Six Minutes Article Archive

Six Minutes Article Archive

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In-Depth Article Series

Ethos, Pathos, Logos:
Three Pillars of Public Speaking
Detailed guide to credibility, emotion, and logic which are the secret to persuasive speaking.
Audience Analysis Series
Covers what questions to ask, how to get the answers, and how to improve your presentations as a result of audience analysis. Includes free worksheet.
Speech Preparation Series
10-article series examining the six steps which are necessary to prepare a speech, reduce nervousness, and combat fear.
Speech Analysis Series
5-article series examining presentation analysis as a key skill to improve your speaking skills.
Toastmasters Speech Series
Your guide to the 10 speeches of the Toastmasters Competent Communicator Program.
Rule of Three & Speechwriting
Comprehensive guide to this powerful speechwriting technique as it applies to crafting memorable phrases, speech outlines, and speech humor.

Speechwriting

Crafting content which is compelling and memorable.
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: Book Review
Electrify Your Audience with a Shocking Speech Opening
Speech Preparation #1: How to Prepare a Presentation
Speech Preparation #2: Selecting a Speech Topic
Speech Preparation #3: Don’t Skip the Speech Outline
Speech Preparation #4: Wrestling Writer’s Block to Write the First Draft
Speech Preparation #5: Six Power Principles for Speech Editing
Speech Preparation #6: Add Impact with Rhetorical Devices
Toastmasters Speech Series: Your Guide to the First 10 Speeches
Toastmasters Speech 1: The Ice Breaker
Toastmasters Speech 2: Organize Your Speech
You Can Learn to Present Like Steve Jobs
Toastmasters Speech 3: Get to the Point
Wrap Your Naked Statistics in a Warm Blanket of Meaning
Toastmasters Speech 4: How to Say It
5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama’s Inaugural Speech
Analysis and Opinions: Obama Inauguration Speech
Book Review: Advanced Presentations by Design by Andrew Abela
How to Use the Rule of Three in Your Speeches
Why Successful Speech Outlines follow the Rule of Three
How to Add Power or Humor with the Rule of Three
How to Make Metaphorical Magic in Your Speech
Best Man Speech: What’s the Key to Succeed?
How to Deliver the Talk of Your Life
TEASE ‘em: 5 Ways to Start Your Speech
10 Ways to End Your Speech with a Bang
Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking
What is Ethos and Why is it Critical for Speakers?
15 Tactics to Establish Ethos: Examples for Persuasive Speaking
Book Review: Made to Stick
What is Pathos and Why is it Critical for Speakers?
18 Paths to Pathos: How to Connect with Your Audience
Book Review: Thank You For Arguing (Jay Heinrichs)
Rally Your Audience with a Signature Close
8 Speechwriting Lessons You Can Learn from Songwriters
What is Logos and Why is it Critical for Speakers?
17 Easy Ways to Be a More Persuasive Speaker
How to Axe Your Presentation… and Still Deliver Value
Toastmasters Speech 7: Research Your Topic
Speechwriting Hocus Pocus: Summoning Your Magical Powers
How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for Success
The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics
Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade
How to Weave Statistics Into Your Speech
How to Ace the Impromptu Speech
Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique
Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009)
Be More Memorable by Repeating Your Speech Words (Anaphora)
Book Review: Resonate (Nancy Duarte)
How to Use Quotes in Your Speech: 8 Benefits and 21 Tips
28 Tips for Designing Training Courses: Case Study
What is Charisma? Can it be Learned?
How many ways can you use rhetorical questions in your speech?
How to Write Memorable Speech Lines (Chiasmus)
How to Master the Demonstration Speech
How to Improve Your Speeches Through Audience Analysis

Delivery Techniques

Body language, vocal variety, audience interaction, and other advice to deliver your message effectively.
Leading the Perfect Q&A
Q&A Tips from Toastmasters International President
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: Book Review
Never Read Your Speech… Never?
Should a Speaker Apologize to the Audience?
Speech Preparation #7: Choreograph Your Speech with Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety
Connect With Your Audience: Don’t Hide Your Emotions When Speaking
Are… um… Filler Words… ah… Okay?
Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks
How to Deliver the Talk of Your Life
Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
Are Your Speech Gestures Too Small, Too Big, or Just Right?
How to Connect With Your Audience by Moving Closer
Speaking in Church: Lectern or No Lectern?
Culture Clash: 5 Tips for Cross-Cultural Communication
Breathing: The Seductive Key to Unlocking Your Vocal Variety
Book Review: Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun)
18 Paths to Pathos: How to Connect with Your Audience
Speak Up! A Guide to Voice Projection
Boost Your Speaking Confidence Through Improv
Pump Up Your Speaking Voice with a Strength Training Workout
Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade
6 Communication Barriers and How You Can Avoid Them
How to Stop Saying Um, Uh, and Other Filler Words
How to Make Reading a Speech Not Like Reading a Speech
How to Weave Statistics Into Your Speech
How to Thrive When Speaking Outside
How to Ace the Impromptu Speech
Speech Pauses: 12 Techniques to Speak Volumes with Your Silence
28 Tips for Designing Training Courses: Case Study
Book Review: The Naked Presenter (Garr Reynolds)
What is the Average Speaking Rate?
3 Eye Contact Myths… and How to Avoid Them In Your Speech

Visual Aids

Tips and techniques to improve your PowerPoint or Keynote slides, usage of flip charts, or other visual aids.
Critique: Lessig Method Presentation Style (Dick Hardt, Identity 2.0, OSCON 2005)
Six Simple Techniques for Presenting Data: Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)
Presentation Zen Book Review
Presentation Zen Slide Examples
Use PowerPoint Visuals, Not Bullets – What the World Eats
World’s Best Presentation Contest
PowerPoint Book Review – Clear and to The Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations
Book Review – slide:ology by Nancy Duarte
PowerPoint Design Wish List: 8 Modest Proposals
How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds
Book Review: Multimedia Learning by Richard E. Mayer
Book Review: Universal Principles of Design
Book Review: The Back of the Napkin – Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures (Dan Roam)
The 10-20-30 Rule: Guy Kawasaki on PowerPoint
Stop, Prepare, THEN PowerPoint
How Many Slides Should You Have? How Many Slides Do You Need?
How to Create Pro Slides in Less Time: Don’t Worry, Be CRAPpy
28 Tips for Designing Training Courses: Case Study
What is an Ignite presentation, and why should you try it?
Slide Title Guidelines: Use Assertions, Not Topics
Flip Charts 101: Basic Tips to Use This Lonely Versatile Tool

Speaker Habits

Habits which help you become a complete well-rounded speaker.
5 Habits to Achieve your Public Speaking New Year’s Resolution
Speech Analysis #1: How to Study and Critique a Speech
Speech Analysis #2: The Art of Delivering Evaluations
Speech Analysis #3: Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
Speech Analysis #4: Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources
Speech Preparation #8: How to Practice Your Presentation
Speech Preparation #9: Prepare Now for Your Next Speech
Stop Rehearsing! 3 Critical Things to Do Before Your Speech
21 Questions: Is This The Year You Communicate Effectively?
How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker: 6 Key Steps
Do You Provide Great Customer Service to Your Audience?
The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking
How to Deliver Group Presentations: The Unified Team Approach
8 Faulty Speaker Assumptions and How to Fix Them
Love the Process and Improve Your Speaking Skills
What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker?
Book Review: Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun)
15 Tactics to Establish Ethos: Examples for Persuasive Speaking
Average Speakers Suck. Don’t be Average.
The Only Thing to Do When Disaster Strikes Your Speech
8 Key Points for Perfect Presentation Practice
Ready, Set, Go! Nail Your Pre-Speech Ritual
Speaking is a Team Sport: 3 Ways to be Responsive to Your Audience
How to Achieve All Your Resolutions
Six Thinking Hats and the Public Speaker
Powers of 10: Time Scales in Public Speaking
What can Mickey Mouse Teach You about Public Speaking?
How to Dress for Public Speaking
When is the Best Time to Distribute Handouts?
9 Do’s and Taboos to Eat, Drink, and Speak
3 Common Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves
Why You Must Relish Every Opportunity to Speak
5 Speaking Resolutions to Wow Your Audience in 2012
7 Habits for Highly Effective Speakers
10 Presentation Habits My College Students – And You – Must UN-Learn
10 Presentation Habits My College Students – And You – Must UN-Learn (Part 2)
Audience Analysis: A Guide for Speakers
Presentation Timing: 5 Tips to Stay On Time and Avoid Audience Wrath
How to Conduct Audience Analysis
     

Book Reviews

Reviews of books which cover public speaking, presentation skills, and communication methods.
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Speech Critiques

Speech evaluations which analyze great speakers and illustrate the techniques which make them great.
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Interviews

Interviews revealing insights from fascinating individuals in and around the speaking industry.
Interview with Ryan Avery: 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking
Interview with Kristin Arnold, National Speakers Association President
What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker?
Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
Interview with Nancy Duarte, Author of slide:ology

Resources for Speakers

Lists, research, and sites of interest to public speakers.
The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have
250 Things to Guarantee Your Speaking Success?
Speaking Survey says: Speaker DO’s and DON’Ts
Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List
Free E-book – Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design
Learn Public Speaking Online with Alltop
Contest: Win a Book by Recommending a Book
Public Speaking Books: Six Minutes Reader Recommendations
Gifts Public Speakers Really Want: Dozens of Christmas Ideas
Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Popular Public Speaking Books and Gear
The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009
Ultimate Twitter List of Public Speaking Bloggers
Stocking Stuffers for Speakers
Win a Book! Share Your Public Speaking Confessions
Psst! Readers’ Speaking Confessions and Lessons
Which College Textbook for Public Speaking is Best?
27 Hot Summer Reads for Speakers
Professional Speaker Associations
Christmas Resources for Public Speaking
Speeches that Changed the World
You are Invited to the Outstanding Presentations Workshop
Gifts for Every Speaker… from Zero to Eighty Dollars
50 Most Popular Public Speaking Articles
Stocking Stuffers and Gifts for Every Speaker
Top 35 Presentation Books: Expert Ratings
Six Minutes Holiday Maintenance
Audience Analysis Worksheet [Free PDF Download]

Ask Six Minutes

Articles written in response to questions from our readers.
Speaking in Church: Lectern or No Lectern?
Which College Textbook for Public Speaking is Best?
How to Axe Your Presentation… and Still Deliver Value
Pump Up Your Speaking Voice with a Strength Training Workout
Send in Your Speaking Questions: 12 Days of Ask Six Minutes
How Many Slides Should You Have? How Many Slides Do You Need?
How to Stop Saying Um, Uh, and Other Filler Words
How to Dress for Public Speaking
When is the Best Time to Distribute Handouts?
How to Make Reading a Speech Not Like Reading a Speech
How to Weave Statistics Into Your Speech
9 Do’s and Taboos to Eat, Drink, and Speak
3 Common Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves
How to Thrive When Speaking Outside
Why You Must Relish Every Opportunity to Speak
How to Ace the Impromptu Speech
Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique
What is the Average Speaking Rate?

Communication Skills

Includes general skills beyond speaking, such as listening, language, personality, and interpersonal skills.
Defensive Reponses: Not “Why”, but “You”
Business Communications Book Review: Fire Them Up (Carmine Gallo)
10 Ways Your Presentation Skills Generate Career Promotions
9 Steps to Conquer Nerves and Communicate Clearly in Interviews
Toastmasters: Please Share Your Story
Toastmasters Testimonials: 85 Years of Better Speakers

Speech Contests

Tips and techniques to get the most value out of competitive speaking.
Speech Analysis #5: Toastmasters Evaluation Contests
Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest
Lessons Learned from Toastmasters Speech Contests
The Olympics of Oratory: World Championship of Public Speaking
Interview with LaShunda Rundles: 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking
Interview with Ryan Avery: 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking

The Lighter Side

Fun and humorous perspectives on public speaking.
Haiku for Public Speakers
12 Days of Public Speaking Christmas
Do you Fear Public Speaking Death?
32 Reasons a PowerPoint Slide Deck is Nothing Like a Bra
How the Grinch Stole PowerPoint

Commentary

Reflections on news items, current events, or other topics of interest to speakers.
In Memoriam: Randy Pausch (1960 – 2008)
Speech Critiques – Obama, Democratic Convention 2008
Speech Critiques – McCain, Palin, Republican Convention 2008
LaShunda Rundles Fights for Her Life
2008 Election Night Speech Analysis – Obama and McCain
Why Pausch, not Obama, is Best Communicator of 2008
Watch Becky Blanton’s TED Talk
Steve Jobs: Greatest Presenter of Our Generation
     

By Person

2  Abraham Lincoln
1  Al Gore
1  Andrew Abela
1  Annette Simmons
8  Barack Obama
2  Becky Blanton
2  Bert Decker
2  Bill Clinton
2  Carmen Taran
2  Carmine Gallo
1  Cliff Atkinson
1  Dale Carnegie
1  Dalton Sherman
2  Daniel Pink
1  Dick Hardt
1  Edward de Bono
1  Elizabeth Gilbert
7  Garr Reynolds
1  Guy Kawasaki
1  Hans Rosling
1  Hillary Clinton
1  Jacqueline Novogratz
3  James Humes
1  Jane Atkinson
3  John McCain
1  Ken Robinson
3  LaShunda Rundles
1  Majora Carter
3  Martin Luther King Jr.
1  Michelle Obama
9  Nancy Duarte
1  Patrick Henry Winston
3  Randy Pausch
1  Richard Mayer
2  Ronald Reagan
1  Rudy Giuliani
3  Sarah Palin
1  Stephen Kosslyn
4  Steve Jobs
6  Winston Churchill
  

By Subject

13  12 Days series
2  analogies
4  apologize
19  audience analysis
23  audience interaction
1  best man speech
1  branding
2  call to action
5  career
2  charisma
2  christmas
3  confidence
4  contest
6  contrast
9  credibility
1  cultural communication
2  downloads
3  editing
1  emcee
9  emotion
8  ethos
19  evaluation
6  eye contact
1  facebook
3  facial expressions
5  famous speeches
3  fear
2  feedback
4  filler words
1  flip chart
1  food and drink
1  Franklin Roosevelt
9  gestures
1  google plus
1  haiku
2  handouts
1  hendiatris
5  humor about speaking
1  Ignite presentations
2  impromptu speaking
3  in memoriam
2  inspirational speech
1  interview skills
1  jargon
1  John F. Kennedy
1  lectern
1  lessig method
1  lesson plan
17  lists
3  logic
3  logistics
6  logos
3  making money from speaking
2  marketing for speakers
5  metaphors
4  nervousness
2  nonverbal communication
3  notes
1  onomatopoeia
1  parallel structure
5  pathos
12  pause
1  persuasion
1  pinterest
9  political speeches
13  PowerPoint
14  practice
10  preparation series
17  presentation
1  presentation skills ebook
6  presenting data
10  professional speaking
1  props
2  psychology of public speaking
101  public speaking blogs
58  public speaking books
1  public speaking education
6  public speaking gear
5  public speaking resolutions
4  Q&A
1  quotations
3  readersurvey
1  religious speech
10  repetition
11  rhetorical devices
4  rhetorical question
1  rule of thirds
13  rule of three
1  simplicity
7  sixminutes
9  slide design
2  slide fonts
1  speaker clothing
8  speaking rate
2  speaking research
10  speaking skills
1  special occasion speech
1  specialty speeches
8  speech closing
6  speech contest
26  speech examples
5  speech humor
2  speech introduction
13  speech opening
8  speech outline
7  speech timing
2  speech topic
3  speech transitions
7  Speechwriting
1  staging
9  storytelling
1  Suicide by PowerPoint
1  surveys
8  TED
1  teleprompter
2  The Last Lecture
17  Toastmasters
1  tricolon
2  twitter
2  verbal crutches
15  video
20  visuals
9  vocal variety
4  voice
1  webinar
1  wedding speech

Articles by Date

2007

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2008

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2009

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2010

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2011

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2012

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2013

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Weekend Reviews

We regularly survey the best public speaking articles from a wide collection of public speaking blogs.
Only the best articles are highlighted each week for you.

2012

December 13th
November 29th
October 4th
September 13th
August 30th 16th
July 26th 14th
January 5th

2011

December 1st
November 18th 4th

2010

October 23rd 8th
September 24th 9th
August 27th 14th
July 31st 10th
June 26th 12th 5th
March 6th
February 20th 6th
January 15th 2nd

2009

December 19th 4th
November 20th 6th
October 24th 10th
September 26th 19th 12th 5th
August 29th
July 18th 11th 4th
June 6th
May 30th 23rd 16th 9th
March 14th 7th
February 7th
January 31st 24th 17th 3rd

2008

December 20th 13th 6th
November 29th 22nd 8th
October 25th 11th
September 20th 13th 6th
August 30th 23rd 16th 9th
July 19th 12th 5th
June 28th 21st 14th 7th
May 31st 24th 17th 10th 3rd
April 26th 19th 12th 5th
March 29th 22nd 15th 8th 1st
February 23rd 16th 9th 2nd
January 26th 19th 12th