Public Speaking
I work with a client who is one of the smartest people I know but not the funniest. We were working on the opening of a professional presentation, and he thought he should start with a joke. This incident was the inspiration for…. Day 2: Make them laugh Unless you are a comedian or Donald O’Connor (watch…
Read MoreAn audience’s attention is precious. They remember best what they hear first and last in a presentation. It’s important for the speaker to not blow it in the first 30 seconds of a speech by having a mind-numbing opening. For the next five days, we are going to discuss 5 different openings that bore an audience in…
Read MoreDid you inadvertently nod-off when you got to the phrase “technical presentations” in the title? Most audiences do too! Most people think this type of presentation is reserved for scientists, researchers and engineers. Actually, you most likely give this kind of presentation and don’t even know it. Anytime you explain what your business does and how it…
Read MoreMy brain was ahead of mouth. My mouth wanted to catch up so my brain ordered it to cut out a few syallables. What should have been “Quite a bit of research” was shortened to bit + the ch part of research. As the word hung in the air, mortified I glanced out at the…
Read MoreWhen I first started out as a speaker, I had the most spastic gestures. A typical New Yorker, I had a gesture for every syllable that I uttered. When I wasn’t gesturing, I held my hand in prairie dog position. Cute for a rodent but not so effective for a speaker. During one coaching session,…
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