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: 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: How to Make a Point with Humor

One of the old saws of public speaking says that you should 'Tell em what you're gonna tell 'em. Tell 'em. Then tell 'em what you told 'em.' When you want to make a point during your presentation, you can use a similar formula. You tell 'em the point, illustrate the point, then tell 'em the point again. This formula, however, can seem boring and redundant if you don't spice it up a little. One way to do it is to use humor. Here's the formula:

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: 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.

Investing in Your Professional Development

Learning about your niche subject is an necessary, on-going process well worth the investment of time and money.

The Top 10 Mistakes Most Speakers Make (and how to avoid them)

Getting people laughing is much easier than it looks. However, there ARE some mistakes people often make – that cause humor to die an untimely death. Here they are and what you can do about them:

The Power of Pause

One of the most essential tools any speaker can learn how to use effectively is the power of knowing when to pause.

A Speaker's Lesson Learned

How the set-up of the hall can impact on the quality of your presentation.

How to Read Your Way to Speaking Success

How to become an expert in your field and then speak your expertise for fantastic fees.

Finding the Right Quotation for Your Paper or Speech Online

Give your speech or presentation aplomb or ‘oopmh’ by adding a couple of good quotes from reputable or famous people. Funny quotes often turn a dead speech into one that sticks. Try to find some good ones online...

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.

The 9 Pillars of Gesture for Public Speaking

To master the art of public speaking, you must have mastered the art of gesture. Here are the 9 pillars of gesture to speed you along your way to becoming a world-class speaker.

Conquering Public Speaking Anxiety

Making a speech in front, whether the audience number a hundred or just ten, qualifies as one of man’s greatest fears. This is why public speaking is one commodity that is quite rare right now for only a few manage to conquer the anxiety that accompany every speech.

Talk About Confidence

If you are new to public speaking and wondering when or if you'll ever get past your nerves, this article will inspire you to reduce your mental chaos to a simple equation.