FREE Public Speaking Class Jan 11 (Twin Cities)
Date: Monday, January 11, 2016 Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Location: Ridgedale Library (Minnetonka, MN) Link to reserve your seat (free event presented on behalf of District 6 Toastmasters) Speak with conviction and confidence! No matter the subject, you can capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. In this FREE, interactive class, you […]
FREE ebook: Public Speaking: A Very Short Course
Free Kindle Book: Public Speaking: A Very Short Course: 7 Lessons for the Classroom, for Workshops, or for Individuals Free until Saturday, 12/12/15! You don’t even need to have a Kindle–you can use a Kindle reader app or download a free Kindle reader for your pc. Book Description: This short course in public speaking will […]
Speaking of . . . Wardrobe Malfunctions
As I sat down in my seat at the conference, I glanced down and noticed that one of my buttons was unbuttoned on the front of my shirt. Not a big deal, right? Well, all I could think of was “how long has that been unbuttoned?” and, “I should have worn a nicer bra!” You […]
Familiarize. Don’t Memorize.
It was the summer of 2009 and I had eight, 45-minute presentations to memorize as a newly hired high school workshop speaker for a local college. The other new speakers and I had been given scripts for each of the presentations, with topics ranging from budgeting to sexual harassment, and had been told to follow […]
Not Just the Facts, Ma’am
“I just want to get the facts, ma’am,” Joe Friday (actor Jack Webb) famously implored when questioning women in the old TV police show, Dragnet. Joe Friday might have just wanted the facts, but your audience wants more. Sure, they want to know your material, but they also want to know you. They want to connect […]
Engage with Passion
My husband and I recently had a photo shoot with our 4 grandchildren. As you can see from the above photo with two of them, this was not the typical posed photo shoot. It was wild, with an overwhelmed 17-month old, who had just arrived with her mother from New York that day, almost-3-year-old twins […]
Why You Need an Accent Coach for Your Business
Do you have an accent? Even if you have lived in the U.S. all your life you likely have a regional accent. My regional, Minnesotan accent was clearly apparent to me last week when I spoke in Houston, Texas. Y’all know what I mean? If you have more than a slight regional accent, you may […]
Use a Phone Tripod Mount for Better Video
For a speaking engagement in Houston that I’m speaking at today, the meeting planner asked for a short promo video, which I shot with my iPhone and sent to her. She was thrilled with it, but I was less so. I had just held the phone up and did a “selfie” video. Apparently I can’t […]
15 Concise Strategies for Improved Communication (Book)
“Whether you are a beginner or have reached a roadblock, this book speaks to busy professionals who want concise communication strategies for work, public speaking, and social situations. These strategies include how to manage stress, conquer fear, communicate like a leader, sell, listen, evaluate and think critically.” So starts the back cover of 15 Concise […]
The App I Use in Almost Every Presentation
The app I use in almost every presentation is . . . a clock app. All it does is tell the time in really BIG digits. That’s all I want it to do. When you are presenting as a keynote speaker, or doing a breakout session or a workshop, the ending time of the presentation is what […]