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3 Key Public Speaking Touch Points

When speaking to an audience, consider the touch points. These are points when you touch their hearts. Even if you are sharing a highly technical subject, do not forget you are STILL talking to human beings. We ALL have hearts and emotions. In sales, we say they ‘justify’ with logic, but ‘buy’ with emotion. In public speaking, this rule applies too. They come for the data, but they remember the story. They remember the time you touched their hearts, their emotions. These are touch-points.

Public Speaking Touch Point #1: As our example, let’s say you are speaking to engineers, VERY data-intensive people. After 10 slides of data, they are tuned-out from your words and are thinking deeply about the data you have presented.

Instead of giving them another 10 slides of data, at the end of the first 2 slides, ask them a question requiring them to reflect on their past. Something like, “Do you remember the first time you were taught XXX? Was it in secondary school, poly or university?” The interactive question wakes them up and simultaneously gives them an emotional response to the current information. It also aids memory as it connects past, present and future to make a memory that lasts (We cover this in our courses in public speaking and training in great depth.) This touchpoint is an emotional connection to their past, usually a warm and pleasant feeling from their life.

Public Speaking Touch Point #2: Later, ask them to share their greatest frustration with the subject matter or some problem they have incurred with it. This brings out a very powerful emotion of anger or frustration. After recognizing their frustration or anger, either share the solution for them (ideal) or at least empathize with them and you win them over… another key touch-point.

Public Speaking

Public Speaking Touch Point #3: Finally, at your close, rather than just summarize your presentation, ask THEM what were the most important points of the talk. If you are afraid you will get silence, take a tip from our Facilitation Skills programme and ask them to write down the 3 most important take-aways from the speech. Ask them then to quickly share their 3 points with someone next to them in less than 1 minute. Then simply ask, “How many of you had a similar point to a partner, please raise your hand.” All the hands raised are ‘volunteers’ to share their points. The audience summarizes FOR you. They are engaged and they believe the message more as it comes from their colleagues. The touch-point is the BELIEF in what you shared, not just the data itself.

There are dozens of touch-points in a great presentation and literally HUNDREDS of ways to make them. These are just 3 key touch-points you should incorporate to make your next presentation not only memorable, but one where the information gets USED. Enjoy connecting with your audiences using touch-points.

I will share dozens of great secrets like this in our upcoming programme, Public Speaking as Easy as ABCD! this coming March 25th and 26th. Hope to see you there so I can share more with you.

Upcoming Event

Public Speaking as easy as ABCD!
Public  Speaking  Seminar with Michael Podolinsky CSP in Singapore (25 - 26 March 2010)

Have you signed up for my Public  Speaking  Seminar yet?

For the first time I’m conducting a 1 or 2 day programme on public speaking for the public. The first day is solid content from a full time professional speaker on how to speak professionally.

As I’m sure you have noticed, most public speaking courses are taught by trainers… trainers who never speak. Well… my ABCD system actually works and works well for people at all levels.

The dates are March 25 2010 for the general class and then we are scheduling half days for video taping, coaching by myself, feedback from up to 10 peers (maximum). This second day is optional.

You will learn to speak confidently, articulately and eloquently.

Click Here for Online Registration.

To make payment by cheque or money order, please download the Registration Form.

Got comments or questions about public speaking touch points? Just leave your comments here.

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Career Success : The Four Compass Points for Raising Your Career

Michael Podolinsky, trainer and certified speaking professional of Podolinsky International shares with Human Resources on what he feels are the four key “compass points” that can help you achieve success in your career.

3 Ways To Build Self Confidence

It is a fact that confident people get hassled less, get more promotions, earn more money, get to date the people they want to date and in general, have richer more fulfilling lives.

Here are 3 ways to boost and build your own self confidence.

1) Positives self-talk. If you catch yourself saying, I’m only a… or I’m not sure I can… or Thank you, but I didn’t do that much. You are your own worst enemy. Confident people always programme their mental software with positive statements like, I am positive I can accomplish this by the deadline. I am sure you will be happy with my…Thank you! I worked hard to achieve this result for you.

2) Know what you are good at and make sure you use those traits and skills as much as possible. If you are not good at written communication, give the report orally or develop someone else to help you with the parts you are weak at. Moses had a speech impediment. He spoke to his people through his brother Arun. My teachers told me, Michael, with your spelling and penmanship, you will never amount to ANYTHING! So I bought a computer with spell-check and a laser printer to compensate, giving me confidence.

3) Learn the skills you fear. I was shy and lacked confidence so I took karate to gain confidence and self esteem. I almost drowned as a kid so I took drown-proofing and swimming lessons and can swim over an hour in open water. I trouble expressing myself so I committed 4 years to Toastmasters and learned to polish off my speaking flaws. Think of the 3 areas of knowledge you lack for advancement, study them hard every night after work for an hour and a year, you will be so confident, you will BEAM with enthusiasm.

The point is, confidence is a learned skill. It starts within but requires actions to develop. You can be more confident know you are finally doing something about your confidence. Be more confident today as you grow in confidence for tomorrow.

Got comments or questions about building self confidence? Just leave your comments here.

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Mike Podolinsky TakeOut Comedy Club Singapore Open Mic 280709

What do you think about my first Stand Up Comedy Open Mic in Singapore?

Here is the second one.  Have Fun!

In Vegas and most comedy clubs that are NOT filming for TV, the lights are up more. If you have a diva singing, you want it dark so the audience is silent and focuses on the diva. For comedy, they turn the house lights up. Why? So people can see faces. It’s hard to laugh if you can’t see other people’s faces. The laugh gets ’stuck’ at the lips.

If the lights are dim at a comedy club, it’s to make people drinking feel more relaxed and drink more. NOT for the benefit of the comic.

When the shoot a TV show like The Tonight Show and Leno or Connan are doing their stand-up, the lights are full on. When someone is singing, the lighting drops and is more ‘dramatic.

To your success, find out how Michael Podolinsky will help you and your organization by browsing through the links below:

• Browse through Michael’s Products, Speech Topics, Seminar & Workshop Topics and  Public Seminars
• Check out what they say about Michael
• Click here to contact Michael to find out more about his training

Join other Success Minded People by subscribing to the “Success Series Blog Tips” and GET the eCourse for FREE.

3 Lessons Learned in Shanghai, China

4 days in Shanghai is not enough to `know` the city, but I did pick up some lessons I thought might help you, particularly those of you who have not been there yet.

Lesson #1: Size matters. 16 million people living on 6000 Square Meters means they go vertical. Unlike New York, Singapore or any major cities which have a `downtown` or `CBD` area where you have a dozen or two really big buildings, Shanghai has 10 times the skyscrapers of New York and square kilometre after square kilometre of high rise apartments.

Because China is building cities and infrastructure to house a city population to grow by over 350 million people in the next 8 years, the enormity of their big picture problems might be one reason they overlook the individual`s problems.

I am not saying individual rights are not important. They just seems dwarfed by the size and scope of everything else. Rather than judge, viewing the size helps me put China`s position into perspective.

For your own life, when things seem a little overwhelming, do not feel depressed for feel bad if you get a little worked up. Put it all into perspective and relax a bit.

Lesson #2:  Build it beautiful and then you do not have to decorate it. The buildings and skyscrapers in Shanghai are so unique and architecturally attractive. As such, they have little need for any extra `decoration.`

I compare that to many of the apartment blocks I see in Singapore and elsewhere that are just, well, apartments. Because they have no inherent beauty, they get odd and `creative` paint jobs.

Question: Are you building something at work now that is so beautiful that it sells itself, be it your career, your project or your life?

Lesson #3: Technology and planning. The city I came from, Minneapolis, Minnesota, after 30+ years of heel dragging, finally installed a `revolutionary` trolley to ferry people from the airport to the downtown last year. It runs on railroad tracks and moves up to 30 miles per hour but not for more than a few seconds at a time.

Shanghai has a magnetic elevated monorail that runs between the international airport and the main part of the city, connecting to the national railroad. It travels at 200+ kilometres per hour. Maybe Minneapolis should try to catch up to China?

Technology in the brain is useless. Application with appropriate planning is everything. What `technology` have you heard about you should be applying to your job, your family or your life?

Shanghai is amazing and helped me think through my assumptions about China and more importantly, the way I approach my own life.  Got comments or questions? Just leave your comments here.

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Have some FUN! Take a break!

‘Work hard, play hard.’  You’ve got to find time for some rest and relaxation.

Get together with some of your best friends. It makes you feel better and give you the energy to do better everyday.

Do something special. Energize yourself.

Have some  Fun!

To your success, find out how Michael Podolinsky will help you and your organization by browsing through the links below:

• Browse through Michael’s Products, Speech Topics, Seminar & Workshop Topics and  Public Seminars
• Check out what they say about Michael
• Click here to contact Michael to find out more about his training

Join other Success Minded People by subscribing to the “Success Series Blog Tips” and GET the eCourse for FREE.

Goal Attainment

How to set goals you will attain?

Make sure your goals are written correctly and you record the Correct Goals, we advocate our AIMS-Correct Model. The Acronym stands for Ardently desired, In writing, Measurable, Specific and Committed to achieve. Take AIM Correctly.

Do something great for your life. I believe in you!

To your success, find out how Michael Podolinsky will help you and your organization by browsing through the links below:

• Browse through Michael’s Products, Speech Topics, Seminar & Workshop Topics and  Public Seminars
• Check out what they say about Michael
• Click here to contact Michael to find out more about his training

Join other Success Minded People by subscribing to the “Success Series Blog Tips” and GET the eCourse for FREE.

Celebrate Your Successes!

What have you accomplished lately? If you cannot think of anything, time to get to work. IF, however, you have had a break through in work or a real success, did you take the time to celebrate it?

Far too often we just move from one assignment to the next. NOT rewarding yourself for your true achievements in life can leave you feeling like you have not done enough or that you are substandard.

Worse, perhaps, is to celebrate a lack of accomplishment. It was a tough week so you feel you need to blow some money at the mall or eat a carton of expensive ice cream. Rewarding yourself for mediocrity will only lead to more mediocrity.

If you DID achieve a milestone or a goal in life, take some time and maybe spend some money to reward not only the effort, but also the accomplishment itself. Sales departments usually do this for sales people when they achieve sales targets. The reward spurs more of the same kind of activity and leads to further successes. Sports teams always celebrate goals, wins and championships.

But how often does finance celebrate a balanced budget? How often does IT celebrate installing a new programme?

Take a look at the next goal you, your team or a family member will achieve. Decide now to celebrate the success. Use the potential reward as a motivator. Chances are the reward will bring you even greater success in the future.

To have this kind of simple yet effective thinking in your organisation, contact us. In addition to training, we speak at conventions, conduct strategic planning retreats, sales meetings and facilitate sessions to optimise leadership development, team growth and personal productivity.

To your success, find out how Michael Podolinsky will help you and your organization by browsing through the links below:

• Browse through Michael’s Products, Speech Topics, Seminar & Workshop Topics and  Public Seminars
• Check out what they say about Michael
• Click here to contact Michael to find out more about his training

Join other Success Minded People by subscribing to the “Success Series Blog Tips” and GET the eCourse for FREE.