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Blog: Life Management
 BEEN ASKED TO GIVE A SPEECH? RELAX!
Okay, maybe I'm being a bit too unrealistic telling you to relax if you're about to give a speech but with some pointers and preparation it won't be nearly as bad as you fear. On the other hand you may relate to this comment of TV personality and author, Charles Osgood, who said, "Have you ever been driving at night and come upon a deer frozen in the beam of your headlights? Here's my theory. The deer thinks the lights are spotlights and what has it paralyzed is stage fright. It imagines the worst: It has to give a speech!" If this hits home, then you're not alone.
Public speaking is American's #1 fear. We're all afraid we'll make fools of ourselves. If the speech is really important we are even more frightened than a less vital speech. Should a speaking opportunity be right around the corner for you - relax! It's really not as scary as it may seem. No doubt you talk all the time, right? Well, public speaking is just plain talking. So, if you can talk - you can speak in public. In fact the best speakers make you feel like they're talking just to you. Try to think of it like one-on-one talking and your "speech" will be much more natural.
A few pointers offered by Charles Osgood may be just what you need. First, use the KISS method - keep it simple sweetie (not stupid, you're not!) There's a story told of President Calvin Coolidge that after a long church service, his wife asked him what the sermon was about. He replied, "Sin." She asked, "What did the preacher say about it?" Coolidge replied, "He was against it." What a great illustration that your audience will come away with one or two of your main points. That's right - 1 or 2, not 10 or 20. If you can't say what you intend to get across in a sentence or two then your speech is not well focused. And further more, if you don't have a clear picture of what you want to say your audience won't either.
If this is just what you needed to hear right now then meet me back here next Tuesday to hear (in the late Paul Harvey's famous words) "the rest of the story."
posted on: 3/31/2009 12:00:00 PM by Judy Warmington
category: The Mental Side
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Life Management
by Judy Warmington
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About Judy:
Judy Warmington, Woman Time Management (owner) -- Busy wife, mother of three adult/married children, grandmother of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls!), former high school teacher (M.A. from W.M.U.), Speaker, Author, Radio Personality, and Trainer of Professional Organizers.
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www.womantimemanagement.com
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