Posts Tagged ‘public speaking’
Practicing your speech in front of a mirror makes no sense
In the past four years, in addition to working with the hundreds of storytellers who have performed in our Speak Up shows, I’ve also been working on a fairly regular basis as a coach for other types of public speakers. I’ve assisted people with TED Talks. Helped corporate types prepare presentations. Advised professional storytellers and…
Read MoreAn important lesson for all public speakers, storytellers, and the poor souls who must conduct meetings
I love this church sign. I love it because it’s emblematic of one of the most important lessons for all public speakers and storytellers: Say less.Shorter is better.Fewer words rule. The 20 minute commencement address is almost always better than the 40 minute address. The 30 minute meeting is almost always more effective than the…
Read More13 Rules for an Effective (and Perhaps Even Inspiring) Commencement Address
I have been listening to a lot of commencement addresses over the past two weeks, and I’ve been a listener of commencement addresses for a long time. NPR’s The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever, with more than 350 speeches going back to 1774, is a good place to start. Many have videos of the speeches, and…
Read MoreHow I became a storyteller (and many other things)
These two circles say it all. I wanted to tell stories. I was afraid to tell stories. I didn’t know if I could tell stories. I was afraid to discover that I wouldn’t be able to tell stories. I knew that standing on a stage in New York City to tell stories meant exposing myself…
Read MoreStop saying that women are beautiful.
I was speaking at a conference recently. There were seven speakers in all – five women and two men. Each of us was introduced prior to our talk by one of the organizers. During the introductions of three of the five female speakers, the organizer mentioned the woman’s physical appearance. “… the brilliant and beautiful…”…
Read MoreA bungled MVP presentation demonstrates a truth about storytelling. Also, I’m available for hire, Chevy. And you need me. Desperately.
As part of Speak Up, our Hartford-based storytelling organization, my wife and I teach storytelling and public speaking to large classes, small groups, and individual storytellers. After watching the Chevrolet’s Rikk Wilde present Madison Bumgarner with the World Series MVP trophy, it’s clear that he could use our help. It turns out that Chevy received…
Read MoreWhat were the three most important decisions of your life?
A recent Quora question asked, “What were the three most important decisions of your life?” I’ve been debating this question for almost a month, and I have finally settled on three. While many decisions could have occupied these three spots, I decided to favor the toughest and most unlikely decisions of my life rather than…
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