A Lesson from Gordon Ramsay

While I am not a huge fan of Gordon Ramsay, I have, on occasion, watched an episode or two of Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen. I always thought that the shows were intentionally over-the-top in order to boost TV ratings, but I do admit that I laughed out loud on more than one occasion. However, after recently reading […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 350) – Rudyard Kipling

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Rudyard Kipling
Think like a “PRO” when you speak

When you speak in public, it’s not about you. It’s not about your company or organization; it’s not about your product or service or big idea. Every speech, every presentation is about the audience. Therefore, if you are going to speak in public, you need to think like a professional, like a pro. In fact, […]
The “TNT Method” for Dynamite Team Presentations

Team presentations are dynamic. Having different speakers is a great way to showcase the skills and expertise of multiple individuals within an organization. However, to ensure that your team presentation is effective and engaging, it is essential that you pay attention to the transitions between presenters. Too often, they are often overlooked. The seams of […]
The power of a prop

While flashy multimedia presentations and high-tech gadgets can be impressive, sometimes all it takes to drive a point home is a simple object. A prop is one of the most powerful tools that presenters have at their disposal. A prop is any object that you use to help illustrate or demonstrate a point during a […]
2023 is here!

Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season and are feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the new year. As we enter 2023, I wanted to reflect on a few things. Back to regular blogging Regular readers of Manner of Speaking will have noticed that I was not very active here over the final few months of 2022. There […]
Analysis of a Speech by Charles III

The Queen is dead, long live the King! So goes the traditional proclamation following the death of one British monarch and the ascension to the throne of another. This week, for the first time in 70 years, we heard this phrase (which happens to be an epanalepsis) as Charles III became King. The death of Queen […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 349) – Michael Jordan

“Being nervous isn’t bad. It just means something important is happening.” Michael Jordan
Kairos: The Foundation of Rhetoric

What time is it? The ancient Greeks had two words for “time”. The first was “chronos” (χρόνος), which referred to chronological time. Words like “chronological” and “chronology” come from chronos. The second was “kairos” (καιρός), which means the right moment or opportunity. It is this second meaning which is of supreme importance when it comes […]
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