December 2008 Archives

"It helps hone your 90 second pitch. Also helps people get over the barrier of talking to strangers."

"Far easier than social networking; you have none of the fear of breaking into a group of people..."

What is Speed Networking?

Speed networking concentrates purely on networking. By meeting lots of people in a structured format, you have more chance of meeting the best contacts for your business. Speed networking is proving a winning formula for many businesses who simply want to generate results; on average, each attendee creates £500 worth of new revenue per event.

At each event between 30-60 business people meet at a central location.  After registration, the event is explained and the first networking session begins. The event is broken into two sessions by a speech from an invited speaker, and there is plenty of time to catch up with key contacts when the formal part of the event closes. 

Each of the speed networking sessions last for about 1 hour. This entails forming two rows, the inner row moves at the whistle and the outer one stays still. You have 3 minutes to talk to each other; we recommend 90 seconds for each person. You then move on to the next person and repeat the process. It's as simple as that.

How to get the most from Speed Networking.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your time and enjoy the experience. We recommend that you spend the first 30 seconds with a brief explanation of what you do. Then spend your remaining time working out how the new contact you're sitting opposite might be useful. By using your time constructively, you have more chance of making good connections that you can follow up on.

When you are listening to your new contact talk about their business, remember to keep an open mind and ask questions. If you can't immediately see a way in which you can work with them, it's good to know more about who's doing what in case you hear of something, and can refer business to them. They might just do the same for you. Also, people buy from people they like. If you take an interest, they are more likely to want to talk to you in the future.

Remember to smile, enjoy yourself and follow up on your initial contact. If you see an opportunity to do business, call up the following day while the contact is hot. Remember they've also met 50 new faces and it's important to spend some more time cultivating the relationship.

Tips for keeping nerves at bay

OK, I know this is going to sound a little odd: Don't worry about being worried. A degree of nervousness is natural; it shows you care about doing well. But the following tips will keep your nerves from taking over and help you take control.

Firstly, know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and visual aids. Gaining familiarity with your surroundings will make you feel you belong there.

Know the audience. Greet some of the first-comers as they arrive so that you are not talking to a roomful of complete strangers.

Know your material. Practice your speech and revise it until you are comfortable with it. If you are not familiar with its content, or think you may have to field questions you won't know the answer to, you have an automatic recipe for nerves.

Try to physically relax. Do some gentle exercises to ease any tension. While you're speaking, do remember to breathe, and don't be afraid to pause if you need to catch your breath. Slow down, and you'll regain some control.

Visualise a successful speech. Imagine yourself talking in a loud, assured, clear voice. And remember that your audience doesn't want you to fail. They're on your side, and want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining.

Don't make the classic mistake of apologising for your nerves. It's possible nobody else will have noticed and you'll only draw attention to any problems you think you have.

Concentrate on your message, and enjoy it. It's the most important thing about your speech, not your own anxieties. So focus your attention out to your audience, not inwards to your thumping heart and damp palms! After all, nervousness is energy and it is possible to transform it into enthusiasm and vitality.

Find an open, friendly face in the audience. They'll make you feel more relaxed and positive. If you smile at them, it will come across in your words. Make eye contact with all corners of the room, and keep coming back to your friendly face. With luck, there'll be more than one. If you spot someone who appears not to be enjoying your talk, smile at them as well. You might just turn them.

Begin at the beginning, find a middle and make an end, even if your speech is only a minute long.

Practice and gain as much experience of public speaking as you can. A Toastmasters Club is a great place to start, as you are broken in gently and can go at your own pace, whilst hearing speeches from inspirational speakers and seasoned professionals.

You can find your local club online. The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn fosters self- confidence and personal growth.

So you may find that your reticence of speech-making flowers into a whole new, super-confident you.

A Treat for Toastmasters in Division H

Potential Speakers can learn from attending this event

If you'd like top tips on how to improve your speeches (including international speeches), AND practice giving feedback Division H has the event for you.

Simon Bucknall, twice winner of the UK & Ireland Toastmasters International Speech Contest will be running an afternoon workshop on Saturday 6th December.  Four speakers will give "international contest"  style speeches and get feedback from Simon and from the audience.  The workshop will give opportunity for everyone to participate.  And Simon will share what he's learned so far from his experience of public speaking and competing in international events.

Who should attend?  Anyone who knows they have more to learn about giving speeches...anyone who would like to get better at giving speech evaluations...Anyone thinking about being a contest judge next year...anyone who might be entering contests - particularly the international speech or speech evaluation contests in the spring!

"Our job as speakers is to put all our energy into giving the best performance we can for each new audience. That requires preparation, rehearsal, re-scripting... The end result is a fresh and lively performance"
The venue: United Reform Church, 53 West Street, Dorking,  Surrey, RH4 1BS
Time: 1.30pm - 4.30pm
Date: Saturday 6th December 2008
Cost: £5

To book your place please contact Meg Heyworth: meg@heyworth.co.uk

How to create a speech preparation checklist.

No matter what the occasion, I have found the following pointers to be a tried and trusted method of making your speech the best possible.

Smile!

Be friendly!

Your audience won't bite you. They will forgive you. They are (often) on your side, and even if they are not at the beginning, you want them to be by the time you reach your closing remarks.

Being an accomplished public speaker is an enviable talent. But even those born with such a talent have to practice and work hard to perfect their technique. Very few of us can make a coherent speech completely off the cuff, so here are a lot of words beginning with P to remember:

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

And how do you properly prepare? With some more Ps, of course:

•  Plan

•  Prepare

•  Practice

•  Perform

First, think about your audience. What will they respond to? What is appropriate language to use? Think about the size of the audience; will it be an intimate gathering or a roomful? Will you be 'talking amongst friends' or projecting to reach those at the back of the room? What are their occupations? You'll talk very differently to sales people than to technical people.

Secondly, choose your subject. It should be something you know and are excited about. It should be relevant and of interest to your audience, and benefit them in some way. And it must be appropriate to the occasion.

Basically, there are four stages in a speech: inform, entertain, persuade, inspire. Depending on the type of speech, more wieght may be placed on one of these stages (think best man's speech v technical briefing) but each stage is still relevant. For example, a talk about a particular sport could cover the following:

the rules (inform)

amusing incidents or anecdotes (entertain)

convincing people they should play (persuade)

the benefits they could get from playing (inspire)

To make sure you are comfortable about your subject matter, do your research.

Determine how extensive you'll need to be, and the desired length of the speech. Look up books, library, magazines, encyclopedia and talk to the experts, who'll be delighted to provide you with anecdotes. Consider the attention span of your audience and don't get bogged down with too much detail, but do ensure your facts and data is accurate and up to date.

If you organise all this information, it will flow properly and you'll feel more comfortable about remembering the sequence and telling the story. Every speech should have a introduction, body and conclusion.  In your introduction, aim to arouse attention. State what your speech is about and lead into the main body, when you'll support your ideas with facts, details and examples. Remember to illustrate with humour, keep a logical sequence and don't lose track of your theme. Present a succinct conclusion that restates your main points and refers back to your introduction. End decisively and on a positive note.

Finally practice, practice, practice. In front of the mirror, your partner, the cat. Record your voice and listen out for squeakiness, or sentences where you run out of breath. Consider variations in rate, pitch and volume.

And, so that I end decisively and on a positive note: Smile! Be friendly! You might even uncover a hidden talent.

You could come to Dorking on December 6th 2008 and listen to the experts giving feedback on speeches that have been prepared for the International Speech competition held annually by Toastmasters International. Contact Meg Heyworth for more details.