Thirty-five years ago today – Oct. 30, 1989 – I received my first signed contract to deliver professional communications services, officially establishing Zumwald & Company in Ohio. As I tell people today, it was an experiment that has never ended. Looking back, there have been many milestones and lessons learned that seem appropriate to reflect […]

Many public speakers starting to draft a keynote speech often begin with a simple wish: That the speech they deliver will be “memorable.” Memorable is fine, I suppose, if the speech itself is good. (But if the speech is bad, that’s memorable too – but for all the wrong reasons.) And so I ask: Is […]

Didn’t make it to the Bahamas for the 2023 Convention of Toastmasters International? No matter! Check out these five takeaways that I captured as a virtual attendee last week. Then choose a few nuggets you want to use right away to get better at what it takes to speak like a leader. If you missed […]

People who want to get better as a speaker often face common challenges as they strive to go from good to great. Do you identify with these three challenges shared by my colleague and friend Barbara? Are you ready to do something about them? A few days ago, a longtime colleague and friend I’d coached […]

If your speech doesn’t flow, what could be wrong? What’s getting in the way? Discover what you need to look for — and cut out of your remarks — to make your keynote speech flow even better for your audience. It was Ernest Hemingway who said: “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” That proclamation […]

All public speakers want to write and deliver good speeches. When you’re working on a speech, do you try to speed up the process by getting all your thoughts on paper first? If so, you may find yourself wallowing aimlessly in a sea of words with no clear direction. Read on to find out what […]

Nobody wants to be labeled as a boring speaker. Nevertheless, we’ve all had to endure boring speakers at one time or another. But what are the consequences of being a boring speaker? And what should you do next if you believe the speech you’re working on right now sounds boring?   I recently attended a […]

If you want to be a better speaker, don’t waste time crafting a set of remarks that takes 30 minutes to share when you only have a 15-minute speaking slot. Be honest and ask yourself early on: Do I have too much information to share?   You did it! You nailed a speaking opportunity at […]

Are you feeling stuck when it comes to public speaking? If so, you might be in your own way. Read on to discover how to improve public speaking by doing one simple thing to get out of your own way – and stay out of your own way – the next time you speak.   […]

Are you working on a speech right now – but struggling to nail down your message? If you want to be a better speaker, and begin to master the art of public speaking, do a little exploration first so you can decide with confidence what your message needs to be.   This month I got […]

In-person events are back! Unfortunately, so are some of the bad habits speakers fall into when they fail to prepare well for public speaking. If you want to become a better speaker, check yourself against these seven bad habits. Which ones do you need to break?   If you’re like most people these days, your […]

The first question I get from executives looking for a speechwriter is this: “How do you work?” If you’re an executive wondering about the process – what it’s like to work with a speechwriter instead of writing an entire speech by yourself – read on.   “I love our process!” a speechwriting client told me […]