Last week I had the privilege of speaking to a group of bright, enthusiastic students attending the 2011 speech and debate camp run by Training Minds Ministry. 

At the end of my presentation the founder of this group, Chris Jeub, asked this question, “If there is limited time to teach children the essentials of Math, Science, History, Literature etc, then why invest time and money to teach children the skill of speech and debate?”

My answer was emphatic. 

Many studies show that fear of speaking is rated right up there with their with fear of death.  That is because failing as a speaker is about as painful as dying.

Are you scheduled to speak to a group of professional peers?
Are you apprehensive about confronting someone in your family about a conflict?
Have you been asked to give a presentation?
Are you breathing and desire to communicate with confidence and power.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can be confident in your ability to speak  with persuasive power by following these 7 steps of preparation.

1. Research

Make sure you are familiar with all the facts.  Make sure what you present IS fact.  Take time to move beyond emotion to discover the truth.  Your credibility rests on the your confidence in the information you will present.  Know what you are talking about.  This is true whether you are preaching a sermon or having a heart to heart conversation with your spouse.

2. List

List all of the elements you want to include in your presentation.  Write down all of the supportive illustrations, evidence, scripture, questions, everything that you would possibly want to say about the topic you will address.

3.  Focus Focus Focus

This is the most important step of all. Ask yourself WHY you want to say all those things you have listed.  Isolate ONE, yes that is right ONE,  outcome you want the listener to walk away with.  Did you notice I said ONE outcome.  Make that ONE outcome the singular focus of everything you say. This is where most communicators fail.  They chase rabbit trails that lead nowhere or try to accomplish too much in a single talk.  Your audience, whether 200 people or your husband, want to know what you are driving at.

“If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.  If you know where you are going you can take anyone with you.”

So, look over that LIST of things you want to say and write WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH into a single sentence. If you can’t identify the objective of your talk in a single sentence, you won’t be able to communicate it no matter how much time you have.

4.  Eliminate

Now, eliminate everything in the list that does not lead the listener to the desired outcome. This can be hard when you have an emotional attachment to some story or point.  It may be powerful, you may love it, but if it doesn’t lead toward your OBJECTIVE ditch it!

5.  Organize

Organize what remains in a way that will most powerfully lead your listener/s to the SINGLE objective you want to accomplish.

6.  Practice

Practice your presentation OUTLOUD, preferably with a friend who can give you some objective feedback. See if they get the objective of your talk.

7.  Deliver

Make your presentation with confidence.

SO….. If you are dreading your next communication challenge OR…. if you are looking for an opportunity to make your next presentation powerful and persuasive, prepare with these steps and let me know how it goes. I look forward to your comments.

Want more information on how to be a powerful communicator?

Today I opened another e-mail like thousands I have received in the past from someone whose dream it is to establish a career as a speaker/comedian. Most of them ask the same basic question, “How do I get started?”

The dreamers are varied. Many are aspiring comedians or speakers, some are writers or musicians, and some are entrepreneurs. Others are athletes or people who have a unique life experience to share. By e-mailing me, all of them have taken the first step to achieving their dreams. They have asked the question, “how?” The world is full of dreamers, but few who are willing to identify and take action on the steps to make their dreams a reality. Check out these steps to making your dream a reality.

The feedback from hundreds of our students over the years confirms that speaking with focus and purpose transforms their effectiveness as a communicator. According to Steven Covey, the second habit of highly effective people is “Begin with the end in mind.” As we begin our Dynamic Communicators Workshop in Glorieta NM this week we will be re-enforcing that truth over and over. Many speakers never consider the “end,” the ultimate purpose for which they are giving their talk. Instead they agonize over a list of “things” they want to say and how to organize that list.

Here is a short list for preparing your next speech. Following these procedures will give your speech more focus and power.