February 2012 Newsletter
Lessons in Overcoming Fear from Our Trip to Costa Rica.
As a public speaking coach, I have to help people overcome fear. Which is why it was so instructive on my recent family vacation to Costa Rica that we decided to go zip-lining.
Standing on a platform on the edge of a cliff, I could see the cable stretching a half-mile across the side of a mountain, 100 feet above the jungle canopy. I kept wondering why we bothered wearing the helmets.
I chickened out, choosing to ride the tram back down the mountain.
It was one of several experiences on our trip that helped me think about how to help my own clients deal with their fears.
Public Speaking Tip from Your Dog.
Have you ever wondered why we all love our dogs so much? Part of the reason is that they’ve learned to connect with us on a human level.
Like humans, they look us in the eye and seem to know what we’re thinking. Researchers in Hungary have discovered that our dogs really do connect with us through eye contact. For example, they can find hidden food by watching our eyes and gleaning clues to the hiding places.
Topics to Avoid if You Don't Want to Be a Bore.
Remember how fascinated you were the last time someone told you a detailed plot of their favorite movie?
Didn’t think so.
Detailing a movie plot is just one of “Seven Topics to Avoid if You Don’t Want to Risk Being a Bore” according to Gretchen Rubin, an author, lawyer, and former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
If Audiences Are Yawning, It May Be A Compliment, Study Says.
Next time you’re giving a speech and you see people yawning, you don’t need to be offended. It may actually be a compliment, a sign that your listeners are so fascinated that they’re trying extra hard to pay attention.
That’s the conclusion of State University of New York at Albany researchers Andrew C. Gallup and Gordon G. Gallup Jr. in a study outlined in the May 2007 issue of Evolutionary Psychology.Public Speaking Tip from Fred Astaire.
"The only way I know to get a good show is to practice, sweat, rehearse, and worry.” Those are the words of Fred Astaire, the movie icon and dancing legend.
His words could apply to public speaking as well. Nothing will help you become a better speaker than simply rehearsing over and over again.