Episode 107 — Purpose in the Palm of Your Hand

    2-Minute Tip: Don’t Memorize   Memorizing your speech is generally a bad idea. You want to internalize it, not memorize it.   There are 3 main problems with memorizing your talk.   First, it’s a lot more nerve wracking. Second, if you forget a part you’re more likely to get stuck and freeze. Third, your audience wants you to be real.   You want to practice and prepare…

Episode 093 — 18 Public Speaking Tips

    2018 has been a great year for 2-Minute Talk Tips, and I got to talk with some amazing people from around the world for the show, This week, I pull together the initial tip from each guest into a single episode. If you want to listen to the whole episode each tip came from or explore the guest’s background, click in the link below.   Episode  Guest Tip…

Episode 092 — Greet Your Audience and Meet Dave Jackson

      2-Minute Tip: Greet Your Audience   A lot of speakers pace back stage or pound coffee or try to deal with nerves in other ways before going out to speak.   Instead, go out into the audience as folks are arriving, and greet audience members. Have a brief chat to get to know folks. This accomplishes a few things.   It gives you something to do and…

Episode 090 — Get on Stage and Meet Donnie Boivin

  2-Minute Tip: Get on Stage More   Ultimately, the most important way to get better as a speaker is to speak more. Find more stages and get on them. Reach out to local clubs and service organizations who are always looking for speakers in your community. Theses gigs may not pay anything, but especially when you’re starting out as a professional speaker, you need to get in the stage…

Episode 084 — Control the Lights and 9 Ways to Get More Speaking Time

  2-Minute Tip: Control the Lights   An important part of room setup is the lighting. You want folks to see you and any visual aids you are using without straining them selves so lighting matters. What does good lighting look like? Well, it depends.   If you are using a data projector, you likely need to minimize sunlight and dim the lights near the screen while keeping the rest…

Episode 083 — Note Something Interesting and The Six Ps of Presenting

2-Minute Tip: Note Something interesting Everyday   It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we are not creative. Or that we have nothing to say beyond the basics of our message. Or that writer’s block is impenetrable. Or that we are just going to bore our audience.   That can happen because we take our own experiences for granted. We think our lives are just boring or normal….

Episode 081 — Be Alive and Meet 16-Year Old Entrepreneur Bilal Moin

  2-Minute Tip: Be Alive   When giving a talk, focus less on scripted words, especially those scripted by someone else. Speak instead from you mind, from your heart, and from your soul. When you do that you can fully engage the ethos, pathos, and logos you need to make a compelling argument. Post Tips Discussion: Meet Bilal Moin   Bilal Moin is a 16-year old student and entrepreneur from…

Episode 067 — Poll the Audience and the Power of Limits

2-Minute Tip: Poll the Audience   A simple way to increase audience engagement and inter action is to poll the audience. Ask them if they’ve had some sort of experience, like dealing with a tough customer or a misunderstanding with a boss. You already know the answer (probably) so you can use that to lead right in to your next point.   When you poll the audience be sure to…

Episode 066 — Practice in the Shower and Meet Mario Porreca

  2-Minute Tip: Practice in the Shower   The shower can be a great place to practice your talk. It’s a comfortable, warm environment. You don’t need to pay too much attention to your other activities. You are less likely to be distracted by other folks and tasks. In general, the environment really helps you shift your mindset in a way that allows you to mentally prepare and visualize yourself…

Episode 064 — Talking Points and Don’t care

2-Minute Tip: Prepare Talking Points   It’s one thing to plan your presentation when you are leading the discussion. It’s another when you’re not. During informal presentations like interviews and panel discussions you may not be driving the whole discussion. That’s why you need to prepare talking points ahead of time and review them before the talk.   Pick 2-3 key points you want to make during your limited time….