The Bush Doctrine on Speech Writing In his entertaining memoir Speech*Less, speech writer Matt Latimer reveals something about the speeches developed for President G.W. Bush. By the way, he was one of the speech writers. ‘I quickly discovered the answer… Read More »The Bush Doctrine on Speech Writing
We are entitled to our own opinions, but none of us is entitled to our own facts. In fact, most of us hold our opinions with little respect for facts. For instance, when you ask a passionate partisan why she voted… Read More »Let us now praise specifics
You may be familiar with the prayer-like song that Bob Dylan wrote in which he wishes that someone, or all of us, can “stay forever young.” May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong And may you stay…… Read More »Forever young and distrusted: The five languages young professionals need to know
If you don’t want to talk about it, don’t put it on the slide. Knowledgeable people in the audience notice small details and ask penetrating questions. Less knowledgeable people lob random questions to probe for weaknesses in your argument and… Read More »Presentation Skills: Keep it simple
The Geico gecko, the AFLAC duck, and Jared the Subway sandwich guy all have the same job. They are likeable characters who appear in very short stories (ads) on TV. The gecko is low-key and sensible while his boss, the… Read More »Persuasive communication and the Geico gecko
The perils are listed in no particular order. Needle in a haystack The audience will be drinking data from a firehose. The savvy presenter recognizes this peril as an opportunity. To capture attention—do something that stands out from the environment. … Read More »Meditations on the perils of presenting at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference