9. Someone in audience is trying to upstage you.

SOLUTION: Immediately address their need to be acknowledged and get attention. Ignoring them will only make it worse. Say, "Did you say you taught Learning Theory in a college? [yes] Well then I hope you'll stay right with me here so you can help us all learn a little more. Did you have a comment on last point I made?" Often people like this are insensitive, so if you have to simply cut them off at some point, do so, and know that everyone else in audience knows that’s going on and is grateful.

10. Someone in audience tells you you can't tell them what you just said, or "That won't work with me/on me." This tends to come up in self-help lectures.

SOLUTION: You don't have an enemy; you have your best ally! Agree with him, because he's right (and has just made your point for you).

You can't make someone's life better until they realize they're in pain and are motivated enough to be willing to change some behaviors, and thinking is a behavior, i.e., you can't change someone else's way of thinking, because that's totally under their own control. This is point, and they’ve just made it for you. If you use your emotional intelligence, most 'hostile' comments from audience are entry points for you to drive home your point. Be gentle and know what's going on is transparent to most in audience. 11. Never take things personally. Anything can happen.

TIP: Attend as many presentations as you can, and I particularly recommend Board meetings, as they can be unbelievably obstreperous.

If I’m a good speaker at all, it’s because of my years as a fundraiser on non-profit circuit, where I listened to speeches and attended board meetings and church services continually.

I’ve seen it all happen -- when co-presenter didn’t show up, when co-speakers collided with each other on stage and fell down, when minister had an epileptic seizure (freezing) in middle of a sermon, when a mental patient climbed up on stage with speaker, and when chairman of Southwestern Bell was reading a speech and abruptly said, with no change in his tone of voice, “Oh, I guess that was end. That’s end of this speech.”

Watching how many pros I witnessed handled many unpredictable things that can happen was invaluable. They’ll give you all phrases you need, model professional aplomb, and occasionally give you a very bad example of what never to say and do that you can also learn from.

Most of all, you’ll realize that when you’re MCing a fashion show, and entire runway collapses in front of you … it isn’t you!

4. Is there a time element or deadline? Give them plenty of time – generally 6 to 8 weeks.

5. Include your contact information, phone number, email, fax, and when you’re available.

6. If it’s a smaller publication, include photos. Or, if you have an idea for a visual, include that too.

7. You can submit by either email or snail mail. I’ve sent story ideas to different newspapers via email and received responses to most. 8. Follow up with a phone call about one to two weeks later.