by J.A. Gamache
Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International
World Championship of Public Speaking

Here’s a tip used by theater people to prevent memory blanks.  On the day of your presentation, just before getting on stage, repeat your text rapidly without emotion.

I once wrote a play for children and hired some professional actors to help me deliver my tale. On the day of the show I was happy as we were setting up the stage and the sound system when I heard one actor say to the others: “Let’s make a rehearsal!”.

I was shocked. We didn’t have time for a rehearsal! We only had a half hour before the kids would come in the room.

To calm me down they explained to me that they would not do a regular rehearsal but instead an exercise called a “speed run-through” aimed at bringing the text back to their memory.  That’s all. They would do it as they would work on something else. We would rehears the play but the actors would simply say their part rapidly without interpreting it.

I found it to be a quite ingenious way to refresh one’s memory. In addition, once it was over I was less nervous. I felt more confident because the exercise proved to me that I knew my text since I just said it out loud.

Here’s what I suggest. A short while before giving your next speech, say your text out loud, rapidly and without emotion.  You should make this exercise even if you don’t know your text by heart. Read your notes out loud if you have any.  What’s important here is to refresh your memory just before you speak.

Is it a guaranty that you won’t have a memory blank? No.  However, it will decrease significantly the risk that such an accident occurs. Having taken such a precaution you’ll be less stressed and that will make a difference on stage!

Happy speech!

©MMX J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com. All rights reserved.

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PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduced text is sent to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided that this byline, including the following paragraph, appears along with the reproduced text:

This article was reproduced from “Speaking in Public with J.A.”, a FREE electronic magazine authored by J.A. Gamache, International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit: http://www.jagamache.com.

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Excellent article from Craig Valentine…

3 Keys To Hook Your Audience Into Your Story

Tap, Tease, and Transport

Most speakers start their stories and hope their audiences will come along on those journeys. That’s average. World Class Speakers don’t do that. Instead, they make their audiences curious so that they want to come along. So here is the secret: it’s what you do before your story that really matters.

Example

For example, before one of my stories, I say the following:

“What do you think is the number one thing that stands between most people living their dreams?” The audience yells out various responses. Then, in a friendly/humorous way I say, “Those are all great answers and if you listen closely they all have the same thing in common. They’re all wrong.” The audience laughs. Then I say, “No, they’re not wrong. They’re just not the number one thing in my opinion that gets in the way. The number one thing is not what you think.”

What do you think the audience is thinking at that point? Right, they are thinking, “Okay, what is the number one thing?” And that is the key to curiosity. You have to get them to ask themselves a question and let them know the answer is coming up in the story.

Tap, Tease, and Transport

This is what I call the Tap, Tease, and Transport method. It is a three step process which includes:

1.   Tapping into your audiences’ mind with a question

2.   Teasing them to want to know more

3.   Transporting them into your story

The Method in Action

Tap: I tapped into their mind by asking, “What do you think is the number one thing that stands between most people living their dreams?” That was the tap. I got them thinking about themselves!

Tease: Then, I told them, “Your answers are wrong. The number one thing is not what you think.” That’s the tease. Now they know they’ll find the number one thing inside my story so they are amped up to come along. Why? It is because they know they are going to be given a point that will help them reach their goals.

Transport: Finally, I transport them into my story in stealth fashion. What I mean by that is you should never say, “Well, listen to my story” or “Now I’m going to tell you a story” or anything like that. Instead, sneak into your story. Get them into your story before they realize you’re going to tell a story. Once you say something like, “I’m going to tell you a story,” many audience members put down their pens and let their minds wander elsewhere. Instead, sneak them into it.

For your next story, try this 3-step method out. When you use the tap, tease, and transport method, you’ll look up and see you have everyone’s undivided attention as they join you on your journey. Tap, Tease, and Transport.

Article from Craig Valentine here.

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Would you like to be able to write this:

When the smell of trees surrounds me as I walk in a forest, when the wind caresses my face during a bicycle ride, when the piece of paper I just folded becomes a bird, when I do all these, I am truly happy.

instead of this:

My favorite hobbies are taking walks, cycling and origami.

If so, check out this article from J.A. Gamache:

USE PARALLEL STRUCTURE TO SPEAK LIKE PRESIDENT OBAMA
by J.A. Gamache

To add power and eloquence to your speeches you could use a writing technique called “parallel structure”. I learned how to use it in one of Lynda Goldman’s communication capsule. (www.lyndagoldmanink.com)

What is “parallel structure”? As Lynda explained: “Parallel structure means that ideas that are parallel in content should be parallel in structure.”

Let’s look at the following phrase exerted from United States President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural address as an example of parallel structure:

“… I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. …”

Have you noticed how this sentence can be easily separated in three similar parts?

“… humbled by the task before us ,…”
“… grateful for the trust you have bestowed, …”
“… mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.”

Each idea has a parallel structure starting with an adjective followed by the article “the”.

Have fun and try it in your next speech! See if you can tweak a paragraph or two using the same grammatical form at the beginning of each idea.

For example, instead of simply stating that your favorite hobbies are taking walks, cycling and origami, you could say:

“When the smell of trees surrounds me as I walk in a forest, when the wind caresses my face during a bicycle ride, when the piece of paper I just folded becomes a bird, when I do all these, I am truly happy.”

Do you see how this paragraph is much more powerful? It has more rhythm. Sprinkle some parallel structures in your texts and you’ll add pizzazz to your presentations.

Happy writing!

©MMIX J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com. All rights reserved.

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PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduced text is sent to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided that this byline, including the following paragraph, appears along with the reproduced text:

This article was reproduced from “Speaking in Public with J.A.”, a FREE electronic magazine authored by J.A. Gamache, International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit: http://www.jagamache.com.
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I received the following article yesterday in my email from JA Gamache.  It was very timely as Patricia said Monday night that recording your speech is necessary to be a better speaker.  So, between Fripp and JA I decided to record my speech yesterday.  Not only did I record it, but I also plan to watch it!!!

How do you Improve a Speech?

by J.A. Gamache: Third place Champion at the 2001 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking

When you have to deliver the same speech several times, I suggest you record every one of your live performances. You will improve your text by working from the recording. Here’s why I record all my speeches:

1- To Capture the Inspiration of the Moment

During a performance, I often have some really good ideas. Sometimes a participant says something that makes me think of something relevant that I spontaneously add to my speech. This new idea often turns into a real gem of a text. If I don’t record my performance, there’s a good chance that I won’t remember that specific moment of inspiration.

2-To Keep the BestWording

I often express myself better when I am on stage. Small improvements to my text naturally come to mind. And the recording helps me remember them. These changes are precious especially when you want to include humor. A joke works best when it is delivered in the right way with the right use of words.

3- To Unveil the Potential for Humor in Your Speech

A recording helps you seize every reaction of your audience, no matter how small. When I hear someone giggle, it shows me there is potential for humor in what I have just said. A sentence or the context in which I said it was funny for a few people. By reworking my text and my delivery, there’s a good chance I’ll find the RIGHT combination which next time will make the whole audience laugh.

I hope the reasons mentioned above will inspire you to record each one of your live presentations. It’s a great way to improve your speeches. You won’t loose the gems you come up with spontaneously during a speech. You will be able to listen to the audience’s reaction to uncover the humorous potential of your talk.

©MMIX J.A. Gamache www.jagamache.com. All rights reserved.

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PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduced text is sent to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided that this byline, including  the following paragraph, appears along with the reproduced text:

This article was reproduced from “Speaking in Public with J.A.”, a FREE electronic magazine authored by J.A. Gamache, International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit: http://www.jagamache.com.

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by Darren LaCroix

How do you know if people truly care about you? Seriously? Is it when they’re nice to you? How do you feel when someone says, “You’ve got something in your teeth.” Do you want to know?

As you read this, I’m in Las Vegas sharing the stage with one of my mentors – Vinnie Favorito – teaching our Humor Boot Camp. Someone asked me earlier week what Vinnie is like as a teacher (they had seen him perform). He was brutal and honest… which I now know meant that he cared about me. He cared about my growth. He took the “true” responsibility of a teacher.

I remember early on… as I received feedback, I was completely open to it because I didn’t know anything about comedy. As I grew, got some confidence, and had a few successes, I actually started taking offense when I was given feedback. I was much less open to the idea. I wanted the pat on the back, but I still needed the growth. I had no idea how much I still needed to learn.

At our last coaching camp, one of the attendees told me they’d heard I was “mean” when giving feedback. Really? As first I got defensive. Then it dawned on me that I’m no different. Receiving feedback is different from each individual. Different people will take the same exact feedback in a different way. What is the “purpose” of the feedback? To show that you’re better? Or to help grow?

Some presenters are surrounded by people who can’t give them a higher level of feedback. They’re the “king” of their club, and they may be content with that. This is probably pretty good for their self-esteem, but it’s not good for their growth. What kind of people are you surrounded by? Are they helping you grow?

When we created the new “Own The Stage” 10-DVD set, we brought in a camera crew to film both days of our Coaching boot camp, and we were focused on capturing a truly world class level of feedback. I don’t know of any other program like this on the market. It’s a very high level of feedback, delivered with brutal honesty for the purpose of caring. We always give our boot campers a “disclaimer,” so they’ll know to expect directness and honesty from us. But we make sure they understand that it’s not to be “mean” …it’s because we care and we want them to grow.

I remember how honest Vinnie was with me… how much it impacted what I did, and how I improved as a result. He was brutal and he was honest, but now I realize just how much he cared. How do you look at feedback from people who have more expertise than you?

No mentor ever “niced” me to the next level.
You?

How do you respond to feedback? Will you become defensive and hurt, or will you look for your growth?

Stage time, Stage time, Stage time,

Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking.
Used with permission.

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