What Do You Really Mean? Every day in my role as an executive speech coach and the creator of FrippVT, I always say, “Specificity builds credibility.” I listen to intelligent engineers, experienced leaders, and true experts in every field and find that too many are sloppy speakers. If you want to build your credibility, listen […]

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Are You Spending Too Much Time Preparing Your Presentation? Have you thought, “Wish I could create a great presentation without spending hours on it!”? Let me show you how to save time when preparing your presentation. Why not speed up your preparation process by learning from someone else’s 30-plus years of experience? After delivering 3,247 […]

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When you start to put together a presentation, what do you think about? You probably wonder how to make your presentation interesting to your audience. I recommend that you begin by knowing your audience and understanding not only what they need, but also what they want. They need to have “buy-in” for your topic. This […]

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Bruce Springsteen, Céline Dion, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Winton Marsalis, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Kristin Chenoweth… imagine how any one of these top performers would respond if you asked, “What role has rehearsal played in your career?” Without a doubt, rehearsal is essential to success. You’ve crafted an amazing presentation. You know that it will grab […]

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Is Your Speech as Good as a Movie? Do you vary your scenes? The biggest enemy of a speaker, no matter how exceptional, is sameness or lack of variety. Each time you move from story to story or example to example, you create a scene change and keep your audience interested. Early in every movie, […]

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What’s your message? Legendary Hollywood producer Sam Goldwyn was quoted as saying, “If I want to send a message, I’ll send a telegram.” Yet, great films and good speeches do have a message. Some recent movies consist mainly of CGI explosions and chase scenes. They’re exciting, but at the end, the audience is usually left […]

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Do you captivate your audience with captivating characters in your presentations? The late comedy impresario John Cantu knew that speakers must not be the heroes of all their stories. Once, we sat down together to deconstruct one of his speeches and found 62 different people mentioned! Learn from great books, plays, and films. Fill your […]

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Do you know how to grab your audience? The first thirty seconds of your presentation are critical, like the first page of a book or first seconds of a TV show or film. If you don’t make an impact and hint at more to come, you lose your audience. Good movies, TV shows, and books, […]

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What is your story? What makes a great book, play, or movie? Exactly the same thing that makes a good speech – a great story! Long after we’ve forgotten the specific details, we still remember the stories and the messages that touched us. They become part of our lives and our culture. Use stories to […]

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I am often asked, “How can I be confident that I’m connecting with my audience?” The answer is, “Make an emotional connection.” Whether you speak at a boardroom table or in a vast auditorium, your goal must be to connect emotionally with your audience. Emotional connection is key to ensuring your message is heard. Here […]

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