Using Glen Luckman Humor in Speaking

Using Humor In Public Speaking

By: Rickie Smith

Humor in public speaking is the most widely used tools when giving your target audience something to take with them. Remember, this is the whole point of public speaking. Whether you give them something entertaining or persuasive, you will want your audience members to be able to say that they learned something or that they haven’t wasted their time listening to you. Even if you provide them with just some new and interesting facts you will You will find that it can be difficult to break through and audience. Therefore you will want to rely on the use your emotions to convince them that they are getting something worthwhile out of the time that they are giving to you.

Using humor in public speaking will allow you to change the mood of the people in the room while making them feel more comfortable. Of course you will not only want to make sure that your humor is appropriate, but you will also want to learn whether to actually to use it in your speech or for demonstration purposes. Everyone has their own way of dealing with public speaking, but you will find that humor will go along way when it comes to informing, persuading, or entertaining your audience. Yes, you might have something serious to say, however, this doesn’t mean that you have to be serious. You can use the humor to help everyone get and feel somewhat relaxed about a serious matter.

Humor and laughter, much like music, is something that is understood by the general population. Just be sure that you do everything you can to make your audience feel more comfortable. Give a lot of thought to the type of humor that you plan on using. The type of humor you choose must fit perfectly into your speech, otherwise you will most certainly lose your audience’s attention.

You may consider the use of humility. In these cases, this is where you try to bond with the audience by telling a funny story about yourself. There are various to introduce humor into the speech, but you must find that the time will always feel right. You will want to make sure that all the stories you tell are appropriate and that your personal shortcomings are something that you added to the speech in an effort to make your entire audience feel better.

In addition, you may want to combine a little bit of humor and humility so that you can not only bond with the audience but also really get and keep their attention. Be sure that everything that you plan in your speech is tasteful. Using humor in public speaking combined with all of your knowledge and experience on a certain subject will allow everyone to take away something from it and remember it.

Here are a few simple Tips to follow for using humor in public speaking:

1. Know your audience and be extremely careful not to offend anyone with the use of your humor

2. Involve your audience in your speech.

3. Tune in to several TV shows and watch how experienced public speakers using timing with their humor.

4. Go to the library and check out several books on public speaking jokes so as to not “reinvent the wheel”.

5. Make sure the humor is relevant to the subject matter.

Using Glen Luckman Humor In Public Speaking

Public Speaking: The Mother Of All Fears

By: Guy Baglow

In a much quoted survey of the things people fear most, public speaking came out as the number one fear. Death came third.

So what is fear of public speaking and why does it generate so much fear in so many?

What is fear of public speaking?

Fear of public speaking is an intense and irrational fear of being judged by others when speaking in front of them - or of being embarrassed or humiliated in such situations - causing dread, panic and avoidance.

More accurately, it is not the scrutiny and negative judgements themselves but the sufferer’s own emotional response to them - the feelings of shame, rejection or humiliation.

Sufferers recognise that their fear is excessive or unreasonable but they feel powerless to do anything to change their responses. So the feared situations - such as presentations, wedding speeches, meetings or even one-to-ones - are avoided or else endured with intense anxiety or distress.

In work situations the fear most commonly occurs around formal presentations and meetings. It can then spread out to smaller groups, to conference calls, to informal situations like one-on-one conversations (especially with more senior people) and to things like introducing oneself on a course. It can then even spill into social situations with friends and family.

How it manifests

When sufferers feel that all eyes are upon them - “the spotlight effect” - their acute self-awareness makes it very difficult to focus on what is going on around them, to remember their speech, to read from notes or follow a meeting. Their mind goes foggy or blank. Their distress is further fueled by their efforts to hide or mask their discomfort which may become apparent through blushing, sweating, shaking, twitching, or an inability to speak normally or coherently.

Some of these feelings may be present for some time before the event - weeks and even months beforehand - and may be accompanied by sleeping problems and loss of appetite. Life becomes a nightmare from the moment they know they have to speak. It can feel like a death sentence. Not only that, but the feelings may linger afterwards as the sufferer analyses and ruminates on how they did and how other people may have judged them.

Fear of public speaking is distinguished from shyness by the intense, often debilitating, fear it generates. At its worst it will end in a panic attack. So it’s way beyond shyness or butterflies. This is hardcore fear.

Who does it affect?

Most people with a fear of public speaking are normal, intelligent, happy and well-balanced. They often come across to friends and colleagues as confident and outgoing.

Many people who fear public speaking are very successful, so they have risen to a level in their career where they are more and more called upon to share their knowledge and expertise and lead projects, teams and departments. But in these situations they come across as reserved, disinterested or unenthusiastic because they have got this phobia, this thing.

So it’s very frustrating because a part of them (the rational thinking part) knows that it doesn’t make sense. They know their subject - that’s why they have been asked to talk - and they know the situation is non-threatening. But they nevertheless find that when they are asked to talk in front of a group, another part of them (the irrational unconscious part) drives out rational thought and fear floods in.

It appears to be the more imaginative, creative or artistic people who are more prone to developing phobias. This is because phobias have a lot to do with the misuse of the imagination. So it can affect absolutely anyone.

The cause

Fear of public speaking can be caused by many things. It can be an extension of childhood shyness reinforced by bad experiences of reading aloud in class or presenting work at college or university.

It can also start later in life, often at a time when background stress levels have been raised by other things like relationships or work. Then something happens that the individual can usually cope with but because of the background stress they tip into a mild panic attack. This is frightening and embarrassing. It destroys self-confidence. And it builds into a phobia as the sufferer starts to fear it happening again and begins to panic about panicking - to fear the fear.

At the start it may take some time for people to recognise that they have a phobia. They may mistakenly put it down to excessive shyness. But then the panic starts to occur more frequently and consistently and a pattern emerges. The response is reinforced each time they speak in public and panic, and each time they avoid it and feel relief.

Why does it affect so many so much?

With some phobias - like snakes, heights and sharks - there is some element of real danger. But with public speaking there is no apparent threat. There are no enemy warriors in the room, no charging rhinos.

It seems likely that the fear of public speaking - a fear of humiliation and rejection - is a hangover from our evolutionary history when being accepted by the tribe was essential to our survival. If we did not have their approval we might be cast out. Then our chances of survival by ourselves would be slim. So the thought of rejection by the group generates high anxiety. It’s a primitive survival response that got stuck to wrong kind of thing.

Safety behaviours & avoidance

Safety and avoidance strategies are used by the sufferer to reduce the danger and to control, accommodate and conceal their panic and embarrassment.

Energy and time are used in planning and avoiding the presentation, meeting, call, seminar or speech. Elaborate ways are created to reduce or hide their distress or to produce distractions from it. Sufferers may self-medicate with alcohol. Sickness may be feigned. People and situations may be manipulated. Careers may be blighted: jobs and promotions may be turned down (because they may entail more presenting) or jobs may be left because of their fears of “discovery”.

Many people accommodate their phobia like this for a long time - typically for years, even decades. It is often surprising just how far people get in life and have still managed to avoid public speaking.

But over time these “solutions” become part of the problem, using up time, energy and attention needed for other things. Eventually the avoidance and manipulation becomes too risky - threatening jobs or relationships - or a presentation or speech (usually a wedding or leaving speech) just can’t be avoided. When this happens most sufferers think “enough is enough”. And do something about it. And get help.

Getting help

Things have moved on from old style exposure therapy and there are now a number of very effective solutions available.

These include The Fast Phobia Cure - a remarkable technique from Neuro Linguistic Programming which rapidly changes the patterns that drive the fear. Another relatively new technique is the Emotional Freedom Technique which also provides rapid change. Of the more traditional treatments, Cognitive Therapy - designed to change the way you think about public speaking - is also effective although it is likely to take longer.

The Mother Of Glen Luckman Fears

Secrets on How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

By: Zach Keyer

It is True… for some, it is spiders; for many, ghosts; and others would say heights, but there are those who actually admit that public speaking is their greatest fear.

It is actually commonplace. Come to think of it, there can sometimes be nothing more frightening than having to stand up and speak in front of a group of people who could very likely shout at you, laugh at you, or leave while you are in the middle of talking. Even actress Debra Messing of the hit show Will and Grace surprisingly had this fear all her life. And she is a professional actress! Imagine how much worse this could be for those who have not even had the chance to go up on a stage at all in their lives.

Thankfully, public speaking is a fear that can easily be overcome. If you are not exactly paralyzed by fear, but you think you still have room for improvement on it, then you are realizing the fundamental truth that is facing us all. You can improve your public speaking skills quite easily by following the beginning tips mentioned below.

Remember to be prepared and get your practice. The value of preparation can never be overemphasized. It adds confidence and substance to your speeches and presentations. Research the topic you will talk about and try to find the best way to present it (angle-wise). Outline your major points and use cue cards if necessary/available. Practice your speech-delivery to make sure that your talk will not exceed the time allotted for you, and so that you could also asses your delivery from your own perspective. If you are to be the lead-speaker in a very important engagement, try to practice your speech in front of someone who could properly assess how you have done… and is able to provide honest feedback to you.

Also, Know your audience… technically, this is still part of being prepared. However, it is just so important that it calls for a separate mention. Knowing your audience provides you with valuable insight on the angle and perspective of presentation that would appeal best to them. It guides whether you can be casual and funny or whether you would be better served to be serious and analytical. It also gives you great input in streamlining your speech by suggesting what you need to include and what you can do without.

Also critical is to dress the part. As much as we refuse to admit it, image can sometimes be everything. How the audience responds to you can highly depend upon how they perceptually perceive you. Generally, you would appear as a more convincing speaker if you are dressed as business casual or business formal. Also, since the audience will have to look at you anyway, you might as well make your appearance a pleasant one for them.

Keeping the KISS in mind. Keep It Short and Simple. Even geniuses have limited attention spans… no special talent for the A.D.D. afflicted needed at all. Do not bore your audience to death with a speech that is too long. The faster you can get your message across, the better. A short and simple message also appears smarter while preventing you from being perceived as someone who came unprepared and is fumbling through their presentation. It also allows your listeners to retain what you have said easily. Including the opportunity for you to perform valauble rephrasing of your concepts - for added comprehension by your audience.

In addition to these quick tips, your public speaking skills will also be improved if you practice establishing periodic or constant eye contact with your audience. Also, if the occasion and your resources will permit, you can use visual aids such as slide presentations, handouts, product samples, etc to stimulate your audiences attention. To finish off your presentation, you should plan to answer the audiences question confidently and with a caring and informative attitude.

Secret Glen Luckman Public Speaking Skills

The 9 Pillars of Gesture for Public Speaking

By: Jon Weaver

Gesture, embracing movements of the head, body, arms, hands, legs and feet, is a natural and necessary part of public speaking. Mastering this art and making it appear natural take much practice, but can not be mastered any other way. So here are the top tips to help speed you along your way.

1. The head should be well-poised and not held on one side as if scrutinizing an audience. When held erect it denotes a normal attitude, courage, joy, pride, or authority; when upward it indicates hope or prayer; when downward, shame, modesty, or reflection; when forward, appeal, listening, sympathy or anticipation; when backward, surprise, terror or independence; when shaking, denial, discontent, or emphasis.

Frequent and meaningless movements should be studiously avoided. In bowing, incline the head and upper body together, so as to bring the bend from the waist. It should be done slowly and pleasantly, with the eyes looking down.

2. The face should be trained to promptly and truthfully reflect the emotions of the speaker. Quintilian says: “The face is the dominant power of expression. With this we supplicate; with this we threaten; with this we soothe; with this we mourn; with this we rejoice; with this we triumph; with this we make our submissions; upon this the audience hang; upon this they keep their eyes fixed; this they examine and study even before a word is spoken.”

3. The eyes are wide open in joy, fear and surprise; closed in faintness, half-closed in hate and scrutiny; raised in prayer and supplication; drooped in modesty and veneration; look askance in envy, jealousy, and appreciation.

4. The nostrils are extended in fear and indignation, and elevated in scorn.

5. The lips are closed in repose; partly open in surprise and wonder; wide open in terror; turn upward in pleasure, courtesy and good humor; turn downward in grief and sorrow; pout in discontent; and compress in anger, defiance and determination.

6. The body should move in harmony with the other members as required by the thought. In turning from side to side the movement should be from the waist and not from the neck.

7. The arms move from the shoulder, excepting in conversational gesture. They should rest at the sides without crooking the elbows. Movements may be slow and gentle, slow and intense, swift and light, or swift and strong. The size, length, and velocity of a gesture depend upon the thought. The lines are usually in curves, expressing grace, while straight lines are used when special emphasis is required. The general purpose of gesture is to locate, illustrate, generalize or emphasize.

8. The hands should be carefully trained for flexibility and expressiveness. The fingers should be slightly apart and curved. A gesture has three divisions:
- The preparation, made in an opposite direction from that which the gesture is to take.

- The gesture proper, which must be precisely upon the word intended.

- The return, in which the hand should be dropped gently and slowly without slapping the sides of the body.

And here are the most common hand gestures:
- The supine hand, palm upward, is used to express good-humor, frankness and generalization.

- The prone hand, palm downward, shows superposition, or the resting of one thing upon another.

- The vertical hand, palm outward, is used in warding off, putting from, and in repugnant and disagreeable thought.

- The clenched hand is used in anger, defiance and great emphasis.

- The index finger is used to specialize and indicate.

- Both hands are used in appeal and to express intensity, expansiveness and greatness. Usually one hand should slightly lead the other. The hands are clasped in prayer and wrung in grief.

9. The feet. The standing position should be easy, the feet at an angle of forty-five degrees, one foot in advance of the other, the width of the base depending upon the height of the speaker. The knees should be straight, shoulders even and chin level. Avoid rising on the toes and too frequent change of foot position. The most graceful effect is secured when the left foot is forward and the gesture made with the right hand, or vice versa. This combination gives balance, though it is not always possible to use it. The change of foot position will not be so noticeable if done in the act of making a gesture.

The 9 Glen Luckman Pillars