Rob’s blog
Your client’s giving a major speech. What would be in the trailer?
From You’re Going to Want to Watch This Speech | The White House: I just finished reading the draft of a speech the President plans to deliver on Wednesday, and I want to explain why it’s one worth checking out. […] It’s a vision he carried through his first campaign in 2008, it’s a vision he … Keep reading →
“If I knew then what I know now”: My presentation to the IABC/BC event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIivpa3uKZw This was my speech capping off a wonderful evening of presentations hosted by the IABC/BC. It's all about embracing regret and seizing opportunity. A quick speechwriting note: Normally I'm a strong (even harsh) advocate of...
Work Smarter with LinkedIn: Alexandra Samuel’s new HBR e-book launches today!
Share this on Pinterest! Alex packs a lot of wisdom into these books, and this one is no exception. If you've been wondering what LinkedIn can do for you...or if you're already using LinkedIn, but suspect you could be getting a lot more out of it... then this book's...
Tod Maffin has a free webinar on Facebook marketing – tomorrow!
Free up your schedules, cancel your appointments and hold your calls starting 11 am Pacific tomorrow: Tod Maffin is holding a free webinar on Facebook marketing. Here's the agenda: How to advertise on Facebook — even without a penny in your budget The formula to...
Join me at the IABC/BC Bronze Quill awards!
I'm going to be emceeing (take that, autocorrect!) the IABC/BC Bronze Quill awards next Wednesday night, June 12, at the swishy Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside. (For everyone who is suddenly consumed with anxiety at that news, the organizers have spoken with me and...
“If I knew then what I know now”: insight and wisdom from veteran communicators
Back in April, I got to join a lineup of communications professionals, sharing our experiences and career life lessons at an evening of storytelling hosted by IABC/BC. The evening surpassed every expectation I had. Each of the presenters spoke with passion and often...
Life Cycle of a Dumb Tweet
1 For whatever reason – not enough food with the wine at dinner, a coup d'état in the brain where the amygdala seizes control, or just a moment of weakness – someone in a position of prominence and authority posts a Dumb Tweet. 2 Others read the Dumb Tweet and retweet...
Whatever the opposite of “Presentation Zen” is
It always warms my heart a little when separate spheres of my life bump into each other. And my webcomic-reading, cartoon-drawing sphere just nudged my public-speaking sphere in the latest installment of John Allison’s webcomic Bad Machinery.
Why Jon Favreau looked so tired the morning of Sept. 10, 2009
Presidential communications are seamless, hermetic; they betray no sign they were ever hashed out at 2 am over cold Chinese food. But now and then, we get a glimpse of what goes on.
Catch Colin Moorhouse’s speechwriting workshop – in person or online
I’ve known Colin Moorhouse for several years now, mostly as a disembodied (phone, social media and email) presence — but a thoughtful, experienced and generous one. Possibly the leading speechwriting trainer out there (with two decades under his belt!), he has a lot of insight and knowledge to share. And he’s done just that for … Keep reading →
Stop the downward slide: Eric Bergman’s ’5 Steps to Conquer Death by PowerPoint’
I enjoyed Eric Bergman‘s book 5 Steps to Conquer ‘Death by PowerPoint’: Changing the World One Conversation At a Time, once I got over my initial disappointment that it isn’t about using PowerPoint to conquer death*. (I’d missed those all-important quotation marks.)
Speeches and accountability: when a human has to say the absurd
Back in December, NRA spokesperson Wayne LaPierre finally broke the gun lobby’s silence after the Newtown massacre. And David Murray made this crucial point on his blog at Vital Speeches of the Day: NRA chief reveals another valuable social purpose of speeches: They force leaders to say their position with a straight face. And we get … Keep reading →
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.
