There’s lots of opinions about how to start a speech. Some say start with a joke. Some with a story. Some with a confession. Some even use video to break the ice. All of those can work, but in this post I’m more talking about what comes next—how do you hook your audience and have them leaning in after the opening? First, let’s agree on one thing: Every audience is cold. They… Continue reading
The one secret about public speaking nobody will tell you
It took me 10 years to discover - completely by accident - the one secret to public speaking that not only saved my bacon countless times, but actually made every speech better. Today, I’m going to tell you what that… Continue reading
The secret to making any meeting, speech or presentation outstanding
Congratulations - you’re about to give a speech! Or maybe you’re speaking at your bi-weekly team meeting, or it’s a presentation at your company’s annual dinner. The problem is you’re boring. To be fair, it’s not so much you that’s… Continue reading
So, you want to be a speaker…
There’s an old story of a man walking down a country road. He comes across a farmer, who’s repairing a fence. “Excuse me, sir” says the traveller “I’m curious what the folks are like in the town up ahead?” “Well…”… Continue reading
How to (finally) remember your speech
For some speakers, memorizing a speech and delivering it word for word, exactly as planned, is the highest form of delivery. Frankly, I find that type of delivery is demeaning to the audience, lazy and, at best, boring. If a… Continue reading
Tools of the trade – what every speaker needs in their bag
I love speaking. And I hate packing for speaking. So, it really helps to have the right gear and a packing list. In this post I’m sharing what gear is in my bag when I hit the road. There’s lots… Continue reading
9 stupid things speakers do on stage
We’ve all been there - cringing in our seats - thinking “Will this ever end?”. Yes, it’s the speaker from hell. Maybe they’ve got great content - even lessons we haven’t heard before. But their delivery is so finger-nails-on-chalkboard bad we’re… Continue reading
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