Since May 2009, this blog has been a labour of love. With more than 800 posts on public speaking and presentation skills, there is something for everyone.
Almost four million visitors have stopped by. Please stay a while and have a look around. You are welcome to share anything you find here. All I ask is that you provide a simple credit and a link back to the site.
2026 is here. A new year full of potential. Here are 26 New Year’s resolutions to take your public speaking to a new level in 2026. In no particular order: 1. I will prepare thoroughly. 2. I will have a clear message. 3. I will always ask myself: “Why should the audience care about my
This is a guest post by Stephen Welch, and the follow up to his post entitled Breaking the Pattern. You can read that post here. Stephen is an expert in communication, HR and professional change. Stephen is the Director and Co-founder of Archetypical Ltd, the company behind Corporate Snakes and
What do you do when everyone says your idea is impossible? In 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl had a theory that ancient peoples crossed the Pacific Ocean on primitive rafts. The scientific community dismissed him. “Impossible,” they said. So Heyerdahl built the Kon-Tiki, a balsa wood raft held together with
Sabyasachi Sengupta (Saby) is the 2025 World Champion of Public Speaking. He is also my friend. And I had the rare privilege of coaching him on his world championship speech. Over the course of my career as a professional speaker, I have analyzed dozens of speeches, and you can read
When my friend, Sabyasachi (Saby) Sengupta stepped off stage as the 2025 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking in Philadelphia, I couldn’t have been happier. But I also realized something: our two-month coaching journey had taught me as much as it taught him. Through our written exchanges and live sessions
What does a medieval fortress have in common with presentation structure? More than you might think. Recently, I visited Akershus Fortress in Oslo, a stronghold that has stood watch over the city for more than 700 years. As I walked the ramparts, it struck me that the very elements that
This is a guest post by Stephen Welch. He is an expert in communication, HR and professional change. Stephen is the Director and Co-founder of Archetypical Ltd, the company behind Corporate Snakes and Career Ladders, a new approach to learning through play. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University
Content or delivery? This is one of the oldest and most frequently asked questions in public speaking: What’s more important—what you say, or how you say it? In truth, both are essential. Content is the foundation of your message. It’s what gives your speech structure, purpose and value. Without good content,
Why do some speakers look polished even when taking a water break, while others seem to fumble? Most speakers focus on their content and delivery, but overlook the small things that can make or break their stage presence. Something as simple as how you drink can either enhance your professionalism
Karsta Goetze
TA Leader, Gore and Associates
Andy Yen
CEO, Proton Technologies
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
