Ep 136 — Be Brave and Commit with Heather Vickery

2-Minute Tip: Be Your True and Honest Self We talk a lot about authenticity because it matters. And while it may seem daunting, it can actually make things easier. When you don’t try to fake it, you don’t waste brain cycles and energy trying to maintain a façade. There are 3 questions to ask yourself when you prepare to talk to an audience: Who are you really? What do you…

Episode 114 — Speaking, Training, and ROI with John Rohe

2-Minute Tip — Remove Filler Words Filler or crutch words are the bane of many a speaker’s existence. The ums, ahs, likes, verys, you knows, and more clutter up our talks and conversation so much we don’t even notice them. They waste time, annoy the audience and distract from your message. So get rid of them. Easier said than done. One technique is to have a friend or colleague listen…

Episode 108 — Digital Marketing Meets Public Speaking

    2-Minute Tip: You Know Your Stuff   Experienced speakers still feel anxiety and nerves before getting on stage, but there are a couple thing you can remind yourself of before you start speaking.   First, you know your stuff. The reason you earned that stage is that you are a subject matter expert (SME). You’re likely speaking about your work or your passion. Or you’re presenting material you’ve…

Episode 106 — A Life of Learning and Colorful Shirts with Richard Flint

  2-Minute Tip: Create a Presence   Live everyday to create a presence that has presence when you’re not present.   As a speaker, in order for your message to have impact, it has to be something that sticks with your audience when you are not there. You can do that by being a powerful, memorable speaker.   But that’s not the only way.   Give clear guidance. Develop a…

Episode 105 — How Tantric Dating can make YOU a Better Speaker! (Not Really)

      2-Minute Tip: Use Click Bait-ey Titles   When you need a title for your talk, take a lesson from all those click-bait titles you see on Facebook and other social platforms. Make it short, compelling, and maybe a little edgy.   When you promise a talk with the “5 Secrets to Successful Penguin Petting,” you also have a built-in structure for your talk that will keep you…

Episode 102 — Life Mapping with Tim Pahuta

  2-Minute Tip: Scientist-Philosopher-Author   To grow as a speaker, develop your path along 3 aspects. This is a framework you can use immediately to become more effective quickly.   You have to be a scientist, a philosopher, and an author.   Be a scientist and conduct experiments in your preparation and on stage. Figure out what works for you. What is the right level of energy? What gestures feel most…

Episode 100 — Rock on with Pat Roque

hk     2-Minute Tip: Evaluate and Connect     Create a scoring sheet for your audience members, and ask them to complete in at the end of the talk. In the Learning and Development field, we call these smile sheets, and they are the first step in figuring out if training is effective.   In a speaking context, they can be a little different. One approach is to build…

Episode 097 — Use a Take-Away and Meet Danielle Roberts

    2-Minute Tip: Increase Attendance Retention with a Take Away One challenge with webinars and live sessions is keeping folks around until the end, especially if the material is on the dry side. To help folks stick around, let them know that at the end you’ll have a give-away for them.   It could be something as simple as a collection of other resources or websites. Maybe it’s a…

Episode 091 — Describe your Audience and Meet Phillip Andrew

  2-Minute Tip: Describe your Audience   Back in 2008,  Best Buy described 4 personae who represented their target customers. The even started designing different stores to appeal to Buzz, Barry, Ray, or Jill. They had detailed descriptions for theses archetypes.   I’m not sure if it’s the best approach for a big-box retailer, but it can help your talks.   It’s important to understand your target audience. Start by…

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…