Public Speaking Jokes

How To Effectively Use Humor To Start Off Any Speech Or Presentation
How To Effectively Use Humor To Start Off Any Speech or Presentation By Peter “The Humorator� Fogel Here is a sure-fire way to get the room in a good mood right off the bat and even get a laugh from your audience when first being introduced to them. Don't forget: the trick to effectively using humor is to catch your audience off-guard. I've used this technique for over three decades and it works like a charm. Use it when you know the emcee is not up to the task of bringing you on stage. Don't worry, once you get your 'speaking legs' and get more stage time, you will learn to go with your gut and discover who really is not good at giving introductions. Typically, these folks fumble when reading your intro card next to you, and you can tell by their body language that they're very uncomfortable being in front of a room. The Right Introduction At The Right Time! Make no mistake: in the speaking and stand-up world your introduction is very important - it sets the precedent for YOUR performance, puts your audience at ease, and builds eager anticipation of you. Know this: the person who will never let you down EVER and bring you up on stage exactly the way you want--is you. 'Huh', you think, 'bring myself up?' Yes! If you have the nerve to do it. This will only work if the audience has not seen a photo of you and doesn't recognize you as a featured speaker. Trust me NOT in a million years would anyone think that the person starting the program is actually the speaker himself. Anyway, you go on stage, take the microphone, welcome everyone to today's presentation, and then say you'd now like to introduce today's wonderful speaker. You Have To Commit To Tooting Your Own Horn Now is your chance to 'toot your own horn,' as they say. Build yourself up as you read your own credits and get excited for the audience. Right at the end of reading your own credits then say, 'Ladies and gentleman please give a warm welcome to a tremendous speaker and good friend of mine, (insert your name). Put the microphone back into the stand and start applauding with the audience. Now, look off to the side of the stage as you await your own arrival. Look at your watch as if time is going by and then after a few seconds grab the micro

Kerala and "Cola-ban"
It all started when the government received a letter from the Centre for science and environmentâ€� stating that cola samples tested by it contained traces of pesticides. The communist-led Kerala government sprung in to action. They immediately banned production and sales of pepsi and coke in the entire state. There is a saying in Malayalam which meansâ€� The patient desired for milk and the doctor prescribed just thatâ€�. Medias really celebrated the ban as a very progressive action and actually wanted more claiming that the cola companies should not go scot free, having committed the great crime of making people drink poisonous drinks for years. They vociferously demanded for the punishment of the owners of these two companies! Cola-drinks were originally made from cola fruits and at present their ingredients are purely synthetic â€"The formula of the ingredients being kept as their trade secret, general public has no access to it. The companies claim that they make their products as per stringent international standards. When their access to technology and financial resources is considered the claim can be admitted. The condition of the government laboratories to test the same is rather well known, deplorable-to be precise- and its chieftains abstained from a free meeting with technocrats of the cola companies. It seemed they were not confident enough to prove their claim. Drinking of cola was a fashion statement among youths and with enough pocket-money they did it in style! What are the after effect of consuming colas? No one knows. One thing is sure excess consumption of any thing is bad and cola is no exception! And our youth were drinking colas in excess quantity. This controversy really removed cola from their list of fashion statements! There is one pepsi factory at Kanjikode at Palakkad district in Kerala, which is blamed for drawing excess ground water from that area and too many activists are finding mileage out of that issue. On September 22nd the Hon. High court of Kerala put the controversy to rest by overturning the cola ban stating that the Government order was “harsh, unreasonable and arbitrary and banning or allowing does not come under the state’s purview. Both pepsi and the coke being American companies any one who talks sane may be described as a stooge of the imperialism! The court has shown tremendous amount of courage to say the least. The cola companies who have invested more than a billion dollars in this country were unfortunately seen as symbols of imperialism. When Xenophobia and anti- Americanism takes the center-stage, and crowds take decisions only court can be brave enough to be sane.

<a href="http://www.naturemagics.com">Kerala India Travel Tourism</a> - Website on Kerala Tourism providing information on Ayurveda, Festivals, Raja Ravi Varma Paintings, Districts, Monuments, Houseboats, Waterfalls, Beaches, Recipes, Places of Tourist interest Photo Gallery and Articles on Kerala.

Choosing Your Speaker
Yikes! You have just been put in charge of developing a program for your next corporate function. Perhaps it's a trade show. Perhaps it's a conference. It might be a company meeting or a product launch. Whatever the event, your program will stand or fall on

- The audience
- The purpose of the meeting
- The topics of the sessions
- The presenters or speakers

The audience and the purpose of the meeting will determine the topics, and all three will determine who your speakers should be.

"But David, shouldn't we hire the biggest name possible â€" the speaker with the biggest 'star appeal'?"

Not necessarily. If the main purpose of your speaker is to draw attendance, then you want the biggest name possible for one of your slots â€" a Jerry Seinfeld or Jay Leno or Nicole Kidman or maybe an ex-President.

However, you will still need many other speakers. Star appeal is a powerful factor, but there are more important factors:

How well does he or she know the topic you need addressed? Often a respected but decidedly "unfamous" expert is a better pick than someone out of Hollywood. You can learn a lot about speakers by reviewing their biographies online. As an example, here is Bruce Jenner's online bio.

How well can the speaker learn to understand your audience? This is important, since the speaker might already have addressed a similar audience. Or he might be willing to take the time to understand who your audience is and what their experiences have been. Or maybe not. A key question to ask..."Will you arrive early enough to be briefed about what has already transpired at our event, so that you can work it into your speech?" Then write it into the speaker's contract.

How well does the speaker speak? This is important because the most famous person who has just discovered the cure for cancer or won a dozen gold medals at the Olympics might not be able to utter an intelligible word. Make sure the famous speaker or recognized expert can really speak well. Ask to see a real video at a real speaking engagement. Even better, take the speaker for a test drive. Ask to attend an upcoming speaking engagement.

What is the speaker's speaking style? Not every speaker matches your audience. Some audiences and some topics call for an energetic motivational style. Others call for a more informative style. Some audiences will react better to a laid-back style. To be sure, boring is out, no matter what the audience, but there are different styles that can engage an audience, but not all of them will work with every audience.

Ask for references you can call...references with similar audience characteristics. Then make the call and ask what went well and what could have been improved. If something did not go well, it could be a sign that the speaker is not ideal, or it could be an indication of something you need to do to make sure she or he is ideal.

Is the speaker willing to provide an outline of the speech ahead of time? It is important for you to know what the speaker will cover and to make suggestions if necessary. It's your program and you know what needs to be covered.

Is the speaker willing to go the extra mile? Sometimes the best speaker is the one who will commit to staying an hour after the event to answer questions from shy participants or from those with long-winded or multi-part questions. Or a speaker, especially one who is already well-known, can add value by greeting people as they enter the hall. Or perhaps they can also add some excitement to a spouses' program.

Of course, budget is always important. If you need to pay for a dozen speakers with a limited budget, don't try to book Dr. Phil for one of your slots. You can do a quick search for speakers by fee range at All American Speakers Bureau to start your budget planning.

A speakers bureau can help you navigate many of these issues, both more quickly and more effectively than you can yourself. Once you make known your concerns and questions, the speakers bureau can quickly pull out those speakers most likely to fit your needs and respond to your demands.

Choosing the right speaker is critical, if you want your audience to walk away feeling that they have gained something from the event. Take the time to ask the right questions and hire the right speaker.

David Leonhardt is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. He works with <a href=http://www.allamericanspeakers.com>All American Sports Speakers Bureau</a>, with <a href=http://www.goldmedalgreats.com>GMG Olympic athlete sports speakers</a> and <a href=http://www.celebrityhealthlink.com/>Celebrity Health Link medical experts and spokespersons</a>.

Speaking "Secrets" Revealed: Evaluate All Speakers, Simon Cowell Style
One of the fastest (and fun!) way you can grow as a speaker is to be an active audience. Evaluate ALL speakers that come your way, Simon Cowell style! This is how you can have a clearer understanding of what separates a mediocre speaker from a good speaker, and a great speaker from a phenomenal speaker. Remember this: No matter how good or bad the speaker is, there is always something valuable to learn. This is so important that I am going to repeat it.

No matter how good or bad the speaker is, there is always something valuable to learn.

Remember all the positive things that the speaker does and try it for size. See if it works for you.

Remember all the negative things that the speaker does and avoid it at all costs. Sometimes, you may want to ask yourself how you can modify and make it effective.

All of us - at some degree - evaluate speakers. We hear them all the time: “This guy is awesome!� or “Look at how he charmed the audience…� or “Gosh, he should not have crack this joke.� etc. However these evaluations are not thorough enough to offer much teaching value. They are merely observations. In order for us to learn to be better speakers, we have to probe deeper. Question your reactions to the speakers. What the speaker do/not do to make us think he is awesome? How did the speaker charmed you? Why do you think the joke is inappropriate? By asking these questions, you will then have a deeper understanding of the speaker’s motives and also objectively evaluate (as the audience) if it is effective.

I have an extremely simple way to evaluate any speaker - Use the 5W and H. Pay full attention to the speaker and his delivery. And then ask yourself the following questions:

[WHAT]
What did the speaker do that you like/dislike? What are the speakers’ strengths and weaknesses? What are the speaker’s strategies? What causes the speaker to be successful (or not)?

[HOW]
How did these strengths/weaknesses manifest itself in the delivery? How effective are the speakers’ strategies? How can the speaker improve? How can the speaker better himself?

[WHY]
Why did this aspect of the speech puts you off/appeals to you? Why do you think the speaker select this approach/style/topic?

[WHO]
Who is his target audience? Who will benefit from the speaker’s speech/style?

[WHEN]
When was the last time you have heard a similar speech?

[WHERE]
Where in the speech did the speaker create the most impact? Where in the speech were you lost/mesmerized?

Notice all the 5W and 1H can help you generate a whole list of questions? However there is no way you can have answers for all these questions by listening to the speech once (unless you have a photographic memory). What you can do though is to record the speech so that we can re-listen to it and uncover more learning points. Having said that I would recommend that you start with three questions:

1. What did the speaker did well or badly?
2. How can I apply the good points into my speech?
3. How can I avoid making the same mistakes that speaker made?

Simpler?

As you proceed on, you will find yourself automatically looking our for strengths and weaknesses in the speaker. When you become more comfortable, you can delve deeper and begin disecting the speech. You will find youself welcoming ALL speakers even the extremely boring ones coz there will always be something to learn! You will find your growth as a speaker accelerating. You avoid mistakes committed by others. You get to experiment stuff that works. You have more chance to make new mistakes which means more room for growth! Too good to be true right? Believe it!

And more importantly, start doing it. Speakers are everywhere. They can be your daily reporter, lecturer, classmate, supervisor, door salesman, telemarketer etc. The world is your classroom!

Oh one more thing, remember to jot down your evaluations somewhere. You may want to start a journal or even a blog. Whatever it is, write them down so that you can reference them in future when you prepare your next speech. Come to think of it, we should have some kind of Speakers’ Idol!


This is one part of a series of eight articles entitled "Unleash The Speaker In You- Eight Ways To Become A Better Speaker". Get the other tips here

Eric Feng is one of the youngest international certified coach and a celebrated Toastmasters both in Singapore and Philadelphia. He won the International Humor Contest at Division Level in 2005. He has been training over 2500 students (ranging from primary to tertiary levels) and adults from corporate organizations extensively. If you are keen to gain insightful and easy-to-apply tips on public speaking, check out his <a href="http://blog.ericfeng.com">blog</a>

Kerala and "Cola-Ban"
It all started when the government received a letter from the Centre for science and environment" stating that cola samples tested by it contained traces of pesticides. The communist-led Kerala government sprung in to action. They immediately banned production and sales of pepsi and coke in the entire state.

There is a saying in Malayalam which means" The patient desired for milk and the doctor prescribed just that". Medias really celebrated the ban as a very progressive action and actually wanted more claiming that the cola companies should not go scot free, having committed the great crime of making people drink poisonous drinks for years. They vociferously demanded for the punishment of the owners of these two companies!

Cola-drinks were originally made from cola fruits and at present their ingredients are purely synthetic â€"The formula of the ingredients being kept as their trade secret, general public has no access to it. The companies claim that they make their products as per stringent international standards. When their access to technology and financial resources is considered the claim can be admitted. The condition of the government laboratories to test the same is rather well known, deplorable-to be precise- and its chieftains abstained from a free meeting with technocrats of the cola companies. It seemed they were not confident enough to prove their claim.

Drinking of cola was a fashion statement among youths and with enough pocket-money they did it in style! What are the after effect of consuming colas? No one knows. One thing is sure excess consumption of any thing is bad and cola is no exception! And our youth were drinking colas in excess quantity. This controversy really removed cola from their list of fashion statements! There is one pepsi factory at Kanjikode at Palakkad district in Kerala, which is blamed for drawing excess ground water from that area and too many activists are finding mileage out of that issue.

On September 22nd the Hon. High court of Kerala put the controversy to rest by overturning the cola ban stating that the Government order was "harsh, unreasonable and arbitrary and banning or allowing does not come under the state's purview. Both pepsi and the coke being American companies any one who talks sane may be described as a stooge of the imperialism! The court has shown tremendous amount of courage to say the least. The cola companies who have invested more than a billion dollars in this country were unfortunately seen as symbols of imperialism. When Xenophobia and anti- Americanism takes the center-stage, and crowds take decisions only court can be brave enough to be sane.


Author Bio - SIG - Resource Box

Kerala India Travel Tourism
- Website on Kerala Tourism providing information on Ayurveda, Festivals, Raja
Ravi Varma Paintings, Districts, Monuments, Houseboats, Waterfalls, Beaches, Recipes,
Places of Tourist interest Photo Gallery and Articles on Kerala.

<a href="http://www.naturemagics.com">Kerala India Travel Tourism</a> - Website on Kerala Tourism providing information on Ayurveda, Festivals, Raja Ravi Varma Paintings, Districts, Monuments, Houseboats, Waterfalls, Beaches, Recipes, Places of Tourist interest Photo Gallery and Articles on Kerala.

What Does Your Body Language Tell?
It is your choice whether to listen or not listen to someone talking. You listen when needed and wanted to, but do other people see you as a good listener? Listening skills are essential for good relationships and are also a critical skill in many professions, especially the helping professions. Whether you're maintaining a happy marriage relationship, counseling someone with problems, or coaching members of your team for business success, good listening skills lead others to feel more comfortable. They will have more confidence in you and hold you in higher esteem.

You may not realize how important your body language is, when others view you. It is even more important that your words. So, what says 'good listener' and inspires in others who speak to you the confidence that you really are listening? Your body language, of course! Even if you really are listening to every word, you won't be seen as a good listener unless you have the right body language.

A poor listener has many of these traits -leans away or even turns away slightly, arms folded, maybe a bit of impatient toe tapping, and frequently looking elsewhere. Or, if someone starts to read then you know for sure they're not listening! And of course if your body language suggests you don't want to listen, the other person will feel less comfortable talking with you and will be less likely to confide in you. This is a good recipe for creating distance and miscommunication in a relationship.

A good listener shows five characteristics that can be remembered through the acronym "SOLER".

S - Square-on
Face the other person square on. If you're turned away, you won't give the impression that you want to listen.

O - Open-posture
Folded legs, and particularly folded arms can be subconscious signals that you really don't want to hear what the other person has to say.

L - Lean-towards
Lean slightly towards the other person. This indicates an interest in what they're saying. Leaning away from a person tends to indicate disinterest.

E - Eye-contact
Maintain normal eye contact with the other person. If you keep your eyes down, or keep looking away, you can give the impression that you're not a comfortable or willing listener.

R - Relax
Don't be too formal or stiff. A relaxed posture suggests that you're comfortable in the role of listener, and ready to hear everything the other person has to say.

Start practicing your listening body language and SOLER now, and you will see the improvement of your interpersonal skill and relationships both on and off your job.

George Williams maintains many translator websites, including <a href="http://www.englishtofrenchtranslator.info">English For French</a>, <a href="http://www.englishtolatintranslator.info">English To Latin</a> ,and <a href="http://www.englishtospanishtranslator.info">English To Spanish</a>.

Political Action Stump Speech ‘Mayor of Los Angeles’

Good afternoon Los Angeles.
It is a fundamental day that we all have gathered here.
From time to time we have to hear from our elected leaders directly about the fulfillment of their promises about the state of the economy that has registered the growth rate; the level and quality of the governmental service that is gaining the reputation performing fiscal responsibility in Los Angeles; and about the city’s security that is gained with the help of the Los Angeles police and fire departments that are doing their work really well.
I ask you to dream about a different Los Angeles, about the great global city of the 21st century in which children do not afraid to go to school, in which we are growing greener.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the present LA there are many problems that are to be solved as quickly as possible. The first problem that must be decided is the rent control problem. The possible solution is a linked-deposit policy that can use the city's deposits to make banks end redlining practices but instead of it to make loans to potential homebuyers and developers of affordable housing.
The second one is the problem of public transport.
Although Los Angeles has got a reputation for the outdoor lifestyle, however, it has many problems to solve. Many planning leaders think that Los Angeles has led the way in creating environments that discourage physically active transportation options such as walking and bicycling.
The present questions need an active participation of city council members and planning and public health commissioners, those who work in the areas of planning, public works, and transportation; public health professionals.
I am glad to tell you that a social program has been worked out. Strong and energetic people are working in the transportation departments. They are working hard together to achieve the common aims and to make our wish come true.
We all want to see the future Los Angeles as the greenest and cleanest city in the world. That is why we are planning to plant a million trees here.
Besides, I believe we need to work more on our after-school programs as children are our future, the future of our nation.
We are to provide places where students can gather, particularly during after-school hours, and access programs, including technology centers, drama and literacy programs.
The after-school program has several goals: a safe environment, enhanced opportunities via the integration of an educational support structure, educational enrichment activities to supplement the regular program, recreational activities and interpersonal skills and self-esteem development.
Also, I believe that we need to stand up and face the problem of crime in Los Angeles.
According to the strategic plan, we need to enlarge our police staff up to 1000 officers during the next five years.
This is a complex challenge and we need to accumulate all our forces to gain our common goals. Consequently, let us create the new chapter in the history of the USA.
Now we should recollect the words of Shakespeare - “Action is eloquence�. It is upon us to make our dreams come true!
God bless you all.

The article was produced by the writer of Essay-Paper.net. Olivia Hunt is a 4-years experienced freelance writer and a senior manager of <a href="http://www.essay-paper.net">Custom Essay Writing</a> Service. Visit our website to learn more about <a href="http://www.essay-paper.net/features.html">college term paper</a> writing and <a href="http://www.essay-paper.net/essay_writing.html">essay writing</a> tips.

Public Speaking: Use Your Adrenaline to your Advantage
Adrenaline â€" your body’s way of helping you when you need to do something special.
Such as give a presentation, or go on a job interview. Yet most of us find it to be our worst enemy. Because we don’t understand what happens to us when we become nervous. If you can pre-empt the effect adrenaline will have on you personally, you won’t feel so out of control. This has a huge impact on our comfort and confidence levels.

So what happens when we get nervous?

• The body releases adrenaline, this has a physical effect on the body. Our heart rate increases, we sweat, blush, get butterflies, fidget, pace , dance on the spot, the list goes on. You need to know what you personally do! So that when it happens you have more control over it.

• We stop breathing. The first thing we do when we get nervous is hold our breath. If you were swimming and saw a shark. The fright would take your breath away. So we stop breathing properly and this has it’s own set of fallbacks. We may stammer, forget, our bodies may feel uncomfortable.

We tend to then find a comforter, some people rock , others move their feet
around uncontrollably. Pacing, fidgeting are also common. I personally play
with my hair when nervous. Others bring their teddy bear or comfort blankets
on stage with them in the form of a notepad. They clutch on to it for dear life
but don’t read from it once. They didn’t need it for their presentation, they
needed it for comfort only.


So what can we do?

Relax and take deep breaths, slow down your breathing, get it rhythmical.
Remember adrenaline is causing your physical effects.
You are not nervous you are exited, change your mindset.
Identify and control your comforter, Root your feet to stop movements. Pay attention not to fidget with your hair , ring , pockets , etc.

So NERVES are good if we learn to control them. Adrenaline helps us perform better, it is our bodies own natural stimulant. Adrenaline junkies spend a fortune to get a rush.
When presenting or in an interview yours is FREE. ENJOY THE RUSH!

Public Speaking Made Easy

Delia Thompson holds an ATCl & LTCL form the Trinity College of London in speech training. She has been active for over 10 years in Public Speaking and Communications Training. She founded <a href="http://www.thecommunicationacademy.co.za/" title="Public Speaking Training Company">The Communication Academy</a> to assist people with improving their communication skills

Eliminate The Stutterings
Some people lose confidence upon facing other people due to a speech problem known as stuttering. This is a severe condition in speech that experiences problems in fluency. Its symptoms include the person's facial muscles becoming tensed as he or she tries to speak. This is very common to children who are just beginning to talk. Stuttering is a disfluency that causes them to repeat some of their words' syllables. Although this is normal, the severity can cause concern for some parents.

This speech problem starts in the early childhood while they are at their developing stage and some would stutter at least ten to fifteen per cent of their total speech. Though, this does not affect one's intellect, it affects one's social state, especially when they begin to date and mingle with other people. It is for this reason that others would opt to be loners and just choose a career that does not involve meeting people.

There are inconsistent degrees of stuttering. Some people do not stutter when they do other special skills like dancing or singing or even delivering a declamation piece. There are also those who do not stutter on good days but just start to stutter on other days.

There are two important things that a stutterer should keep in mind when trying to communicate in order to prevent stuttering:

1. Thinking of all the things before starting to talk is helpful. This makes the person more sure of the words and things that will be coming out of his mouth. According to a recent study, people who have this speech defect are often more intelligent than those who are not. The only problem is that, since they think too fast at times, their mouth is left behind; thus, stuttering begins. The rhythm of their speech does not coincide on how they think. That is why thinking first is highly advisable. Begin with just trying to slow down when trying to talk. It must be how the head is thinking. Once this is practiced, speed of speech can be practiced to normal.

2. Say the words mentally first. Practicing what is about to be said is helpful prior to saying it out loud to others. This is called aural visualization, the same technique successful people are doing when they try to visualize their positive future and success even before it starts to happen. Literally, say the words and hear every single word in your mind before saying it loudly.

James Masterson is Stand out, Be Recognized and Be Remembered keynote speaker. Click Here To read his latest advice <a href="http://free-online-course.com/masterson" title="http://free-online-course.com/masterson" target="_blank">http://free-online-course.com/masterson</a>

Public Speaking - The Key Is In The Body Language. The 8 Stages To A Successful Presentation
Most people have a fear of speaking to a large group. This is a totally normal apprehension. People may visualise the audience laughing at them, or shouting out. This is an extremely rare occurrence, unless you are a politician.

Most people listening to you are aware of the pressures you are under and would never change places with you.

These guidelines will help you to overcome your fears.

1. Know your subject. Read through your presentation beforehand. Read around the subject, so that you are confident that you know more than your audience, even after you have spoken. If you know your subject then you will come across in an interesting way and keep the attention of your audience.

2. Expect to do well. Your expectations are obvious in your body language. If your audience sees that you expect to do badly, you will do badly. Expectation is vital.

3. Look at your audience. Eye contact is vital if you are to judge their understanding so that you can change the pace of your delivery if necessary.

4. Use notes. You should never, never read your speech from a sheet.

5. Slow your speech down. This makes you appear more confident and enables your audience to take it in more easily. If you are talking slower, it is easier for your audience to maintain their attention, and momentary lapses in their concentration mean that they miss less.

6. Vary the tone and level of your voice. This maintains interest. You should speak clearly and project your voice, rather than shouting. Talking quietly in key segments means that your listeners will need to actively listen to those parts of your presentation.

7. Avoid excessive body movements and gestures. Hand gestures can be used for emphasis only.

8. Keep your hands and thumbs visible. Holding your hands out, with the thumbs uppermost is a very powerful dominance gesture. Watch politicians speaking, they all use this gesture.

9. Rejoice in the endorphin high that you will feel when it goes well.

Pearl Deloria has an SME management and company startup background. Read more of her articles <a href="http://www.every-article.info/">here</a>. For more info visit <a href="http://www.public-speaking-help.info/">Public Speaking</a> and <a href="http://www.a1-team-building.info/">Team Building.</a>