The directions by the workshop leader seemed simple: “Share the story of how you started your business or why you chose the profession you did.”
 
To my surprise, the stunningly beautiful young lady I was paired with immediately paled and grew frustrated, complaining: “I never know what to say when they ask me this question!”

I asked her if I could “play reporter,” explaining that I’d been a professional journalist originally, trained in the art of questioning “to get the story.” She agreed. So I probed a little bit, suggesting she look back into what had prompted her to become a health and wellness coach.
 
Again, I was surprised, because she broke into tears. “When I was 14, my best friend died of leukemia. It was incurable. They couldn’t do anything to save her,” she recalled, crying while sharing her experience. “I decided then that I wanted to be able to help people stay healthy.”
 
Now, Angela (not her real name) works as a health and wellness coach, helping men and women create as healthy and strong a body as they can.
 
“I’ve never told anyone that story before,” Angela told me. I urged her to seize the moment and go to the microphone where others were relating their “aha” moments from this exercise. Angela repeated what she had revealed to me to the rest of the folks in the room — still quite emotionally — stirring quite a few others in the room to tears as well.
 

Your story doesn’t need to be as heart-wrenching as Angela’s. But the strategy does work best when the story is real, relevant, and yours. Once you’re identified at least one powerful personal anecdote, practice it aloud over and over again to be smooth, natural and in control of your delivery. At the same time, keep your story-telling fresh and fun so you don’t sound robotic or tired of the tale. Let me know how your story-telling goes!
 
By the way, if you have not yet liked my Speakout, Inc., page, I invite you to do so!
 
Best Regards,
 

Anne B. Freedman
(305) 273-6641
(305) 733-4054 – Cell
anne@speakoutinc.com
www.speakoutinc.com
 
 www.facebook.com/speakoutinc
 @AnneMiami or twitter.com/AnneMiami
  in  www.linkedin.com/in/annebfreedman/

Part of why some of us dread meetings within our company or nonprofit organization is because they often force us to do “public speaking.” We are called upon – or expected – to say something of value.  I believe everyone who goes to a meeting needs to be ready to contribute to its goals. That usually requires a bit of pre-planning, just as any other good public speaking demands. If you go in totally cold, it’s hard to be warm and ready to say anything meaningful.

Another reason why we dread meetings is because they can become a four-letter word when not controlled by a leader in a positive way. I’ve left certain meetings with a huge headache, feeling frustrated or disappointed, and you probably have, too. Having an agenda is not enough. You want to be sure that everyone gets heard, not just the direct personalities. Further, I believe you want some kind of action and collaboration to come out of every meeting. If not, why meet? Ask yourself: what’s your meeting’s true purpose?

I have found that you usually have two levels of volume at meetings – the louder folks and the quieter ones.  If you’re in the louder volume category, ready to speak before you’re even asked, I recommend a bit of pre-meeting reflection to help you craft a more thoughtful recommendation when it’s your turn. If you are among the quieter types who often get overlooked or unheard at meetings, doing a bit of “out loud” practice ahead of time will give you confidence to share what you see as important.

Who has the responsibility to create an environment where there is mutual respecteven when disagreement may be strong? While I believe the leader needs to set the standard, all of us in attendance share the obligation as well. Phrases like, “the problem with that is …” and “here we go again …” and other disparaging remarks throw a negativity and counter-productive tone into the mix.

The good news is that meetings can also produce wonderful solutions and out-of-the-box thinking, building valuable relationships and trust over time.

If you have not already liked our Speakout, Inc. Facebook page, I invite you to click on the link now.
 
 
Best Regards,

Anne B. Freedman
(305) 273-6641
(305) 733-4054 – Cell
anne@speakoutinc.com
www.speakoutinc.com
 
 www.facebook.com/speakoutinc
 @AnneMiami or twitter.com/AnneMiami
  in  www.linkedin.com/in/annebfreedman/

I was doing a late afternoon consultation with a client in Colombia recently and hadsuccessfully tested the online software that morning with no issues. At first, after just a few hiccups, everything seemed fine. About 10 minutes into a two-hour session, my client kept going on and offline. For a while, he could see me in the video camera, the slides and hear everything perfectly. Then, he got kicked offline. My usually reliable program (it was not Skype) and the process grew increasingly frustrating.
Every few minutes, my client’s assistant called on the landline from Colombia assuring me the problem was on their end with the Internet connection, not mine.
Whether you are doing a program live in person, or online, you can encounter technological difficulties with a projector, sound equipment, microphones, you name it. It’s definitely happened to me many times over the years. I remember one especially awful episode early in my speaking career when the projector suddenly stopped working.  I was extra nervous because both of my parents were there to hear me, something that had never happened since their divorce many years earlier. Two other experts were on the agenda – neither was using slides – and I was last. Since I had not practiced without the slides, I stayed in the control room until the projector was fixed. Alas, there were only five minutes left in the session for me to speak. It could not have gone worse, but I had learned a big lesson.
So when my client called me by phone directly from his office in Bogota, based on many previous experiences with malfunctioning equipment in live situations, I knew what to do. I emailed him the personalized report we were to review, and a handout that could replace quite a few of the slides. I talked through the remaining topics in a conversational way even though he couldn’t see the slides.  He seemed pleased when we finally wound up the call and I was glad.
As the expert, be ready to do your speech or presentation without any technology. You are the boss of your message, not the technology! Print out your slides just in case. Practice without your digital companions. You will be a hero when things get off track.
If you have not already liked our Speakout, Inc. Facebook page, I invite you to click on the link now.
 
 
Best Regards,
 

Anne B. Freedman
(305) 273-6641
(305) 733-4054 – Cell
anne@speakoutinc.com
www.speakoutinc.com
 
 www.facebook.com/speakoutinc
 @AnneMiami or twitter.com/AnneMiami
  in  www.linkedin.com/in/annebfreedman/

To prepare myself for speaking engagements—especially when I’m doing a new presentation for the first time—I activate a few practices that have helped me over the years.

The right scents. In the shower, I put on a lavender scented body lotion, which seems to calm my nerves. I also dab my wrists with a lavender essential oil afterwards, and peppermint oil, which together help take the edge off. There’s also a combination of oils that comes in a bottle with a roll-top, called Past Tense, which I buy from doTERRA. According to research, certain fragrances and oils, strategically applied to our bodies or inhaled, influence our nervous system in positive ways.

Food. I find food a source of strength and calmness. It’s not a good idea to avoid eating before a presentation-even if you don’t feel hungry-because your tummy could grumble aloud and embarrass you at the microphone. To have the right energy for my early workshops and speeches, I need a healthy, substantial breakfast with some kind of protein. I’ve learned not to rely on whatever might be served because just fruit and little rolls aren’t enough for me. Avoid too much caffeine as it can add to your stress level.

Prosperity panties. Many years ago, my good friend, Rosa Peralta, introduced me to the Ecuadorian tradition of giving and wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve. It symbolizes the color gold and is supposed to usher in a prosperous 12 months. Now I have a collection of yellow and silver underwear I call my “prosperity panties.”  I put them on for important speaking engagements, giving me confidence literally from the inside out!

What traditions can you adopt before your big performance?
A delicious massage, a long run or walk, listening to your favorite music, and watching a funny movie are other proven rituals to help you relax. Whatever you choose, I wish you rave reviews for your next presentation!
 
If you have not already liked our Speakout, Inc. Facebook page, I invite you to click on the link now.
 
Warm Regards,
 

Anne B. Freedman
(305) 273-6641
(305) 733-4054 – Cell
anne@speakoutinc.com
www.speakoutinc.com
 
 www.facebook.com/speakoutinc
 @AnneMiami or twitter.com/AnneMiami
  in  www.linkedin.com/in/annebfreedman/

When you walk into an office, are you greeted in a friendly manner or made to feel as though you’re interrupting something more important? How do people answer the phone when you call? Do you get a returned call in a reasonable time?

While a certain amount of stress in an organization is absolutely normal, when levels get too high you start to see under-performing teams, missed deadlines, less smiling, and more conflicts. In a nonprofit, you find less eagerness to participate, a loss of motivation, and more personality issues.
 
Before the most recent economic crash, I regularly conducted retreats and training to develop teamwork and camaraderie, leadership and management communication skills at all levels for many smart enterprises, including financial organizations and a variety of other industries. Now, I’m beginning to see wise leaders move in those directions again, as experienced Boomers leave their positions and under-trained or never-trained colleagues are expected to take their places. But stress remains high in many places.
 
If you’d like to learn how your organization’s “stress department” is doing, I invite you to download and review a sample Workplace Stress Assessment, which I can provide for free until May 30.  http://speakoutinc.com/leadership-communication-corporate/

Once you’ve looked at the results you can get, please emailanne@speakoutinc.com or call 305-273-6641 to request your free individual Workplace Stress Assessment. I’ll send you a link to do yours, then review the results with you in a complimentary half-hour strategy se ssion. This offer is limited to organizations with five or more employees or board members.
 
For more than 15 years I’ve been using other reports developed by the company pioneering this beta Workplace Stress test. Their communication and motivation reports are the tools we rely on to help organizations and leaders better target their messages and interactions, internally and in the marketplace.
 
Remember, this free Workplace Stress Assessment is only available until May 30th.
 
Looking forward to hearing from you. Please pass this offer along to a contact or friend you think might also benefit.
 
And if you have not already liked our Speakout, Inc. Facebook page, I invite you to click on the link.
Best Regards,
Anne B. Freedman

(305) 273-6641
(305) 733-4054 – Cell
anne@speakoutinc.com
www.speakoutinc.com
 
 www.facebook.com/speakoutinc
 @AnneMiami or twitter.com/AnneMiami
  in  www.linkedin.com/in/annebfreedman/