Free Articles on Public Speaking and Communication Skills
Sandra Zimmer provides these articles related to public speaking, presentation skill training, communication training and overcoming fear of public speaking or stage fright. You are welcome to share these articles provided you include the name and contact information supplied with each article.
How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking in 6 Mostly Easy Steps
My Method to speaking in public focuses on transforming people who have a fear of public speaking into much more confident speakers. My clients are primarily business professionals who are good, often brilliant, at what they do, but who just aren’t comfortable sharing their ideas, insights and expertise in front of groups. Read more…
Gravitas for Men and Women Leaders
Gravitas is an attitude, character trait and self-expression skill that is deliberate, compels attention and commands respect from others. You naturally exude gravitas when you give weight or importance to anything you do. When you know that your ideas, words and actions are important, others perceive your importance and naturally value your contributions more. Read more…
How I Prepare Professionals to Interview for Leadership Positions
How I prepare professionals to interview for leadership positions is different from preparing young people to interview for entry level jobs. I stumbled on my interview coaching process for leaders when I started coaching people who had many years of experience and who wanted to advance to more senior levels of responsibility. Read more…
Being the Tiny Bell that Guides Others
I heard this story…Two horses grazed peacefully in a pasture. Upon closer look, you could see that one horse was blind. The other, a chestnut mare, wore a tiny bell around her neck. The bell was there to let the blind horse know where the mare was at all times. The horse’s owner had chosen not to put the blind horse down, but rather to let him live his best life with the assistance of the chestnut mare. Read more…
The Zimmer Method can Help You Hack the Flow State for Public Speaking
Public speakers can “hack” the flow state, that is, get into a state of presence if we understand the stages of the flow process and have the courage to use our natural fear and anxiety to catch the flow cycle. Twenty-five years ago, I developed a process that I intuitively knew could help speakers transform stage fright and Read more…
Soft Eye Contact Draws Audience Attention Magnetically
One secret to making genuine connection with audiences that will hold their attention magnetically is to use a soft eye contact. Read More…
Develop Gravitas & Executive Presence
Executive Presence is hard to describe but easy to recognize in a room of people. In a group meeting, one person will stand out as a leader because that person exhibits a quality of gravitas. That person may or may not be the stated leader. Read More…
How Sticking Out Your Tongue When Making “Th” Sounds Improves Your Pronunciation
Many of my accent reduction clients are dismayed at my asking them to stick out their tongues! As a non-native speaker learning to pronounce sounds of English, you may often have to utilize your tongue, teeth and lips more actively than when speaking your native language. Read More…
Want to Speak Like Steve Jobs?
I had never seen Steve Jobs talk before; but after he died, I heard lots of people rave about the way he spoke in public. It seemed like many people thought he was the epitome of a great speaker. Read More…
Seven Ways to Pronounce the Letter “A”
One challenge of accent reduction or accent modification for non-native speakers of English is the fact that vowels can be pronounced several ways. An example is the letter “a.” Read More…
How to Say a few Words When You are not Prepared
Speaking in groups and meetings is an essential skill for every business professional. You are expected to be able to share your ideas, expertise and experience to contribute to your company’s success. If you can’t speak up and speak out, you hit a glass ceiling past which you can’t advance in your company. Read More…
Just What is Business Writing Coaching?
Good business writing, an essential skill to most management positions, can be taught. Although there are classes and online resources for improving English language proficiency and writing skills, there is great value in having a living human, one who is fully present to the goals and needs of the clients, to work one-on-one with them. Read More…
Create Your Own Work; Make Your Own Job
“The Social Network” is a movie which tells a story about how Mark Zuckerberg and friends founded Facebook. In the movie, the President of Harvard says, “Harvard grads think it is better to create a job than to find a job working for someone else.” Read More…
How to Practice a Speech, Talk or Presentation Easily
My speaking clients often ask me how they can practice for their talks and presentations. They feel overwhelmed with learning a talk and just don’t seem to have enough time to practice, so they don’t! I do practice, but I like for it to be easy. I don’t want practice to take a long time. Read More…
Transforming Your Self: You Can Become Anything You Want to Be.
I studied acting for many years. I thought acting would help me become somebody. I think it did. Much of what I have become and been able to accomplish is due to my acting training and experience. The one thing I learned from acting is how to become something new. Read More…
Believe In Yourself!
I have been musing about believing in myself more. I have a certain amount of confidence in myself, but I think I can believe and do more. Read More…
Embodying Creativity
Where does creativity come from? The roots of creativity have been researched and pondered by scientists, artists and philosophers for centuries but a definitive answer still eludes us. Read More…
PowerPoint – An “Epidemic” Sapping Presenter Effectiveness & Costing Deals
Has PowerPoint gone from useful tool to emotional roadblock for business presenters – potentially causing them to lose out on high-stakes sales presentations? Absolutely! Read More…
What Idea will You Represent in 2010?
In an interview with Tavis Smiley, Will Smith asserted that he wants to represent an idea, a possibility of magic. He related to the metaphor of alchemy, turning lead into gold. He meant this not literally, but metaphorically, of transforming his personality into soul. Read More…
Turning Anxiety into Excitement: A Tip for Stage Fright, Fear of Public Speaking or General Anxiety
Human emotional energy either contracts or expands. When your energy is contracting, you feel negative emotions such as fear and anxiety, anger and sadness. But when your energy is expanding, you feel positive emotions like excitement, joy, love and power. Read More…
Transform Stage Fright Into Authentic Presence
Those of you who have the most stage fright or fear of public speaking have the potential to be the most impactful speakers or performers, because you have the feelings! Your feelings are up to the surface where you can use them to create a genuine emotional connection with the audience. Read More…
Express, Communicate & Get Connected
The root of all unhappiness is disconnection from self and from others. Human beings are wired for connection. When we are connected, we are wild with joy. We are filled with spiritual juice and life works magically. Read More…
Want to Be More Attractive? Exude Charisma? Express Yourself!
One of the healthiest things you can do for yourself is self-expression. People who express themselves fully are healthier, happier, more confident and energetic, and much more attractive. That’s because expression of your inner thoughts and feelings releases negativity from your body and being. Read More…
Attack the System, not the Person – A Leadership Communication Concept
I like to get what I want and I also like to empower other people. When I can do both at the same time, I am really happy! One of my favorite core concepts for leadership communication is what I call “attack the system, not the person.” Read More…
GET WHAT YOU WANT MOST OF THE TIME:
I am of the belief that self-expression is a path to transformation. To express yourself means that you give yourself permission to share your inner reality with the outside world of others. Ex-press means to press out, to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings so that others see you for who you really are. Read More…
How to Use Negative Emotion to Your Benefit
I am of the belief that self-expression is a path to transformation. To express yourself means that you give yourself permission to share your inner reality with the outside world of others. Ex-press means to press out, to reveal your inner thoughts and feelings so that others see you for who you really are. Read More…
How to Say a few Words When You are not Prepared
Speaking in groups and meetings is an essential skill for every business professional. You are expected to be able to share your ideas, expertise and experience to contribute to your company’s success. If you can’t speak up and speak out, you hit a glass ceiling past which you can’t advance in your company. Read More…
Don’t Talk to Strangers: How Caring for Your Audience Helps Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking
So often, speakers feel that they are getting up in front of strangers. And worse, they expect that the strangers in their audience will be unaccepting or disapproving of what they have to say. The thought that they might not like you or agree with you triggers a terrifying reaction in your body and mind. Read More…
Aspects of Voice Training to Develop a Great Speaking Voice
You can have a great speaking voice that compels people to pay attention to you. You can also develop your voice as an instrument for opening to greater aliveness. Read More…
Acting Techniques for Professional Presence
If all the world’s a stage, it’s no wonder those with performing arts backgrounds do so well in non-theater jobs like lawyer, engineer, architect, marketer, educator or business executive. Read More…
Networking for Introverts – How to Make Connection in a Crowded Room of Strangers
People who are introverts or highly sensitive have special abilities that are valuable in networking events, group meetings and social settings. However, they often try to imitate the networking styles of extroverts instead of developing methods more suitable to their own sensibilities. Read More…
Connective Presence – Three Steps to Being at Home in Front of Groups
Not everyone has severe stage fright or fear of public speaking. Many people tell me the first few minutes of a talk or speech are filled with tension and anxiety. Read More…
Develop Your Authentic Public Speaking Style – Seven Tips
When it comes to speaking, presenting or performing, each of us must decide how we are going to present ourselves to the world. We might each ask ourselves, “Will I create an image I think my audience will approve or will I risk presenting myself as I authentically am?” Read More…
Develop The Power Of Presence To Compel Attention When You Speak In Groups
Everyone is talking about the secret of the law of attraction to draw the things you want into your life. I want to talk about a different power of attraction – the power of presence to compel attention when you speak in groups or in front of others. Read More…
Making Expertise Statements
Most of the time when you share your expertise, it is on the spur of the moment in a spontaneous situation where you need to tap into your knowledge and expertise to help your clients. A model to help you make an expertise statement connects your experience to the interests of the client. Read More…
There is Only One Audience in the World: How to Create a Supportive Audience
My public speaking students ask, “What if I speak to an audience that is hostile? How do I deal with that?” This question usually comes up after they have transformed a great deal of stage fright and are feeling very comfortable at the center of attention in their class group. Read More..
Transforming Yourself through Speaking & Performing
Speaking from the Heart is transformational speaking, with much more profound implications than simply being able to speak in front of other people. In the process of transforming yourself into being more of who you are, your life shifts to a higher level because you have more of your whole self available for communicating and being with others. Read More…
RECEIVING
More and more, I believe that the secret to success in life and in business is “receiving.” What does receiving have to do with success? Everything! To receive is to take in something or someone with acceptance. Read More…
My Left Foot & Transformation
I’m writing my first article of 2008 seated next to a pair of crutches! Just after the New Year, I took a quick tumble down my staircase, spraining my left foot and cracking the ankle bone, Ouch! I remember thinking “Ooh! That’s not good!” as I felt my foot turn under. Read More…
Joining Up – The Art of Persuasion
Persuasion is about Joining-Up with another person. It requires that you hold a guided conversation with that person where you join up with his natural wishes and desires to help him get what he wants. Read More…
Prepare to Propel Yourself into the Future
Life presents opportunities- moments that can propel us into a future of expanded experience. When the moment comes to turn the tide of life, what is it that prepares us to catch the opportunity? Read More…
Being the Tiny Bell that Guides Others
I heard this story…Two horses grazed peacefully in a pasture. Upon closer look, you could see that one horse was blind. Read More…
Is Your Promise Your Word
Long have I been frustrated by the fact that some people say one thing and do another thing. It has often frustrated me when a family member, friend or business associate tells me they will do something and then does not do it as they said they would. Read More…
The Power of Receptive Connection
This past Saturday, I was privileged to speak at the Channel 8 PBS Living Smart Conference for women. My talk focused on the power of receptive connection and how that makes it easier to communicate with others. Read More…
Giving and Receiving
At this time each year, we give and receive tangible gifts to show our love. Giving and receiving attention are also gifts – intangible ones. Perhaps the most precious gift you can offer to others is the gift of giving your attention and receiving others. Read More…
Plant Seeds of Potential in Your Ground of Being
A seed is unexpressed potential. You are a seed of potential. What is your potential? What are the possibilities in your life that have not yet come to fruition? Read More…
HBJ Interviews Sandra Zimmer: Becoming a Good Public Speaker Takes Practice
Dealing with large sums of money and making personnel decisions come naturally to most business people. But despite their ability to tackle such huge responsibilities, many business people aren’t able to speak effectively in public. Read More…
Don’t Let Reliance on PowerPoint Cripple your Business
PowerPoint, for many business presenters, has gone from useful tool to crippling crutch, actually becoming a deficit instead of an asset. Read More…
Sarah’s Time to Shine
When Sarah Webster’s boss retired from his position as Regional Sales Manager of a brokerage firm, she was disappointed to find that she was not the obvious choice to be promoted into his position. Read More…
See the Seeds of Greatness in Others
I believe that each person has seeds of greatness inside. I am most proud that we at the Self-Expression Center have been very successful at supporting people to develop their natural abilities to express and communicate in the world. Read More…
Communication Creates Confidence
Good communication is like using a power drill. You know you’ll eventually get there with a screwdriver but with the power drill you feel the ease, confidence and enjoyment. Read More…
Leadership: Stepping into the Role
Leadership is stepping in front of others to deliver the message needed to direct others toward growth and success. This week, our acting classes are performing a play that they have rehearsed these past few weeks. Read More…
Receiving 2010
In 1982, during a deep meditation, I heard a clear, strong, spiritual voice say, “Sandra, all you have to do is receive!” Startled from my meditation, I cried, “But how do I do that?” Read More…
About Sandra Zimmer
