Rob’s blog
How Obama’s messy closet saved the State of the Union speech
State of the Union speeches are often messy, sprawling things. Countless constituencies and interests — within and outside government — vie to hear their priorities reflected in the President's words. And even without their lobbying, the scope of governing is vast,...
Punch up your presentation deck (before you jazz up your template)
In the last post, I tackled a Business Insider article that claimed the reason most PowerPoint presentations aren’t effective is that they use boring templates. My response: what makes presentations awful isn’t boring templates. It’s boring content (slide or spoken),...
A great podcast for speechwriters (and other storytellers)
"Tell a story" is advice you'll often hear about speechwriting. Telling a story—and telling it well—can be a key to connecting with your audience, and making your message memorable. What you won't hear as often is how to tell that story, and how to tell it really,...
Boring slides aren’t what’s wrong with PowerPoint.
Kindly allow me a short rant. Because this article from Business Insider is driving me a little nuts: PowerPoint presentations are the standard for presentations in the workplace. Except that they kind of suck .... It's not really Microsoft's fault. PowerPoint gives...
How to use humor in a speech (without getting burned)
One of the best perks of speechwriting is the way it lets you indulge your sense of humor. Nearly every time you sit down to write a speech, there’s a chance to tell at least one joke. That’s not something most other communicators get to do nearly as often. (Try...
Draw me a speech: Six speechwriting lessons from eight years of cartooning
Eight years of drawing Noise to Signal has taught me a lot about cartooning… and almost as much about speechwriting.
Why leaders should embrace gotcha questions
The long-standing Republican hostility toward the news media was on full display last week after the CNBC GOP presidential debate. And it led them to fall into a trap that tempts many speakers: settling for easy wins instead of preparing for difficult questions. Even...
Being there: Why a seat in the audience can make you a better speechwriter
Sometimes, there’s just no fighting geography. And the truth is, there’s no faster or better feedback on how a speech you wrote goes over than to be in the audience when it does.That’s often hard, especially if the speech is in another city, or if your speechwriting...
"Great speech! Did you write it?" How to answer the QUESTION OF DOOM
Being in the audience when a speaker delivers a speech you’ve written is great, for all kinds of reasons. But it does hold one big danger: being asked, "Did you write it?"See if you can spot where this conversation at a banquet table after a luncheon keynote went...
Putting the ‘numb’ in ‘numbers’: Don’t let statistics sap your speech’s emotional punch
I recently saw a speech by someone clearly accustomed to the public spotlight and comfortable on the stage. She had an important message to deliver about a profound social injustice. She spoke with authority and confidence.And she spent nearly all twenty minutes of...
Inbound: Sketchnotes from Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg’s keynote
(Don't blame them for the "CRM" cartoon — that one's mine.)
A guide to formatting speaking notes
You’ve written the speech, and it has everything: moving anecdotes, a few telling facts, a gripping narrative, a rousing call to action and a conclusion that will have your speaker's audience on their feet. (Clapping, not leaving. Important distinction there.) Best of...
Why, yes — I’d LOVE to speak at your event
Public speaking and speechwriting: the essential guides
Looking for advice on public speaking, speechwriting and leadership communications? Here are some of my most comprehensive posts, on topics that people ask me about most often.
