Public Speaking: PowerPoint and Politics
Do you use Powerpoint or similar slide production software in your presentations?
Do you think they improve or spoil your speech?
Have you sat through slide after slide of bullet points, which are then repeated verbally by the speaker? As a listener have you accepted an invitation to attend a “PowerPoint Presentation” with dread, prepared to be faced with screen after screen of bullet points, pie charts and flow schemes?
If so, you may agree with the views of one Mathias Poehm, an ex software developer turned speaker coach who is so anti PowerPoint that he has set himself up as a parliamentary candidate for his self formed political party called “The Anti PowerPoint Party (APPP) in the October Swiss Parliamentary Elections! Seriously! Read the rest of this entry »
Public Speaking Skills, an Excellent Example
As a pro-active speaker coach I make it my business to attend many seminars, lectures, discourses, presentations and speeches, and am always on the lookout for speakers who make best use of Public Speaking Skills.
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a seminar on Coaching, conducted by Gerard O’Donovan a well known motivational speaker who managed to keep his listeners informed, interested and motivated for the best part of nearly six hours.
How did he do this – especially as the vast majority of his audience were not listening to their native language? Read the rest of this entry »
Public Speaking Tips – Use Your Voice to Good Effect
Your voice is in many respects like a musical instrument and needs skill and practice if it is to be used well. As with many instruments if it is ‘played’ correctly it is a pleasure to listen to, if ‘played’ badly it can be a real ‘turn-off’! Here are a few tips to ensure that your audience enjoys their experience with you and remain tuned in right to the concluding comments. Read the rest of this entry »
Top Public Speakers Never Make these 10 Mistakes!
When you are starting out as a Public Speaker, you will benefit from listening to other established and experienced speakers and absorbing their methods and techniques. Public Speaking is a skill, and as such it is something that can be learned – and listening to good (and bad!) examples is one avenue of education. Read the rest of this entry »
How to use Eye Contact in Public Speaking
Many years ago I had a student who was rather nervous when making a presentation. (So, what’s new!) He said that the sight of a number of people all watching and listening to him totally threw him. To overcome this anxiety about public speaking he would find a visual target at the back of the hall, for example a clock or picture and look at it steadfastly for the duration of his talk! Read the rest of this entry »
Public Speaking – Start Them Young
I recently read an excellent article which showcased the awareness that some teachers have of the importance of Public Speaking and the advantage of starting at an early age. The Author, Gary Huerta, columnist with The Glendale News Press, drew on a family experience to show how some of our youngsters are getting the encouragement they need to become ‘Better Speakers’. He kindly gave me permission to post his article below.
I have highlighted some of the features that appear in other Blogs posted on this site, I’m sure you will find them helpful.
Public Speaking Challenge for Kate.
How will Kate, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, cope with one of the major challenges that come with the privilege of her new position – that of speaking in public? Read the rest of this entry »
Public Speaking Tips – Practice v Rehearsal
What is the difference between ‘Practice’ and ‘Rehearsal‘?
On the face of it, they sound similar, but both play an important role in helping you to produce a good presentation. Read the rest of this entry »
The Kings Speech – Oscar Winner!
I commented on the Film “The King’s Speech” a couple of Blogs ago and now see that it has lived up to expectations with 12 Oscar Nominations including actual awards for ‘Best Film’ and Best Leading Actor, Screenplay and Director. Apart from raising awareness about Public Speaking in general, it also demonstrated that stammering or stuttering can be overcome, (not always by the sometimes unusual ways advocated by ‘Dr.’ Lionel Logue!)
So take heart if you suffer from this particular problem, there is a way forward. As a victim early in my life, I would be interested to hear of your experiences and if a particular ‘cure’ worked for you. Please add your comment below, – I always read comments and they are often helpful to other readers.
The, ‘You Know’, ‘Like’, ‘Sort Of’, Syndrome
It seems that there is an epidemic of this infectious speech defect sweeping the world and affecting everyday conversation and Public Speaking alike. For some reason many people find it necessary to punctuate almost every phrase Read the rest of this entry »