Back to S.C.H.O.O.L.

My daughter is grown and out of the nest!  However, August still feels like back-to-school time for me because it’s a month that I’m usually speaking to education groups to kick off the academic year.

Three of my five paid speaking engagements this month have been on university campuses.  I facilitated two staff retreats and served as a closing speaker for a week-long institute.

This busy month of campus commitments always signals the end of the more leisurely paced summer and the beginning of the busy fall speaking season.

As you prepare for your fall classes, meetings and workshops, try out the acronym “S.C.H.O.O.L” that I created to highlight the elements of powerful public speaking.

Hope this helps you get an A+ on your next presentation!   Have a great back-to-school season!

S –  Sincerity – Fakes will be found out; be yourself

C –  Connection – Get to know your audience; involve them

H –  Humor – Truth  stranger than fiction;  share personal stories

O –  Open-minded – Be open to audience input; VALIDATE them

O –  Outcome – What do you want to inspire audience to DO?

L  –  Lessons – What are the main points you want to make?

For more on public speaking see Oct 2011 blog: “Sarita’s 7 Secrets for Speaking Success”