Watch your time as a Speaker and Presenter

Imagine you are sitting in an audience, during a workshop, scheduled right before lunch.  As the clock ticks, ticks, ticks, toward lunchtime… then past…  What are you thinking? Are you thinking about the presentation?  Or are you hungry and thinking about lunch? How about if you’re reaching the end of the presentation and you have…

Toastmasters Division Contest Today at PITTSBURGH NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Today, Division B of District 13, Region VI, Toastmasters International will hold its Humorous Speech & Table Topics contest. As Governor of Area 7 in Division B, I will be attending with three other club members from Erie.  Two of our group will be representing Area 7 in this contest of speaking skills. But when facing these contest events, it always becomes of question of “What is…

Record Yourself and be a Better Public Speaker

Do you read Craig Strachan’s Communication Excellence blog? Craig is a partner of mine from South Africa. Craig just posted that speakers should always have a digital recorder with them. To record your brilliant, or not so brilliant, insights and ideas. And to record yourself, every time you speak. You may wonder if this is…

A model of good public speaking skills… Watch this!

From time to time, a very good model of public speaking skills presents itself.  Fairly recently, one exceptional example showed up on the radar. The Dallas Independent School District had Dalton Sherman, a 10-year-old 5th-grade student, deliver the keynote speech at the back-to-school convocation for all staff. You may have seen this before.  I did a quick Google…

Fall Contest Season started Thursday, September 25th

Do you know about Toastmasters International‘s speaking contests?  District 13‘s humorous speech and table topics contests started Thursday, September 25th.  At least it did for me and the Eriez Toastmasters club in Erie Pennsylvania. Why do I mention this?  I had the honor and the duty to serve as the contest chair for this club’s contest.  Which happens to…

Fall Contest Season started Thursday, September 25th

Do you know about Toastmasters International‘s speaking contests?  District 13‘s humorous speech and table topics contests started Thursday, September 25th.  At least it did for me and the Eriez Toastmasters club in Erie Pennsylvania. Why do I mention this?  I had the honor and the duty to serve as the contest chair for this club’s contest.  Which happens to…