Six Minutes » Weekly Reviews

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-11-07]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:15:30 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This super-sized review features topics including:

new public speaking books;
writing a eulogy;
eye contact vs. eye communication;
speaking with notes;
tools for slide color schemes;
the validity of learning styles (are they a myth?);
moderating a panel; and
being successful as an introvert.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

Presentation S.O.S.: Persuasion in 9 Easy Steps by Mark Wiskup
Talk Less, Say More: Three Habits to Influence Others and Make Things Happen by Connie Dieken
How To Say It With Your Voice by Jeffrey Jacobi
Toasts: Over 1,500 of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces by Paul Dickson
Great Webinars: How to create interactive learning that is captivating, informative and fun by Cynthia Clay

In Review: Six Minutes

How to Deliver Group Presentations: The Unified Team Approach
Your group needs clarity, control, and commitment, according to guest author Chaunce Stanton.
Toastmasters Speech 6: Vocal Variety
The sixth article in the series touring the foundational Toastmasters manual.
Book Review: The Wealthy Speaker by Jane Atkinson
An insider’s view of what it takes to succeed in the speaking industry.
The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009
Highlighting reader favorite articles in the first two years of Six Minutes.
Book Review: Better Beginnings by Carmen Taran
One-of-a-kind book dedicated to developing great speech openers.

Speechwriting

Jonathan Thomas preaches depth rather than breadth in speeches.

A “wide” presentation is one that covers a vast amount of information without going into much detail on any one point. [...] The audience gets a shallow view of many points, resulting in few, if any, being recalled. [...]

Instead, narrow your presentation focus to a few key points. Go a little deeper to explain each of those points in a way that the audience will be able to keep up with, understand, and retain.

Kelly Decker highlights how President Obama uses a powerful analogy.

Put your politics and feelings about health care and the economy aside to learn a great lesson here. Obama brings ideas to life with his words. [...]

He used the concrete analogy of a mop instead of what most politicians and business leaders might have said [...]

But instead, he drew a picture. Simply. Right away, you can see that mess and that mop.

Denise Graveline provides tips for writing a eulogy.

Try to find a theme or ethic that defined the person’s life and build the eulogy around it. [...]

Try to tell some things that no one else knows [...]

[...] focus on telling a personal story that evokes something you want to share about your mother, ideally a story that involves you.

Delivery Techniques

Jim Anderson reveals why speakers are boring, and offers some antidotes.

Let’s be frank here – most speakers that you listen to really aren’t that good. [...]

All too often a speaker will focus exclusively on what they are going to be saying and spend little or no time thinking about how they are going to say it.

If you need an analogy to clear things up, this would be like a chef who worries about what ingredients go into a meal without spending any time thinking about how to actually cook the thing. Sure he’ll be able to make something, but it’s not going to taste very good.

Angela DeFinis contrasts 4 methods for delivering a speech: reading, memorizing, impromptu, and extemporaneous.

Ultimately, the speech delivery method you choose will depend on many factors, such as how formal or informal the presentation is, how well you know your subject, who the audience is, and your own comfort level. When you take the time to analyze these factors and educate yourself about your choices, you can make the best decision about what method to use and give a great speech.

Bert Decker focuses on the difference between eye contact and eye communication.

Eye contact is fleeting. It can be in passing, just a glance or a fraction of a second. [...]

Eye communication is connection – think of eye contact on steroids. It’s the act of two pairs of eyes connecting and the contact leading to communication. Eye communication involves more extended eye contact (at least 3-5 seconds for speakers communicating to a group) that forms a bond between two people.

Rich Hopkins lists 7 tips for speaking with notes.

To effectively use cards, print one point per card – one sentence only that will trigger the segment you’ve practiced 100 times. Triggers get you to the story, and prevent you from reading from the card. At most, have a short Transition sentence and the Trigger on each card, to help you go from one point to the next.

In addition to Triggers and Transitions, quotes that must be read correctly belong on notecards, as well as statistics, research attributions, poems – anything that must be word for word.

Kathy Reiffenstein suggests how to deliver a difficult speech.

How do you deliver these kinds of messages with grace, poise, and confidence?

Be clear and concise

Empathize

Explain but don’t make excuses

Maintain eye contact

Find a silver lining

Visual Aids

Dave Paradi shows how to improve a slide which includes a graph from another source.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Garr Reynolds reviews Kuler, a tool to help you choose slide color schemes.

Although scores of good books on color theory have been written — many even for non-designers — most working professionals just do not have the time to delve deeply into a study of the complexities of using color. The good news is that there are online resources that can help you create harmonious color themes without requiring advance knowledge in color theory. There are a few really good online resources such as ColorSchemer and Colourlovers, but my personal favorite is Kuler.

Chris Atherton says the only rule that matters is the rule of attention.

[This blog post is] ostensibly about the mistakes students make when they give presentations, but really it’s about how the only rules you need to know about giving a good presentation are the ones about human attention.

Speaker Habits

Stephanie Scotti ponders what it takes to own the room.

This is no longer a ballroom, or a boardroom, or a trade show hall… it’s your living room. And the audience, each and every one of them, is a welcomed guest.

Just as you would greet guests arriving at your home, adopt the same attitude in welcoming listeners to your presentation. This simple change of perspective allows you to project confidence and manage the dynamics of the room. Because, after all, you’re the host.

Martin Shovel cautions you against blindly accepting scientific speaking theories. Among other arguments, he points to a video from Professor Daniel Willingham which argues that learning styles (e.g. visual vs. auditory vs. kinesthetic) are a myth.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kathy Reiffenstein provides 10 tips for moderating a panel.

Act as the audience’s advocate

Hold a pre-event briefing

Make short, interesting introductions

Set the stage up front

Manage the timing and balance

Be prepared and be flexible

Don’t answer questions directed at panelists

Be aware of your body language

Develop a strategy for questions

Look at audience, not panelists

Jim Harvey notes that confidence can decrease your effectiveness.

The problem for experienced and skilled presenters is that they often become ‘performers’ and switch off the thing that made them good in the first place, their warmth and honesty as a person.

Lisa Braithwaite distinguishes between our four vocabularies: reading vocabulary, listening vocabulary, writing vocabulary, and speaking vocabulary.

How do we explore our vocabulary and get greater usage from it? When I suggest exploring your vocabulary, I’m not suggesting using bigger or more complicated words, or necessarily learning more words (although that’s not a bad idea). What I am suggesting is saying what you really mean and using vocabulary to be more clear in your communication. Especially if, like me, you find yourself in a rut using the same words over and over, and you know there are better options.

Professionally Speaking

Joanna Martin probes how to choose a speaking niche.

I had one participant wanting to niche in teenagers because he saw his purpose as helping to empower them. There’s one huge problem with trying to sell to teenagers though. Do they have the money to spend on your product or service?

Communication Skills and Personality

Nancy Ancowitz reflects on the challenges of being successful as an introvert.
(Thanks to Denise Graveline for flagging the New York Times article.)

One day, something clicked for me. I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a popular personality assessment, as part of a team-building program at work. To my surprise, I discovered that I was an introvert — and that this wasn’t a handicap or a disorder, but just an aspect of my personality with its own strengths and challenges.

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.

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-24]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:27:11 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

tools for presenting with Twitter;
pauses to highlight key statements;
better bullet points;
Pecha Kucha;
confidence and charisma;
gender differences;
speaking on a panel; and
energy zappers to avoid.

Resources for Speakers

Olivia Mitchell compiled 10 tools for presenting with Twitter.

Presenting while people are tweeting is challenging – but also adds a new dimension to the presentation experience for your audience. Gradually tools are being developed to make it easier for you as the presenter to manage the backchannel.

Speechwriting

John Watkis argues that the right words are more important than using fewer words.

If brevity isn’t the key, what is? I would say the key to being memorable is to use the right combination of words. That doesn’t mean you ignore time limits or overload your audience with information. It just means you should choose the appropriate combination of words to drive your point home and make your speeches more memorable.

Delivery Techniques

Debbie Fay suggests pauses should surround key statements in your speech.

Your use of silence before, during and after the telling of the really important thing allows your audience the opportunity to digest it. To let it sink in. Even to repeat it to themselves in their own heads.

Visual Aids

Mike Pulsifer reminds you that the best visual may not be a slide deck.

[...] The visual impact obtained through these two monster print-outs could not have been obtained on a slide. [...]

When presenting, don’t be afraid to mix in some low-tech visuals if it will help you drive your message home. And to think, I didn’t even mention the effect it has refocusing the audience’s attention on you.

Brent Dykes completed his 5-part series on bullet points.

Consistency

Bullets

Layout / Structure

Usage / Text Density

Content and Delivery

Olivia Mitchell outlines how to prepare a Pecha Kucha presentation.

Have a theme

Plan your outline before the slides

Spend more than 20 seconds on a point

It’s better to finish earlier than later

Rehearse

Speaker Habits

Scott Schwertly compares confidence and charisma.

Although people sometimes use these words interchangeably, they are actually two different things. In fact, one is the foundation of the other, though having the first doesn’t necessarily guarantee the second. For our purposes, confidence is an internal state, while charisma is a learned, practiced, and mastered skill-set.

Kathy Reiffenstein gives 10 tips for speaking on a panel.

Stand in the audience’s shoes

Be prepared

Use stories

Anticipate questions

Don’t use slides

Interact with the other panelists

Be respectful

Don’t answer every question

Be conscious of how you look when you’re not speaking

Provide your bio

Jim Anderson analyzes the challenges of presenting to audiences of the opposite gender.

[...] there are still differences between the sexes and a skillful presenter has to know about these differences and find ways to steer around them.

John Kinde identifies six energy zappers which can sabotage your talk.

Your attitude

Eye contact

Warm ups

Room seating

Room lighting

Distractions

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:02:24 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review includes:

new public speaking books;
focusing on a single idea;
limiting the amount of information presented;
using statistics in a speech;
the phony speaker’s smile;
research about bullet slides;
choosing slide colors; and
gender issues in public speaking.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

Cracking The Boy's Club Code: The Woman's Guide to Being Heard and Valued in the Workplace by Michael Johnson
PowerPoint Presentations That Sell by Adam B. Cooper
Business Communication Today by Courtland L. Bovee
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo
Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style by Randy Olson

Speechwriting

Chris Witt reminds you the best speeches are built on a single idea.

That idea may be simple or complex, sophisticated or homespun, philosophical or down-to-earth practical. It may have far-ranging implications or a very specific application. It may appeal to a broad audience or to a select few. But it has to have the power to change people’s lives in some way — to change how they think or feel or act.

Kathy Reiffenstein questions how much can your audience absorb?

What affects audience absorption?

sheer volume of information

rate of speech

complexity of information

language choice

organization of material

Jessica Hagy captures the information conundrum visually.
Not too much. Not too little. The best speakers are able to present just the right amount of information to maximize understanding (or, in this case, minimize confusion).

Craig Valentine gives 5 tips to add impact to statistics.

Do not Drop Stats off; Drive them Home

Use Statistics within a Story

The story is the emotion while the statistic is the logic.

Literally point us to the source

Use Statistics for Involvement

Nick R Thomas advises you to avoid buzzwords in your speech.

As public speakers, we want our listeners to reflect on the words we have just used because they find them amusing, moving, profound, persuasive… not because we have used language in a way that sounds peculiar, contrived or irritating to them. If you are using buzzwords, make sure that they are commonly used by that particular audience otherwise they will just distract from your message instead of reinforcing it.

Delivery Techniques

Doug Stevenson warns against the phony speaker’s smile.

One of the most common mistakes speakers make is to plaster a smile on their face and keep it there, regardless of what they’re saying. [...]

The problem of the “speaker’s smile” becomes pronounced and incongruent, especially in the context of storytelling. [...]

I tell it like it is with emotion that is congruent. If I’m talking about the unlimited potential of each individual in my audience, I’m smiling. If I’m talking about self-limiting beliefs, I’m not.

James Feudo claims tongue twisters are an effective rehearsal aid.

Most people have a bit of a hard time when trying to read them fast. It’s a lot of work for both your brain and your mouth – it’s like free weights for speaking articulately. It’s no secret that reading out loud can help improve your articulation but if you want to get results fast, try some tongue twisters.

Visual Aids

Olivia Mitchell presents new evidence that bullet slides don’t work.

Don’t say too much.

Split the (cognitive) load.

Get rid of visual clutter on your slides.

Make your audience work.

Garr Reynolds applies Zen art lessons to selecting slide colors.

The problem with most slide presentations is not that visuals contain too few colors, it’s that they contain too many. A common practice is to use several different vivid hues (colors) in presentation slides when even a single hue in various shades or tints would have been more effective.

[...] pay attention to the luminance or value in a graphic, not just the hues (colors).

Nancy Duarte argues that effective slides can be processed in 3 seconds or less.

One of the tools we used was our Glance Test. [...] slides should be processed in 3 seconds or less. It’s impossible for people to process your slides and your words simultaneously. The test gives you a quantifiable way to test a slide’s viability as a glance medium by calculating a signal-to-noise ratio for individual slides.

Speaker Habits

Stephanie Benoit and Denise Graveline discuss gender issues in public speaking and communication. [Watch Stephanie on video, and read Denise' additional advice.]

Click here to view the embedded video.

Vivek Singh provides a checklist of things to do before you present (a slide-focussed presentation).

Turn off your mobile phone

Shut off the internet connection (unless, of course, you need it)

Check your equipment

Run a spell check

Double-check all hyperlinks

Check multimedia

Rehearse with animation

Critically review the first slide

Back up your files

Check your fonts

Rehearse in slide show mode

And the Winner Is…

SlideShare recently concluded their World’s Best Presentation contest, and the winner was Dan Roam’s American Health Care presentation. [If you are reading this via subscription, you may need to click through to view it below.

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-26]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:01:09 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

3-step humor formula;
how to give an acceptance speech;
reading a speech;
chairing a session;
presenting with visuals;
public speaking fear;
introducing a speaker;
how much to charge for speaking; and
marketing yourself as a speaker.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

How to Deliver the Talk of Your Life
Becky Blanton inspires you with how she came to speak at TEDGlobal 2009 and shares the valuable speaking lessons she learned along the way.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking
The deadliest of all speaking sins are chronicled – Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, and Pride. Which one is the worst of them all? Read the article to see.
Popular Public Speaking Books and Gear
The 7 most popular books on the shelves of Six Minutes readers in four categories: Powerpoint and visual design, speechwriting and storytelling, general public speaking, and gear and gadgets.

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

Speechwriting

Chris Witt theorizes on where to start a speech.

I think most presenters could take their scripts, outlines, or slide sets, and delete much of the beginning. It’s probably an exaggeration to say they could eliminate half, but they could greatly improve their talks by cutting the first quarter or third.

John Kinde formulates a 3-step humor process.

Here’s a methodical way of creating a joke. It’s a three-step process. Even if you never formally use this process, understanding it will give you insight into the inner-workings of a joke.

The Connection

The Conceal

The Reveal

Denise Graveline reflects on 6 strong speaker statements.

“I don’t know.”

“I disagree.”

“I agree.”

“I’m surprised.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

Diane DiResta outlines how to give an acceptance speech.

Keep it brief.

Plan your message.

Stay focused.

Thank key people.

Pause.

Be humble.

Get personal.

Speak from the heart.

Acknowledge the competition.

Use humor.

Delivery Techniques

Jeff Bailey delivers tips for reading a speech to annotate videos.

You have to write for the spoken word.

Writing helps you focus on the point you are trying to make.

Practice!

Accept the fact that you aren’t going to make a great recording on your first take.

Record each slide individually and then piece them together when using Camtasia.

Use the notes section in PowerPoint.

Learning to read without sounding like you are reading will help your live presentations.

Visual Aids

Jan Schultink provides an alternative way to visually emphasize tiny proportions.

Bar and column charts are my favorite data visualization tools. I do not like pie charts, although they are in theory the best way to highlight relative proportions. Both of these graphs break down when you try to visualize very small proportions. [...]

Jason Santa Maria shares his tips for presenting with visuals.

I realized that I couldn’t let technology do the talking. [...]

Public speaking, especially good public speaking, is tough as hell, and I don’t claim to be an expert. [...]

I have two basic rules for slide design: simple and big. Type should always be big enough to read from the back of the room, and simplicity is best to convey information quickly. For instance, when I use imagery, I only use images that take up the full slide. [...]

I often employ short titles and phrases of one or two words and talk around that thought. [...] You, the speaker, not the slides, are conveying the information. This isn’t something that can just be read and your presence inconsequential.

Speaker Habits

Alex Bateman and Philip Bourne give 10 excellent rules for chairing a session.

Don’t let things overrun.

Let your speakers know the rules.

Be prepared to give a short introduction.

Write down the actual start times of the speakers.

Do have a watch.

Communicate how much time is left to the speaker.

Don’t be afraid to move on without questions.

Get to the venue early and be audiovisually aware.

Prepare some questions in advance.

Keep control of the Q&A session.

Richard Garber lists tips for introducing a speaker.

Who is (s)he?

What will he talk about?

When will he take questions?

How long will he talk?

Where is he from?

Why should you listen to him?

What should you avoid in an introduction?

Olivia Mitchell studies 3 causes of public speaking fear.

The rational reality is that most of the things that happen to us in presentations, are not that bad. They’re nothing compared to the other things that can happen to us in life – like relationship break-ups, loss of a loved one, and serious health issues.

Jim Anderson considers how the audience size impacts your approach.

Conversation Size: an audience of up to 10 people.

Speech Size: an audience of 10-40 people.

Performance Size: an audience of 40-100 people.

Show Size: an audience of 100 or more people

Professionally Speaking

Colin Moorhouse considers factors which influence your quote.
[He's talking about speechwriting quotes, but the advice applies equally well to speaking quotes.]

With a written bid you have the luxury of reflection before you commit to a figure. But if you are negotiating on the phone, as soon as the question gets blurted out, you have to be ready with an answer. It is best not to be caught like a deer in the headlights, stammering out a quick answer to which the client either says ok (and you immediately think “oh no, I have underbid”) or they balk and you worry that you have blown the sale.

Mitch Joel encourages you to market yourself as a speaker.

Here’s what you need on a speaking page:

a bio that is about your speaking.

a clear statement about the topics you cover (i.e. Digital Marketing, Personal Branding and Social Media).

a list of topics (with catchy titles) and what the attendee will learn with an abstract about each session.

a video demo of you live and in action.

pictures of you speaking live – again, in action.

testimonials from organizations that the potential client can relate to.

a list of companies/organization you have previously spoken for.

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-19]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:01:10 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

tips for speechwriting research;
audience engagement;
connecting with a large group;
stepping in front of the projector;
charting techniques; and
the problem with a lack of honesty from your audience.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

Book Review: Multimedia Learning by Richard E. Mayer
Learn why there is a visual design revolution for presenters. Mayer provides an academic review of cognitive research which provides guidelines for the design of visual presentation aids.
Best Man Speech: What’s the Key to Succeed?
Guest article from Simon Bucknall which argues that audience analysis is the key to writing a great best man speech (just as it is for all other speeches).

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

Speechwriting

Cynthia J. Starks reflects on how research makes your speech memorable (and makes speechwriting fun).

I once wrote a speech for an IBM executive to deliver in Coventry, England. Through research, I discovered Coventry was where Lady Godiva made her fabled naked ride. The speech was on IBM’s contributions to new digital video monitoring platforms in England. In acknowledging the concerns surrounding extensive video monitoring, my executive suggested that if such technology were in place in Lady Godiva’s day, her ride would have been filmed and broadcast on the BBC. [...]

Have fun with research. Not only is it interesting in and of itself, but it will provide you with material to make your speeches memorable and to make your executive stand out and shine.

Rich Hopkins compares speaking to sales.

I hate to break this to you, but… You are a Salesperson. [...]

When giving an effective speech, you typically need to hit the following buttons:

What you want them to do. (In sales terms: The Offer)

Who else has done it, and what happened when they did it. (The Testimonial)

Why its good for them to do it. (The Benefit)

An acknowledgement about why they may not want to do it. (The Objections)

A story about how they will feel when they do it. (The Assumptive Sale)

Instruct them to do it. (The Close)

[...] The best salespeople eventually learn to work from the self-interest of their customers. As speakers, we must do the same.

Delivery Techniques

Angela DeFinis investigates how to ask questions effectively.

We’ve all seen speakers who seem to know exactly how to get an audience energized. These speakers have an effortless, intuitive sense that enables them to keep a connection with any audience. And they often use powerful questioning techniques to help them prompt audience involvement. [...]

Ask a direct question.

Ask a rhetorical question.

Use a rhetorical question as a transition.

Rhett Laubach lists a set of audience engagement tips, including:

Tap into the emotional connection the audience has with the topic and when they get emotional, leverage it. I.e. – if you get them laughing, hit them with a serious point. If you get them in a somber state, crack a light joke. The scale is emotion on one side and no emotion on the other. Instead of what some people think – serious on one side and fun on the other.

Use variety in volume, pace and tone to give the audience a boost in attention. I.e. – when using the microphone, pull it away from your mouth or simply don’t use it from time to time when making big points and that volume change will cause the audience to have to listen even closer. (Make sure if you use this tactic that the audience can actually hear you when not using the microphone.)

Nick Morgan offers 5 ways to connect with a large audience.

On the whole, the same techniques work in front of large audiences as well as in front of small ones. You’re still leading the audience on a decision-making journey, you’re still connecting with them on both intellectual and emotional levels, and you’re still telling stories. That said, there are some crucial differences.

Large audiences want to laugh.

Large audiences need more time.

Large audiences demand and give back more energy.

Large audiences need simplicity.

Large audiences need to be active, not passive.

Olivia Mitchell advocates stepping in front of the projector beam.
[Ed. Olivia features Hans Rosling's 2006 TED speech, previously critiqued on Six Minutes.]

Public speaking and presenting are full of silly rules. One such silly rule is that you shouldn’t walk into into the beam of the projector. I disagree – it can be incredibly effective to get in the beam. [...]

There’s one situation when you shouldn’t get in the beam. That’s when you don’t know you’re doing it.

Visual Aids

Vivek Singh compiled an excellent 14-article series on charting techniques.

Why do you need a chart?

Which type of chart should you use?

What title should your chart have?

What is your key message?

What is the right number of data points?

Labeling your chart

Do you need a legend?

Chart axes

Trusting your source data

Color

Chart animation

Highlighting what is important

Chart aesthetics

The big picture

Speaker Habits

Kathy Reiffenstein wishes audiences provided honest feedback.

If we keep telling presenters they’re OK, how will we ever encourage them to stop reading PowerPoint slides, to rehearse their presentation before delivering it, to incorporate examples and stories to help us understand better, to stop saying “you know” every 5 seconds, to use simple words instead of jargon, to….? Those 3s, 4s and 5s (out of 5) on the feedback questionnaire allow the presenter to dwell in a self-congratulatory bubble, neither cognizant of nor caring about his presentation inadequacies. After all, the scores were pretty good, weren’t they?

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-12]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:02:55 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

book reviews;
professional speech editing;
storytelling to be memorable;
handling hecklers or a hostile audience;
maximizing the value of feedback; and
critiques of Barack Obama’s health care speech.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

Toastmasters Speech 5: Your Body Speaks
Back by popular demand, this is the fifth article in the series for novice speakers. This article addresses how to incorporate body language effectively and silence the “noisy” movements that detract.
How to Make Metaphorical Magic in Your Speech
A wonderful guest article from Peter Jeff which illustrates the power of metaphors with dozens of entertaining examples.

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

Resources for Speakers

Jan Schultink reviews Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

The book aims to teach anyone who needs to influence other people (that includes presentation designers like me) to leverage learnings from the field of psychology.

Like most business classics, the real-life case examples are really valuable; the attempts to draw generic conclusions and insights from them somehow make less interesting reading (although they still are valuable)

Jan Schultink also reviews Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind.

In summary, and purely from the point of presentation design, Daniel Pink’s book is not a standard reference book [...]. However, it will open your eyes for a very important idea. It is essential reading for parents though: the biggest issue it raises is the one of the education system.

Speechwriting

Vanity Fair demonstrates rigorous speech editing performed on Sarah Palin’s resignation speech.

Just how poorly constructed was the governor’s holiday-weekend address? We asked [Vanity Fair's] red-pencil-wielding executive literary editor, Wayne Lawson, together with representatives from the research and copy departments, to whip it into publishable shape. Here is the colorful result.

Olivia Mitchell outlines how to create speech soundbites.

Max’s research shows that the use of contrast is one of the most powerful ways of prompting applause in political speeches. Many long-lived and memorable quotations use contrast.

Storytelling

Mike Speiser suggests storytelling is the key to being memorable.

If you want to show your boss how hard you’ve worked, pack your presentation with data, charts, and bullet points — but if you want to have an impact, tell a story. The same goes for building great products, effective advertising and selling yourself as a candidate for a job.

Delivery Techniques

Bert Decker advises how to handle hecklers.

At all costs, you can’t lose control for it is YOUR communication experience and you are responsible for it. Don’t let anyone else hijack it.

Nick Morgan gives 5 ways to handle a hostile audience.

Talk to the positive people in the room.

Confront the negative ideas in the room.

Disarm the hostility with humor.

Align yourself physically with the dissenters.

Open the floor to Q & A – but save the last 5 minutes for your closing.

Speaker Habits

Kathy Reiffenstein lists 7 ways to maximize the value of feedback.

Gather feedback from as many sources and as frequently as you can.

Ask for immediate feedback.

Demand specificity.

Don’t be defensive!

Decide what feedback is useful to you and what you will incorporate.

Make notes and keep a file of all the feedback you receive so that you can easily access it.

Choose only one or two things to work on at a time.

Speech Critiques

Ellen Finkelstein analyzes Barack Obama’s speech on health care.

This speech is also a good reminder of the importance of working on content. Decide what you need to say, and then do the following:

Structure it well

Add emotion

Tell stories

Explain concepts clearly

Offer signposts for the structure

Include repetitive elements

Nick Morgan also critiques Barack Obama’s health care speech.

Last night, President Obama proved that he is still the master of rhetoric we saw during the campaign by delivering his first unambiguously excellent speech since those halcyon days on the stump.

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:02:42 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking tips from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features tips including:

public speaking books — new releases;
writing with precision;
adding context to statistics;
science behind storytelling;
connecting with your audience;
science behind gestures;
slideware software comparison; and
the importance of seeking feedback.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

It's Your Time to Shine: How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking, Develop Authentic Presence and Speak from Your Heart by Sandra Zimmer
Own the Room: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, and Get Results by David Booth, Deborah Shames, and Peter Desberg
Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone by Mark Goulston
The Training Design Manual: The Complete Practical Guide to Creating Effective and Successful Training Programmes by Tony Bray
Mastering Communication at Work: How to Lead, Manage, and Influence by Ethan Becker and Jon Wortmann

Speechwriting

Michelle Russell offers tips for writing with precision, many of which apply to speechwriting.

Find the spine of your content and stick to it

Cut the first paragraph

Don’t over-spice your words

Watch out for creep-in words

Cut exaggerations

Find a more precise word

Reuse the leftovers

Edward Fidgeon Kavanagh shows why statistics need context.
[Related article: Wrap Your Naked Statistics in a Warm Blanket of Meaning]

Why Statistics Need Context

View more presentations from Edward Fidgeon Kavanagh.

Storytelling

Colleen Ross reports research on children and storytelling.
[Thanks, Linda, for the link to this must-read article.]

I’ve listened to many people speak — at all levels of government, at conferences, in churches, at rallies, at funerals. I’ve laughed. I’ve cried. But often, I’ve sighed. I wish more people knew how to tell good stories. [...]

The researchers say the children with imaginary friends told higher-quality stories than the others; they simply get more practice telling stories both to their friend and to other interested folks. [...]

Ottawa-based communications expert Barry McLoughlin says many of us don’t exercise the storytelling muscle enough, so it atrophies. And somewhere along the line, it becomes more difficult to talk about emotions in public. To be a good storyteller, you need to put yourself on the line.

Delivery Techniques

Nick Morgan addresses (part 1; part 2; part 3) the role of body language in connecting with your audience.

All speakers wish to connect with their audiences. What is the most powerful way to do that? Every communication is two conversations – content and body language. Body language is where connection happens.

Denise Graveline uncovers the science behind gestures.

Some the students were allowed to gesture while telling the story, while others were asked to keep their hands still.

[...] the researchers still saw the experiment as an example of how gestures can help the brain access the right words at the right time.

Visual Aids

Dave Paradi shows [in video] how to redesign a set of slides that show relationships between roles.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mike Pulsifer compares Keynote ‘09, PowerPoint 2008, and OpenOffice 3 Impress in detail.

Rather than giving points to the tools that have the most of whatever garbage they may offer, I’ll focus more on what is important and not count the fluff or garbage. I’m breaking this comparison down to five different categories:

Templates

Interface

Design Tools

Charting

Presenter Tools

I’m also scoring them and will provide each category’s scores (out of 20) throughout the article.

Speaker Habits

Kathy Reiffenstein argues that you should proactively seek feedback.

Just how much do you search out feedback after you’ve made a presentation? Do you quickly collect the [...] feedback forms [...] and stuff them into your briefcase where they’re unlikely to again see the light of day? Do you gratefully accept thanks from the event organizer without probing for more detail about whether you really hit the mark? If this sounds familiar, you are missing a fabulous opportunity to gain insights, correct shortcomings and generally improve your presentation effectiveness.

Nancy Duarte encourages you to seek other perspectives as you develop presentations.

There used to be three significant roles played in the development of a presentation and each role was done by a highly trained specialist. Today, anyone who builds presentation[s] has all three of these roles folded into one eliminating collaboration all together, yet we’re not officially trained in any of these skills. [...]

Next time you have an important presentation that uses charts or data of any kind, at least meet with someone else to get another perspective on whether you’re using the data in the most effective way.

Carmine Gallo lists 15 ways to give a lousy presentation.

Misspell words

Create distracting color combinations

Use inconsistent fonts

Use a really small font size

Insert improperly sized photos that are stretched to fit the slide

Look completely and totally disinterested

Look disheveled

Read every word of each slide

Don’t bother with a backup plan

Don’t practice

Call attention to your mistakes

Open with an offensive or off-color joke

Use wild animations

Use cartoon clip art

Use ancient presentation software

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-08-29]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:01:31 +0000

This is the biggest review ever, highlighting 30 great articles!

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

book recommendations;
persuasive speaking;
speech openings;
speaking to children;
handling interruptions;
reading your speech;
PowerPoint design tips;
rehearsal tips;
strategies for overcoming public speaking fear; and
Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking recaps.

Resources for Speakers

Brent Dykes writes a comprehensive review of The Non-Designer’s Design Book.

Overall, I recommend this book (4.0 stars out of five stars) as it covers four essential principles of design – alignment, repetition/consistency, proximity, and contrast – as well as key considerations such as color and type (fonts). [...]

For me, some of the most compelling parts of Presentation Zen were what Garr Reynolds calls the “big four” design principles. Williams’ design book focuses on these four essential design principles and is a great reference for all “non-designers” – which is probably the vast majority of PowerPoint users.

Nancy Duarte recommends Michael Eidenmuller’s Great Speeches for Better Speaking.

Eidenmuller has spent his life devoted to collecting and analyzing speeches and he comes across with a humble authority as he writes. It’s a smart book that’s written in a very accessible style and tone. He wonderfully analyzed 6 speeches, put them in their historical context and explains how the situation, content, structure, style, delivery and rhetoric played a role in the speeches.

Rhett Laubach shares his favorite sources for music, images, videos, and activities.

One of the most common questions I get after a program is, “where do you get your music, images, videos, activities, etc. So, here is a quick list of my favorite and most used resources to help make my programs interactive and a rich experience.

Denise Graveline provides a speaker’s checklist.

But to succeed as a speaker, you need to prepare the whole speaker for your presentation, not just one or two parts of yourself.

Here’s a checklist I like to use to make sure my own preparations are complete before I speak.

Speechwriting

Jim Anderson outlines how to craft a simple, persuasive argument.

There is no doubt about it – winning people over to your way of thinking is just about the hardest type of speech to give. [...] it requires that you do a lot of homework in order to prepare your arguments with an understanding of the facts and what your audience is currently thinking.

Olivia Mitchell reveals when you should break the three-part speech outline “rule”. [Previously on Six Minutes: Rule of threes for speech outlines.]

[...] using a three-part structure is not a rule set in concrete. Sometimes your presentation will be more effective with more points. There’s a risk though, that each time you add a point, you dilute the power of the points that came before.

So you need to be clear that more than three points really are necessary. Here’s the distinction to make: is each point part of a logical sequence? Or can each point can stand alone?

Diane DiResta lists (and briefly explains) 10 ways to start your speech strong.

Startling statement

Surprising action

Humor

Purpose statement

Begin with the end

Ask a question

Quote

Visual Aid

Personal experience

Anecdote

Delivery Techniques

James Feudo provides numerous tips for how to speak effectively to children, including:

If at all possible, insist that a parent, teacher or other adult responsible for the children be present during your speech.

If a kid assumes a heckler type role or becomes too disruptive, request that he or she be removed immediately.

If you’re speaking about a mature topic such as sex or alcohol, prepare yourself for the ways kids might react.

Diane DiResta gives tips for speaking from a lectern.

Don’t lean

Stand up straight

Prepare the lectern in advance

Don’t staple your notes

Gesture high and wide

Push your energy

Step to the side of the lectern

Adjust the lectern for height

Ian Griffin describes techniques for handling interruptions.

What should executives do when their listeners speak up and speak out, and the flow of their carefully scripted speeches becomes a backdrop for somebody else’s agenda? The answer is that they should expect the unexpected and be prepared to handle feisty audiences.

Jerry Weissman explains why you might consider sitting down to present.

[...] when both the presenter and audience are seated and are at the same eye level, they share an empathic bond. When the presenter stands, the difference in eye levels creates a subtle psychological edge.

John Watkis argues that reading your speech may be okay sometimes. [Previously on Six Minutes: Never Read Your Speech… Never?.]

Most presenters aren’t skilled at giving presentations, but you don’t tell them not to do it because they’re not professionals. You tell them to get instruction so they can do it better.

Most presenters are not skilled at using PowerPoint, but the solution is not to stop using it. It’s to get instruction so they’ll be able to use it more effectively.

And most speakers are not skilled at reading a speech, but the solution is not to avoid reading a speech. It’s to get instruction so they’ll be able to do it better.

Vivek Singh questions why so many presenters talk to the screen.

Why does it happen?

It happens when you are not prepared with your content. When you have not rehearsed well. When you prepare the slides a night before and don’t even remember the order in which you put your slides. This forces you to keep looking at the slide so that you don’t forget.

Visual Aids

Garr Reynolds illustrates 11 ways to use images poorly in slides.

Image too small

Image is placed randomly on slide

Image is almost full-screen but not quite

Image is of poor quality (pixelated)

Image is of poor quality & contains watermark

Image is stretched horizonally & distorted

Image is stretched vertically & distorted

Presenter tiles image

Clip art is chosen

Image is lame & has nothing to do with content

Background image has too much salience (text hard to see)

Angela DeFinis shares the 7 deadly sins of PowerPoint.

Dense sentences in small (6-8) point font

Disregard for basic design elements

Impenetrable number slides

The wrong design template

Text-only word slides

Multi-layered graphs and charts

Complete sentence passages

Kevin Purdy explains when bar charts are superior to pie charts.

Pie charts look cooler than other kinds of charts. They’re based on pie, after all, and seem less accountant-like than bars, bubbles, and lines. They are, however, often a very wrong way to represent subtle but important differences.

Vivek Singh demonstrates how to present information, not data.

Most presenters are victims of ‘data traps’. They end up sharing just data in one form or the other. You use a table or a bar, you are still presenting ‘data’ not information.

Information is when you crunch data and cull out something more meaningful (an insight).

Jan Schultink considers the use of Excel instead of PowerPoint as a presentation tool.

For certain types of presentations, you should consider using Excel as the presentation tool instead of PowerPoint. Quarterly results presentations are an obvious candidate:

Massive amounts of dense data [...]

Time pressure; the numbers come in fresh from the accounting systems and need to go straight into the Board document, [...]

Presentations that need to be updated all the time but basically look the same [...]

Complex analysis that needs to be redone [...]

Max Atkinson discusses (part 1; part 2; part 3) PowerPoint and the demise of “chalk & talk”.

When new universities were being built during the 1960s, there were arguments at some of them about whether to install blackboards or whiteboards in the lecture theatres. The pro-blackboard lobby opposed change because, they claimed, it would spell the end of tax relief for damage to clothes from chalk dust. Advocates of white boards thought them trendy, modern and more in keeping with the architecture of the new universities.

But one thing that was never questioned by either side was that writing or drawing on boards, whether black or white, was an indispensable part of the presentational process.

Public Speaking Fear

Frank Damelio asserts that projecting confidence will calm your fears.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jason Peck comments on magic pills to reduce public speaking anxiety, and suggests alternative approaches.

While it’s all well and good that people have attempted to create a public speaking cure, I don’t believe that there is a “magic pill” that you can take to alleviate your public speaking fears.

Richard Garber commented on Jason Peck’s article above to point to this news release about the claims made by Bravina (”the speech pill”):

In response to an inquiry by the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Deephaven Nutraceuticals has voluntarily agreed to discontinue certain advertising claims and testimonials for the company’s “Bravina” dietary supplement, advertised as a product for “sufferers of public speaking anxiety.” NAD found the company’s action necessary and proper; further, NAD recommended that the company discontinue marketing the product as “The Speech Pill.”

Olivia Mitchell argues that public speaking fear can make you a better speaker.

Preparation and rehearsal take time and effort. We need to be motivated to do it – and fear is a great motivator. People without fear tend to skimp on preparation and rehearsal, they wing it. So they waffle and ramble their way through their minutes on stage.

Let your fear motivate you to prepare and rehearse and you’ll be a more effective speaker.

Lisa Braithwaite points out that avoiding speaking intensifies your fear.

Avoiding the thing that triggers your anxiety is the best way to keep it hanging over your head and controlling you. And the longer you avoid the scary thing, the bigger and scarier it gets.

Speaker Habits

Kathy Reiffenstein explains how to rehearse more effectively.

One of the key methods I recommend is rehearsing out loud so you can hear what you sound like. [...]

The crux of the issue is whether or not the person rehearsing knows: how to do the activity correctly AND how to assess or evaluate the result.

Professionally Speaking

Nick R Thomas weighs the pros and cons of turning down a (paid) speaking engagement.

Progressing as a speaker means that you have to strike a balance between accepting bookings which stretch you and avoiding those which turn out to be nightmares – whatever the fee!

Toastmasters

Angie Flinn provides (part 1; part 2) a detailed recap of the 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking.

Toastmasters from around the world poured into the ballroom at the MGM Grand Casino in Mashantucket, CT to witness history in the making. Within just a few short hours, Toastmasters International President-Elect Gary Schmidt would announce the name of the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking.

Jim Key reflects on the 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking as well.

The contest, quite simply, was very good. [...] It was obvious that the contestants had each put a considerable amount of work (aka. blood, sweat, and tears) into their speeches, because they each brought excellence to the stage.

James Feudo points out why Toastmasters members should speak at service clubs.

They get your name out to others in your community. This could lead to additional bookings.

You can get speech credit if you bring an evaluator with you.

You often get a longer speaking slot than you’d get at Toastmasters.

It’s a great opportunity to practice answering questions.

You’ll come across some distractions that typically don’t occur in Toastmasters meetings.

Lisa Braithwaite lists 7 places to practice public speaking.

Church

Networking organizations

Events

Toastmasters

Volunteer and service organizations

Your child’s school

Class

Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-07-18]

Andrew Dlugan — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:58:43 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

revealing personal information in speeches;
the value of mnemonics;
when to address opposing arguments;
PowerPoint 2010 preview; and
handing difficult Q&A.

Speechwriting

Jim Anderson cautions us on revealing irrelevant personal information.

Sharing personal information just because it makes a great story [...] is a bad idea. You need to make sure that the story ties in with what your speech is all about. If it doesn’t, then skip it.

Vivek Singh discusses the value of mnemonics for trainers.

Whenever you give a presentation where you want the audience to memorize a tricky list of things or a very important concept, help them with a Mnemonic. You can also make the audience think of a Mnemonic on the spot. I have done that many a times. This will not only ensure they understand what you present but also remember it for a long time to come.

Richard Garber advises sharing bad news early.
[This advice is given in the context of a debate, but I think it applies in standalone presentations as well -- acknowledge weaknesses in your argument early and counter them.]

You know there is a weakness in your case – negative information that would damage your position. Should you:

Make sure to bring it up before your opponent does.

Ignore it and hope that he or she does not bring it up.

Visual Aids

Jan Schultink previews PowerPoint 2010, including his feature wishlist.
[I gave my PowerPoint design wishlist in an earlier post.]

More “cinematic” transitions

Animation painter

Better video integration

Backstage view

Speaker Habits

Denise Graveline suggests techniques to handle difficult Q&A.

Create a bridge between the question and the answer.

Remind the audience of your focus today.

Beware of argumentative questions…and deflect them.

Acknowledge the persistence of the persistent questioner.

Breathe, smile and stay calm.

Best Public Speaking Tips and Techniques: Weekend Review [2009-07-11]

Andrew Dlugan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:41:02 +0000

On Saturdays, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

new public speaking books;
opening with humor;
speech frameworks;
storytelling;
vocal habits to eliminate;
speaking to hearing impaired people;
slide design; and
transitioning to professional speaking.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

How to Make a Great Wedding Speech by Philip Calvert
Telling Ain't Training by Harold Stolovitch
How to Instantly Connect with Anyone: 96 All-New Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships by Leil Lowndes
What's Your Hook?: How to Make Your Message Memorable by Kevin Carroll
TJ Walker's Secret to Foolproof Presentations by TJ Walker

Speechwriting

Ian Griffin explains speechwriting keys to finding the speaker’s voice.

[...] speechwriters need to know three things – the speaker, the audience and the subject. Knowing the speaker means, among other things, being aware of how they speak. How they form their words and their cadence when they are in front of an audience. If a writer can do this then we say they have captured their ‘voice’.

Jason Peck lists several ways to open your speech with humor. [Note the emphasis on keeping it relevant!]

[T]here are a few different ways for you to create a funny introduction [...] You can open with a relevant humorous story. I say relevant as it’s best if relates directly to your theme.

[...] You could open with a humorous quote [...] Again, it’s best if it relates to your message.

You might also consider opening with a humorous image [...]

Opening with a humorous prop that relates to your message either directly, or indirectly could also work.

Meryl Evans outlines a speech framework.

I recently created a presentation on the value of Twitter to businesses, and worked through the sequence of Act I: the Setting, Role, Point A, Point B and Call to Action slides. [...]

Setting: You’re currently losing touch with your market and customers.

Role: You want know how to reconnect with the market and customers.

Point A: Your business will slow down if you don’t connect with the market.

Point B: Reconnect with clients, market, industry and prospects by joining and tracking conversations.

Call to Action: Follow the three parts of the presentation to add Twitter to your business.

Storytelling

Bert Decker lists 10 reasons why stories are powerful:

They are real

They are short

They are interesting

They are human

They give third party credibility

They are easy to tell

They are memorable

They are emotionally connecting

They move people

They are the principle communication tool since Man began talking

Jim Anderson argues that stories are underutilized in business.

Terrence Gargiulo has identified 9 key values to using a story in a business presentation:

They empower the speaker.

They can be used to create a particular environment.

They can be used to bond individuals together.

They can help your audience to engage in active listening.

They can be used to resolve differences between both individuals and groups.

They can encode information.

They can act as tools to help with brainstorming.

They can be used as weapons.

They can be used to start or enhance a healing process.

Denise Graveline points out that personal stories are often best.

A personal story guarantees that your audience is getting original material, heightening their interest, and if you choose the story right and tell it on yourself–with surprises, slip-ups and ironic twists–you’ll have a winning formula for holding attention.

Joey Asher suggests starting stories with a promise to build expectations

The first step in telling a good story is to make a promise. And if you want it to be a great story, it needs to be a big promise.

When you make a big promise, you’re setting an expectation in your listeners’ minds. There is tension: “will she be able to fulfill the promise?”

Delivery Techniques

Sims Wyeth distinguishes several vocal habits to eliminate.

Uptalk

Glottal fry

Mumbling

Speaking too fast

Speaking too slowly

Jim Anderson offers tips for speaking to hearing impaired people.

[...] in the U.S. there are 26 million people who have permanent hearing damage. What are the odds that one or more of them will be in your next audience?

Visual Aids

Brent Dykes reminds you to use colors to emphasize key data points to help your audience.

In most cases, when you’re using charts in PowerPoint slides you’re trying to highlight a specific data point or a subset of data points [...]

The software has no way of knowing which particular data point is the main focus of your graph or chart. It is up to you — the presenter — to ensure that your charts communicate effectively to your audience.

Source: www.powerpointninja.com

Jan Schultink describes a visual concept: the mini-dialogue with text balloons.

Source: stickyslides.blogspot.com

Speaker Habits

Kathy Reiffenstein shares critiques on conferences.

[T]he organizers provided a Speakers’ Room, equipped with screens so presenters could rehearse presentations and even use other speakers as a mock audience. [...]

Plea to speakers using teleprompter: please, please rehearse, with teleprompter, more than 10 minutes before your speech.

In almost every session I attended, presenters ran out of time [...] When developing a speech or presentation, allocate time for audience questions and comments.

Session evauations are one of my hot buttons (more on that in a subsequent post). Feedback is the most valuable thing a speaker can get from the audience. [...] if you’re in the audience, do the speaker the courtesy of providing honest, thoughtful feedback. Don’t say the presentation was good if it wasn’t; if you have thoughts for improvement, offer them.

Politically Speaking

Chris Witt analyzes Sarah Palin’s resignation speech.

There are any number of ways of analyzing a speech. My three favorites (not in order of importance) are 1) delivery, 2) message, and 3) results. [...]

I think Palin’s speech was a medley of her favorite themes [...]

By that standard I can’t judge Palin’s speech a success, because I have no idea what her goal was.

Professionally Speaking

Grant Baldwin provides a brief glimpse (parts one & two; plus 31 tips) into his transition to a full-time professional speaker.

The fact is I have a really sweet gig being able to travel and speak to students. So many people I talk with tell me they’d love to do what I get to do.

But people always want to know how I got into this. So in case you’re wondering, here’s the back story…

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