Editor's Corner Excerpted from the August 2009 Newsletter Don't Worry. Be Happy. Either work on your presentation, or don't. Worrying is counterproductive; it robs you of productivity in every area because you're not making progress on your presentation or on anything else you should be doing. And nobody is handing out Brownie points for worrying, so it's all for nothing. Shut the presentation out of your mind until you're actually going to do something about it. Then you'll make progress. Head off worry by doing as I've recommended: As soon as you get the assignment to speak: Identify who you're talking to, why you're talking to them, and what you want them to do. Put together a short thesis statement, (“Today, I'm going to give you 3 ways we can streamline production,”) and get on with your life. You've primed the pump and now ideas you can include in your presentation will show up as if by magic. And then when you get a chance to focus you'll pull those ideas together in a logical way that will allow you to reach your audience. No worries. First Person Mike Costello, Vice President, Circulation, San Francisco Examiner: “After your training here at the newspaper, my confidence level really increased. I actually enjoy public speaking now. My boss kept putting me in situations where I had to practice your training and I have to thank him for that. “Of course I have to thank you for the training. You presented it in a way that I could understand. And, that quiet period before the first word is energizing now rather than terrifying.” Shaking Hands “Why do you make so much of shaking hands? I don't see the point of getting into a gripping contest.” Yes, there are those misguided folks who like to substitute a nice bone crusher for a useful part of a business relationship – a good hand shake. Sad for them. Because shaking hands is often the first interaction you have with someone, it can color how they view you and any potential business dealings. If you shake hands with a nice solid grip, the other person accepts that you are friendly, open, and credible. And you move on with your conversation. A bone crusher gives the impression that you're egotistical, a control freak, or living in your own space not aware of others. A timid, limp, handshake, sends the message that you're self-conscious, inadequate, or unfamiliar with business. And neither of these hand shakes creates a warm connection. A good hand shake moves you forward. A bad one distracts the receiver and inhibits the relationship. So pay attention. It can affect how people view your credibility. Quotes to Make You a Better Speaker “Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.” —Mark Twain “Failures are amateurs at failing. Successful people are professional failures who fail their way to success again and again.” —Steve Siebold “Keep a fair-sized cemetery in your back yard, in which to bury the faults of your friends.” —Henry Ward Beecher “To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you're wrong admit it; Whenever you're right shut up.” —Ogden Nash For more great quotes, check out these websites: www.worldofquotes.com www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html www.brainyquote.com www.mightyminds.com/quotes

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