Today’s audiences have very short attention spans. They are stimulation junkies with limited interest levels. Their television habits have coined a new term–channel surfing. With the advent of remote control no one watches anything that stands still enough to bore. Click, switch, fast forward, record and mute give them power over the medium. Sub-standard content, […]
Read More...Presenting Your Talk – For Business and Professional Speakers
The big day has come. You’re ready to deliver your talk. But there are still a few final things to do before you face your audience. Check in early. Arrive early so you can check out the logistics of the room in which you’ll be speaking. Where is the platform? Where will you be when […]
Read More...Preparing Your Talk: Developing & Delivering Your Speech
One of the best ways to promote your product or service and expand your customer base is also one of the cheapest. Interested? It’s public speaking. I know this from first hand experience. When I started out, I had no public speaking experience, but I studied what the professional speakers did. What I learned from […]
Read More...Avoid Clichés – Like the Plague
Whether you’re writing or speaking, clichés will weaken your message and cause your audience to tune out. Here are Fripp’s Four Foolproof Tips for making your point: You MUST use original material. The audience will forgive you ANYTHING but being boring. If someone else has already said it, say it in a completely different way. […]
Read More...How to Present to a Board of Directors
Gail was the Association Executive when I was president of the National Speakers Association. We planned the board meetings ahead of time at a health spa in Palm Springs. We would exercise in the morning, plan in the afternoon. The tough job for an Association Exec is that they have a new president every year, […]
Read More...How to Get Great Evaluations Every Time… Ask!
Ask for great evaluations in advance! Whenever you deliver seminars or break-out sessions, greet the attendees at the door and shake their hands. Start your presentation by asking the audience what they want and expect from their time with you. What ingredients are needed before they can rate you excellent?
Read More...The Great Comedians: What they Say about Comedy
“The jester is brother to the sage.” – Arthur Koestler In a conversation with my friend, Larry Wilde (New York Times says he is America’s best selling funny man) he said, “Making people laugh is the most specialized and respected talent in the arts. It does not matter how successful or famous or rich a […]
Read More...Tips to Make You Look Professional and Win With Your Audience
Recently I had a conversation with author, speaker and consultant Jeff Davidson. Here are a few tips and guidelines we offer to help your next speech be an even greater success. Fripp’s Top Tips to Win with an Audience Every Time! Have a personal relationship with the company whenever possible. I have been introduced by […]
Read More...White Paper on Technology in Speaking Skills A/V Technology: Necessity…or Nightmare?
(The Pentagon Declares War!) What do the Pentagon, corporate CEOs, and Patricia Fripp have in common? We all deplore the current trend toward replacing solid presentation content with flashy audio/video effects. A Wall Street Journal headline (4/26/00) announced: “The Pentagon Declares War on Electronic Slide Shows That Make Briefings a Pain.” We sit in the […]
Read More...So You’re Going to Make a Speech
Congratulations! You’ve been chosen (or drafted) to deliver a speech. Don’t panic — Fripp is here! What Do I Talk About? Start by asking yourself three questions: Who is my audience? (What do I know about the corporate culture or collective personality of the group?) What do they want or need to know from me? […]
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