About a month ago, a Toastmaster I'd competed against reached out to me and asked if I'd like to deliver a 20-30 minute keynote speech. For me, this was a no-brainer. Yes, yes I would like to! Only one problem. I didn't have a speech that long. I said yes, then immediately got to work building the content for my speech. Then, I got busy. About a week and a half before the … [Read more...]
Analysis of 2018 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking: Ramona J. Smith
In this video, I take an in-depth look at Ramona's winning speech in the World Championship of Public Speaking held by Toastmasters in 2018. I give over 20 praises and critiques, showing you how you can achieve the same amount of success by following the principles that she does. If you're interested in this topic, it's worth checking out my post on the top lessons … [Read more...]
How to Come Up With a Catchphrase (In-Depth Guide)
Catchphrases are powerful tools in the hand of a public speaker—they can help cement an idea for years to come. We all remember phrases such as "I have a dream" or "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". You can use catchphrases for important speeches, product slogans, advertisements, campaign mottos, and more. Let's look at what makes a good … [Read more...]
How to Add Humor to Your Speech (Complete Guide, Ebook included)
Humor is one of the simplest ways to go from being a boring speaker to an engaging one. If you're able to successfully add humor to your speech, you'll be able to connect better with your audience. I'm about to give you over 10 ways to add humor to your speech—and there's even more helpful material in the free ebook accompanying this post. All you need to do is give me your … [Read more...]
How to Sound Smarter When You Speak: Eliminate Filler Words
One of the most common problems new public speakers have is the use of filler words. Words like "um", "uh", "alright", "you know" and "so" are commonly used when the speaker is trying to think of the next thing to say. If you fix this problem, you'll instantly look smarter. Film yourself giving a speech, then write down any unnecessary word that you repeatedly say. (You … [Read more...]