Paul Brown Friendswood Guidelines By: Lee Dobbins.

Public speaking is something we cannot avoid in our life. The situation will arise when we are called upon to stand up and speak our minds out. When that situation comes are we ready deliver?

Public speaking is one of the most feared activities in a person’s lifetime. Anxiety and stress will usually attack once you get off your seat and start to speak. Sadly, this fear is the cause of lost promotions, low self esteem, miscommunications and similar situations. But why do some people excel on it? They make it look so easy – I guess through practice one can improve his public speaking skills but in the mean time here are 6 guidelines and questions that you will make your life easier when speaking in public.

Who?

Who are you talking to? Know your audience, their background, values and common interests that may help you in your presentation. If you are speaking to a group of accountants then it will help if you focus your speech on data and statistics, or if you are speaking to a group of teenagers, you should know the latest fashion or in-thing so you can establish rapport and make your speech lighter and simpler.

Knowing your listeners is imperative to a successful speech. It will also help you relax if you know the people who are going to listen to your presentation.

Where?

Knowing the venue and being there early is half the battle. Try to get a feel of the place. Stand on the stage or where ever you are suppose to deliver your speech. Try to visualize your audience listening to your speech.

Check the sound system and the availability of audio-visual aids if you need to use some. Being at the venue early will give you some time to prepare and compose yourself. You can also afford time for a last minute tweaking of your speech.

What?

What do you want to say? What is the speech for? If you are speaking to educate and inform your audience, make sure that you have accurate and updated facts in your presentation. It is not enough that you have prepared and have memorized your speech; you should also know what you are talking about and have made a thorough research about it.

How?

How can you deliver your message across? A sound language skill is not enough to ensure success as a public speaker. Choose your words carefully and be sure to enunciate them. Poor articulation and pronunciation weighs much in evaluating your presentation.

Visual aids are helpful to get your message across. You may use handouts or technical presentations to support your points. But the best visual aids are your facial expressions, hand gestures and body language. When practicing your speech, try to do it in front of a mirror to see how you look

Make sure that you have a solid opening, a good transition and a memorable conclusion.

When?

When is the best time to speak and stop? In communication, words are not the sole means of conveying a message. Your pause and stops also play an important role in delivering your point across.

Know when to start speaking and when to stop. Be aware of how long your speech is and tailor it to suit your audience. If you are speaking to a groups of seventh graders, then chances are their attentions span is shorter than that of a twenty something university student.

Why?

Why should they listen to you? Why were you chosen to speak in public? Determine the reasons why you were picked to deliver a speech. It may be because of your educational background, your work experience or your status in the community. What ever it is, they want something from you. Identify the reason and prepare your speech to answer the audience expectations.

Paul Brown Friendswood Fears By: Guy Baglow.

In a much quoted survey of the things people fear most, public speaking came out as the number one fear. Death came third.

So what is fear of public speaking and why does it generate so much fear in so many?

What is fear of public speaking?

Fear of public speaking is an intense and irrational fear of being judged by others when speaking in front of them – or of being embarrassed or humiliated in such situations – causing dread, panic and avoidance.

More accurately, it is not the scrutiny and negative judgements themselves but the sufferer’s own emotional response to them – the feelings of shame, rejection or humiliation.

Sufferers recognise that their fear is excessive or unreasonable but they feel powerless to do anything to change their responses. So the feared situations – such as presentations, wedding speeches, meetings or even one-to-ones – are avoided or else endured with intense anxiety or distress.

In work situations the fear most commonly occurs around formal presentations and meetings. It can then spread out to smaller groups, to conference calls, to informal situations like one-on-one conversations (especially with more senior people) and to things like introducing oneself on a course. It can then even spill into social situations with friends and family.

How it manifests

When sufferers feel that all eyes are upon them – “the spotlight effect” – their acute self-awareness makes it very difficult to focus on what is going on around them, to remember their speech, to read from notes or follow a meeting. Their mind goes foggy or blank. Their distress is further fueled by their efforts to hide or mask their discomfort which may become apparent through blushing, sweating, shaking, twitching, or an inability to speak normally or coherently.

Some of these feelings may be present for some time before the event – weeks and even months beforehand – and may be accompanied by sleeping problems and loss of appetite. Life becomes a nightmare from the moment they know they have to speak. It can feel like a death sentence. Not only that, but the feelings may linger afterwards as the sufferer analyses and ruminates on how they did and how other people may have judged them.

Fear of public speaking is distinguished from shyness by the intense, often debilitating, fear it generates. At its worst it will end in a panic attack. So it’s way beyond shyness or butterflies. This is hardcore fear.

Who does it affect?

Most people with a fear of public speaking are normal, intelligent, happy and well-balanced. They often come across to friends and colleagues as confident and outgoing.

Many people who fear public speaking are very successful, so they have risen to a level in their career where they are more and more called upon to share their knowledge and expertise and lead projects, teams and departments. But in these situations they come across as reserved, disinterested or unenthusiastic because they have got this phobia, this thing.

So it’s very frustrating because a part of them (the rational thinking part) knows that it doesn’t make sense. They know their subject – that’s why they have been asked to talk – and they know the situation is non-threatening. But they nevertheless find that when they are asked to talk in front of a group, another part of them (the irrational unconscious part) drives out rational thought and fear floods in.

It appears to be the more imaginative, creative or artistic people who are more prone to developing phobias. This is because phobias have a lot to do with the misuse of the imagination. So it can affect absolutely anyone.

The cause

Fear of public speaking can be caused by many things. It can be an extension of childhood shyness reinforced by bad experiences of reading aloud in class or presenting work at college or university.

It can also start later in life, often at a time when background stress levels have been raised by other things like relationships or work. Then something happens that the individual can usually cope with but because of the background stress they tip into a mild panic attack. This is frightening and embarrassing. It destroys self-confidence. And it builds into a phobia as the sufferer starts to fear it happening again and begins to panic about panicking – to fear the fear.

At the start it may take some time for people to recognise that they have a phobia. They may mistakenly put it down to excessive shyness. But then the panic starts to occur more frequently and consistently and a pattern emerges. The response is reinforced each time they speak in public and panic, and each time they avoid it and feel relief.

Why does it affect so many so much?

With some phobias – like snakes, heights and sharks – there is some element of real danger. But with public speaking there is no apparent threat. There are no enemy warriors in the room, no charging rhinos.

It seems likely that the fear of public speaking – a fear of humiliation and rejection – is a hangover from our evolutionary history when being accepted by the tribe was essential to our survival. If we did not have their approval we might be cast out. Then our chances of survival by ourselves would be slim. So the thought of rejection by the group generates high anxiety. It’s a primitive survival response that got stuck to wrong kind of thing.

Safety behaviours & avoidance

Safety and avoidance strategies are used by the sufferer to reduce the danger and to control, accommodate and conceal their panic and embarrassment.

Energy and time are used in planning and avoiding the presentation, meeting, call, seminar or speech. Elaborate ways are created to reduce or hide their distress or to produce distractions from it. Sufferers may self-medicate with alcohol. Sickness may be feigned. People and situations may be manipulated. Careers may be blighted: jobs and promotions may be turned down (because they may entail more presenting) or jobs may be left because of their fears of “discovery”.

Many people accommodate their phobia like this for a long time – typically for years, even decades. It is often surprising just how far people get in life and have still managed to avoid public speaking.

But over time these “solutions” become part of the problem, using up time, energy and attention needed for other things. Eventually the avoidance and manipulation becomes too risky – threatening jobs or relationships – or a presentation or speech (usually a wedding or leaving speech) just can’t be avoided. When this happens most sufferers think “enough is enough”. And do something about it. And get help.

Getting help

Things have moved on from old style exposure therapy and there are now a number of very effective solutions available.

These include The Fast Phobia Cure – a remarkable technique from Neuro Linguistic Programming which rapidly changes the patterns that drive the fear. Another relatively new technique is the Emotional Freedom Technique which also provides rapid change. Of the more traditional treatments, Cognitive Therapy – designed to change the way you think about public speaking – is also effective although it is likely to take longer.

Ten Paul Brown Friendswood Steps By Graham Jones.

There is plenty of dubious material which suggests you can combat public speaking fear. Much of it includes fancy techniques such as ‘visualization’ or ‘breathing techniques’. Well, they might work. But this ten step system is GUARANTEED TO WORK. That’s because instead of fancy tricks and techniques, this system of dealing with public speaking fear uses your body’s natural defences against fear.

STEP ONE

Prepare well. Naturally enough, the more prepared you are the more likely you are to feel in control, which will NATURALLY help your nervousness reduce.

STEP TWO

Practice, practice, practice. You can’t do too much practice. Don’t listen to those people who say you can over-practice. Tell that to circus artists who practice day in day out for decades, just to get their act right. You don’t hear actors and musicians complaining they had ‘too much’ rehearsal time. The more your rehearse, the better.

STEP THREE

Say your speech OUT LOUD. Whether you are in the car, the bath, or going for a walk with the dog, say it out loud. Going through your talk ‘in your head’ means you don’t benefit from something called ‘psychomotor memory’ – whereby the memory for what you need to say is partly embedded in the muscles of your mouth.

STEP FOUR

Get to the venue early. Get a feel for the room. Sit where the audience will sit so you can see it from their perspective. Walk around the auditorium. Practice your speech on the stage itself. The more comfortable you are with the room, the less your nerves will be.

STEP FIVE

Get some exercise. A walk, a swim, a session in the gym, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get some exercise in the couple of hours before your talk. That way you’ll change the chemistry of your blood supply in your own favour. Exercise is essential in reducing nerves. Do not skimp on this.

STEP SIX

Chew some mints or sweets. While waiting to go on stage, chew something. This will produce saliva which also helps reduce nerves. If you drink water your saliva production will go down and your nervousness will rise. Avoid water when presenting.

STEP SEVEN

When you go up on stage, smile. No matter how false it feels to you, the audience won’t notice. Just smile. It helps produce hormones that lead to a more relaxed feeling.

STEP EIGHT

Be active on the stage. Move around, use big gestures and get as much body movement as you can. The more you move the more relaxed you will feel.

STEP NINE

Look people in the eye. Make as much eye contact as you can. The more the better. Eye contact is essential in helping you feel good and reducing your nerves.

STEP TEN

Use feedback. Always gain feedback on your speeches. You’ll soon discover you are a lot better than you think you are, which is bound to help boost your confidence.

Paul Brown Friendswood Speech Without Dying By Cathy Stucker.

Two of the top fears of most people are dying and giving a speech. In fact, there is so much fear of public speaking, you might think that people regularly die while giving speeches. Fortunately, that is not the case. Here are some tips that will help you overcome your fears and give a great speech.

Be prepared. Know what you are going to say. Prepare an outline of your main points and put them on index cards or a sheet of paper. Don’t write out your whole speech and read it. There is nothing that will put an audience to sleep faster.

Write your own introduction. Don’t rely on the person who will introduce you to come up with a good introduction. Write it yourself. Your introduction should include your credentials and other important points from your bio. Also include a call to action for the audience, such as the fact that you will be selling and autographing your book after the presentation, or a reason for them to visit your web site. Print out the introduction, double-spaced in large type, so it is easy to read. Send it before the event to the person who will introduce you, and take two copies with you on the day of the speech. Your introduction will get your speech off to a good start.

Dress comfortably. If your clothes are too tight, too short or riding up your . . . uh, you don’t want to dress in a way that will interfere with movement or breathing.

Check out the room. Arrive a little early so you can become familiar with the layout of the room. Where will you stand while you speak? Is there a microphone? How will the audience be seated? If you are using equipment, such as a projector, try it out to make sure everything is working properly.

Get to know the audience. As audience members arrive, introduce yourself and chat with them. It will reduce your nervousness later. After all, you won’t be speaking to a bunch of nameless strangers, you will be speaking to Jeff, Laura, Steve, Diane, and all the other nice people you shook hands with earlier.

Breathe. When you first step up to the podium, take a deep breath then start speaking. If you find yourself speaking too quickly, or inserting fillers such as uh, um, like, you know, slow down and take another breath before you continue.

Remember that the audience is on your side. They came to hear what you have to say. They are spending their time (and perhaps money) to be there, and they are predisposed to like you. Don’t assume they are waiting for you to fail. They aren’t.

5 Key Paul Brown Friendswood Tips By Colette Morris.

Public speaking is the number one fear in most people, the number two would be fear of dying for most people. So many people get stressed out at the thought of speaking in public that many of us would like to avoid this problem entirely, but this is hard to do. If you are a small business owner, or as part of your current job you are expected to provide presentations to others, then you need to get over your fear of public speaking. If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.

The big secret behind the truth about public speaking is is IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE STRESSFUL! If you keep just a few key principles in mind, speaking in public will soon become an invigorating and satisfying experience for you.

So here are my five key tips for great public speaking:

1. Relax – remember the audience are there to hear what you have to say. They are looking forward to what it is you are going to deliver. They want you to succeed, therefore they are behind you.

2. Realise it is not about you – Remember, the essence of public speaking is to give your audience something of value. The audience are there to hear the message you are going to deliver. The purpose of public speaking is not for you to get something out of it from your audience. It is about YOU giving useful information to your audience.

3. Speak in simple terms – you don’t have to make it overly complicate,just get your message across in terms that are appropriate to the audiences needs. All you need are two or three main points to convey to your audience.

4. Don’t preach to your audience, instead try to engage with them, they will warm to you and interact in a positive way.

5. Inject a little Humour or tell a story (your story if appropriate). If being funny feels comfortable to you go for it, it usually works and breaks the ice letting the audience warm to you. Or if humour is not appropriate then tell a story that is relevant to the topic at hand.People tend to engage well with stories of meaning and if they have some personal bearing to you, the audience get a feel of what you are like as a person,therefore you are engaging.

Hope the top tips help you out when you next have a presentation or talk you have to do publicly. You will have noted that I did not mention ‘practice’ normally when you practice too often it tends to come out worse,instead carefully look at what message you are going to deliver and write down your key points that you want to get across. If the subject is something you are well versed on you should have no problem delivering your message, so go out there and DO IT!

Paul Brown Friendswood Basics By David Gasser.

Speaking in public can be the worst experience for many if they go unprepared for what they have to accomplish. There are several ways to decrease this fear. The first and most important is being prepared and researching your topic as much as possible. Know yourself as well, you know what you have a good grasp on and what you do not. Emphasize areas you understand more than those you do not. By having a good understanding of your topic you can build your confidence level for when it comes time to get in front of other people.

Since speeches are given to audiences you should be very aware of who they will be. Having a grasp on their level of understanding and needs is very important to getting the response you are looking for. Knowing who your audience may also help you to adapt to their needs and understand speech to a group of engineers should be different than a speech given to the marketing department. You must adapt to your audience to get the correct response from those you are speaking to.

Knowing the situation for which you are speaking is also important. You should be aware of how big the engagement will be, if you will be on stage or sitting right in front of your audience. If there is going to be a very large audience you may require the aid of audio and visual enhancements. A teleprompter may be required if you do not have a podium to stand behind. I there is a podium make sure your audience has an unobstructed view of you face, because facial expressions can be a big help with connecting to your audience.

Aim for a response from the people you are speaking to. They came to the event to listen to you as well as give their opinions. Setting time at the end of your speech or even during your speech should be well planned however. Most engagements have set time-frames that people will adhere to, so you must try not to let the audience control your time line. Just keep in mind that the goal of your speech is to get a specific response from the audience, so stay on topic while addressing questions.

Your research must be relevant to the topic. If you’re giving a speech about genetics you may want to leave out the part about your Aunt Flow who has two miniature poodles. While their genetics may be relative to you, others may not understand. While putting together your information make sure it is pertinent and accurate. You may want to use multiple resources on your chosen topic and even speak with other experts on the subject. If you are simply giving speeches at a wedding just ask someone who has already done a speech to give you advice some advice. While developing your research you must come to your event with a reasonable argument that follows and supports your research. You should look for information that reaches the audiences emotions, needs and feelings. Try to be logical with any information so that your audience can connect with your subject matter. The main point you should ask yourself is, “would I believe and understand this”?

Creating a solid structure for you speech will also help you to deliver information in a sequence that makes sense to everyone. You must lead the audience with your ideas and message. A well structured speech will give it good coherence, without it your ideas may not be understood. Use smooth transitions from one idea to the next and summarize each idea as you move into another. This technique will help the audience create mental notes that will allow them to follow your message.

For a good clear cut delivery you must speak directly to your audience. Eye contact and clear emotional facial expressions can help you connect faster to your audience than looking at the floor or fighting with your shirt while you speak. There are so many different ways to give a speech that you should make sure to follow earlier steps and know your audience and yourself before you start. Some different types of speeches are impromptu speaking in which you are put on the spot. A memorized speech is one that you practice over and over until you know it by heart. Then there is a manual speech in which you read to your audience. All of these are to be considered when getting to know your subject and your audience.

For the best results you should practice your speaking techniques with friends and family and be prepared for some criticism. Taking criticism while practicing can help you get past your own image of how you are doing. You may think you’re doing terrible and yet when you speak in front of your class they sit quietly in awe at how well you executed your well practiced speech. This is part of you knowing yourself. You can get a greater understanding of yourself through the eyes of others. So practice as much as possible and don’t be afraid of criticism, this is the best way to know yourself and give you the power to change the areas you need more practice at.

You will almost always have a fear of public humiliation while speaking but you must face your fear and have the confidence in knowing that you are prepared to give an excellent speech and your research will help you out when you need it.

Relaxation Techniques For Public Speaking

Paul Brown Friendswood Relaxation By Trevor Johnson.

Relaxation techniques for public speaking can be tremendously important in helping you to overcome the nerves that commonly precede speaking in public. You may be surprised to learn that even people who must speak in public on a regular basis often experience a case of the nerves. The difference is that they know how to utilize relaxation techniques for public speaking to help them calm their nerves so that they can give their speech or presentation.

There are many different techniques that can be used to help you relax prior to giving a speech. Progressive muscle relaxation is one of the most common and the most effective. You may have noticed that prior to giving a speech, it feels as though every muscle in your body is taut with tension. This can make your nerves even worse so it is important to learn how to release that tension. You can do this by relaxing each muscle group in your body progressively. Begin with your feet. Flex each foot for about fifteen seconds and then release it. Do this with each muscle group as you move all the way up your body. You should end with the facial muscles. Once you have finished you will likely notice that your muscles do not feel nearly as taut and that you feel calmer. Try practicing this technique a few minutes before you must give a speech.

Another effective technique for relaxing before you must give a public speech is deep breathing. Have you noticed that you have a hard time catching your breath before you must speak in public? Are you afraid you are going to hyperventilate? If so, this technique is for you. To practice this technique, inhale slowly. Make sure you have taken a full, deep breath. Hold the breath for several counts and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Perform this technique several times and you should begin to feel some of the stress and anxiety melt away.

Dry mouth is another common problem for some people. You may have difficulty swallowing just before you give your speech. Staying hydrated the day before you give your speech can be helpful it can also help to keep some sugarless candy in your pocket as well. Try sucking on a piece of candy just before you must give your speech.

Paul Brown Friendswood Overcame the Fear By Julian Mather.

The THUMB Program, which encourages students to adopt a culture of social responsibility has consumed my life for the past 18 months. I conceived it, I wrote it, I perform it, I market it. Still, I have trouble explaining it. It’s a little complex and as there are a number of ways to come at it I’m never sure where to start. Over time this will sort itself out but I don’t have time. You see this weekend I’m doing my first radio interview about it. Am I nervous? Yes. Worried? No. Why?

So you think you’re the only one with an attack of the jitters:

Every week I stand up before hundreds of people and perform. With the safety of a rehearsed script I’m comfortable. But I’m not used to speaking off the cuff, so to speak. This is the core of my attack of the jitters. So don’t think that having spent a lot of performing time automatically means you don’t feel the nerves. I know that if I don’t face up to this and knock these nerves on the head, next time it’ll just be worse. That’s the truth.

Part of my problem is that I’m not a naturally chatty person so I just get out of practise speaking. That may seem strange but it’s true. I communicate by written word so much that I have to be careful I don’t get too rusty on the art of conversation.

Being human is ok:

How will I attend to this. Firstly I don’t take myself too seriously. If I completely mess up in two days time the truth is my mistake is instantly forgotten. Why? Because I’m not important. There was a time I thought maybe I was but here’s the scary reality. As soon as the listener switches off or the audience member walks out of the theatre they are consumed with the really important things in their life: getting the kids to school on time, responding to phone messages, making sure they pick up cream on the way home. Conversely when I get home my wife will smile warmly and my kids will hug me. My small blip will not have affected anyone. So don’t be afraid. I’m not. Imagine what you would try if you weren’t afraid of failing.

My secret weapon against nerves:

This is one of my secret weapons. I know that there are some things I am good at. We all have strengths and weaknesses. By and large we play to these. But the reality is that I’m a beginner at well over 99% of things there are to do on planet earth and beyond. I have no shame in that. I’m not that confident at doing this interview. I’ll happily tell that on air. In fact I’ll play on it a little. Why? Not only will that engender a bit of empathy and rapport with the listeners – it’s my experience that audiences like honesty and candor – but the host may gently guide me through the experience. I’m guessing that I’ll come out the other end unharmed. If anything I’ll be strengthened by the experience and if there is a next time, it’ll be a little easier.

Another confidence building tip:

Audiences have an amazing amount of goodwill. They want you to succeed and be good. Why? Because they want to be entertained, even it it is mildly. It’s an escape for a few minutes where they don’t have to take responsibility for any actions. In effect the audience hands itself over to you. They want you to do well as it’s in their interest so don’t think you have to win an audience over. You don’t have to be funny. Just SMILE a lot and be honest.

By Michelle Green-Brown

Almost all people will say that giving public speaking is difficult because it involves some preparations, practices and certainly combating anxieties. Bear in mind that stage fright of speaking in public is the most commonly experienced fear. Therefore, you should not change your course, find other careers or quit to join a club if speaking publicly is required on those fields. This implies that the most important guide to public speaking is by learning to accept the anxieties in that fear or fright of public speaking is normal. Experts of Psychology also some anxiety is good because it can increase one’s ability.

On the other hand, technically, a guide to public speaking also usually emphasize on the introduction, body and conclusion. Although the details of those there aspects can be various, those are basic of organizing ideas. You might want to write the body and it is followed by the introduction and conclusion because it has been proven more helpful. Further, introduction is used to get the audience’ attention to focus on your speaking. Here, you should be very careful to address their needs, not yours. On the other hand, the conclusion is the part where you will stress and restate your ideas. Therefore, you should use some attention grabber such as jokes, anecdotes or quotation to end your speaking.

In order to improve your skill in delivering speeches, you should take every opportunity you can to speak. Facing various audiences regularly and speaking on various topics will reduce your anxiety whenever you have to speak before an audience. However, although speaking in a large may then become your habit, you should also know when to stop talking. Incorporating these aspects will help you build credibility as a public speaker. Finally, once you become a credible public speaker you may make your own guide to public speaking.

Paul Brown Friendswood Nervousness By Nancy Daniels.

When it comes to public speaking, most people are aware that it is man’s greatest fear. Thus, it can affect the famous as well as the not so famous, the CEO as well as the administrative assistant, men as well as women. There is no doubt that practice can be one of your best tools in conquering your fear; but, there is something else that most people are unaware of that can allow you to take your nervousness and let it work for you and not against you.

Simply put, it is learning to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. Right now, you probably think that you are breathing properly so I will ask you to try this exercise.
# Place your hands under your rib cage and take a deep breath. Did your hands move in or out?

If you pulled in your ‘gut,’ then your hands moved in which means you are not breathing properly: you are, however, part of the majority of the population who are renowned for being shallow or lazy breathers. Don’t let this news upset you. 99% of the population is doing it wrong.

While all babies are born breathing with the support of the diaphragm, sometime during development in the prepubescent years, the child will revert to shallow breathing. It is a medical fact. We imitate our loved ones as we grow; therefore, if mom and dad are shallow breathers, so too will the child copy that technique.

[Incidentally, all mammals breathe with the support of the diaphragm. Watch your cat or your dog the next time it is lying on its side or on its back. You will see your pet taking the air all the way down to its lower torso area. That is deep, supported breathing.]

Why is diaphragmatic breathing the most important thing you can do to control your nervousness? Because it relaxes your body by eliminating the toxins in your body. Shallow or lazy breathing actually increases your nervousness because it is unable to rid your body of those toxins thereby increasing your stress.

Learn to breathe with support and you will be able to lower your stress and take control your nervousness. I love nervousness. That rush of adrenaline that can move your presentation to a whole new level. My advice is not to try to eliminate it or stop it but instead to allow it to work in your favor. (By the way, if you are not nervous, if you heart isn’t being faster as you approach your audience, then there is a problem.)