Speaker's Briefing

What keeps your audience awake — and what puts them to sleep? Some interesting poll results ...
When data-visualization software maker Xcelsius recently conducted an online poll of business managers, it discovered that most of the 382 respondents confessed to dozing off or becoming drowsy during presentations. As reported in Presentations magazine (www.presentations.com, 71% “admitted to having fallen asleep or getting a case of the nods during a presentation,” while 43% had “seen others snooze through meetings.”

Never use three words when one word will do ...
When it comes to word count, more is not always better. Here are eight common examples of “wordiness” that can bog down your speeches, along with acceptable single-word alternatives.

Six proven techniques for hiding your platform jitters ...
Year after year, the most frequently asked question from American Speaker readers is “What can I do about my nerves?” According to an old line on “Saturday Night Live,” it’s more important to look fabulous than to feel fabulous. In the case of public speaking, it’s more important to look calm than to be calm. Even the best speakers suffer from some nervousness some of the time. But, under pressure, speaking pros know how to look calm.

Trouble replacing audiovisual equipment bulbs? Here’s where to turn the next time the lights go out ...
With such a big selection of audiovisual equipment now available, finding the right replacement bulbs can be frustrating and time-consuming.