Were you on last night’s Presentation Skills Webinar? If not, don’t worry! you can watch the recording of the entire webinar online here:

Better Presentation Skills Using Improv Comedy!

In additon to some great info on presentation skills, there are some special offers I announce in the video that are good until this Friday, 8/27!

Check it out now!
Better Presentation Skills Using Improv Comedy!

Thanks!
Avish

P.S. If you’d like to use the same tool I did for your own
broadcasts and video email, check out:
http://www.SuperDuperVideoTool.com

Here’s a reminder (or an announcement, if you missed my first notice about it!):

I am conducting a free presentation skills webinar tonight, Monday, Auguat 23rd at 8PM EST.

There is no charge, and you don’t even have to sign up! Just surf on over to:
http://www.SeeAvishLive.com
at 8PM tonight!

Please spread the word and invite anyone and everyone you know who would like to improve their presentation skills. The webinar is appropriate for all levels; I’ll be sharing two beginner concepts, two intermediate concepts, and two advanced concepts!

Webinar Info:
Monday, 8/23, 8PM EST
http://www.SeeAvishLive.com
No sign up necessary, just follow the link at 8PM EST on Monday the 23rd

(Note: If the system seems stuck on “Waiting for host” close out and try again)

See you on the webinar!

I have a new demo video for my keynote speaking business! This one does a great job of capturing my energy, humor, and crowd interaction. Check it out:

(If you would like a similar video for your speaking business, drop me a line and I will out you in touch with my Amanda, my video editor)

A Small Favor!

Like most independent business professionals, the lifeblood of my business is word of mouth and referral marketing. Since you just watched my video, I would very much appreciate it if you could take a moment and think about anyone who might like to bring this type of humor, energy, and message to their event…

Since it can be hard to think of exactly who would be a good contact, here are three questions that may help you think of some people who would be a good fit.

• Are you a member of any associations? If so, a conference committee member or board member is a great contact.
• Are you close to anyone (family member, friend, colleague) who belongs to an association or attends conferences?
• Do you know anyone who is a meeting planner, director of communication, VP of Sales/Marketing, or serves on a conference committee at any organization?

If you asnwered “yes” to any of the above, I would appreciate if you would send them to my Motivational Humorist Page so they can see the video and decide for themselves!

Thanks!
Avish

If you are a speaker (professional, casual, or aspiring), I have two free webinars coming up in the next week that you won’t want to miss!

1) Free Webinar On Video Email For Speakers – 8/19

I have recently started using a new video email tool that is very cool that less than 1% of all speakers use. This same tool is a VERY inexpensive way to have your own TV Station where you can broadcast anytime, anywhere for one flat fee. You can also have an UNLIMITED number of people watch the show.

On Thursday, 8/19, I (along with another expert on the system) will be using that system to conduct a short webinar on how speakers can
use these tools to connect with prospects and build their business.

Webinar Info:
Thursday, 8/19, 2PM EST
http://www.SeeAvishLive.com
(No sign up necessary, just follow the link at 2PM EST on Thursday the 19th)

2) Free Presentation Skills Webinar – 8/23

I will be using the above tool to conduct a no-cost, one hour (approximate) webinar on presentation skills! Using video streaming and slide broadcasting, I will share some great presentation skills tips from the world of improv comedy. The webinar is for all levels – I plan on sharing 2 basic ideas, 2 intermediate ideas, and 2 advanced ideas.

Webinar Info:
Monday, 8/23, 8PM EST
http://www.SeeAvishLive.com
(No sign up necessary, just follow the link at 8PM EST on Monday the 23rd)

Remember, both of these are free, and you don’t even have to sign up – just go to http://www.SeeAvishLive.com at the designated time.

The October Speaking School is coming up very soon! If you are considering attending, you might like to hear what one of our attendees had to say about his experience:

This one of a kind experience is a four day intensive training, limited to 6 people max, on how to drastically improve your presentation skills using the tools and principles of improv comedy. In just four days you will be a better, more authentic, and yes, funnier speaker!

Remember, early bird registration ends August 14th! To reserve your spot, visit www.TheSpeakingSchool.com now!

This past weekend I did a keynote for the National Association for Court Management. A few people “live tweeted” the speech, and I took a look at the Tweets afterward. It is pretty interesting to see what other people pull out of your speech as the most “Tweet-worthy.”

I have listed all the tweets regarding my speech below. This is basically a summary of my main points from my audience’s perspective. You might find some useful lessons and solid reminders to help you react when Ding Happens. The Tweets are listed chronologically (though my favorite is, I am crying so hard I cant tweet. So funny.).

Note #1: If any of the Tweets jump out at you as something you would like more info on, let me know in the comments or email me and I will write a future blog post on it!

Note #2: For more info about my keynote presentations, check out my Motivational Humorist Page.

Note #3: If you are not yet following me on Twitter, you can do so by clicking here.

Ding! Happens Live Tweets:

• Avish Parashar beginning keynote address after NACM business meeting concluded.
   
• NACM volunteer rings bell to help Avish improv.
   
• how well do you deal when the unexpected occurs?
   
• principle 1 – let go on what you can’t control and just do what you can control.
   
• the only thing you can control oftentimes is your response
   
• We can’t control situations but we can control our reactions to those situations.
   
• people will do stupid things you can’t control
   
• I am crying so hard I cant tweet. So funny.
   
• when “ding” happens don’t honk the horn.
   
• focus on what you can control, leave the rest
   
• remember to think about the big picture.
   
• it’s important to have a good attitude, try and be willing to make mistakes
   
• pbt – pause, breathe, think
   
• What is the big picture when something goes wrong? You need to pause, breathe, and think before reacting.
   
• ding can come on big and small sizes
   
• sometimes unexpected events are exactly what you need
   
• when ding happens, don’t say yes but….instead say yes and.
   
• When something unexpected happens, step back, regroup, refocus, and respond by thinking “yes, and…”
   
• Responding to situations using “yes,and” builds collaboration and positive energy.
   
• action always beats inaction
   
• Action always beats inaction.
   

***
Are you planning an event and looking for a great speaker to add humor and energy? Then visit Avish’s Motivational Humorist page now!
 

Announcement: I have launched a new blog (in conjunction with my friend and partner Fred Gleeck) called “Be Funny as a Speaker”!

As you might guess, the site is devoted to how you can add humor to your presentations and speeches. The advice on that site applies whether you are a humorist, comedian, or just a straight “content” speaker who would like to to be a little funnier. There are articles on general and advanced presentation skills as well. All of my “Talk Gooder” presentation skills type articles will now be posted there.

There are articles in four categories:

• How to be funny
• Advanced Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking Tips
• Funny Writing

You can also sign up on the site to receive the free MP3, “Improv Comedy for Speakers!”

Check it out now!
How To Be Funny As A Speaker

P.S. Do you have specific questions about how to be funny as a speaker? Or presentation skills in general? Send them over to me and I may very well write a blog post addressing your question!

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and gotten so frustrated because they just kept missing your point? Did you want to smack them in the head, grab their shoulders, and scream, “what’s wrong with you??” Sure, that’s a natural reaction. But it’s probably not the right one, especially since it may not be their fault – it may be yours…

A few days ago I was driving down the highway and I approached a entrance ramp where some cars where merging on to the road. I had a car to the left of me, so I couldn’t switch lanes (I look to do that if i can to make it easier for others to merge in). Instead, I slowed down a bit so the next car could get in front of me. Guess what he did? Nothing!

That’s right, he just kept on driving the same speed, even though I was giving him space to pull in front of me. I’m thinking, “come on buddy, cars are for driving. I’m letting you in here – stop acting like you don’t want to merge.”

I braked a little more, trying to give him more room. I could be wrong, but at this point I could swear he actually slowed down also! I considered slowing down to a full stop to see if he too would stop. We could get out, have a nice conversation, and share a warm cup of tea. All on the highway. But that would be ridiculous…

Finally, I realized this guy was never going to take advantage of my merging kindness and I just accelerated past him. Dumbass.

Come on, merge when I let you!

The next day the roles were reversed and I was the one merging onto the highway. I enter the accelerator lane and get my car up to speed. At this point there is a car in the lane to my left, just a smidge behind me. I don’t feel he is moving slow enough to let me in, nor do I feel there is enough space for me to pull in front of him.

We proceed on and this guy maintains his speed. I slow down a little to let him ass, and I swear, I think he slowed down too! Come on! Either speed up or slow down dumbass! Have a little consideration for others on the road!! Let me merge!!!

Finally, I accept the fact that he is not going to help me out, at all, so I brake pretty hard to let him pass and then finish my merge. If I was the type to give someone the finger, I may have given him the finger. I’m not that type, so instead, I did what I do best. I mocked him with my righteous indignation:

“I hate inconsiderate drivers. What an idiot. How do people like that exist in the world? People who don’t understand that we live in a society and the only way we survive and thrive is if we show each other a little consideration. Why am I so nice (even when people don’t take advantage of my kindness) while other people are jerks who just selfishly putter along without any semblance of driving etiquette? Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!”

Yes, I was something like this...

Was it possible that the “inconsiderate driver” who made it hard for me to merge was actually trying to let me merge in front of him? Is that why he was not accelerating past me? Because he was actually slowing down to a point that he thought would allow me to comfortably merge in front of him?

I want to saw “no way!” because as the person in the acceleration lane, I did not feel comfortable with either the space I had to merge or the speed at which he was driving.

Then I thought, hmm, let me rephrase that: “I did not feel comfortable merging with the space I perceived I had to merge at the speed I perceived he was driving.

The other driver and I had very different perceptions. I didn’t know what he was thinking. I didn’t know if he was braking. I had a different, tougher angle to try to see how much space was between us. He, of course, knew exactly what he thinking. He knew if he was braking. And he could clearly see that there was plenty of space for me to merge in front of him.

It’s like when you pass up a parallel parking spot because you are convinced it is too small, but when you walk past the spot later you say, “wow, this spot is waaaaay bigger than my car!” Different angles and positions create different perceptions.

Then I had an even more disturbing thought…

If the guy who I thought was an inconsiderate jerk when I was trying to merge was in fact trying to be nice and let me in but I didn’t realize it, does that mean that all those people I assumed were too stupid to take advantage of my driving kindness when I was trying to let them merge in front of me were not, in fact, stupid? Were they just unsure whether I was letting them merge because they had a very different perception than me?

Damn, I hate having revelations that make me the dumbass…

I now try to keep this lesson in mind when I drive: the other driver may not be an idiot; I may just not be communicating my intention to them clearly enough.

This same mentality applies to our communication off the road as well. Many times we get mad, annoyed, or frustrated at someone because they just don’t seem to “get it.” However, maybe the issue is not with their idiocy, but rather with the way we are communicating our message.

Here are two ways you can make sure your message is being clearly communicated:

Make Sure Your Message Is Being Received

What you say doesn't matter. What they understand is what matters

This lesson applies to any form of communication: sales, customer service, teamwork, leadership, and even personal communications with friends and loved ones. So many miscommunications happen simply because we assume the other person understood us when in fact they did not.

If you are talking to someone, here are a few ways to make sure your message is properly received:

• Pay attention to non-verbal responses – People will convey a lot of information to you non-verbally. Even if their mouth says, “yes, I understand,” their body language and tone of voice might betray confusion, disagreement, anger, or some other emotion that could leas to a problem down the line. Rather than taking their verbal response at face value, pay attention to what the rest of them is saying.
• Speak at the listener’s level – If you were asking a three year old to hand you the remote control, you would use very different language than if you were to ask an adult to hand it to you. That’s obvious. But you should apply the same mindset when communicating with different adults. Don’t speak the same way to everyone about everything. Some people need logic. Some like emotion. Some like preamble and disclaimers. Others want you to cut right to the point. If you want to reduce miscommunications, speak in the way your listener needs to be spoken to, not in the way you want to speak.
• Listen for how they respond – In normal communication, people will respond to things you say. Listen carefully to what the other person says back to you. Their choice of words can give you a clear indicator of what they took your meaning to be.
• Force a summary response – Be careful with this one because it can make you sound like a condescending jerk, but if you have a critical communication that you are not sure the listener understood, ask them to summarize it back to you. While doing this too much may make you sound like a controlling blowhard, it is the best way to make sure everything is clear.

Try To Understand the Other Person’s Perspective

You don't have to be psychic, but try to understand what's going on in the other person's head just a little

Someone hurts your feelings with an inconsiderate remark? Maybe that’s the way they were brought up to communicate. Are you offended that a co-worker didn’t invite you to their happy hour? Maybe they remembered a time you said, “I hate going to bars,” and assumed you wouldn’t want to go. Upset that you worked for hours on a project to make it great and your boss just responded to it with, “nice work”? Maybe he is a stoic man who doesn’t like to show emotion, and him saying, “nice work,” is the equivalent of another manager gushing on and on.

This does not mean you need to approve of or ignore rude behavior (in all three examples above the people could use a lot of work on their communication skills). But instead of blowing your top and making it a much bigger problem than it is, apply a little understanding, This will keep you calm and help you resolve the issue in a much more efficient manner.

Communication seems like the easiest thing in the world. We have been doing it pretty much since the time we were born. Communicating effectively, on the other hand, can be very challenging and takes practice. Start by remembering that the other person may have a very different perspective than you, and you will be well on the way to being a great communicator.

***
Are you planning an event and looking for a great speaker to add humor and energy? Then visit Avish’s Motivational Humorist page now!
 

Registration for my new “Virtual Humor Coaching Program” opens tomorrow, but only for people who have signed up for the “pre-information.” For everyone else, registration opens on Tuesday (if spots are left).

If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so here:

Virtual Humor Coaching Program Free Stuff!

By signing up (for free), you not only get first crack at
registering up for the full course, but you also get the
following great freebies:

• 4 Videos that can help you add humor to your presentations
• The 60 minute “Improv for Speakers” MP3
• The PDF report, “The 6 Steps to Using Improv to Be a Better Speaker”

Even if you are not planning on signing up for the coaching program, go sign up and check out the videos and audio now, as they are coming down at the end of this week!

Virtual Humor Coaching Program Free Stuff!

If you are uncertain about the full program, here is a video I put together outlining what’s in the whole program:

Go sign up now, and then keep your eyes peeled for the email tomorrow morning letting you know when registration opens!

Virtual Humor Coaching Program Free Stuff!

Next week I am launching my Virtual humor Coach Program. In that program, I will be not only teaching people how to add humor to their presentations, but I will also be watching, reviewing, and providing feedback on their speeches (all online).

As an example, I did a humor/video critique of myself. You can see the first few minutes here (even if you have no interest in the program, you can learn a lot from the notes I give to myself):

The video is about 20 minutes long. To see the rest, and get all the great tips and advice you can use right now, go to http://www.VirtualHumorCoach.com And sign up!

(Note: In this video, I say that you can “watch the full clip if the speech on this page.” Well, that’s true of the main page where the video is hosted, not here. To see that, along with a whole lot more footage of me giving feedback, visit www.VirtualHumorCoach.com now!

There are more videos on that site, as well as a free 60 minute MP3 and PDF report.

Check it out now!