Things that public speakers don't need on stage

There are many things that public speakers don’t need on stage. When you deliver a speech or presentation, leave the following things behind because they are all distracting: – Your cell phone – Coins in your pocket – Keys in your pocket – Anything that can jingle in your pocket – Jewelry that can jingle, […]

Lessons from Senegal – Part 2

Pierre Thiam Teranga. It is the word that best represents the values at the heart of society in Senegal. During my trip to Dakar, I experienced it on a daily basis.There is no direct translation of teranga in English. “Hospitality” comes close but it is an incomplete translation. The best way to understand teranga is to have it […]

Lessons from Senegal – Part 1

I recently had the privilege of traveling to Dakar, Senegal. There I worked with 30 officials from the United Nations (in French) to help them improve their public speaking and presentation skills. These men and women are doing important work in often difficult conditions all over Africa. It was a privilege for me to be […]

The Summer School of Rhetoric – Part 5

This is the fifth and final 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 making your message stick; i.e., ensuring that the audience will remember your message. It […]

The Summer School of Rhetoric – Part 3

This is the third 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 structure. Every presentation needs good structure if it is to be successful. That means a powerful […]

The Summer School of Rhetoric – Part 2

This is the second 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 captures the three pillars of a successful persuasive speech, as set out by Aristotle over 2,300 years […]

3 tips to deal with the room where you speak

When we give a speech or presentation, we usually don’t have any control over the room where we speak. We might be able to move chairs and tables or adjust the lighting, but in general, we have to deal with the room as we find it. Last week, I went for a walk around the […]

Transitions in a speech or presentation

Have you ever been in the audience listening to a speaker and found yourself lost? You weren’t exactly sure where the speaker was going or how the different points in a speech were connected? There are many possible reasons for such a situation, but one of them is faulty, or non-existent, transitions. What is a […]

Three ways to rethink your title slide

Your title slide occupies prime real estate in your slide deck. It is the gateway to your presentation. You can either spend time thinking how to use it to maximum advantage or miss an opportunity to grab you audience’s attention from the start. Titles slides often contain such details as the date of the presentation, the […]