Speak with Confidence: How to Speak with Passion
Mr. Murdoch eyes shined when he talked about the periodic table of the elements. Clearly, my high school chemistry teacher was passionate about chemistry, and even more passionate that his students understand the subject. Mr. Murdoch’s zeal for science was so contagious that I not only went on to take two more classes from him […]
10 Ways to Be a More Confident Speaker
“We met with someone before you . . . it didn’t go well,” said my prospective client, the president of a small digital marketing firm that was looking to hire me to do some presentation skills workshops for their employees. Our meeting had gone quite well. We had dates on the calendar for the workshops. […]
YOLO Speaking
YOLO, an acronym that’s been popular among mostly younger people for the past year or so, stands for “You Only Live Once.” It seems to be an excuse for risky behavior. Have they forgotten you actually get to live every day, but you only die once? The sentiment is a recent version of “Carpe Diem.” […]
Keep Calm and Join Toastmasters
Do you wish you could speak with greater confidence? Do you wish you could answer off-the-cuff questions (like on job interviews), without sounding off-the-wall? Do you wish you could develop the leadership skills to ignite your career? What excuse is holding you back? Too busy? Not enough money? I heard someone say, “Excuses are like armpits, […]
Why Do Some Speakers Shine and Others Choke?
Do you want to shine in front of an audience? To perform at your best? Imagine that you have been a public speaker for 10 years and that you are about to speak in front of a large audience. Do you think your performance will be enhanced or worsened compared to when you practiced alone? […]
Public Speaking: How to Manage the Fear, Part 3
Many people will say that you need to change your feelings and beliefs (the inner game) before you can change your actions (the outer game). However, I believe they are interrelated. You can change one to affect the other. In public speaking, you can “fake it till you make it” to a certain extent. You […]
Public Speaking: How to Manage the Fear, Part 2
The most important action you can take to manage the fear of public speaking is the unseen mental preparation, the inner game. The Inner Game 1. Know Your Audience If you are not familiar with your audience, you will need to do a little research. For my professional speaking presentations, I will conduct 3-10 informational […]
Public Speaking: How to Manage the Fear, Part 1
I am not going to tell you how to overcome the fear of public speaking. Instead, I am going to offer suggestions on how to manage the fear so that it is not debilitating. If you try too hard to suppress the symptoms of speaking anxiety—the shaky hands, the red face, the stiff or jerky […]