Speaking tips blog
Communication matters. What are you saying?
Enough about me, now about me…
Watched a speaker open a few days ago with the phrase, "Let me tell you about my life..." Short of opening with, "I'd like to show some pictures from my vacation..." there are few things that could be more self-centered or more poorly received. An audience doesn't...
Not enough time
Probably the most common and annoying thing I witness is a speaker making references to how much time he has left to speak. It just isn't something that needs to come up. If we're running short on time, chances are good that we're presenting content of value (and if...
Handouts
Watched a butchery of handouts today. When handouts help make a point, give the listener a take-away or help keep them paying attention where they otherwise might be jotting stuff down, add things not covered in the talk, or provide context and organization to the...
Eye red to fast
Got a flyer/magazine/catalog today. One of those vendor rags that's made to look like a magazine tailored to something I love (flying). I don't know how I got on the maillst, and because it's a topic I care about, I'm only partially miffed that it graces my mailbox...
Let me prepare
One of the things I do with my classes on training and communication skills is to have folks focus on a particular skill while talking about just about anything. I beg, plead, joke, and remind that in this skill-building session, I'm not really concerned at all with...
Don’t even know why
Taught a class this week to technical folks who need to learn how to train/teach/convey. Training is such an interesting field. Very few folks set out to be trainers. Most folks learn some content or gain some experience, are asked to speak or train, like it (or...
A, B, C, D…
How do you grade? Jeff Bailey blogs about Toastmaster evaluations and the slippery slope they create. Since one of Toastmasters major missions is to get folks who are not comfortable speaking in public to cross the divide into the world of perhaps even enjoying it,...
In closing…
One of my pet peeves is the constant referrals to time that speakers make. As a rule of thumb, I advocate that the only person in the room who should know about time is the speaker. I frequently hear things like, "Well, I've only got a few minutes left..." or "since...
What do you want?
As adults, we have a way of clouding what we ask for. Comments, implications, hints, and inuendo (of all types) seems to make us feel better than asking outright. Take a lesson from my kids -- they ask, and ask, and ask. There is no doubt about what they want. My...
I have something to tell you
Heard a business leader end a a bi-weeklly charge to the troops with "I have some important news that's related to our strategy. But I'm not ready to tell you yet, so until we talk again, enjoy your weekend and have a productive two weeks." High marks for literary...
Be yourself
Had the interesting pleasure of experiencing a black preacher103 in a predominantly white church today. Last week I observed a white preacher make a joke that had racial undertones that I thought was completely out of place, and made me feel uncomfortable. I can't...
It’s my favorite
Heard two speakers back-to-back tonite go through a fairly scripted (but without notes) program to an audience mixted with kids and their parents. Due to the attention span of sleep-deprived, sugar-laced kids (and adults), the individual points were necessarily short...
