Many speakers tell stories that have some ups and downs and maybe even good emotional twists and turns, but they don’t often reach a crescendo. Crescendos are so important because they are the defining moments that bring the audience’s energy to its highest point. Without them, your audience can easily be deflated. What’s a Crescendo? […]
Continue readingPatricia Fripp once said, “People won’t remember what you say as much as they’ll remember what they see when you say it.” Many speakers spend so much time preparing for what they’re going to say but so little time on how they’re going to get their audience to SEE the speech. If you don’t use […]
Continue readingSo often I watch speakers tell stories that sound like this: “I did this and I did that and then I did this and then I did that and then this happened to me and then I did that…” And then, at the end of the story, they turn to the audience and say, “And […]
Continue readingImportant Note: This lesson is about the introduction you provide for the person who introduces you. Here is a Traditional Introduction for a Speaker Do yourself a favor and read the following paragraph out loud as if you are using it to introduce the next speaker for an event. Really get into it. “Our Next […]
Continue readingClosing your speech with impact can open doors of opportunities because what you say last determines how your audience members feel once they leave your speech. You can give a wonderful speech but, if the ending is weak, your audience will walk away feeling like the speech wasn’t very strong. So here are 4 […]
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One of the ways you can get brought back (re-hired) time and time again is through customization. Your audience wants to know that you know who you’re speaking to and that it’s not canned but fresh. Click the video below to see a lesson on one easy way to customize your program through what I […]
Continue readingI have put out a few newsletter lessons on Energy Shifts but I figured now was time to SHOW it rather than just teach it. Take a look at the following video lesson and please forgive the very temporary mismatched audio and video. Energy shifts breathe new life into vital parts of your speech. YOUR TURN […]
Continue readingOne of the most important success factors in public speaking is your ability to customize your speech to make each audience feel like, “This has only happened here” and “This message is truly for us.” In other words, they don’t want a “canned” speech. They want it to be fresh. You can accomplish this in […]
Continue reading“You should use more visuals in your speeches.” What came to mind when you read that first sentence? Many speakers immediately think it means to use more PowerPoint or Keynote Slides. While those may be valuable (when used well), you can also use other visuals to connect with your audience, uncover humor, and even evoke emotions. […]
Continue readingHave you ever been advised to ask questions in your speeches? It’s sound advice, because questions can benefit you and your audience in many ways. However, I’ve seen many speakers destroy their speeches because of how they asked their questions. Are You Really Interested? I’ve seen speakers ask questions only to have their audience […]
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