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:

• Toastmasters Speech Series

Honorable Mention:

• Speech Preparation Series
• The 25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have

Speechwriting

Readers’ Favorite:

• Selecting a Speech Topic

Honorable Mention:

• 5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama’s Inaugural Speech
• How to Use the Rule of Three in Your Speeches
• Don’t Skip the Speech Outline

Delivery Techniques

Readers’ Favorite:

• Leading the Perfect Q&A

Honorable Mention:

• Never Read Your Speech… Never?
• How to Deliver the Talk of Your Life

Visual Aids

Readers’ Favorite:

• How to Improve Your Slides with the Rule of Thirds

Honorable Mention:

• Six Simple Techniques for Presenting Data: Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)
• Use PowerPoint Visuals, Not Bullets – What the World Eats
• PowerPoint Design Wish List: 8 Modest Proposals

Speaker Habits

Readers’ Favorite:

• The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

Honorable Mention:

• How to Study and Critique a Speech
• How to Practice Your Presentation
• 6 Key Steps to Dip Your Toe into the Professional Speaking Pool

Resources for Speakers

Readers’ Favorite:

• Gifts Public Speakers Really Want: Dozens of Christmas Ideas

Honorable Mention:

• Toastmasters: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
• Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List
• Speaking Survey says: Speaker DO’s and DON’Ts

The Lighter Side

Readers’ Favorite:

• 12 Days of Public Speaking Christmas

Honorable Mention:

• 32 Reasons a PowerPoint Slide Deck is Nothing Like a Bra
• Haiku for Public Speakers

Speech Critiques

Readers’ Favorite:

• Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have a Dream

Honorable Mention:

• Majora Carter – Greening the Ghetto
• Al Gore – 15 ways to avert a climate crisis
• Steve Jobs – Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Similar Articles You May Like... Stocking Stuffers for Speakers The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking Popular Public Speaking Books and Gear 21 Questions: Is This The Year You Communicate Effectively? Why Pausch, not Obama, is Best Communicator of 2008 Gifts Public Speakers Really Want: Dozens of Christmas Ideas

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

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

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

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

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

Favorites of Six Minutes Readers

These are the ten most frequently read articles:

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

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

Popular Recurring Features

Speech Critiques

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

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

You can peruse all speech critiques at a glance.

Book Reviews

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

You can discover all book reviews at a glance.

The Best Public Speaking Articles – Every Week

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

Article Series

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

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

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

Plans for the Next Six Months

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

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

Thank You

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for your continued readership.

Andrew

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

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

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

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

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

This is my motivation for starting this blog.

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

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

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