Here is a link to a fun article on concentration.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=ConcentrationIsKey>1=27004

The Preview Frame is the agenda or table of contents for your speech.
Many speakers that are in my public speaking workshops or that I coach one on one have problems rambling on and on in their speeches. Sometimes they get pulled off topic by a question, sometimes they meander from the content of a slide to something they find interesting. What ever causes a speaker to go "off point" the solution is to create a easy method to stay on point. So when you write and give your speech make sure you have a set of main points that support your purpose sentence. The ideal number is three. (see my other blog entry on the power of three) These main points are the outline or agenda of your speech. Following the metaphor in my book Easy Speaking that building a speech is like building a house the main points are the frame work or the house. You state it in the introduction of the speech to give a preview of "coming attractions."

 The is the structure of the house. A preview reveals the presentation’s main points and the order in which they will go. The best way to do this is to say the number of the points out loud so people can easily divide the chunks of information and follow them throughout the speech.
 For shorter presentations:
 “You’ll walk out of here with three ways to prioritize your time.” “When we finish this session, you will be able to list the four most effective public relations techniques.”
 Today you will learn the three benefits of our product.
 For long presentations say what those points will be.
 “. . . And to do this, first, you’ll learn about the early history of the organization; second, of its rapid development; third, about its present stature; and finally, about its prospects for the future.”

A Six Word Speech

One of my professional groups for speakers is having a contest. The object is to create six word speeches. Yep that is correct write your speech using only six words. So off the top of my head here are a few of mine.

Body Language – Read people from the outside in.
Sales – Tell me why I should buy?
Speaking – Inspire me to listen to you
Speaking – Connect your thoughts to listeners lives

I think this is a great exercise for you when you are writing a speech. What is the purpose? What is the objective of your speech? What is the point you want everyone to know? Now write it in six words.

How do you "gently" sell your books as a speaker?

I have several books and my own publishing company, “Another Day Publishing.” My best sales technique is to pre-sale books to the client so they can give them to all the audience members when I give a speech.
If I don’t pre-sale I tie my signings to my speeches and that works very very well. I find I get more people that will come up and buy a book and have me sign it if I stay up at the front of the room and stand so I have a table at the front of the room and I stay near it and sign standing. When you are hidden behind a table your more difficult to approach and ask questions. I am a touchy feely person, it's not surprise I am a body language expert after all. I notice that I naturally reach out and touch the forearm of people as they come towards me to ask a question so they feel comfortable self disclosing and magically that seems to increase purchases from those people. I also have my books on CD which are big sellers for commuters, people don’t always want to read. If I offer a book and a CD of the book at a discount that sells very well.

I also sell very well on line buy doing free tele-seminars and offering the book at a discount if they buy it that day with a special code. I send out a monthly newsletter an occasionally I offer a extra free book if they buy my body language book. Other things that work well for me I do a lot of media interviews and I have all print media list me as author Success Signals and having TV put up the photo of the book. My best sales week was when I was on a History Channel Special the second was when I did a interview on O'Reilly Factor on Sara Palin's body language.
I have been approached several times by major publishers to do a book because this media platform works so well.

Patti Wood, MA, CSP
The Body Language Expert
Phone-404-315-7397
Web- http://www.pattiwood.net/
Blog- http://www.http://www.bodylanguagelady.com/ .com

So I just gave you tips to stop bad breath and then I read a great article on what to do with someone with bad table manners. Here is the link to Askabacholor.
Guess who’s coming to dinner?When table manners go seriously wrong
By Blane Bachelor
I recently broke up with my ex, but was wondering something. The whole time we were dating, I couldn't stand the noises he made when he ate. He was so loud I would have to turn up the television. It was like he was inhaling his food and couldn’t eat fast enough. I obviously didn’t break up with him because of this, but it grossed me out and definitely got on my nerves. What is a tactful way to tell your partner when something like this bothers you? I never said anything, so it just got more and more annoying each time he did it. —Desperately Seeking Earplugs During DinnerThere’s no easy way to tell someone he has the table manners of Jabba the Hutt. But sitting in silence—well, except for all the smacking and slurping—is no way to go either. Next time you come across this problem, here are a couple of options: The Gentle Route: Prepare a nice dinner, light some candles and turn off the damn TV already. When you set the scene for romance and lingering, it’s harder to let manners fall by the wayside. The Not-So-Gentle Route: Several strategies could work here. Tell him, straight up, that he needs to learn the difference between eating and feeding. Discreetly set up a laptop with the webcam running while he’s chowing down, and play the evidence for him later. Listen to your iPod during dinner. Mimic his habits, amplifying them in volume and intensity, throwing in a few burps, snorts and hand-wipes-across the face in for good measure, until he gets the picture. Finally, warn him his vile manners are not only making you lose your appetite, but your sex drive, too. The Out-the-Door Route: If you’ve talked about it, and he doesn’t care enough about his self-image to change (remind him about the impression he’s making at a business lunch), I see no reason why you wouldn’t break up with someone over this. Food is a central part of our lives, and you shouldn’t have to suffer through Slurpfest ’09 at every meal. SPFreelance writer and columnist Blane Bachelor doles out dating and relationship advice in this space most every week. Submit your questions at www.askabachelor

I have a longer post on bad breath and the social meaning on my body language sight, but a media source today was seeing more cures and preventatives so here is my list again for all the speakers out there.

There are long lists of things to do to prevent bad breath from eating lots of fruits and veggies, chewing your food thoroughly to release the enzymes the clean your teeth of bacteria, chewing sugarless gum (this also helps you release teeth cleaning enzymes.) swirling water in your mouth after you eat out to get rid of food particles. (works well if you don’t have a tooth brush), to brushing the backside of your teeth and the top of your tongue, and flossing with mint floss.
There are also a lot of remedies if you think you have bad breath, from eating parsley ( a great natural remedy) to gargling all the way in the back of your throat. Make sure your gargle does not contain alcohol that dries the tissue and increases bad breath or sugar. Make sure if you have bad breath that it is not a sign of illness.
I am a body language expert and the former National spokes person for the Natural Dentist a line of dental care products and I have done research on smiling and the effect of dental health and how people respond to others. Don’t forget the silent message of good breath.

I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. I use to do “shows” as a kid. I would be Herman of the Hermits and sing and dance with my friends and I was Queen of the Cooties on the playground and was the leader of all the games, whether it was who can make the biggest bubble with the bubble maker, built the best fort, or who can make the snowman that last the longest (doesn’t melt first) From forth grade on I also loved to watch people and I would write little poems and songs about what I saw, I carried a little notebook with me all the time from forth grade till college and filled it with my fun observations. And even learned to play the guitar so I could sing them. I loved playing and I loved the game of watching people and trying to figure out their secret story. Now I get to do it all my favorite play as living. I am a body language expert. (I actually have degrees in nonverbal communication.) And I am a professional speaker and trainer and get to play interactive games with my audience. (See my website for videos of how much fun we have.)

Take Care,

Patti

Patti Wood MA, CSP
The Body Language Expert
Keynotes & Communication Training
Contact us at our new # 404-315-7397
Email Us: Patti@PattiWood.net
Website: www.PattiWood.net
Blog: www.BodyLanguageLady@blogspot.com
U-Tube: www.utube/com/user/bodylanguageexpert
For Free Body Language & Other Communication Tip, Click Here!

Here is a rough of story I wrote quite awhile ago to give in a speech, but realized I wasn't ready to share. I am thinking of working on it again.
Once upon a time I was living happily ever after. I wake up in a four bedroom house with a big fenced in backyard that my dog would play in. I eat grape nuts for breakfast and joke with my roommate about our latest crazy dream the night before, get in my car singing with all the songs on the radio and go to work. I had my own consulting comply and taught communication at Florida state one of my class nonverbal communication classes was incredibly popular with 150 students enrolled every semester. I lived in a small town where I couldn’t go shopping without running into someone I know and share hug. I dance down the corridors at school and the sidewalks of my town meet everyone with heartfelt smile. And I had the best, “Best Friend” in the world Roy who I incredibly close to. I was Polly reincarnated. It was nauseating. In the evenings I would work on my books our go to my nightly martial arts class with a group of friends that was like a my second family. I shared much of my time with a sweet and brilliant boyfriend. I was blessed with deep friend ships were I felt loved and could give my love freely. Snow white and Cinderella had nothing on me I was truly living happily ever after.

I went On a trip to see my best friend Roy in Atlanta. We met at freshman orientation. I looked across the room coming from this tall Nordic blonde guy and said to myself, ‘There is my life’s best friend. We were like brother and sister ever since. We were so close that friends called us twin.. We did everything together for years, we disco danced through the seventies, were housemates are senior year, fixed hundreds of awesome dinners together, shopped and traveled together, and always were excited to share the best thing that happened to us since we saw each other last. In face sometimes sharing something with Roy was the best part of a new event in my life Friends refereed to Roy as my twin. We were truly like twin souls. Roy and I, took a walk around Piedmont park. It was a beautiful spring day as we circled the lake and I was blissful breathing the fragrant flowered air. As we rounded the curve Roy brushed back his blonde hair and looked me and said. “Patti I’m dying.” I heard a scream echo across the lake. A loud gut wrenching scream crying no.! It took me a moment to realize the scream was mine.
In that moment everything in my life began to change. I knew with certainty I had to move to Atlanta to be with Roy.

Within a few days my boyfriend had broken up with me and I had told everyone I would be coming back next year to teach. Within a few months, I had sold almost everything in my house down to the bare walls took the cash left my house my friends my speaking business. I took a job as at temp receptionist and went from my past 600 dollar a day speaking to making six dollars and fifty cents. instead of the love respect and admiration I was use to people treated me the receptionist like a servant. there was no place to go. I lived in small apartment and slept on the floor of my closet on a borrowed mattress. I had no energy to do martial arts or writing. I was alone in city filled with strangers. I would visit Roy in the hospital and sit on the edge of his bed and hold hands with him. And though Roy and I would laugh as we always did. We would make jokes about his new diet plan when he had a drip and could no longer eat. We would tease about cook kooties when hospital staff tried not to touch him. But over the year I saw him go from a 6.2 strapping blonde to a emaciated 90 pounds I could carry. I would come each night get in the shower and weep uncontrollably after I watched him lose his ability to; walk to see to eat and finally his ability to breathe. I yet I still lived.
I yet I still lived I still woke up in the morning and had grapenuts for breakfast still continued the journey though it was no longer into the sunset but instead through the abysses.. I had no house to ride no sword at my side amour to protect me. All that I had used to define my self was gone I wasn’t a teacher a writer a successful speaker a girlfriend a talented martial artists. I was no longer the happy smiling patti who sang and danced through the day. I was laid bare, and naked to the world , I was reborn.

We have all suffered . Everyone in this room had loss and suffering in their life. It's through that loss of self, the suffering ,the journey through fire that we are made stronger. That we learn to value love.