John Oliver on Quotations

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of quotes. I have a running series of them which, as of the writing of this post, is more than 230. From Mark Twain (the first quote in the series) to Marcus Aurelius, from Bruce Lee to Eleanor Roosevelt, from Nelson Mandela to Anaïs Nin, […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 231) – Susan Cain

“Some introverts are perfectly comfortable with public speaking; I’m not one of them.” Susan Cain Photo courtesy of Steve Jurvetson
Your Talk is a Gift

Seth Godin is the author of several books about “marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respect”. They are bestsellers. His blog is one of my favourites and I highly recommend it. This post is part of a series based on original posts by Seth. Your talk is a gift In this blog post […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 230) – George Bernard Shaw

“I am the most spontaneous speaker in the world because every word, every gesture and every retort has been carefully rehearsed.” George Bernard Shaw
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 […]
8 Tips from Kurt Vonnegut to Make You a Better Speaker

Kurt Vonnegut was one of the United States’ most intelligent, witty and beloved authors. His novels such as Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions and The Sirens of Titan are still widely read and just as insightful as they were when they were first published. In the 1980s, Vonnegut wrote a short essay entitled “How to Write […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 229) – Lou Holtz

“All you need is something to say and a burning desire to say it. It doesn’t matter where your hands are.” Lou Holtz
11 Steps to a Killer Presentation

Noisli: A Simple, Effective Productivity Hack

Preparing a good speech or presentation takes time and focus, both of which are often in short supply these days. In this post, I’d like to offer you a suggestion that might help you with the latter. For the past year or two, I have used Noisli to help me concentrate when working on speeches or […]
Tagged focusNoisliPreparationwhite noise











