Here’s a public speaking challenge that may sound familiar to you: I speak clearly in casual conversation, or when I’m under pressure and “on.” It’s those in between times where I tend to rush and blur my words. There’s an answer to this dilemma that’s simple, although not always easy to apply: If semi-pressured Read More
Presenting: You and Your Audience
Presenting a Talk? Remember, There’s NO SUCH THING as a Big Audience!
It recently occurred to me that, from a certain perspective — that of your audience — there’s no such thing as a big crowd. From your point of view as a presenter, it looks like you’re talking to a lot of people. Most of us, when we speak to a group, are acutely aware of Read More
Public Speaking Tip 67: Give Your Smile Muscles a Workout
I never thought much about smile muscles until a recent exchange. I was working in a Manhattan video studio, coaching IBM sales leaders on how to deliver selling tips by video; and on our first morning at work, one of the cameramen came up to me and said, How can you talk and smile at the same time? I’d never thought about Read More
Public Speaking Tip 55: If Your Job Involves Serving the Public, Talk WITH Your Customers, Not AT Them (or: A Tale of Two Servers)
What does customer service have to do with public speaking? Everything — because you’re literally speaking to the public. But public speaking isn’t about talking at people; it’s about listening to and engaging the public you serve, whether they’re in your audience or at a table in your restaurant. Before Talking to Your Customers, Observe Them and Prepare to Listen The other day, my partner Read More
Public Speaking Tip 48: For Public Speaking Success, Keep the Glass Half Full of Honey, Not Vinegar
You know the expression about seeing the glass as “half empty” versus “half full,” right? “Half full” people tend to be cheerful and optimistic, sometimes to a fault. “Half empty” people, like me, sometimes want to strangle them. How about this one: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Leaving aside the Read More