The ability to speak well can enhance your career, clinch a sale, sell a point of view and increase your business productivity.

1.The most important objective of any speaker is to appear credible and knowledgeable about their subject. Speak to your audience as if you were having a conversation.

2.Grab the audience’s attention in the first few minutes with a question, startling comment, inspiring story, a funny experience. This will help you connect immediately with everyone and reduce the tension. Stay away from jokes!

3.Reduce your nervousness by taking several deep breaths immediately before you are introduced. And for you chocoholics, eat some chocolate to relax your vocal chords.

4.When making a presentation, look at one person long enough to deliver one complete thought, then move to another individual and repeat the process. Everyone else in the audience will also feel attended to.

5.Use visual aids to increase audience retention of your message. But NEVER become a master of ceremonies to your overheads.

6.Avoid the # one mistake in the speaking business…failing to check your audio-visual equipment before your presentation. Show up early to check out the sound system and any other equipment you will be

7.Personal benefits from acquiring excellent speaking skills include: more self-confidence, becoming more persuasive and evolving into a magnetic or dynamic speaker.

©2004 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved

Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web site address (http://www.schrift.com) in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com Thank you.

Sandra Schrift 13 year speaker bureau owner and now career coach to emerging and veteran public speakers who want to "grow" a profitable speaking business. I also work with business professionals and organizations who want to master their presentations.

To find out How to Become a Highly Paid Professional Speaker, go to http://www.schrift.com/ProfessionalSpeaker/

Join my free bi-weekly Monday Morning Mindfulness ezine http://www.schrift.com/monday.htm