This is just a short post about our next normal chapter meeting.

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Registration starts at 7:00PM. Kindly arrive at the venue before 7:30 PM.

Date: 25 Nov 2008 (Tue)
Time: 7:30 pm - 10:15 pm
Venue: Kowloon Club Conference Room - 93 Toa Payoh Central, #05-02, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.

“Whether you are a professional, a worker, a stay at home mom, or a business owner; the ability to communicate effectively is the key to get what you want from your career and from your relationships.”

Yetti
Immediate Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

“For many people, public speaking is a major fear. However, Eyewitness News 5’s Maggie Carlo talks with a local expert who not only explains why it’s a common fear but how you can conquer it.”

The video is produced by KOCO.com, Oklahoma City.
It shares 5 tips on public speaking:

• Index your info with keywords
• Prepare, but don’t over prepare
• Make direct eye contact with audience
• Be yourself 
• Speak in conversational speaking style

Enjoy! 

Practice is the key to helping you improve in public speaking.
If you are a Fearful Public Speaker living in Singapore, please come to visit our toastmaster club.

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club holds regular chapter meetings where members gather to improve their public speaking and communication skills.

Our Club is one of the warmest toastmasters club in Singapore. Click Here to Download our KSTMC Introduction Kit.

Guests are welcome to visit us!
It’s free of charge.

Just come, relax and see what toastmasters are all about!

Yetti
Immediate Past Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

If you’d like to know how to make money by holding seminars and workshops, I recommend the book ”Marketing And Promoting Your Own Seminars And Workshops” written by Fred Gleeck.

The book is selling at Amazon.com for US$14.95.

But you can get a free copy of “Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars and Workshops“

Simply click the below link and fill in your name and email address.
Get Your Free Copy of “Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars and Workshops” by Fred Gleeck.

In the spirit of constructive criticism and realizing there is always room for improvement with even the best speakers, the information in the following article “Public Speaking - Top 5 Mistakes Speakers Make While On Stage” is meant to help. 

Even good speakers make mistakes.  Knowing these top 5 mistakes will help you for the time when you get out there in front of a live audience so you can get more prospects, more clients, and more cash flow now.
 

Public Speaking - Top 5 Mistakes Speakers Make While On Stage
By Felicia Slattery

Public speaking is known as one of the most powerful ways to market your business. As a public speaking trainer, I have the opportunity to see many great speakers first-hand. Lately I’ve noticed more and more entrepreneurs using public speaking to market their businesses. And it’s great!

In the spirit of constructive criticism and realizing there is always room for improvement with even the best speakers, the information in this article is meant to help. Although I have had more than 30 years experience speaking in public, I know I’m not perfect, either. With that in mind, I have noticed some good speakers making some mistakes. Hopefully knowing these top five mistakes will help you for the time when you get out there in front of a live audience.

Mistake 1: Rambling

Plan you presentation. Have a clear and focused goal and point of your speech. Follow it. Help your audience follow you.

Mistake 2: Too-Crowded Visuals

Don’t write every word of your speech on a Power Point Presentation and call that a visual aid. It’s a crutch for you and difficult on the audience. You’re better off without it.

Mistake 3: Using Filler Words

A presentation should feel like a conversation with your audience, yes, but there are a few things that may be acceptable in one to one conversation that you should avoid in a speech. Filler words like “you know” don’t do much to enhance a conversation in general, but truly don’t belong in any speech.

Mistake 4: Being Too Casual

Some people downplay the importance of dressing the part of a successful professional. However it is appropriate to follow through on your branding. For example my friend, Carrie Wilkerson, calls herself the “Barefoot Executive” so when she kicks off her shoes during a presentation that works for her.

Mistake 5: Not Having ANY Offer

Not every speech should have the purpose of selling something, but it’s a mistake to leave the stage without offering your audience reason for them to stay engaged and allow you to follow up with them after the event has ended.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to market a small business. I invite you to discover how to create your own talk and the 5 easy steps you can take today to get started with this powerful marketing tool. Pick up a FREE recording where you’ll get all the secrets of marketing your business with a speech. Go now to http://www.SignatureSpeechSecrets.com

Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. is a communication consultant, speaker & coach specializing in training small and home-based business owners effective communication and public speaking skills so they can see more cash flow now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felicia_Slattery
http://EzineArticles.com/?Public-Speaking—Top-5-Mistakes-Speakers-Make-While-On-Stage&id=1449037

—–
Yetti Chiu
Immediate Past Club President

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club 

Please join me in congratulating Raymond Yuen for his achievement in the Division U Humorous Speech Contest held on 18 October 2008 at Whampoa CC. Raymond was the 2nd runner-up of the Contest!
 

Raymond, you have testified that old dog not only can play new tricks, but also can win in a speech contest. 
 
Please keep up your good work. We are proud of you.
 
Yetti attended the speech contests to support Raymond and was rewarded. She made the right choice in the “Guess the Champion” game. During the lucky draw, she was picked as one of the 4 winners.
 
With the warmest regards,
 
Edward Ma, DTM
Club President

Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

This is just a short post about our next normal chapter meeting.

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Registration starts at 2:00PM. Kindly arrive at the venue before 2:15 PM.

Date: 25 Oct 2008 (Sat)
Time: 2:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Venue: Kowloon Club Conference Room - 93 Toa Payoh Central, #05-02, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.

“Whether you are a professional, a worker, a stay at home mom, or a business owner; the ability to communicate effectively is the key to get what you from your career and from your relationships.”

In addition, there will be a talk on HERBS and SPICES
The speaker is Miss Neo Ai Ling from Oh Chin Huat Hydroponic Pte Ltd. 

“What would cooking be like without the unique flavours provided by herbs and spices?
What are their health promoting properties?”
 
Join us at our Chapter Meeting
to learn more about the potential health benefits of fresh herbs like rosemary and basil,
how to grow them and how to use them to add zest to your food.

Yetti
Immediate Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

Public speakers like to tell stories as part of their presentation.
Why?

People love to hear stories. A well told story will capture listeners’ attention.

Tell a story. Make a point.
Stories Sell…

Patricia Fripp is an award-winning speaker.

Check out her below video about “Stories Sell”.

The toastmasters program has an advanced manual called “Story Telling”.

“The manual enables you to develop a new set of speaking skills. It allows you to have fun as you learn the art of storytelling. Join a toastmasters club!

You’re welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Yetti
Immediate Past Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

How to do effective technical presentations?

“Most presenters are very knowledgeable in their field of expertise and can converse well within the framework of the company or industry.

However, they may be reluctant to and/or are uncomfortable with giving presentations in front of an audience.  Others may be comfortable in giving presentations, but they want to refine and improve their presentation skills so they can be more effective and/or persuasive. 

The following article “Effective Presentations For Technical Professionals” written by Frank S. Adamo is for technical (and non technical) professionals who would like to understand how to become effective presenters.”

Frank is a friend that I have met through this blog.  He is a toastmaster, a trainer as well as an author.

Enjoy!

Yetti
Immediate Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

—–

Effective Presentations For Technical Professionals
By Frank S. Adamo

Though visual aids have changed tremendously since the late ’60s when I gave my first presentation, the presentation style, in my opinion, has not significantly changed - especially for professional techies. As a chemist and as a business/computer consultant for many years, I have given and have seen many technical presentations at conferences, at work, and elsewhere. The presentations were generally quite informative, technically enriching, and the presenters were very knowledgeable on the subject matter. However, many of them (and I include my own), were rather unexciting and ineffective. I have also seen many exciting, motivational, and inspirational presentations for the general public and also for the technical audience. You don’t need to be a professional speaker to spice up your presentation but by both knowing and understanding some of the same principles professional speakers use, you can enhance your presentations.

WRITING YOUR SPEECH

If you are doing a presentation, most likely you’ve written a report or submitted an article for publication. Perhaps you have used the text for your speech and created PowerPoint slides to help outline the structure. However, I would suggest you write your speech from scratch with emphasis on simplicity and conciseness.

In my commonsense assessment, speech writing is much different than writing a report or article for a journal. The brain processes spoken words differently from written words. When we read, we can see whole phrases at a time. As a result, we can instantly understand phrases and sometimes whole sentences (except for those long, drawn-out sentences we sometimes write). We also can go back and reread the text if we must.

However, we process the spoken message instantaneously, one phonetic sound at a time. We mentally accumulate these phonetic sounds in our memory until these sounds make sense. Once we mentally interpret these phonetic sounds into whole sentences, we can move on to the next spoken sentence. For example, if I said, “We mentally accumulate” and stop, you have no idea what I’m attempting to say until I complete the sentence; whereas, in reading this article, you can easily understand the meaning because the whole content is right here on this page. Although the spoken process is immediate, it is a slower process than reading so keep this in mind when writing and delivering your speech.

SIMPLIFYING YOUR MESSAGE

Use short, simple sentences. Your written report will likely contain comprehensive and long, drawn-out sentences describing the details and results of your project which is fine for a report, but rather long and tedious for a speech. It’s important to break down the technical detail into a few short and concise sentences.

For example, in my report, I wrote, “It is useful for our purposes to distinguish between two types of substitution procedures: 1) a true substitution procedure, in which the amount of the metal-DTPA complex added is equal to or greater than the amount of the sought-for metal ion; and 2) a pseudo-substitution procedure, in which only a small amount of the metal-DTPA complex is added to activate the indicator mechanism.” Whew! What a handful of words to say all at once.

For a presentation, I would re-word the sentence to read: “For our purposes it is useful to distinguish between two types of substitution procedures. [pause] One type is a true substitution procedure. In this procedure, the amount of metal-DTPA added is equal to or greater than the amount of the sought-for metal ion. [pause] The second type is called a pseudo-substitution procedure. Only a small amount of the metal-DTPA complex is added to activate the indicator mechanism in this procedure.” Thus, I split one long sentence into five shorter sentences.

REDUCING UNNECESSARY VERBIAGE

In the example above, I simplified the sentence structure, but I didn’t rework it to make it more concise. I helped rewrite speeches. An example of reducing verbiage is the following sentences: “Let me tell you about Mary Smith. Mary Smith lives…” I changed it to “Ask Mary Smith. She lives…” Not only did I reduce it from ten to five words, it became more active in tone. In essence, be short, concise, and to the point when writing a speech for a presentation.

REFRAINING FROM USING JARGON

As professional techies, we use technical terms, acronyms, and other jargon everyday. These terms are second nature to us, but may not be to others. As the program chair for our Rotary club, I invited the public relations person from the regional water replenishment district to give a talk. During his presentation, he used words and phrases such as micro filtration, groundwater basins, saturated zones, heterogeneous aquifers, and injected recycled water after recharge. I understood the terms and perhaps one or two others, but I’m certain most of our members had difficulty understanding the terms and, thus, his talk. For computer techies, we use or are familiar with GUI, ASP, IRC, DSP, WIC and many other acronyms. In fact, there is a report of Computer Acronyms Archive that list more than 150 pages of acronyms.

To be effective in your presentation, refrain from using your industry’s jargon, even if you are presenting in front of colleagues. However, if you do, explain the terms in a simple and understandable way.

FOCUS ON BENEFITS, NOT DATA

In my experience, most techies focus on technical data. This is natural because this is what you do for a living. You research, you synthesize, you investigate, and you analyze. Then you formulate a conclusion based on the data of an investigation. As a result, the presentations are based on the collected evidence. But what are the benefits of your research? Let’s say you have been researching a cure for cancer for years and recently discovered a specific structure in DNA that would prevent all cancers. Of course, all the data and results leading up to the cure are necessary to submit to the science community, but what is more important to the listeners when presenting, the data or the benefits of the research?

For example, what is more valuable for the audience to hear? Data such as “…by doing this and that, we were able to reduce the growth rate of the cancer cells from 90,000 cells per hour down to only 10 cells per day; thereby virtually eliminating the growth of cancer,” or benefits such as “Based on our research; we can save 250,000 lives within the next three months if this DNA alteration is approved.” In essence, benefits emotionalize features (data); thus benefits grab the audience’s attention more than facts and figures.

Overall, if you speak in short, concise sentences, refrain from industry related terminology, and discuss the benefits of your findings, you will give a more effective presentation.

WRITE YOUR CONCLUSION FIRST

Many presenters write their speeches in a logical order; first, they construct the opening, followed by the body (where they add the details and supporting data), and then finish with the conclusion. However, by the time they start writing the conclusion they tend to adapt the conclusion to the supporting data rather than ensuring that the data fits the conclusion. What is your call to action? What concepts do you want to leave the audience with? What is the specific purpose of your talk?

With these questions in mind, develop your conclusion first. For example, if you’re seeking a grant for your colon cancer research, you might end your presentation with “Are you prepared to invest in saving the lives of 250,000 colon cancer patients over the next five years?” By focusing on your closing message, you can then add and arrange the specific details of your talk to support your conclusion, and then create a powerful opening statement based on your conclusion.

START WITH AN ATTENTION-GETTER

How long do we have to grab the audience’s attention? Some have said as little as seven seconds. Others say ten to 15 seconds. Surely, we have no more than 30 seconds to capture our audience’s attention.Yet, how many times have we seen someone begin with a statement such as “Thank you, Mr. Chairperson, for allowing me to speak this evening. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m honored to be here tonight to discuss this most pressing issue of….” This would take about ten seconds to say. Ten seconds to get to the point. Ten seconds before the audience begins to know, “Why am I here? By then, you may have lost your audience.

Instead, grab the audience’s attention immediately, then, if there’s a need, compliment or thank the organizers and the audience. For example, you may say, “More than one million people die each year of colon cancer. Our research team has developed a procedure to reduce the number of colon cancer deaths by more than 70% over the next five years. Thank you Mr. Chairperson, fellow colleagues, and welcomed guests. We are on the verge of reducing colon cases by introducing…”

MAKE A POINT BY TELLING A STORY

What’s remembered weeks, months, or even years after your presentation? It isn’t the data or the details you presented. It’s the stories. You may wonder how you can incorporate stories in your technical presentation. It can be done and it is powerful when you do it.

Several years ago, I was in network marketing. The company hired two biochemists. Both developed great products, both were very knowledgeable and both gave good presentations. One of them was, in my opinion, the typical presenter. He was very informative giving us a series of data, but quite dry in his delivery. To this day, I don’t recall any information he discussed. On the other hand, the other biochemist told stories and illustrated his points. Fifteen years later, I still remember the picture he verbally drew as he described how the lungs are affected by smoking.

REDUCING YOUR AHS, UMS, AND OTHER FILLER WORDS

Though filler words such as “ah,” “um,” and “you know” can be a distraction to the audience, rarely are we consciously aware of making these utterances. But you can become aware and learn to speak and pause without having them infiltrate.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate this point. I saw the 1986 air crash of the AeroMexico DC-9 flight 498 in Cerritos, CA. A single engine Piper Archer crashed into the tail of the DC-9. The airplane lost total control, turned over, and plunged into the Cerritos neighborhood like a bomb. It crashed within two miles of our home and within yards from friends and relatives. My wife was out of state and didn’t experience the disaster. About a month after the crash, my wife and I took a 30-minute walk around a nearby park After we returned from the walk, I asked her how many planes she heard. She said none. I was so sensitized to the air crash that I had heard 31 aircraft fly over.

Similarly, you can become sensitized to your filler words. First, make a conscious effort to listen to others on TV or talk radio, at work, at seminars, at home - everywhere. Mentally count the number of filler words. As you become aware of others saying them, you will become conscious of your own filler words. Eventually, you will reduce, minimize, and even eliminate your filler words. In fact, you may become so sensitized to filler words that they will become a major distraction when others speak.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Have you been to a presentation where the speaker ended with a powerful conclusion, you were excited and ready to take action, and then the presenter asked something like “Do you have any questions?” After a few questions and answers, your excitement from the powerful conclusion waned and you left without taking any action.

Typically, presenters will conclude their presentations and then ask for questions. However, asking questions at the end will generally reduce the impact of a strong conclusion. Then, when should we accept questions?

Some presenters may encourage questions anytime during their presentation; however, they really need to be on top of their presentation to assure that they don’t lose track and complete their presentation on time. This can be a challenge for many - even for the most experienced presenters.

I generally ask for questions after each main topic. Typically, I will have an opening, a body, and a transitional conclusion for each main topic. At the end of each transitional topic, I will call for questions. For example, I may say, “Before continuing, do you have any questions?” After accepting no more than three to four questions, I’ll proceed to the next topic. To let the audience know that you need to conclude the question and answer section, you can say something like, “I will take one more question” or “I’ll be available after this presentation to answer any individual questions.” If appropriate, I may transition to the next topic by incorporating the last question. At the end of my last topic, but before my final conclusion, I will ask for a final set of questions.

DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS

There’s so much more to know on how to give effective presentations, including how to use gestures, vocal variety, PowerPoint, and the lectern along with how to layout the room, prepare a checklist, etc. To learn more, attend workshops, read books, and learn by doing. And I believe, the very best place to learn by doing is the laboratory of communications, Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org). Even if you are an accomplished presenter, everyone can practice and improve their skills.

Frank S. Adamo is a communications and a certified career coach, international trainer/instructor, and a published author of “31 Tips to becoming an Effective Presenter.”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_S._Adamo
http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Presentations-For-Technical-Professionals&id=1265700

 ——-

If you’d like to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.

You’re welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

This is just a short post about our next normal chapter meeting.

If you are living in Singapore, you are welcome to visit Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC).

Registration starts at 7:00PM. Kindly arrive at the venue before 7:30 PM.

Date: 23 Sept 2008 (Tue)
Time: 7:30 pm - 10:10 pm
Venue: Kowloon Club Conference Room - 93 Toa Payoh Central, #05-02, Toa Payoh Central Community Building, Singapore 319194.

“Whether you are a professional, a worker, a stay at home mom, or a business owner; the ability to communicate effectively is the key to get what you from your career and from your relationships.”

Yetti
Immediate Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com

I have found a good public speaking resource.

“If you are not a Toastmaster, consider this an introductory public speaking course.”

“If you are a Toastmaster, this is your guide through the first ten speeches. For each speech project, we’ll look at tips, techniques, and wherever possible, written and video examples of speeches which demonstrate the goals.”

Andrew Dlugan’s “Six Minutes - A Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Blog” has a Toastmasters Speech Series.

• Overview:  The Toastmasters Speech Series
• Project 1 : The Ice Breaker
• Project 2 :Organize Your Speech
• Project 3 :Get to the Point
• Project 4 :How To Say It

By the way, I have found the Six Minutes Blog through Aileen’s personal blog.
Aileen is a new member of our toastmasters club.

In addition, here are some other public speaking resources for your reference:

Project 1 - The Ice Breaker Manual Guide
Project 9 - Persuade with Power Manual Guide
By DTM Kan Kin Fung, Division U Head Speech Coach 2005-2006 

Practice is the key to helping you improve in public speaking.

You’re welcome to visit our Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club (KSTMC) if you are living in Singapore.

Cheers!

Yetti
Immediate Past Club President
Kowloon-Singapore Toastmasters Club

“Helping You To Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Speak With Confidence!”
Website: http://public-speaking-singapore.com
Blog: http://blog.public-speaking-singapore.com