Public Speaking Articles: Week in Review [2008-04-05]

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

Topics featured this week include:

• A timeless lecture from Randy Pausch;
• anticipating problems;
• diffusing speaking fear;
• Toastmasters contests; and
• 7 new public speaking blogs.

Week in Review: Six Minutes

This week featured two articles on Six Minutes:

• 5 Presentation Lessons from Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture
  Five tips for connecting with an audience and helping them connect with your message from a truly remarkable lecture.
• The Best of Six Minutes – Six Month Edition
  A celebration of a half year of blogging with links to the best articles and a look to the future.

Week in Review: Public Speaking Blogosphere

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

• Diane DiResta cautions speakers to anticipate potential problems and respond professionally when they happen.
• Rowan Manahan kicks off a series of articles by establishing a starting point: most presentations suck.
• Gavin Meikle emphasizes openings and closings by drawing a parallel with the entertainment world.
• John Windsor suggests an alternative approach to “tell them what you’re going to say, tell them, tell them what you said.”
• Lisa Braithwaite provides several suggestions for diffusing speaking fear.

Politically Speaking

• Dick Cavett (yes, that Dick Cavett) gives speaking advice to the U.S. Presidential candidates (hint: the advice is good for you too).

Toastmasters (Contest) Blog Articles

• Wayne Botha lists three lessons learned from an Area contest.
• Jason Peck itemizes his tangible and symbolic victories during contest season.

7 New Public Speaking Blogs

Seven more blogs have been added to the public speaking blogosphere list, bringing the total to 93 blogs.

I keep hoping that the blogosphere list will be picked up by social media (e.g. Stumbleupon) and go viral. Imagine the exposure for all 93 bloggers!

It hasn’t happened yet, but many Six Minutes readers have blogged about the list or emailed others about the list. Thank you! This helps achieve the primary aim of the list: “to aid readers in the discovery of excellent public speaking 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: 1-2 posts/week

• Mark Tamer: The Presenter’s Coach
  • X-Rated

Speechwriting Blogs

• Colin Moorhouse: We Need a Speech
  • On Becoming A Speech Writer: Where To Start?
• Jessica Hatchigan: Speechwriting Blog
  • How to Write a Perfect Speech

Visual Presentation Blogs

• Cliff Atkinson: Beyond Bullet Points
  • Make Your Ideas Concrete by Using a Prop in Your PowerPoint

Professional Speaker Blogs

• Steve Siebold: Public Speakers Blog
  • Dont believe people who say the professional speaking business is easy
• Sue Hershkowitz-Coore: SpeakerSue Says
  • 4 Ways to Destroy Your Next Presentation

Part-time Public Speaking Blogs

• James Feudo: Overnight Sensation
  • Five Tips for ESL (English as a Second Language) Speakers