Nine deadly (boring) sins: Will your speech put your audience to sleep?
There are conference keynotes, presentations and panels that leave you breathless and excited, inspired to go forth and do something momentous. And then… there are the other ones. The sad fact is a lot of conference content just isn’t all that good. I can...
Don’t be fooled by Resting Audience Face
You’re trucking along in your speech, performing with verve and passion, and look out to the crowd… …only to see face after face that looks completely unresponsive. Hell, you think. They hate this. I’m losing them. And, you know what? Maybe you are. But...
Don’t just read your speech. Perform it.
There’s a big conceptual leap that absolutely transforms a speaker’s connection with an audience, and magnifies their impact tremendously. It’s the leap from reading a speech… to actually, authentically performing it. Instead of a recitation,...
Speaking at a rally? Here’s how to make it count.
If you work with a mission-driven organization, you may find yourself speaking at a political rally soon. (Maybe sooner than you think, the way things are going.) You may be there to offer a short greeting and encouragement, or to deliver a rousing featured address,...
Communicators, it’s time to end audience abuse.
Audience abuse comes in many forms. It happens in speeches. An unprepared speaker who just can’t communicate. A bait-and-switch session that doesn’t deliver what it promised. A speaker who spends their time pitching themselves. A speaker who leaves you...
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.
