Help me name my book!

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I am notoriously bad at coming up with titles. You might have noticed a slew of boring titles on this here blog, and all I can say is that I sure hope the content is way better than the titles.

Now, I'm in the process of writing a book/e-book on making presentations fun. The book will cover many aspects of fun: props, visuals, games, skits, stories, music, activities, tools, tricks, etc., and will include my stories and stories from other speakers about how we make presentations fun for our audiences (and for ourselves!).

I'm also going to put up another site that will revolve around this same concept and will allow readers to add their own stories, videos, etc. I'd like the name of the site and the name of the book to be the same.

I'm leaning toward a really boring name, like "Making Presentations Fun." Ugh. Even if I started with a name like that, I would still need a good subtitle.

So I've decided to make this a contest. Please submit your suggestions either in the comments below, or if you're shy, by e-mail (you'll find my contact info in the sidebar). Deadline for submitting your suggestions is December 17.

I'll take full names. I'll take subtitles that would make my boring title interesting. Whatever you've got, I'll take it.

If your name is picked, I'll send you your choice of either my "101 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking" (see what I mean?), or a copy of the new book/e-book when it comes out.

Let the contest begin!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Another giveaway! There's an Adult in My Soup!

One of my favorite blogs to read has been the Escape Adulthood blog by Kim and Jason Kotecki.

Even though it -- technically -- has nothing to do with public speaking, I have always found it relevant to what a lot of people go through in avoiding public speaking. The fear of looking foolish, the fear of trying new things, the fear of standing out: all symptoms of "adultitis," a term coined by Kim and Jason to explain a condition "marked by chronic dullness, mild depression, moderate to extremely high stress levels, a general fear of change, and, in some extreme cases, the inability to smile."

Here are some posts where I've referenced their concepts:

Overwhelmed and busy ... do we have a choice?

It's okay to be a beginner

The secret to productivity ... and public speaking?

Who cares if you mess up?

ANYWAY, they've got a new book out, called "There's an Adult in My Soup," a compilation of essays and blog posts -- "recipes for cooking up the life of your dreams." And I'm going to give one away (signed!) to celebrate my third anniversary of blogging, and also because I think everyone needs less adultitis in their lives.

Some of my favorite essays:

"Busy: The New Four-Letter Word," is about how adults tend to compete over who's busiest. The problem is, nobody wins in this competition. It's all lose-lose.

Kim officially makes the word "busy" a bad word. As she says, "The funny thing is that everyone has the same amount of time, so if you are 'busy' it's your own fault. The flaw is in you."

"FTERA. Do You Have It?" Failure To Enjoy Recent Accomplishments is a new malady discovered by Jason's father where we do not take time "to delight in the little things and maintain perspective." (See my blog Yay Life! for more on enjoying the little things.)

FTERA is about always wanting or needing the next thing to come along. We can't be content to be satisfied with what's already accomplished; we have to constantly be grasping for the next event/activity/project.

"Stress Begets Stress" Kim says, "I happened upon an article talking about the trend of commuters leaving earlier and earlier, while also leaving work later in the day to avoid traffic, only to find themselves pulling twelve- to thirteen-hour days. Adultitis, much?"

"The lesson here is simple. YOU are in charge of your life. If it's a stressed-out mess, it's time to stop blaming your circumstances and start moving towards change."

"Silly Ideas" How many of you have a "silly" idea that you're afraid to pursue because you're worried about how others will think of you? I thought so. A lot. Kim and Jason encourage "dreaming big and following through on 'silly' ideas."

This book focuses on all of my favorite ideas: taking charge of your life, making your own choices, facing the naysayers, embracing who you are and what you want out of life, and letting your childlike curious and fun-seeking self out of the closet.

If you don't win it in my giveaway, I highly encourage you to buy it. And even if you don't buy it, please take a look at Escape Adulthood. I promise it will inspire you and brighten your day. And who doesn't need some of that?

Tell me in the comments how you fight adultitis in your life! I will draw a random name from the commenters on Monday, October 19. What better day to fight adultitis, adults' most hated day of the week?

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Yesterday's inspirational speaker: Susan B. Anthony

Download audio here.

Here's more on Susan B. Anthony from the Cracker Jack prize:

"In her 50 years as a reformer, Susan B. Anthony championed many causes, including the abolishment of slavery and equality for all. But it was her tireless work as an organizer and inspirational speaker for women's rights for which she is best known. She was convinced that truly equal opportunities for women could not be realized until women gained the right to vote. Twenty years after she resigned as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and fourteen years after her death, the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote."

In fact, the entire women's movement arose from the abolitionist movement, which makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Susan B. Anthony is one of my heroes; here's a post I wrote about her and Elizabeth Cady Stanton for International Women's Day two years ago: http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/2007/03/international-womens-day-little-late.html.

We should never take for granted the human and civil rights we have today because of the hard work of women and men from past generations. And the fight is not over; people still struggle around the world for basic rights.

How do these advocates make change happen? By speaking out! By using their voices to educate, inform and persuade. By learning how to reach their audiences on an emotional level that motivates them to take action.

And it's not just in front of large audiences that we can effect positive change with our voices. When you hear an offensive comment, do you say something or do you let it go, embarrassed to speak up and confront the person? Change happens one person at a time. Using your voice to make the world a better place is one of the most generous and satisfying ways you can contribute to change.

What would you like to see improved in your community, your state, your country, your universe? Maybe you should consider doing something about it! Speak up!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Guess the inspirational speaker! Win a prize!

Can You Guess Who I Grew Up to Be? (This quiz is from a Cracker Jack prize.)

"I was the second of eight children born into a strict Quaker family. My father was a stern man who taught us self-discipline and to believe in our own self-worth. I was an intelligent child, learning to read and write by the time I was three. As a Quaker, I was taught that all people were equal, regardless of gender or race, a belief not shared by most people at the time. In fact, because I was a woman, I never had the legal right to vote in my lifetime."

I'll send a copy of my e-book "101 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking" to the first three people who guess correctly.

P.S. I guessed it on my first try. :-)

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Vote for Speak Schmeak in Best Coaching Blogs contest

If you enjoy this blog, please show your love by voting for me in the Best Coaching Blogs 2009 contest! And if you leave a comment, it helps my "scoring," too.

Thanks, y'all!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Blog title winners

Winners in the contest to title last Monday's blog post are Diane Broos with "Tea-ed off" and Robert Stevenson with "Knowing when to leaf well enough alone." I decided to combine the two into one title, and voila! "Tea-ed off: Knowing when to leaf well enough alone."

Diane and Robert each win a copy of my "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence" e-course CD.

Thanks to everyone who contributed; you are all so much more creative than I am. I will probably be asking for your assistance again!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Tea-ed off: Knowing when to leaf well enough alone

Thank you for all your suggestions! The contest is closed. (Leave your best title for this post in the comments, along with your comments on the post, of course. Best title wins a copy of my e-course! Deadline 5/29.)

Hubby and I stopped into a new tea shop in town the other day. We've been to other locations of this chain and wanted to see what their new shop was like here. It was opening weekend, and for a tiny shop, they had about ten staff on the floor!

As we walked in the door, we were met by two employees offering samples of tea. We each took a cup, thanked them and moved on. We were followed by one employee who immediately went to the next teapot and said, "Do you want to try the rarest tea in the world?" Before I was even able to answer, she went on.

"Antioxidants... healthy... good for complexion... make a face mask when you're done drinking it... blah blah blah."

I didn't get half of what she said, because she was bombarding me with one piece of information after another. She continued to follow me, telling me about products, until I found a moment to interject and tell her I didn't need any help.

Here's the thing. Hubby and I are quite knowledgeable about tea. Hubby is in the specialty foods industry and has been working with tea and tea vendors for many years. We are both certified by the Specialty Tea Institute and have been planning on opening a tea shop ourselves for some time. Rarest tea in the world? I can think of ten teas that are more rare than the one she showed me.

When I made my way to the tea counter, there she was again! She asked me if she could tell me about any teas, and then immediately opened a canister and started waving the lid in my face so I could smell the tea.

Did it occur to this woman to ask us if we were even tea drinkers? Did it occur to her to ask us if we had been in their store before? Or to ask us what kinds of teas we like?

No, and I was immediately turned off.

Just like your audience is when you don't make an effort to find out what they care about.

I understand how exciting it is to want to share your information. To you, it is the most fascinating thing in the world. You want everyone to know what you know!

However, what is interesting to you is not necessarily what's interesting or valuable to your audience, and if you don't find out what that is, you will turn off a lot of people.

I couldn't wait to get out of the store. I didn't want to buy anything and I don't feel at the moment like I would bother going back.

Don't assume you know what they want or what they already know. Ask. Get to know them. Be sensitive to their needs and concerns. Be interested in them and don't just focus on pushing your own agenda.

Share your story about a pushy salesperson (or speaker...)! And don't forget to submit a title for this post!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Identify this concept and win my e-book!

Here's the partial transcript of a conversation I had the other day on Twitter with fellow speaker Chris Elliott. Chris is being a good sport allowing me to post our conversation here. Make sure to visit his blog and add him to your Twitter tweeps.

Be the first person to tell me in the comments which concept this conversation represents from the book "Made to Stick," and I'll send you a free copy of my e-book "101 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking." Hint: I've written about it before.

Me: "What's all this 'cloud' business? Someone please explain."

Chris: "The cloud is the idea that all your data can be stored in the cloud to be accessed by applications on multiple devices."

Me: "But what is the cloud?"

Chris: "The cloud is that it is not a discrete environment for data/applications. see wikipedia entry : http://tinyurl.com/2qjapp"

Me: "Thanks for the wikipedia entry. The more you tell me, the more confused I get."

Chris: "Twitter is an example - data stored on a server but accessible by a large variety of applications."

Chris: "One way to think about it: your data is all on the web and you can access it from a whole bunch of different devices."

My final response might give it away, so that's all you get.

What are your thoughts? Examples? Do you do this? (I'm out of the office all day today, so I won't be able to get back to you till tomorrow if there's a winner.)

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

One week left to nominate me as your BlogHer Hero!

Nominate me as your BlogHer Hero and I might win a trip to BlogHer conference '08! Here's the nomination form. Contest ends May 31.

And thank you to those who have already submitted nominations in my favor!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Contest winners announcement

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a copy of my e-course, "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence." I really appreciate the thought everyone put into their entries!

The winners have been chosen, and they are Stephanie Garnes, Ron Kirkland, and Andrew Dlugan.

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you again to everyone else who contributed!

Sign up here for notification about when the e-course is relaunched, and for the opportunity to register for the e-course before it goes on sale to the general public.

Because I'm offering coaching alongside the new program, I will be limiting the number of copies available. Get on the list now to be notified so you don't miss out!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Blog contest winners announced Monday

The contest to win one of three copies of my e-course is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered!

I'll post the winners here Monday!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Last day to enter the contest!

Today is your last chance to enter to win a copy of my e-course, "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence" that's relaunching in January, along with some other goodies.

Contest ends at midnight EST tonight!

Contest prizes, details and rules here.

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Blog contest reminder

Reminder about the rules of the contest: you must leave me your e-mail address and first and last name, or at least your first name and last initial, followed up by an e-mail to me with your last name.

It's fine to link to your Blogger profile, if your name and e-mail address can be found there. No name, no prize.

Thank you, and keep on entering!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Speak Schmeak blog contest - enter to win!

Enter the Speak Schmeak blog contest for a chance to win one of three copies of my new and improved (audio! video!) "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence" e-course when it relaunches in January.

You may be wondering, "How do I enter?"

Simply leave a comment on this post answering the following question:

"How would you use me as your personal public speaking coach if I moved in with you for seven weeks?" Tell me what speaking and presentation issues you'd work on if you had me at your beck and call.

Do you have a deadline looming and you're procrastinating on starting your outline?

Do you have a completed presentation that needs revitalizing?

Are you required to use PowerPoint but don't have a clue about where to begin?

Do you fall to pieces when you have to speak up in a meeting?

The most compelling and persuasive answer wins!

You may be asking, "What could I win?"

1. Three winners each get a copy of my new and improved e-course fresh from the oven in January!

Details of the revised e-course will be coming soon, but here are some success stories you can read right now.

Sign up here to receive updates about the relaunch of the e-course.

2. I will also be giving away my new (to be released in January) e-book, "101 Tips to Improve Your Speaking" to each winner.

3. Probably a goodie or two from the Speak Schmeak shop. . .

Contest = fun! Contest = prize! Enter now!

Contest rules

1. Only online submissions will be accepted. I will not accept e-mailed, faxed or mailed entries.

2. To enter, leave a comment on this post between today, November 30, 2007 at 9:00 p.m. EST, and Friday, December 13, 2007 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

3. Submit your full name and e-mail address. Partial names, initials, etc. will not be accepted. (If you're paranoid about this, comment with your first name, last initial and e-mail address, and e-mail me with the full information.)

4. No purchase is required for entry.

4. The winner will be announced on December 17, 2007.

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!