excellent example.

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Came across this article written by a 1999 World Champion speaker, Craig Valentine. Remember the third speaking secret I shared with you on the importance of being coachable? This article offers deeper insights into how you can find the right coach and maxmize your coaching experience with him or her.

Get a what?

Champions get coached. In 1999 I won the World Championship of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International and have been speaking regularly ever since. Several years later, after a disastrous speech in Montreal, I went back to my hotel room, threw my head on my pillow, and faced the following reality: I need a coach badly!

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