YOU as a Public Speaker!

Tips on Public Speaking

Public Speaking: Give Me a Brake

... a mental brake that is. Here are some mind tricks when you speak too fast.

Public Speaking: Bounce Around

When you have all managers or all executives, it is relatively easy to hone in on their interests and concerns...

Public Speaking: Lay Down the Law

Lay Down the Law: Getting everyone to agree to your plan in the beginning puts enormous peer pressure on an individual violating any of the rules...

Public Speaking: Equipment Photographs

I've talked about this tip before, but ran into the same situation again this month while doing a public speaking engagement in Morocco. The primary languages there are Arabic and French. Just arranging for an overhead projector was very difficult.

Public Speaking: Places are Funny

Some places are simply funnier than others. Cleveland is funny. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is funny. I live just off Goodluck Road. That's funny. My computer consultant used to live on Easy Street in Temple Hills, Maryland. That's funny. It was hard to find him because people were always stealing the sign, and it's not easy to steal an Easy Street sign.

Public Speaking: Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is the placing, side by side, of two ideas or items usually for the purpose of comparison or contrast.

Public Speaking: Callbacks

If you refer to a word or phrase you mentioned earlier in your presentation, that's a 'callback.' It works well if the previous piece of material got a good laugh, or if it was a groaner. If the previous material was good, mentioning it again will get more laughter and will make you look polished for being able to tie the previous material to the present material. If the previous material was poor, the callback will show your willingness to tease yourself, which is an admirable quality the audience appreciates.

Public Speaking: Ads

You can concoct fake ads, or use real ads that are funny in your public speaking engagements. They can be read aloud, projected, or distributed as handouts.

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: 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: 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: Why Use Humor?

Why should I bother using humor in my public speaking? Can't I just deliver my information and sit down? You sure can and that's what most people do. The problem is that most people are not effective public speakers. They are nighty nite, snooze inducing, say your prayers, hit the sack, unlicensed hypnotists. They are ZZZZZs presenters. They might be experts in their field and be able to recite hours and hours of information on their topic, but is that effective?

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: 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.