Monthly Archive for May, 2008

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

Topics featured this week include:

  • learning from Steve Jobs;
  • conferences, charisma, and confidence (3 separate articles);
  • speechwriting tips;
  • PowerPoint and slide design; and
  • Toastmasters tips.

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Have you ever been to a painfully bad seminar with audience members murmuring to each other…?

  • What was that about?
  • He was all over the place today.
  • What was her point?

These are symptoms of a speech that had no clear objective and was not focused on achieving that objective.

The third Toastmasters speech project stresses the importance of clearly identifying your target objective, and then maintaining precise focus to achieve it. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

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When Steve Jobs speaks, people listen.

Why?

  • Does he use cutting-edge software to generate his slides?
  • Does he hire the most expensive speech writers?
  • Does he perform complex techniques that are beyond the reach of any other speaker?

No. You can easily learn these techniques and present like Steve Jobs.

In this video from bnet.com, communications coach Carmine Gallo provides an insightful synopsis of the methods that Steve Jobs uses to captivate his audience.

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

Topics featured this week include:

  • the standard for conference presentations;
  • teleprompter (mis)use;
  • audience considerations;
  • humor tips; and
  • PowerPoint advice.

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When you mask your emotions, you sever all connection with the audience. They might as well be reading your speech from a boring magazine.

Conversely, your connection to the audience is strongest when you effectively transfer your emotion to them.

Are you sharing your emotions? Or are you speaking as if a paper bag hung between you and your audience?

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

Topics featured this week include:

  • a trio of in-depth article series;
  • three articles on introductions;
  • marketing yourself as a speaker;
  • keys to Toastmasters success; and
  • much more!

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Speech contests are your fastest route to your greatest improvement.
David Brooks, 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking

This past weekend, I won the Toastmasters District 21 Speech Evaluation Contest and placed third in the District 21 International Speech Contest.

The accolades are very nice, but they are fleeting in nature. On the other hand, the breadth and depth of lessons learned during these speech contests are long-lasting.

This article highlights just a few of these valuable lessons which apply to all speakers, whether novice or professional.

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

This week’s review is a bit different. Since I’m speaking at the District 21 Toastmasters conference this weekend, I’m not around to do the weekly article review. The best articles from the past seven days will be included in next week’s review.

Instead, I’m happy to draw your attention to 13 more public speaking blogs that have been added to the blogosphere list. The set of additions includes blogs with podcasts, video feeds, and all sorts of goodness. I encourage you to check them out.

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

Topics featured this week include:

  • nonverbal messages;
  • visual communication;
  • marketing yourself as a speaker;
  • professional speaking; and
  • much more!

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