Not much happening today, so spent some time reading about search engine optimisation. My website. http://www.bespeak.co.uk/ is gradually climbing up the rankings.
I need to create more content on my website so that people will be attracted to it and perhaps even link to it.
As I am planning to write a book anyway, I am wondering if I should publish excerpts from each chapter. Part of me is tempted to publish the whole book, chapter by chapter in draft format and then remove it when the book is completed.
When the book gets published I can put excerpts from it back onto the website. The website promotes four business areas:- Motivational Workshops, Life Coaching, Public Speaking and After Dinner Speaking.
It may be a tall order but my book is going to try and mirror this. It is a rather eclectic mix to pull together, but I do like a challenge.
Tomorrow, I plan to look at RSS Feeds and see if I can get one to work on my website.
Monday 29 June 2009
Fun Fun Fun
A very pleasant Sunday.
Spent some time playing a game of hi tech hide and seek with friends (very geeky amateur radio stuff). Spent the rest of the day at a BBQ and drinks party. This is an annual event and somehow, even though the event is being held at a friends, I have become chief cook.
Even though it is hard work and I am always last to eat, I do get a good feeling from helping others. Not sure what my motivation is, maybe I like the acclaim and fuss people make, perhaps I just like doing it to keep me busy and being in a place where I can socialise with everyone.
Whatever the motivation it adds to my enjoyment of the day and makes life a little easier for the hosts.
Nice to have a good deed under my belt. Hopefully it will start a chain of good deeds and bring a little improvement to everyone in the chain.
Keep checking out the feel good factors at www.bespeak.co.uk.
Spent some time playing a game of hi tech hide and seek with friends (very geeky amateur radio stuff). Spent the rest of the day at a BBQ and drinks party. This is an annual event and somehow, even though the event is being held at a friends, I have become chief cook.
Even though it is hard work and I am always last to eat, I do get a good feeling from helping others. Not sure what my motivation is, maybe I like the acclaim and fuss people make, perhaps I just like doing it to keep me busy and being in a place where I can socialise with everyone.
Whatever the motivation it adds to my enjoyment of the day and makes life a little easier for the hosts.
Nice to have a good deed under my belt. Hopefully it will start a chain of good deeds and bring a little improvement to everyone in the chain.
Keep checking out the feel good factors at www.bespeak.co.uk.
Sunday 28 June 2009
Fear, Fear and More Fear
Spent the day at Adastral Park (Ipswich,UK) Fun Day. We were promoting Public Speaking clubs. Handed out over 100 leaflets to passers bye.
When handing out the leaflet we asked them if they would like to take part in a short, fun, contest. Around 25% said NO and admitted to being terrified. A further 25% said maybe or that they would twist a partner, child or siblings arm.
The other 50% gave an emphatic yes. The contest was to be held in a small lecture theatre at 2:30. When the time arrived no-one turned up, not one person, nobody at all.
We felt our location must be the issue as the theatre was not easy to find. Perhaps there were other events that proved more attractive, who knows?
I suspect a large part of it was due to fear and that once people had time to think they had an attack of the horrors.
If this happens to you then consider joining a Public Speaking club. If you are in more of a hurry go to www.bespeak.co.uk and see what help I can offer.
When handing out the leaflet we asked them if they would like to take part in a short, fun, contest. Around 25% said NO and admitted to being terrified. A further 25% said maybe or that they would twist a partner, child or siblings arm.
The other 50% gave an emphatic yes. The contest was to be held in a small lecture theatre at 2:30. When the time arrived no-one turned up, not one person, nobody at all.
We felt our location must be the issue as the theatre was not easy to find. Perhaps there were other events that proved more attractive, who knows?
I suspect a large part of it was due to fear and that once people had time to think they had an attack of the horrors.
If this happens to you then consider joining a Public Speaking club. If you are in more of a hurry go to www.bespeak.co.uk and see what help I can offer.
Saturday 27 June 2009
Low Expectations?
Went to the opening of a local art exhibition this evening. Just the local club but the standard was excellent. My wife was exhibiting (her painitings) so I was there for the opening ceremony.
The chairman's address to the club was rambling and meaningless, full of hesitation, deviation and repetition. He got a rapturous round of applause at his conclusion.
The local dignitary was not quite as bad but she did go massively off topic and lost direction on several occasions. Clearly neither had done much preparation and had little or no grasp of what public speaking should be about.
Nevertheless both were well received by the audience who also had no grasp of how good a speech could be.
We need more public speaking events in the media to raise awareness and standards.
If you have arrived here because a search engine sent you then check out what www.bespeak.co.uk can do to help you improve your public speaking.
The chairman's address to the club was rambling and meaningless, full of hesitation, deviation and repetition. He got a rapturous round of applause at his conclusion.
The local dignitary was not quite as bad but she did go massively off topic and lost direction on several occasions. Clearly neither had done much preparation and had little or no grasp of what public speaking should be about.
Nevertheless both were well received by the audience who also had no grasp of how good a speech could be.
We need more public speaking events in the media to raise awareness and standards.
If you have arrived here because a search engine sent you then check out what www.bespeak.co.uk can do to help you improve your public speaking.
Friday 26 June 2009
Building Public Speaking Skills
This is my 5th Blog entry. My original idea was to make an entry last thing every night but this could become too onerous.
The question is do I attempt to Blog daily, just on weekdays, only as the mood takes me or whenever I have something fresh to say? - comments welcome
I was way too tired to make an entry last night, after a fantastic evening, running a workshop for the Eastern Area of the Association of Speakers Clubs.
Speakers Clubs are a fantastic way of practising your public speaking and continuing to improve your skills. Attending a course (preferably mine http://www.bespeak.co.uk/ ) is a great way to gather public speaking skills very quickly. If you then go on to deliver regular presentations, your proficiency will increase greatly.
For those who only give occasional presentations, regular attendance at a public speaking club will maintain your confidence and keep you in practice.
Last nights workshop was on techniques for delivering "topics" - a 2 minute speech on a subject the deliverer has no prior knowledge of.
The biggest issue that people have regarding impromptu speaking is "brain freeze". You know that you know but you can't grasp the idea.
To overcome this, simply think about the topic and create an associated mental picture. Once you have a picture, just describe what you can see. You may not deliver a perfect speech but you will start training your brain to do better next time.
Keep checking www.bespeak.co.uk for Public Speaking Tips
The question is do I attempt to Blog daily, just on weekdays, only as the mood takes me or whenever I have something fresh to say? - comments welcome
I was way too tired to make an entry last night, after a fantastic evening, running a workshop for the Eastern Area of the Association of Speakers Clubs.
Speakers Clubs are a fantastic way of practising your public speaking and continuing to improve your skills. Attending a course (preferably mine http://www.bespeak.co.uk/ ) is a great way to gather public speaking skills very quickly. If you then go on to deliver regular presentations, your proficiency will increase greatly.
For those who only give occasional presentations, regular attendance at a public speaking club will maintain your confidence and keep you in practice.
Last nights workshop was on techniques for delivering "topics" - a 2 minute speech on a subject the deliverer has no prior knowledge of.
The biggest issue that people have regarding impromptu speaking is "brain freeze". You know that you know but you can't grasp the idea.
To overcome this, simply think about the topic and create an associated mental picture. Once you have a picture, just describe what you can see. You may not deliver a perfect speech but you will start training your brain to do better next time.
Keep checking www.bespeak.co.uk for Public Speaking Tips
Thursday 25 June 2009
Dinner Time
Had a fantastic evening at Chelmsford Speakers Club awards dinner. Good food and good company with a few speeches is a recipe for a great evening out.
All the speakers were club members. For some this was their first time giving an after dinner speech. For others it was perhaps only the second or third time. Everyone involved in the speeches did an excellent job which made the evening a great success.
After dinner speeches are great to listen to. Keep checking www.bespeak.co.uk for hints and tips on how to prepare and deliver speeches for all occasions.
Of course if you want someone to speak at your dinner get in touch via the website. There is a 10% discount if you mention reading this blog.
All the speakers were club members. For some this was their first time giving an after dinner speech. For others it was perhaps only the second or third time. Everyone involved in the speeches did an excellent job which made the evening a great success.
After dinner speeches are great to listen to. Keep checking www.bespeak.co.uk for hints and tips on how to prepare and deliver speeches for all occasions.
Of course if you want someone to speak at your dinner get in touch via the website. There is a 10% discount if you mention reading this blog.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
Who Coaches Who?
Many people approach Life Coaches asking for help to change direction or improve their current situation.
Most of these people already know what they want and which direction to go in. Taking sole responsibility for dramatic action is not something most of us do very well.
The job of a Life Coach is therefore to help people take the steps they have already decided upon. This shares the burden of responsibility and allows the clientto achieve their goals quicker and with less stress.
The coach will of course do a lot more than just nod agreement. Coaches are very valuable in helping to set an action plan and set S.M.A.R.T. goals. To find out more about S.M.A.R.T. goals visit www.bespeak.co.uk just reading the information that is provided there could be enough to set you on the path to personal success.
Most of these people already know what they want and which direction to go in. Taking sole responsibility for dramatic action is not something most of us do very well.
The job of a Life Coach is therefore to help people take the steps they have already decided upon. This shares the burden of responsibility and allows the clientto achieve their goals quicker and with less stress.
The coach will of course do a lot more than just nod agreement. Coaches are very valuable in helping to set an action plan and set S.M.A.R.T. goals. To find out more about S.M.A.R.T. goals visit www.bespeak.co.uk just reading the information that is provided there could be enough to set you on the path to personal success.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Speak Up
Public Speaking is reckoned to be the number one fear for most people. So why is it that there are so many quality Public Speakers? Do they have no fear? Most speakers that I know (including myself) suffer from nerves before they speak in front of an audience. The trick is in not showing it.
From time to time I will publish some tips on public speaking in this blog as well as publishing articles on my web site www.bespeak.co.uk
Overcome those nerves. Act confident be confident. Walk to the podium slightly faster and more deliberately than you usually would. This makes you look keen to get get started. Pause for a second or two and make eye contact with the audience. Smile and deliver your opening line, which you will have rehearsed to perfection. Get this right and the rest is plain sailing.
From time to time I will publish some tips on public speaking in this blog as well as publishing articles on my web site www.bespeak.co.uk
Overcome those nerves. Act confident be confident. Walk to the podium slightly faster and more deliberately than you usually would. This makes you look keen to get get started. Pause for a second or two and make eye contact with the audience. Smile and deliver your opening line, which you will have rehearsed to perfection. Get this right and the rest is plain sailing.
Monday 22 June 2009
Another Beginning
I have been advised that having a Blog could help drive traffic to my web site (http://www.bespeak.com/). I understand that the biggest Blog search engine has about 12 million sites indexed, so any hints on getting mine noticed would be most welcome.
On to the main reason for the blog.
I am just starting a new business, one aspect of which is Motivational Workshops. The idea is to get people to achieve success through training the subconscious to motivate the conscious mind. There are many techniques that can help people achieve this. The best is visualise and replace.
When something doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to, go over the incident in your mind as if you were watching a film. Once you identify what went wrong, overwrite that part of your movie with the images you would have seen if all had gone according to plan.
Play the new movie back through your mind a few times and this will be the sequence that your subconscious will remember and act upon next time you are in the same situation.
This is a fantastic way to improve your golf swing as well.
http://www.bespeak.co.uk/
On to the main reason for the blog.
I am just starting a new business, one aspect of which is Motivational Workshops. The idea is to get people to achieve success through training the subconscious to motivate the conscious mind. There are many techniques that can help people achieve this. The best is visualise and replace.
When something doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to, go over the incident in your mind as if you were watching a film. Once you identify what went wrong, overwrite that part of your movie with the images you would have seen if all had gone according to plan.
Play the new movie back through your mind a few times and this will be the sequence that your subconscious will remember and act upon next time you are in the same situation.
This is a fantastic way to improve your golf swing as well.
http://www.bespeak.co.uk/
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