Hello! Er… hello again! I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy.

I am writing today to share some bad news and some good news.

Bad news first: Six Minutes email subscriptions will be removed soon — at least for now. (Why? Google’s Feedburner, which has been sending emails for the last 14 years, will soon no longer offer this service.) If I can find an affordable way to offer this service again in the future, I will do so.

Good news #1: All Six Minutes articles are still available for free… explore hundreds of public speaking articles.

Good news #2: Although it’s been a while since I’ve published new articles on Six Minutes, I’m continuing to learn new lessons for speechwriting, delivery techniques, PowerPoint, and speaking habits, and I look forward to sharing them with all of you. To be alerted when new articles are published, please connect via social media:

• Twitter: @6minutes
• Facebook: 6minutes.speaking
• Pinterest: @6minutes

Stay safe. Be healthy. Keep speaking.

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to June 2010 for a speech critique of a TED talk by Jacqueline Novogratz, who offers so many lessons for every speaker.

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For many employees, the opportunity to present to senior executives is simultaneously a career dream and nightmare. Standing in front of them means that you are doing something right in your position, and you also don’t want to waste the opportunity to make a significant difference. You need to strike a balance between keeping your cool and being humble enough to listen to their input and expertise.

If this were the only challenge, then more people would be successful in their presentations to key decision makers. But, the fact of the matter is that senior executives are one of the toughest audiences, no matter how much speaking experience you have.

This article will outline three significant challenges that accompany presenting to senior executives and will provide actionable steps on how you — as a top professional or executive — can further hone your skills and ensure that you are adequately prepared for the challenges that are to come.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to October 2015 to learn a series of design guidelines for slide fonts.

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101 Ways to Make Training Active is a compendium of activities and strategies that trainers, presenters, and discussion leaders can use to improve audience engagement.

The author, Mel Silberman, is a professor emeritus of adult and organizational development at Temple University where he specializes in instructional design and team building.

This article is one of a series of public speaking book reviews from Six Minutes.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to July 2012 to learn 10 bad speaking habits that you must extinguish.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to November 2012 to learn the factors that influence your speaking rate.

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How many truly memorable speeches have you delivered?

The art of creating a memorable speech is something that is often sought after, but rarely achieved. Frustratingly, many people assume that truly memorable speeches are reserved for those with an elusive “born with it” skill set.

In reality, nobody is born with the skills for public speaking, but you can develop them with hard work. A memorable speech is within your grasp. With that in mind, let’s review nine tips that will make your speech memorable for your audience.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

This week, we also spotlight recent releases that may help you enrich your public speaking library.

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Do you ever feel nervous when speaking?

Does it seem like the audience knows you are nervous?

If so, read on! This article may instantly make you a more confident and more effective speaker.

The previous article in the Cognitive Bias series studied the Spotlight Effect. This article examines a closely related bias known as the Illusion of Transparency. We will define this cognitive bias and offer several everyday examples. Then, we’ll study how the Illusion of Transparency affects both the speaker and the audience. We’ll conclude with strategies to mitigate these impacts.

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On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to May 2010 to learn 8 key points to perfect your speech practice habits.

Continue Reading »