Six Minutes » lists http://sixminutes.dlugan.com A Public Speaking and Presentations blog Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:34:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gifts for Every Speaker… from Zero to Eighty Dollarshttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaker-gifts/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaker-gifts/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:45:57 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaker-gifts/ Stocking Stuffers for Special SpeakersThe 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.

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
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© Six Minutes, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaker-gifts/feed/ 22 27 Hot Summer Reads for Speakershttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/great-summer-reads-speakers/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/great-summer-reads-speakers/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:32:12 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/great-summer-reads-speakers/

The barbecues are ready. The vacations are planned. The schools are squeezing students out.

Summer has arrived.

Lazy summer days and relaxing summer evenings provide some of the best conditions for enjoying a good book, whether educational or frivolous.

What will you be reading? Will a speaking book or two slide into your plans? If you are looking for a great summer read, consider the books below.

In this article, we list the most popular public speaking books being read by the Six Minutes community — people just like you with an avid interest in speaking effectively.

These are the books Six Minutes readers are buying

We get a sneak peak into what Six Minutes readers buy when they click on one of our links to the Amazon store. We do not get specific info on who is buying what — only aggregate information about what is being purchased.

This information gives a good indication of what is popular. We value your opinion of what is worth reading. Indeed, several of the book review choices (including the most recent, Back of the Napkin) were strongly influenced by which books you were buying!

You may be interested to know that when you make a purchase at Amazon after clicking on one of these links, we get a small commission. This helps us to keep Six Minutes free and continue to improve it with the articles you want. Thank you for your support in this way.

Popular PowerPoint and Visual Design Books

These are the most popular books which help you design better visuals, whether you use PowerPoint, Keynote, flip charts, or napkins as your visual tool.

Because reviews here on Six Minutes can obviously bias the sample, we’ll rank reviewed books separately from non-reviewed books.

Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations by Stephen Kosslyn
  2. The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
  3. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds
  4. slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte
  5. Multimedia Learning by Richard E. Mayer

Not (Yet) Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations by Garr Reynolds
  2. Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson
  3. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don’ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures by Dona M. Wong
  4. Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten by Stephen Few
  5. 7-Slide Solution by Paul J. Kelly

Popular Speechwriting and Storytelling Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which focus on audience analysis, determining your message, and selecting the best words, phrases, anecdotes, evidence, and stories.

Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. The Story Factor by Annette Simmons
  2. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History’s Greatest Speakers by James C. Humes
  3. Better Beginnings: How to capture your audience in 30 seconds by Carmen Taran
  4. Thank You For Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion by Jan Heinrichs
  5. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Not (Yet) Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Jerry Weissman
  2. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One–How to Deliver It by Richard Dowis
  3. Give Your Speech, Change the World: How to Move Your Audience to Action by Nick Morgan
  4. The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning

Popular Public Speaking Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which have a broad focus and cover many aspects of effective communication.

Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. Confessions of  a Public Speaker by Scott Berkun
  2. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie
  3. You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard by Bert Decker
  4. Fire Them Up! by Carmine Gallo

Not (Yet) Reviewed on Six Minutes

  1. How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People By Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie
  2. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo
  3. 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking by Lenny Laskowski
  4. The Power Presenter by Jerry Weissman

Which Speaking Book Are You Reading This Summer?

Please drop a note in the article comments to share your summer reading plans with the Six Minutes community.

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Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
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© Six Minutes, 2010. | Permalink | 31 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/great-summer-reads-speakers/feed/ 31 Stocking Stuffers for Speakershttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/stocking-stuffers-speakers/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/stocking-stuffers-speakers/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:58:14 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=3693 Stocking Stuffers for Special SpeakersIf your family is like mine, Christmas fever is starting to strike. Decorations are going up around the neighborhood, and every day brings new ads for holiday sales.

If you are anything like me, your Christmas wish list includes an item or two to feed your speaking hobby or career.

Last year, Six Minutes provided dozens of Christmas ideas for the speaker in your life (or you!). By popular demand, we’re doing it again.

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 in 2009; still free in 2010.
    If you enjoy reading Six Minutes, please pass this on to your friends and colleagues.

Under $5

Under $10

Under $20

Under $30

Under $50



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Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
Follow @6minutes
Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
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© Six Minutes, 2009. | Permalink | 21 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/stocking-stuffers-speakers/feed/ 21 The Best of Six Minutes: 2007-2009http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/best-of-2007-2009/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/best-of-2007-2009/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:50:22 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=475 Thank you for reading Six Minutes these past two years.Two years ago, the very first article was published here on Six Minutes.

Since then, we’ve added 172 more, all of which are available free in the article archives.

Today, we celebrate the best articles of Six Minutes as determined by you, the reader. We list reader favorites in the major Six Minutes categories, from speechwriting to speech critiques, from visual aids to speaker resources.

It has been a pleasure sharing these articles with you. Thank you for your readership, and thank you for all of your emails with great suggestions and feedback.

Please Share With Your Colleagues

Six Minutes has over 4000 subscribers and thousands more read the articles on the website every day. If you know someone who would benefit from Six Minutes, please email this article to them and encourage them to subscribe.

Best Overall

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Speechwriting

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Delivery Techniques

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Visual Aids

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Speaker Habits

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Resources for Speakers

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

The Lighter Side

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Speech Critiques

Readers’ Favorite:

Honorable Mention:

Similar Articles You May Like...

Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
Follow @6minutes
Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
Article tags: ,
© Six Minutes, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/best-of-2007-2009/feed/ 5 The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speakinghttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/7-deadly-sins-public-speaking/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/7-deadly-sins-public-speaking/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:16:11 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=2625 Some speaking sins, like the occasional “ah” or “um”, will not doom your presentation. With good content, you can earn forgiveness from the audience for those sins.

Other speaking sins are so grave that when you commit them, your speech or presentation is certain to fail. This article reveals the seven deadly sins of public speaking.

7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

Deadly Sin #1: Sloth

Sloth, or laziness, is committed by speakers who fail to prepare.

Speaking in public, whether formally or informally, is an essential activity that requires effort. Yet, the majority of people expend no effort to improve their effectiveness as a speaker. Tragically, they are content to drift from one frustrating presentation to the next.

“Speaking in public, whether formally or informally, is an essential activity that requires effort.”

You can avoid sloth in a number of ways:

  • Enroll in a public speaking course
  • Read public speaking books
  • Read public speaking blogs
  • Join Toastmasters or another local speaking club
  • Study great speakers
  • Hire a speaking coach

(By reading this article, you’re making the effort to improve. Sloth has no claim on you!)

Failing to prepare for life by improving your speaking skills leads to a chain of excuses, characterized by…

Deadly Sin #2: Envy

Envy is characterized by a false belief that great speakers are simply lucky to have been born with natural speaking skills.

You’ve heard the excuses from your colleagues, haven’t you?

  • “She’s so lucky! She’s a natural speaker!”
  • “Hmph! It’s so easy for him to speak in front of people.”
  • “No, I couldn’t deliver the proposal. I’m not a speaker.”

People who are envious of the “natural” skills of others are more likely to apply misguided solutions when confronted by an unavoidable speaking situation:

  • They steal stories and anecdotes from others rather than creating original ones
  • They copy PowerPoint slides from others even if they don’t quite apply
  • They mimic the oratorical style of others and lack authenticity

Because of bad habits like this, speakers suffer from lack of confidence. They know the stories, the slides, and the words are not their own. Nervousness results because they fear being exposed, and this nervousness leads to crazy behaviors like…

Deadly Sin #3: Lust

“Please don’t picture the audience naked, especially if I am in your audience.”

The lustful speaker attempts to calm their nerves by applying the common (yet terrible) advice to picture the audience naked!

Please don’t picture the audience naked, especially if I am in your audience.

In theory, picturing your audience naked makes them seem as vulnerable as you feel. It may provide a brief lighthearted moment to feed your teenaged appetite, but it won’t help you speak better.

More likely, it will cause an additional distraction and impede your efforts to connect with your audience. Consider this: how easy is it for you to communicate something meaningful to a room full of naked people? Can you inspire them? Impossible.

Nervous speakers who avoid this lustful deadly sin are, unfortunately, still prone to committing another deadly sin…

Deadly Sin #4: Gluttony

Gluttony is exhibited by speakers who believe that more is always better.

More slides, more bullets, more examples, more facts, more numbers, more details, more words — more of everything.

Packing all possible material into your presentation and then speeding through it is flawed, despite your best intentions to provide maximum value. More is (usually) not better. Cognitive research shows that people have a limited capacity to absorb information (see Kosslyn’s Clear and to the Point and Mayer’s Multimedia Learning). Overloading that capacity will reduce their ability to absorb anything at all! Quantity is no substitute for quality.

It is better to focus your presentation on your core message, select only the very best support material (facts, slides, anecdotes), and speak at a reasonable pace. Supplementary material, if necessary, belongs in a handout.

All of this gluttony — too many slides, too many stories, too many details — leads the speaker down a dark and dirty path towards…

Deadly Sin #5: Greed

“Speaking for more than your allotted time violates the contract you have with your audience, and that’s never a good thing.”

Greed is the deadly sin of excess, and is committed by a speaker who goes over time.

Does this sound familiar?

  • “Oh, is that clock correct? I’m only halfway through…”
  • “I haven’t gotten to the good part yet…”
  • “Are there any objections to cutting our lunch break in half so I can finish this?”

Speaking for more than your allotted time violates the contract you have with your audience, and that’s never good. People are busy and do not appreciate having their time wasted. Nobody will complain if you finish a few minutes early.

If you go over time, negative emotions begin to fill the room, making you more susceptible to experience…

Deadly Sin #6: Wrath

Wrath, or uncontrolled anger, is committed by a speaker who handles problems in the worst possible way.

As a speaker, you should always remain in control. No matter how bad your presentation is going, keep calm. Don’t let these frustrations provoke you:

  • When you make a mistake (even a big one), resist the urge to draw more attention to it by cursing yourself in an attempt to draw pity.
  • When an audience member is disrupting the room, resist the urge to “solve” it with sarcasm.
  • When the room or venue logistics fail, don’t start blaming the organizers or anyone else. Instead, roll with in and move on.
  • When an audience member is heckling you, do not take the bait.

Getting angry — whether at yourself, someone in the audience, or some other factor — is one of the worst things you can do. Your audience will feel uncomfortable and your credibility will be diminished considerably.

Finally, the first six speaker sins are all symptoms of the deadliest speaking sin of them all…

Deadly Sin #7: Pride

Pride is committed by a speaker who believes that public speaking is about them.

It’s not.

  • It’s never about you.
  • It’s never about your impressive accolades in your introduction.
  • It’s never about your dazzling delivery where you channel Churchill.
  • It’s never about your sumptuous slides which prominently feature your company logo beside dazzling 3-D pie charts.

Public speaking is always about the audience and the message you want to convey. Failing to put the audience first will kill any presentation. You need to perform audience analysis to discover how best to structure your presentation and deliver the message.

“It’s never about you. Public speaking is always about the audience and the message you want to convey.”

Avoid this sin by starting to analyze your presentation from the audience’s perspective. Amazingly, most of the other speaking sins will go away.

  • You’ll recognize that you need to prepare. (Sloth)
  • You will realize that you are uniquely capable of delivering your message to this audience. (Envy)
  • You will trim all of the fluff to deliver a message which is focused and easy-to-understand. (Gluttony)
  • You will respect the time your audience has given you. (Greed)
  • You won’t saddle your audience with your problems. (Wrath)

As for Lust when speaking, well… that’s just silly.

7 Deadly Sins of Public SpeakingThe Seven Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

  1. Sloth: failing to prepare for your speech or presentation
  2. Envy: believing that great speakers are born with their skills
  3. Lust: quelling your nerves by picturing the audience naked
  4. Gluttony: believing that more words/slides/facts/numbers is always better
  5. Greed: speaking over your allotted time
  6. Wrath: rigidly reacting to problems and losing your cool
  7. Pride: placing yourself ahead of the audience

How many of these speaking sins are committed in presentations you attend?

Similar Articles You May Like...

Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
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Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Speaker Habits
Article tags: , , , , ,
© Six Minutes, 2009. | Permalink | 80 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/7-deadly-sins-public-speaking/feed/ 80 Popular Public Speaking Books and Gearhttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/popular-public-speaking-books/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/popular-public-speaking-books/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:01:32 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=1342 Popular Public Speaking Books

When I’m looking for books to read, the only thing more convincing than a single recommendation from a colleague or friend is multiple recommendations for the same book from colleagues and friends.

Earlier, we published book testimonials from individual Six Minutes readers.

In this article, we list the most popular public speaking books and gear being read by the Six Minutes community — people just like you with an avid interest in speaking effectively.

More Gift Ideas for Speakers
  1. Gift Ideas by Price
  2. Gifts Ideas by Category
  3. Popular Among Six Minutes Readers
  4. Books Reviewed on Six Minutes

Where Do These Lists Come From?

We get a sneak peak into what Six Minutes readers buy when they click on one of our links to the Amazon store. We do not get specific info on who is buying what — only aggregate information about what is being purchased.

This information gives a good indication of what is popular. We value your opinion of what is worth reading. Indeed, several of the book review choices (including the book review posted last week) were strongly influenced by which books you were buying!

You may be interested to know that when you make a purchase at Amazon after clicking on one of these links, we get a small commission. This helps us to keep Six Minutes free and continue to improve it with the articles you want. Thank you for your support in this way.

Popular PowerPoint and Visual Design Books

These are the most popular books which help you design better visuals, whether you use PowerPoint, Keynote, flip charts, or napkins as your visual tool.

  1. slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte [read our book review]
  2. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds [read our book review]
  3. Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations by Stephen Kosslyn [read our book review]
  4. The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
  5. Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson
  6. 7-Slide Solution by Paul J. Kelly
  7. Multimedia Learning by Richard E. Mayer [read our book review]

Popular Speechwriting and Storytelling Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which focus on audience analysis, determining your message, and selecting the best words, phrases, anecdotes, evidence, and stories.

  1. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History’s Greatest Speakers by James C. Humes [read our book review]
  2. The Story Factor by Annette Simmons [read our book review]
  3. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One–How to Deliver It by Richard Dowis
  4. Advanced Presentations by Design: Creating Communication that Drives Action by Andrew Abela [read our book review]
  5. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
  6. Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use by Alan Perlman
  7. The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning

Popular Public Speaking Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which have a broad focus and cover many aspects of effective communication.

  1. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie [read our book review]
  2. You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard by Bert Decker [read our book review]
  3. On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan
  4. Fire Them Up! by Carmine Gallo [read our book review]
  5. 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking by Lenny Laskowski
  6. Presenting to Win by Jerry Weissman
  7. The Power Presenter by Jerry Weissman

Popular Public Speaking Gear and Gadgets

This diverse collection of gadgets are the most popular speaking tools being purchased by Six Minutes readers.

  1. Kensington 33374 Wireless Presenter with Laser Pointer
  2. 3M Plain Paper Copier Transparency Film
  3. Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter
  4. Olympus WS-331M Digital Voice Recorder
  5. EXPO Vis-à-Vis Wet-Erase Overhead Projection Marker Set
  6. EXPO Dry Erase Marker Organizer, Chisel Tip, Set
  7. Keyspan Presentation Remote Pro

Which Books Are You Reading?

Please drop a note in the article comments to share your favorite book with other Six Minutes readers.

Similar Articles You May Like...

Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
Follow @6minutes
Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
Article tags: , ,
© Six Minutes, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/popular-public-speaking-books/feed/ 5 21 Questions: Is This The Year You Communicate Effectively?http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/new-years-resolutions-public-speaking-speaker/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/new-years-resolutions-public-speaking-speaker/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:30:56 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=1402 happy-new-year

Is this the year you become a more effective speaker?

Is this the year you conquer your fear?

Is this the year you customize every presentation for the audience who will receive it?

Is this the year you worry less about ums and ahs, and worry more about connecting with the audience?

Is this the year you realize its not the quantity of information conveyed, but the quality of how you convey it?

Is this the year you eliminate the phrase “I don’t need to rehearse”?

Is this the year you stop driving people to tap on their Blackberry and iPhone during your speech?

Is this the year you stop letting poor communication skills stand between you and the career that you want?

Is this the year you solicit honest feedback after every presentation?

Is this the year you act on the feedback received?

Is this the year you not only read and talk about Presentation Zen and Slide:ology, but actually put the lessons into practice?

Is this the year you stop putting people to sleep?

Is this the year you study storytelling techniques?

Is this the year you stop allowing your colleagues to commit communication suicide and give them honest feedback?

Is this the year you realize that a lengthy Q&A session is not “stealing time” away from your presentation?

Is this the year you stop using PowerPoint as a crutch?

Is this the year you realize that eye contact and gestures mean nothing if you don’t have a clear message?

Is this the year you find your voice?

Is this the year you use it to communicate whatever message resonates in your heart?

Is this the year you lose your ego and have a conversation?

Is this the year?

This is the conversation I’m having in front of a mirror on January 1st.

What conversation will you have?

This may help: 5 Habits to Achieve your Public Speaking New Year’s Resolution

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Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
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Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Speaker Habits
Article tags: , ,
© Six Minutes, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/new-years-resolutions-public-speaking-speaker/feed/ 2 Why Pausch, not Obama, is Best Communicator of 2008http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/randy-pausch-barack-obama-2008/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/randy-pausch-barack-obama-2008/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:29:35 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=1388 Randy Pausch: Last LectureI am a Bert Decker fan. I subscribe to his blog and learn from him often. I’ve got his books on my wishlist.

But, after reading his “Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2008” list, I’m confused — how did he get it wrong?

Best Communicators of 2008

  1. Barack Obama
  2. Tim Russert
  3. Randy Pausch
  4. Colin Powell
  5. Mike Huckabee
  6. John Chambers
  7. Sarah Palin
  8. Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki
  9. Tina Fey
  10. Anderson Cooper

Worst Communicators of 2008

  1. George Bush
  2. Richard Fuld
  3. Rod Blagojevich
  4. Eliot Spitzer
  5. Roger Clemens
  6. Sarah Palin
  7. Dan Rather
  8. Al Davis
  9. Rosie O’Donnell
  10. John McCain

Okay, top 10 lists are subjective by nature. They are one person’s opinion. Can Bert Decker really be wrong in his opinion? No, he can’t.

So, instead, I’ll just have to say that I am disappointed with this year’s lists for three reasons:

1. Too much emphasis on politics.

60% of the individuals cited are intimately tied to the political arena.

  • 7 of the Best are either politicians (Obama, Powell, Huckabee, and Palin) or closely tied to politicians in 2008 (Russert, Fey, Cooper)
  • 5 of the Worst (Bush, Blagojevich, Spitzer, Palin, and McCain) are politicians

This is a bit like having 60% of the “Best Athletes of 2008″ be Olympic heroes and disappointments. [Then again, perhaps Michael Phelps could be #1, #2, ... #8.]

Yes, 2008 is a presidential  election year. And, yes, communication is an integral part of politics. However, there’s a whole world communicating out there outside of the political arena too. Duarte and Reynolds merit much higher consideration, for example, because they are helping transform the public speaking status quo.

2. “Worst Communicator” = “Scandal-ridden”??

(At least) Six of the 10 Worst were caught up in scandals of varying degree in 2008: Fuld, Blagojevich, Spitzer, Clemens, Davis, O’Donnell.

Which of these seem more likely?

  1. Bad communication leads to scandal?
    Did these people end up embroiled in scandal because they are poor communicators? No, the scandals resulted because they made (very) bad decisions.
  2. Scandal leads to bad communication?
    Before the scandal broke, were they particularly bad communicators? Maybe. Maybe not. But without those scandals, none of these people would be on the list. Feelings of guilt plus a camera and microphone is a bad combination… for just about anyone.

I’m not saying that these people demonstrated good communication habits under fire. But, it is rare for someone to be under fire and come out looking like a great communicator.

I’d prefer more emphasis on this list on genuinely bad communicators not tied to scandals (Bill Gates is the often cited example here, although that title is not always deserved.)

3. Randy Pausch, not Barack Obama, is the Best Communicator of 2008

It’s a difficult task to argue against Barack Obama in #1 position. It would not surprise me if he earns that position for the next eight years.

  • His oration skills have been compared regularly to Lincoln, Churchill, and Kennedy.
  • His speaking prowess far outdistanced that of his two main rivals this year (Hilary Clinton, John McCain).
  • His speeches are worthy of analysis (he has already been featured on Six Minutes, and he will continue to be going forward).

But, it is overkill to suggest that “he was elected President BECAUSE of his communications ability“. Numerous factors contributed to his victory, including these three:

  • Superior Fundraising — His campaign excelled at fundraising in ways never seen before.
  • Superior Strategy — His team had the best strategy (both in the Democratic primaries and the general election).
  • Inferior Bush — The economy and Iraq (among many other reasons) doomed any candidate the Republicans put forward.

Running for President put Obama in a very select group, and gave him a global audience. To his credit, he maximized this opportunity. But would he be first on this list if he were giving these same speeches as just the Senator from Illinois? Would he have moved millions to action if he were just a party strategist? Or a community organizer from Chicago? Or a computer science professor?

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor. He had virtually no audience — just an auditorium filled with 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University. He had no fame. No reputation. No speechwriters. No army of volunteers. He had nothing to guarantee an attentive audience other than a particularly timely lecture and a death sentence of pancreatic cancer. As he points out in his book, this fact hardly makes him unique — more than 37,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year.

Despite all of this, over 8 million people have watched Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture on Youtube alone. That’s quite an increase from the 400 who saw it live.

Pausch’s Last Lecture is poignant, thought-provoking, emotional, funny, inspirational, and memorable. Pausch lacked Obama’s polish as a classical orator, but he is second to none as a communicator.

His skillful communication continued beyond his famous speech into his bestselling book, which I received for Christmas a few days ago. In addition to all the life lessons, every speaker can learn from how Pausch teaches a lesson through storytelling. If you enjoyed the stories in the speech, you’ll love the additional stories in the book. Ditch the facts, figures, and PowerPoint… just tell stories.

In short, 2008 saw Pausch emerge from complete obscurity to touch the hearts of millions… all from a single speech to an audience of 400. He proved that if you speak from the heart, the world will listen. For that, he’s the best communicator of 2008 in my book.

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or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
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Andrew Dlugan
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.

]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/randy-pausch-barack-obama-2008/feed/ 11 Gifts Public Speakers Really Want: Dozens of Christmas Ideashttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaking-gift-ideas-christmas/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaking-gift-ideas-christmas/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:39:28 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=873 Looking for the perfect gift for the public speaker in your life?

Looking for something to add to your own personal wishlist?

Here’s a great list of ideas inspired by emails telling me the gifts that public speakers really want.

Stocking stuffers, moderate, deluxe, and priceless gifts — a comprehensive list with dozens of public speaking gift ideas for you or the public speaker in your life.

Last year, I received a digital voice recorder for Christmas, and I’ve had lots of fun using it to get audible feedback during rehearsal and live presentations. I used my gift cards to load up on a stack of speaking books.

Many of the items on my wishlist this year are contained below. How many do you share?

Books

Public Speaking Gear

Flip Charts

Flip Chart and White Board Accessories

Lectern

  • Value: Deluxe
  • In an ideal world, you would never need notes of any kind, and you would stand in front of your audience without any barriers. That’s not reality. There are many cases when you do have notes (like being the master of ceremonies). Having somewhere to place them is essential. A tabletop is too low. Keeping them in your hand is too cumbersome. A lectern is the perfect solution, but you never know if your venue has one. A portable one keeps you safe.
  • Andrew’s Pick: Adjustable Speaker Stand
  • Options:

Attention Getter (e.g. Gavel)

  • Value: Moderate
  • How do you get the attention of a chatty crowd when it is time to start your presentation? One of the best techniques I witnessed was a master of ceremonies who had a series of chimes that he would strike into the microphone. Every time he used them, the audience got quiet immediately. Chimes have been on my wish list ever since, although some may prefer the traditional gavel for times when your voice or actions aren’t enough to grab attention.
  • Andrew’s Pick: Meinl Nino Energy Chimes
  • Options:

Pointers

  • Value: Stocking Stuffer
  • In my opinion, pointers are both over overused and underused. Some speakers use them for no apparent reason, and often distract the audience endlessly by fidgeting with them. Having said that, the primary advantage of using a pointer is to be able to refer to visuals while keeping your body out of the sight lines of your audience. It’s good to have one in your inventory for those occasions when you want one.
  • Andrew’s Pick: Acco Extendible Pocket Pointer
  • Options:

Public Speaking Electronics

Presentation Remotes

Digital Voice Recorder

Timers and Stopwatches

  • Value: Stocking Stuffer
  • A timer is critical for rehearsal and for delivery in front of your audience. When I’m teaching, I have often relied on using the clock in the room. But, now that I’ve been in rooms without a clock or (worse!) a clock that was incorrect, I realize the value of keeping time on my own. The key feature to look for is count down and count up timing, as well as large digits that you can read from a distance.
  • Bestselling Kitchen Timers

Laser Pointers

  • Value: Stocking Stuffer
  • Most presentation remotes come equipped with a laser pointer. If you don’t have one of those, then you will probably want a standalone pointer. I’m not a huge fan of them, but there are situations where it is simply the best way to draw attention.
  • Bestselling laser pointers

Thumb Drives (or USB Drives or Memory Sticks)

  • Value: Stocking Stuffer
  • Many of my presentations and courses involve slides of some sort. It’s best to bring your own laptop, or email your slides ahead to your host, but you never know when you need a trusty backup. (For me, about 20% of the time.) So, I always carry my slides on a pair of thumb drives.
  • Andrew’s Pick: SanDisk Cruzer Micro Flash Drive (I love the SanDisk Cruzer models because the USB connector retracts and you don’t need to worry about a cover)
  • Bestselling thumb drives

Digital Projectors

  • Value: Deluxe
  • Having your own personal digital projector represents the ultimate freedom for a professional speaker who presents often with slides. With few exceptions, your host or your venue (for a pricey rental fee) are equipped with digital projectors. However, I’ve been disappointed in the past when I create (in my opinion) beautiful visuals only to discover that the illumination quality of the projector is substandard. Ultimately, that poor quality reflects on you and your presentation.
  • Bestselling digital projectors

Great Speeches DVDs or CDs

The Gift of Toastmasters (or other training programs)

  • Value: Priceless (but the cost is only Moderate)
  • I strongly believe that a Toastmasters membership is an outstanding first step on the path to becoming a more effective speaker for many people. If you know someone who could benefit from the educational program, why not remove any financial reasons they may have for not becoming a member? Membership dues for six months are a tiny investment with huge potential payoff. What other gift can you give that changes someone’s life?
  • Having said that, there are many other options available. Give the gift of learning.

Gifts for Toastmasters

Any of the items in this article are appropriate for Toastmasters members, but some members may also appreciate items that are specific Toastmaster gifts. The Toastmasters online store has a wide variety of items, including some which are categorized as “gifts.”

Six Minutes

Give the Gift of Six Minutes

  • Value: Priceless (but the cost is and always will be free)
  • If you enjoy reading Six Minutes, please share the link with your friends, your colleagues, your students, or your fellow Toastmasters members. It doesn’t cost you a penny, but you would help my Christmas wishes come true.
  • The same goes for other public speaking blogs. Don’t keep them a secret. Spread the word!

What’s Missing on the List Above?

What speaking-related gifts are you hoping for this year?

What gifts have you received in the past (or bought for yourself) that you recommend?

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Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
Follow @6minutes
Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Resources for Speakers
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© Six Minutes, 2008. | Permalink | 11 comments so far
]]> http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/public-speaking-gift-ideas-christmas/feed/ 11 10 Ways Your Presentation Skills Generate Career Promotionshttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/career-promotions-presentation-skills/ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/career-promotions-presentation-skills/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:34:40 +0000 Andrew Dlugan http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/?p=302 Presentation Skills Lead to Career BenefitsRegardless of industry or job title, all companies seek employees with superior communication skills.

Reading comprehension and writing skills are taught heavily in school. You and your peers may not be equally skilled, but the differences are relatively minor.

Presentation skills, on the other hand, are largely neglected in schools, and few people put effort into developing them. Thus, presentation skills are a primary differentiator among you and your peers. Master your presentation skills, and become the master of your career options.

This article highlights 10 ways your career will improve if you have superior presentation skills.

The Best Career Move You’ll Ever Make: Developing Superior Presentation Skills

Presentation skills (and oral communication skills in general) can be learned by anyone. It’s not hard, but it takes dedication and time. Helping you develop these skills is the focus of this blog, not to mention Toastmasters, speech coaches, and speaking books. By making it a priority for your career, you can learn and master these skills.

The career benefits awaiting you are plentiful, including:

Benefit #1: You are noticed

Poor presenters: Let’s be honest. The presentation skills of most of your colleagues suck. The bad news is that you have to endure thousands of presentations from them over the course of your career. The good news is that the bar for presentation skills is low. You can vault above it with minimal effort.

You: With superior presentation skills, you’ll get noticed every time you make a presentation. Further, you’ll be more confident, and will find yourself volunteering to present more often. This results in more opportunities to deliver your message with the eyeballs of those in your organization on you.

Benefit #2: You are memorable

Poor presenters: They regularly commit “Death by PowerPoint”: bullet after bullet, reading from the slides, few meaningful images (clip art does not count), and otherwise doing things that audiences hate. The best part of their presentation is when it ends, and everyone is free to return to their offices. Soon after, they are forgotten.

You: You understand how to connect with an audience. You use highly visual slides, and few bullets. You structure your presentation to aid in its understandability. You finish strong. Your presentation is memorable = You are memorable.

Benefit #3: Your ideas win because you communicate them clearly

Poor presenters: Your colleagues are smart. They have good ideas, and they know how to implement them. But they never get the chance, because they can’t communicate their ideas in a way that is clear to the stakeholders who decide which path to take.

You: Your ideas win more often because you know how to convey them. You utilize analogies and metaphors. You know how to deliver a message that emphasizes benefits, not features. You know how to customize your message depending which stakeholder you are speaking with. Career advancement comes to those whose ideas direct activity.

Benefit #4: You become the go-to employee for customer presentations

Poor presenters: Because their internal presentations are poor, managers hesitate to let them lead the show before customers. Their role in customer presentations is a spectator.

You: After demonstrating your presentation skills internally, you’ll be the one called on to give customer presentations too. Presentations for proposals influence whether you get the customer contract. Final presentations influence whether you receive repeat business. The closer to the customer you get, the more integral you are to the customer relationship, and the more valuable you become to your employer.

Benefit #5: You are a leader

Poor presenters: Lack of presentation skills leads to lack of confidence. Attempts to lead are thwarted because nobody follows.

You: Great leaders are great communicators. Great communicators are great leaders. Persuasiveness and charisma convince people to view you as a leader. This perception is translated into reality as you inspire those around you to greater achievements.

Benefit #6: You are a better listener

Poor presenters: They are too concerned about their own presentation mishaps to listen attentively to the audience.

You: Presentation skills are not only about what you say; it’s about how you listen. With a heightened sense of how to convey a message to your audience, you have also developed keen listening skills. Listening effectively to your audience makes you a better listener at all times. This, in turn, makes you more approachable…

Benefit #7: You are more approachable

Poor presenters: They may welcome the idea of interacting with others, but they are not seen as approachable because their presentations are always always one-sided information dumps, not conversations.

You: You are more approachable because you “put yourself out there” more often. You design your presentations to be interactive conversations. You encourage Q&A during and after your presentations. Colleagues will come to you first with ideas and opportunities because they know you are receptive to listening to them.

Benefit #8: Your network will grow

Poor presenters: Their presentations are either boring or confusing. Boring presentations lead others to see them as boring co-workers. Confusing presentations fail to be clear about what they offer. In either case, nobody leaps at the opportunity to work more with them.

You: You get noticed, you are memorable, and you are more approachable. Other people become your PR machine, spreading the news about how great your presentations are and how strong your ideas are. Your network naturally grows as people want to interact with you more often.

Benefit #9: You are a better negotiator

Poor presenters: They go into a presentation without doing audience analysis. Likewise, they go into a negotiation without analyzing the interests of the other side, or considering the delicate language needed.

You: Of course, negotiation is about strategy — analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. But, it’s also communication — communication of your ideas, your proposals, and your interests using a language more palatable to the other side. This applies to negotiating with customers and suppliers as well as internal negotiations for a better job, or increased compensation and benefits.

Benefit #10: Your interviewing skills will get you the job

Poor presenters: They have difficulty demonstrating that they actually have the skills listed on their resume. Poor communication skills in an interview leads to a failing grade from the interviewer.

You: Interviews are high-pressure presentations. There may not be slides, but your presentation content is you! Superior speaking skills will earn you top marks in the “communication skills” box on the interviewer’s form. With your superior speaking skills, you will also find it easier to demonstrate that you possess the other necessary qualities for the job.

Similar Articles You May Like...

Have a Question?

Contact me anytime,
or find me on Twitter: @6minutes
Follow @6minutes
Andrew Dlugan
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.

Author of this article: Andrew Dlugan
Category: Communication Skills
Article tags: ,
© Six Minutes, 2008. | Permalink | 15 comments so far
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