Legislator shares advice on new CD Levant man compiles tips about public speaking

Chris Greeley wants others to benefit from his experiences.

Greeley has been a member of the Legislature for six years. The 45-year-old Levant resident also has been an in-demand organizational speaker. Over the past 10 years, he has delivered more than 300 paid presentations in the United States and abroad.

“After doing hundreds of presentations, you learn a lot of things,” said Greeley in a recent interview. “There are certain things that would always work for me, some things that other people could use.”

That’s why Greeley created the instructional CD “From Terrified to Terrific!” Subtitled “7 Steps to Truly Fearless Public Speaking,” the CD, clocking in at slightly more than one hour, is packed with his hard-won advice.

Greeley admits that public speaking comes more easily to some people than to others.

“Some people may be more natural at it, but it very definitely can be learned,” he said. “The CD has dozens of tips so people can become more comfortable when speaking publicly.”

After a false start creating a cassette with a lot of improvisation, Greeley then wrote out a long script for “From Terrified to Terrific,” which took a year to complete.

Greeley got his start in public speaking in 1990, when he was serving as a Brewer detective. In addition to his time in law enforcement, he also has worked as a TV weather reporter and a newspaper columnist before beginning his current role in the Legislature, all the while taking on speaking engagements.

He offered customized programs on 15 to 20 topics, including leadership skills and development, team building, project management and dealing with organizational change. Unrest in the country has made the topic of avoiding workplace violence increasingly popular.

While doing this, he has come up against such obstacles as a broken pipe flooding the room he was speaking in, spilling water and ruining his notes just before the presentation began, and developing a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop.

His CD covers such things that can happen, as well as developing audience rapport, using and reading body language, what to avoid while speaking and appropriate length of presentations.

Greeley hopes his CD will help others to present themselves more effectively.

“Any time you speak to another person, you’re making a presentation,” Greeley said. “When we communicate, only 7 percent of our message comes from words, with the rest coming from other nonverbal things, some of which can take away from the power of our message.”

“From Terrified to Terrific!” is available at Borders and online at www.greeleyconsulting.com.

dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net

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