Articles by Andrew Dlugan:

This article reviews a fantastic talk by Majora Carter titled “Greening the Ghetto” at TED. I loved this emotionally charged talk detailing her fight for environmental justice and her efforts as director of Sustainable South Bronx.

Majora Carter’s TED talk has both incredible strengths — passion, energy, authenticity — and one unfortunate weakness — rapid speaking rate. Both extremes are worthy of public speaking analysis.

Continue Reading »

The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling has one consistent message: that storytelling is a critical skill for business communication and public speaking.

Author Annette Simmons weaves hundreds of stories into The Story Factor. These stories — drawn from cultures around the world — illustrate well the power of story in conveying lessons.

I discovered this public speaking book two years ago in my Toastmasters club library. When I picked up the book again recently to write this review, I was delighted to reacquaint myself with several stories that I have since adopted into my own speaking repertoire.

Continue Reading »

Another Saturday, and another review of the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

Just a few of the topics featured this week are:

  • practicing;
  • nervousness;
  • humor; and
  • Toastmasters.

[Before we begin, did you catch last week’s review?]

Continue Reading »

It is Saturday, and that means it is time to review the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

Themes featured this week include:

  • marketing yourself;
  • body language;
  • PowerPoint, Keynote, & slideware; and
  • Toastmasters.

[Before we begin, did you catch last week’s review?]

Continue Reading »

Conventional public speaking wisdom states that one should never apologize.

However, I recently argued that there are very few public speaking rules.

  • Is “never apologize” a strict rule?
  • What is the rationale? What’s wrong with apologizing to the audience?
  • Under what circumstances, if any, is it okay to apologize?

Continue Reading »

Bor’-ing, adj.

  1. Uninteresting and tiresome; dull.
  2. A speaker reading their entire speech.

Presentations are more lively when a speaker speaks from the heart, from memory, or from minimal notes.

But, what if you simply must read an entire speech or a portion of a speech from script? Is there anything you can do to salvage a successful presentation?

Continue Reading »

Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln came to me as a great Christmas gift — a stocking stuffer which will improve my speaking skills considerably.

I was skeptical at first. I guessed that this was another stuffy book filled with speeches and anecdotes from famous speakers who lived so long ago that their speeches are part of history and their anecdotes are no longer relevant. That’s what I thought as I opened the book.

What I discovered is not really a “book full of speeches and anecdotes” (although there are many, many speech excerpts and anecdotes). Rather, I discovered a practical book of speaking techniques that will bolster the repertoire of any speaker who aims to lead.

Continue Reading »

It is time again to review the past week here at Six Minutes and throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

As always, there is a wide range of great advice for speakers.

This week also features a series of articles on speech analysis, reflections on Martin Luther King Jr., several opinions on PowerPoint, and the first articles of Toastmasters contest season.

[Before we begin, did you catch last week’s review?]

Continue Reading »

Many of the techniques described in this series of articles were honed during several years of attending and competing in Toastmasters Evaluation Contests. In both 2006 and 2007, I reached the District 21 finals, taking 2nd place in 2007. [Update: I won the District 21 Evaluation Contest in 2008.]

This article, the fifth in the Speech Analysis Series, inspects Toastmasters evaluation contests from several angles:

  • How does the contest work?
  • Why should you attend?
  • Why should you be a test speaker?
  • Why should you compete?
  • How can you win?

Continue Reading »

Previous articles in this Speech Analysis Series covered how to study and critique a speech, how to approach the task of evaluation, and how to use the modified sandwich technique.

This article provides a speech evaluation form and explains how it supports you in studying and evaluating speeches.

Continue Reading »

The last article of the Speech Analysis Series discussed the art of delivering evaluations.

This article discusses different ways to structure the content of a speech evaluation. The basis for this method is the sandwich technique for evaluations.

Continue Reading »

« Prev - Next »