Welcome to our many new subscribers who signed up through, Opinion Surveys, Profit Info, BizNewsletters, Antion.com, Zmedia, RankYou and our many other signup partners. (see bottom if you no longer wish to receive "Great Speaking" We now offer FREE email accounts. Visit http://www.GreatSpeaking.com AOL members click here ########################################## GREAT SPEAKING Circulation 133,359 The largest speaking ezine in the world Vol. 4 Number 4 - March 11, 2002 Publisher: Tom Antion tom@Antion.com http://www.Antion.com (C) Anchor Publishing 2002 ########################################## No one ever lost credibility by being interesting. ========================================== *** SPEAKER BUSINESS LEADS *** Your subscription gets you free speaking leads when available. WE PAY YOU TO SEND US SUBSCRIBERS http://www.listpartners.com/cgi-local/cashpartner?406 Please recommend this E-Zine to anyone you know that is interested in being a better presenter, or who may want to make money speaking and training. (It's a good way to stay in touch with client's too.) You don't even have to mail them an article. http://www.antion.com/recommend.html If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and would like to get your own free subscription, visit http://www.antion.com/ezinesubscribe.htm To remove yourself from this list see bottom of this email. PRIVACY STATEMENT: We will not distribute your address to anyone. Period. ============================================= IN THIS ISSUE ============================================= 1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip 2. Advanced Presentation Skills Article (Beginners should read this too) 3. Humor Technique Series 4. Speaker Marketing Tip 5. Speaker Humor 6. Websites for Speakers ********** OUR SPONSOR *********** MASTERMIND TO MILLIONS PROGRAM "This is the most prolific program I have seen in many years of marketing. I couldn't stop watching it." -- Tom Antion This is one of the courses I love the most. It is an incredible array of millionaires all in one room totally focused on one idea. How to sell a million copies of your information product pre-publication . . . that's before you even create it. Check it out http://www.mastermind2millions.com/index.html?id=antion ************************************ ===================================================== 1. Quick Presentation Skills Tip ===================================================== SHOCK 'EM by Tom Antion When I was planning for my last all day presentation I was considering the post lunch sleepiness that most audiences experience. I wanted to do something totally different that I knew would shock them out of their afternoon low. So I bought a muskrat trap. I was talking about the "traps" AKA deep trouble you could get into by spam email marketing. I set the trap with great care. Then I put a pencil into the trap to set it off. The pencil snapped showing the trap to be real . . . This got their attention. I then reset the trap and talked about how learning what I was going to teach them in the next section would keep them from getting hurt in the email spam trap. Then, with lots of suspense building as I approached the trap, I set it off with my bare hand, I let out a fake Karate-like scream, the trap slammed on my hand and I held it up hanging from my fingers. . . . Believe me this got their attention! DO NOT TRY THIS! DO NOT TRY THIS! DO NOT TRY THIS! I know how to do this without getting hurt. I am not responsible if you break your finger or get hurt in any way !!! There are many other ways to shock people. You could put a needle through a balloon, you could stick a knife through one of their coats. Stop by any magic or gag shop for tons of ideas. Just don't get too outrageous and scare people unnecessarily. *** NEW LIVE INTERNET MARKETING CAMPS *** . Learn the real world techniques of making your business wildly profitable on the web (all sessions personally led by Tom Antion) Allentown, PA Sunday, March 17 Washington, D.C. Saturday, April 20 Orlando, FL Friday, July 12, (day before NSA convention -- details coming soon) Full Details: http://www.antion.com/buttcamp.htm *********************************************** ************** NOW ON AUDIO CD ************* Tom's famous Butt Camp is coming on Audio CD Listen in your car or on your home stereo to Six Hours of the best Internet Marketing Information available anywhere. Pre-publication price $155.00 (Regular $197.00 You Save $42.00) Expect 2-3 Weeks for delivery) http://www.GreatInternetMarketing.com/buttcampaudiocd.htm ********************************************* ** YOU TRULY ARE THE EXPERT ONCE YOU'VE PUBLISHED YOUR BOOK!!! ** Start with an awesome book proposal and you're well on your way. 6-week teleclass shows you how. Only $149. Starts 3-26-02. Get the respect you deserve as a speaker. Free Special Report. Email: mailto:protegeasst@hotmail.com or call 702-255-9119. ***************************************************************** ===================================================== 2. Advanced Presentation Skills Article ===================================================== GREAT PRESENTERS by Rob Sherman What separates a great presenter from a mediocre one? That's a question that I asked a group of top insurance executives when I was working with them on their upcoming presentations to area agents. I used their President and CEO,as an example since he is in a class by himself when he speaks. I asked the group, "What are the characteristics that sets your president apart from others when he speaks? The execs threw out a series of terms to describe his speaking style, including a term that is an essential characteristic of the best presenters. The term mentioned was "consistent." When I asked the respondents to clarify, they said that the CEO is "consistent" on the platform and off. He has a "presence" that always conveys a sense of integrity . . . no matter where he speaks. . . . Quite a compliment. AUTHENTICITY Authenticity as a presenter is often cited as a key characteristic of today's top speakers. Speakers who take on a "motivational" persona while on the platform may still capture an audience; but most would agree that your most effective presenters are do not dramatically change when presenting. Perhaps it is obvious to all of you reading this posting, but sometimes we tend to forget. While technique is certainly useful in improving your speaking skills, you can only excel as a speaker if you feel secure as a person and confident about the message you are conveying. Real, LONG TERM success as a communicator - as a leader - as a person - demands consistency. Perhaps the greatest lesson that we can learn from this CEO and others who excel at presenting - or at anything for that matter - is that they are able to align their actions with their values. It is this consistency that enables them to achieve such a high level of success in all areas of their life. Excerpted from "Sherman's Executive Communicator." Subscribe for free at http://www.ShermanLeadership.com Rob Sherman, Esq., Speaker, Trainer, Author of "Sherman's 21 Laws of Speaking: How to Inspire Others to Action." Call toll free (877) 532-3372. To contact Rob, write or email: 4449 Easton Way, Columbus, Ohio, 43219, voice (614) 472-3200; Fax (614) 472-3202. mailto:RobSherman@ShermanLeadership.com *********** SPONSOR *********** FREE 7 Day Electronic Marketing Mini Course mailto:minicourse.GS038@aweber.com ******************************** ===================================================== 3. HUMOR TECHNIQUE ===================================================== Response to last issue's "Mic the Audience" Article from John Connor Dear Tom, In the last Great Speaking, you talk about a mixing board and omnidirectional mics in order to record audience laughter. Nice equipment if you can get it! But I've gotten terrific results several times with just a mini-cassette recorder (yes, the kind for $39.95 at Radio Shack or large discount store), placing it on a bar stool with the built-in mic facing the audience, and hitting "record". In fact, a few sections of my comedy CD were recorded this way. The recorder gets my voice through the sound system, and since all of the audience is facing front, they are essentially laughing into the mic in the recorder. Your way would get the most pristine quality, and is probably appropriate for top speakers. But is it necessary for the beginning to intermediate speaker's product? I don't think so. If the listener can hear your voice and hear the audience's laughter, you're in good shape. TOM'S ANSWER: Certainly you can use this method. I just caution that you must check out the quality BEFORE you do that great performance and then find out that the tape stinks. Also, you must watch out for your own voice sounding like you are in an echo chamber. John Connor is a pro comedian who can help you get HUGE laughs in your speeches, based on your own original stories? Audiences love ve to laugh and you'll be their hero. http://www.JohnConnor.com/get_funny.php 800-580-2500 Special discount for GREAT SPEAKING subscribers!" ********* GREAT SPEAKER REFERENCE ******* BE THE HIT OF YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION! "Wake em Up! How to Use Humor and Other Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business Presentations" "Toms program and materials will cut five years off a speakers learning curve." -- Cavett Robert, Founder National Speakers Assn. Now available for immediate download in pdf format http://www.antion.com/speakershop.htm click on "E Books" For a FREE Chapter visit http://www.antion.com/products/produc~3.htm ********************************************** *** TURN YOUR SPEECHES INTO CA$H *** Free Report gives you 26 pages of tactics you can use to turn your existing speeches into products you can sell! Get it here now: http://www.tech4speakers.com/report2.htm ************************************ *** Entertain Your Clients and Prospects *** and watch your sales soar. . . . Learn how to act with style and grace in any social setting. Protocol expert Gloria Petersen makes it easy for you to avoid the social pitfalls that could cost you money . . . lots of money. For details visit: http://www.public-speaking.org/entertain.htm ********************************************* ===================================================== 4. $$$$$$$ SPEAKER MARKETING TIP $$$$$$$$ ===================================================== CREATE PRODUCTS WITH A PRIVATE SHOWCASE by Debra J. Schmidt, a.k.a. "The Loyalty Builder" I received a standing ovation when I shared this idea with members of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Speakers Association. A couple of years ago I decided to produce a video training package but there were a two major obstacles--no money and no audience. So I put on my networking hat and contacted a video production company that I had worked with in the past. Here's what I proposed to the staff at the production company: - -I would invite 40 meeting planners, CEO's and other high level business types to a FREE, private seminar, given by me in the studio of the production company. - -They could treat it like an open house, providing donuts and coffee and giving the attendees a tour of their facility. I would endorse their company as the place I produce my training tapes and the production team could demonstrate their professionalism as they shot the video of my seminar. In other words, it was a win-win for everyone. I sent out an invitation to my ezine subscribers and received a huge response for my free seminar on customer loyalty. They were thrilled to be featured as the audience in the tape. When taping day arrived, my guests were treated like royalty by the production company staff. As each one signed a release form, I gave them free copies of my book and a T-shirt to thank them for participating. People traveled as much as 5 hours to be in the audience. Here's the clincher. Of the 40 people who showed up, only three had heard me speak before. So now I had the added benefit of a private showcase for all of these meeting planners from around my state. The end result? =>A video training tape with a live audience in a controlled setting with professional lighting and recording equipment. =>A private showcase which generated several spin-off speaking engagements. =>Goodwill with my ezine subscribers for offering this free opportunity. =>New business prospects for the video production company which continues to strengthen their relationship with me. Networking is the way to create win-win relationships like the one I described above. If you'd like to learn how to become a master networker to grow your business, check out: http://www.spectrumresults.com/teleseminartape2.html Debra J.Schmidt works with people who want to sell more products and services by helping them build customer and employee loyalty. To subscribe to Deb's FREE monthly email newsletter visit: http://www.theloyaltybuilder.com NOTE: The site below is where I began learning about E Marketing http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/12273/ Good and easy to use shopping cart system http://www.kickstartcart.com The email list management company I use http://www.postmastergeneral.com/?affiliate=antion Tom's Top Ten Marketing Resources page http://www.antion.com/marketingtools.htm ********* SPONSOR ********* PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS HANDBOOK by Mike Rounds This prolific reference E-book (over 1000 pages) will teach you things about professional level speaking you can't find anywhere else. Mike tells you all about it for free at: http://www.public-speaking.org/handbook.htm **************************** ===================================================== 5. SPEAKER HUMOR ===================================================== => Borrow money from a pessimist -- they don't expect it back. => Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone. => An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world. A pessimist fears that this is true. => A Zen master once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you." So I didn't. => If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them? => Why is there an expiration date on sour cream? => Some people believe that keeping a secret means to whisper when they tell it. => Every time I walk into a singles bar I can hear Mom's wise words: "Don't pick that up, you don't know where it's been." => Remarks we get tired of hearing ... ----------------------------------- You're doing well ... for you age. You're not getting any younger, you know. Well, at this point, it probably won't kill you. Are you really that old? You sure don't show it. You're pretty spry for your age. You'll probably outlive us all. => Every quality that women hate in a man, they love in a cat. => "I think that someone must have surveillance equipment set up in my living room, because every once in a while, someone on the TV will tell me what channel I'm watching. That really freaks me out, you know?" -Pam Stewart => Failure: The path of least persistence => What on earth will today's children have to tell their kids they had to do without? => Response to dumb idea: "Now you've hit the nail on the finger." => Tact: Lying about others as you would have them lie about you. => Hospitality: The art of making people feel at home when you wish they were. => Hardware: The parts of a computer system that can be kicked. Much more FREE speaker humor at http://www.antion.com/humor/speakerhumor/speakerhumor.htm ===================================================== 6. USEFUL WEBSITES ===================================================== http://www.ninjasuit.com/scripts/script.php?script_id=33 Airport distances http://www.laptoprent.com/ Immediate laptop rentals in most major cities. They claim "within hours" so keep this handy if you present with a computer. http://storydynamics.com/ Lots of storytelling tools and techniques http://www.resna.org/sigs/sig11/voicecare.htm Voice care guidelines http://www.deeptrancenow.com/books_nlp4.html Reader Jim Gillespie recommends the NLP book "Presenting Magically" ****** EARN BIG REFERRAL COMMISSIONS ****** You can earn a 10 - 25 percent commission for referring Tom for speaking engagements and bulk product sales. Commissions normally start between $850.00 and $1700 depending on your level of involvement. For complete details visit http://www.antion.com/referrals.htm *********************************************** ===================================================== FREE ARTICLES FOR YOUR PUBLICATIONS ===================================================== I have many articles available for reprint in your publication, company newsletter, etc. You may use articles written by me that you see in great speaking. Back issues can be viewed at http://www.antion.com/ezinebackissues.htm OR mailto:freearticles@antion.com for an automated list of additional articles. All you have to do is print the article in its entirety along with the by line at top and the credits, and complete contact information at the end of each article. I would appreciate a tear sheet or electronic copy too. 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