Manner of Speaking Logo

Month: June 2009

The Social Contract

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

You have just been asked to give a speech or presentation and are all fired up to do a great job.  Congratulations. You will undoubtedly have many questions about your presentation. However, there is one question – indeed the most important question – that should be the first one you ask (and answer): “What’s in […]

The Dating Game

The Dating Game

The Dating Game was a popular TV show in the 1960s and 1970s.  The concept was simple.  Three contestants tried to win a date with a man or woman by impressing him or her with their answers to question. The contestants were hidden and the person asking the questions knew nothing about them other than the sound […]

I have a dream . . .

Yawn - Bill Clinton falls asleep

But only because I’m not awake! During a speech on Martin Luther King Day, Bill Clinton falls asleep. Hey, it happens to the best of us. It’s a good reminder of the importance of keeping our audiences engaged. And awake. 

Seabiscuit and Public Speaking

Seabiscuit

I never thought that a non-fiction book about a sport I rarely follow would hold my attention, but after only a few pages of “Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by Laura Hillenbrand, I was hooked.  The story of the little brown horse with the big heart, and the three men who overcame their own hardships to make […]

Finding the right word

Words on hands

Finding the right word is not always easy. Sometimes when preparing a speech, we find ourselves searching for the right way in which to express our thoughts. We know what we want to say, but the words that present themselves seem bland or weak. Better ones are undoubtedly out there, but they stubbornly elude us. A good dictionary […]

Good reading, good speaking

Woman reading book

I used to receive a newsletter called Spiritual Wealth. It has since stopped and is no longer on line. Its motto came from social reformer Henry Ward Beecher: “No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not […]

Funny You Should Say That!

Humorous Speech Contest

Delivering a humorous speech is no laughing matter. Especially when you are in a humorous speech contest and trying to impersonate the Terminator. It’s hard work. In the fall of 2008, I had the terrific experience of competing in the Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest in District 59 (18 countries in Continental Europe). The contest has […]

Tell Me a Story

Tell me a story

I love a good story. As a child, I could listen for hours to the tales told by my parents, grandparents, teachers and others. As I grew older, I sought out stories through novels, films or theatre. As a parent, I thoroughly enjoyed reading books (complete with voice characterizations) to my two daughters when they were younger. […]

Your speaking rate

Speedometer: Your speaking rate

Know your speaking rate. Frequently, we have to give a speech within strict time limits. Speech contests are a good example. If a speaker goes over time by even one second, she is disqualified. Other examples include being given a 30-minute slot at a conference or 15 minutes to do an after-dinner speech. Those who speak longer than they should do […]

Tagged
Manner of Speaking Logo
Search

Testimonials

John delivered a keynote address about the importance of public speaking to 80 senior members of Gore’s Medical Device Europe team at an important sales event. He was informative, engaging and inspirational. Everyone was motivated to improve their public speaking skills. Following his keynote, John has led public speaking workshops for Gore in Barcelona and Munich. He is an outstanding speaker who thinks carefully about the needs of his audience well before he steps on stage.

Karsta Goetze

TA Leader, Gore and Associates

I first got in touch with John while preparing to speak at TED Global about my work on ProtonMail. John helped me to sharpen the presentation and get on point faster, making the talk more focused and impactful. My speech was very well received, has since reached almost 1.8 million people and was successful in explaining a complex subject (email encryption) to a general audience.

Andy Yen

CEO, Proton Technologies

John gave the opening keynote on the second day of our unit’s recent offsite in Geneva, addressing an audience of 100+ attendees with a wealth of tips and techniques to deliver powerful, memorable presentations. I applied some of these techniques the very next week in an internal presentation, and I’ve been asked to give that presentation again to senior management, which has NEVER happened before. John is one of the greatest speakers I know and I can recommend his services without reservation.

David Lindelöf

Senior Data Scientist, Expedia Group

After a morning of team building activities using improvisation as the conduit, John came on stage to close the staff event which was organised in Chamonix, France. His energy and presence were immediately felt by all the members of staff. The work put into the preparation of his speech was evident and by sharing some his own stories, he was able to conduct a closing inspirational speech which was relevant, powerful and impactful for all at IRU. The whole team left feeling engaged and motivated to tackle the 2019 objectives ahead. Thank you, John.

Umberto de Pretto

Secretary General, World Road Transport Organization

I was expecting a few speaking tips and tricks and a few fun exercises, but you went above and beyond – and sideways. You taught me to stand tall. You taught me to anchor myself. You taught me to breathe. You taught me to open up. You taught me to look people in the eye. You taught me to tell the truth. You taught me to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. I got more than I bargained for in the best possible way.

Thuy Khoc-Bilon

World Cancer Day Campaign Manager, Union for International Cancer Control

John gave a brilliant presentation on public speaking during the UN EMERGE programme in Geneva (a two days workshop on leadership development for a group of female staff members working in the UN organizations in Geneva). His talk was inspirational and practical, thanks to the many techniques and tips he shared with the audience. His teaching can dramatically change our public speaking performance and enable us as presenters to have a real and powerful impact. Thank you, John, for your great contribution!

Sara Canna

HR Specialist, World Health Organization

John is a genuine communication innovator. His seminars on gamification of public speaking learning and his interactive Rhetoric game at our conference set the tone for change and improvement in our organisation. The quality of his input, the impact he made with his audience and his effortlessly engaging style made it easy to get on board with his core messages and won over some delegates who were extremely skeptical as to the efficacy of games for learning. I simply cannot recommend him highly enough.

Thomas Scott

National Education Director, Association of Speakers Clubs UK

John joined our Global Sales Meeting in Segovia, Spain and we all participated in his “Improv(e) your Work!” session. I say “all” because it really was all interactive, participatory, learning and enjoyable. The session surprised everybody and was a fresh-air activity that brought a lot of self-reflection and insights to improve trust and confidence in each other inside our team. It´s all about communication and a good manner of speaking!”

Jon Lopez

General Manager Europe, Hayward Industries

Thank you very much for the excellent presentation skills session. The feedback I received was very positive. Everyone enjoyed the good mix of listening to your speech, co-developing a concrete take-away and the personal learning experience. We all feel more devoted to the task ahead, more able to succeed and an elevated team spirit. Delivering this in a short time, both in session and in preparation, is outstanding!

Henning Dehler

CFO European Dairy Supply Chain & Operations, Danone

Thanks to John’s excellent workshop, I have learned many important tips and techniques to become an effective public speaker. John is a fantastic speaker and teacher, with extensive knowledge of the field. His workshop was a great experience and has proven extremely useful for me in my professional and personal life.

Eric Thuillard

Senior Sales Manager, Sunrise Communications

John’s presentation skills training was a terrific investment of my time. I increased my skills in this important area and feel more comfortable when speaking to an audience. John provided the right mix between theory and practice.

Diego Brait

Director of the Jura Region, BKW Energie AG

Be BOLD. Those two words got stuck in my head and in the heads of all those ADP leaders and associates that had the privilege to see John on stage. He was our keynote speaker at our annual convention in Barcelona, and his message still remains! John puts his heart in every word. Few speakers are so credible, humble and yet super strong with large audiences!

Guadalupe Garcia

Senior Director and Talent Partner, ADP International