The Problem So 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 […]
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One of the absolute best ways to connect with your audience at the beginning of your speech is with what I call a Customized Callback. Take a look at this video lesson to see 4 ways you can use this tool: Your Turn: What customized callback have you used in a speech? […]
Continue readingAnalogies can take your speeches to fantastic heights. One of the best ways to get someone to know something new is to relate the unknown to the known. In other words, relate the unknown to something he or she already knows. In textbook language this is referred to as activating prior knowledge. Analogies help tremendously in […]
Continue readingWhen you build yourself up, you let your audience down. Let’s face it; there are some speakers who use the platform to stroke their ego. When we talk about how great we are and speak only of our successes, our audience members think of us in 1 of 2 ways: “Wow, he sure […]
Continue readingRecently I received a phone call and an e-mail from an executive at an organization I spoke to 10 years ago. She said, “Can you speak at our conference again this year? We really enjoyed you last time!” Now, please don’t take this as me being cocky, but I’m surprised they didn’t call sooner. Why? Because […]
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Have you ever wondered if you’re getting better or getting worse as a speaker? Usually when speakers gets worse it’s because they haven’t stayed connected to the guidelines that helped them improve in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, there are always new guidelines and methods that will help take us to even greater […]
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 […]
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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 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 […]
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