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Practice the speech, memorizing the opening and closing lines.    Know up front if you are going to use your vocal cords or a microphone to project your voice.  If it is up to your vocal cords, practice projecting.  Watch yourself present the speech in a mirror.  Video tape yourself to watch for distracting behaviors like jingling change in the pocket, pacing back and forth without purpose, poor posture.  What should you do with your hands?  Sometimes out of nervous habit, people will hold their hands in front.  Simply keep your hands at your sides until it is appropriate to gesture. 

When you speak find people in the audience to establish eye contact with.  Smile and they will smile back.  Exude confidence and sincerity.

If you choose to use notes make sure you print them using a large font with line spacing that easily allows your eye to see where you are.  DON’T READ YOUR NOTES WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN LOOKING AT NOTES.  Practice skimming your notes while speaking so you maintain eye contact.  Another tip for using notes is to print them on one side and slide them across the lectern rather than flip them.

Many people use an electronic presentation.  Don’t read it word for word and certainly don’t announce that you will read it to them word for word!  Don’t turn your back to the audience.  Do consider the graphics that you use that they are visible and the color will be appropriate.  One time my presentation included a red tulip that unfortunately turned out black on the projector.  That was unpleasant.  If you are going to use technology be prepared for glitches and have a backup presentation that you can do without the bells and whistles. 

Use gestures appropriate to the size of the audience, the larger the audience the larger the gestures.  Prepare an introduction and carry it with you.  Invariably the person who is to have introduced you will not have their copy or not even be there.  It should set the tone for why you are speaking but not be excessively long.  A one minute introduction is actually rather lengthy.  A two minute introduction is boorish. 

What about presentation handouts?  I adhere to the school that believes people remember more when they take notes for themselves.  I do make presentations available at my website which people can print out if they so choose.  I do provide marketing materials for those who attend my seminars, but presentation handouts are done online, unless the client specifically requests them.

Know you’re fundamentals – who is your audience and the purpose of your speech, how much time are you allotted?  Your opening and closing should preface and summarize what you are going to say.  To capture their attention open with a rhetorical question, a quote, a joke or something shocking.  Close with a challenge, a thought provoking statement or a rhetorical question.

Keep the sentence structure short so it is easy to listen to, less than 20 words per sentence.  Avoid using jargon the audience may not be familiar with.  Organize the speech in a logical fashion.  For a community service project a possible format is identify the problem, the steps needed and conclude with the bright future the project will provide.

I start with an outline of the basic concepts I want to communicate and put in my major thoughts accordingly.  If there are specific statistics I am using that are difficult to remember I will write those out in my notes.

If you are representing a company keep in mind the brand they want to project and protect.  You might consider having the PR office review the presentation.  Recently I saw a presentation by a car manufacturer engineer talking about how they were becoming more environmentally friendly.  The last slide was terrible, showing a toxic waste area.  It left the audience with a terrible message that they created a huge waste site.  Her words didn’t match the slide.  She should have concluded with a before and after picture, or omitted it all together.

Keep in mind when you are speaking as a representative of the company that you are in fact a representative of the company.  Your personal opinions are not to be mentioned, unless you are speaking as an individual rather than as a company representative.

Above all, eliminate the filler words like uh.  Listen to yourself.  Count the filler words that you use like so or and.  Pause when you want to use them.  You can train yourself to not say them.

May marks the beginning of summer, at least in Phoenix.  Summer is a time of enjoying swimming in the pool, eating the fruits of a well-planted garden and a chance to see some great thunderstorms. 

In May we have a chance to honor mothers, teachers, police, those in the armed forces and recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  What a great month.  These people are the ones who make such an investment in our society as a whole.  Be sure to thank them.

It’s May, what do you have planned for this month’s PR efforts?  Will you do something to recognize a teacher, a police officer, a military person?  Each of those has a special day in May to commemorate their importance and value to society. 

Take time to plan your PR opportunities for the month so you can Maximize Your Publicity!

As advertising budgets get tighter and tighter, the competition for free publicity is going to increase.  Knowing what is newsworthy about your business or non-profit is essential.  Let others celebrate your success with you.  Receiving an award, sitting on a non-profit board, serving the community are all great angles to run with.  The community publications love to print those kinds of stories.

To get more ideas for newsworthy angles read the articles at http://www.maximizeyourpublicity.com/articles.htm.  These articles will help you jump start your creativity.

Here’s to your success!

OK, why is it Pi Day?  Is it the day we all sit around and eat our favorite pie?  Unfortunately not.  It is the day we celebrate that mathematical expression of 3.14.  So have a good time, enjoy your algebra and create a new equation for business success.

Today is the only military command on the calendar.  March 4th.  Let me write it a different way - March Fo(u)rth.  Aagh, now you see it.  Because of that, it is Hug a GI Day.  At least thank a GI when you see one and pray for their safety.  Is there anything you can do to offer a GI discount for your business?  Use these dates to create some publicity for your business.  “How to Maximize Your Publicity“ offers 18 sample releases for 11 newsworthy angles. 

I have seen some very clever Leap Day campaigns this year.  Always looking for ways to set ourselves apart from our competition, we need to take advantage of these unique dates.  If you need ideas other than what appears on your traditional calendar you can get ideas from the 2008 Publicity Planner.  In March we can use National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, Pi Day or even Hug a GI Day to create some buzz.  Creating your own  publicity is a powerful way to reach new clients.  Take a leap into planning your publicity with the 2008 Publicity Planner.

Publicity is a great opportunity to let other people know you exist.  Whether you are in business or operate a non-profit, either way you thrive on new clients. 

Today I was asked the question “what is the desired outcome of your publicity efforts?”  My answer - “To make more people aware of how easy it is to get free publicity.  By expanding my speaking opportunities, more people can learn how to maximize their publicity.  Using eleven newsworthy angles and planning publicity throughout the year, any organization can establish visibility and credibility and reach new clients.

Visit www.Julia-Isabel.com to learn more about having Julia-Isabel Davenport MBA speak to your organization.

Knowing the demographics of your clients is critical to successfully marketing your business.  Evaluate your current client base.  What characteristics do they have in common?  Are they located in one part of town, within an income bracket, a particular sex or education level?  Do they share a common faith, hobby or passion?

Survey your clients and find out what publications they read, whether in print or online.  Using that information can help you better target your marketing and publicity efforts.  By narrowing your focus, rather than the “everyone is my client” mentality, your awareness of publicity opportunities will heighten. 

When you get new clients, be sure to ask them how they heard about you.  Watch the results of your marketing efforts - whether it is networking, publicity or ads.  Identify the trend and continue the successful aspects.