I was thrilled that a fellow Toastmaster took my suggestions on how to deliver a roast of a person and delivered a delightfully funny roast. What is a Roast? In Toastmasters, we have a custom of praising and poking fun at … Continue reading
Last night I attended an evaluation contest and appreciated the emphasis placed on storytelling for persuasive speaking Toastmasters Evaluations One of the hallmarks of the Toastmasters program is evaluations. Each speaker in a club receives feedback, both written and oral, after delivering a … Continue reading
As a Trainer Coordinator, I helped several shy individuals become confident trainers in a way that was non-threatening. During my 33-year career at UCLA, I served as a Training Coordinator for nearly 13 years. The training was designed to help Research … Continue reading
One of the ways to tarnish a professional appearance is to have bra straps showing or, worse, pulling them up while presenting! In 2015, my church decided to go live stream. Our services include an opening prayer and five-minute talk … Continue reading
Speaking Anxiety, or Glossophobia, is scientifically referred to as the number one fear in the USA. Symptoms Public speaking anxiety is usually manifested in your hands and your knees. Wet hands and shaking knees are the most common outward signs … Continue reading
Hands are an important part of body language when speaking. In his book titled, Nonverbal Communication, the leading Californian researcher Albert Mehrabian claims facial expressions are almost eight times as powerful as the words used. That words only count for … Continue reading
Reading an article about a keynote address I had delivered was my first strong awareness of how important it is to get the quote right. The year was 1998, and I delivered a closing keynote address to wrap up the … Continue reading
Last week I was sorely reminded that despite the fact I’ve been speaking for 30 years – I will never be done with the need to practice. You are Never Done With Continuous Practice I served as the master of ceremony (Toastmaster) … Continue reading
Master Communicator President Ronald Reagan kept note cards of quotes and words of wit and wisdom he later incorporated into his speeches. We recently took a trip to the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Southern California. The library is … Continue reading
They say home made gifts are the best gifts to receive. I agree! Especially the ultimate Mother’s Day gift video testimonial of your love. When I was going through my mom’s things after she passed away, I was moved to tears … Continue reading
When it comes to good public speaking topics, I think quotes about public speaking by the CEO of Stew Leonards hits the nail on the head: Never give a speech on something unless it is something you like yourself. In … Continue reading
Quotations are powerful tools for speaking – and living! I believe in the power of quotes. Quotes are an extremely effective tool to enhance one’s talk. So much so that I have a web site devoted to quotes. For fun I looked … Continue reading
I recently witnessed two presentations that reminded me of the importance of clarity when speaking. One of the definitions of clarity on Dictionary.com is: “Clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.” This is what you want to achieve when practicing and delivering your speech. You want … Continue reading
Strong speech organization is a way to put your ideas together in an orderly manner, which helps the audience to understand and follow your thoughts. A few days ago I was purging stuff from closets in my garage and I … Continue reading
I think a eulogy has to be the most difficult speech to write because there is not much time to write one and is often written while in shock or grieving. I recently attended a memorial service for a Toastmaster friend. He was … Continue reading
