Last week I started a two-part series on how to make a presentation more interesting. If you recall from the first episode, I mentioned that you can be the most charismatic and confident speaker on the planet. But if your presentation is boring or complicated or uninteresting, your skill as a speaker won't matter. So last week, I gave you the first three presentation enhancers. This week, I'll give you four more ways to make a speech more interesting. Just as a reminder, I know that most people ...
Jun 05, 2023•15 min
I know that most people who listen to or download the show are looking for ways to reduce nervousness and feel more confident when they speak. However, there is a HUGE part of the presentation process that often gets overlooked that is critical to help you communicate better and more confidently. You have to be saying something that your audience finds interesting. You can be the most charismatic and confident speaker on the planet. But if your presentation is boring, or complicated, or unintere...
May 29, 2023•17 min
One of the biggest causes of public speaking fear and nervousness is having too much time in between each speech. I mentioned last week that if you only drove a car once a year, each time you got behind the wheel, you'd be nervous. If you are a comfortable driver, it is because you get behind the wheel pretty often. It is the same with public speaking. The more often you present, the more comfortable you will be each time. So last week, I began a two-part series on venues where you can practice ...
May 22, 2023•22 min
One of the biggest causes of public speaking fear and nervousness is having too much time in between each speech. For folks who only give a single presentation each month, once every few months, or once a year, there is a good chance that each time you stand up to present, you will be nervous. If you only drove a car once a year, each time you got behind the wheel, you'd be a nervous wreck (no pun intended.) If you are a comfortable driver, it is because you get behind the wheel pretty often. It...
May 15, 2023•32 min
We often hear the term "Know Your Audience," but what does that really mean? In this episode, I take you through a step-by-step process to help you customize every speech to the needs of the specific audience you are presenting to. Basically there are four things you need to know about your audience to be able to design a presentation that they want to hear. I spend the first half or more of the episode taking you through this simple four-step process to help you know your audience better. Howev...
May 08, 2023•36 min
Want to calm down before a presentation? Even if you don’t regularly experience the fear of public speaking, just before you start a speech, it is easy to feel anxious. This initial nervous energy can cause a speaker to have a shaky voice, dry mouth, or sweaty palms just before a presentation. The good news is that this experience is very common. Most of the time, if you start your presentation well, the level of nervousness will drop very quickly. However, sometimes when people feel that stage ...
May 01, 2023•25 min
This week is part 2 of a 2-part series on public speaking fear. Last week, I showed you where this fear comes from. We also cover five things that people do to try to reduce the nervousness that actually causes more nervousness. This week, I first show you how to lower the risk of failure when you stand up to speak. Then, I'll cover a 4-step process to help you eliminate public speaking fear once and for all. By the way, if you are enjoying the episodes, I need a favor from you, please. Would yo...
Apr 24, 2023•19 min
This week, I start a 2-part series on public speaking fear. In most of our episodes, we either cover ways to reduce nervousness or present more effectively so the nervousness is less distracting. In these two episodes, though, I'm going to cover what this nervousness is, where it comes from, why most training and coaching backfires and actually causes more nervousness, and how to reduce this fear once and for all. In fact, in this episode, I show you how public speaking fear is normal, and if yo...
Apr 17, 2023•24 min
We talk a lot in the podcast about ways to reduce nervousness and become a better presenter. However, one of the big parts of making a speech is the ability to create presentations that (1) the audience likes and wants to hear, and (2) are interesting and easy to understand. On this episode, I'm going to show you the "secret sauce" to designing fun and interesting presentations. This secret will add humor to your speech. It will also help you make technical content way easier for the audience to...
Apr 10, 2023•19 min
This week, I explain the difference between the different formats of public speaking training in 2023 . You can listen to podcasts like this one, gain incites from online presentation classes, watch videos on YouTube or Rumble, get a public speaking coach, or even attend a public speaking class. With all of these different options, which will give you the best result? In this episode, I explain the differences between all of these formats and let you know what you can expect from each. By the wa...
Apr 03, 2023•13 min
My guest today is Tom Jackobs, an expert at helping companies and sales teams use success stories to attract customers and clients. And he shares with me how he used public speaking to take a start-up from zero customers to millions of dollars in revenue each year using public speaking as the main marketing apparatus. We also talk about how inserting stories into your presentations can reduce nervousness and increase the Know, like, and trust value that you have with your audience or clients. To...
Mar 27, 2023•29 min
For the last couple of weeks, we have been covering different types of persuasion speeches. A couple weeks ago, I gave you a three-step process to win audiences to your way of thinking. Last week, we covered how to put together a sales presentation. This week, we will show you how to present a proposal to management. For instance, if you have identified a problem or opportunity for your company, you may need to get approval. So, how do you present a proposal to management that will get approved?...
Mar 20, 2023•22 min
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you present a proposal to a client. Here is the scenario… You have done your homework. A team at your company painstakingly created the perfect sales proposal. In fact, the potential client was so impressed, that they moved you to their “shortlist.” Now, though, they want you to present a bid proposal to the purchasing committee. Your team is one of just six to eight other companies competing for this contract. How do you make sure that the committee pick...
Mar 13, 2023•26 min
This week, I'm going to cover a simple three-step process to help you design a persuasive presentation . Most persuasive speech techniques -- especially the ones that are taught in high school and often at the university level, actually make people want to play devil's advocate and even argue with the presenter. So in the session, I'm going to give you a time-tested technique that is much more effective. Whether you are selling a product or service to a customer or selling an idea to your boss, ...
Mar 06, 2023•31 min
This week, I interview Kelsey Greenwood who is a professional speaker and consultant who just wrote a fascinating paper on five simple ways to overcome stage fright. If you are experiencing nervousness when you stand up to present, these tips can help you easily reduce that nervousness. The first couple are both mental things that you can do to prepare yourself before you speak, and the last three are things that you can physically do to combat stage fright. Want to overcome stage fright for goo...
Feb 27, 2023•16 min
Imposter syndrome is a term used to describe the feeling of inadequacy, self-doubt, and lack of confidence that many people experience in their professional or personal lives. It is the feeling that you are a fraud, that you are not good enough, and that your accomplishments are simply the result of luck or circumstance rather than your own abilities. The good news is that while imposter syndrome is a common experience, it is not the only one. The opposite of imposter syndrome is a sense of conf...
Feb 20, 2023•37 min
Doug Staneart — President and CEO of The Leader’s Institute ® and Creator of the Fearless Presentations ® Public Speaking Training Programs . Last week I began a two-part series on the step-by-step process that I went through to overcome public speaking fear. I covered the first four life lessons that helped me get there. Most of the tips in the last session were things that I learned early in life that helped me have the right focus when I experienced that fear and that first failure in front o...
Feb 14, 2023•25 min
Doug Staneart — President and CEO of The Leader’s Institute ® and Creator of the Fearless Presentations ® Public Speaking Training Programs . My public speaking class members often ask me questions like, “Do you still get nervous when you speak?” “How did you become a professional speaker?” And the most common, “You were a nervous speaker… How did you overcome your public speaking fear?” The answer to the first question is, “Sure. When I deliver big presentations or do something new, yes, I stil...
Feb 06, 2023•29 min
A few weeks ago, I gave you a few of my favorite ways to start a presentation. Then, for the last few weeks, we have covered several ways to make presentations more interesting. This week, I give you a few of my favorite ways to end your presentation with a bang. You want to make the last thing that you do or so in your presentation memorable so that the audience leaves the room seeing you as a qualified speaker and more likely to use the information that you gave them. I cover seven very effect...
Jan 30, 2023•24 min
Storytelling in Speeches-The Easiest Way to Reduce Nervousness During a Speech Feel nervous about speaking in public? Tell a personal story in your speech (early), and you can reduce public speaking fear dramatically. One of the first public speaking secrets that we share in our public speaking training classes is that stories are your friend. When you tell a story, you reduce presentation jitters and build rapport with your audience. Don’t believe me? Watch any professional motivational speaker...
Jan 23, 2023•21 min
The 5 Steps of Storytelling During a Presentation. Follow these Tips to Become a Better Storyteller. In this episode, we cover the Five Steps of Storytelling that we have identified in our presentation skills class . These best practices will help you organize your stories better. Remember that audience members have a short attention span. Good storytelling, though, can help you capture and hold the attention of your audience. In fact, inserting better stories is a simple way to improve your pre...
Jan 09, 2023•26 min
Looking for how to write a speech in a few simple steps? Over the last 20 years, our instructors have dissected thousands of speeches. In that time, we’ve been able to identify simple things that can easily make or break a presentation. We’ve assembled a simple, step-by-step process that explains how to write a speech quickly and easily. In fact, once you understand the concepts below, you can use our Online Speech Writer to organize and print your presentation. A little warning, though, the pro...
Jan 02, 2023•16 min
One of the more challenging parts of any presentation is the very first part. If you are wondering how to introduce yourself before starting your presentation, you are in good company. For most of us, once we get the first few sentences out, our nervousness will diminish pretty significantly. So, this initial self-introduction is really important. If we struggle here, our nervousness will increase. In addition, the old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is very tr...
Dec 19, 2022•30 min
This is part two of a two-part episode on how to start a presentation. Looking for a few ways to start a presentation that are dynamic? The opening is really the most important part of your presentation. You want to make a good first impression. In addition, you also want the audience to see you as a subject matter expert. Last week, we covered three ways to start a presentation to help your audience retain the content of the presentation better. This week, I give you five ways to capture the at...
Dec 12, 2022•21 min
Looking for a few ways to start a presentation that are dynamic? The opening is really the most important part of your presentation. You want to make a good first impression. In addition, you also want the audience to see you as a subject matter expert. Of course, we’ve all been there as a speaker. First, we design a powerful presentation. Then, we nervously walk out onto a stage or into the front of the room. The audience stares with skepticism written all over their faces. This stoic crowd has...
Dec 05, 2022•14 min
In this session, I’m going to cover 10 simple ways to overcome the fear of public speaking. This is a continuation of the 3-step process to eliminate public speaking fear . In that episode, I showed you the process that a nervous speaker should go through to reduce speech anxiety. As a review, the first step is to find out where the fear of public speaking comes from . Then, do a few simple things to reduce the risk of failure in those instances. (We will cover 10 of these tips in this episode.)...
Nov 28, 2022•24 min
Happy Thanksgiving. And for those of you outside of the United States, happy third week of November. I wanted to take a break from the normal public speaking tips and share with you this week one of Abraham Lincoln's least quoted speeches but the one that has a significant impact on US citizens every November, his Thanksgiving proclamation that created the holiday. Where did the Thanksgiving Holiday come from? Yes, the pilgrim created the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth. And yes, President George...
Nov 21, 2022•11 min
When folks ask me what I do for a living, I answer, “I help people eliminate public speaking fear .” It is always fun to watch the looks on their faces when they process what I said. Inevitably, I will typically get a response like, “You do what?” or “How do you do that?” The process is really simple. In fact, anyone can reduce public speaking anxiety if they follow this process. Over the last 20 years, our great public speaking class instructors have perfected the best ways to reduce anxiety sy...
Nov 14, 2022•16 min
This week, I'm going to cover how to make that mental shift to where you begin to see yourself as the expert when you present. Just so you know, one of the major sources of nervousness and fear comes from people standing up to speak and fearing that the audience is going to figure out that they are not the real expert or that they are not as much of an expert as their boss or coworkers or other people who do what they do. Once you realize that if you are the person speaking, it is because you ha...
Nov 07, 2022•19 min
I was shocked at the huge list of dumb exercises to improve presentation skills on the internet. When I say “dumb,” I mean don’t try those tips. They will not work. In fact, they will likely make you even more nervous. So in this episode, I’m going to dispel some of the worst exercises and give you a few really simple things that you can do to become a better public speaker. So get rid of the tongue twisters and vocal warm-ups. Stay tuned for a few way more effective ways to become a good public...
Oct 31, 2022•18 min
