MEDIA RELEASE 10 November 2008
Fight your fear of speaking in public on your wedding day - follow these
simple tips
Public speaking is feared almost as much as death according to a new survey for
online learning program Reasontospeak.com conducted by Newspoll. The research
shows that 23 per cent of Australians fear public speaking more than death,
compared to 27 per cent who ranked death as their number one fear.
For many Australians the only time they have to make a major speech is on their
wedding day. According to public speaking expert Paul Griffiths, the founder of
Reasontospeak.com, there are many ways to overcome the debilitating fear. The
full Reasontospeak.com program provides participants with many great tools
including the following tips:
1. Don't try and be funny if you're not - A wedding is one of life's most
symbolic and authentic moments. If you're speaking at a wedding - no matter
whether you are the bride, the groom, the best man, a family member - remember
the 'authenticity of the moment'. People will remember the sentiment you express
long after they've forgotten the joke you tried to force in. Frankly, forget it
- unless, of course, you're one of life's natural jokers.
2. Make it easy for speakers - When you ask a family member or a friend
to speak at your wedding, give them something to do, a reason to speak. Share
the speech list so that they fully understand their role on your special day.
3. Brides - speak up! As a bride, this is a wonderful moment for you to
say those heartfelt things like 'thanks' and 'love' to those who've supported
you not only in planning your big moment, but right through your early life.
4. Do some preparation - A wedding is a very important occasion so any
speakers should jot down some notes beforehand so they don't forget to thank the
important people. Although don't write it out word-for-word because you'll be
tempted to read it out. See tip number 6.
5. Keep each individual in mind - Treat the wedding guests no matter how
many there are as individuals. Any group starts with just one person. Then you
add one, then one more and so on. For example, instead of saying 'Good evening
all', use 'Good evening to you'. This will appeal a lot more to each individual.
6. Don't rely on notes - when you read notes you will have your eyes
down, head down and hands occupied so the wedding guests will not grasp your
passion for the subject. If you have prepared properly you will have no need for
notes.
7. Maintain your gaze - your eyes are the primary communication device.
Try to lock your gaze with each individual guest at least once and do it as
early as possible - the first 30 seconds are vital to establish rapport.
8. Use your hands to show passion - your hands help your brain enormously
by pulling down ideas and are a great way to stress important messages. Moving
your arms and hands helps give words life and helps to add light and shade to
the speech.
9. If you're inclined to speak fast, make it precise - there's nothing
wrong with speaking a little fast as long as it's done with precision. To do so,
emphasise the end of words especially 's' 'ly' and 'ed'. This, in itself, will
slow you down without chanting 'I must slow down' in your head.
10. Emphasise adjectives and adverbs - if you feel that your voice is a
little flat or monotonal then emphasise the describing words like adjectives and
adverbs. It's these words that add colour, zest and oomph. For example, the
bride looks beautiful today with the emphasis on 'beautiful'.
Reasontospeak.com is a video-based online learning program for people who have
to speak in public and want to increase their confidence and motivational
ability. It was created by journalist and educator Paul Griffiths who realised
that the best way to share his 40 years of experience and extensive knowledge on
public speaking to a wide audience was through an online course - available to
anyone, anywhere, anytime - online.
The Reasontospeak.com program can cover topics such as management of nerves,
basics of planning, selling concepts, moving information to motivation, future
orientation, optimal thinking, motivational concepts and so on.
The participant answers 15 qualifying questions before starting the program.
Based on those answers, the program then automatically selects about 60 video
topics - each one being three minutes long - from a library of more than 200.
So, the program is custom-designed to suit every level and all needs, for
anybody, anywhere, at anytime - online.
The course is designed to assist beginners and more practised presenters with
two options available: Presentation Update Program (PUP), followed by the
Executive Suite.
For more information, visit
www.reasontospeak.com or call (02) 9144 3975.
Released for Reasontospeak.com by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Nicola Rutzou on (02) 9413
4244.
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