Before I became a successful professional speaker and executive speech coach, I was one of San Francisco’s top men’s hairstylists.  As I said on 60 Minutes – and if you’re on 60 Minutes someday, you WILL tell EVERYBODY – “I used to work on the outside of peoples’ heads, now I work on the inside, […]

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More than any words you say in your keynote speech or sales presentation, your audience will remember what they “see” in their minds through your stories. No matter what our culture, we grow up feeling that hearing a story is somehow a reward – this is just one of the factors that make stories the […]

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John Palmer was the founder of the National Speakers Bureau and before that a well-known band leader. Brian Palmer, his son and now the President of the NSB is known as one of the most creative and ethical professionals in our speaking industry. As part of a recent interview with Brian these were his closing […]

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If you follow my blog you probably have heard me mention before that I have spoken at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference in past years. Ragan Communications publications are a wonderful source of information on communication – both in writing and speaking. The first time I spoke at their conference the opening speakers were Bill Clinton’s speechwriters. As […]

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Whether your goal is to deliver an effective business presentation… or to become an in-demand professional speaker your presentations must contain great content. Public speaking classes are full of tips on what to do with your hands, how to stand, and how to make eye contact. As important as mastering all of these public speaking […]

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I advise speakers to, “Edit out the words that have no meaning.” Thought you would be interested in this article from Ragan Communications by Rob Reinalda. Rob and I obviously agree that “specificity builds credibility.” Thanks Rob for your good work! Your pain is adding to my education… Patricia Fripp Writers, Purge These Redundancies! Today’s […]

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As an executive speech coach, I recommend that in preparing your presentation you record yourself and then listen carefully to find and eliminate all non-words, clichés and redundancies from your talk; these will only dilute your message and bore your audience! Lisa Braithwaite wrote this great article on “filler phrases” which appeared in Ragan Communications. […]

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If you are looking for the number one best way to make an impact with your speech –  the answer is simple. Customize! Be aware of your audience’s needs and concerns as you develop every aspect of your speech. Here is an overview of top techniques to customize your presentations. These techniques are used by […]

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