The thing that holds us back the most in this world, is ourselves—at least what we think is us—the EGO! The reason is fear, and how the ego holds us back is through the struggle against being exposed to fear. The E-G-O is feisty and it claims that it simply doesn’t want you to get hurt.Gee, thanks! Sounds like a good thing doesn’t it? … Read More
Public Speaking Anxiety: Fear The INSTANT Fix!
Whenever you see someone offering INSTANT tips and tricks for overcoming the fear of public speaking, please do me a favor. Be vigilant. Extend your B.S. antenna and jab it squarely into the chest of the messenger. It’s non-sense. There is no magic pill that you can catapult down the hatch and in an instant be cured. There are methods that work, methods … Read More
5 “Don’ts” That Will Make You A Better Speaker
There are a ton of things that can either make you a better speaker, or not. And personally I think it varies from person to person. Some can get away with being theatrical and over-the-top. Others, not so much. Take slouching for example. This gets associated with a lack of confidence and being “unprofessional.” I would never advise anyone … Read More
How To Memorize A Speech When You’re Nervous
I recently stumbled on a Reddit thread in the Public Speaking section. The question was about memorization and being able to calm the body down.Here’s the question: Straight up, I don’t like the art of memorizing. I prefer knowing my content and knowing the points I want to cover. I suppose, technically, I memorize the points I want to cover and their … Read More
This Is How Your Internal Critic Is Hurting You
“You suck! You’re a failure! Why do you even try? All you do is make mistakes you loser! And you smell…”How would you respond to someone if they said those things to you? You’d probably return fire or even start throwing dukes around. Those are fightin’ words!So why the hell do we take that kind of crap from our internal … Read More
Is It Okay To Cuss Or Use Slang As A Public Speaker?
Most people naturally tend to talk to the audience as if they were talking to the Dalai Lama. They clean up their language. Not just holding back on “f-bombs” but also cutting out the “so-like-totallys” and any overt slang words or phrases. I can’t say that I disagree with this approach in principle. However, is it the best approach? And if so, … Read More
How To Use PASSION In Your Public Speaking
Recently I’ve been thinking about how to elevate my speaking game and it seems that every week I get a new idea for how to do just that. The latest one to cross my path was how to implement more passion. This is a topic I’m familiar with but I’ve since outgrown my original interpretation of what passion is. So, it’s time to reinvent. … Read More
The BEST Type of Feedback You Can Give
When you get feedback in general, it’s usually difficult to come to grips with it. Part of it depends on who is giving it, how it is being delivered, and one other thing that is particularly deadly: ambiguity Criticism or feedback can do more harm than good if the person receiving it doesn’t know what specifically to do in order … Read More
Tactical Talks TOP 5! The Best Public Speaking Articles On The Web – Vol. #15
ROUND 15 OF SCAVENGING BEGINS! Each month I will scour the interwebz looking for the best articles on public speaking.I’ll be looking for topics like these:Overcoming the fear of public speakingPresentation tipsBody language and other technical speaking tipsAnd anything in between…I’m looking for the interesting, the fascinating, the practical, and anything with worthwhile information to help you become a better communicator. … Read More
When “Easy” Is Dangerous
Procrastination is much easier than work, don’t you think? Let’s see…couch or strain my brain? Hmmm. Tough decision. Let’s face it, we all procrastinate at least sometimes. But the one thing that makes procrastinating even easier, is procrastinating on something we perceive as being “easy.” Because, you know, we can finish it right quick. A couple of personal experiences that … Read More