Your Speaking Power

I love musicals so it’s not surprising that the first thought that comes to mind about effective presentation openings is , “Another opening, another show” from the musical, Kiss Me Kate. If you know the music, you know it’s bright, quick and it sets the scene–which is exactly what a good presentation opening does. Openings–especially [...]

In Part !, I explained the need to prepare, to know what you want to accomplish with this audience you’ll be speaking to, and how important it is to know them and involve them. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, you might want to check it our now. (Just scroll down to the post [...]

The number one way to improve your public speaking is…prepare. Though that may sound self-evident, believe me, it isn’t. As any good trial lawyer will tell you, preparation is the key to winning cases. Preparation is also the key to outstanding presentations—especially if you prepare the following way. The Questions First, research your audience. Who [...]

As you celebrate the Fourth of July this year, you might want to think about Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg– for two reasons: for the importance of his message; and for the format he used to construct that message. The structure of Lincoln’s presentation is simple, yet highly effective. First, he described the situation; Second, he [...]