Public Speaking Blogosphere: Week in Review [2008-03-08]

Every Saturday, we survey the best public speaking articles from throughout the public speaking blogosphere.

Topics featured this week include:

• Speech writing;
• Political speaking;
• Flip chart tips;
• Toastmasters contests; and
• 8 New public speaking blogs.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

This week opened with a public speaking book review:

• The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking
  Author Dale Carnegie’s classic bestseller which offers practical advice for speakers.

The Speech Preparation Series continued this week with the three more articles:

• #4: Wrestling Writer’s Block to Write the First Draft
  Shows you how to overcome the two most common causes of writer’s block and accelerate your writing.
• #5: Six Power Principles for Speech Editing
  Guides you through the iterative process of editing your speech for focus, clarity, concision, continuity, variety, and impact.
• #6: Add Impact with Rhetorical Devices
  Encourages you to make your speeches more memorable by employing rich rhetorical devices.

Four more articles are coming next week that will cover staging, body language, vocal variety, practice, self-critiques, and Toastmasters speech contests.

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

These are the best public speaking articles I read in the past week.

• Jason Peck argues that public speaking is all about “you”.

By using the word you in place of “I”, you’re automatically getting your audience to think about your content more and how it relates to them.

• Doug Stevenson provides a podcast with his thoughts on motivational speaking. There’s a written version too.

If you are brave enough to be vulnerable, to tell the unvarnished truth with emotional honesty, you may have what it takes to change someone’s life.

• Pete Ryckman offers a humorous analogy explaining why “data dump” presentations are bad:

It’s as if the data dumper says, “I have the gift for you. It’s the world’s greatest laptop — lightweight, brilliant screen, longest-battery life, coolest looking. There’s only one catch. What you actually get is a box of 200 parts — and no instructions. Good luck.”

• John Kinde asks the question — What makes you funny? — and then answers it.
• Garr Reynolds presents a speech critique on the last “Free Culture” presentation by Lawrence Lessig.

Politically Speaking

• Carmine Gallo shows us how to learn from Barack Obama.

For a look at what makes Obama’s public speaking skills so effective, I outline four techniques he’s mastered and explain ways to use them in your own repertoire.

• Patti Wood analyzes speaking styles of U.S. Presidential candidates.

Visual Aids and Slideware

• Bronwyn Ritchie shares 11 tips for using flip charts.

Toastmasters (Contest) Blog Articles

• Jim Key announced an open conference call in which he will handle speech contest questions on Monday, March 10. [Jim is the 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking].
• The Speaking Life blog offers tips on giving an ice breaker speech.

Eight New Public Speaking Blogs

Eight more blogs have been added to the public speaking blogosphere list, bringing the total to 86 blogs.

Here are the new entries, by category, along with a link to a sample article to give you a flavor of their style:

General Public Speaking Blogs: 2-5 posts/week

• Thomas Sechehaye: The Next Meeting
  • Something About The Way You Move
• TJ Walker
  • How can I best establish my credibility with my audience?
• Jo Jameson: Be a Great Presenter
  • How To Make Your Audience Like You – Know How To Tease Yourself

General Public Speaking Blogs: 1-2 posts/week

• Barry Flanagan: Public Speaking for Geeks
  • The Six Rs to Beat the Curse
• Chendil Kumar: Communicate to Connect
  • The O.W.L technique of using humor in speeches

Visual Presentation Blogs

• Andrew Abela: Extreme Presentation Blog
  • Ballroom vs. Conference Room Style Presentations

Professional Speaker Blogs

• Terry Gault: Speak Fearlessly
  • Strong communication from Shell’s CEO Hofmeister

Part-time Public Speaking Blogs

• Pedro Caramez
  • Take your Powerpoint presentation to a next level

Thank you for helping to spread the word, thus helping to achieve the primary aim of the list: “to aid readers in the discovery of excellent public speaking blogs.”