Volume IV, No. 8                                                                    June 2013

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves.  Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you."  
                                                            
   ~ Steve Maraboli              
                   
You have received this email because you have a relationship with Marion Claire, have exchanged business cards, or it was forwarded by someone you know.  Enjoy!
Be sure to add [email protected] to your "white list" to continue receiving these emails.
Included In This Issue
What's Marion Up To Now?
Your Unique and Sexy Speaker at your next Event!
Have you downloaded your FREE report yet?
Help with your Speech for that Special Occasion
Speaking Is Sexy Vol IV, Tip #8 ~ When The Audience Is Hostile
It's Not Too Late!
Comments & Kudos From My Readers
How Can I Help You?
Food for Thought
More about Marion Claire ~ My Embarrassing Secret
Why is it called Speaking is Sexy? 
When what someone says and how they say it sends chills up and down your spine, that's sexy! 
 
Whether you're giving a speech, having a conversation, saying your wedding vows, teaching your kids, exhorting your sales team, or talking in your sleep, if someone is listening, you are inspiring them.  It's important to remember that whenever you speak, someone is influenced by each word you say. 
 
Be a positive influence.  Be an inspiration.  That's very sexy.
 

Did you miss a previous Speaking Tip?

You can find them here!
 
If you are...
  • Currently speaking in public,
  • Thinking of speaking in public, but procrastinating like crazy,
  • Afraid to speak in public,
  • Envious of people who speak confidently in public, or
  • Would just like a few tips on how you can speak better than they do...
This newsletter will give you tips and techniques to become the accomplished speaker you've always longed to be.

MARION CLAIRE coaches solopreneurs, business owners, middle managers and executives who want to become calm, confident, unique and sexy speakers who influence and inspire others with the power of their voice. www.marionclaire.com

Find me on Facebook     Follow me on Twitter     View my profile on LinkedIn

What's Marion Up To Now? 
 
IT'S BRAND NEW!  

GET IT NOW!

 

      
       My new book,
SECRETS OF A UNIQUE & SEXY SPEAKER, 155 Helpful Speaking Tips for Writing Your Speech, Facing the Audience & Overcoming Fear! is hot off the press!

      In it are tips used by experts that you can keep in your pocket or desk for a bit of quick help.  Use these Tips and you, too, will look and sound like a unique & sexy professional speaker. 
      This is a book for speakers of all levels, from beginners to experienced.  You're sure to find in it helpful Speaking Tips for any type of speech or speaking occasion that will save you time and uncertainty and make creating your next presentation a joy instead of a struggle.
       Order your personal autographed copy now at www.marionclaire.com. 
You can also find it at
www.BalboaPress.com and
www Amazon.com, or www.BarnesandNoble.com, but without the autograph.
       Give yourself or someone you know the gift of becoming a unique & sexy speaker! 
       Don't wait!  Do it today!  It'll change your life... for the better!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

"My job revolves around communication. Whether it's introducing myself in a crowd, public speaking, delivering good news or bad, my ability to convey information clearly and confidently is what leads to a trusting relationship with my clients. With Marion's practical instruction, she taught me how organize my thoughts and speak from the heart. A few new techniques and my confidence and competence have increased dramatically. I can highly recommend Marion - she's a gifted speaking coach!"

                               ~ Lorraine Greig, Financial Advisor

  


YOUR UNIQUE AND SEXY SPEAKER AT YOUR NEXT EVENT!

      "Marion Claire brings light into the room as she sets everyone at ease so they are ready to learn.  Our team mostly had no experience in public speaking, and so were shy and stumbling at first, but gained confidence quickly under Marion's effective guidance.  They were left with solid information that they could use as they practiced putting speeches together and then giving them.  And as a seasoned speaker myself, I nonetheless learned a thing or two to make my speaking more effective."

~Pauline Field, Chair, www.5050Leadership.org 


     

      Looking for a speaker for your next event? Want to know what it means to "Be a Unique and Sexy Speaker!"? Let me show you ASAP!  

      I'll customize a program for you and show your group time-tested techniques to become the speakers they've always wanted to be. 

      Send me an email at: [email protected] or call me at 310/659-8956.

      All you need to do is ask!


HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED YOUR FREE REPORT YET?     

Go to www.marionclaire.com  and on the Home page, you will find a link to download this valuable speaking tool:

 

5 MAGIC KEYS TO CREATING ANY SPEECH!

 

Knowing the answers to these Five Questions will enable you to create a speech for almost any occasion.  Download your Free Report now and make creating your next speech so much easier!   

 

        "After working with Marion Claire, my fear of speaking in front of a group of people is practically gone.  I still get a few pre-speech butterflies, which Marion assures me are totally normal, but my former severe anxiety has disappeared.  Marion taught me simple techniques to release my pre-speech tension and build up my confidence.  Her knowledge and easy-going manner make her very easy to work with.  She's the real deal and I'm happy to recommend her."  

                  ~ David Feldman, CPA. www.feldover.com


Help with your Speech for that Special Occasion
     
       Do you need to speak at a company gathering, your son's wedding, your daughter's engagement party, your mother's milestone birthday or your father's retirement celebration? Know what you want to say but not how to say it? Need a speechwriter to create your speech for 
you? Make it easier on yourself to have the perfect speech. We can create it over the phone, fast but thorough, and you'll have the right words in record time. 
       Why struggle by yourself when you can get it written without the trauma? Email me at www.marionclaire.com or call 310/659-8956 and tell me what you need. 
Be smart. Get help!
   Speaking Is Sexy Vol. IV, Tip #8
   

   When The Audience Is Hostile  

 

            Barry was preparing a controversial presentation to the Board of his company. In a nutshell, he was advocating that the company take a completely new direction with one of its products.  Though Barry had a few supporters for this daring proposition, he knew the majority of the Board regarded his views as  

radical and unworkable, and they were not at all receptive.             

  

            As V. P. of Development it was his job to present new and better ways of doing things, however he faced heavy opposition from the senior "tried and true" advocates that he had to convince.  How to show them that his new way was better without their jumping to angry conclusions or simply refusing to listen?

            What should you do when you know your audience is hostile?  

            Preparing to face a group that doesn't agree with you is both a challenge and an advantage.  The advantage is you know what to expect.  You know they're going to try to trip you up.  They may get loud, angry, defensive.  They're going to poke holes in your arguments and defy you to convince them.  However, whether or not they agree with you is not your primary concern. Your job is to get your points across in spite of their unwillingness to listen.  The challenge is to get them to really hear you.

            Obviously, speaking to a hostile audience is going to take deeper, more thorough and wider preparation but here, too, you have an advantage.  Knowing that you'll have to defend yourself against both reasonable and unreasonable objections, an amazing thing happens.  Your  mind works harder, your thinking gets sharper and more focused.  It's a lot like gearing yourself up for running a horse race: you need to sharpen your skills, get yourself in shape, prepare your game plan and be ready for surprises.  And you have to set yourself up to win.

            A winning mindset will carry you forward like the strongest horse in the field.  You have a job to do.  Like a jockey's job is to win the race, your job is to win their attention, to be heard, to get the audience to put aside the objections they walked in with long enough to think about what you're actually saying.  You're a winner when they stop trying to out-talk you and instead start to listen. 

            They won't make it easy.  They'll do everything they can to intimidate you:  ridicule you, put you down, out-shout you, insinuate sarcastically that you're stupid and unprepared for your job and who the heck do you think you are?  Be prepared for all of it. Take it seriously, but not personally. There's a difference.

            Take it seriously because their objections should be ones you've prepared for in advance, and you have answers to dilute them.  Part of your deep preparation is to figure out every criticism they could possibly throw at you and have an answer for it.

            Always remember that their objections are not personal, even if they sound like they are.  They're not objecting to you, they're objecting to what you're saying.  The surest way to diminish that winning mindset is to think, even for a minute, that maybe they're right, maybe there is something wrong with you for advocating your position. 

            Whatever they throw at you, take a moment to breathe and think, "What is the real objection here?" before you react.  Chances are the hostility is coming from fear:
fear of change, fear of new ideas, fear of losing power or authority, fear of being found out, fear of growing older... there are a million of them.  You can't necessarily know what is motivating the hostile response, but you can remember that the responder has his own agenda.  You are just a convenient target for him to vent his own problems on. 

                                                                        

            Listen carefully to what is said, more than the way he's saying it.  Answer the objection, not the person. If you've done your homework, you'll have an answer ready.  Keep in mind that you're the jockey in charge of this horse, and you're going to win this race.  When you keep your goal in mind and never take their hostility personally, you will eventually win their respect, and they will actually start to listen.  You will cross the finish line a winner.

DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES who would benefit from seeing this Speaking Is Sexy eZine?  Please forward it to them or send me their email address and I'll send them a copy and tell them it's from you!  www.marionclaire.com 
Want to use this Speaking Is Sexy Tip in your Newsletter or Blog?  
You can, as long as you include this entire blurb:  For fifteen years, Marion Claire has coached entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals of all kinds to become the confident public speakers they longed to be.  An autographed copy of her book, SECRETS of a UNIQUE & SEXY SPEAKER, is available on her website.  She'll also help you write your speeches for almost any occasion or customize a Workshop for your group.  For more information about Marion, go to www.marionclaire.com 
It's Not Too Late!
In 2013 become the
Unique and Sexy Public Speaker you've always wanted to be!


 

"Public Speaking was terrifying to me AND necessary to my business.  Within a short time of working with Marion, my fears subsided and my confidence grew.  With her program and knowledge, I am able to speak publicly for the first time.  She gave me the tools necessary to make this painless and even FUN!  I learned a lot and feel so much better about myself in general.  Thank you so much, Marion. "

            ~ Jennie S. Crowley, Chef Eric's Culinary Classrom

  

 

Give yourself a break! It's easier than you think to overcome your nervousness and increase your confidence. You don't need to be reluctant to get up to speak. Amaze yourself at how quickly you can get rid of whatever is holding you back!    

 

If the thought of giving a speech absolutely paralyzes you, it's time to change your thinking! You can overcome those debilitating fears and get rid of the limiting beliefs that keep you from speaking with confidence. At the same time, acquire tips and techniques that will make you a calm, cool, unique and sexy speaker!  

 

Smooth and Polish your present speaking skills!  Easily learn useful techniques to increase your capabilities and look and sound professional.

 

Giving a major speech for an important occasion? Need some guidance on writing and delivering it?  Quickly learn to organize your thoughts, create a skilled presentation, and speak to your audience with authority and enthusiasm.

 

Give yourself a gift that will last a lifetime.
All inquiries are confidential. Call for a *free* half-hour consultation at 310/659-8956 or email me at [email protected]

Comments & Kudos From My Readers

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж

  

I look forward to reading your "Speaking is Sexy" newsletter, which always has some unique thoughtful and important information that will help me in both my business and personal life  You have great insight, wisdom and pracitical tips to help guide me in my many speaking opportunities and coaching experiences.  Thank you, Marion!
~ Mary Berney, MSW, Executive Coach | DISC Trainer 

Ж Ж Ж Ж 


Each month I read the tips in Speaking is Sexy and it helps me refresh my skills.  As a lawyer, I need to be able to feel comfortable in giving speeches and the tips in the newsltter have continued to help me.  Thank you Speaking is Sexy! 
                                  ~Sharon Kopman, Attorney at Law

HOW CAN I HELP YOU? LET ME KNOW!

 

Would you like to comment on what you've seen here? Your feedback means a great deal to me. Contact me at [email protected]

 

Did you miss previous Speaking Tips? You can find them at www.marionclaire.com/newsletter

 

conftableFood for Thought

 

 

One of the sanest, surest and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.     
 ~ Archibald Rutledge       

 
           More about Marion Claire

 

Revealing An Embarrassing Secret   

      
      We all have an embarrassing secret that we don't want to reveal because we're afraid people will think less of us if we do so. For many, many years I hid mine. I was sure that people would look at me strangely or not want to be around me if they knew I was less than perfect. Boy, was I wrong!

      The thing about hiding the truth about yourself is that you are depriving yourself and the folks you come in contact with of the opportunity to have an honest relationship with you. True, you don't want to just blurt out your deepest feelings or most painful memories at inappropriate moments. You want to be sure your revelations will be received with kindness, consideration and sympathy, and not with distaste, anger or ridicule.

      But it is far better to be open about the things you cannot change that have shaped who you are. Facing the secrets of the past helps you understand yourself and it helps others understand you. And with understanding come the gifts of appreciation, sympathy, empathy, and love.

 

      So here's the embarrassing secret I used to be afraid to reveal.

      For over 20 years, I suffered from agoraphobia, the fear of crossing open spaces. Sometimes I couldn't leave my house for more than five minutes, without scurrying back inside. My enemy was not the great outdoors. It was simply fear.

      Everyone experiences fear on occasion. And everyone's fear is a little bit different, personal to the individual. Mine was fear of being alone out in the world. I didn't feel safe by myself. Although I was perfectly content to live on my own, I needed the comfort and companionship of someone I knew well whenever I ventured out of the safety of my home. No way could I dream of getting up to speak in front of a room full of strangers!

      I'm so proud to say that I overcame my fear. It took, first of all, the courage to admit there was something wrong. Then came the desire to fix it and to seek out the help I needed to overcome it.

      And wow! Look at me now!

      Today I speak in front of groups of all sizes, shapes and interests.  If I can do it, so can you!  Let me help you.  contact me at [email protected].  

Speak Your Mind with Marion Claire

PS - We don't like spam either! We will never share your information with anyone. If you would prefer not to receive communications from us in the future - just unsubscribe below.