How to Give a Great Speech

Don't miss any Bottom Line Secrets. Add our address, bottomlinesecrets@news.bottomlinepublishing.com, to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. March 11, 2011 On the Verge of the Biggest Wealth Advances in History Never Open with a Joke Marge Couldn't Remember Her Phone Number... But Now Her Brain Is 20 Years Younger... Better Chickpeas... Arthritis Abolished in Minutes by Doctor's Astonishing Speed Cure Dear healthwellness82@gmail.com, Whether you’re a politician, salesperson or PTA mom, chances are that you’ll sometime have to make a presentation -- and that you’ll want to make it persuasive. You’ll have an edge if you consider these 10 secrets for making a successful speech from Bill Lane, former executive communications manager for General Electric. Step One: Say bye-bye to PowerPoint! And hello chickpeas! Shmuel Galili, PhD, of the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization, makes a persuasive case for cooking with dark-colored chickpeas -- he shares tasty cooking secrets and also data that ranks these among the healthiest beans around. All the best, Jessica Kent Editor BottomLineSecrets.com On the Verge of the Biggest Wealth Advances in History The buzz is almost overwhelming. CEOs, writers, and famous thinkers are all on board. This could be one of the biggest "wealth moments" in decades. In short -- you could be on the verge of providing generations of wealth to your family. This new presentation has the scoop. I strongly urge you to take a moment, and watch this brief report -- right here. Never Open with a Joke Bill Lane Whether you’re giving a pitch to your boss or a presentation before the town council, how you communicate your ideas can be as important as the ideas themselves. Unfortunately, mistakes by presenters are common and make it less likely that the audience will pay attention to or accept the message. Here’s what helps presentations succeed... Open by telling audience members why they must listen and reassuring them that you will be brief. If you can’t come up with an attention-grabbing opening, try a version of the following... "Listen folks, I’ve got only five minutes of your time, but there’s something you really need to know because it could become a major problem (or opportunity) for everyone in this room." Never open with a joke, which can make you look like a lightweight. Opening with a powerful anecdote relevant to the topic can be very effective. Prepare your presentation based on the person or people you are speaking to, not just what you want to say. What topics interest your listeners? What are their greatest challenges? What’s the personality of the key audience member (someone who can influence your career)? What statements or topics make this key audience member upset? What follow-up questions does he/she tend to ask speakers? Find out as much as you can before you even start to write your speech. The greatest sin in public speaking is giving a presentation without first developing a clear picture of your audience. Ask for advice from people who have made presentations to these individuals in the past. Also, call the key audience member and ask what he most wants your presentation to provide. Make it shorter. Shorter presentations are better -- always. Assume that your first draft is too long, and cut it... then do the same with drafts two through four. Example: At General Electric, Jack Welch shortened the length of most presentations at general manager meetings from 20 minutes to 10 (although the CEO’s "closing remarks" could be longer). The presentations were as informative as ever. To keep presentations brief... Reread every paragraph, asking yourself, What will listeners take away from this? Remove anything that isn’t a take-away idea -- something the audience can remember and use. Eliminate most/all background information and explanations of methodology. Few audience members care about these things. Avoid phrases that signal a long presentation, such as, "Later I’ll cover... " or "Today I’m going to discuss the 10 things... " Consider PowerPoint your enemy. This computer program has become a standard tool for presenters -- and it always hurts them. Complicated, bullet point-laden PowerPoint slides distract from what you’re saying and block the connection that you’re trying to build with the audience -- particularly if you turn your back to read the bullet points. Use PowerPoint only to depict occasional and dramatic points. Once your audience has had a moment to absorb a slide, clear the screen to return the focus to you. Temper success stories. When you give a speech about a big success, audience members’ BS detectors start running on high. Add a paragraph about what you could have done better, and you will enhance your credibility. Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Bill Lane, manager, executive communications, for General Electric from 1983 to 2002 and speechwriter for longtime chairman and CEO Jack Welch. Based in Easton, Connecticut, he is author of Jacked Up: The Inside Story of How Jack Welch Talked GE into Becoming the World’s Greatest Company (McGraw-Hill). Marge Couldn't Remember Her Phone Number... But Now Her Brain Is 20 Years Younger... "I used to have a great memory," Marge told Dr. Ray Sahelian. "All my life I've worked with numbers," this former bookkeeper explained... "But now I can't remember simple phone numbers... it's so frustrating!" She'd lose things right after she put them down -- it was demoralizing. She was only 71, but she felt like a useless antique. Other doctors might have shrugged and said, "Sorry Marge, you're getting old... " But Dr. Ray Sahelian reversed her frightening decline almost immediately. Soon Marge's memory picked up dramatically, and she was focused all day. Marge now says she hasn't thought so clearly in 20 years... Learn more... Better Chickpeas... Shmuel Galili, PhD Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are low in calories and highly nutritious (a one-half cup serving packs 5 g of fiber and 6 g of protein). New finding: Dark chickpeas (black, red, brown and green) have up to 31 times more antioxidant activity and up to three times more dietary fibers than paler varieties (beige, cream or yellow). To benefit: Try darker chickpeas, often found at stores that sell ingredients for Indian cuisine. Add to salads, soups and stews. Or make hummus (puree chickpeas with garlic paste, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil). Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Shmuel Galili, PhD, researcher, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. Arthritis Abolished in Minutes by Doctor's Astonishing Speed Cure People fly in from all over the world to visit the famed California clinic of Dr. Mark Stengler. His naturopathic speed cures are the stuff of medical legend -- sought after by film actors, sports stars and mega-millionaire CEOs. Legions of patients can attest to the power of this amazing new botanical "nano-cure." An NFL hero was stunned by its speed, as it eased his chronic hip pain in minutes! Better still, the relief "held" for days. Read on... Important: Help your friends get much more out of life -- forward this E-letter to them. Better: Send it to many friends and your whole family. This is a free weekly e-mail service of BottomLineSecrets.com and Boardroom Inc. Boardroom Inc. 281 Tresser Boulevard Stamford, CT 06901-3229 ATTN: Web Team You received this e-mail because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Disclaimer: Bottom Line Secrets publishes the opinions of expert authorities in many fields. But the use of these opinions is no substitute for legal, accounting, investment, medical and other professional services to suit your specific personal needs. Always consult a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. Bottom Line Secrets is a registered trademark of Boardroom Inc. Subscribe |  Unsubscribe | Update My E-mail Preferences Change My E-mail Address | Contact Us | Privacy Policy Copyright (c) 2011 by Boardroom Inc.