Well, almost. After an extended absence due to a busy spring and summer, career shifts, medical journeys, and many other things, Six Minutes will be returning to publish regular articles again soon. We’ve got a number of articles going through final review, and we’ll be publishing them in the days and weeks to come.

In the meantime, you may wish to explore our article archive with hundreds of public speaking articles written over the past four years.

On a Personal Note

Thank you to all of you who have contacted Six Minutes during the publishing hiatus. It was humbling to hear that Six Minutes continues to be a helpful resource to so many speakers around the world. I regret that I haven’t been able to respond to everyone, but I’ll hopefully be able to make amends in the weeks and months to come.

Reader Favorites The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List What can Mickey Mouse Teach You about Public Speaking? How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

One way to realize this goal is to offer not just one opinion from one person, but many opinions from many in the larger public speaking community. Last week’s article on using improv to boost your speaking confidence from guest author Leon van der Walt is a great example.

In this light, I invite you to write an article for Six Minutes.

A Celebration of Unique Perspectives

Some of the guest authors we’ve heard from in the past year include:

• Peter Jeff, a public speaking instructor:
  • Rally Your Audience with a Signature Close
  • 10 Ways to End Your Speech with a Bang
  • TEASE ‘em: 5 Ways to Start Your Speech
  • How to Make Metaphorical Magic in Your Speech
• Marjorie Brody, a professional speaker:
  • 8 Faulty Speaker Assumptions and How to Fix Them
  • 8 Key Points for Perfect Presentation Practice
• Kate Peters, a vocal coach:
  • Breathing: The Seductive Key to Unlocking Your Vocal Variety
  • Speak Up! A Guide to Voice Projection
• Chaunce Stanton, a marketing communications professional:
  • How to Deliver Group Presentations: The Unified Team Approach
  • What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker
• Becky Blanton, an inspiring TED speaker:
  • How to Deliver the Talk of Your Life

In the last 12 months, we’ve also heard from speaking experts such as Nick Morgan, Kathy Reiffenstein, Stephanie Scotti, Linda Wu, Simon Bucknall, and Jane Atkinson.

You Could be Next!

Yes… you! Regardless of your public speaking background, you have a unique perspective.

• Are you a corporate, political, or freelance speechwriter?
• Do you teach public speaking in high school or college?
• Do you conduct PowerPoint tutorials at your workplace?
• Are you a professional speaker with wisdom to share?
• Or a novice with a unique perspective?
• Do you have an educational background in communications or forensics?
• Are you a blogger looking to share with a large audience?

Would you like to share your expertise with thousands of readers around the globe from all walks of life?

It’s Easy to Get Started

1. Read more about writing an article for Six Minutes.
2. Then, contact me with an article outline.

I look forward to hearing from you. I am confident that your unique perspective will enrich Six Minutes for everyone.

Similar Articles You May Like... The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009 The Best of Six Minutes – Six Month Edition A New Home Birth of a Public Speaking and Presentations Blog

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Thanks to everyone who was able to participate. Your feedback is valuable as it helps us plan Six Minutes articles for the future.

Based on the success of this survey, we plan to conduct more frequent surveys to formally solicit feedback from you.

Your informal feedback is welcome anytime. If you have questions or comments about anything on Six Minutes, please contact us.

What do you do to improve your speaking skills?

• Nearly two thirds of respondents (63%) read public speaking books.
  • In 2010, Six Minutes will continue to offer public speaking book reviews regularly.
• Over half of respondents (55%) are members of Toastmasters.
  • In 2010, we’ll complete the popular Toastmasters Speech Series. Also, stay tuned for a related e-book.
• Nearly half of respondents (49%) read other speaking blogs.
  • The definitive list of excellent public speaking blogs has been going strong for two years.
• Of those reporting in the “Other” category, the most frequent responses were “I speak often” and “I instruct others in speaking/presenting“.

Are you paid to speak?

• One in 9 Six Minutes readers earn most of their income from speaking. (11% of respondents)
  • If you are one of them, please consider sharing your wisdom as a guest author.
• One in three earn part of their income from speaking. (11% + 23% = 34%)
• Another third (33%) would like to start earning money from speaking.
  • In 2010, Six Minutes will feature more articles about speaking for money like this excellent article from Jane Atkinson.
• That leaves one third of respondents (34%) who speak purely for the thrill.
  • We’ll continue to provide value for speakers of all types, whether you are being paid with dollars or applause.

How often do you deliver speeches or presentations?

• Not surprisingly, more respondents report speaking at work with higher frequency than away from work.
• One of every five respondents give presentations at work at least a few times a week (5% + 14% = 19%).
• One in twenty respondents give presentations outside of work at the same frequency (1% + 5% = 6%).
• The most common frequency reported was “less than once a month”, both at work (36%) and outside of work (46%).
  • These numbers were mildly surprising.  It is our belief that speaking more frequently will result in more rapid improvement in skills. So, a 2010 goal will be to encourage more speaking from Six Minutes readers. Does practice work? Absolutely!

Other insights from the survey results

• Those earning income from speaking were more likely to participate in many skill-building activities (e.g. reading blogs and reading books and taking courses and attending Toastmasters and…). I did not, however, quantitatively measure this.
• Collectively, respondents who indicated that they are Toastmasters members were:
  • Less likely to read other speaking blogs (45% of Toastmasters versus 55% of non-Toastmasters),
  • Less likely read speaking books and magazines  (59% to 67%),
  • More likely to use other speaking products  (25% to 16%),
  • Less likely to have a speaking coach  (2% to 9%) and
  • Much less likely to earn income as a speaker. (14% to 57%)
    • I believe this reflects differences in overall experience levels which were not captured by this survey.

Reader Favorites The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List What can Mickey Mouse Teach You about Public Speaking? How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Please help plan the direction for Six Minutes into 2010 by taking 1 minute to answer a very short survey.

For those reading this message in email or via RSS, you may not see the survey below. In that case, click through to the one-minute survey here.

Thank you in advance for your participation, and thank you for reading.

Reader Favorites The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List What can Mickey Mouse Teach You about Public Speaking? How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

One way to realize this goal is to offer not just one opinion and one voice, but the advice and opinions of the larger public speaking community. Last week’s excellent article on how to get into professional speaking from guest author Jane Atkinson is a great example.

Therefore, I would like to invite you to write an article for Six Minutes.

Yes… you! Regardless of your public speaking background, you have a unique perspective.

• Are you a corporate, political, or freelance speechwriter?
• Do you teach public speaking in high school or college?
• Do you conduct PowerPoint tutorials at your workplace?
• Are you a professional speaker with wisdom to share?
• Or a novice with a unique perspective?
• Do you have an educational background in communications or forensics?
• Are you a public speaking blogger looking to gain a new audience?

Would you like to write for a large audience with thousands of readers around the globe from all walks of life?

Interested?

Read more about writing an article for Six Minutes, and then contact me to get started.

I look forward to hearing from you. I am confident that your unique perspective will enrich Six Minutes for everyone.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Preparation #1: How to Prepare a Presentation 5 Habits to Achieve your Public Speaking New Year’s Resolution 250 Things to Guarantee Your Speaking Success? Q&A Tips from Toastmasters International President The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Just as a wise speaker must consider their audience when constructing a presentation, I think it is important to do the same for Six Minutes. Please help me plan the direction for Six Minutes into 2009 by taking 1 or 2 minutes to answer a short survey.

For those reading this message in email or via RSS, you may not see the survey below. In that case, click through to the one-minute survey here (or the Google Docs version).

Thank you in advance for your participation, and thank you for reading.

Reader Favorites The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List What can Mickey Mouse Teach You about Public Speaking? How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds Presentation Power: Four Ways to Persuade The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Whether you discovered Six Minutes months ago or days ago, thank you for your readership.

Due to rapid subscriber growth lately, I’m going to mark the occasion by:

• highlighting reader favorites;
• summarizing the regular features; and
• looking at future articles.

Favorites of Six Minutes Readers

These are the ten most frequently read articles:

1. 25 Essential Presentation Skills for Public Speaking
2. # Public Speaking Blogs: The Public Speaking Blogosphere
3. Selecting a Speech Topic
4. Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources
5. How to Critique a Speech
6. Speech Outline Examples
   
7. Electrify Your Audience with a Shocking Speech Opening
8. Speech Critique: Dick Hardt (the “Lessig Method” critique)
9. Speech Critique: Steve Jobs (Stanford, 2005)
10. Toastmasters Evaluation Contests

You can explore the rest of the best of Six Minutes in the article archive, including Haiku for Public Speakers and Speaking Survey says: Speaker DO’s and DON’Ts.

Popular Recurring Features

Speech Critiques

One of the original aims of this blog was to educate through speech critiques. i.e. highlight the best speakers, and show by detailed analysis why they are the best.

The first Six Minutes article was a critique of Dick Hardt’s Identity 2.0 presentation using the Lessig Method. Reviews of several other outstanding speakers followed, including Hans Rosling, Steve Jobs, and Al Gore.

You can peruse all speech critiques at a glance.

Book Reviews

From speech critiques, book reviews were a very natural evolution for Six Minutes. I’m an avid reader, and public speaking books are a regular companion. Bestsellers reviewed include Presentation Zen; Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln; and The Story Factor.

You can discover all book reviews at a glance.

The Best Public Speaking Articles – Every Week

Public speaking weekly reviews were initiated on January 12, and have run every Saturday since. Each review surveys the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere over the past week.

Article Series

Two in-depth article series were featured in the past two months.

The Speech Analysis Series discusses the benefits of honing your speech analysis skills, and provides numerous techniques for doing so.

The Speech Preparation Series takes you through a 6-step process for speech preparation, and accompanies this with examples drawn from an inspirational competitive speech.

Plans for the Next Six Months

The response to Six Minutes has been tremendous, and I’m very excited to continue to bring public speaking advice, tips, and resources to you. Here’s what the next few months will bring:

• Weekly Reviews Every Saturday
  Reader response has been very positive so far. I’ll continue to bring the best public speaking articles each week.
• More Speech Critiques
  In addition to video critiques, I’m also planning articles to analyze text-only speeches with an emphasis on speechwriting and speech development. Which speakers or speeches should be analyzed? Suggestions always welcome.
• More Book Reviews
  I have two books on the go, and another is in the mail. I’m always seeking additional public speaking and communications books to review. Suggestions or donations welcome.
• New Article Series
  Additional in-depth article series are planned for the months ahead.
• New Feature Articles
  What topics do you want Six Minutes to cover?

Thank You

If you subscribe to Six Minutes already, thank you for your readership, feedback, and comments. You have made this a better blog.

If you are new to Six Minutes, consider subscribing to receive regular public speaking articles.

Similar Articles You May Like... You are Invited to Write for Six Minutes The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009 A New Home Birth of a Public Speaking and Presentations Blog

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

WordPress.com is a fantastic free service for bloggers, but moving to a new host increases the tools at my disposal to deliver interesting content.

Thank you for your continued readership.

Andrew

Similar Articles You May Like... You are Invited to Write for Six Minutes The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009 The Best of Six Minutes – Six Month Edition Birth of a Public Speaking and Presentations Blog

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

I am a both a practitioner as well as as student of effective communication techniques.

• Written language – reports, emails, letters, proposals, and blogs
• Oral language – 1-on-1 conversations, meetings, presentations
• Body language – gestures, eye movements, body positioning

This is my motivation for starting this blog.

Similar Articles You May Like... You are Invited to Write for Six Minutes The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009 The Best of Six Minutes – Six Month Edition A New Home

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.