Frequently asked questions about the Prepare to Speak system:
If I’m not able to get the feedback from a live trainer, how can I be so sure I’m on the right track?
Because the text and software versions of Prepare to Speak are self-guided, we’ve included carefully designed mechanisms to ensure you’re on the right track. Each step of the five-step process includes SelfCheck – questions and answers to guarantee that you’re going in the right direction.
And what if you find you’re not? We’ve also included a thorough Appendix of exercises and samples from previous successful users of the program. The text and software-based training versions also include a checklist of common critiques and solutions for avoiding the common traps that speakers sometimes find themselves in.
Users of Prepare to Speak have found that the program offers a bonus dividend. The same organizational structure that creates a clear, concise presentation also automatically helps users improve their delivery.
How is Prepare to Speak different than the other "How To" books on the market?
We don’t claim that Prepare to Speak is the only way to effectively create a presentation. We do guarantee that Prepare to Speak is a very effective, organized and methodical approach to creating presentations. It’s streamlined and efficient. Who has time to read through anecdotes and trivia found in many other text-based systems? We certainly didn’t, and we don’t think you do, either. Instead, our system provides you with all you need to know, without filler.
Because the system provides you with the foundation to organize all of your communication, you see tangible results. You’ll:
How is Prepare to Speak different than other speaking seminars on the market?
We typically ask three questions in response to this question:
Have you ever gone to a seminar and come back to the office with a big, thick binder?
Do you still have that binder?
Have you ever referred back to your binder?
Virtually everyone answers: yes, yes, no.
Prepare to Speak has never been a typical seminar because it’s a process of long-term skill development. What you learn from the system is something that you use to communicate every day. The system’s main goal is to provide you with an organizational foundation that will improve your speaking skills, whether for a presentation or a simple conversation with your boss.
How long will it take me to learn the system?
While the system is based on a live-training seminar, it doesn’t require the same time investment. The average user can complete the full tutorial in about two hours, which includes the creation of a full presentation. Learning is done at the your own speed and comfort level.
Experienced users are able to create a full presentation in less than 20 minutes. But should questions arise, you’re always able to access the system for answers.
Can Prepare to Speak help me with my PowerPoint™ presentations?
Definitely. The key to effectively using any type of visual aid is to remember that visual aids are a tool. Prepare to Speak helps you create visual aids that aid, and not overwhelm, your audience.
The system’s "Tips and Tools for Speakers" section offers a thorough guide for PowerPoint™ users.
What are the steps of the Prepare to Speak system?
Step One: Presentation Analysis Step One offers an organized approach for quickly understanding your audience and speaking situation. This information helps you customize and target your remarks to the audience, while ensuring that you meet your speaking goal.
Step Two: Funneling to Generate your Topic The second step addresses one of the most common and time-consuming problems people encounter with speech preparation: knowing where to begin. In Step Two, you’ll overcome this challenge by funneling down your ideas until you emerge with a focused theme that is easy to research, appropriate for the audience, and fits your time constraint.
Step Three: Focus Statement The Focus Statement helps you articulate and formalize your presentation goal. It guides you toward knowing what ideas and information will help you reach that goal. This step keeps you "focused", while preparing your presentation.
Step Four: Main Points This step assists you in taking large, sometimes overwhelming amounts of information, and organize the ideas into a manageable hierarchy. Step Four takes all the ideas you want to include in your presentation and organizes them into three Key Concepts to ensure clarity for your audience.
Step Five: The Speaker's Map Step Five is the culmination of Steps One through Four, and your foundation for effective delivery. It creates a Speaker's Map, a concise blueprint that brings together the components of a successful presentation.
An organizational tool, the Speaker’s Map ensures that your presentation will be easy for the audience to understand and follow, and virtually guarantees you won't get "lost" during the preparation or delivery of your speech.
What is the importance of the Worksheets?
Each of the five steps focuses on an easy-to-follow worksheet, specifically tailored to facilitate the Prepare to Speak system.
Once you’ve completed all five worksheets in the Prepare to Speak system, you’ve established the skill base for completing future presentations without needing to go through the full tutorial. The system – regardless of the medium – requires about two hours to learn. Once mastered, it enables you to create clear, organized presentations in about 15 minutes.
What if I still want the feedback from a live trainer?
Presentation Consultants also offers an executive training option for those who wish to work one-on-one with a trainer. For more information, e-mail us at info@preparetospeak.com.
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