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.)
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 →
Alex Honeysett offers a solid set of 5 Public Speaking Tips for Entrepreneurs who are nervous at the thought of getting up in front of an audience. Her advice includes practicing knowing your space (really important, and so often overlooked) knowing your audience finding the balance between self-promotion and the content people came to hear breathing – … Keep reading →
Jeff Hurt reports on a study that suggests tweeting during a class isn’t distracting – it actually increases engagement: Education Professor Christine Greenhow, Michigan State University, conducted a study on Twitter as a new form of literacy. Her results showed that adults who tweet during a class and as part of the instruction: are more … Keep reading →
…consider how long it takes Jerry Seinfeld to write a joke. Of course, consider as well the attention to craft and detail – particularly timing – that he devotes to the process. Chances are, many speechwriting clients aren’t so vested in the process that they’ll be willing to give you that kind of running room… not … Keep reading →
Nominations for the 2013 Cicero Speechwriting Awards have opened. I love the thought of honoring speechwriters; our jobs are entirely about helping others make the most of their time in the spotlight, and it’s nice to see smart, talented folks get public acclaim for outstanding work. For me, it highlights a dilemma – because I’ve always shied … Keep reading →
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.
