Are You The Next American Idol?

If you were asked this question what would you say?

On a recent episode, out of 100,000 desperate contestants to become the next American Idol, only 17 made it through to Hollywood.

What did those 17 have that the others didn’t?
Was it talent? Was it looks? Was it personality? Yes, but...

in order to show their talent, looks, and personality to their very best ability, they needed to have one thing. That one thing is what the judges are looking for and that’s why they ask them all the same exact question..

“Are you the next American Idol?”

When they answer, the judges are looking at their confidence level. They want to see how they answer? This doesn’t mean they can’t be nervous. You can be confident and still be nervous. You can do a great job and still be nervous. You can entertain and engage your audience, and still be nervous.

So what does this have to do with public speaking skills? Everything!

Have confidence in yourself when you present.
Know that your audience will benefit from hearing whatever you have to say.
And, show your audience your talent, your looks, and your personality.
You may not become the next American Idol, but your audience will respect you, look up to you, and maybe even love you!

More free public speaking skills tips

Fun is crucial for success and for a great presentation?

Fun is crucial when it comes to “dry” material. It’s easy to have fun when you are talking about a fun subject, but what about those other 97% presentations you need to make that are not fun.

The biggest misconception in business is that people think that if they are presenting “dry” material, they need to be “dry” themselves. WRONG!!! All the more reason to liven things up. Be creative, show your true personality, think of ways to engage your audience where they can actually have fun listening to whatever it is you have to say. “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it.” Like you haven’t ever heard that quote before. Pay great attention to it, because it is so very true!

Ideas for fun:
· Tell interesting stories to make your point.
· Ask your audience to share similar experiences.
· Create colorful handouts and add fun graphics to your slides.
· Use props, do some role plays, and encourage and support laughter whenever possible.

More FREE public speaking skills tips.

Body Language – stop your nervous fidgeting!

“What the heck do I do with my hands?” is one of the most common questions I get when conducting a public speaking skills training program. My answer is usually, “nothing.” Instead, I rather tell you what not to do with your hands. When you become more comfortable speaking in front of groups of people, you feel and act more natural, and your hands will do whatever they want and will fit right in with your presentation. However, you need to know what to do until then, don’t you?

What not to do: Do not put your hands in your pockets, do not put your hands in your pockets and jingle your change, do not clasp your hands in front, do not hold one arm with your other hand, do not lean on the lectern, and do not tap the lectern. In other words, do not fidget with your hands. Fidgeting doesn’t just happen with the hands, it also happens with the entire body. Have you ever seen anyone speak who appears drunk because of all the swaying they are doing, or someone who appears as if they’ve had too much caffeine because of the quick pacing back and forth, or the person who stands frozen stiff afraid to move in case someone notices them? You want people to notice you! But of course you want them to notice you as a confident, engaging, and professional presenter!

Just because you may be nervous doesn’t mean you have to show it. It’s no one’s business. Have your body language do two things:

Project total self confidence, control, and command of the room.
Stand tall with good posture. Think confident and you will look confident. Move around, but in a controlled manner, not a nervous pacing manner. For example: walk a little to the left, stop and talk, walk towards the middle, stop and talk, walk towards the right, stop and talk. Let your hands be natural by your side, or waste height in front talking with your hands a little bit, or make a gesture when you say something where you want to add some emphasis.

Enhance your speech to be more engaging.
Have your body movements match what you say. If you are telling a story about a time you were driving in the car, act out the motion of being behind the steering wheel and driving. If you mention swerving around a curve, motion and exaggerate the movement of swerving. If you crash, show them the crash and what your body did. Exaggeration is always good for effect, entertainment, and keeping your audience’s attention. The larger the audience, the larger the exaggeration.

Believe it or not, most communication is done through body language. Think of your pet, a squirrel in your back yard, or any other kind of animal. How much do they communicate verbally and how much do they communicate with their bodies? The answer is obvious. We are no different. The words you say don’t matter as much as what your body says. What is your body saying when you present in front of others and/or when you interact with others? Start paying attention to your posture, your nervous fidgeting, and your body movements. If you find that they do not portray confidence, if they do not portray control, and if they do not enhance your communication where you are more engaging in a group setting or one on one, change your body language and watch how your confidence increases, your interactions improve, and how your results become more positive.

More free tips:

Start Strong with Your Public Speaking

It’s Monday morning, you had a great weekend, and now you have to attend a seminar at work. You grab your cup of coffee, maybe a bagel or muffin, and you find the seat that you are going to be most comfortable in. You get settled in and you wait anxiously for the presenter to begin.

What are your expectations?

Are you expecting to be put to sleep or are you expecting to be engaged?
Are you expecting to learn something new or be told something you already know?
Are you expecting this is going to be worth your while? Or are you expecting that this will be a waste of time?

Be engaging and your audience will be engaged

When you are the presenter, your audience has the same expectations of you. No matter what those expectations are, your goal should be to exceed them. One of the best ways to exceed their expectations is to fully engage your audience while delivering worthwhile information.

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