Standing O Award Goes to Barack Obama — NAACP Speech

Executive Speechwriter and Coach Matthew Cossolotto – aka The Podium Pro – Praises President Barack Obama’s NAACP Speech, Unveils First-Ever ‘Standing O Award’ 

Link to press release below … see release on Standing O Awards page.

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/ReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=27862

Testimonials — Praising Matthew Cossolotto

Matthew Cossolotto, Speechwriter/Coach/Author of The Real F Word and All The World’s A Podium

Testimonials Praising Matthew Cossolotto

 

 

“Whatever your level of experience as a speaker—whether you suffer from severe stage fright or simply want to improve your level of connection and rapport with the audience—this little book can make a very big difference.”
From the Foreword by
Granville Toogood
Author, The Articulate Executive
Chairman, The Liminal Group

 

“Bravo! Matthew deserves a prolonged standing ovation for All The World’s A Podium. The insights he shares are original, incisive, creative, and refreshing. My message to all speakers about this book can be summed up in three words: Read, heed, and succeed!”
Jim Wright
Former Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives

“If the thought of speaking in front of a crowd of people gives you the willies, Matthew Cossolotto’s All The World’s A Podium is the right medicine for you—a healthier and more effective alternative to a stiff drink, a security blanket, and a bottle of Valium.”
Hendrik Hertzberg
Former White House Speechwriter
Author, Politics: Observations and Arguments

“Based on my many decades as a public speaker – from the high school debate team to the 1980 presidential debates and beyond – I applaud and appreciate the invaluable messages contained in All The World’s A Podium. Matthew’s book offers readers many useful, innovative, and thought-provoking ideas about effective public speaking. I hope it will enjoy a wide readership.”
John B. Anderson
1980 Independent Presidential Candidate
President, Center for Voting and Democracy

“I’ve seen Matthew in action as a speech coach. I’m a big fan of his authentic speaking approach, based on the key notion that there’s no such thing as public speaking. I believe the coaching concepts Matthew has collected in this little book are uniquely effective and powerful. ”
Ambassador Michael Samuels
Founder and CEO, Samuels International Associates, Inc.

“I know Matthew’s work. I can attest to the world-class quality of his writing and the soundness of his ideas. I recommend his new book and his coaching programs to any executive looking to enhance his or her podium power.”
H. Brian Thompson
Chairman, Comsat International

Contact Ovations International
Tel: 914-245-9721
Email: standingo@ovations.com
Website: www.ovations.com

Two-Books for One Low Price — Your Personal Empowerment Package!

Special Offer – Order Today! 

Two Books for $20 

 

Signed by Author! 

Your Personal Empowerment Package

 

Dear Friends: 

I wanted you to know about a special offer now available on my website.  If you visit www.Ovations.com, you’ll see that I’m now offering two of my books together in one Personal Empowerment Package for one low price:  Only $20 for both books — signed happily by yours truly! 

 Now is the perfect time to order HabitForce! and All The World’s a Podium – you’ll save $7.95 compared with ordering these two books separately. 

 These two books make great gifts for birthdays and graduations. They’re perfect for young people and the not-so-young alike — great gifts for those who are going off to college or just starting their careers — and for those who want to learn new success skills at any stage in their career development.  In a challenging economy, it’s more important than ever to perform at our peak potential.  It’s never too early or too late for the personal empowerment insights contained in these two books.

Think about it this way.  Personal Empowerment is the gift that keeps on giving — for a lifetime — by helping people reach their peak personal potential on and off the podium.  

So I invite you to visit www.Ovations.com and order both books for only $20.00.  I’ll personally sign both of them and we’ll send them on their way to you in a New York minute! 

 

If you want to order bulk quantities (more than 10 copies) of these two books for your school, corporation, nonprofit, or government agency, please contact me directly.  I’d be delighted to work within your budget so you can provide as many of these invaluable books as possible to your students and employees.   Just shoot me an email: standingo@ovations.com.  

 

Many thanks – and may the HabitForce and the Podium Power be with you! 

 

Matthew

  

Thank you for ordering your very own 

Personal Empowerment Package 

www.ovations.com

 

Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Leaders — and the PR Challenges They Create

Issue Date: Daily ‘Dog – April 9, 2009,  http://tinyurl.com/CossolottoThoughtLeaderSeven Habits of Highly Ineffective Leaders — and the PR Challenges They Create

By Matthew CossolottoLeaders are people too. And this means leaders are creatures of habit just like everybody else.Aristotle said it well: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” The same thing can be said for failure. Basically, Aristotle recognized the power of what I call “HabitForce.”Fast-forwarding a few centuries to the present, I believe it’s essential for the PR and public affairs community to appreciate the role “HabitForce” plays in determining the behavioral and thought patterns of the executives and officials they serve.Note this: Our personal “HabitForce” operates on autopilot, like a software program or personal operating system. If you’re providing PR support for somebody in a leadership position, it’s a good idea to be aware of specific “HabitForce” patterns, especially those that tend to work against the interests of the organization, the country, or even the world community at large. Which brings me to the current economic meltdown and the leadership crisis we’ve experienced. I’m not talking only about the failure of political leadership from Washington and foreign capitals. Leadership has been woefully lacking in the business world, as well. This headline from The New York Times (March 26, 2009) captures the situation: “Where’s the Plan, Wall Street?” Let’s face it. The budget crisis in Washington didn’t materialize overnight. Nor did the long-festering energy and healthcare problems we face, not to mention the subprime lending fiasco and the resulting financial sector meltdown. All of these issues have been gestating over long periods of time. As President Obama declared in his recent address to Congress, the day of reckoning has arrived. But we won’t succeed in digging ourselves out of the ditch we’re in unless we recognize and change the disempowering leadership habits that led us into this perilous situation in the first place. So what does this all mean to PR professionals? The answer: PR people can play a uniquely important role in turning things around. But only if they understand how “HabitForce” operates and proactively counsel their executives to avoid the failure traps of highly ineffective leaders. In my new book, “The Real F Word: The 7 FAILURE Traps of Highly Disempowered People (And What to do About Them),” I describe the seven habits that hold people (and leaders) back from achieving their potential. I also discuss the seven equal-but-opposite SUCCESS habits that propel people toward their goals. Throughout the recent presidential campaign and in the months since the election, I’ve been struck by how much the seven FAILURE traps and SUCCESS tracks detailed in my book‹originally developed as personal empowerment tools to help individuals close the gap between their performance and their potential — also apply with only minor adjustments to those who occupy leadership positions in business or government. Here’s a handy checklist of FAILURE and SUCCESS habits — a kind of cheat sheet for PR practitioners— for measuring how your clients or the leaders in your organization are doing. Your job is to help your executives avoid the PR pitfalls represented by the FAILURE traps on the left and move them toward the more positive SUCCESS habits on the right: (Sorry … formatting problem.  Click Link above for full text of the article)

Bulldog Reporter Thought Leader Profile

Bulldog Reporter

August 1, 2007

Matthew Cossolotto

“The Podium Pro”

Author, All The World’s A Podium (www.ovations.com)

 

Brian Pittman’s spotlight this week: Matthew Cossolotto

---

Profile excerpted.  To read the full interview, visit link below and scroll down to this profile:
http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/issues/1_1/dailydog_pr_spotlight/index.html

 

Maximizing Podium Potential: Speech Coach Cossolotto Preaches Passion over PowerPoint

“If we fear public speaking more than death, the worst we can expect is to die giving a speech,” jokes Matthew Cossolotto, a former top executive speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International and GTE who offers speech writing and coaching through Ovations International (“Home of the Standing O!”)“Better than living with that kind of fear in our professional lives is to master a few easy mind games, tricks and skills—including realizing that there really is no such a thing as ‘public speaking,’” continues Cossolotto, whose newly released All the World’s a Podium (“The Manifesto for the Authentic Speaking Revolution”) outlines these techniques in detail to help people overcome the fear of public speaking and reach their peak “podium potential,” as he puts it. “There is only speaking,” he explains.  “You speak every day with friends, colleagues and family. You have conversations every moment of the day. So wash away the fear the next time and lower the ‘public speaking’ terror alert by saying, ‘It’s just speaking’ when you step on stage,” advises Cossolotto. “Sure, it’s a mind game. But so are the tricks your mind plays on you that cause you to be afraid. So play the game to win—use those tricks to serve yourself rather than undermine yourself.” Read on for more, along with key insights into today’s best—and worst—presenters in politics and business:Who is the best speaker in the presidential race now—and why? I’m not alone in saying Barack Obama is excellent. One thing he does better than others is he comes across as being authentic and thoughtful. He also seems to be present in the moment—he’s not just scripted. He’s engaged with the audience. The best speakers see the opportunity as a two-way street. Barack seems to “receive the audience” with his eyes as he speaks. That’s pretty unusual, but it’s very effective. Bill Clinton is a master of doing this. Giuliani is good at it, too.  There’s a kind of one-on-one conversation quality that you see in Barack, Rudy, Bill Clinton and a few others.   What’s the biggest mistake CEOs make in presentations and speeches? Far too many executives rely on slides or PowerPoints. The technology has some positive uses, but it has been abused. Most speakers using PowerPoints don’t use them correctly. Most audiences experience a slow death by PowerPoint. So I’d say that’s the biggest problem. Close behind—and related to this—is being almost exclusively trapped in the left brain: the content.  Speakers should not be “content with content.” Instead, I advocate “whole-brain speaking,” which is a “value added” approach to speaking. The audience is listening and understanding using their whole brains. Speakers should use their whole brains, too. What is the “Wizard of Oz Formula” mentioned in your book about?It’s based on the three key colorful characters: Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Every speech needs to contain elements of what these three characters were seeking: brains (content, information), heart (passion, emotion) and courage (call to action, asking the audience to do something, even demonstrate courage). The greatest speeches have these three elements.What is the “SPEECH” six-point checklist mentioned in your book? I’ve also made this list available free to people who visit www.ovations.com if they sign up for my newsletter updates. But the quick overview is this:

• Strong start: Don’t open with predictable pleasantries. Surprise the audience with an interesting quote, a little known fact, an unusual observation or a personal story. Then link the opening to your topic and your close. 
• Pause for effect and drama: Well-timed pauses help to emphasize key points, create drama and pique the interest of the audience. Pausing also conveys an impression of self-confidence, command and poise.
• Eye contact: Establish regular one-on-one eye contact with audience members. This allows you to “connect” with the audience. It keeps listeners alert and enables you to “read” audience reaction. You can only look at—and speak with—one person at a time. Keep your eyes “on the road.”
• Enthusiasm and energy: Enthusiasm and high energy are essential. Banish monotony by stressing key words and using natural hand gestures and facial expressions. Imagine you’re talking with a close friend about a topic that really excites you. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to show how passionate you are about the subject.   
• Conversational style: Using a conversational delivery style helps you “talk” to your audience. Speeches should be written for the ear, not for the eye.  Use everyday language, short sentences and memorable word pictures.
• Humor: Many speeches are part entertainment, part information transfer. Using appropriate humor—not necessarily canned jokes—to reinforce your main points will help you get your message across and increase your “likeability.” An audience that laughs with you also likes you.

Why do you do this—what are you most passionate about in your work?Early in my career, I was passionate about getting the words right in speeches on Capitol Hill and getting clever phrases out. I liked that from the communication perspective. But as I progressed, I noticed it wasn’t about the content anymore. It was about the connection first, then the content. So, I focused on the idea of “not being content with content.” That’s the doorway into “whole-brain speaking” and is one of the mind shifts that I preach. So now, I’m passionate about empowering others. I have another book, called Habit Force, about the habits and mindsets that hold people back. I call them the six “F-A-I-L-U-R-E” traps. The idea is you can recognize and replace the failure habits with corresponding “S-U-C-C-E-S-S” habits. For example, the “U” stands for “undermining” oneself. You replace that with “empowering” habits, starting with positive affirmations. I believe that success is an inside job, and speaking is a part of that. If you want to succeed and be a leader, you have to speak. Leaders speak and followers listen. To advance your career—you must banish the fear. You can start by empowering yourself and reprogramming all the negative habits in your mind. I believe that, and it’s why I do this work.

About Matthew Cossolotto, aka The Podium Pro

Author of All The World’s A Podium and HabitForce!, Matthew Cossolotto works with leaders and aspiring leaders who want to advance their careers and enhance their influence by reaching their Peak Podium Potential. Matthew is a former House-leadership congressional aide and senior executive speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. To book Matthew as a guest speaker or Podium Power! program leader, please call 914-245-9721 or email standingo@ovations.com.  Visit www.ovations.com for more information and to order signed copies of Matthew’s books.

New book published – All The World’s A Podium

Wanted to post the newest big news … the publication of my new book — All The World’s A Podium:  Unleash Your Authentic Podium Power and Speak Your Way to the Peak.  I call this book “The Manifesto for the Authentic Speaking Revolution.” 

 Signed copies available by visiting my main website:  www.ovations.com.

Lower the “Public” Speaking Terror Alert?

Seems to be a lot going on right now. I just submitted the following article for publication on a website called www.exzibit.net. Thought I’d share this. I’ll be sending this article around to clients and contacts. This captures some of the concepts I go into more fully in my one-on-one coaching and Podium Power workshops.
Enjoy!

Want To Lower The ‘Public’ Speaking Terror Alert?

These secrets will help you make the shift from stage fright to stage delight… and boost your career in the process.

By Matthew Cossolotto, 30/01/2006.

Ovations Marks 10th Anniversary

Who’da thunk it?  2006 marks the 10th anniversary year for Ovations International!  I’ll be working up a short press announcement, not only about the 10th anniversary but also about new directions and projects I’m exploring for the company.  I’ll be focusing more on companies in the greater NY area.  In additional to my core group of services — executive speechwriting, speech coaching and Podium Power/Joy of Speaking workshops, I’m also exploring the CEO blogging topic.  The press release will also mention the suite of services geared toward international executives and officials who are either based in the U.S.A. or who travel here to give speeches and otherwise communicate with important audiences.  This international area strikes me as an important and interesting market opportunity for Ovations.  For those who are international executives looking for a New York-based speechwriter and/or speech coach — or if you know somebody who falls into that category — I’d very much like to hear from you.  Contact me directly:

Matthew Cossolotto

President

Ovations International, Inc.

914-245-9721

matthew@ovations.com

www.ovations.com

  

The Joy Of Speaking

Thought I’d post a recent press release.  This describes my seminar/workshop programs geared toward alleviating the fear of “public” speaking.  I talk about lowering the public speaking ”terror alert.”  I’m excited about these ideas and am currently exploring more effective ways to market my Podium Power and Joy of Speaking programs. 

I think these workshops could be an extremely valuable part of many ongoing management and leadership development programs in the corporate and large non-profit world.  The ability to communicate to audiences of all sizes with confidence is an essential success.  The press release below provides some pretty good information.

   

For Immediate Release:

Lower the Public Speaking Terror Alert! 
   

Matthew Cossolotto, President of Ovations International – Home of the Standing O® – Announces New Seminar Series: 
“The Joy of Speaking:  How to Shift from
Stage Fright to Stage Delight!©”
 

Concepts to be included in Cossolotto’s next book: 
“There’s No Such Thing As Public Speaking!©”

 

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY – New York-based Ovations International, Inc., Home of the Standing O®, today announced that its president, Matthew Cossolotto, plans to conduct a series of seminars designed to lower the public speaking terror alert from red to green.  The seminars are called:  “The Joy of Speaking:  How to Shift From Stage Fright to Stage Delight!©” 
 

The seminars are expected to be held initially in the greater Westchester (NY) and Fairfield (CT) areas and then expand into other areas of the country.  Details about the dates and locations of the upcoming seminars will be released as they become available. 
 

“The ability to stand up and speak comfortably before audiences,” said Cossolotto, “is a critical leadership and success skill.  And yet, public opinion polls tell us that Americans rank public speaking as their Number One fear.  Number Two is death.  Why is that?  Most of us have no trouble, no performance anxiety, when we converse with friends, relatives, and loved ones in our everyday lives.  So why should we be terrorized by something we do naturally, comfortably all the time?  The fear is clearly self-induced.  It’s a mind game we play with ourselves.  As soon as we get into what we define as “public” speaking situations, the terror alert becomes elevated.”
 

Cossolotto continued:  “To banish the fear of speaking to audiences, we need to realize one simple truth:  There’s no such thing as ‘public’ speaking … only speaking, having a conversation.  I always tell my executive clients that you can only speak to one person at a time.  This approach downsizes the threat.  With this attitude, the terror alert drops down to green and the fear vanishes.” 
 

Three Steps to Joy:  Recognize, Reject and Replace
Cossolotto continued:  “Not many people associate public speaking with a sense of joy.  That’s unfortunate.  The very best speakers truly enjoy the experience.  They thrive on having the opportunity to share their ideas and messages with a live audience … by connecting and conversing with one person at a time.  It’s all about how you visualize and define it going in.  To tap into the joy of speaking, we have to define it differently.”    

 “In my seminars and workshops,” Cossolotto said, “participants learn a simple, three-step process that moves them from ‘stage fright’ to ‘stage delight.’  I call it the Three Rs:  Recognize, Reject and Replace.  You begin by “Recognizing” the fear, simply acknowledge that it exists.  There’s no point hiding the fact or pretending otherwise.  Just admit it to yourself.  Then you can “Reject” it – make a conscious choice – by repeating to yourself there’s no such thing as ‘public’ speaking.  The third step completes the transformation process.  You’re able to “Replace” fright with delight by shifting your focus from being self-conscious to connection-conscious.  Self-consciousness stifles joy and delight.”     
   

The new “Joy of Speaking” seminars are based on unique concepts contained in Cossolotto’s “Podium Power” workshops for executive training and one-on-one coaching.  These concepts include The Power of S.P.E.E.C.H., The Wizard of Oz Formula, and Whole-Brain Speaking – all of which help participants tap into a range of Right Brain (connection/presence-based) and Left Brain (content/preparation-based) capabilities to become more confident, comfortable and authentic speakers.
 

The “Joy of Speaking” and “Podium Power” concepts will be described in detail in Cossolotto’s next book:  “There’s No Such Thing As Public Speaking.”  The book is expected to be available in late 2006.  To learn more about Ovations International and Matthew Cossolotto’s seminars and workshops, visit www.ovations.com.    
 

About Ovations International and Matthew Cossolotto Matthew Cossolotto is the author of HabitForce! How to Kick the Habits of F.A.I.L.U.R.E. and Adopt the Habits of S.U.C.C.E.S.S.  His multifaceted communications career includes eight years as a congressional aide followed by senior-level speechwriting and executive communications positions at MCI, GTE and Pepsi-Cola International.  In 1996, Mr. Cossolotto formed Ovations International (“Home of the Standing O®”), providing a wide range of clients with speechwriting, speech coaching and public relations services.  Cossolotto has developed a series of innovative “Podium Power” workshops based on the concept of “Whole-Brain Speaking” – designed to help people become more confident, comfortable and authentic speakers by integrating Left Brain (content/preparation-based) and Right Brain (connection/presence-based) functions.  He speaks to audiences about Podium Power, The Joy of Speaking and HabitForce!  Visit www.ovations.com for more information.

  

 

Westchester Business Council

I’ve been invited to be a teacher/judge at an upcoming event sponsored by the Westchester Business Council — the county’s chamber of commerce.  The program is called “The Challenge.”  Sounds quite interesting and creative.  I have to develop some ideas for teaching my Podium Power concepts to a large audience and then creating a challenge for small teams.  We’re still in the early stages on developing this program — now scheduled for May 19th.  I believe I’ll take some parts of my Power of SPEECH checklist and fashion some kind of team challenge related to those points.  More on this topic later.  For those in the Westchester area, be sure to contact the Westchester Business Council about this May 19th Challenge.

Or you can get in touch with me:

Matthew Cossolotto

Ovations International

914-245-9721

matthew@ovations.com

www.ovations.com