Speaker's Briefing

Got mail? Use letters to humanize your speech
Whether you’re in the business of selling products, politics, learning or inspiration, one of the best ways to humanize your pitch is to back it up with convincing testimonials.

Learn from successful singers to improve your speaking voice
You can improve your speaking voice by using the success secrets of professional singers. Here are five rules from the world of music that can make you a better speaker:

To keep your message clear, choose your 'headlines' carefully
Good speeches, like good news stories, should send their message in advance. In the case of a good speech, that means opening with a title or a beginning sentence or two that ask the right questions or promise the right answers about the subject you want to cover. In the case of a newspaper story, the same function is served by the headline.

Use quick questions to break speechwriter's block
Having trouble getting started on that looming speech outline or draft? Here’s a simple technique for breaking your writer’s block by “profiling” your subject.

The importance of keeping it brief
Too many public speakers blindly believe that “more is better.” Unfortunately, this can lead to cramming too many messages and too much detail into a single speech. Give your audience too much to digest, and it may swallow nothing.

Keep your message simple
When William Clay Ford Jr. became chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Co., he announced that the company’s strategy for the 21st century was to build a stronger business by making its automobiles more affordable—economically, environmentally and socially.