Blog Talk Radio and Your Next Teleclass
Growing up I took piano lessons and my teacher could always tell when I didn’t practice. There was nothing I could do to pretend that I did. It was the way I played the notes, my posture as I played, along with my shaky hands and more than a few of missed notes. I’m sure each one of Miss Nicholas’ students had their own way of showmanship or lack of it when they had not practiced.
The same applies today if I don’t completely absorb myself into the choreography and music for my group fitness class. As an instructor, I must bring it. Showmanship, entertainment, style, FUN!
There’s a huge difference when you’ve become one with your craft. When you’ve become one with the information and know-how you’re able to flow naturally in your presentation. Your natural showman shows up and you are able to engage with your audience effortlessly, even if it’s only one person like my piano lessons.
In order to get you moving into a good space for your next Teleclass, you must get comfortable in your space.
What does that mean exactly?
It means you’ve got to find the right working environment for you and practice there. If it’s at your desk, dining room table, car, front porch, it doesn’t matter, whatever works best for you. And then practice as if you were talking to someone. You can do this a number of ways, however why not practice using a tool that can work for you as well.
Ever heard of BlogTalkRadio?
You could have your own segment to use as a practice format, while providing useful information. This will get you comfortable speaking to your audience. Just like with Teleseminars, you will be aware that people are out there, however they may not always speak back to you and may not be involved in the chat for discussion. You want to be able to handle this effortlessly and just like with learning to play the piano and teaching group fitness, practice is required.
It’s super easy to create your account and your show could start in minutes. You have a choice of a 15 or 30 minute segment. I’m guessing you’ll start with the 15 mins. Decide what you’ll talk about. Keep it simple as though you were speaking with a friend just like you’ll do for your Teleclass and go for it. Keep in mind you’re not giving your whole Teleclass, you’re practicing to hear for specific things in your voice and delivery. You just may surprise yourself.
Once you’ve completed your segment, go back and listen to it. Give yourself a critique in 4 areas:
- Creativity
- Energy
- Content
- Technical
It will be strange hearing your voice and may be something you really don’t get used to. Ever hear your voicemail? I know me too. I declare I sound like someone else:)
For creativity you’re listening for the range of highs and lows in your voice. No one wants to listen to someone who’s monotone or stays high, high, high an entire hour. There should be natural highs and lows like you would in a natural conversation.
In regards to your energy, listen for your smile. I know it may seem strange, however you should be able to tell whether you are smiling or not based on your voice. Make a note of when you’re smiling and when you’re not smiling. Listen for the difference.
We all like hanging out with people who are fun, have great energy, and don’t take themselves too seriously.
Have you noticed the difference between biz owners who are relaxed on Teleclasses vs the ones who are super corporate-y? Big, Big difference!
The other day I saw a video and the person was in a suit sitting behind a dark wood desk, I immediately clicked off the website and went some where else. It’s hard to revert back to corporate-y, starchy videos, when so many other people are giving just as much valuable information enjoying the sunshine or standing in their kitchen.
When it comes to content only you will know if you said what you wanted to say and how you wanted to say it. You’ll ad lib during your presentation so don’t worry about following your script exactly. The biggest thing is for your audience to understand the information you are giving.
You can announce your short segment and let your blog readers provide their thoughts or keep it to a small select group of friends and get feedback from them.
Also, listen for any technical issues with your phone, mic, headset, or anything else you may be using for your segment. Be sure to use the exact equipment you plan to use for your Teleclass. This will help you identify whether you need to use a different phone, buy a new headset, adjust your mic, and so on.
The beauty of using BlogTalkRadio is you’re able to work on how you speak to a virtual audience, while creating a following to your new BlogTalkRadio Show.
Check out my very first BlogTalkRadio segment to your left in the sidebar. I used today’s article for my content.
Now it’s your turn. Try it out and share your results. What other ways have you found to be helpful in getting prepared for Teleclasses?
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