Speeches and presentations

Have you ever seen someone patch together material from two or three off-the-shelf presentations and call it a keynote? A colleague admitted this to me moments before her boss went on stage to deliver a presentation to a roomful of business people. My colleague told me she’d spent the past few days cutting and pasting […]

In a recent post on 10 big mistakes public speakers make on stage, I said it was important to work hard on a blockbuster ending that answers three questions:  In the end, what do you want your audience to remember? How do you want them to feel about what you said? And why does it matter? You can […]

Recently I was challenged by an executive who’d been rehearsing diligently ahead of his national keynote. We both knew the success of his 25-minute speech – and the resonance of his important message and call to action – depended 100 percent on his ability to deliver some crucial lines exactly right. We’d already been through […]

Here’s one of my public speaking pet peeves: Don’t tell us you’re going to speak for 5 minutes (and then go on to speak for 20). This happened at a huge event recently (and it got worse when the speaker kept asking if his 5 minutes was up yet). Yes, I know: The speaker was […]

Do you know how to get on and off the stage with grace when you’re one of several public speakers delivering remarks or making presentations? Here are three public speaking rules to ensure your next event flows seamlessly from one speaker to the next.   Rule 1: When you’re finished speaking, introduce the next speaker – and […]

Most people don’t realize how fast they’re speaking unless someone else brings it to their attention.  This is a problem because when people can’t keep up, they tune out.   Here are two reasons why you may be speaking too fast.   1 – You’re not thrilled with your content. If you lack confidence in […]

Will you be one of several public speakers sharing the stage at an upcoming business event? To avoid awkward moments at public speaking events and ensure your next program flows without flaws from one speaker to the next, take a moment to check in with the event planner before the big day. 1 – Look […]

The applause has ended, and your keynote presentation is over. How are you feeling? Did it go well? Could your keynote presentation have gone better? How do you know? Public speakers should always seek continuous improvement. Here are three simple things you need to do for yourself after you deliver your next keynote presentation. 1 […]

When you deliver a speech or presentation, everyone knows the first thing you say matters. But do you want to know the truth? The last thing you say matters even more.   Think about how you ended a recent speech.  Did you leave the audience feeling satisfied? Attracted to your Big Idea? Ready to act […]

When you’re preparing an important speech or keynote presentation, do you tend to default to one of these four opening lines? You begin with a long line of thank-you’s to people we may or may not know. You tell a joke you found online the night before. You share the process you used to prepare […]