Clear Communication: A Must-Have Job Skill

Ruth Mantell has written an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Must-Have Job Skills in 2013. The four skills are personal branding, flexibility, productivity improvement and … clear communication (which is listed first). According to Mantell, employees will need more than basic competency if they want to advance. And when it comes to communicating clearly, […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 151) – Olivia Schofield

“An actor is an expert at being someone else. A speaker is an expert at being themselves.” Olivia Schofield
12 Public Speaking Lessons from "Comedian"

I just finished watching, for the second time, Comedian, a terrific documentary about the efforts of Jerry Seinfeld to get back into stand-up comedy after a decade of starring in one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, Seinfeld.The documentary follows Jerry over a period of several months as he works to develop material […]
2012 U.S. "Prezi"dential Election Recap

I came across this presentation on Prezi that provides a recap of the 2012 Presidential election in the United States. If you are not familiar with Prezi, have a look. Click the image below and you will find the presentation on the Prezi home page. You can navigate the presentation back and forth via the two […]
12 Lessons from Pablo Picasso for Public Speakers

Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. His paintings are among the most recognizable of any artist that has lived. However, Picasso was not just known for his art; he was also know for his wit and wisdom. While reading through a collection of quotes by Picasso, […]
Go to Black

When you are in the middle of a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation, you can make the screen go black at any time by pressing the letter “B” (as in “Black”). You can also make the screen go black with most remote controls. There are a few instances when I recommend using this feature. When to go to black […]
When Things Go Wrong: Ten Presentation Lessons from Apollo 13

Every public speaker can learn a lesson from Apollo 13. The day of the big presentation has arrived. You’ve prepared, you know your material and you’ve arrived at the venue early to get set up. You check the room and everything looks fine. The stage is ready, the sound system works and the lighting is […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 145) – Scott Berkun

“When I’m the speaker, I know that special moment [just before speaking] is the only time I will have the entire audience’s full attention. Unless an alien spaceship crash-lands on stage midway through the talk, the silence before I begin is the most powerful moment I have. What defines how well I’ll do starts with […]
What Bill Clinton Wrote and What Bill Clinton Said

Bill Clinton’s speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention was a master class in public speaking. I did not appreciate just how impressive his speech was until I read about the excellent investigate work that freelance writer Dashiell Bennett did in The Atlantic Wire. For me, the rhetorical highlight of the convention was Bill Clinton’s […]
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