Author Archive for Dan Smith, DTM

Don’t be a puppet

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Dan Smith, DTM
on 9 August, 2010
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“I am not saying that the right gestures and tonal qualities are not important in public speaking, they are, just watch Barack Obama and you will see the power of gesture and tone. What I am saying is when developing pubic speaking skills it is more important to get very comfortable with being yourself in front of an audience FIRST, and then develop the behavioural qualities that will enhance your message. This means moving in from any forms of fear or self consciousness you might have.” (from an article by Michael Carroll of NLP Academy.)

The way you say what you say is vital. Yet it is tempting to get carried away trying to get what we say perfect – using precise gestures, tonalities and words – and end up sounding like a puppet.

Instead, what if you could start by getting comfortable being yourself and then adding those gestures, tonalities and words that fit you?

Impactful impromptu speaking

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Dan Smith, DTM
on 2 August, 2010
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One of the most challenging areas of speaking is impromptu speaking. You may be asked to speak for 30 seconds, or two minutes, and it could happen at any time. A friend is currently coaching a senior executive in Shanghai after the executive messed up when he was asked to speak at an event without any warning. That’s the thing about impromptu speaking: You don’t get any notice.

There are usually a few areas to work on.

One is language fluency. If you’re not accustomed to putting your thoughts into a coherent order and expressing your ideas in the relevant language, it’s going to be tough. This is a skill that native speakers can find challenging, so if you’re not a native speaker, it can be that extra difficult. The solution is simple though: Spend time speaking more and faster so the connections in your mind between the words, ideas and to say them, are highways rather than horse tracks. Prepare and practise.

Another area is having something to say. Here, having opinions and being knowledgeable helps a lot, so that when someone asks your opinion of something, you have something to say. Another activity that helps is associating with people with whom you politely disagree so you can polish your skills of persuasion, debate and repartee. It is lamentable that so many people have no opinions, ideas or original (even original-sounding!) thought… Prepare and practise.

The other day, I was asked about my opinion on a current political issue. Having opinions about most things but knowing that the issue is sensitive to many people, I formulated a very short response that was respectful while offering an actual opinion. They responded with little more than a ‘wow!’ – while they thought that they might sound ‘intelligent’ when they brought up such a topic, they didn’t realize that I really would have something to say and didn’t have any opinion to add to the conversation!

Of course, there are some people who are talented at saying nothing yet sounding like they are. I grew up with my family doing it. One of the guys from Shanghai Leadership Toastmasters is gifted in this area. If you can bounce ideas around with people like this, you will force yourself to get sharp!

In general, for improved impromptu speaking you can probably see that the solutions are obvious: Prepare and practice.

Don’t bother with the large vocabulary

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Dan Smith, DTM
on 26 July, 2010
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Last week I heard a compliment of someone having a large vocabulary. Yet the comment they made was not really about vocabulary. They just thought that it was an extensive vocabulary that allowed the speaker to speak precisely.

A large vocabulary has often been as much a hindrance as much as a help. Simple words and expressions are distinctive characteristics of some of the world’s great speakers.

I find that eloquence and precision are best developed by surrounding yourself with language of that pattern. It is absorbed rather than learned. So listen to great speeches, read thought-provoking books, and watch insightful movies. And you might also find excuses to befriend people who speak the way you seek.

Congratulations, Yingdan Liu, Wendy Wang and Bill Wang

Published
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Dan Smith, DTM
on 9 May, 2010
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Yingdan Liu DTM was elected District Governor-elect for District 85 at the District Conference this weekend.

Later in the afternoon, Wendy Wang ACB ALB was elected Division Governor for Division D, and Bill Wang ACB was elected Division Governor for Division L, the new Division for CAT. No doubt many other CAT members will be taking on other leadership roles within the District, and we look forward to their success.

Congratulations!

Being less boring when reading

Published
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Dan Smith, DTM
on 29 April, 2010
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From time to time, you might need to read a speech, poem or book. When you do, make sure that you look up from time to time. It’s great if you know the script really well though even if you don’t, make sure you check in with your audience every so often. Maybe at the end of a verse of a poem, the end of a paragraph, or even just when you feel like you can pause.

Oh, and don’t tell your audience that what you are going to say is boring! If it is, change what you’re going to say. If it is still boring – and you have to say it for some reason – let your poor audience drift away peacefully rather than being pushed into slumber by you ;)