Successful Speeches Blog. Tips on Public Speaking, Presentation Skills and How to Write a Speech

Public Speaking Tip: Dig Deeper

December 9, 2010

Although I don’t say much about it, my formative public speaking years were spent in a pulpit. At the tender age of 18, I scoured the scriptures and polished my public speaking skills in front of audiences who were older and wiser than I was. Why am I telling you this? Because I don’t want [...]

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Public Speaking: What is Speaking from the Heart – Part 2

November 10, 2010

In my last post, I included a video of Stacey Kramer giving a 3-minute speech at a TED conference. In her speech, Kramer recounted how a life-threatening condition can turn out to be a gift. If you haven’t watched it yet, make sure to check it out after you’ve read this post. Kramer’s speech answered [...]

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Sad News for Speechwriters: Theodore C. Sorensen Dies

November 1, 2010

One of the greatest names in American speech writing has passed on. Theodore C. Sorensen, the speechwriter who penned the speeches for JFK, died as a result of complications he suffered from a stroke. Sorensen was 82. If you’re not familiar with Sorensen’s work, the following article in The Washington Post serves as a good [...]

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What is Speaking from the Heart?

October 31, 2010

What does it mean to speak from the heart? What does it really mean? Does speaking from the heart mean you say whatever comes to your mind in the moment? Does speaking from the heart mean you don’t script what you want to say? Does speaking from the heart mean you don’t read your speech? [...]

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Public Speaking Event in Orlando

October 26, 2010

If you live in or near the Orlando area, I hope you’ll be able to join me and the Orlando Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators on November 3, 2010. I’ll be speaking on the topic of “How to Make Your Speech Sound Like Music to Their Ears”. You can find all the [...]

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Public Speaking Commentary: The Third Era?

August 18, 2010

I recently read a post by Olivia Mitchell called “Are You Ready for the Third Era in Presenting?” In the post, Mitchell makes some sweeping claims that still have me scratching my head. The first claim she makes refers to great orators of the past and the era of the orator in general. She claims: [...]

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Speech Writing Video: Successful Speeches Toolkit

August 12, 2010

The Oprah Winfrey reality show contest has come and gone without a call from Oprah, but my desire for being on camera has been rekindled. In the coming weeks, you’ll be seeing more videos from me on the topic of “how to write a speech” and “public speaking”. My first video is for my Successful [...]

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How Much Money Are You Losing Because of Poor Public Speaking Skills?

August 4, 2010

How much money are you losing because of poor public speaking skills and lack of preparation? How much credibility are you losing because your speeches are boring? How badly is the reputation of your organization suffering because the executives are simply horrible when they give a speech? I ask those questions because I attended a [...]

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Emotion in Speeches

July 29, 2010

I just came across this interview with retired professor of speech writing, Jerry Tarver. Tarver speaks from experience, not theory, so I enjoy hearing what he has to say. In this 13-minute video, he brings up some nuggets of wisdom that every speaker, speechwriter and communications professional will benefit from. Enjoy Share and Enjoy:

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Public Speaking Tips: Waiting For Fireworks

July 5, 2010

On Sunday night, I had the chance to witness 4th of July fireworks for the first time in my life. I couldn’t wait to test the “fireworks” setting on my new Kodak EasyShare Z915. As we waited for the fireworks show to start at Lakeshore Park in [...]

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