If you follow me at all, you know I believe that dialogue is the heart of your story and therefore the heart of your speech. It breathes life into your speech because… It automatically brings the audience into the present moment of your scene It lets your audience members hear what you heard and see […]
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My mother was an English teacher. My wife is an English teacher. Therefore, I try my best to be grammatically correct. However, in public speaking, I do not believe you must use good grammar at all times. There are times when I sacrifice correct grammar for something that is more important when I am speaking. […]
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 […]
Continue readingA piece of advice I received when I first started as a speaker was to always be dynamic. Only years later did I realize that when you’re always dynamic, you’re no longer dynamic. Take a look at the following video lesson (a sample lesson from my 50SpeakingSecrets.com program) to see why many speakers are making […]
Continue readingMany 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 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 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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