When my brother, Robert Fripp and I were little, if our mother was upset or frustrated, she would swear by saying, “Sugar” or “Spit.” All the emotion without teaching her two sweet, innocent children ‘naughty’ words. Recently, I watched the Michael Smerconish talk show. He discussed the rise of swearing in political ads and even […]
Read More...How to Use a Teleprompter Without Sounding Like You’re Reading
When I coach executives and high-level conference speakers, one of the most misunderstood tools on stage is the teleprompter. Many of my clients speak at major conferences, where their speech is fed to a teleprompter positioned high enough that the audience barely notices. That is very different from staring down at a confidence monitor. In […]
Read More...When Brilliant Executives Suddenly Need Presentation Skills
I am frequently asked how I work with executives who are exceptional at what they do and have never had the time, opportunity, or need to improve their presentation skills. Until. A new position. Higher visibility. And a mandatory 45-minute presentation to senior leadership and the board of directors. Now the stakes are high. The […]
Read More...Why Coming to America at 20 With $500 Seemed Like a Good Idea
January 18 is my personal anniversary. It is the day I arrived in the United States. When people ask, “Why did you come to America at age 20 with no job, no contacts, and $500?” my honest answer is, “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” And it did. At that point in […]
Read More...Enjoy the Results When You Maximize the Power of Well-Chosen Words
Recently, I was interviewed by my NSA colleague Shannon J. Gregg, PhD, for her Life Sciences Sales Lab podcast, and she asked a question that took me straight back to the early 1990s. “Patricia, when was the first time you coached a scientist?” That honor goes to my next-door neighbor, Mike Powell. In the mid-1990s, […]
Read More...Your First Step is to Think
It is never too early to begin thinking about a speech. Before they meet me, many of my corporate clients believe “preparation” starts the week before the presentation. Some believe it starts the night before. Too many believe it starts when they open PowerPoint. That is not preparation. That is assembly. A powerful presentation begins […]
Read More...Design Your Best Year Ever: How High Performers Turn Intention into Income
Every December, I hear the exact phrase from talented professionals and speakers: “Next year is going to be my best year ever.” Naturally, I am one of them! However, I am smart enough to know that hope is not a strategy. High performers do not drift into exceptional years. They design them. If we want […]
Read More...The Appalling State of Applause
The Appalling State of Applause At the National Speakers Association, we joke that everyone—including the salad chef—gets a standing ovation. Funny, yes. Accurate, no. Most conferences are far more restrained. My other association family is the Professional Speechwriters Association, and this year’s conference was one of the best I have ever attended. Early on, we […]
Read More...When You Open Your Presentation This Way It Is a Certain Crowd Pleaser
Do you want your audience to lean in from your very first sentence? One technique that works with many presentations is to begin with a surprising statistic or a little-known fact that makes your audience think, “Really? Tell me more.” Many of my speech coaching clients are leaders, engineers, and technical experts. Buried deep in […]
Read More...Memories of a Motivational Speaker
Perhaps you can relate? After forty years in the same home, I finally decided it was time to tackle my office. Yes… the drawers, the boxes, the files I promised myself I would “get to one day.” That day has arrived, and with it comes a mixture of nostalgia, discovery, and a surprising sense of […]
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