Volume V, No. 9                                                                               June 2014

"Dreams are renewable.

No matter what our age or condition,

there are still untapped possibilities within us waiting to be born."

                                                            

   ~ Dale Turner             
                   
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Included In This Issue
Need a 30-60 Second Elevator Speech?
What's On My Bookshelf?
Get Help Writing Your Speech!
Speaking Tip Vol. V, #9 ~ Script Blindness
Have Speech, Will Travel!
Food for Thought
The Clock Is Ticking! (Time to Be a Unique & Sexy Speaker)
More about Marion Claire ~ Revealing an 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

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Need a 30-60 Second 'Elevator' Speech? 


          Be irresistible in 30-60 seconds or less. Describe yourself in compelling terms that tell people how much they'll benefit from working with you. Show them with confidence and flair that you can answer their questions and help them solve their problem. Contact me at 310/659-8956 or marion@marionclaire.com. I'll coach you to put your best foot forward in a minute or less!

"Marion, your presentation (on the 30-60 second Intro) today was excellent! I definitely have take-aways from it, especially your suggestion that we 'provide a solution to an emotional problem people have'.  That's a nice twist on the difficulty of doing a good elevator speech!  I think it will enhance our communication and will foster more referrals.  Thank you very much for your expertise." 
~ Ivy B. Rappaport, LTC & Life Insurance Specialist  

 

Need a 30-60 second intro? CALL MARION!

What's On My Bookshelf? 
  

      
       Want to know the speaking tips used by experts?  SECRETS OF A UNIQUE & SEXY SPEAKER, 155 Helpful Speaking Tips for Writing Your Speech, Facing the Audience & Overcoming Fear! may be the perfect solution.  Keep it in your pocket or on your desk for a bit of quick help year round to make you look and sound like a unique & sexy professional speaker. This is a book for speakers of all levels, from first-timers to 'been there, done that'.


        Your personal autographed copy is available
                  now
at marion@marionclaire.com

Don't want the autograph?  Go to
www.BalboaPress.com www Amazon.com, or www.BarnesandNoble.com. 
     

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

"This is a very good book. I have been recommending it to everyone I know!

                   ~ Dr. Tamara Eskenazi, Professor, HUC 

 

 

"I have a whole new mindset about getting up to speak after reading Marion's book.  I was quite nervous before, but she showed me another way of looking at the audience which made me feel more confident.  And I liked the way the Speaking Tips reinforce the advice in every chapter.  It's a terrific book and it really helped me."

       ~ Larry Freedman, Dynamic Nursing Service 

  


GET HELP WRITING YOUR SPEECH! 

  

"Wow!  I am totally blown away, Marion!  Thank you!  Hope to use your services again soon."
~ Victoria Ferro, CEO, MicroKey Solutions, Inc.

          Do you need to create a talk for a company conference, a toast for your son's wedding, your mother's milestone birthday, your father's retirement celebration or even a eulogy for a memorial service? Too overwhelmed to do it yourself? Let me help you make it easier to have a speech you'll be proud of. We'll create it together over the phone, quickly and thoroughly, and you'll have the right words just when you need them. 

 

         Why struggle when you can get it written without the trauma? Contact me at marion@marionclaire.com or call me at 310/659-8956 and get it done fast.

 

Thank you for your help. Love it. If you don't mind, I will use you again when I have to speak. Thank you so much.
~Andrew Lotter, CEO, Ameriflight, Inc. 

"My speech was a hit! Thank you so much for your guidance and help.  I received so many compliments from the audience. I would love to retain your services in the future to help me become a more comfortable writer and speaker."
~ Angela W.

Need help with your speech? CALL MARION!


Speaking Tip Vol. V, #9

SCRIPT BLINDNESS

            The other day I needed to ask for telephone help to access an account I hadn't used in awhile. I'd forgotten the entry sequence and just wanted a quick, two sentence reminder: "First you do this, then you do that. That's all there is to it." Unfortunately, that's not what I got.
           
For close to 15 agonizing minutes I sat there biting my nails and listening to the person on the other end of the phone repeat the same information at least twice even though I got it the first time. That was only the beginning.
            I had the ill-advised temerity to ask a clarifying question. Big mistake. He had to start again from the beginning and repeat the same information a third time without, it seems, stopping to take a breath. No matter how many times or how loudly I asked him to please stop talking, he never heard me. There was no pause long enough for me to say, "Wait a minute! I got that." He was paying no attention to me on the other end of the phone at all. I pictured him in a little cubicle somewhere, staring at his computer, in a kind of hypnotic state where the information he was reading off the screen went in through his eyes and out through his mouth, bypassing his brain, and certainly his ears, completely!

            Unfortunately, there are public speakers who suffer from the same script blindness.

            I once had the misfortune to sit through almost an hour-long 'talk' given by a professor at a lunchtime gathering. He was extremely knowledgeable, had been teaching for many years, and obviously knew and loved his material. The part he forgot was that he wasn't alone in the room.

            I could tell that he was enthralled by the ins and outs of his subject and gloried in the sound of his own voice. He read without stopping, only occasionally pausing to take a breath, and looking a bit startled to see us all looking back at him if he happened to accidentally raise his eyes. He quickly looked down at his page again, where he'd carefully kept a finger to mark the place, and kept right on reading. Once or twice, when he did deign to look at us, someone would raise a hand to ask a question. If he noticed, he gave no sign. Down his eyes went again to the place where he'd left off, and he resumed the hypnotic rhythm and cadence of his own voice.

            Many members of the audience started to check their cellphones. A few began whispered conversations. A couple fell asleep. One snored and his friend kept elbowing him awake, to no avail. Within a few minutes, one by one people stood up, marched up the aisle and out the back doors. Within another ten minutes, about half the audience had disappeared.

            The professor never noticed. He just kept on reading.

            Out of curiosity, I stuck it out to the end. There were a handful of us remaining when the professor pronounced his final sentence and looked up for the last time. Was he surprised that there were so few listeners left and almost no applause? He did look a trifle flustered, then gathered his pages and marched stiffly out of the room, without a glance behind. We all filed out quietly and went back to work.

            I don't remember his name or what he spoke about, but I keep the picture of him in my mind as a perfect example of the kind of public speaker I never want to be. He had a gift to give, and an audience that wanted to receive it. And yet, as accomplished an expert in his field as he was, he wasted it all. What a shame!

  

Want to use this Speaking Is Sexy Tip in your Newsletter or Blog?  
You can, as long as you include this entire blurb:  Marion Claire coaches entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals of all kinds to become the confident public speakers they long to be.  An autographed copy of her book, SECRETS of a UNIQUE & SEXY SPEAKER, is available on her website.  She'll customize a Keynote Speech or Workshop for your organization and help you write your speech for almost any occasion.  For more information go to: www.marionclaire.com 
"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, david@feldover.com

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 

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

Have Speech, Will Travel!

 

 

Stand and Deliver:

Impress the Audience as a
Unique
& Sexy Speaker

 

 

"Your talk was smashing!  Thank you so much for taking the time to share your expertise with our NAWBO-LA membership.  We truly appreciate it!"

~Mina Trujillo, PR & Marketing Specialist

 

      Looking for a dynamic, entertaining Speaker for your next meeting or conference? Whether you need a Keynote Speech, Presentation or Workshop, I'll design an informative, amusing, value-laden talk specifically for you and your organization. Choose 30 minutes, an hour, two hours or more in your choice of formats. I'll reveal the secrets professional speakers use including techniques to overcome pre-speech jitters, grab the audience's attention, keep them tuned in and leave them wanting more. Contact me at: Marion@marionclaire.com or call me at 310/659-8956. Let me help you solve your speaking needs.

  

 

Looking for a terrific Speaker? CALL MARION!

conftableFood for Thought

 

  

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.

 

 ~ Phillip Brooks         

The Clock Is Ticking!  It's Time to be the Unique and Sexy
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

  

 

            If the thought of giving a speech paralyzes you, it's time to change your thinking! Work with a coach to streamline the process of organizing your ideas, create a skilled presentation to deliver with authority and enthusiasm, and increase your ability to look and sound professional. Let me show you the tips and techniques you need to make you a calm, cool, unique & sexy speaker!   

 

        All inquiries are confidential. Call for a *free* half-hour consultation at 310/659-8956 or email me at Marion@marionclaire.com.

Need a speaker's coach? CALL MARION!

 
           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. 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 Marion@marionclaire.com.  

Speak Your Mind with Marion Claire

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