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July 2008 |
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Public Speaking Lessons from George Carlin. |
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Joey Asher
President's
Perspective |
George Carlin, who died late last month, taught us the “seven
dirty words that you can’t say on television”. If you
were paying attention, the counterculture comic also
taught us how to be a great speaker. He did three things
that we can all learn from: he took strong positions, he
spoke with passion, and he practiced a lot.
Carlin Always Took a
Position
Whether it was religion, government, business, or
sports, Carlin took a stand. That made him compelling.
Too often, I see speakers who, unlike Carlin, won’t take
a position. They’re afraid. As a result, their
presentations are dull and don’t help their listeners.
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Driving Employee Engagement in Times of Change, Speechworks Podcast
with Karlenne Trimble |
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Let’s say that your company has made a major change in
strategic direction. Or perhaps you’re changing the
compensation plan. Or let’s say that you’ve acquired a
new company.
If you fail to get employee buy-in and support, then the
change is doomed to fail.
Read More
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Beat Nerves at the Beginning of Your Speech. |
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To beat nerves, practice the first minute of your presentation three
times as much as the rest. If you practice the entire thing five
times, practice the first minute 15 times.
It’s critical to get off to a strong start. You’re nervous. And if
you stumble at the beginning, you’re going to go downhill from
there. But if you do well at the beginning, you’re going to relax.
You’ll gain momentum and you’ll do fine.
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Speechworks "Talking Points" Listed as Top Blog |
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Our blog “Talking Points” is getting recognized in the “blogosphere.”
We have been selected for listing on
Alltop, a web-listing that considers itself a
“digital magazine rack.” It’s a site for top blogs and
websites. We are listed in the “Speaking” category.
To view the blog, click here.
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How to Thank People at the Start of a Speech. |
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Several years ago, one of our coaches attended a speech
by the president of a major industry association. This
industry bigwig
was speaking about the state of his business. After
being introduced, he spent the first five minutes of his
20 minute speech thanking people for inviting him.
That’s a quarter of his speech! And it went downhill
from there.
It was a nightmare.
The problem, of course, is the “Thank yous” are wasted
time for the overwhelming majority of the people
listening. They want to hear what you have to say, not
who has helped you along your way.
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Public Speaking Tip from George Orwell. |
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“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When
there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared
aims, one turns … instinctively to long words and
exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.”
Those are the words of George Orwell, whose birthday
was late last month. Like Orwell, we at Speechworks are
strong believers in speaking simply and projecting
authenticity. That’s what we teach you how to do in our
communication skills workshops.
Read More
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