Visual Speaking BOOST
improves speaker’s ability to maintain attention throughout presentation and
dramatically increases likelihood that audience will respond as a speaker desires.
Training Exercises Provide Valuable Skill Awareness
GROUP TRAINING
STANDARD OR CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Business organizations whose management wants to enhance the effectiveness of presentations prepared and delivered by employees to those inside and outside the organization.
Law firms or other business organizations with a New Associate or New Employee Professional Development Program, of which “Presentation Skills” is either included or needs to be included within the program’s syllabus.
Nonprofit or government entities whose employees and volunteers prepare and deliver messages as ambassadors to the general public, promoting organization’s mission and purpose.
Academic institutions or education departments whose instructors teach or train, either with a pre-designed training course or with a format and material designed by instructors.
Academic institutions whose students prepare for careers requiring public speaking skills but do not have the personnel to plan and facilitate such instruction.
Skill Practice Improves Upcoming Presentations
PRIVATE COACHING
CUSTOMIZED PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS EMPHASIZING THE FOLLOWING:
Audience-Centered Approach occurs throughout private coaching sessions so that the presentation reflects the audience’s needs, interests and desires and so that ultimately the speaker becomes less speaker-centered.
Content Preparation Tools are used to avoid procrastination and to effectively initiate the process of organizing thoughts and ideas as well as to ensure that a continuing organization of the actual presentation has a clear, illustrative flow.
Delivery Skills Practice actually occurs during preparation, so that the use of body language and vocal sound is evaluated along with the content and, as a result, the speaker projects confidence while comfortably using the appropriate skills.
Interactive Speaking Training is available for those who need to prepare for: Question & Answer Sessions, Media and Job Interviews, as well as regular Spontaneous Speaking, occurring face-to-face, by internet or by phone.
An Audience View Sets Foundation for Speaker’s BOOST
Audiovisual recordings are a necessary component
Whether completing speech exercises during Group Training or practicing an upcoming presentation during Private Coaching, the Visual Speaking BOOST Method requires an audiovisual recording of speakers during these simulated moments.
The recordings provide clients a view of their natural presentation style from an audience perspective and, thereby, establishes a reliable foundation for assessing and improving a client’s ability to grab and hold audience attention.
Clients may experience an initial discomfort, caused by being videotaped. However, the value in such discomfort certainly outweighs the comfort of continuing to speak without impact.
Speakers commit to skill change upon viewing need
By observing audiovisual recordings with a training consultant, speakers become increasingly aware of their natural ability to connect with an audience throughout a presentation. They learn how their actual skill performance and their potential skill development, will attract or distract an audience from fully receiving the presentation’s message.
Video playback effectively displays how certain skills, when adjusted, actually serve to retain attention and lessen distractions. Upon viewing recordings before and after a skill adjustment, speakers actually witness the positive impact of the adjustment and begin to accept the discomfort of a skill change.
Skills improve with plan built on speaker’s strengths
Both speaker and training consultant consider the same guidelines when evaluating a recorded performance, but may have different results. This is an enlightening process for those speakers who tend to harshly evaluate their performances without recognizing the elements of strength in what they perceive only as a weakness.
With this in mind, a training consultant maximizes the potential to strengthen a speaker’s skills by collaborating to create an Action Plan for Skill Development. While the consultant strategically identifies skill development techniques, the client contributes with a feasible plan for practicing such techniques.
Preparation Blueprints Ensure Concise, Creative, and Clear Content!
VISUAL CONTENT OVERVIEW
Training & Coaching Objectives
Quickly organize thoughts to develop message content.
Create clear and concise presentations.
Clearly think while spontaneously speaking in standing or seated position.
Increase message retention with content that draws mental pictures.
Maintain audience connection without distraction of speaking notes.
Answer questions succinctly and confidently during Q&A sessions.
Manage hostile questions with The Bridge Technique.
Blueprints quickly organize concise thoughts and ideas
A “focused brainstorm” best describes the design of Content Preparation Blueprints. Comprised of questions, positioned strategically and connected logically, the blueprints avoid procrastination by prompting on-the-spot answers. To avoid clutter of thoughts and words, small post-it notes are intentionally used to write limited responses.
This technique in organizing concise thoughts ultimately develops concise presentations. Initially, thoughts are organized into presentation cornerstones, which function as notes during a brief, minute or less presentation. The completed post-it notes are then easily transferred to a final blueprint design, constructed for a thorough, yet concise, explanation of the cornerstones.
Content remembered with words drawing mental pictures
To increase the odds that an audience will actively listen, understand, and remember the message, the final blueprint requires the use of Visual Content. By requiring such, speakers appeal not only to audience members’ sense of hearing, but also their sense of sight with words drawing mental pictures.
Without the inclusion of Visual Content, such as stories, examples, and analogies, message comprehension is challenged by abstract concepts. Especially if a message contains complex information presented to an audience for the first time, speakers have difficulty focusing audience attention. Audiences may applaud speeches without Visual Content, but a week later can’t remember much of what was said during the presentation.
Words illustrating roadmap movement increase clarity
The final blueprint design also requires language illustrating the presentation’s movement. These signposts act as transitions between varying points or sections, providing clear direction for audiences to follow. Such language maintains audience attention, particularly when listeners attempt to connect what they are hearing with what they previously heard.
By using this blueprint feature, a speaker no longer dismisses the importance of an audience following the speaker with precision. Speakers, at the very least, will prepare to eliminate confusion. An audience is likely to clearly understand the presentation because the speaker, as prepared and practiced, will intentionally guide the audience through the message’s movement.
Message Delivery Techniques Attract, Not Distract Attention!
VISUAL DELIVERY OVERVIEW
Training & Coaching Objectives
Improve believability by enhancing one’s natural presentation style.
Project confidence with strong posture and purposeful movement.
Gain attention and maintain interest with continuous eye communication.
Energize presentation with gestures and facial expressions.
Emphasize meaning and reflect emotion with pausing and vocal variety.
Use positive body language when responding to questions.
Coordinated movement of body and words engages audiences
Audiences prefer an animated delivery rather than a stiff delivery. Animation engages audiences with variety, while stiffness bores audiences to sleep. However, too much movement of one delivery skill without the natural complement of another may serve to distract more than attract audience attention. For that reason, improving animation requires coordination, not isolation.
For instance, a speaker’s stiff focus on a visual aid is not solved by an occasional looking or moving away. Such a solution leads to repetitive and distracting movement. Instead, a strategic pause is needed to focus eye contact on an audience member and then to follow eye contact by walking to a decisive location. Upon reaching location, assume open posture before delivering content.
Audiences influenced more by visual and vocal delivery
For many speakers, preparation mainly involves organizing content. Very little, if any, time is spent practicing content delivery. When delivery skills are not practiced, speakers risk delivering a message that distracts, more than attracts, audience attention. As a result, preparation time and energy produce a dismal performance.
The BOOST Method prioritizes the development of visual and vocal skills. Speakers learn how to use their body and voice to enhance their individual delivery styles. This approach emphasizes the regular practice of visual and vocal skills, so that the effective skills become habitually incorporated into their presentations, no matter the content.
Movement commanding space displays confidence
Audience members are generally more attentive when a message is delivered with confidence, as it gives an impression that what is being delivered is worth receiving. Without confidence, speakers risk revealing nervousness, failing to establish a solid connection with their audience. Furthermore, the situation worsens when nervous energy is not channeled for a healthy release.
No matter how uneasy or apprehensive they feel, speakers display confidence when they practice skills that project confidence. The practice routine begins with a certain posture, signaling openness to the audience. The features of the posture serve to launch speakers into periodic and purposeful movement, while commanding floor and air space with body and voice.
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