Rob’s blog

Sooner or later you’ll find yourself talking to a subject matter expert: somebody who’s going to give some of their time and knowledge to make your speech or article better. Here’s how to get the most out of their time and yours.

Here’s why you should leave the sales pitch behind when you head to the mic — and how you can do a much better sales job if you aren’t selling.

Having trouble connecting emotionally with a speech you’re writing or rehearsing? Maybe it’s because you’re trying to speak to the whole audience instead of just one person.

This episode, here’s why you may want to take a leaf from TV cop shows — and zoom way in.

I’m always telling you to tell stories… so for the 50th episode of the podcast, I’m going to share one of my own. It’s about what a dead pigeon taught me about being a good speechwriter.

Coming up empty as you try to write your speech? Wondering why your presentations aren’t landing quite as well as you know they should? You probably know you should connect emotionally with your audience — but maybe you need to think through just what kind of emotional connection you’re both looking for.

we love to hear how superheroes got their powers — their origin stories. And audiences will want to hear yours, too. Here’s how to tell the story of how you got here in a way that connects with your audience and even moves them to action… faster (cough) than a speaking bullet.

As leaders, it can be tempting to forget that not everyone likes being the centre of attention. And when you have an audience, you can all too easily throw a harsh, unforgiving spotlight onto someone who isn’t ready for it. This episode, we look at how to wield your audience’s attention responsibly, whether it’s from the stage or online.

This summer’s film Long Shot is an entire movie about how speechwriter and speaker relate to each other. And it has something to teach us about making that relationship work — and how the key ingredient is time.

What does a speech look like stripped of the craft of speechwriting? HBO’s hit show Succession gave us a glimpse with a hilarious eulogy delivered by character Connor Roy… and in the process, helps speechwriters and speakers avoid delivering dull, lifeless speeches.

You can write a speech for a someone. Read it through. Rehearse with the speaker. But you won’t really know how effective it is unless you’re there when they deliver it. This episode: why speechwriters should fight for a spot in the audience, and how to use it to write better speeches.

A lot of speakers who’d happily get up in front of a thousand-person audience start getting the shakes at the thought of speaking to children or (gulp) teens. Fortunately, we have child-and-teen author Robin Stevenson here to share her experience speaking in front of countless school auditoriums and classrooms. She’ll tell us how you can keep your next young audience rapt from beginning to end.