The Key!

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. 

All of the knowledge you can accumulate is of little value if you can’t communicate it.  The people who are in most demand in this world are people who have the ability to articulate what they know, people who have the skills to debate what they believe.

Whether one is the CEO of a major corporation, pastor of a local church or the parent of a family, a MAJOR part of their ability to do that job with excellence is to know how to communicate well.  The students I saw at this camp are far advanced in speaking skills.  Because of those skills their chances to succeed in any field they choose is multiplied significantly.

So my answer was YES!  Communication skills are the KEY to success, and essential to affective life.

Over the years those attending our Dynamic Communicators Workshops have raved about the difference the training made in

their public speaking,

their writing,

their relationships and

their ability to plan and focus their life.

When we teach people how to aim for an outcome in speaking it ends up affecting their whole life.  Aim at nothing you will hit it every time.  Know where you are going and you can take anyone with you.

Join me and some of the country’s Top Instructors in Vail Colorado  October 17 – 20/21 and learn how to focus, your verbal communication, your writing, and your life.

At our Dynamic Communicators Workshop you can find the solution to both fears.

You will gain confidence.

Confidence is the opposite of fear.  We will teach you to prepare so that you can confidently step to the front, knowing exactly what you are going to say and why.   The improvement that takes place when you know how to focus a speech and stay on track is amazing.

You will become more dynamic.

Dynamic presentations make people want to listen to what you say.  They keep you from the death of bombing as a speaker, and they keep the audience from dying of boredom.   How cool to have people be afraid they will miss your next words.

Register today for this years Dynamic Communicators Workshop.

• Use the discount code KENSBLOG and save $100 on tuition…. and that’s not all!!!

• Register before midnight tomorrow, February 15th, using the discount code KENSBLOG and receive a $200 dollar saving on tuition…. and that’s not all!!!
• If you register and comment below that you have registered on this blog,  I will give you 30 minutes of free personal consultation

Have you ever died giving or listening to a speech?

Are you scheduled to speak to a group of professional peers?

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.

Four Steps to Making ANY Dream a Reality

1. Identify the dream.
   • It is essential to clarify your dream. If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time. A precise target allows you to take precise aim.
   • Precisely defining your dream will give you the confidence to pursue it with commitment.
2. Develop a strategy that will make your dream come true.
   • Identify what personal resources you can use to define your program, presentation or product you wish to create.
   • Design your “product/presentation”, name it, and be able to describe it in a single sentence.
   • Identify your market and create a presentation with a unique appeal to that market.
3. Work the strategy until you achieve the dream.
   • This is the most critical part of the equation. No one can do this for you. The best strategy in the universe is useless unless you work it.
   • As you proceed, you may need to tweak the strategy but you have to WORK IT!
   • It is at this step that most dreamers fail. Working the strategy is not glamorous and sometimes it is not fun, but it is critical to success.
4. Take advantage of men and women who have already realized their dreams.

If you dream of making your living speaking, making people laugh, or providing critical information through seminars, there is one additional step that will help propel you toward making that dream come true. I put on an annual summit along with several successful friends of mine to help teach others to realize this dream. If you’re interested, please check out the information below.

Attend The Summit

October 18-20, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee

“The Summit” is designed to provide detailed assistance in taking each of the steps above. I have invited several very successful friends to share their stories and strategies with you. The option of attending the “Masters” portion of “The Summit” will even give you the opportunity to get personal attention from me and others in reviewing your promotional materials and designing your specific strategy for success.

Check out our temporary “Summit” web site while we get a brand new site ready to feature this year’s conference.

Call or email today with any questions you have about “The Summit.” Joy Groblebe, our event coordinator, is looking forward to speaking with you. She can be reached at 303-325-6964 or joy@kendavis.com.

Don’t just dream of being at the summit, join us at “The Summit.”

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

1. Study and research your topic.

Your audience deserves your best preparation.

2. List all the things you want to say

Have fun dreaming of every possible creative technique you might use and all the illustrations and supportive material you might use.

3. Ask yourself WHY you want to say those things.

This is the most important part of the process. Answer the question,”why do you want to say all these things?” So the audience will__________________? Answering that question will lead you very close to the objective of the speech.

4. Eliminate anything that doesn’t lead toward the objective of your speech.

5. Organize what remains into a logical progression that leads the listener to the objective.

6. Practice the speech out loud.

7. Deliver your speech with clarity, dynamics and power.

This process helps you determine the end before you begin. Try it for your next talk. It’s takes some work, but it will make your talk more powerful. Let me know how it worked.