Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Confessions of a Public Speaking Coach
As a public speaking coach, I have a simple confession to make: When I was learning my way as a communicator, my primary method of improving myself was observation and study. I watched thousands of speakers with one basic discriminating question in mind: What are...
What are your Training Styles? Rock Star or Street Musician?
Training styles are unique to individuals, but I have created a classification system that represents a big majority of them. With two small hiatuses – one to drive tour busses and one to test software – I’ve been teaching my entire employed life. I taught public high...
Talking About Talking
When we are talking about talking in our presentations, speeches, or video calls, we are distracting from our message. I’ve never been good at predictions. But there’s one speaking behavior that is so common I can predict it with amazing accuracy. Watch for it on your...
Clarity in Communication: The Power of Iteration in Speaking and Writing
Do you need clarity in communication? There's a lot of power in the clarity you get when you put your thoughts down and have them edited and polished. Clarity that translates to speaking on the stage. In all the hubbub about the risks of COVID-19, graduations and...
Misuse of pronouns in public speaking: Are your I’s too close together?
One of the easiest traps to fall into as a speaker is the misuse of pronouns. We were taught in grade school that pronouns make communication easier by shortening references to characters in a story. They can be viewed as pro-nouns, used by elite communicators. But in...
Virtual Communication: Three Tips for Online Success
Virtual Communication and online meetings are our new reality. (**article written during Covid-19 quarantine**) Well, that changed quickly, didn’t it?! Since our last monthly connection, the world is a different place. Travel is curtailed, toilet paper (?!)...
Visual Aids for Speech: Have a purpose
Visual aids for speech and presentations are used by most presenters. Last month we talked about PowerPoint Templates and how they were wonderful at keeping things consistent – provided the template was well-formed. This month, I’d like to challenge anyone who fires...
PowerPoint Templates: Great Idea or Pain in the Mouse?
PowerPoint templates can be a great help or they can create a challenge. As I write this, I’m on my way to speak at a national conference. Great opportunity to do a lot of good for a good cause. It checks a lot of boxes for why I do what I do. But checking boxes is...
How to Become a World-Class Speaker
Being a world-class speaker takes a lot of work. But regardless of whether you’re on the big stage or in the small conference room, the elements that make great communication don’t change. Last month I had the privilege to work with world-class speakers at the...
The Twelve Days of Speaking
As we careen towards the holidays and New Year, I am forced by a teenage daughter to listen to Christmas music at every turn. I am able to deny her until Thanksgiving (she uses headphones until then), but ‘Tis the Season as they say and now her smiling face cannot be...
What I learned from speaking through an interpreter
What I learned from speaking through an interpreter. Last month I had the privilege to travel to Eastern Europe – Kiev, Ukraine to be exact (and no, I was not on government business and no one there seemed to care about the US political brouhaha). I spoke ten times...
7 Types of Public Speakers
Public speakers have many names. I was recently invited to speak at a conference. Like I normally do, I had a discovery call with the client to understand the audience and uncover connect points and common language, and to make sure that we were creating outcomes and...
