Ready to jump into practice? Go directly to the exercise. We all make our words “pop” in casual conversations It’s natural, when we’re speaking to friends, to emphasize some of our words, so that they stand out from the overall sound of our speech. This often happens when we’re expressing strong emotions—excitement, anger, surprise, etc.—with Read More

Go to the exercise If the choice is between looking confident and feeling confident, most people will choose to feel more confident. The problem, though, is that we often don’t get to choose. Confidence is a feeling Like anger, fear, jealousy, or delight, confidence is a feeling. (That’s why we say, “I feel confident.”) And Read More

A “25 x 25 in ’25” Public Speaking Exercise [Go straight to the exercise] Have you ever had this experience: This often happens to women, but it can happen to men, too. How? Well, the person who took your shine might have more status, or be determined to make an impression (even if that means Read More

(Go straight to the exercise.) Why Would You Want to Pause Mid-Idea?? In a recent post, I showed you how to pause BETWEEN ideas.* One advantage of pausing between ideas is that people can finish taking in what you just said BEFORE they hear your next point. But the advantages of pausing don’t stop there. Read More

(To go straight to the exercise, click here.) The Value of Pausing in Music It’s past time I talked about Lorna Cooke deVaron. “Cookie,” as everyone called her (though not to her face :-)) was head of the New England Conservatory of Music’s choral department from 1947 to 1988. And when I attended NEC in Read More