Speeches and presentations

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 […]

Want to motivate yourself as a public speaker? Read motivational speeches that inspired action. This is part two of a five-part series showcasing speeches throughout history that changed the world.   SPEECH: “The luckiest man on the face of this earth” SPEECH DATE: July 4, 1939 SPEAKER: Lou Gehrig BIG IDEA: I am grateful for the […]

Want to motivate yourself as a public speaker? Read motivational speeches that inspired action. This is part one of a five-part series showcasing speeches throughout history that changed the world.   SPEECH: “Give me liberty, or give me death!” SPEECH DATE: March 23, 1775 SPEAKER: Patrick Henry BIG IDEA: We can no longer hope for peaceful […]

Are you getting ready to speak in public for the first time? Or perhaps you speak in public now and then but would like a fast refresher on how to make your next speech come off poised, polished and professional? Here’s your quick and easy guide to effective public speaking – complete with nine simple […]

If you deliver a keynote as part of a larger meeting or conference, sending out a quick survey right afterward is a great way to begin judging whether your message has begun to resonate with your audience. After the surveys come back, it’s well worth your time not only to review the quantitative results but […]

Speakers deliver motivational speeches for one reason: to provide the insight, guidance and encouragement people need to achieve a defined goal.  For a B2B company, that goal might be taking risks to innovate and then launch an exciting new product – or responding fast to build on momentum gained in a niche market. But unless […]

Every speaker I know wants to write and deliver an award-winning speech. But what makes a speech award-winning? The best of the best? Worthy of recognition or a prize (like a standing ovation, perhaps)? It boils down to three simple things: An award-winning speech innovates. An award-winning speech communicates. An award-winning speech resonates. Let’s dig […]

Have you ever heard a speaker say this? “Today I’m going to share a lot of information with you about Topic X, and I apologize in advance for throwing so much stuff at you all at once – but it’s all very important.” Yikes. Sharing a lot of “stuff” without a clear message or main […]