Persuasion: How to Win Friends & Influence People Through Charisma

The Persuasive Speech: How Charismatic Leaders Persuade & Influence You

Avoiding Charisma: 10 Tips for Putting Your Audience to Sleep During Your Presentation

Have you ever fallen asleep when listening to a speech or presentation? Sometimes a little nap during a presentation can boost your energy for the rest of the day.  Speakers- if you want to be the one to put your audience to sleep, so they will be fully alert for other people’s presentations follow these ten tips.

1.    Make sure that your material is dry and boring. Make sure that your material is either highly technical or complex. If at all possible fill your speech with specialized academic content that is not easily understood without prior study and research.


2.    Do not include any explanations or illustrations to make the content understandable to the average person in your audience.


3.    Schedule your speech to be at the end of a long day or after a big meal. This will give added incentive for drowsiness and lethargy.


4.    Speak softly and avoid any expression or vocal variety that might distract or interest your audience.


5.    Stand still behind the lectern for the entire speech. Any movement or sudden gestures could wake up your audience.


6.    Avoid any variation in style in your presentation. Do not change from talking to using a flip chart, PowerPoint or any other kind of visual aid or prop that will attract attention.


7.    Do NOT include any humor or stories in your speech that might illustrate the important points you wish to communicate.


8.    Do not keep to the topic of the speech. Spend a large amount of time rambling about subjects or personal experiences that are boring and totally off topic.


9.    Speak about a topic that is very familiar to your audience. Keep your content to things that they already know.


10.    Provide highly detailed handouts, so that your audience will not miss out on any important information during their snooze. Make sure that you do not say anything that is not included in the hand out. For best results, just read the handout word for word.

Hopefully, by following carefully the ten tips outlined here, you will have the satisfaction of seeing an entire audience snoring quietly and happily throughout your entire presentation. If you do not follow these tips you may be alarmed to discover that your audience is alert and interested in what you have to say.

Learn how to electrify your audiences, visit: Charisma

Creating Drama Adds Charisma to Your Public Speaking

Timing is essential when speaking in public. The cliché, “It is not what you say, but how you say it” applies a great deal to public speaking. Where you put your pauses creates drama during your presentation, which maintains an audience’s interest. Throw some humor in and you have them right where you want them.

Do not forget that when you expect laughter to burst at any time, pause after the punch line before being drowned out by the roar of the audience.  Make sure to remember that laughter is extremely difficult to get, so don’t pander to the audience.  Speak conversationally about a funny situation related to your presentation and let the audience find its own humor. Never say, “A funny thing happened….” This telegraphs your attempt at humor and can fall flat if the audience doesn’t find your story funny. You’ll be given a charitable chuckle.

The audience size could also affect the way you use your timing. When the audience is small, the presentation you have will most probably be delivered in less time compared to a large audience. Also, the reaction of a large audience will be longer and not as quick compared to a smaller audience.  As a result, you have to wait until the ripple effect of your punch line gets to your audience in the back row.

Believe it or not, putting that much needed silence in your presentation is one of the hallmarks of a skilled and good presenter. No public speaker should jabber constantly away in the hopes of keeping an audience glued to a presentation with no end in sight.  Good speakers add signposts to their presentation by implying that the end of a presentation is near whether they are at the end or not. Mentally, it makes the audience feel that if they hold on a little longer, it will be all over soon. No matter how captivating you may be, an audience mentally begins to shut down if you don’t provide those signposts. 

Short pauses are effective to use in order to separate your thoughts. These pauses last from half a second to two. You do not have to literally count though, just keep in mind to slow down. This gives the audience a chance to absorb all of your information.  It also helps if you change the inflection in your voice during the end of a thought as this could also signal to the audience that another thought is coming their way. Pauses are also an effective means if you want to highlight something.  Put a pause before any word or thought you want the audience to focus on to sink in.

Creating drama through pauses allows you to be more charismatic and engaging with audiences. A great presentation is a like a chess match. Even if you are leading, you want to draw the audience in by letting them come to you.

For more information on speaking with charisma, visit: Charisma

Improvisational Comedy for Speakers Who Want to Electrify Audiences

Public speaking.  For some, the mere thought of getting up in front of a group of people and presenting a speech is more terrifying than heights, snakes, or even death.  Imagine how terrified those people would be if they were asked to get in front of an audience and speak with nothing prepared in advance – no script, no speech, nothing.  Sound crazy? Well that is what Improvisational Comedians do every day. Improvisational (or “Improv”)  Comedy is a form of theater where a group of actors take the stage with nothing prepared in advance and use audience suggestions to create instant comedy. If you have ever seen the popular television show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” then you have seen Improv Comedy.

The skills that allow an improviser to create instant comedy can immensely help any speaker to be more comfortable and powerful from the platform.  Here are three reasons why, if you want to be a more effective speaker, you must learn how to be a great improviser:

1) Improv Comedy, at its core, is about self-expression.  An improviser has only himself on an empty stage. Every idea he puts forth comes from inside of him. The best improvisers realize this and trust their instincts and let their ideas flow out.  Similarly, the best speakers realize that the audience is there to see them. Rather than hide behind other people’s ideas or style, they are 100% themselves as they speak. Many speakers make the mistake of taking acting classes to be more “dramatic” as they speak. The result is a speaker that looks fake and wooden.  Audiences don’t want “dramatic;” they want natural. Practicing Improv Comedy techniques can help you be much more natural.

2) Improv Comedy is an interactive format.  Improvisation may be the only art form where the audience is present at the time of creation. As a result, the audience’s needs, wants, and mood can be taken into account to direct the content. Great improvisers feed off of a crowd’s energy and build content the audience appreciates. The performer pays attention to the audience and makes subtle adjustments as she goes. Speakers would do well to adopt this approach.  Most speakers prepare their speech in a vacuum and deliver it exactly as practiced.   However, every audience is different. If a speaker pays attention to the audience as she is speaking, she can also make subtle adjustments to increase her effectiveness (adjusting pacing, energy, volume, etc.) If you do this, not only will your speech be more powerful, but you will also develop that coveted “rapport and connection” with the audience.

3) Things will go wrong. A speaker who relies solely on what they’ve memorized will be easily thrown by the distractions that invariably happen. If time gets cut, or a cell phone rings, or a heckler demands attention, the speaker will have no response. To an improviser, distractions are just one more tool to use to make their point. A key improv attitude is to “go with the flow.” As a speaker, this attitude will allow you to be unflappable from the stage. You will be deemed a true professional, and audiences will admire your ability to handle interruptions.

These are just three simple ideas that are a powerful way in which Improve Comedy can make anyone a more powerful speaker. There are many more ways related to all aspects of speaking: content, delivery, storytelling, style, humor, etc., but these three are the perfect starting point.  If you have never done or used improv, then consider taking a class.  Not only will you learn useful skills for speaking (and life), but it will be the most fun class you’ve ever taken!

For more information on effective communication and leadership, visit: http://persuasivespeech.coreedgecharisma.com and http://charismaticleadership.coreedgecharisma.com

3 Easy Steps to Add Charisma to Your Public Speaking

Throughout the history of human civilization, people have been expressing their confidence and strength, not only by force, but also by the noble art of public speaking. The orators of ancient Greece were highly respected and valued in the community. Likewise, today’s world leaders are admired and esteemed when they have the power to address the public with poise and conviction. Such a high regard for public speaking makes the average person cringe at the idea of talking in front of an audience no matter how big or small the size. Whether giving a toast at a wedding or delivering a speech to a large assembly, most people make a big deal about public speaking and try to avoid it as much as possible. But public speaking should not cause such a big fuss. Challenging as it may be, public speaking can be done with a few simple guidelines.

Before Making the Speech: Preparation

Like any other endeavor, public speaking requires careful preparation to be successful. Many people would dream of having those “inspired” spontaneous speeches seen in movies; however, such scenes rarely happen in real life. To have at least a decent speech, you should plan well. Even the world’s most famous leaders prepare for public addresses, and most even have teams to work on those plans. Well, even if you don’t have a speech preparation committee, you can prepare for public speaking.

First, you should know for what the occasion the speech is for. The Gettysburg address would definitely not be appropriate for a wedding; thus, a speech has to fit the event where it will be delivered to.

Second, you should examine the audience who will witness the speech. An assembly of academics would not take a perky speaker seriously; one should choose a suitable public speaking style based on the audience.

Third, you should ponder what is being expected in the speech. A farmer’s association would usually not be interested on a speech about the intricacies of bead work; one should carefully study the subject matter to be tackled in public speaking.

Again, dazzling spontaneous speeches rarely happen in real life. Most good speeches have been written before their delivery. While most noted public figures have speech-writing committees, you can make a good speech even without the help of a team of ghostwriters. When writing for public speaking, you should carefully organize the contents of the speech. It usually pays well to begin with a very strong introduction. It is important to catch the audience’s attention early to prevent them from being bored easily. Next, the body should be purposeful. The contents of the speech should relate well and support each other. It is not good to digress too much; though at times some deviations help attract attention when boredom arises.

Lastly, you should make a conclusion that sticks to the mind. No matter how stirring a speech is, it is useless if the people forget it the instant they leave the gathering. Conclusions should give a concise but memorable recap of the body.

Great speakers who persuade and arouse the emotions of their listeners seem like naturals. But, remember, no one is born with a gift to gab. They learned along the way—and so can you.

To lead with charisma and persuasion, visit: Charisma