What Does “Persuasive” Speaking Really Mean?
Public speaking is generally categorized as informative, demonstrative, and persuasive, depending on what you read. However, I would argue that all speaking is persuasive to some degree, because even if you’re not pitching something directly, you’re still persuading people that what you...
Quick Tip: Recovering from Mistakes
Below is an excerpt from my upcoming book So What: Better Briefs, Powerful Presentations. If you find this information useful, grab a copy for yourself to tons of information on building a brief from ideation to delivery, constructing slides, and tips for...
Word Choice and Word Order
This is the first post that I’m categorizing under “Advanced Techniques.” That is not to suggest they are the exclusive domain of expert public speakers but rather an acknowledgement that they should be addressed only after the fundamentals are secured. In...
Quick Tip: Reducing Verbal Pauses and Excessive Gestures
Verbal pauses like um and uh can be very distracting to audiences – to the point that they cease to listening. Likewise, while gestures can enhance a speech, excessive hand movement can also be so distracting as to make the audience...
Public Speaking is Relationships
Most students I coach start with a fundamental misunderstanding of public speaking’s purpose. If you ask ten novice speakers what public speaking is, at its core, you’ll probably get ten different answers. People respond with notions like information exchange, persuasion, conversation...
Focus Early, Focus Narrow
When developing a speech, even if a topic is provided, novice speakers often ask, “What should I talk about?” This is very common, especially when the topic is broad or little direction is given. In a previous post, I discussed selecting...
What is Fear of Public Speaking, Really?
As Jerry Seinfeld once joked, most people would rather be in the coffin than deliver the eulogy at a funeral. Fear of public speaking is so prevalent that entire studies concern themselves with researching intervention methods. I cover fear of public...
How Much Detail?
When developing a presentation, most people include far more detail than is necessary- especially novice speakers. I find there is a strong correlation between a speaker’s subject matter expertise and the amount of information they feel is needed to make their...
Audience Research
In my previous post, I discussed getting after the who and why of your audience in order to figure out what to talk about. Today we’ll delve deeper into the who. Sometimes knowing your audience is as simple as asking for...
Selecting a Topic
When faced with a public speaking or writing assignment, fear is often the first response. “I don’t even know what to talk about,” people say. Whether addressing your department, speaking at a dinner, pitching to clients, or negotiating with vendors, determining...