Rob’s blog
May I have your attention, please
In an ideal world, you’d have the audience in the palm of your hand from “CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY” to “Thank you; you’ve been lovely; tip your servers."But the world of public speaking isn’t ideal. Audiences have a limitless supply of distractions to choose from: that...
A free webinar on how speechwriters can engage audiences
You won't find anyone much more experienced at speechwriting than Colin Moorhouse, and on September 10, he's sharing some of his immense store of speechwriting wisdom in a free webinar.Better yet, he's tackling one of the most fundamental (yet most-often-forgotten)...
Going to Inbound 2015 – see you there?
I'll be attending Inbound, HubSpot's annual conference on inbound marketing in Boston, MA from September 8 to 11. (Expect doodles.) Let me know if you're headed there as well!
Why the conventional wisdom will kill your speech dead (and why it can still help)
Tell your friends and family you’re about to write your first speech, and you’ll get a lot of well-intentioned, well-worn advice.“Start with a joke.”“Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you’ve said.”“If you can’t convince them with...
Save the beached whales! (Or, Your job isn’t done when the speech is)
Speechwriter and speechwriting trainer par excellence Colin Moorhouse writes about Beached Whale Syndrome: comparing the romantic complaint about men who roll over and fall asleep immediately after an amorous encounter (or, not to put it too delicately, their half of...
How long will that speech take to write?
A questioner on Quora asked a while ago how long it takes to write a speech, and what factors affect it. Here’s my answer: I've smashed out seven-minute speeches during an election campaign while the plane was landing for statements the speaker gave as soon as they...
Backward speechwriting: why writing the end of your speech may be the perfect start
So many speeches don’t (…dammit...) Whenever I find myself repeatedly writing, deleting and re-writing the first lines of s (…augh...) The Oxford English Dictionary defin (hell, no.) Ever find yourself staring at a blank screen, stymied at how...
Rock star speechwriters: learn to hear the music in your speech
One of my favourite things about Facebook is that Jon Favreau's community page lists him as "musician/band". Not just because he's kind of a rock star (in, you know, speechwriter terms). But because I've argued for a long time that speeches are more than a little like...
The (drawing) pen is mightier than the contract
This is my favourite news story in a long time. At a concert last Saturday in Quebec City, the Foo Fighters demanded that news photographers sign a contract allowing news outlets to print their photos exactly once, after which over all rights to those photos would...
Hi, this is your passion. I’m not available right now, but if you’d like to leave a brief message…
The best 12 words of speaking advice I’ve seen in a long time came from this article: WRITE your speech from the heart. DELIVER your speech from your skill. Your passion is real—but it isn’t always available on command. To convey the passion behind your ideas every time you speak demands skill and practice. Filed … Continue reading →
See you at the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival!
Big news: Noise to Signal is going to be one of the exhibitors at the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival next weekend, May 23-24 at Yaletown's Roundhouse. I'll have prints, stickers and other goodies for sale, so swing on by! The festival is the best thing ever. The panel...
In which I barf up a ton of advice on getting real value from your blog
I've been updating my series from a while ago about getting tangible value from your blog. You can follow it on LinkedIn; I'd love to know what you think! Introduction 1: Making your organization human 2: An alternative to the news media 3: Fighting fires 4: Spinning...
Why, yes — I’d LOVE to speak at your event
Public speaking and speechwriting: the essential guides
Looking for advice on public speaking, speechwriting and leadership communications? Here are some of my most comprehensive posts, on topics that people ask me about most often.
