Speech Critiques

Why study other speakers?

Studying and evaluating the techniques of other speakers is an excellent way to become a better public speaker.

  • When a speaker impresses, ask “Why was that impressive?
  • When a speaker bombs, ask “Why didn’t that hit the mark?

Analyzing other speakers provides an abundant supply of ideas that can be incorporated into our own presentations.

Why use video critiques?

With a growing supply of speech videos readily accessible, video critiques can be especially useful teaching and learning aids.

  • Without video, you can say: “Remember that keynote speaker last week? Weren’t her gestures powerful?
  • With video, you can refer directly to precise moments: “The keynote speaker last week was fantastic. Her gestures at 1:27 and 2:38 of her speech were powerful.

Speech Critique Examples on Six Minutes

Speaker
Randy Pausch
Title
The Last Lecture ("Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams")
Venue
CMU (Carnegie Mellon University)
Notable Elements
Tremendously inspirational, funny, clever use of props and visual aids, a truly memorable speech.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Patrick Henry Winston
Title
How to Speak
Venue
MIT Annual Lecture (1997)
Notable Elements
Dozens of practical public speaking tips; targets speaking to teach or to inform; lecture-style.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Majora Carter
Title
Greening the Ghetto
Venue
TED 2006
Notable Elements
Personal emotion, energy, passion, rapid speaking rate, call-to-action, reading from script.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Hans Rosling
Title
Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen
Venue
TED 2006
Notable Elements
Six simple techniques for presenting data, graphical display, energetic delivery.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
J.A. Gamache
Title
Being a Mr. G.
Venue
2007 Toastmasters (Region VI) Speech Contest
Notable Elements
Strong writing, powerful body language, speech opening and closing which feature the same prop, callback technique for repetitive humor, emotionally charged writing, and a series of wonderfully choreographed gestures.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Steve Jobs
Title
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Venue
Stanford University Commencement Address 2005
Notable Elements
Strong opening; simple classical structure; the Rule of Three; rich figures of speech; and a recurring theme of birth/death/rebirth.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Al Gore
Title
15 ways to avert a climate crisis
Venue
TED 2006
Notable Elements
Humor; call-to-action; audience awareness; and slide techniques.
Read the Speech Critique

Speaker
Dick Hardt
Title
Identity 2.0
Venue
OSCON 2005
Notable Elements
Lessig method, speech opening, humor, repetition, contrast, analogies.
Read the Speech Critique