The purpose of a speaker’s introduction is to establish their credentials, to create interest from the audience, and often to sell the importance of the subject to that audience at that time. Recently at a client’s conference, one of my roles and responsibilities was to introduce other speakers, all of whom I had recommended. A […]

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“Good structure gives you the confidence to be creative.” Patricia Fripp How often have you sat in an audience and been mesmerized by a speaker? Was it their compelling content? Were their stories scintillating? Were they able to reach out and grab you in such a way that you thought, “Wow, the speaker is talking […]

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The Secret of Conversation is to Ask Questions Your prospects and customers can give you important feedback, both directly and indirectly, but perhaps there is another great way to find out how you are doing. This is a blast from my past. After addressing a group of sales contest winners in Hawaii, I was on […]

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Want to Write Great Speeches?  I was invited to deliver the opening keynote speech at the Toastmasters International Convention in 2001. In this 10-segment series, you view the anatomy of a keynote presentation. 7 of 10 “I was working with a company in Petaluma that had hired me to work with all its marketing managers, […]

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This Episode Includes a Lesson from Great Comedians “In 2001, I was invited to deliver the opening keynote speech at the Toastmasters International Convention. In this 10-segment series, you will view the anatomy of a keynote presentation. Enjoy segment 6. “Now, think about that. That was a speech called ‘Opportunity Does Not Knock Once.’ “I […]

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Back in 2001, at the Toastmasters International Convention, I was invited to deliver the opening keynote speech. In this 10-segment series, you will view the anatomy of a keynote presentation. Segment 4 of 10. You will notice I have made comments on how I would give advice to the 2001 speaker, me! “You’re Toastmasters; you […]

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