Public Speaking Articles: Week in Review [2008-04-19]

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

Topics featured this week include:

• how to use a microphone;
• several audio articles;
• expert emcee advice;
• questions to/from the audience; and
• using metaphors in your speech.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

Gasp! No articles from Six Minutes this week!

Why not? Well, I’m rebuilding my bathroom. In between hammer blows, however, I have been planning out some exciting articles and series for upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I have personal good news to share. Last week, I placed first in my division-level speech and evaluation contests for the second year in a row. In May, I’ll compete at the District 21 Toastmasters Spring Conference. (I previously shared the speech preparation process for last year’s speech in detail.)

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

These are the best public speaking articles from the past week:

• John Kinde distills the wisdom from a recent National Speakers Association event into a flurry of speaking tips.
• Craig Strachan passes on his wisdom about being an emcee.
• Darren Fleming advises you to turn the room temperature down when presenting.
• Lisa Braithwaite gives a 12-step primer on how to use a microphone.

Audio (Podcast) Articles

• Steve Siebold shares a perspective from his mentors that public speaking is about instilling hope. (~ 6 minutes)
• Steve Siebold confirms (no surprise!) that professional speakers must practice too. (~ 4 minutes)
• Tom Peters is interviewed by 800-CEO-READ and talks about habits, actions, and decisions that helped him become a successful speaker and author. (~ 30 minutes). Quick synopsis:
  • Speak often. (Join Toastmasters.)
  • Practice makes perfect better.
  • Success is the result of many small actions combining.
  • Only open your mouth when you are passionate.
  • Morning television doesn’t call unless you’ve written a book.
  • You usually can’t tell jokes in an international audience. (Not because they offend, but they just don’t work.)
  • Do your homework before joining a speaker’s bureau.
  • The secret: stories, stories, and more stories.

Questions To and From the Audience

• TJ Walker suggests you direct questions to your audience.
• Gary Guwe offers three techniques for asking questions from the audience.

And to close…

For speech inspiration, here’s an index card gem from Jessica Hagy.

Use metaphors in your speeches. Golden handcuffs are incentives given to employees in hopes that they will stay with their current employer. If you used this metaphor in a speech, your audience will invoke an image of stainless steel handcuffs around the wrists of the employee (who is perhaps the protagonist in your story?) Images make your words memorable, and metaphors are one way to create them.

Jessica’s book Indexed is an inexpensive, but rich source of speech inspiration.