When you speak, or give a presentation, do you videotape (easier to write than digitally record) yourself. Not for YouTube humiliation, or ego stroking, but for analysis of your performance.

What some people don’t realise is that they have physical distractions that manifest themselves when they are in front of a crowd. In some cases they have these even when they’re not public speaking. Read the rest of this entry

How to Learn Your Speech

Following on from my last post about memory, I thought I’d share with you a technique I learned last year (2008) for memorising a speech in 24 hours!! If you’re one of my British readers you’re probably thinking “Boll*cks, that’s not possible”. Well, it is because I’ve done it. TWICE.

Doesn’t matter whether you’re creating a funny presentation or not. This technique simply works. If you’re wondering how to learn a speech, you’re about to discover an absolutely great technique.
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“The man who writes out and memorises his talks is wasting his time and energy and courting disaster” – Dale Carnegie

During my development as a public speaker I have often wrestled with whether I should memorise my speeches or not. Read the rest of this entry

You’re in a room, giving a presentation that you know like the back of your hand, everything’s going well. And then the sun sets… and sunlight pours through the window and washes out your PowerPoint presentation. Argh! What to do? Draw the blinds! WHAT? There are NO BLINDS? Egad, now what?
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I was inspired to write this post after seeing a similar post on Lisa Braithwaite’s Speak Schmeak and remembering some of my own frustrations with this area. A lot of speakers I’ve seen this past year seem to have developed the “habit” of quoting information without citing any sources. Read the rest of this entry