I have competed several times and have learned 7 keys which will help a person do well in this contest. You are probably thinking, “Arlen, how well did you do?” In 2009 I was in the top 243 out of 35,000 competitors from around the world. The following 7 keys helped me reach that level.

Key #1: Don’t focus on winning the speech contest. Focus on influencing the audience.

Create a speech which will have a lasting impact on the audience. Walk in with this focus and you will have a winning speech no matter how many contests you win.
Key #2: Have one main point or phrase and build the speech around it.
Points from past speeches include:

• Keep on Driving
• Adapt & Advance
• Obligation or Opportunity

Key #3: Use your story to communicate the point.

Share how this truth has impacted you with a stories from your life.

Key #4: “Manipulate your voice to influence the audience” – Rory Vaden

Use vocal variety to influence the feelings of the audience. Speed up to create excitement. Slow down to drive a point home.

Key #5: Pause

Pause before and after a key point. Pause for humor. Pause to let your truth sink in.

Key #6: Open Hot, Close Hotter

According to Patrica Fripp, the first and last 30 seconds of any speech are crucial. Grab attention and launch into your speech. If you say, “Fellow Toastmaster, …” say it 20-30 seconds in and not as your opening line.

This is a motivational speech. The last 30 seconds to should leave them on a high and leave a great impression on the judges.

Key #7: Speak from the Heart

Here is an excellent example of a speech by Rory Vaden from the 2007 World Championship.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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In literally hours an old, dull depressing room and will look alive and even feel homey with one coat of paint.

Can a person transform their public speaking skills this fast? Yes! I would argue that in just 90 seconds you can significantly upgrade your public speaking skills. Does it take longer to hone the craft and skill of public speaking? Yes. However, here are 3 ways to liven up your presentations right now.

Speaking Tip #1: Smile

Too many speaker speak with either no expression, a frown,  or a bored look on their face. Forcing yourself to smile will do three thing:

1. Make your voice sound warm and friendly.

2. Make you more likeable. A likable speaker connects with the audience.

3. Make you feel more comfortable and at ease. I read about a study which showed that just smiling will put you in a good mood.

Try it and see the difference. It will brighten your presentation.

Speaking Tip #2: Plant your feet & lean forward slightly

Two mistakes speakers often make are shifting/moving too much and leaning back on their heals. Shifting distracts the audience and leaning back takes energy out of the presentation.

I train people to lean forward slightly so their weight is on the front of their feet. The heals are still on the floor, but the weight has been shifted forward. It is surprising how much energy this will give to your presentation. Videos of speakers before this and after show a remark difference.

Speaking tip #3: Act enthused/interested in your presentation

A speech without enthusiasm or passion is like a limp puppet without a human arm to move it. By acting enthusiastic and being interested in what you are saying, you will bring new energy into your speech. Plus, enthusiasm is contagious. It will spread to the audience and they will be more interested in your presentation.

Give your presentation skills a fresh coat of paint by applying these tips.

(C) Arlen Busenitz – Speakinginfo.com

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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Here are three ways to help us speak with passion and enthusiasm

1. Choose topics you care about.

2. Think about how your message will impact the audience.

3. Act enthusiastic. Control your body and the feelings will follow.

You captivate the audience when you deliver your speech. Use this important public speaking tip and speak with passion and enthusiasm.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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Public Speaking Improvement Tip #27: Watch master Communicators in action.

I'll never forget seeing Zig Ziglar in person. One thing that jumped out at me was his enthusiasm. Whenever I want to update my enthusiasm, I think of Zig. Just watching him helps me improve.

Do you watch the masters of public speaking?

With the age of Youtube, it is now very easy to see master speakers in action. Below are several videos. As you watch them, ask these three questions.

• What is the speaker doing very well?
• What can I learn from the speaker?
• What could the speaker improve on?

You may think this last question is a little odd. Every speaker can improve and watching with a critical eye will help you improve your skills.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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"Hello, this is Arlen."

"Hi Arlen. This is John. We are looking for a speaker on August 12 in the evening."

"What can you tell me about the event?"

"………"

"Yes, John. My calendar is open. I do have some questions for you."

"Sure Arlen, go ahead."

Speech Research Tip #26: Be a Detective and Research your Audience.

Knowing your audience is essential before preparing and delivering the presentation. This knowledge will enable you to connect with the audience and tailor a presentation that hits home.

I may have the same keynote I give to various audiences, but I tweak it depending on if I am talking to Junior highers or retired seniors.

Back to the phone conversation. I asked John a series of questions to get a grasp on exactly who I would be speaking to. This helped me to create a "Chris" and focus my presentation.

• What is the age of the audience?
• Why are they at this event?
• What is the purpose of this event?
• What are they expecting from the speaker?
• What can you tell me about them?

These questions enabled me to hit a home run and give a custom tailored presentation.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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I used this next speech internalization tip:

Speech Preparing Tip #17: Mentally rehearse your speech before bedtime.

At 10:45 I delivered the presentation in my living room. Next, I shut the light off, crawled into bed, told my wife I would be concentrating, and rehearsed the speech in my mind. Another alternative of this is to visualize yourself in the front of the room with an audience. Now deliver the speech in the theatre of your mind. Why is this public speaking tip so effective?

I have read various researchers who claim that what you think about before bedtime stays on your mind all night. Plus this is a relaxed learning enviroment.

Try it and see if it works for you. My speech came across pretty smooth and I attribute some of that to how to I internalized my presentation with this tip.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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Eventually I did, but long pauses and losing my place are not acceptable in speeches. Why did this happen?

I had failed to properly practice and internalize the speech. There is a difference between a memorized speech and an internalized speech. When your speech is memorized, you know it word for word. You can rattle it off. Problem is that sometimes it may sound memorized. Also, if you forget just one sentence or get distracted, you may find yourself in my situation: struggling to remember the next line.

A better way is to internalize your speech. Here you know it so well, it is a part of you. If you were asked to share about a good experience from your last vacation, you could very easily. Why? It’s internalized. It’s part of you. Every time you deliver it, it may be slightly different, but it comes out natural and you can focus on delivery.

Over the next several days, you’ll be learning several ways to internalize your presentation so you can deliver it smoothly and completely.

Speech Preparing Tip #16: Have your presentation prepared and ready 3 days before you give it.

Imagine you have a presentation to give on Friday. Set a deadline to be ready to give it on Tuesday. Why?

• As you run through the presentation a couple times over those three days, your subconscious mind will internalize the speech.
• New ideas will pop up, allowing you to optimize the presentation.
• Research shows that sleeping on information after we’ve learned it helps put it into long term memory.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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Presentation Tip #13: Improve 9% with every Presentation Could you have 9% more vocal variety on your next speech compared to your last speech?

What about:

• 9% more humor (6 laughs instead of 5)
• 9% more eye contact (look at just a few more people)
• 9% more pauses (Pause just 1 second longer than you do now)
• 9% more passion
• 9% improvement in stage presence (Move 9% less if you hop around the stage or 9% more if you are like a stone statue.)
• Etc.

Sure you could. It's not that hard. Improving just 9% with every presentation means you would double your current skill level in just 9 presentations! Focus on improving in just a couple areas for your next presentation. With these small steps, you will quickly improve your presentation skills.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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Compare these two questions:

“How many have been to New York City?”

“Have you visited New York City?”

The second question is much more personal and the audience member will feel like you are speaking to them. After asking this, you would pause to let people mentally answer yes or no.

Presentation Tip #9: Use the word “You” frequently and reword general questions and statements.

Skim through your presentation and insert the word you when appropriate. When you get to a general statement or question, ask, “How would I word this if I was visiting with someone in the hallway.” Craig Valentine calls this the hall way test.

We would never say to someone in the hallway, “Who here has vacationed in Mexico?”

Instead we would say, “Have you vacationed in Mexico?”

Notice the difference?

Also watch out for what Darren Lacroix calls the “You / I ratio”. We should be using the word “You” much more than the word “I”.

Use the word “You” frequently and it’ll help you connect with and impact the audience.

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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How can we achieve this connection? This next speaking tip will help.

Speaking Tip #8: Speak to One Person

Good public speaking is all about having 5 to 8 second conversations with each person. Look at the individual and deliver a thought or couple sentences. Do this and you will make an incredible connection with the audience. Read more on speaking to one person

Arlen Busenitz

Arlen Busenitz is an experienced speaker with over 650 presentations. He is Author of several books, CD's,and creator of Become a Better Speaker in One Evening™

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