I’ll never forget the day I transcribed a recording of the Dream speech I was on vacation in a little cabin nestled among the pines in Northern California. The year was 1991. As I listened to a CD recording and … Continue reading
Thanks to Toastmasters International, you can receive excellent training to prepare and deliver a talk without joining a Toastmasters club. It is called “FAST TRACK.” It is a short course, available as an internet resource for a one-time cost of … Continue reading
iamgoingtosharewithyouthepitfallsoffasttalking. WHAT? Say again? Like reading the opening sentence without punctuation, it takes work to decipher the message of a fast-talker. Whether you are giving a presentation, talking on the phone, in meetings, or one-on-one conversations, audiences don’t like to … Continue reading
“Have a plan, don’t wing it.” is sound advice to follow when you write and deliver a talk. A good Toastmaster friend, the beloved Dick Churchill, was known for providing abundant guidance to speakers. It wasn’t unusual to receive copious … Continue reading
A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s the power of Images for Presentations. In a recent post, I shared how I felt a keynote could have been enhanced with images. I decided to start posting images that I believe … Continue reading
As speakers, nothing gives feedback as well as video! Here I present a speech evaluation of a talk I delivered in 2013. It was an Open House Toastmaster meeting. Several members and guests were present. I delivered a talk titled … Continue reading
The Rule of Three is one of the oldest of all the presentation techniques – known since the time of Aristotle. Here are ten compelling reasons why you should consider using it in your speeches and presentations The Rule of … Continue reading
While we always want to deliver our best presentation, if it will be videotaped and put on the web, that heightens its importance. Continue reading
Visuals can help us all better understand ideas, concepts, and emotions. Continue reading
As speakers, we want our audience to listen to us and EXPERIENCE what we are saying. Stir up emotions through questions! Use Questions to stir emotions. How about these, for starters? Romantic Warm, Cozy, Fuzzy Sad or distressed Embarrassment Happy … Continue reading
Audiences who are involved in your talk can retain up to 90% of your message. I witnessed the most remarkable use of questions while participating in Harv Ekar’sMillionaire Mind weekend years ago. He kept an audience of approximately 2,000 people … Continue reading
An eye can threaten like a loaded and leveled gun; or can insult like hissing and kicking; or in its altered mood by beams of kindness, make the heart dance with joy. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Mr. Emerson’s eloquent statement expresses … Continue reading
If we want our message to be meaningful and memorable, use metaphors when speaking Here is how metaphors help us as speakers: Metaphors create vivid images in your audience’s mind, making it easier to understand and remember your message. Metaphors … Continue reading
Advancing through PowerPoint slides without any awkwardness is a worthy goal for any presenter. Here is a surprisingly easy, inexpensive, and extremely effective way to achieve that. My business partner and friend, Circe Denyer, is a TEDx coach. … Continue reading
As speakers, we don’t want anything to distract our audience from our talk. How about your belly button? Is your belly button showing when you speak? A retired Hollywood costume designer surprised us with feedback about visible belly buttons! Tight-fitting … Continue reading
