Since I’m about to publish a novel called The Tattooed Heart — you can read the first chapter here — I’ve been thinking about love in all its guises, including vulnerability; and wondering what love has to do with public speaking. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: As a good (read: authentic and Read More
Presenting: You and Your Audience
Public Speaking Stories Come in Different Flavors
Everyone knows that stories have power, and business has begun to notice. So today, there are many great resources available — such as Thelar Pekar’s Applied Storytelling workshop — to help business and technical people make their points with stories as well as spreadsheets and schematics. One caution, though: If you’re telling your story to Read More
Use Your Public Speaking Strengths to Make Friends and Influence People
My friend Michael Rogers (“The Practical Futurist”) gives a lot of speeches every year. Recently, he went to speak “in the heartland,” and found that the guy who talked just before him was FOX “News” business journalist Stuart Varney. (I guess those quote marks give you my point of view!) Varney had a lot to Read More
Cathie Black Illustrates How To NOT Connect with Your Audience (Hint: Start by Insulting Them!)
NOTE: Even though this post is ancient history (2010!), it’s still a textbook description of how to not win friends and influence people. **** A Little Bit of Background Like most New York City public school parents, I was against Mayor Bloomberg’s appointment of Cathie Black — a publishing executive with no education experience — to be NYC’s Schools Chancellor. (Bloomberg’s first Chancellor, Joel Klein, Read More