It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It: Ready-to-Use Advice for Presentations, Speeches, and Other Speaking Occasions, Large and Small

Why do some speakers succeed, while many bore their audiences and lose their listeners? Speaking coach Joan Detz has worked with top clients for more than 15 years and has the answers. In this useful and lively book, she presents strategies and tips for speeches, sales presentations, brief remarks, job interviews, Q&A sessions, panels, and more — every situation that requires something to say.

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Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience

On Speaking Well

Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use

They're all staring at you as you stand before them on the stage. Small crowd or not, to you they look like an ocean of people. You rest your hands on the podium, your palms beginning to sweat. Fearing they'll smear the ink on your speech notes, you quickly wipe them on your pants. Eyes skittering over the crowd before you, you wonder, besides turning around, what can you do to get this crowd behind you?

Being a good public speaker means being a good conversationalist and someone who can communicate effectively with a fresh approach so crowds don't fall asleep. An ounce of preparation ahead of time will save a ton of embarrassment later.

•Crack a Joke
Making people laugh is the single best way to loosen up a crowd. Just don't try to be a stand-up comic if you're not. Make it a good joke that will not alienate anyone. Jay Leno does it every evening, so it's a tried-and-true method of warming up a crowd.

•Anecdotes
Getting people to identify with you is the best way to get them on your side. Telling stories is an excellent way to accomplish this. Whether it's a humorous story or a personal account, getting the crowd to be comfortable with you means getting the crowd used to your story-telling ability.

•Keep Talking
Don't give your audience the time to lose interest in what you're saying. Verbal ticks like "um" and pauses will lose the crowd's attention quickly. It's important to practice your speech ahead of time to avoid these types of speech killers.

•Keep Your Head Up
It's OK to have notes to go by, but don't totally rely on them to get you through a speech. They're only there to guide you. Plenty of practice beforehand will give you the upper hand.

Written by Jeremy M. Rottgen

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