It looks like we’re in for 4 years of lessons on public speaking from the White House. President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress last night and once again gave us a lesson on how to give a speech. This one was a tough speech for tough times. What did he do that made it exceptionally good?
- He practiced. His delivery was better than usual, with lots of vocal variety in the tone of his voice, the volume and the pacing. Even the commentators said they could tell he had practiced his speech.
- The speech was written to be spoken.
Continue reading "How to Deliver a Tough Speech"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, Good and Great Speeches, Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
Are you better with a scripted speech in front of a large group or in a question and answer session with a small group? Some people think that the communication skills required are the same. They are not. All you have to do is watch two political leaders today to see the difference.
As I write this, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has just finished a live video chat with the editorial board of the Indianapolis Star. It was a question and answer session that also included questions sent in from participants via the Internet.
Mayor Ballard’s communication strength is speaking one-on-one or in small group settings.
Continue reading "Know Your Speaking Strengths"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, General articles, Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
If you’re so good at what you do that your peers, bosses, employees or benefactors honor you with a prestigious award, you may want to think about what you’ll say. The Academy Award winners have been center stage with their Oscars for years…but most still don’t know how to handle the acceptance speech. Here’s some advice that was in the Washington Post. Speech 101: Make It a Class Act. I agree. It applies to all business people as well, whether you’re in the entertainment field or not.
Continue reading "Academy Award Speakers Need Help"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
Television is everywhere. If you are a leader, chances are you will be on TV or the video-pervasive Internet soon. Here are some hints I’ve put together. They’re the 5 Golden Rules for Being on Television. I’ve recorded them so you can download it and listen to them on your iPod. A video version, naturally, will be coming soon.
Continue reading "On television? Here are some hints on how to look good"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Free Tips, Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
As a professional speech coach, my number one piece of advice for all speakers is: It’s about the audience. Sometimes, no matter how eloquently you put something in spoken or written words, the mindset of an audience member is going down a different path. There are several techniques speakers can use to ensure their audiences are with them.
This isn’t quite so with written pieces that are published in newspapers or posted on websites. I wrote an Op Ed piece that was run in the Indianapolis Star on last Friday. It was about the communication strategies that business people can learn from Obama’s inaugural speech.
Continue reading "What Speakers Say vs. What Listeners Hear"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Heck of a Blog. Leave a Comment
