Rick Perry's "Oops" Moment and Five Lessons We Can Learn

Drawing a blank. It’s one of people’s biggest fears when it comes to speaking in public. It is painful for the audience and excruciating for the speaker. And during the Republican Presidential Debate on 9 November 2011, Rick Perry experienced it firsthand. In case you missed the debate, this was the moment: I’ve not been […]
The Atomic Method of Creating a PowerPoint Presentation

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. In this blog post from 13 October 2011, Seth […]
PowerPoint: It's Child's Play

Who knew that PowerPoint could make you feel all warm and fuzzy? But kudos to Microsoft for this commercial. Very clever. I have to give the young man credit. Heck, even I’d buy him a dog after that!But as humorous as this commercial is, there are some important lessons that we can learn from it: […]
A Tough Act to Follow

Today’s post comes from Jesse Langley. Jesse lives near Chicago and divides his time among work, writing and family life. He writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University and has a keen interest in blogging and social media. He also writes for The Professional Intern. ——— Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the […]
Ten Tips for Using Props in a Presentation

In my previous post, I looked at some of the ways in which a prop can add some real value to a presentation. In this post, I provide 10 tips when it comes to using props. For most of the tips, I have added a video clip of a speech or presentation that shows the idea […]
A Public Speaker's Checklist – Free PDF File

I am happy to provide you with a comprehensive public speaker’s checklist for logistical matters. Last year I wrote a post about logistical items that speakers should remember for a speaking engagement. Reader response was so good that I created an addendum. To put these ideas into a more practical format for you, I have […]
What will the audience do when you've finished speaking?

Long-time readers of this blog know that I stress the importance of thinking about the audience before preparing a speech or designing a presentation. A speech or presentation is always about the audience: first; last; and foremost. That’s why I am delighted to share a short video featuring my friend and fellow public speaker, Conor […]
Being There, Before You're There

In a little more than a month’s time, I will fly to Lisbon, Portugal for the Toastmasters District 59 Spring Conference. It promises to be a fabulous time and I am looking forward to seeing many friends from across Europe.The organization for the conference has been superb. João De Mendonça and the rest of the Lisbon […]
The Ripple Effect

The ripple effect is a powerful phenomenon. Have you ever tossed a pebble into a lake when the water was completely calm? I used to do it all the time when I was a kid growing up in Canada in a small town on the shores of Lake Erie. Although the pebble is small, the effect […]
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