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...
A Happy Ending
Don’t look at the calendar. It’s October. October!? Where did the time go? For many of us, October means the fourth quarter is here. Quotas. The rush is on. Throw in holidays, the changing weather, shorter days (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), the...
Stage Presence
About the time you are reading this, I’ll be involved in a new project that includes being the emcee/host for a series of live seminars. This involves weaving video, introductions, live panelists, a little content, and audience participation into a cohesive hour on...
Making Your Audience Remember – Even After You’re Gone
In a few short weeks, a day I’ve long known was coming will be upon me. My youngest – my baby – the beloved daughter we call Sweet Pea – will leave to start the next chapter of her life. Rest assured I am as proud as a daddy can be. She has excelled at what...
Independence Day – Going All In
In America, we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day. That’s the day fifty-six rebels signed a document that meant they either fought and won or lost everything they had. Maybe a more proper label would be “All In Day”. No more wishing. No more hoping. No more...
Anniversaries – What I’ve Learned Over the Years
My last month is filled with anniversaries. Anniversaries stir memories that are worth recalling. For those willing to dig deeper, there are lessons that are worth applying and reviewing (and sharing). And anniversaries remind us of how life grows and changes us....
Three Content Tips to Make You a Better Teacher
May the Fourth is National Star Wars Day . I always wondered how those fans made the connection -- no one in the Star Wars movies speaks with a lisp (May the Fourthce be with you?). But I digress. May the Fourth is also National Weather Observers Day,...
Having a Second Screen: The Absolute Key to Presenting Online
In this month's blog, I’m going to articulate my single best equipment recommendation, why it’s important, and how to use it effectively. It’s a second screen (or a third!). It’s been a year… since we were banished from our offices, restricted from live events, and...
Find Your One Thing — Amidst the Junk You Keep
Find your One Thing BEFORE you create structure, add detail, or create visuals for your speech. We recently traded in the family wagon. After almost a decade of serving us as a baseball team bus, daily commuter, vacation host, carpool waiting room, mobile business...
The Ten Commandments of PowerPoint
The Ten Commandments of PowerPoint Periodically (we last addressed this topic in my article PowerPoint Templates: Great Idea or Pain in the Mouse?), we pile up thoughts on the #1 companion – I sometimes call it the Teddy Bear – of presentations. Our friend,...
Write Effective Emails That Get Results
We are all looking to write and receive more effective emails. I sent my first email in 1991 (I was a graduate student emailing my father, a governmental employee – maybe the only two institutions on earth with easy access to email at the time). I was enamored with...
Three Quick Tips for How to End a Presentation or Speech
One of the most difficult public speaking skills is knowing how to end a presentation or speech. The end of the calendar year is such a whirlwind. There are client engagements to wrap up. Accounting to complete so the tax season (which is a month earlier for...
Four Differences Between Training Online and In-Person
Like much of the rest of the world, we’ve had to pivot our in-person business to a virtually-based business and training online. Unlike most of the rest of the world, we were already doing virtual coaching and training and had established best practices and methods...
