Articles
everything I know about public speaking, elevator pitches, and communication just for you
The art of bullshit (or how to convince others when you don’t know what you’re talking about)
"You can fool some people some time, but you can't fool all the people all the time" - Bob Marley (quoting Abraham Lincoln) There is good bullsh*t and bad bullsh*t. Bad bullsh*t is the way my dear son sounds when he's trying to cover up some misdemeanour. His...
Nervous about public speaking? There’s really only one cure
From the first moment that humans could communicate, we've been speaking in public. From the second moment, we've been nervous about it. Google 'public speaking' and a large proportion of the results returned will be about the fear of public speaking, public...
5 counter-intuitive ways to win your next argument
Secure in the knowledge that my wife doesn't often read my blog posts, this is undoubtedly the most emotionally manipulative and underhand how-to guide (on how to win arguments ) that I'm ever likely to produce, so a couple of caveats before we begin: 1) Don't share...
The worst speech ever given, seriously! And 3 great things you should copy from it.
If you haven't yet seen this Elevator Speech by Phil Davidson (running for Stark County Treasurer for the Republican Party in 2010), watch it now. You won't be disappointed. It is undoubtedly the worst speech ever given in the history of human communication. Ever! So...
The Quick Communication Quiz. 10 Questions. Multiple Choice. What’s your score?
It's only 10 questions. Yes, you could just google the answers but where's the sport in that? Have a go. Be honest, and say your score. (and if this convinces you to start improving your public speaking, you should check out my new webinar: How to become an...
The 5 Primary Principles of PowerPoint Presentations to help you create slides your audience will love
'People who know what they are talking about don't use PowerPoint' - Steve Jobs You walk into the meeting room and you notice the white screen pulled down, projector on, and middle manager Johny stands beaming with clicker in hand. Suddenly it dawns on you... It's...
Speech ready! Now, what do I do with my hands?
You know what you're going to say. Slides are done; notes typed; and you've practised til you know your speech almost by heart. But the question still nagging at the back of your mind is: What do I do with my hands? Surprisingly, this remains one of the most common...
The 5 Habits of Highly Charismatic People (or how to communicate with charisma even though you’re not a movie star)
There's nothing quite like Charisma! Difficult to describe and impossible to define, still we know it when we see it. It's the man with the magnetic aura that shifts the dynamics of any room he enters without saying more than a few words; it's the woman with the easy...
Why, when, and how to use storytelling to get what you want.
When he was in Year 2, my son had a particular piece of English homework that was giving him trouble - copy down 5 sentences from any passage without making a mistake. I picked a random passage from the newspaper and set him to work. But try as he might (and my son is...
Celebrity Speechmatch Round 1: Churchill v King: Who wins?
IT'S CELEBRITY SPEECHMATCH! In the Blue Corner: Winston (Bulldog) Churchill In the Red Corner: Martin Luther (The Reverend) King Best known for (Churchill): Winning WWII Best known for (King): Changing America Celebrity Name if they got married: ChurKing Their...