Three key words for every speaker

There are three key words that every speaker needs to master. In many respects, they are the most important words that one can say on stage: “I”, “you” and “we”. Each has its place. “I” and its variants (“my”, etc.) “I” is all about the speaker and his or her perspective, ideas, experience, opinions and […]

Where is your focus when you speak in public?

Too often, people don’t focus on the right things when they speak in public. They worry about how they look or whether the microphone is working properly. They wonder where they should place their hands. If someone in the audience is looking at their cell phone, they think that the person is not interested in […]

Analysis of a speech by Apollo Robbins

This is a tremendously fun speech to watch. If you have not heard of Apollo Robbins, you will enjoy his 8-minute TED Talk. Robbins is a professional pickpocket and one of the best in the world. He has studied human behaviour, human attention, and how to misdirect that attention. David Copperfield has called Robbins “my […]

Six ways to hook the audience from the beginning

Plato said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” When it comes to speeches and presentations, your beginning is critical. You get one chance to make a good first impression, so you want to hook the audience with your opening words. An audience’s attention is usually at its highest just before you […]

Dealing with a creaky stage

Have you ever listened to a speaker who is standing on a creaky stage? Have you ever had to speak from a stage that creaked whenever you stepped on certain spots. It is annoying for both speaker and audience. But there is a simple, effective way to deal with it. All it takes is a […]

An important question for every speaker

There is an important question that every public speaker must be able to answer: Why should the audience care about what I am going to say? If you can’t answer that question, you have a problem. Either you are speaking to the wrong audience or you are giving the wrong talk. This post marks the […]

“Defund the Police” – A good idea but a terrible slogan

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, there has been a powerful backlash against racism and police brutality. I hope it finally leads to permanent, meaningful change. But one of the main slogans of the movement – “Defund the Police” – is terrible and counterproductive. First, let’s be clear. The murder of George […]

What questions do you have for me?

Questions from the audience. They are an important part of any presentation because they give members of the audience a chance to let the speaker know what is on their mind. Sometimes, however, audience members might be reluctant to ask a question — after all, it requires them to speak in public — so I […]

"Duck and Cover" won't help

In the years following World War 2, the threat of nuclear war hung over the world. As the United States and its allies faced the Soviet Union and its allies, a Third World War was a distinct possibility. Given the looming threat, in the 1950s, the American Government produced a civil defence film entitled Duck and […]

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