Rob’s blog

Ep. 53. How to Talk to Experts

Ep. 53. How to Talk to Experts

Sooner or later you’ll find yourself talking to a subject matter expert: somebody who’s going to give some of their time and knowledge to make your speech or article better. Here’s how to get the most out of their time and yours.

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Ep. 51. Zoom in on your audience

Ep. 51. Zoom in on your audience

Having trouble connecting emotionally with a speech you’re writing or rehearsing? Maybe it’s because you’re trying to speak to the whole audience instead of just one person.

This episode, here’s why you may want to take a leaf from TV cop shows — and zoom way in.

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Ep. 50. The Pigeon of Dorian Gray

Ep. 50. The Pigeon of Dorian Gray

I’m always telling you to tell stories… so for the 50th episode of the podcast, I’m going to share one of my own. It’s about what a dead pigeon taught me about being a good speechwriter.

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Ep. 48. Find your speaker superpowers in your origin story

Ep. 48. Find your speaker superpowers in your origin story

we love to hear how superheroes got their powers — their origin stories. And audiences will want to hear yours, too. Here’s how to tell the story of how you got here in a way that connects with your audience and even moves them to action… faster (cough) than a speaking bullet.

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Ep. 47. Careful with that spotlight!

Ep. 47. Careful with that spotlight!

As leaders, it can be tempting to forget that not everyone likes being the centre of attention. And when you have an audience, you can all too easily throw a harsh, unforgiving spotlight onto someone who isn’t ready for it. This episode, we look at how to wield your audience’s attention responsibly, whether it’s from the stage or online.

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Ep. 44. Speakers, have a seat (in the audience)

Ep. 44. Speakers, have a seat (in the audience)

You can write a speech for a someone. Read it through. Rehearse with the speaker. But you won’t really know how effective it is unless you’re there when they deliver it. This episode: why speechwriters should fight for a spot in the audience, and how to use it to write better speeches.

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Ep. 43. “How do you do, fellow kids?” — Speaking to young audiences (with Robin Stevenson)

Ep. 43. “How do you do, fellow kids?” — Speaking to young audiences (with Robin Stevenson)

A lot of speakers who’d happily get up in front of a thousand-person audience start getting the shakes at the thought of speaking to children or (gulp) teens. Fortunately, we have child-and-teen author Robin Stevenson here to share her experience speaking in front of countless school auditoriums and classrooms. She’ll tell us how you can keep your next young audience rapt from beginning to end.

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Public speaking and speechwriting: the essential guides

(photo of books with text) Leadership communications: 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.

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