Science, like the rest of us, advances through trial and error, better known as dumb luck. One summer day in 1991, neuroscientists in a lab at Parma University wired up a monkey’s brain for a simple experiment. They wanted to… Read More »Public Speaking Skills: Mind Maps of Gesture
I have a new puppy named Little Bear. He has shy moments that make my wife and I want to pick him up and cuddle him. I also have clients who are shy when they stand up to speak. I don’t want to… Read More »Speaking Anxiety: Teaching the Shy to Present
About two years ago, I attended a free webinar on marketing and liked what the presenter had to say. I also liked his voice. So I called him and chatted about my marketing issues, and eventually I hired him. He… Read More »Communication Skills: E-mail vs. Presentations
Cicero, the great Roman statesman and orator, said that he preferred tongue-tied intelligence to ignorant loquacity. That’s a convenient polarity, and one we’re familiar with. We see the former occasionally when college professors make an appearance on national TV. They… Read More »Effective Presentation Skills: Substance with Style
A friend of mine, who is a very successful consultant, told me that she has lost her confidence as a speaker. For twenty years she has been speaking to large groups of clients and potential clients with success. Now she feels very unsure of… Read More »Speaking Anxiety: A Loss of Confidence
Um and His Cousin Er I hate speech coaches who don’t let you say “Um!” I listen to a lot of speakers, and a few “Uhms” don’t bother me. They make the speaker seem normal and conversational. On the other… Read More »Speech Training: Speech Disfluencies