Joel Panzer invited me to be the first woman member of GGBC and introduced me for my speech on April 1. 
My friend and associate Carol Fleming has a business in San Francisco called The Sound of Your Voice.
She is working on what will one day be a valuable book for leadership presentations. You may be interested in a tiny sneak preview. This is on “Becoming Well-Spoken”
Very important for leadership presentations and to improve speaking skills.
Being well-spoken sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It puts us in a certain class of people who appear to be polished and verbally competent, fluent, gracious, and proper. We all want to be well-spoken, because we know that:
1. we judge people by the way they speak, and
2. that they are doing the same thing and
3. we want to make a good impression.
To be well-spoken is to be:
1. Articulate – which means speech that’s well formed, clear, and sounds like we mean what we say. It also implies an extensive vocabulary that’s appropriate to the situation. The words people use carry information about their intelligence, social-economic background, and educational level. The specificity of your vocabulary reveals the distinctions your mind is capable of making. This is why a vocabulary test is a part of al most every intelligence test and why you care about it so much.
2. Fluent – having words come to you easily and flow effortlessly. There are few extraneous words, sounds or comments (e.g., ahhh, o.k, ya know) that get in the way of straightforward communication. You sense that thought has preceded speaking. Sentences are also well shaped for sharing of meaning involved, and a consideration of the person being spoken to and a respect for the time of all concerned.
3. Courteous – there’s also a world of courtesy beyond “please” and “thank you” in human discourse that makes a person seem polished. The person with gracious manners is displaying respect and sensitivity to others. Are you just expressing your self without consideration of the impact on others? Is it possible that you are abrupt? Do you monopolize the conversation? You would probably prefer to be characterized as kind and considerate in your communication style. This is – and can – be learned by starting to notice the social conduct that marks the gracious person.
If you want to learn more about preparing and presenting powerul speeches and presentations, leadership presentations and to improve speaking skills
check out the Patricia Fripp Las Vegas Speaking School June 29 and June 30.
My friend financial adviser has been a long time friend, client and running partner. We walked and had breakfast this morning. He attended my speech.
Carol was one of a group of friends who came to hear me speak at the Golden Gate Breakfast Club.
We were all members of the sister club The Continental Breakfast Club.
