Categories: Speech WritingDelivery TechniquesVisual AidsSpeaker HabitsResources for SpeakersSpeech CritiquesBook Reviews

Six Minutes Article Archive

In-Depth Article Series

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.
     

Book Reviews

Reviews of books which cover public speaking, presentation skills, and communication methods.
Confessions of a Public Speaker - Scott Berkun
Scott Berkun
Universal Principles of Design - William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler
William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler
Multimedia Learning - Richard E. Mayer
Richard E. Mayer
You've Got to Be Believed to Be Heard - Bert Decker
Bert Decker
slide:ology - Nancy Duarte
Nancy Duarte
Fire Them Up! - Carmine Gallo
Carmine Gallo
The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking - Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie
The Story Factor - Annette Simmons
Annette Simmons
Presentation Zen - Garr Reynolds
Garr Reynolds

Speech Critiques

Speech evaluations which analyze great speakers and illustrate the techniques which make them great.
Barack Obama - Presidential Inaugural Address
Inauguration speech delivered to a live crowd estimated at 2 million people and billions around the globe.
Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream
Given to a crowd of 250,000, "I Have a Dream" is considered one of the greatest speeches of all time.
Dalton Sherman - Do you believe?
10-year-old 5th grader Dalton Sherman delivers an inspirational speech to 20,000 teachers about the importance of believing in each other.
Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture ("Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams")
Tremendously inspirational, funny, clever use of props and visual aids, a truly memorable speech.
Patrick Henry Winston - How to Speak
Dozens of practical public speaking tips; targets speaking to teach or to inform; lecture-style.
Majora Carter - Greening the Ghetto
Personal emotion, energy, passion, rapid speaking rate, call-to-action, reading from script.
Hans Rosling - Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen
Six simple techniques for presenting data, graphical display, energetic delivery.
J.A. Gamache - Being a Mr. G.
Strong writing, powerful body language, speech opening and closing which feature the same prop, callback technique for repetitive humor, emotionally charged writing, and a series of wonderfully choreographed gestures.
Steve Jobs - Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Strong opening; simple classical structure; the Rule of Three; rich figures of speech; and a recurring theme of birth/death/rebirth.
Al Gore - 15 ways to avert a climate crisis
Humor; call-to-action; audience awareness; and slide techniques.
Dick Hardt - Identity 2.0
Lessig method, speech opening, humor, repetition, contrast, analogies.
     
  

By Subject

1  analogies
1  apologize
7  audience analysis
16  audience interaction
1  best man speech
1  branding
1  call to action
5  career
1  christmas
4  contest
4  credibility
1  cultural communication
2  editing
1  emcee
4  emotion
3  ethos
15  evaluation
2  eye contact
2  facial expressions
3  fear
1  feedback
1  filler words
5  gestures
1  haiku
1  hendiatris
5  humor
1  impromptu speaking
2  inspirational speech
1  interview skills
1  jargon
1  lectern
1  lessig method
11  lists
1  logic
2  logistics
1  logos
3  making money from speaking
2  marketing for speakers
3  metaphors
3  nervousness
1  nonverbal communication
2  notes
1  pathos
7  pause
6  political speeches
8  PowerPoint
8  practice
10  preparation series
17  presentation
1  presentation skills ebook
4  presenting data
4  professional speaking
1  props
1  psychology of public speaking
6  public speaking
75  public speaking blogs
32  public speaking books
3  public speaking gear
2  public speaking resolutions
2  Q&A
1  readersurvey
1  religious speech
8  repetition
6  rhetorical devices
1  rule of thirds
9  rule of three
4  sixminutes
5  speaking rate
8  speaking skills
1  special occasion speech
5  speech closing
5  speech contest
19  speech examples
1  speech introduction
10  speech opening
5  speech outline
1  speech timing
1  speech topic
2  speech transitions
7  Speechwriting
1  staging
4  storytelling
1  Suicide by PowerPoint
1  surveys
4  TED
1  teleprompter
2  The Last Lecture
5  tips
19  Toastmasters
1  tricolon
1  twitter
1  verbal crutches
9  video
13  visuals
3  vocal variety
1  wedding speech

Articles by Date

2007

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2008

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2009

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

2010

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

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.

2010

February 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