Getting carried off on a tangent in an interview or Q&A session can be risky. At best, you spend the time you wanted to use getting your message across on some other topic. At worst, you end up talking about sensitive, damaging topics that endanger your organization's reputation. This episode, we look at how you get back on track — quickly, honesty and graciously. Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere . The theme music is " Twitter Will Kill Us All ." Used under a Creative Commons license. Pho...
May 05, 2023•8 min•Ep. 75
Rehearsal doesn’t kill spontaneity — it gives you the confidence that lets you be spontaneous. You don't just know the material: you know its emotional and literal meaning,nd you've made your big choices about how you're going to convey it. If you want to make the most of your speech, you need to rehearse. And to make that rehearsal count, behold: The Ten Commandments of Rehearsal. Links: The elusive Episode 17 , where I make my case for rehearsing Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere . The theme...
Mar 30, 2023•8 min•Ep. 74
Before a speaker steps up to the microphone, there's usually somebody who introduces them. And that introduction could be helping to set the stage and prime the audience. But too many introductions are just tedious recitals of a speaker's biography. And they're so loooonnnng. Instead of revving an audience up, they put them to sleep. Let's kill those introductions off once and for all. This episode, we look at what an introduction can do for you and your audience, by promising some combination o...
Jun 23, 2022•12 min•Ep. 73
Pick up a collection of speeches or quotations from history, and chances are most of those voices belong to men. That's changing. More women are claiming their time at the microphone. And it turns out the oratory of the past was a lot more female than many of its curators would have us think. One woman in particular, Dana Rubin, is working to change our understanding of public speaking history — and the role women have played in shaping it. And she's my guest on this episode. Links: The Speaking...
Mar 01, 2022•26 min•Ep. 72
You’ve probably heard the expression “stay in your lane.” And sometimes that’s good advice — but right now, we’re facing global emergencies on an unprecedented scale, and we need voices speaking out for truth, democracy, science and our very survival. If you have a platform, you can be one of those voices…even if you aren’t an expert. Here’s how to do it responsibly. Links: That Kris Straub cartoon about Internet "research" Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere . The theme music is " Twitter Will ...
Oct 18, 2021•10 min•Ep. 71
There probably isn’t a speechwriter or speaker alive today who hasn’t heard the advice “Tell a story.” But you want them to do more than listen. You want to tell the kind of story your audience will turn into their story. Crafting that story is the heart Tamsen Webster’s terrific new book, Find Your Red Thread. Tamsen joins me this episode to talk about the five steps of an effective Red Thread — which just so happen to be a great way to outline your next speech or op-ed. And we talk about how g...
Jul 29, 2021•22 min•Ep. 70
Well over a year into remote presentations as the norm, people are getting pretty good at it... but some mistakes are still cropping up again and again. Last time, we looked at four of the seven deadly sins of online presentations. This time we tour the final three... and then we'll look at how to flip those sins into shining, saintly virtues. Links: My wife Alexandra Samuel has co-written a terrific new book on making the most of remote work, called Remote, Inc. Highly recommended for making th...
Jul 20, 2021•8 min•Ep. 69
Well over a year into remote presentations as the norm, people are getting pretty good at it... but some mistakes are still cropping up again and again. In this two-episode series, we'll meet the seven deadly sins of online presentations — from not looking at the camera to not knowing your platform. And then we'll look at how to flip those sins into shining, saintly virtues. Links: My wife Alexandra Samuel has co-written a terrific new book on making the most of remote work, called Remote, Inc. ...
Jul 20, 2021•8 min•Ep. 68
Sure, you and I would never take someone else’s writing and pretend it was our own. But not all plagiarism is deliberate. It can be surprisingly easy to steal someone else’s words by accident. Plagiarism scandals have caught up leaders ranging from presidential candidates to university officials. They’ve derailed campaigns and ended careers. Here’s how to keep that from happening to you — by making sure your words, really are your words. Links: Care to jog your memory? Here’s the background on J...
Jun 25, 2021•7 min•Ep. 67
So many leadership communications mistakes come down to one thing: not having a clear goal and a roadmap to get there. That’s especially true when it comes to areas where leaders aren’t as familiar with the subject matter. This episode looks at a high-profile communications failure: an op-ed that blew up in CEO's face, damaged the company's reputation and forced an embarrassing public about-face. We'll look at what went wrong... and how you can keep your communications on track. The important th...
Jun 04, 2021•11 min•Ep. 66
Public speaking has changed a lot in the past year, since conference halls and auditoriums went dark and we traded stages and amplifiers for webcams and video. But those changes can help us be better speakers, when the time comes to return to the stage. Links: My wife Alexandra Samuel has co-written a terrific new book on making the most of remote work, called Remote, Inc. There's a chapter on presentations in there that I got to advise on, and it covers some of what I talk about here. (Think sh...
Apr 28, 2021•10 min•Ep. 65
Mispronouncing someone's name from the stage is a lot more than a minor screwup. Here's why speakers should never go to the mic without knowing the correct pronunciation of every name they mention — and why speechwriters should never let them do it. Links: This episode of KUOW's RadioActive podcast delves into mispronunciation and race. And here's one of my favourite comments on the subject , from actor Uzo Aduba, quoting her mother: "If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dos...
Mar 16, 2021•5 min•Ep. 64
Presenting online? Don't make the mistake of thinking longer is better. When you're speaking via video, you want to keep things short. Here's how to embrace short, even when you're scheduled to run long. Links: We spoke to Dr. Nick Morgan back in episode 58 . His latest book is Can You Hear Me? How to Connect With People In a Virtual World. And since I recorded this episode, a new book is on the scene: Standout Virtual Events by David Meerman Scott and Michelle Manafy . It's really, really worth...
Oct 05, 2020•6 min•Ep. 63
If you're spending all day in Zoom meetings, then it's easy to think that speaking by video automatically means showing your head and shoulders... and nothing else. Let's talk about what you (and your audience) are missing by not letting the rest of your body get in on the act. (The bad news? You're gonna need to start wearing pants again.) Resource: Hanna Thomas Uose ‘s post The Trauma of Zoom Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere . The theme music is " Twitter Will Kill Us All ." Used under a Cr...
Sep 22, 2020•6 min•Ep. 62
You might have thought up-close video would be more intimate than speaking from the stage. But one big thing we're learning from remote presentations is this: You need to bring more energy to your speaking style when your audience is at home in front of their screens. Find out why... and how. Music: All music is by Lee Rosevere . The theme music is " Twitter Will Kill Us All ." Used under a Creative Commons license. Image: Thomas Kelley on Unsplash...
Sep 08, 2020•5 min•Ep. 61
This time, we look at how the technology visionaries at Mozilla are making the pivot from face-to-face leadership communications to virtual channels. We're joined by Justin O'Kelly , Mozilla's senior executive communications manager. Links: Mozilla , makers of Firefox , Monitor , Send and more. Music: All music by Lee Rosevere . Theme: " Twitter Will Kill Us All ." Used under a Creative Commons license. Image: from Mozilla...
May 01, 2020•28 min
If sharing really is caring, then the content you share needs to be content you really care about — and content your audience will care about too. This episode we look at content curation... and why just shovelling links onto Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn without care or context isn't just bad for your reputation — right now, it's dangerous to your audience. Links: I mentioned those mysterious letters "RSS", which really can make your life easier! If you're baffled, here's a pretty good primer ...
Mar 25, 2020•14 min•Ep. 59
With so many face-to-face presentations being cancelled, a lot of speakers are looking at going virtual. But with webinars and online conferences suddenly getting a second look, it’s important to keep in mind their special demands. This episode, we talk to presentation coach, theorist, blogger, speaker and author Dr. Nick Morgan about what we lose when we go virtual, and how to make up some of that lost emotional connection. And we’ll hear from author and (her delightful description) camp counse...
Mar 14, 2020•25 min•Ep. 58
Cancelled speaking gigs are a fact of life, but never more than today. And hey: with social distancing and disease prevention rightly taking precedence over oratory, we know better than to feel sorry for ourselves over postponed conferences and scrubbed events. But when you're left holding a speech without a stage to deliver it on, what's your next move? Instead of letting all your work writing and preparing your presentation go to waste, try these suggestions for getting some real value out of ...
Mar 14, 2020•9 min•Ep. 57
Getting leadership communications right is never more important than in the middle of a crisis. And as COVID-19 coronavirus outbreaks happening throughout much of the world, you may well be facing a crisis soon. Last episode, we talked about planning for your crisis leadership communications. This episode, we look at putting that plan into action with seven key principles: Be transparent and honest. Communicate early. Be proportionate. Connect emotionally. Be flexible. Listen. Inspire hope. And ...
Mar 10, 2020•10 min•Ep. 56
In a crisis, people are looking for reassurance, a sense of security... and leadership. And with COVID-19 coronavirus outbreaks happening across the planet, you may soon need to step up on behalf of your organization — for anything from coping with a supply-chain issue to temporarily shutting your doors. How you communicate will make all the difference for your audience. This two-part episode looks at effective leadership communications in a crisis. Part one is all about preparation: the plans y...
Mar 09, 2020•9 min•Ep. 55
Are you falling into the trap of sing-song delivery? You could be sapping your speech's strength and breaking your connection to the audience. Here's how to recognize it... and how to stop. Wondering what's different about this episode? Could be the new theme music! Links: Episode 51 talks about how to reclaim your natural voice by talking to an audience of one (even when it's actually one thousand ). Those voice acting lessons I mention are at Vancouver's On the Mic Training . Highly recommende...
Feb 21, 2020•7 min•Ep. 54
Sooner or later speechwriters and other leadership communications practitioners find ourselves talking to a subject matter expert: somebody (usually part of your client's organization) who’s going to give some of their time and knowledge to make your speech or article better. Here's how to get the most out of their time and yours. Thanks to Clare Kumar, Deb Rohac, Patti Bacchus, Evan Leeson, Ben Roberts, Ben Lucier, Mark Busse, Rob Beggs, Susan RoAne, Jamie Cohen, Luis Giraldo, James Glave, Anth...
Jan 21, 2020•10 min•Ep. 53
It can be tempting to sell from the stage... especially when you know some of the people in your audience could be great customers. But resist that temptation. Here's why you should leave the sales pitch behind when you head to the mic — and how you can do a much better sales job if you aren't selling. Links: Go listen to The Freenoter , a great podcast by Tamsen and Tom Webster about making unpaid speaking opportunities pay off for you and your audience — without selling from the stage. Music: ...
Dec 11, 2019•9 min•Ep. 52
Having trouble connecting emotionally with a speech you're writing or rehearsing? Maybe it's because you're trying to speak to the whole audience instead of just one person. This episode, here's why you may want to take a leaf from TV cop shows and zoom way in. (Note: This is episode of the podcast includes mild profanity: The word "bullsh*t" is used several times.) Music: Theme: "Good Times" by Podington Bear (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/). Incidental music by Lee Rosevere ...
Nov 21, 2019•7 min•Ep. 51
I'm always telling you to tell stories... so for the 50th episode of the podcast, I'm going to share one of my own. It's about what a dead pigeon taught me about being a good speechwriter. Music: Theme: "Good Times" by Podington Bear (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/). Incidental music by Lee Rosevere (https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/) including "More On That Later," "Places Unseen," "Sad Marimba Planet," "Small Steps," "It Was Like That When I Got Here," "Landing" and "Solutio...
Nov 01, 2019•16 min•Ep. 50
Coming up empty as you try to write your speech? Wondering why your presentations aren't landing quite as well as you know they should? You probably know you should connect emotionally with your audience — but maybe you need to think through just what kind of emotional connection you're both looking for. This episode, we look at six kinds of emotional connection, and how you can build them: confidence, trust, understanding, appreciation, shared values and what I call the mensch factor. Music: Th...
Oct 24, 2019•8 min•Ep. 49
For some reason, we love to hear how superheroes got their powers — their origin stories. And audiences will want to hear yours, too. Here's how to tell the story of how you got here in a way that connects with your audience and even moves them to action... faster (cough) than a speaking bullet. Music: Theme: "Good Times" by Podington Bear (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/). Incidental music by Lee Rosevere (https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/) including "Swiftwind," "Twitter Will...
Oct 17, 2019•10 min•Ep. 48
As leaders, it can be tempting to forget that not everyone likes being the centre of attention. And when you have an audience, you can all too easily throw a harsh, unforgiving spotlight onto someone who isn't ready for it. This episode, we look at how to wield your audience's attention responsibly, whether it's from the stage or online. Links: Skip Weisman was kind enough to let me share his story with you. https://www.yourchampionshipcompany.com/ Music: Theme: "Good Times" by Podington Bear (h...
Oct 01, 2019•11 min•Ep. 47
This summer’s film Long Shot is an entire movie about how speechwriter and speaker relate to each other. And it has something to teach us about making that relationship work — and how the key ingredient is time. If you're thinking of catching it, the movie's a lot of fun, even if (or probably because) it isn't exactly a documentary portrayal of political speechwriting. Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen are great, and their chemistry is super (although, ahem, that's a line I don't recommend speechwr...
Sep 27, 2019•7 min•Ep. 46
