Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Speech Introductions: The one question you should never answer first (Who Am I?)
In our July newsletter we shared a tip about speech introductions, and it's a question I get a lot: "How should I introduce myself?" If I hear another speaker open with "Well, let me tell you a little about myself...", I may scream. And usually in the audiences I'm...
Five Ways to Make Speeches Worthy of the Hall of Fame
I recently attended the baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event to hear the speeches of the inductees, even if I did have to pay $20 to park in some random farmer’s field and still had to walk to the...
Trip Report — Public Speaking Lessons From Around the World
When I worked in the corporate world, you were supposed to give a trip report when you returned from a conference or client travel. This was an opportunity to share learned information with the home office, and also provided some nice accountability to participate...
Why Facial Expressions are Important in Public Speaking
The Importance of Facial Expressions in Public Speaking When we ask participants in our workshop what characteristics define a boring or bad speaker, the list usually hasn’t grown to three before some variant of “monotone” or “expressionless” is mentioned. Every...
Handling a Bad Review
How to Handle a Bad Review After Your Speech or Presentation "How do I handle a bad review after my speech or presentation?" is a question I often get. As a trainer/speaker, I receive thousands of reviews. The questions vary, but the purpose is usually the same:...
News from the World of Speaking, April 1, 2016
I’m always amazed at what paying just a little attention to the world around you will reveal. Even in a world as mysterious as speaking, you can learn a lot from reading. So I took a break from writing this month to just cull the source of all knowledge – the...
How to Engage Your Audience: Be Specific
One of the traps I see speakers fall into all the time is using generic words in their talks. You were made to live your dreams… We all face problems… Speakers need to handle the issues they will see on stage… I learned a lot from that experience… Your team is made up...
The Foolproof Method to be a Great Speaker
North Carolina drivers: This is your warning. No, not Click-it-or-ticket (which is a great campaign and a good idea). It’s the notification that I am the parent of a teenage driver loose on the roads. My son has looked forward to this moment for years, and I picked...
A Checklist Infographic for handling unexpected issues when you’re on stage speaking.
What do you do when you're speaking and you make a mistake or there is an unexpected issue while you're on stage? Fix it, Feature it, or Forget it. Enjoy this quick infographic checklist and read more from our Blog on How to handle blunders and mistakes from the...
How to handle blunders and mistakes from the stage.
Oops. What now? Anyone who has ever been on stage has had the fear of making a mistake. And most of us have actually made mistakes. Put our foot in our mouth. Misspoken. Said the wrong thing. It’s part of being human. But few have erred in as high stakes a...
When you’re speaking, it’s never as ______ as it seems.
Like most modern kids, mine are addicted... to their glow-in-the-dark devices that connect them to the outside world. It's almost as if they have to be using a device to do anything. Every fact is checked on the internet. Every friend is confirmed through a text....
Is your message the same as your competition? Take the Opposite Test.
I’ve been on the road a lot lately. I love to travel for the following reasons: I love to fly (I’m a pilot – the only thing I don’t like about flying is being in the back of the plane. I much prefer the cockpit). It means I’m either getting paid or having fun. I meet...
