“Perfect. Just Perfect.” Twisting a Serious Subject into a Tall Tale

Can death and drugs be funny?  That was my question as I created a tall tales speech for a recent Toastmasters Tall Tale Contest. Tall Tales Contest speeches are 3-5 minute speeches in which the subject “must be of a highly exaggerated, improbable nature and have a theme or plot.” My Tall Tales speech (video below), […]

How a World Champion of Public Speaking Uses Humor

Do you want to incorporate humor in your presentations? The recent Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Cyril Dim Junior, from Zimbabwe cleverly incorporated humor in his speech. You can see a short clip of his speech, and my analysis of his humor in the video below, which is part of a longer workshop I […]

Public Speaking Book only $0.99 for 100 Tips!

The 100 Tips and Tricks in this book are techniques and strategies I learned through my years of presenting and coaching speakers, and now through May 8, 2020, you can get the ebook for only $0.99. Here’s a sample tip (screen shot):

Book Launch Special $0.99 thru May 8, 2020

Get your confidence on!Get my latest book, 100 Tips & Tricks to Appear Confident in Presentations: Public Speaking Success in 5 Minutes or Less! for only $0.99 for the ebook on Amazon. The paperback is $9.99. Practical, Illustrated tips, one to a page, will boost your skills and confidence! Editorial Review: An easy to read, […]

9 Confessions of a Virtual Presentation Coach

Things are not always what they seem, a light-hearted look at a few “true confessions” that I’ll admit as a virtual presentation coach . . . Fake outfits. Sometimes (actually, usually), I don’t dress up as much for video calls as I would in-person.  You might think I do, because the part you see is […]

10 Signs of Toastmasters Addiction

I am the Immediate Past District Director for District 6, and the incoming Public Relations Manager for newly formed District 106. Clearly, I’m addicted to Toastmasters. You just might be an addict, too. Here are . . . 10 signs you have a Toastmasters addiction: 1. Inability to stop or cut back. “Just one more […]

How to Make a Boring Topic More Interesting

“You can talk about ‘Succession Planning’” said the person in charge of the conference.  My first thought was Ugh! That sounds boring! Fortunately, the allotted time for the topic was only 5-7 minutes early in the morning and the audience was a couple hundred positive Toastmaster club officers.  I challenged myself to deliver useful content, […]

The Call-Back: A Comedy Technique for Speeches

Would you like a simple speech technique that will create a closer connection with your audience, help them remember your material, and possibly get a laugh? Try using the “call-back.” The call-back is a stand-up comedy term that means to refer to an earlier joke that got a laugh. For example, at a recent Humor […]