Passion. Is that all you’ve got?
It’s something that drives me mad. When you hear professional and amateurs alike, talking about ‘passion’ as the most important element in a speaker’s arsenal. It doesn’t make sense, does it?
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Are you in the UK Speechwriter’s Guild?
The patients from the Thatcher Memorial home for incurable pedants are occasionally allowed out under supervision I’m a proud member of the UK Speechwriter’s Guild. The purpose of The Guild is to: Sell English language speech-writing skills in Britain and across the world. Bring together political and business leaders to improve their communication skills and exchange ideas….
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Bullshit Bingo- Ed Miliband’s bargain basement speech
Here’s a lovely trashing of Ed Miliband’s conference speech last week. It’s by the elegantly uptight Martin Shovel and if you haven’t visited his blog yet. Please do, it’s really rather good. Here’s his view. Ed Miliband’s bargain basement speech. I thought Ed’s speech was like the worst ever bullshit bingo entrant. Someone in the…
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How original are you?
My occasional and much admired colleague, Charles Crawford, shows how using metaphor to make a powerful point, but gently, is an art that never loses it’s impact done well. To do it we have to understand 3 things- That metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar…
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Female Role Model – Christine Lagarde
Here’s another example of a brilliant woman who is also an excellent public speaker- Featured on Marion Chapsal’s engaging public speaking and cooking blog (my dream day at work, actually)- Simple, Direct, Authentic, Engaging. Lessons from an International French Woman Speaker. | Geronimo Coaching Now. In Marion’s words – What strikes me most, watching her speak on…
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Great Speeches- Viktor Frankl uses metaphor and a blackboard to make a point
Here’s how to make a great point with metaphor and a blackboard. Viktor Frankl keeps an audience spellbound and makes a point that is still valid today. One of my heroes, proving that if you’ve got a relevant message, then the technology and the visuals ad a little emphasis and no more. But if you ‘aint got a message it doesn’t much…
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Clegg's conference speech: 1 plus & 2 minuses
I know my Spanish, French and US friends will forgive me for this, but here’s a lovely post from Max Atkinson- Rhetoritician (?) is that a word, on Deputy Prime Minister’s Speech at the Lib Dem (Lost demoralised and broken political party of UK coalition government) conference yesterday. Max Atkinson’s Blog: Clegg’s conference speech: 1 plus &…
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Role Models in Public Speaking- Rachel Willis
Here’s a lady that you probably won’t know. Rachel Willis, of Virtual Studio TV Ltd. Based in Cambridge, UK. She’s a model for female presenters in corporate life. She’s calm, professional, confident and feminine. And more than anything else she’s being herself. What I like about her style is that she blends- The formal/informal style required for most…
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Great Speech 1- We shall fight them on the beaches
Winston Churchill’s finest hour as a leader came in the dark days of 1940-42. His belligerence and oratory stood out in the world at war. Politics aside, it’s a great speech for a few simple reasons- It matches the mood- Britain was scared, the future looked grim, the mood was sombre, we were alone. It starts where…