Why Do Professional Speakers Need Public Relations?

This article reviews the benefits that a speaker will receive when hiring a public relations firm. The article also discusses the benefits of public relations over advertising and advises why PR is the most efficient approach.

Challenge, Inform or Get Off The Stage - Presentation Skills and Powerful Public Speakers

The fear of public speaking keeps many professionals from taking a lead roll in the workplace. It shouldn't. With some basic do's and don'ts and practice, you can be a powerful public speaker.

Celebrities Have to Deal with Nerves Too!

TV makes celebrities look perfect during awards shows, TV shows or commercials they do. The reality isn't quite as glamourous. They sweat, they have nerves and they freak out just as much as we do... and here's an inside look!

Anxiety in Public Speaking

“I can’t believe I agreed to do this speech. Look at all those people out there! My knees are shaking, and my stomach feels like I just went over the top of a roller coaster. My heart is beating so fast and hard my tie is jumping. I just want to scream and run away!”

Public Speaking: Improvise Your Flipchart

Oops! I broke my own rules and did not follow a checklist on my last public speaking engagement. It was two minutes until start time and I realized there was no flipchart in the room. Oh oh!. Better think fast. I was not using an overhead projector either, so I could not simply write on a blank transparency. Now one and 1/2 minutes left . . .

Public Speaking: Dueling Flip Charts

Here is a very interesting way to use flip charts when public speaking. Put one on both sides of the stage and pop back and forth between them. You can have an audience member volunteer at each flip chart helping you record input from other audience members.

Public Speaking: Frequency Check

It is pretty common to have multiple wireless microphones going during the same public speaking engagement. The AV crew that sets everything up usually makes sure that they are all on different frequencies so that no cross over occurs. You should still double check it anyway. BUT WHAT ABOUT MICE?

Public Speaking: Heirloom Handouts

If you want your public speaking handout material to be kept forever, you must give each audience member a reason to keep it. I do this by strategically adding important reference material to EACH PAGE of the speaking handout. This material was picked specifically for that day's audience.

Public Speaking: Rule of Three

One of the most pervasive principles in the construction of humorous situations is the Rule of Three. You will see it used over and over because it is simple. It is powerful and it works (see I just used it there in a non-funny situation). Most of the time in humor the Rule of Three is used in the following fashion: The first comment names the topic, the second sets a pattern, and the third unexpectedly switches the pattern which is funny. Here's a few examples from brochures advertising my seminars:

Public Speaking: To Laugh or Not to Laugh... that is the Question

Some humor 'experts' say that you should not laugh at your own jokes and stories when you are speaking in public. This may work for some, but it is definitely not my style. When I'm in front of an audience, I'm having a great time. I'm there because I love humor and laughter and I love sharing it with the audience. I can't help laughing sometimes. I laugh at what I say. I laugh at what they say. I laugh at unexpected occurrences during the presentation. That's my style. I believe that to fully connect with an audience, you must be accepted as one of them. If I expect them to laugh, then I should laugh too.

Public Speaking: Mock Ups

To add some humor to your public speaking engagement you can make fake newspaper articles and headlines and book covers by using your computer software and printer.

Public Speaking: Acronyms and Abbreviations

You can use acronyms and abbreviations as a form of humor during a public speaking engagement. An acronym is basically a form of abbreviation where the letters of the abbreviation form a new word, i.e., HUD means the Department of (H)ousing and (U)rban (D)evelopment. There are many acronyms and abbreviations that are universally known such as the IRS and the CIA. There are many more that are unique to your audience. All you have to do to make them humorous for use in your public speaking engagement is to change one or more of the words that go with your well-known abbreviation or acronym.

Public Speaking: Anachronisms

A person, place, or event that is placed in a time period in which it does not belong is called an anachronism. For instance, Paul Revere riding a motorcycle or George Washington sitting in front of a computer would be anachronisms. You see advertising strategies using anachronisms all the time, especially around Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays and Columbus Day. I saw an ad for fluorescent light bulbs that had Thomas Edison working on a phonograph. The caption read: 'If Thomas Edison wouldn't have wasted his time on this (incandescent bulb), his phonograph might have been a CD player.'

Public Speaking: Fake Facts and Statistics

Stating falsehoods as if they are absolutely true is another fun way to play with the audience during a public speaking engagement. However, you must make the statements obviously false by your words and your facial expressions. When you use this technique in this fashion, you don't want to leave any doubt in the audience's mind whether you are being funny or not.