Those of you who don’t know my colleague Patricia Fripp are in for a treat. Fripp is a former President of the National Speakers’ Association, and is a member of their prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame. Not only is she… Read More »Guest Blog: Good Questions Uncover Value
My aunt and uncle just moved into a retirement community in New Hampshire. Going through their books, they found one my grandfather had given to my mother. The book is Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. “To Nancy, from Daddy,… Read More »Scientific and technical presentations: Wise Whys
Matt Latimer, a Republican speech writer for Bush and Rumsfeld, has written a very entertaining book called Speech*Less. In it, he chronicles his misadventures as an idealist in a palace of racketeers. Here he is describing the 2008 campaign from… Read More »A movement becomes a racket
A few years ago I attended my aunt’s memorial service, where anyone was invited to say a few words. I felt the need to tell a quick story that would remind everyone about her contagious enthusiasm for birds. No matter… Read More »Rehearsed vs. extemporaneous speaking
Define a problem that your audience faces. Then solve it. The human mind tends to fixate on problems: rubber-necking is a case in point. Presentations about problems have both emotional and intellectual appeal. The problem, well-defined, elicits our feelings; the… Read More »10 Commandments of Great Business Presenters
With the arrival and success of the TEDTalk, we are losing some public speaking distinctions. For example, what’s the difference between a speech and a presentation? I’m not sure if anyone cares, but I have always felt that each is… Read More »What’s the Difference Between a Speech and a Presentation?