Category Archives: Developing core public speaking skills
Visual Aids: Why You Should Be Using Them
People have long been researching the effectiveness of using visual aids in presentations. In fact, the Management Information Systems Research Center at the University of Minnesota conducted a study in 1986 that was “designed to systematically explore how computer generated … Continue reading
Uninspiring Speaker Friday: “Every Presentation Ever”
Since we posted a video of an inspiring speaker yesterday, I thought we’d do something a bit different with Inspiring Speaker Friday today. So welcome to Uninspiring Speaker Friday! Today I’d like to share a video that was put together … Continue reading
Richard St. John on Success
Today I want to share with you a presentation titled “Richard St. John’s 8 Secrets of Success.” Richard St. John has a wide variety of professional experience, including working in scientific research and development for Nortel, researching and writing speeches … Continue reading
Self-Promotion: Networking
What’s one of the simplest, most effective ways of getting yourself known as a professional speaker? Networking. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The more people you meet, the more people you know. The more people you know, the greater the … Continue reading
Self-Promotion: Building a Speaker Summary
In the world of professional speaking, self-promotion is mandatory. Especially when you’re just starting out. Sure you may have a moving message to share or important knowledge to impart, but that’s not enough. It doesn’t matter how moving or important … Continue reading
Audience Feedback
So you’ve given your speech, you’ve answered the audience’s questions, you’ve made your concluding remarks and – phew! –you’ve breathed a sigh of relief because your presentation is over and it’s time to relax. Not so fast! I hate to break … Continue reading
Guest Post: The 3 As of FRANKxtraordinary Speaking
We have a special guest post today courtesy of Frank Simmons Jr., a nationally known speaker, trainer, coach, mentor, author and motivator. By Frank Simmons Jr. Have you ever wondered what you could do to improve on your speaking talent? … Continue reading
Question Period
Yesterday we established that asking and answering questions is one of the best ways of engaging with your audience. When it comes to question and answer sessions, my advice – as usual – is practise makes perfect. There’s nothing worse than … Continue reading
Engaging With Your Audience
We’ve already talked about how to make a good first impression on your audience and how to not distract your audience while you’re speaking. So what’s next when it comes to speaker-audience interactions? Audience engagement! Keeping an audience’s attention is … Continue reading
The Power of the Pause
The following quote, which I included in yesterday’s post on brevity and simplicity, got me thinking a bit more about the use of pauses in speech-making. “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as … Continue reading
