Speeches and presentations

Even “ordinary” speeches call for effective leadership communication techniques. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Budget 2020 speech offers concrete ideas and inspiration for CEOs and business leaders everywhere.   Nations and businesses worldwide are opening back up – albeit slowly – after months of strict lockdowns since the coronavirus began traipsing across the globe. […]

Don’t give in to temptation. All those digital tools available for your virtual keynote presentation should complement – not replace – time-tested methods to engage and persuade your audience.   No doubt you’ve been attending virtual events these days. Perhaps you’ve even delivered a virtual keynote presentation as more business is conducted online. Around the […]

The fate of your keynote speech has been up in the air for weeks, and today you finally got the word: That association meeting or annual conference you were eagerly anticipating will now be a virtual event because the coronavirus remains a threat.   What does that mean for you and your keynote speech? You […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your presence when you speak in public:   1. Are you using your bio as your opening (“but first, a little bit about me”)? Inexperienced speakers sometimes bait and switch: They open by tempting the audience with the promise of a fascinating topic – […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your message when you speak in public:   1. Are you being unclear about your purpose? If you can’t state in one sentence the purpose of your talk, you’ll find yourself including information that does not connect, is irrelevant or both. The fix: Take […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your style when you speak in public:   1. Are you failing to reveal a little bit of yourself and your personality to the audience? As humans, we crave connection. The moment you reveal something about yourself to your audience is the moment you […]

Use this checklist to determine if you are making mistakes with your voice when you speak in public:   1. Are you mumbling? If you mumble, you may be perceived as not credible and not competent (plus, you’ll frustrate your audience). The fix: Practice enunciating every word you say.   2. Are you talking too […]

Want to motivate yourself as a public speaker? Read motivational speeches that inspired action. This is part five of a five-part series showcasing speeches throughout history that changed the world.   SPEECH: “A Great People Has Been Moved to Defend a Great Nation” SPEECH DATE: Sept. 11, 2001 SPEAKER: George W. Bush BIG IDEA: We have […]

Want to motivate yourself as a public speaker? Read motivational speeches that inspired action. This is part four of a five-part series showcasing speeches throughout history that changed the world.   SPEECH: Women’s Strike for Equality SPEECH DATE: March 20, 1970 SPEAKER: Betty Friedan BIG IDEA: On the 50th anniversary of the day when women got […]

Want to motivate yourself as a public speaker? Read motivational speeches that inspired action. This is part three of a five-part series showcasing speeches throughout history that changed the world.   SPEECH: “A date which will live in infamy” SPEECH DATE: Dec. 8, 1941 SPEAKER: Franklin D. Roosevelt BIG IDEA: We are in danger. It is […]