Gifts for Every Speaker… from Zero to Eighty Dollars

The holiday season is a time of renewing traditions: parties with friends, family, and colleagues; decorating the house, inside and out; and making wishlists and shopping for the items on the lists of those you love.

On Six Minutes, we have a holiday tradition too: a holiday list of gift ideas for speakers, whether that recipient is you, or someone special in your life. In this article, we list speaker gift ideas ranging from tiny stocking stuffers to more tantalizing items. Whether you are a professional speaker or whether speaking is a new hobby, there’s something for everyone.

This year’s list is organized by price, so you can find the best fit for your personal budget. You’ll find a wide range of practical and indulgent gift ideas:

• index cards to cue your memory;
• whiteboard and flip chart supplies;
• a mini-tripod for your rehearsal video camera;
• USB drives and laptop bags for presenting on the go;
• presentation remotes;
• speeches on DVD;
• a selection of books;
• and much, much more.

Please share your gift ideas in the comments!

Free

• $0.00 — A subscription to Six Minutes. Free since 2007.
  If you enjoy reading Six Minutes, please pass this on to your friends and colleagues.

Under $10

For just a few dollars, you reap the benefit of always being prepared. Index cards help you organize your notes, while markers ensure that you can sketch out your ideas when the need arises. If presenting to a new audience, it makes sense to email your presentation to the event organizer, but you’ll always want to have a spare copy on your own USB drive just in case.

• $1.99 — Plain Index Cards
• $2.49 — Digital Camera Mini Tripod
• $2.50 — Laser Pointer, Red
• $3.99 — Index Cards with a Binder Ring (never get your cards mixed up again)
• $3.99 — Dry Erase Markers, 4-pack
• $4.27 — Dry Erase Board Eraser
• $4.56 — Flip Chart Markers, 4-pack
• $5.51 — Pocket Pointer, Slimline, Pen Size, Extends To 24″
• $7.99 — Book, The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking (Dale Carnegie)
• $8.49 — Dry Erase Board, 11 x 14-Inch, Magnetic
• $8.55 — Wireless Laser Pointer Presentation Device
• $9.99 — USB Flash Drive, 8GB

Under $20

For less than twenty bucks, you can fetch a wide array of public speaking books to boost your speechwriting, storytelling, or visual communication skills.

• $10.17 — Book, Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History’s Greatest Speakers (James C. Humes)
• $11.53 — Book, The Story Factor (Annette Simmons)
• $17.16 — Book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (Chip Heath and Dan Heath)
• $18.99 — Magnetic Dry Erase Board, 18 x 24-inches
• $19.08 — Book, slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations (Nancy Duarte)
• $19.77 — Book, The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures (Dan Roam)

Under $80

From twenty to eighty dollars, you step into the realm of the serious speaker. A portable flip chart can provide a place for marketing or in-session doodles. A portable lectern keeps your notes always at an easy glance. Speech anthologies help you hone your craft.  Voice recorders and video cameras let you record your presentation and, more importantly, provide invaluable feedback.

• $23.91 — Laptop Case, Black, 16-inch
• $26.10 — Book, Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History (William Safire)
• $26.99 — The Greatest Speeches of All-Time, Box Set, DVD
• $29.99 — Flip Chart Stand, Lightweight, Aluminum 64 inches
• $35.26 — Wireless Presenter with Laser Pointer (Kensington)
• $48.40 — Digital Voice Recorder (Olympus) (51% off! List price is $99.00)
• $49.99 (or less) — A six-month membership to most Toastmasters clubs
• $59.99 — Portable Lectern
• $78.99 — Flip Video Camera