Public Speaking: Comic Verse

Often a short poem will illustrate your point better than hours and hours of talk. Poems can be inspiring and motivating as well as funny, and they also add variety to your presentation. You must flawlessly memorize any poetry you use. Any stumbles will ruin the effect of the verse. If the verse is long, you may want to consider reading it, but total memorization will have more impact. Poetry, whether funny or not, should be used sparingly in any business presentation.

Public Speaking: Caricature, Cartoons, and Comic Strips

When certain prominent features of something or someone are highlighted and other features are diminished, that is called caricature. Studies have found that it is easier to identify a political leader from a caricature than from a real photograph.

Public Speaking: Alliteration

When you are speaking in public, humor need not be knee slapping funny to be effective. Here is a mild form of humor to add to your public speaking engagements. Alliteration is the repetition of the same first sound or the same first letter in a group of words or line of poetry.

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: 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: Cool Color Commentary

Flip Chart Color... Permanent markers give the most vivid color but dry out faster if you leave the cap off. They also frequently...

How to be a Great Speaker without Using PowerPoint

RESEARCH YOUR AUDIENCE It amazes me how some speakers will show up for a speaking engagement and really not know anything about the audience they are speaking to. Many speakers just get lazy and feel that their message is so important that anyone would want to hear it. They couldn't be more wrong. Your core message may be about the same for everyone, but knowing your audience will allow you to slant the information so that the audience feels it was prepared just for them. They will relate much better to the information and think much more highly of you for creating something specifically for them. Of course, in many cases you were only slanting your information, but I won't tell if you won't.

Investing in Your Professional Development

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

Top 5 Ways To Demolish Performance Anxiety

Have you ever found yourself performing on stage and the person in the front row is tapping his feat and you wonder whether you’re maintaining the beat? As you are looking around, do you see a few people whispering and chatting away to each other? Do you get worried what they are discussing? Perhaps your image isn’t right – your hair has moved out of place, or if you’re singing, your voice is a little croaky. If you’re wearing a trouser, do they see your zip undone? Maybe they are discussing how strangely your talent is showing through? Or are they commenting on what you’ve missed out?

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...

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!”

How to Avoid Audience Saturation

The elements of an effecive speech and how to deliver it.

How to Become a More Entertaining Speaker

How to inform and entertain your audience...

One Big Idea: The Keep-it-Simple One-hour Workshop Principle

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in creating a workshop to build your visibility and promote your business is the same mistake some of us make when going on vacation - overpacking.

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!