Translating client feedback: What they say vs. what they want
One of your most important skills as a speechwriter is listening to your client when they give you feedback. That often means hearing past their words, to what they’re actually saying… and it almost always means probing more deeply for the real issue behind a comment...
Backward speechwriting: why writing the end of your speech may be the perfect start
So many speeches don’t (…dammit…) Whenever I find myself repeatedly writing, deleting and re-writing the first lines of s (…augh…) The Oxford English Dictionary defin (hell, no.) Ever find yourself staring at a blank screen, stymied at how to start a...
In praise of laziness… and Duplicator, a free plugin for moving WordPress sites around
Everyone cheers a robust work ethic. But laziness deserves a little time in the sun, too. The desire to duck drudgery drives countless innovations. If necessity is the mother of invention, then laziness is the sperm donor. Life lesson: if you find yourself doing a...I believe crash reports should be worth reading (10)
I think the aging starcraft knew as I did that the next time would be our last: that they’d have us—and with us, the Arcturan Protocol. That was the one eventuality I couldn’t accept. I flipped the control yolk over, centered the implacable rock of the...Appstroturfing (n): when a company uses its employees to pump up their app’s ratings
Scott Stratten’s eagle eye caught something odd about Bell Mobility’s Canada’s new app: Not only do they all seem like Bell Canada employee reviews, they have all been voted “Helpful” so they come to the top of the default review listing. All 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.
