Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Practice like you play
In my third speaking engagement last week, I was (pleasantly) surprised when I showed up to the facility that a) they had a sound system already set up, b) they had a man on call to help me (the positive side of a union shop), c) everything worked with minimal...
Electric start
I was speaking the other night in the first public viewing of a 3-night run. Wanting to get it right the very first time, I'd done private practice and invited some speaking friends to view a trial run. I was still polishing (always am), but had the basics pretty...
Clear directions
One of the challenges of speakers trying to interact with their audience is giving clear directions. I was a participant in a class a few weeks back where we were supposed to put our names on the little name tents. The speaker/trainer had some specific way to do...
Tunnel Vision
Took in a Toastmasters' speech contest tonite. I'm always challenged and entertained by what folks can come up with -- the human mind is so creative! But I suppose it's what I do that makes it tough to get past what I consider to be critical elements that need to be...
Good customer service
Kudos to an interaction with Sporty's Pilot Shop. I made a web order with them yesterday -- just a few items. Had a phone call back within half a day that left a message: "Mr. Hoffler, we're sorry the widget you ordered in white is not in stock, and it's no longer...
Under construction
I ran across a(nother) web site the other day that had titles, content, and an animated GIF with a little bulldozer that said "Pardon our mess. This site is under construction." I've never understood why web developers (or probably more accurately, people with a web...
On their level
Spent the weekend looking through a viewfinder as the videographer at a friend's daughter's wedding. One of the tips I got long ago about videography is to put the camera on the level you want things to be seen at. For kids, especially, this means shooting from...
Provide what they need
In addition to providing the content your audience needs, it's important to give them the physical things they need as well. If you expect people to take notes, have pencils/pens on hand, with paper or notepads. If you expect them to look at a web site or document...
Don’t forget about them…
I hate meetings. But I found myself in several today, covering several walks of life. One of them even had a phone contingent on the line, from more than a few locales. I happened to be with some other people in the same room attending the meeting, but I witnessed...
Just getting started…
I hear this one all the time. After an introduction or three, a speaker gets up and says something along the lines of "before we get started..." or "Now, as we're getting started..." Trouble with this is, they've ALREADY started. In fact, speakers start the moment...
Apologies
Evidently some mass spammer has figured out how to defeat the mechanisms in place to post completely idiotic and what I consider to be rather offensive comments to my blog. While I am not the author and don't condone, approve, or appreciate these selected comments (I...
Communications is personal
Read today that Radio Shack laid off103 400 workers. Big deal. People get the pink slip every day. Well, if it's you that got the pink slip, it's a very big deal. And Radio Shack, in the interest of delivering the news "quicker" and in a way that "allowed more...
