Speak Up, But Don’t Upspeak!
Recently I attended a dinner event and asked a lovely young woman, a 22 year-old associate director for a local non-profit, “What does your organization do?” She replied, “We promote ethical fashion?” I was momentarily confused. And not by her words, but by the way she said them, with an upward inflection, making what should […]
The #1 Rule for Speakers and Meeting Planners
I’ll be brief. Don’t go over time. Or, as Winston Churchill might have put it: Never speak too long. Never speak too long. Never speak too long. But, it’s not always about ending your speech within the allotted time, sometimes it’s about ending on time. One of the questions I ask in my pre-program questionnaire […]
7 Days, 42+ Speeches: Differentiate or Die
Differentiate or Die. With all the speakers out there, you need to be different to stand out and be remembered. Ideally, you would have a unique presentation on a unique topic. That’s the number one thing I learned last week when I listened to 42+ speeches in 7 days. Live. And, I analyzed and wrote […]
How to Write an Inspiring Speech
When I was 17, at the start of my senior year of high school, my parents got a divorce. Not only did their marriage crumble, but so did my hopes of college. How would I ever pay for it? I descended to the valley of despair. And then one day, waiting at the dentist, I […]
How to Structure Your Business Proposal Presentations
Following up on last week’s Killer Keynote Speech Structure Post, is another speech structure, the Business Proposal Speech. Many of the same supporting structures (Story, Humor, Activity, Reference/Quote, Props/Photos) can be used in a business proposal as in a keynote, but a different structure can be more effective. A typical business presentation might look […]
Killer Keynote Speech Structure
Want a solid way to structure a keynote presentation that will be memorable and get you asked to come back? Click this link for a pdf of the diagram below: Killer Keynote Structure Do you need to create a presentation in a hurry? Do you want a repeatable method for presentation creation. Sign up for […]
The Book-It Method: Write a Speech by Looking at a Book
Do you need inspiration for your presentation topic? A quick way to select your main points and get that speech written? Try the method that I call, The Book-it Method. In short, you take a look at the table of contents of books on the subject matter you want to speak on. Preferably, the books […]
Post-It Note Speech Planning
Use the lowly sticky note to bring your presentations to new heights! The little squares of paper can help you design a presentation for maximum effectiveness, while allowing the flexibility of changing your mind and trying out new approaches. 1. Brainstorm with sticky notes. This can be done alone or in a group. You can […]
How to Adjust Your Speech When Your Allotted Time Changes
As the time for his speech to end came and went, the well-known, retired news anchor showed no signs of closing. My speaking slot was after his, and it was apparent I wasn’t going to get the full 60 minutes I had been asked to prepare for. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Finally, at 15 minutes […]
Finding My Voice: My Toastmaster Testimonial
This is me at three: Big teeth. Big smile. Bad hair day. Some things never change! However, one thing that did change for me at three was that I began to realize the power of the spoken word. My mother had brought me to work to meet her boss and coworkers. One look at her […]