Care less about feedback – Secret #10 of star presenters, by @JoshShipp [Video]

How much do you take notice of audience feedback? Positive feedback feels great, but on the other hand, negative feedback can sting!

In this 1-minute video, professional speaker Josh Shipp shares some neat advice on how to shape your attitude to feedback:

I loved several things about Josh’s video – especially the quotes below:
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Toastmasters say “Don’t thank your audience”, I say “Why not?

You might’ve heard some people (especially members of Toastmasters) say not to thank your audience at the end of your talk.

But you’re less likely to have heard any reason for that advice. So in this post, you’ll find these 4 topics to address that issue, and to help you with your speaking:

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Critique of Toastmasters video: “Managing Fear”

Consider this for a moment:

Have you ever stood in front of an audience and felt so nervous that you couldn’t remember what you wanted to say?

I’m sure you’ve been nervous about speaking in public

Even if you’ve never felt exactly that way, I’m sure you’ve been nervous about speaking in public. (I have, for sure!)

Because so many people can relate to that question, and it’s emotionally charged, it’d make a great opening line for a talk on public speaking.

In fact, it is the opening line for the 3½-minute Toastmasters video below. At least, you could say it’s the opening line – or you might argue it’s not.

More on that shortly. But 1st, why not watch the video and make up your own mind?
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5 free public-speaking courses (available worldwide)

Desktop Computer with WebcamLooking for free training
in public speaking?
Look no further!

In a previous post, I wrote about Ben Harvey’s free workshops on public speaking. Those are great if you’re in Sydney (like me), but of course the chances are very good that you’re not.

In this post then, you’ll find 5 free courses to help you with your presentations and speeches – no matter where you happen to live.

So here they are (in no particular order)
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Free public-speaking class (in Sydney, via @AuthenticBen)

presenter with megaphone

The best 2 hours I’ve ever spent…

Are you serious about wanting to improve your public speaking? If so, do yourself a favour and listen to what Benjamin J Harvey has to say about it. I did that last Wednesday night, and it was probably the best 2 hours I’ve ever spent on improving my presentation skills!

What a great move that was!

Ben’s a Sydney-based entrepreneur who offers occasional free public-speaking workshops. (Wherever you live, you might also like these 5 free public-speaking courses.) As I’m in Sydney too, and his workshop happens just every few months, I took the chance to go along. What a great move that was!

Why so great? There are 3 factors: Continue reading

Funny ad about speaking – uses just 3 spoken words [Video]

Here’s an ad about communication that you’ll likely laugh at, as I did. Yet it uses just 3 spoken words, and lasts just 45 seconds. I hope you love it as much as I do.

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Toastmasters vs. Speaking Circles – what are their strengths?

strength - presenter lifting weightsOdds are, you want to improve your public speaking – no matter what your skill level is. Happily you’ve several options, one of the best-known being Toastmasters. (If it’s new to you, you can watch how Toastmasters meetings work in a professional video.)

A second option is Speaking Circles, first founded in the US by Lee Glickstein. You can read chapter 1 of Lee’s book Be Heard Now! online. I thought the chapter was extremely intriguing and appealing, so in this post I’ll highlight the key differences between the Toastmasters and Speaking Circles approaches. Continue reading

Make killer PowerPoint presentations in 7 clear steps (Free e-book by Olivia Mitchell)

Quick quiz: In a 7-step method for building killer PowerPoint presentations, at which step would you make the slides?

Step 1? …Step 2? …Step 3?

Any advance on step 3?

Well in this tried-and-tested method by presentation expert Olivia Mitchell, you may be staggered to hear you don’t make the slides until Continue reading

See what Toastmasters is like, right now! [Video]

Are you (or a non-Toastmaster friend) curious about Toastmasters? If so, watch this professional 5-minute video to see for yourself what their meetings are like. What a quick, easy and risk-free way to check if you’d like to take the next step – visiting a club in person (at no cost).


Recently I joined a Toastmasters club near me in Sydney, and I certainly recommend it. I didn’t find this video until afterwards, though, so I must admit the meeting format surprised me when I visited.
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