I've been on the circuit for a few years now and along the way I was helped by several professionals from the speaking field who shared their knowledge and experiences with the most genuine generosity of spirit and time. Hence, in that tradition if I can assist any of you by sharing my experiences and knowledge of the field I will be honored.
Initially I started my work in the field as a storyteller using only my natural ability to carry a story, a gift I recognized from early childhood when kids in my classroom would ask me to tell their stories simply because I told them better. My innate gift came complete with mannerisms, body language, pace and rhythm, tension and relief: all these felt completely natural to me.
Nevertheless, after attending a few NSA meetings as well as working with several bureaus in America and Australia it was suggested to me to go through some training to improve on my natural ability and become a 'professional'.
I followed the advice and took several sessions with different trainers. They taught me how to deliver a talk as a pro. I mastered my time management by dissecting 60 minutes into 12 segments of 5 minutes, and learned how to switch segments to suit situations and audiences. I learned how to 'bang them with my first sentence', how to interlay my jokes in places and to incorporate my messages in to my stories. I learned how to end up with an emotional story and squeeze a standing ovation. Using these techniques was an amazing experience; I could indeed control my presentation and manipulate the audiences.
It didn't last long for a couple of reasons, firstly I have great respect for my audiences and that sense of manipulation I felt was inappropriate. Secondly by controlling the presentation so well it became too predictable for me, I was conscious of what I was doing and I wasn't having fun at all. Thus I have happily relapsed to my old ways; in a way like a painter that goes to the academy in Paris to learns all the rules only to break them all later with abstract expressions - in that respect the experience was beneficial.
In the process of finding my own way and my own style at one stage I drafted a creed of 12 principles I was determined to abide to. I developed these points for myself. I used to read them before my presentation several times to psyche myself for the experience.
I don't use these principles anymore; these days I just go on stage and ad lib my way from the beginning to the last minute of my presentation.
In any case, the process was very beneficial for me. If any information may be of assistance to any of you on your way to find your own individual style, it is my great pleasure to share these with you.
My Blessings
Yossi
Life is not a dress rehearsal - it is show time now!
For those of you who may fear public speaking or for fellow speakers who perhaps like myself are always seeking to improve and evolve, I share here what I have called my creed of twelve - rules I have adapted or developed from experience in public speaking, delivering keynotes, presentations and seminars around the world.
My creed of twelve is a set of 12 affirmation points that I used to read several times before I got on stage. These are self-inspiring points that helped me to get in the proper state of mind whether I talked to 100 or 5000 people.
Since these were written for myself initially, I have elaborated on them here for your convenience and interest.
1. I will allow myself to shine.
This rule is the first and the most powerful of the entire creed of 12 rules and thus it will be repeated by me many times more than the others in the following manner...
Continued on http://www.ghinsberg.com/images/mailloop_images/newsletter/newsletter_jan_b.htmnot a dress rehearsal - it is show time now!
2. I am responsible for the success and the effectiveness of my presentation.
I will gaze at the arena with the strength that results in that responsibility. I will stand in front of my audiences filled with confidence and elation knowing that my words are charged with ideas that may transform the lives of those listening.
Responsibility is a key thing in life; it separates the ones that do things from the ones that have excuses. If I am responsible, I have the power to shape my future, if I am not responsible I am a leaf drifting in the wind. Remember that when you stand in front of an audience and take charge.
3. I don't talk to strangers.
I will talk to the audience, no matter how many or few they are, as if they are my good friends. My friends are open to hear my unique message they are ready to be inspired. No one in attacking me, everybody in the room is there to listen to me and though I am the center of attention I am here to serve them.
4. I will tell my audience personal stories that only I can tell, giving them entertainment value that no one can duplicate.
It is good to remember that your uniqueness is not a weakness but rather your main place of strength. Make it personal and it will be effective. Whenever I see a speaker that learned other people’s techniques; reciting old jokes, manipulating the audience and pretending to be what they are not, it feels awkward and the audience can immediately sense it.
Be you.
As we walk the path of life each of one has our own unique take on what is going on. It is your angle that makes you interesting. It is your anecdotes that make you entertaining. It is your experience than can enrich others' lives. Be you.
5. I will lead them away from their mundane day to day realities and sweep them far away to other realms.
Since I'm generally speaking in corporate environments, my audiences are made of busy people, with a lot on their minds. The listening faculty is a very weak one, and they will naturally drift away from my talk and engage their minds to other issues such as daily issues and other areas of concern. I remind myself to sweep them away from that reality, taking them to far away places and situations, luring them until they are lost in my domains. I do that by telling them stories that are charged and ignite their imagination allowing them to create mental images of the places I describe.
6. Keeping my pace, even when soft spoken, my energy will remain intense at all time.
Remember it is not about the words, not worry to much about what you say since it is the charge of the words that makes all the difference in the world. It is not the words, any fool can learn by heart some phrases of the Dalai Lama, Gandhi or Nelson Mandela and recite them to the public, it doesn't work though the words may be the same. It is your spirit, your energy, the charge you give to the words that matters. Are you genuine, are you coming from the heart, are you walking your talk? All these notions are vibrated through your words, work on them not on the words.
7. I will tell stories to bring my messages.
Storytelling is an ancient form of entertainment but much more so it is a vehicle for maintaining knowledge and traditions, linking generation to generation and people with their past and future of possibilities.
It seems that we are wired for stories for we immediately tune into them.
Telling stories is my way of communicating with my audiences. I remember once I was at a convention of some of the most powerful Chief Financial Officers of many Fortune 500 companies, e.g. Intel, UPS, Home Depot and such companies. Quite frankly my knees had a slight quiver as I wondered what I could possibly tell these people. The situation was even more daunting as I had to follow a complex (at least for me) lecture on the merge of Lockheed and Martin.
I used my ability to tell stories and soon learned that even the most powerful people in the world are innately tuned to listen to stories. Like innocent children. You just say ‘once upon a time’ and their eyes open wide, their chins drop and all they want to know is how the story is going to end. Remember; a story awakens the child within the adult, the faculty of listening fully engages, there’s no fettering, no evaluation, no analysis, just pure listening.
Don’t lecture, don’t preach, don’t teach for these ways can promote resistance and a busy mind that does not listen. Tell stories and lace your stories with your messages.
(I will soon upload points 8 to 12)
|
