Presentation coaches are often asked “Should I try to memorize a speech, or should I just go with an outline?” The answer, I am afraid, is “that depends”. Memorizing If you are delivering a speech in a public speaking competition, for example, you might want to memorize it – so that you get…
In Tip #1 last week, we spoke about how a long, rambling presentation was boring and painful – but what’s even worse is the presentation where the speaker hasn’t prepared. At first, the audience is embarrassed for the speaker – and I’m pretty sure that’s not something you want your audience to feel for you.…
For many people, when they are asked to make a speech or presentation (at work, at a life event, or in their community), they feel justifiably nervous. In fact, as Jerry Seinfeld famously riffed, some people suggest they would rather die than speak in public. Now, I don’t believe that it’s that bad – but…
What’s the difference between Mentoring and Coaching? Between Teaching and Training? How can we, as coaches, trainers, educators and mentors best serve those that we are helping? That’s one of the issues with John Maxwell’s Servant Leadership, of course (which I’ll address in a future Tuesday Training post) But its also something I’ve been…
Recently, I was asked to present a speech at Ignite Brisbane and so I chose to discuss the two ways we learn – and the two ways we teach. Ignite presentations, by the way, are where you give a presentation that lasts _exactly_ five minutes – and which is accompanied by 20 PowerPoint slides each…
As part of a tutorial for students in the Online Journalism subject that I teach (KJB222 at Queensland University of Technology) we were discussing ‘Listicles’ this week … brief stories that are essentially a short list of related ‘facts’ that make a semi-coherent story. I asked them for example of a topic they could use…
Background: I’m currently a member of four Toastmasters clubs, having rejoined Toastmasters in Brisbane, Australia, about two years ago. I was also a member of multiple other clubs in my previous Toastmasters membership, in the 1980s. But all those clubs, and three of my existing clubs, are ‘traditional’ clubs – in the sense that they…
