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...Too Bad Only the Good Speakers Will Listen to You
“Public speaking is the only regularly-performed public art where the majority of performers refused to submit to the artistic conventions.” That’s the opinion of Chicago speech writer Dan Conley. Prior to going independent, Dan was the speech writer for Virginia Governor Doug Wilder, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and IBM’s Senior VP for Sales Bill […]
Read More...Business leader, what do you charge for talks?
Appropriate fees for business executives seeking engagements I am often asked what fee CEO’s and business executives should charge. Many have expertise, or have run a good business, and would like to gain national media attention and exposure. Recently I was asked, ” Is there a national list or organization that posts that type of […]
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? […]
Read More...Open Your Speech by Relating to The Immediate Situation
Show you are “one of the group” by referring to something that is happening right now. One opening to help you immediately connect is to walk out and start with, “I love your theme!” Then tell them why. Or, “This is the perfect time of the year for this meeting.” Naturally, this must segway into […]
Read More...In-Between Time
In-Between Time by Craig Valentine In-between time is what I refer to as the time between your major points. Of course you need to use this time to transition into the next story or example, but how you use this time can make the difference between a dry speech and an exciting one. One effective […]
Read More...Want Your Audiences to Remember What You Say? The Importance of Clear Structure
Your message, no matter how important, will not be remembered if you don’t recognize the importance of structure. Here are some practical ideas that can immediately make you more effective. Your Structure Can you write the premise or objective of your talk in one sentence? If not, the chances are that your thinking isn’t clear […]
Read More...12 Simple Mistakes Made When Creating Your PowerPoint
If You Are Making these PowerPoint Mistakes Here is How You Fix Them How would you answer this multiple-choice question? Which of the following statements best describes your view regarding PowerPoint® slides? (a) My PowerPoint slides demonstrate what a great graphic artist I am! (b) My PowerPoint slides are great because I use everything the […]
Read More...Want to Deliver An Effective Presentation? Rehearse
My friend and colleague Sims Wyeth shares these thoughts on rehearsal to help you improve your presentations: You have a cerebral cortex for learning your new presentation. As you rehearse, you gradually transfer control of the presentation to another area of the brain, your cerebellum, which specializes in orchestrating the lightning fast motor activation needed […]
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