Three public speaking resolutions for 2021

2021. We made it. We finally said goodbye to 2020, a year that will be forever remembered in the history books but not for the best reasons. And, we are still in the thick of the fight against COVID-19. Still, with vaccines now being distributed, there are reasons to be hopeful. And, in any event, […]
Sketches from the Summer School of Rhetoric – Part 4

This is the fourth post in a series based on the sketches that graphic recorder Linda Saukko-Rauta made during my public speaking workshop in Hämeenlinna, Finland. I was speaking at the 2019 edition of the Summer School of Rhetoric. Today’s sketch is about stories and storytelling, the currency of a great speech. For the previous sketch in the series, […]
Four Lessons from the Mountain for Public Speakers

I am one of the co-founders of Presentation Guru, a digital magazine for public speaking professionals. This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation Guru with the Manner of Speaking community. ——— A few weeks ago, my friend Timo Sorri came to Geneva for a visit. Timo is an expert in presentation design. You can learn […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 255) – Mark Brown

“Our stories are the key to connecting. They don’t have to be sensational; they just have to be sincere.” Mark Brown
6 Steps to a Great Introduction

On 1 June 2016, I announced the launch of a new digital magazine for public speaking professionals: Presentation Guru. I am proud to be one of the co-founders of the site. This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation Guru with the Manner of Speaking community. ——— When they have a speaking engagement, speakers naturally focus […]
The Science of Storytelling

I am proud to be one of the co-founders of the website Presentation Guru. This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation Guru with the Manner of Speaking community. ——— I have written extensively in this blog about the power of storytelling. See, for example, this post and this post. Stories are […]
What Kurt Vonnegut Can Teach Us About Business Stories

Kurt Vonnegut was a master storyteller and storytelling is powerful. Stories resonate with people on a deep, psychological level. Stories are memorable and help support our messages. Hence the speaker’s maxim: Tell a story, make a point. The best stories contain many elements related to plot, character, dialogue, etc. For some insights into what those elements are, check […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 218) – Alan Rickman

“It is an ancient need to be told stories. But the story needs a great storyteller.” Alan Rickman Photo courtesy of Marie-Lan Nguyen
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 198) – Robert McKee

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” Robert McKee Photo courtesy of John Hyams
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 197) – One Thousand and One Nights

“People need stories more than bread itself. They tell us how to live and why.” One Thousand and One Nights – أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَ لَيْلَةٌ
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