You’ve just NAILED your presentation, and to add value, you decide to include…questions-and-answers. Yes…the infamous Q & A SESSION! For many speakers, the Q & A has become the standard way to conclude their program, but that leads, interestingly enough, to a few QUESTIONS, four of which I’ll answer here…in a Q & A…
You’ve worked really hard planning and preparing for your presentation and you are READY! On the day of your presentation, you’re eager to educate, entertain and inspire the audience, none of whom have had a chance to meet you. You are confident that you will make an unforgettable first impression. Then your introducer begins……
Almost 20 years ago, our family took a vacation in Anaheim, California. Our children Andrene, Joel and David were then 17, 14, and 6 years old, and being in Anaheim, we HAD to ‘do the amusement park thing.’ As it turns out, my kids’ favorite ride is the ROLLER COASTER. Twists, turns, flips, jolts, jerks,…
“My speech is too long, but I really want the audience to hear everything I have to say!” That’s a sentiment that many speakers have expressed…particularly contestants in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, who MUST adhere to the time limit of [7:30] or face disqualification. Unfortunately, disqualifications have occurred several times at the highest level…
Several times in the past 50 years, I’ve heard the old adage, “Some things are better left unsaid!” It means that some thoughts SHOULD NOT BE VOCALIZED…usually because it could offend listeners or get the speaker in trouble. That may very well be true, but when you’re delivering a presentation…especially telling a story…that is NOT…
I’ve been a member of the National Speakers Association for more than 20 years and I try to attend their annual convention every summer. That’s where the stars in the world of professional speaking come out to shine; speakers like Mark Sanborn, Patricia Fripp, and the hilariously funny Jeanne Robertson. Other legends include the men…
Several years ago, I sat down for a leisurely breakfast with one of my favorite people on the planet…1994 World Champion of Public Speaking, Dr. Morgan MacArthur. I always enjoy our conversations because we discuss a range of topics from the inane to the sublime. Morgan makes me laugh…a lot…but he also makes me THINK.…
You have really been enjoying yourself at the party. Your neighbor and host, Deepak, has created a wonderful, celebratory atmosphere. You and 40 others share his joy as he sends his son Ram off to university, with a full-tuition scholarship, to study engineering. Deepak stands and taps the side of his glass with a spoon.…
On a visit to India a few years ago, my wife Andrea and I saw Krishna’s Butterball in Mahabalipuram, India. I could describe it as a large rock, and you could probably visualize it. However, if I were to say that Krishna’s Butterball is an IMMENSE chunk of rock, so massive that we were dwarfed…
In 1970, the film HERCULES IN NEW YORK was released, and it starred an inexperienced 22-year-old Austrian bodybuilder whose name was listed as ARNOLD STRONG “Mr. Universe”. It was the first film for the young man whose given name is Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film isn’t a critic’s favorite but it has become something of a…
WHO ARE YOU? In 2013, I had the privilege of visiting South Africa for the second time in six years. During my 10-day visit, I was asked to speak at several schools, from various economic and social backgrounds and these school visits confirmed one of my ‘Markisms’…a principle that I’ve been teaching for years…“your audience…
A recent Saturday provided some glorious weather. It was PERFECT for…doing yard work; at least I’m sure that’s how my wife Andrea saw it. In truth, cutting the hedges was MY idea, and it meant pulling out the extension cord reel to accommodate my electric hedge trimmer. The reel had been sitting atop a high…