Public Speaking with Peter George

Does it drive you crazy when the car in front of you takes an abrupt turn without using a turn signal? If you're like most people, it does. Why couldn't they turn on the signal? The lever's right there. It's incredibly easy to use. And for something so simple, it provides a significant benefit to them and the people behind them. And what about you? Do you use your turn signals? Tune in and learn how to use transitions so your audiences follow you throughout your presentations.

Richard Strauss once said, "The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play." How well do you play this wonderful gift you have? Do you vary your pace? Do you alter your pitch? How about your tone and volume? If you're not sure you're including enough vocal variety or if you're using it to its greatest advantage, listen in as Madonna Hanna shares tips and ideas that will add color to your presentations, making them more engaging and compelling. Takeaways - How practice helps develop your vocal variety. - Why you should include vocal variety in your presentations - How to develop vocal variety? - Exercises do you have for practicing the elements of vocal variety - Why it's important to record practices Resources - DropKickTheDrama.com - instagram.com/madonnafitfastandfabulous - Toastmasters.org

One of the questions I get asked often is, "How do I know my presentation connected with the audience?" That's a fair question because just about every speaker is curious, if not eager, to know if they served their audience well. Here's what I tell them. First, listen to the subject of their comments. If it's about you, you probably didn't achieve your objective. If it's about themselves, it's more than likely that you nailed it! Sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? Please stick with me while I explain. Tune in to this quick episode and learn an easy way to know if you served your audience or not.

The mission of basic training is to motivate, train, and inspire the generation of service men and women. And in that spirit, who better to discuss the basics of public speaking than a veteran of both the service and the White House communication Agency. In this episode, Darrell Williams, a man who served his country and now his fellow citizens, covers fundamentals that help you serve your audiences.

What do you do if your energy level and that of your audience are different? Do you try to force them from their sluggish state or go to where they are and raise their energy level as you progress through your presentation? The latter may be the correct answer, but the former might be implemented more often. In this episode, you'll learn how to ramp up an audience's energy and enthusiasm so you can engage them and deliver the takeaway you had intended.

As a speaker, you want to get more gigs, especially higher-paying gigs, so you can share your message with more people. To accomplish this, you need to market yourself, your expertise, and the result your message provides. Perhaps the most cost-effective way to get in front of your target audience is to be covered in the media. And media coverage delivers an extraordinarily high level of authority, credibility, and trust. That's why I'm thrilled to have with us today Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge. She is going to share ideas on getting media coverage and how it can help you achieve your goals. Takeaways - How to get hits on top-tier media sources - The key to building authority - Why clarity is important - How to build - Is TV king? - Where to connect with the media Resources - DrRoseann.com - HARO

Have you ever been in a car, singing along with your favorite singer, only to run out of breath as she continues to hold a note for a seemingly impossibly long time? How do they do that? They learn to breathe! Listen in and learn how you can breathe life into your presentations.

No matter how thought-provoking your message, and no matter how well you deliver that message … if you aren't connected to it, your presentation may not be as well received — nor as effective — as you would like. And that's why the topic for this episode is connecting. And who better to discuss this with you but a veteran speaker who's also an expert on connecting. Listen in as Michelle Tillis Lederman shares why connecting is essential to your being a more compelling, more engaging speaker. Takeaways - Why connecting with your message is even more powerful than connecting with your audience - Why authenticity matters to your audience - The pros and cons (most cons) of scripting) - The two parts of a talk that you should memorize - How to use notes effectively, if at all - How to engage others on Zoom - How to be an inclusive speaker Resources - MichelleTillisLederman.com

Whether we're delivering motivational talks, presenting to corporations and organizations, or speaking on other occasions, we, as speakers, often deliver solutions. That's precisely what we're supposed to do, right? Well, if the situation calls for providing solutions, then yes, that's right … ah … that's half right. Why is it only half right? Well, a solution is only half of an equation. The other half is the problem. And, all too often, we proudly provide solutions but don't state the problems. In fact, not establishing a problem before providing a solution is one of the reasons that so many presentations – as well-delivered as they may be – ultimately do not serve the audiences. Listen to the episode and learn how you can craft presentations that serve your audiences more effectively.

Every generation has characteristics associated with it — accurate or not. And millennials are no exception. Of course some traits are the same in every generation, and some differ due to circumstances, trends, and their environment. So when it comes to speaking to audiences of millennials, or even more so, having them present, we have to adjust our thinking. To help us with that is today's guest, Tiffany Foote. Takeaways - How millennials communicate differently - How to encourage millennials - Giving feedback to millennials - What millennials can do to ease their nerves Resources - The Fearless Millennial