Public speaking

One of the little known concepts of public speaking is anchoring. Think of anchoring as a way to "mark your territory" as you speak. The act of repeatedly using that anchor helps your audience remember what you say.

Have you ever tried to create a speech, but the ideas just didn't seem to jell? You know, they seem good enough, they support your message, but they just don't go together.

When preparing your speech, it helps if you know what type of speech you want to create. There are four types of speeches:

I recently was asked to watch and to comment on the speeches of two people. Both speakers were vastly different in their approach and in their content, however both displayed the same type of problem in their delivery.

In today's newsletter, I will teach you one of the most important aspects of public speaking.

In today's newsletter, you will learn one of the most important aspects of public speaking.

Which of the preceding statements do you find most appealing? Why?

Take a moment to think about it before reading on.

Do you live or die by PowerPoint? If your PowerPoint presentation fails, what are you going to do?

PowerPoint is a tool, and should be used as a means to enhance your presentation. Too often PowerPoint is the presentation.

Are you one of those people who is afraid to use humour “because I'm not funny?” Bah! Humbug! Who said you had to be funny in order to use humour?

Humour is one of those apparently mysterious beasts, whose behaviour does not entirely depend on you; it also depends on your audience.

Does the thought of someone objecting to some parts of your presentation make you feel uneasy?

Do you dread the question and answer (Q&A) session, because you are not sure you will always have the answer? 

Many speakers share these fears, so don't feel bad if you are one of them.