Six Minutes weekend reviews bring the best public speaking articles to you.

This review features topics including:

• PowerPoint and the Rule of Thirds;
• new public speaking books;
• persuasive techniques;
• training session tips;
• creating memorable story characters;
• effective use of pauses;
• new features in PowerPoint 2010;
• dealing with hecklers;
• and more!

From the Six Minutes Archives

One Year Ago from Six Minutes…

• How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds
  Design tips for non-designers! The rule of thirds is easy to apply, and will make your slides much more attractive.

Two Years Ago from Six Minutes…

• How to Practice Your Presentation
  Part of the speech preparation series, this article shows why practice is essential.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

• 365 Powerful Ways to Influence by Donald Hendon
• The ABC's of Speaking by Thom Singer
• Body Language: 7 Easy Lessons to Master the Silent Language by James Borg
• The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don'ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures by Dona M. Wong
• Delivering Training Workshops: Pfeiffer Essential Guides to Training Basics by Janis Fisher Chan

Speechwriting

• Nick Morgan delivers a 7-article series on persuasive techniques.

1. Phrase your arguments so that your listeners can hear them.
2. Have a clear goal in mind.
3. Break your communication down into problems and solutions.
4. Deal in stories, facts, and tropes.
5. Make sure your communication is articulate. Is there a real alternative? Is the idea consequential? Do the words shock but not surprise?
6. Cut through the clutter of information overload by dealing with safety issues.
7. Be willing to confess something.

• Diane DiResta offers 13 tips for designing a fun and memorable training session.

1. Understand how people learn.
2. Tell stories.
3. Use props.
4. Let them teach you.
5. Get physical.
6. Play games.
7. Organize creatively.
8. Pair up.
9. Get them moving.
10. Give them aha’s.
11. Provide download time.
12. Use music.
13. Get visual.

• Doug Stevenson details how to create memorable characters in your stories.

The way you describe your characters, physically, allows your audience to form a mental image of them. [...]

Don’t stop with, “My friend Mark was supposed to pick me up at the airport.” Go deeper. For example: “My friend Mark is about 6 feet, 3 inches tall and about 150 pounds. We used to call him “Daddy Long Legs”… with a mustache. He was a real string bean of a guy who worked as a computer tech  – a real nerd, an absolute genius with computers. So Mark, this lanky, nerdy guy, was supposed to pick me up at the airport and bring me home after my long trip.”

• Denise Graveline urges you to be bold in your speechwriting.

[...] you need to be bold to be an effective speaker. Respectful and qualified won’t help you create that vital connection with your audience, whether you’re in a meeting, a presentation or giving a speech.

Delivery Techniques

• Craig Senior discusses effective use of pauses.

What you are doing during pauses:

• listening with the audience (observing them)
• giving the audience time to absorb and respond
• breathing
• thinking
• moving
• getting a prop

What the audience is doing during pauses:

• thinking
• feeling
• laughing
• listening with you (observing you)

• Kathy Reiffenstein offers tips for speaking with a teleprompter.

1. Read the script through several times without the teleprompter.
2. Speak naturally
3. Know your teleprompter operator
4. Have a few people in the audience while you are rehearsing
5. Take a hard copy of your speech with you

• Kate Peters paradoxically offers 10 ways to destroy your voice.

1. Smoke.
2. Scream.
3. Avoid drinking water.
4. Pitch your voice as low as you can get it and force the sound out.

[...]

Visual Aids

• Jan Schultink contrasts two charts drawn from the same data to show how to use visuals to support your persuasive argument.
• Echo Swinford lists 65 new features in PowerPoint 2010.
  That’s a lot of new features. How will you take advantage of them?
• John Zimmer criticizes the 1-6-6 “rule” for PowerPoint.

• I have also seen this rule called the 1-5-5 Rule and the 1-7-7 Rule, with necessary changes to the numbers of bullet points and words per bullet point. I have chosen the middle ground.
• The “Rule” is not a rule at all. It is nonsense.

A recent satirical Dilbert comic has gone up on my office door:

Speaker Habits

• Lisa Braithwaite offers suggestions to overcome your tendency to say too much.

1. The most critical factor is timing yourself.
2. Create a time cushion when you practice.
3. Keep your eye on the clock.

• Jim Anderson studies (article 1 and  article 2) how to deal with hecklers.

The best way to deal with a heckler is to do your best to prevent them from becoming a heckler in the first place. A heckler can show up in any audience and so part of your preparation to give a speech, you need to spend some time taking steps to defuse the things that might set a heckler off.

• Olivia Mitchell also writes about how to handle hecklers.

1. Manage your own emotional state.
2. Let the heckler have their say.
3. Use reflective listening before you respond.
4. Respond.
5. [...]

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-11-07] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

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.

Six Minutes weekend reviews bring the best public speaking articles to you.

This review features topics including:

• frequently asked questions about Toastmasters;
• tactics for persuasive speaking;
• speechwriting tips;
• storytelling help from a Google ad;
• Obama’s State of the Union address;
• hands in the pockets;
• visual clichés;
• Sarah Palin and notes on her hands;
• the believability of Tiger Woods’ apology;
• and more!

From the Six Minutes Archives

One Year Ago from Six Minutes…

• Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
  Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the world’s largest public speaking organization.

Two Years Ago from Six Minutes…

• Electrify Your Audience with a Shocking Speech Opening
  A speech opening example which packs power into just 19 words.

Recently on Six Minutes…

• Book Review — Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
  A review of the bestselling book which enables speechwriters to craft memorable speeches.
• 15 Tactics to Establish Ethos: Examples for Persuasive Speaking
  Practical tips that you can apply to make your audience more likely to be persuaded by your presentation.
• Average Speakers Suck. Don’t Be Average
  The average speaker is largely ineffective, but any speaker can improve their impact as a speaker through hard work and practice.

Speechwriting

• Cynthia Starks shares how to write a speech that matters.
  Click the PDF speech transcript which she attaches at the end of her article. It’s worth a thorough read.

My message to you today is simple – speeches matter.

In the political world, they can win votes, start wars or inspire a generation.

In the business world, they can attract customers, boost sales, motivate employees, influence investors, position individuals as thought-leaders and companies as pace-setters.

If you want to communicate passion, clarity of purpose, and a call to action, nothing beats a speech. Nothing else gives your message a human face.

• Lisa Braithwaite rates the effectiveness of the Google “Parisian Love” ad (aired during the Super Bowl) against the recommendations from Made to Stick.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Terry Gault delves into the elements of effective stories, also commenting on the Google ad.

• Reveal something personal about yourself, the presenter. What are you really like? What is the company really like?
• Use humility and vulnerability to build empathy. Don’t relate a personal success; instead, describe a personal difficulty so the audience will empathize with you.
• Choose an incident or emotional experience – a common reference point – with which the audience can identify.
• Develop characters for your story and make them come to life. Let the audience see the emotions of the characters in your story.

• Nick Morgan critiques Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

This new tone represents a remarkable departure for President Obama.  The cynical would say, a new speechwriter got the SOTU assignment.  But presidents control their rhetoric, and they pay particular attention to the State of the Union, since it’s the one speech that everyone listens to each year.  So the new tone is deliberate.

Delivery Techniques

• Laura Bergells criticizes the “hands in your pockets” posture.

It’s the lackluster “hands in pockets” gesture made popular by the slacker dufus in those “I’m a PC” commercials. He’s the guy whose posture represents disinterest. He has nothing to do, so he stands with his hands in his pockets, listening to what the more entertaining fellow has to say.

“Hands in Pockets” might be appropriate during the “Q” part of “Q and A”. It can signal, “I’m open to listening to you”.

But it’s not a polite posture to adopt while speaking.

Visual Aids

• Jan Schultink (via Nikki Smith-Morgan) points to 101 visual clichés.
  How many have you used?

The light bulb

The tape measure

The crystal ball

The stopwatch

The baton

…

Speaker Habits

• Stephanie Scotti suggests the S.T.A.T. formula for speaker introductions.

Speaker — Why this speaker?

Topic — Why is this topic being discussed?

Audience — Why is this topic important to this audience?

Time — Why this subject at this time?

Sarah Palin and Notes on her Palms

First, the video showing Sarah Palin use of notes written on her hand:

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Jerry Weissman discusses the media debate about Sarah Palin’s palm reading, shown below.

Nancy Benac of the Associated Press summed up the sharp exchange on the subject, “Obama’s critics point to his podium and teleprompter as evidence of [his] disconnect. Palin’s critics point to her flesh-and-ink crib notes as one more sign she’s a lightweight. Or maybe all these two have shown is that they’re human and need a little help remembering key points.”

• Scott Berkun puts the focus back where it belongs.

I’m all for criticizing speakers for the quality of their ideas. Ask if the points they make are clear, and smart, and fair, and useful.  Consider if they seem to believe what they say and passionately care about being useful to their audience. These are the questions that matter. Few speakers are able to do this with or without teleprompters or crib sheets.

Getting caught up in the trivia of props and prompters is a a complete distraction. I wish it would stop.

Critiques of the Tiger Woods Apology

View Tiger Woods’ apology statement yourself:

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Bert Decker assesses the strengths and weaknesses of Tiger’s apology.

Although it was painful for Tiger Woods to have his giant size ’statement’ this morning, the key question is: was he believable? Oh, we want facts (is Elin leaving? when is he returning to golf? is he staying in rehab?, etc) but that information we could get from his web page, where he has announced everything else. We want to see him. We want to hear and ‘feel’ him to judge for ourselves.

• Theresa Zagnoli dissects the Tiger Woods apology statement.

As a communication expert, the Tiger Woods media statement today provided much to dissect. As a student of human behavior, there is much to discuss. As a human being, there is a great deal to ponder.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-15] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-19] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05]

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.

Twice each month, Six Minutes weekend reviews bring you the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

Please share them with anyone you feel would benefit from the tips and techniques.

This review features topics including:

• recently released public speaking books;
• storytelling and details;
• remedies for voice malfunctions;
• handling hecklers;
• thanking the audience;
• cartoons in presentations;
• rehearsal strategies;
• a speech critique of Sir Ken Robinson;
• and more!

From the Six Minutes Archives

One Year Ago from Six Minutes…

• Speech Analysis: Barack Obama’s Inaugural Speech
  5 Speechwriting Lessons from a speech with impossible expectations.

Two Years Ago from Six Minutes…

• Should a Speaker Apologize to the Audience
  Examines conventional speaking wisdom that one should never apologize.

Recently on Six Minutes…

• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking
  Introduction to the article series which examines these core concepts.
• What is Ethos and Why is it Critical for Speakers?
  Defines ethos along four characteristics: trustworthiness, similarity, authority, and reputation.
• Book Review: Confessions of  a Public Speaker
  An entertaining and insightful insider’s view of public speaking. This review was followed by a contest where Six Minutes readers submitted their confessions and insights.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

• Perfect Phrases for Communicating Change by Lawrence Polsky and Antoine Gerschel
• The Body Language Handbook: How to Read Everyone's Hidden Thoughts and Intentions by Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch
• Voice of Influence: How to Get People to Love to Listen to You by Judy Apps
• Making Learning Stick: 20 Proven Techniques That Produce Results by Barbara Carnes
• The Choreography of Presenting: The 7 Essential Abilities of Effective Presenters by Kendall Zoller

Speechwriting

• Denise Graveline urges you to add compelling details to stories.

Telling a story can be a powerful way to engage your audience, breathe life into a speech or presentation, get away from jargon to explain a complex point, or persuade your listeners.  But if you want the telling to be compelling, you need to sweat the details.

• Fred Miller emphasizes the importance of a strong speech closing.

This is why it is mandatory that you have a strong opening and a strong closing.  And of the two, more often than not, the closing will be recalled more than any other part of the presentation.

Memorize and practice, practice, practice your opening and closing!  Rehearse it so it becomes second nature to you.

Remember, though, it’s the first time this audience will hear it.  Don’t lose the enthusiasm and emotion you had when delivering the closing many audiences ago!

Delivery Techniques

• Kate Peters provides 3 remedies for common voice malfunctions.

1. If your voice croaks like a frog…
2. If your voice shakes…
3. If you get a tickle…

• Jim Anderson wonders how to handle hecklers.

When it comes to dealing with a heckler, a speaker’s options are somewhat limited. What is going on here is a power play – you own the stage, but the heckler is trying to take over your audience. The big unanswered question is which way will the audience go – will they side with the heckler or will they side with you, the speaker.

• Ellen Finkelstein shares a Toastmasters debate on whether to thank the audience or not.

I do like the idea of not making “thank you” your last words, though, and leaving the audience with a final, uplifting point. For example, I might say, “Thanks for your attention and remember that you CAN present complex data clearly!”

• Terry Gault questions responding in the Q&A with “That’s a good question.“

It’s a value judgment about the quality of the question.  If the questioner didn’t think it was a good question, they would not have asked it.

Visual Aids

• Troy Chollar demonstrates how to create an animated countdown timer in PowerPoint. [Ed. I'm going to try something like this to time out the breaks the next time I teach a course.]
• Philippa Leguen de Lacroix weighs the pros and cons of using cartoons in your presentation.

Cons:

1. The cartoon can be a distraction
2. The complexity or subtle humour of the cartoon may be lost on the audience
3. Your credibility may be undermined

Pros:

1. You can reinforce your point
2. The cartoon is a mind-break
3. Cartoons are entertaining!
4. Communication and learning works best using a combination of images and narrative

• Jan Schultink gives a step-by-step guide to effective slides with ample whitespace.

White space is a powerful element in slide design. An image with the subject in the center often does not leave enough space to let the slide breathe a bit. The following image sequence explain a work around. Basically, you stretch the background of the image without stretching and distorting the image subject itself.

Speaker Habits

• Bert Decker sums up one of my beliefs which led to founding Six Minutes: perpetual growth.

You’re either improving or decaying. [...] There is no in between. [...]

We’re all moving along the continuum of effective communicators. Even when you reach your goal as a communicator, the journey continues.

[...] Whatever you have achieved, there is always more work to be done. This is especially true when it comes to your image as a communicator.

• Stephanie Scotti suggests a strategy for rehearsal.

My rule of thumb is that a presentation that’s “well done” on paper is probably about 70% done in reality. On average, it takes three to five focused rehearsals for a speaker to really seal the deal — especially when it comes to critical or career-defining presentations.

• John Zimmer critiques Sir Ken Robinson’s TED speech.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• His talk seemed less a presentation to the audience and more a conversation with the audience.
• He did not need a single PowerPoint slide or other prop to support his talk.
• He involved the audience in many ways: his use of the word “we”; his asking several rhetorical questions; his reference to different things that the audience had experienced while at TED (e.g., his mentioning at 2:50, 13.30 and 17:55 other talks that the audience had heard); etc.
• He told stories! Great ones! Memorable ones! Stories that reinforced his main point.

Professional Speaking

• Cynthia Starks reports on a United States Supreme Court decision that may have consequences for corporate communicators.

“Thursday morning the Supreme Court, by an ideologically predictable 5-to-4 margin, overturned as unconstitutional laws that ban corporations from running TV ads explicitly backing or opposing candidates during election campaigns.”

Startling as the decision is, it’s also an opportunity for communications professionals to craft messages executives should be giving to their stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-11-07] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

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.

Six Minutes weekend reviews are back for a third year of bringing you the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

• speechwriting lessons from Martin Luther King Jr.;
• structuring your presentation logically;
• becoming aware of your voice;
• benefits of a flip chart;
• mistakes with visuals;
• speaker habits;
• stages in a professional speaking career;
• and more!

From the Six Minutes Archives

One Year Ago from Six Minutes…

• Speech Analysis: I Have a Dream – Martin Luther King Jr.
  Five speechwriting lessons from one of the most famous speeches of all time

Two Years Ago from Six Minutes…

• Six Simple Techniques for Presenting Data: Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)
  A must-see presentation that makes a huge impact with visual aids.

Recently on Six Minutes…

• Love the Process and Improve Your Speaking Skills
  Five speaking lessons about the improvement process drawn from a must-see video.
• Reader Survey Results – January 2010
  An informative snapshot of Six Minutes readers. Do your answers agree?
• Book Review: Universal Principles of Design
  A review of the best book I read in 2009.
• Breathing: The Seductive Key to Unlocking Your Vocal Variety
  A plethora of practical tips for improving your vocal variety by becoming more aware of your breathing, from guest author Kate Peters.
• What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker?
  Advice to help you define yourself as a speaker, from guest author Chaunce Stanton.

Speechwriting

• Scott Schwertly logically presents how to structure your presentation logically.

Structuring your presentation logically makes it easy for your audience to follow along and understand how you came to your conclusions.  Think about your presentation’s structure as a road map that guides your audience from point A to point B.  Just as you wouldn’t give driving directions by throwing a bunch of street names out to your friends and hoping that they order them correctly and then turn the right way on each, you shouldn’t present your topics haphazardly.

Delivery Techniques

• Kate Peters lists 10 ways to become more aware of your voice.

Just as your physical appearance, your voice can represent you either effectively or ineffectively. The question is, how do you make the switch from creating your voice through reaction and imitation to creating your voice through thoughtful application of knowledge? The answer is: you start by listening objectively.

Visual Aids

• Tom Ferguson lists several benefits of using a flip chart. (Thanks, Chris Witt for the link.)

It doesn’t need to be plugged in, rebooted, the lamp won’t blow and it doesn’t care about my laptop or its screen resolution. It can be used everywhere and anywhere and it can even be put on the table in the middle of all those brainstormers! Best of all, this no-nonsense low tech tool doesn’t require any special training or skills and can be used by anyone who can write and that usually includes just about everybody on the project team!

• Dave Paradi reports on a call to be judicious with PowerPoint in the US military.

“The format of intelligence products matters. Commanders who think PowerPoint storyboards and color-coded spreadsheets are adequate for describing the Afghan conflict and its complexities have some soul searching to do. Sufficient knowledge will not come from slides with little more text than a comic strip. Commanders must demand substantive written narratives and analyses from their intel shops and make the time to read them. There are no shortcuts. Microsoft Word, rather than PowerPoint, should be the tool of choice for intelligence professionals in a counterinsurgency.”

• Jon Thomas lists six mistakes with visuals which destroy your credibility.

I feel that there are some errors and omissions that are simply inexcusable and when they show up in a presentation, the audience should rightfully feel insulted.  If nothing else, give your presentation a quick run-through to ensure none of these have reared their ugly heads.

• Vivek Singh reminds you not to put important text or images on the edge of your slides.

One possible problem which I have seen quite often is that the edges of the slides get cut due to adjustment problems. The projection does not fall in sync with the screen on the wall.

• Jan Schultink suggests Google Street View as a source for presentation images.

Ultra-local: if your presentation somehow is set in a certain location, go there!

If your presentation is in the area of retail, urban planning, Street View is a great way to give examples of let’s say Starbucks stores in a few different cities, in a few different formats

• Nancy Duarte gives 5 rules for “creating world-changing presentations.” Watch the video below, or check out Nancy talking about it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Speaker Habits

• Kelly Decker critiques a Google product launch presentation.

My guess is that the amount/time of preparation wasn’t the problem…it was HOW he prepared! (Which, unfortunately, is WAY too common.)

Likely spent all his time studying the market opportunity, adoption rates, features/benefits, competitive landscape, and perfecting the business abstractions.

• Andy Budd shares 7 lessons for public speaking.

[G]ood speakers aren’t just orators. They’re people can who see the stories hidden inside complex sets of data and are able to expose these relationships in a logical and structured manner. Good speakers are storytellers, plain and simple.

Professional Speaking

• Ian Griffin examines five stages in a typical speaking career.

The dream is born.

The journey begins.

A business materializes.

The work expands.

Reflection is inevitable.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-20] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-19] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05]

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.

Six Minutes weekend reviews are back for a third year of bringing you the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

This review features topics including:

• new public speaking books;
• best and worst communicators of 2009;
• how to tell a story;
• teleprompters;
• moving your audience;
• Toastmasters survey and tips;
• and more!

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

• Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations by Garr Reynolds
• Speaker's Edge: Secrets and Strategies for Connecting with Any Audience by Darren LaCroix, Patricia Fripp, Craig Valentine, Ed Tate, Mark Brown
• Unfolding the Napkin: The Hands-On Method for Solving Complex Problems with Simple Pictures by Dan Roam
• A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking by Dan O'Hair
• Surviving Dreaded Conversations: How to Talk Through Any Difficult Situation at Work by Donna Flagg

Best and Worst Communicators of 2009

• Bert Decker reveals his annual list of the best and worst communicators of the year.

Speechwriting

• Kathy Reiffenstein describes how to tell a story.

Everyone has heard the advice about incorporating stories into a presentation to make your message more “sticky” and easier to understand. So we’re all on board there. But if you’re not a natural story teller [and I count myself firmly in this camp]…you know, the person who always has an anecdote, a colorful example or a yarn to spin…then how exactly do you go about telling a story?

Think back to some of the stories you heard as a child or perhaps read to your own child. A story has a recognizable beginning and end. A story has engaging characters. A story has action. A story has conflict…a problem, dilemma or challenge that needs to be solved. These same elements are what you have to work with in your business stories.

The story you create should underscore and amplify the business message you’re communicating. Including a story that seems to have no relevance to the content and message of your presentation is just confusing for the audience. Make sure you know and the audience knows why you told the story.

• Cynthia Starks reviews upcoming Speechwriter Conferences.

The New Year brings new opportunities for speechwriters to attend conferences and seminars that will help them hone their skills, network with colleagues, meet potential clients and learn how to pursue freelance assignments or corporate speechwriting jobs.

Since I can’t attend all the excellent events out there (although I’d like to), I’m basing my decision on the answer to one question: Which conference will best help me build my freelance speechwriting business?

Delivery Techniques

• Nick Morgan gives 6 tips for using teleprompters.

1. Teleprompters make weak presenters better — bringing them up to average.
2. You’re still reading text, though, and that’s not the best way to give a speech.
3. If you need to be very precise, say, for legal reasons, in what you say, the teleprompter is a good option.
4. To look good using a teleprompter, mix it up a little.
5. The best option may be having notes on the teleprompter, not a full text.
6. The bottom line? Let the technology support you.

• Nick also cautions you about presenting while sitting.

Standing up while others are sitting automatically bestows some authority on the standee. And there are times when it’s important to claim that authority, just as there are times when it’s OK to be collegial. Just be aware that when you sit down, you are first and foremost saying, ‘I’m one of you.’ Don’t ’say’ it unless you mean it.

Visual Aids

• Jonathan Thomas presents ideas to reduce text on your slides.

Filling slides with useless text can be detrimental to your presentation’s health. I say “useless” because what’s written on a slide is (or should) also coming out of the presenter’s mouth. If they’re saying it, why does it also need to be on a slide?  Too much text can be detrimental because the audience will inevitably read it, thus ignoring the most important part of the presentation – THE PRESENTER!

Speaker Habits

• Rhett Laubach offers a repetitive mantra for moving your audience.

Move my feet… get music going
Move my eyes… get visuals up
Move my ears…. get me up to speed on what we are going to do
Move my mouth… get me talking to others
Move my brain… get me thinking
Move me… get me physically moving on purpose
Move on…. get to the point

• John Zimmer extracts speaking habits from Kate Mosse’s writing tips.

1. Do something every day.
2. Set goals.
3. Have a structure.
4. Carry a notebook.
5. Be comfortable.

Toastmasters

• Angie Key (former District 50 Governor) is conducting a survey of Toastmasters members about conflict & communication within district teams.
  She is “looking for feedback from Toastmasters leaders, past and present, on the best and worst examples they’ve experienced when it comes to conflict & communication on a Toastmasters team.”
  Click here if you’d like to help her by answering a few short questions.

• Rich Hopkins provides sage advice for extracting the best from Toastmasters. Among the gems is:

Understand that TM isn’t the end-all be-all. Join NSA. Go to Dale Carnegie training, or the Bill Gove Workshop. Going in, remember, just because you’re a DTM, PDG, WCPS, and AS with a closet full of ribbons, certificates and trophies, chances are nobody will care. Unless they, like you, are a Toastmaster.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-11-07] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

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.

This review features topics including:

• cross-culture communication;
• editing your presentation by asking “why?”;
• addressing the elephant in the room;
• pitfalls to presenting with someone else’s slides;
• the growth of Death By PowerPoint;
• how a video camera will help you improve as a speaker; and
• a must-read parody: How the Grinch Spoke at Christmas.

In Review: Six Minutes

• Stocking Stuffers for Speakers
  Gift ideas for speakers, listed by price.
  Last year’s gift ideas are organized by category.
• 5 Tips for Cross-Cultural Communication
  Practical advice to carefully consider communication barriers between you and your audience, from guest author Kathy Reiffenstein.

Speechwriting

• Jonathan Thomas suggests that asking “why” is a critical presentation editing habit.

Asking “why” is one of the keys to creating an effective presentation because it forces you to justify every piece of content you’re adding to your presentation. Remember, simplicity is a virtue. Our messages are effective and recalled more often when they’re clear, concise, and simple. No extra noise to get in the way. No clutter on your slides because “there’s some empty space we need to fill.”

• Rich Hopkins also urges you to edit your speech for precision.

Too many speakers fall in love with their words and phrases, or insist on covering every detail of their subject, or simply don’t understand how to get to the bottom line before sending their audiences retreating into the movie theatre of their own minds for escape.

• Kelly Decker advises how to address the elephant in the room.

Our advice? Address it. At the very least, nod in its direction. [...]

The best way to address the elephant is to know it. Sit back and take stock of your audience. [...]

But take caution! Don’t let the elephant become your topic. Address it, and move on.

Visual Aids

• Vivek Singh identifies 6 problems with presenting someone else’s slides.

1. Meaning: When you make slides, your mind is working. Your mind is talking as you type out the content. As a presenter, you need to understand (literally and figuratively) what the content on those slide really means. If you don’t make it how will you know it?
2. Relevance
3. Time
4. Analysis
5. Flow
6. Butterflies in the stomach

• Laura Bergells charts the (slowing) growth of Death by PowerPoint.

Today, if you Google “Death by PowerPoint”, you’ll see 980,000 results — only about 2.7 times as much as 2008. The year-to-year death rate appears to be dropping.

Speaker Habits

• Travis Dahle argues that a video camera will help you improve.

One of the toughest parts about communication is knowing what you do right and what you do wrong. Working with a speech coach is important and can help you improve – but if you really want to see what you are doing there is a simple step — use a video camera.

Using a video camera can tell you much more about what you are doing than just listening to a speech coach.

Public Speaking and the Holidays

• Angela DeFinis collected a series of 13 holiday-themed articles from other public speaking bloggers, including tips for delivering toasts from both Olivia Mitchell and Kathy Reiffenstein.

The Lighter Side

• John Zimmer offers a wonderful How the Grinch Spoke at Christmas.

[...]
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without PowerPoint, Keynote and more!
“It came without gifts from the Toastmasters store!”

And he puzzled and puzzed, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
Maybe speaking, he thought, just needs good preparation.
And delivery with heart and with full dedication.
[...]

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-20] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-15] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05]

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.

This review features topics including:

• new public speaking books;
• analysis of a contest-winning humorous speech;
• eye contact and facial expression tips;
• the case for white space;
• wardrobe tips; and
• comics that speakers are sure to enjoy.

Resources for Speakers – Public Speaking Books

Check out these recently released public speaking and communications books:

• Leadership Communication by Deborah Barrett
• Confessions of a Public Speaker by Scott Berkun
• Say It Like Obama and WIN!: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision by Shel Leanne
• Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead by Nancy Ancowitz
• The Communication Problem Solver: Simple Tools and Techniques for Busy Managers by Nannette Rundle Carroll

In Review: Six Minutes

• Speaking in Church: Lectern or No Lectern?
  Examines 8 factors to consider when you consider leaving the lectern.
• How to Connect With Your Audience by Moving Closer
  Scientific insights which show why moving into your audience can pay off, from guest author Nick Morgan.
• Stocking Stuffers for Speakers
  Gift ideas for speakers, listed by price.
  Last year’s gift ideas are organized by category.
  Lisa Braithwaite also offers a speaker’s wish list. And so does Denise Graveline.

Speechwriting

• John Zimmer analyzes his own contest-winning humorous speech.

Following my victories at the Toastmasters District Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests in Hamburg, many people have asked me how I go about preparing for a contest. In particular, they have asked how I crafted my humorous speech once I got the idea for the subject. I’ve given the matter some thought and decided that a good way to explain might be to analyze the speech here on my blog.

Delivery Techniques

• Olivia Mitchell lists 8 tips to make your eye contact more powerful.

A lot of people we work with confess that they don’t really see individual people in their audience. They’re just aware of a blur of faces. If you can relate to this, next time you present, experiment with seeing people. Look at their facial expressions, look for their reactions to what you’re saying. We call this ‘listening to your audience.’

• Stephanie Scotti reminds us that using notes is okay.

I’m often surprised that many speakers still fall prey to the fallacy that preparation means memorization — and that bringing notes to the podium might make you appear ill-prepared in the eyes of your audience. To the contrary, top presenters know it’s not what you bring to the podium but how you use it that sets apart good and great speakers.

• Scott Schwertly gives five facial expression tips for delivering a presentation.

1. Smiling eyes
2. Things are Looking Up
3. Guffaw
4. Nod On
5. Disgust

Visual Aids

• Jonathan Thomas makes the case for white space.

One of the problems plaguing presenters, especially in “corporate” presentations, is the perpetual need to fill this white space. “Let’s not leave any wasted space” they say. “Let’s put our logo in there. Maybe our website as well. Can we fit the phone number? Okay, let’s put that in there as well.” What results is a jumbled mess that confuses audiences, looks terrible, and creates annoying noise.

• Early in 2009, Six Minutes featured a PowerPoint Design Wish List for the new version of PowerPoint. One of the wishes in that article:

3. Partner with the Best

If you cannot rewrite your documentation, consider a marketing deal with Nancy Duarte to bundle a copy of Slide:ology with every license of PowerPoint. Seriously.

Eleven months later, imagine my delight when I saw this PowerPoint 2010 teaser video from Nancy Duarte. While they didn’t bundle Slide:ology, they did bundle a piece of Duarte!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Speaker Habits

• Kathy Reiffenstein advises what to wear when you present.

If asked, most of us would say we want to look our best when we are at the front of a room, presenting to a group of people. However, in the flurry of pulling content together, finishing slides and producing handouts, we don’t always give enough thought to the role our clothes play in our presentation.

[...] choosing appropriate clothing can help you feel more confident in front of an audience and can ensure that your physical appearance is not distracting from your message.

• Denise Graveline suggests several things to do after a speech.

1. Thank those who invited you.
2. Thank those who went above-and-beyond for you.
3. Talk to individual audience members.
4. Be sure people know how and where to find you later.
5. Share additional resources.
6. Let people know you’re available to speak to other groups.
7. Share information on the success of your speech, and share your materials.

• Nick Thomas advises us to never cancel a speaking engagement.

If you experience unexpected, serious delays in getting to an engagement (and it can happen to any speaker) you may well feel tempted to cancel and turn back but, in most cases, you should continue with your journey. People are expecting you and are unlikely to be able to organise a stand-in at such notice. The time slot for your presentation may be rearranged or you could still have time to deliver a shorter speech.

The Lighter Side

• Brent Dykes compiled a fantastic collection of Dilbert & PowerPoint comics.
  You’ll have to click through to see them all!

Over the years I’ve collected a bunch of Dilbert cartoons related to PowerPoint and business presentations. I thought I’d create the ultimate Dilbert tribute to PowerPoint presentations. Please send me any others that I’ve missed. I’ll start with my top ten, and provide the rest in no particular order. Enjoy!

• For all the motivational speeches which argue that the journey is more important than the destination, from F Minus:

• A perspective on speechwriting for the king from the Wizard of Id:

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-11-07] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

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.

This review features topics including:

• fear of public speaking;
• keeping your audience’s attention;
• storytelling tips;
• facilitating small-group discussions;
• PowerPoint in the classroom; and
• Steve Jobs is human too.

In Review: Six Minutes

• 8 Faulty Speaker Assumptions and How to Fix Them
  Pinpoint your guilty thoughts and eliminate them with the help of guest author Marjorie Brody.
• Are Your Speech Gestures Too Small, Too Big, or Just Right?
  Learn to match the size of your gestures to your audience and your venue. Includes example scenarios ranging from one-on-one conversation to keynote address.
• Ultimate Twitter List of Public Speaking Bloggers
  An update of one of our most visited resources. More ways to find bloggers with speaking expertise.

Fear of Public Speaking

• Dr. Tania Smith asserts that fear of public speaking is a worn-out cliche. This article is a must read, particularly if you are a public speaking instructor or coach.
  [Thanks to Richard Garber for the link.]

How many times have you heard or read the claim that the average person fears public speaking more than they fear death?

If you search online for “fear of public speaking,” [...] you will find — web sites that are providing advice or coaching on public speaking. [...]

The fear is often vaguely cited from hearsay, and often involves a misinterpretation of the usual survey methods and results.

When a speaker fails to back up specific claims about the “fear of public speaking,” it becomes a rhetorical cliche.

Speechwriting

• Olivia Mitchell lists 7 ways to keep audience attention.

1. Talk about something your audience is interested in.
2. Tell them why they should listen.
3. Don’t make it too easy or too hard.
4. Change grabs attention.
5. Tell stories.
6. Have frequent breaks.
7. Make it short.

• Craig Valentine shares his method to hook your audience into a story.

This is what I call the Tap, Tease, and Transport method. It is a three step process which includes:

1. Tapping into your audiences’ mind with a question
2. Teasing them to want to know more
3. Transporting them into your story

• Doug Stevenson ponders when to tell a story and what story to tell.

Use strategically chosen stories to manage the energy of your audience while continuing to inform and influence. Certain stories are great openers and others are great closers. Stories that are more serious and emotional belong in the middle third of a presentation.

• Rich Hopkins states that originality is overrated.

You want to talk about Change? Been done. Leadership? There are speakers all over this one. Self-empowerment? Choice? PowerPoint? Speaking? Social Media? Weight Loss? Healthcare? The horrors of children’s television? Done, done, done, done, done, done, done, and double done! [...]

Originality is overrated. Your unique perspective and passion, however, are not.

• Jim Anderson lists 4 questions every audience asks themself.

1. Am I going to take the time to listen to this speaker?
2. Am I going to benefit from what he / she talks about?
3. Will they say anything that is valuable that I can take and use?
4. Will anything that they say be worthwhile for me to take action on?

Delivery Techniques

• Lisa Braithwaite encourages you to use a microphone rather than straining.

Even if you can be heard in the last row without shouting, you will be straining your voice to some degree if you have to give an hour-long or longer presentation to a large group. In order to be heard, you will have to make the effort to project your voice the whole time. In addition, you will be close to your maximum range in terms of volume, without yelling, and you won’t have a lot of options with vocal variety.

• Rhett Laubach gives 9 tips for leading a small-group discussion.

1. Have a casual presence
2. Address each individual by name and be personable with them
3. Set time limits on discussions
4. Mix up cliques in the room
5. Paraphrase comments
6. Make certain the group gets to physically move around at least every 60 minutes or so
7. Encourage note taking
8. Call out anyone who is actively being disruptive
9. Do your absolute best to keep the discussion focused and on track.

Visual Aids

• Jeffrey Young discusses PowerPoint in the classroom.
  [Thanks to Chris Witt for the link.]

Students in the survey gave low marks not just to PowerPoint, but also to all kinds of computer-assisted classroom activities, even interactive exercises in computer labs. “The least boring teaching methods were found to be seminars, practical sessions, and group discussions,” said the report. In other words, tech-free classrooms were the most engaging.

• Dave Paradi reports results from a survey about what audiences find most annoying.
  [Results are consistent with an earlier survey posted on Six Minutes.]

• Poor presentation skills
• Presenters not being prepared
• Non-professional graphics and use of animation
• Packing too much on a slide
• Poor or non-existent template design

• John Zimmer advises how to organize slides with portraits and words.

Psychologists have found that most people have their vision “pulled” in the same direction as that in which the person in the picture is looking. Yet we also want to read the words; thus when they are on the other side, we are simultaneously pulled in the opposite direction. [...]

The next time you combine pictures of people and words on a slide, make them work as effectively as possible by having the people look at the words.

Speaker Habits

• Denise Graveline provides a checklist for examining your venue.

Professionally Speaking

• Ian Griffin discusses social networking for the professional speaker.

By now you’ve heard that social media is the latest trend in networking, [...]

Beyond the hype and the very real danger that social media—like all shiny, new things—can become a time-sink and little more, there is real business value in using sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more. For one thing, you can use all of these popular social media sites to get closer to your audience and understand what they need by performing valuable, up-to-date market research online.

• Jane Atkinson reveals the winner of her best speaking-expert website contest.

Here are some of the criteria: [...]

1. Promise: First and foremost, the website must demonstrate a clear promise for your customer.
2. Outcome: The website speaks to the outcome for the buyer – rather than focusing on you!
3. Expert First: Position as an expert first and a speaker second.

And Finally… Steve Jobs is Human After All

Steve Jobs is often cited as one of the best contemporary presenters.

Need proof? How about this book: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs ?

In the video below, we see that he’s human too. His presentations don’t always go smoothly. But, he always keeps his cool… and that’s the key lesson.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-20] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-15] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-19]

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.

Looking for public speaking experts on Twitter?

Two years ago, Six Minutes compiled an extensive list of public speaking bloggers.

Now, we’ve enhanced the list to include Twitter accounts for those bloggers.

As of this writing:

• Twitter List — 73 bloggers listed:
  @6minutes/public-speaking-bloggers
• On Six Minutes — 117 blogs listed:
  Public Speaking Blogs

You can follow Six Minutes on Twitter here: @6minutes

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-20] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-15] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-19]

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.

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?

1. Be clear and concise
2. Empathize
3. Explain but don’t make excuses
4. Maintain eye contact
5. 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.

1. Act as the audience’s advocate
2. Hold a pre-event briefing
3. Make short, interesting introductions
4. Set the stage up front
5. Manage the timing and balance
6. Be prepared and be flexible
7. Don’t answer questions directed at panelists
8. Be aware of your body language
9. Develop a strategy for questions
10. 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.

Similar Articles You May Like... Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-03-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-02-06] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2010-01-02] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-12-05] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-10-10] Public Speaking Tips: Weekend Review [2009-09-05]

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.