The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Representation for Securing Paid Speaking Engagements

Get the answers from someone who has been booking speakers since 1982!

When Speakers' Bureaus Don't Call

Have you systematized the booking process? What do you do to get your telephone to ring? Do you have web traffic to your site inviting you to speak? Read on to see what you can do to attract speaking engagements!

Speech Rate Too Fast? Tips to Slow Down

A rapid rate of speech can result in poor comprehension by a listener. In sales that is particularly dangerous.

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!

How to Become a Successful Public Speaker?

Being a speaker is a challenging and rewarding profession. But speaker is not really a profession you go to college for and learn it from the ground up.

Everything You've Ever Learned about Public Speaking Is Wrong

Many myths about public speaking have been passed along from person to person over the years, and the one thing that is consistent about these myths is that the people who pass them along are still nervous about speaking. After facilitating over 200 public speaking classes and never having a single person fail to significantly reduce his/her fear of speaking, I had a dramatic realization. Just about everything I was taught about public speaking while I was in school and from well meaning peers and coworkers – WAS WRONG!

Speaking on the Funny Side of the Brain: Five Styles of Humor on the Platform - Which One are You?

Picture this: I enter a seminar room filled with seventy hostile supervisors. I have been hired to present on the topic How to Lead Group Meetings. None of them wants to be there. Their boss introduces me. There is no applause as I step up to the platform. I stand for a moment in silence as I study crossed arms and downturned faces. I say, “I’m here today to teach you The Seven Most Successful Strategies for Skipping Out of Seminars, and you obviously need help in this area.” Some light laughter. A number of arms uncross. Several faces look up. I list such topics as...

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

One way to overcome fear of public speaking is to be afraid and speak anyway. As stupid as this seems, it’s possibly the most reliable way to gain confidence in speaking. Be afraid, be nervous, be hesitant, but do it anyway.

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: Transitions

Most public speaking books will tell you to be a polished speaker you have to tie all your information together so it flows smoothly. You must lead your audience and alert them that slightly different, but related information is coming. This is called transition or segue (pronounced seg-way). LET ME STATE RIGHT NOW THAT I FULLY BELIEVE SMOOTH TRANSITIONS ARE A NECESSITY IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS SO BORED THEY FALL RIGHT OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND SMASH THEIR HEADS ON THE FLOOR.

Public Speaking: Say it with Flowers

A public speaking friend of mine had a deal with a local flower shop. When he had a program he would buy up all the fresh flowers that the flower shop could not sell. He got them for a really cheap price. The flowers were destined for the dumpster anyway so the florist was thrilled to get anything for them.

Public Speaking: Get Them In Fun

Don't do anything to take them out of in fun. Don't speak about controversial subjects like religion or politics and don't make unfriendly comments to audience members. If a problem occurs which must be dealt with, find an in fun way of doing so. For instance...

Public Speaking: Old Humor is Good Humor

Public speaking humor is only old if your audience has heard it before and if they remember it. Most people don't remember the exact details of jokes, one-liners, and stories. This is not contradictory to the fact that one of the uses of humor is to make your points more memorable.