NOTE: This post builds on the ideas discussed in Public Speaking Tip 98: For a Successful Presentation, Get Your Attitude Together Before You Prepare Your Speech and concludes with Public Speaking Tip 100: For a Successful Presentation, Go for What You Know with Your Audience. A lot of people don’t practice for big presentations because they “don’t have time.” But practicing doesn’t Read More
Practice Makes Perfect
Public Speaking Tip 85: Put Down that Editing Pen!
One of the classic public speaking dilemmas is how to balance the time you spend preparing a presentation (i.e., planning, writing, and editing it) versus the time you spend practicing it. This is a tough choice, because you almost never have enough time to devote to either of these activities, let alone both of them. Read More
Public Speaking Tip 73: Build Your Confidence and Public Speaking Success in 15 Seconds, Twice a Day
What if you knew that you could build your public speaking confidence and skills by doing an exercise that takes just 15 seconds, twice a day? You would do that, right? Well, first, here’s the exercise — and then I’ll explain how and why it works. Try This Confidence-Building Exercise. It Only Takes 15 Seconds! Stand in Read More
For Great Public Speaking, A Little Daily Practice Goes a Long, Long Way
One thing I learned during my years as a jazz vocalist is that a small amount of practicing, repeated regularly, trumps the occasional all-out push. And this is also true when it comes to accomplishing other big task like writing a novel, or developing your public speaking style, For example: The first draft of my novel, Read More
Public Speaking Tip 65: You Know You Should Practice For A Great Speech! But How??
I’ve written about the importance of putting down your editing pen and taking up the job of public speaking practice. (In the photo below, the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps are practicing in Weehawken, NJ.) If you don’t practice, you don’t get good. So you’re willing, right? But how do you do it? How Do You Do Public Read More