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7 Ways to Become a Grade A Speaker

Featured Author:

Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

Bill Lampton, Ph.D.—author of The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication, Change Your Life!—helps clients “Learn More. . .Earn More!” As a communication expert, he has been interviewed by Cosmopolitan, Entrepreneur, Investor’s Business Daily, Delta’s SKY, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, and other leading publications. Bill has provided keynote speeches, seminars, and communication coaching for Gillette, Procter & Gamble, the British Columbia Legal Management Association, the University of Georgia Athletic Association, CenturyTel, Environmental Protection Agency, Orvis Company, and the Ritz-Carlton Cancun. Visit his Web site to sign up for his complimentary online newsletter: ChampionshipCommunication.com View his instructional video blog, and post your comments: TheCompleteCommunicator.com
Call Dr. Lampton to schedule him for presentations and coaching: 678-316-4300.

More articles from this author:

• From Fired to Hired - 7 Communication Strategies for Your Job Hunt
• Your Voice Is You - Make the Most of It
• Admin Lessons from 2008's Worst Communication Blunders

You keep a checklist handy for many of your regular tasks — grocery shopping, scheduling your day and week, and creating a hyperlink, for example. Because your profession requires you to speak to groups frequently, you have often wished you could keep a speech preparation checklist handy, to remind you how to get ready to generate the results you want. You won’t have to wait any longer. Here is your checklist for top-level speech preparation.

Adopt an upbeat ATTITUDE.
This way, you won’t become excessively concerned about yourself — whether you are making a favorable impression and holding the group’s attention. Those self-directed thoughts can become obsessive, distracting you from your main purpose: helping your listeners understand and accept your message. And remember, audiences want you to succeed. Successful speakers make meetings and conferences enjoyable and productive. Audience members aren’t critics, they are your cheerleaders. Embrace them emotionally, even before you say your first word — then they’ll embrace you.