I like to say, “A stranger is a friend, or a customer, you have not met yet.” My friend Jane Jenkins Herlong is a humorist, speaker, and author. You may have enjoyed her comedy and songs on Sirius XM Radio and Pandora. I share this story from her book, Bare Feet to High Heels – […]
Read More...How to Evaluate Your Presentation Flow?
The Wit and Wisdom of Phyllis Diller My friend Brian Palmer is one of the most creative and ethical professionals in our speaking industry. He is president of the National Speakers Bureau which was founded by his father, John Palmer. Back in the day, John was a well-known bandleader and performed with Phyllis Diller. Brian […]
Read More...Speakers Need To Know What Comedian Phyllis Diller Can Teach Them
John Palmer was the founder of the National Speakers Bureau and before that a well-known band leader. Brian Palmer, his son and now the President of the NSB is known as one of the most creative and ethical professionals in our speaking industry. As part of a recent interview with Brian these were his closing […]
Read More...How to Keep Your Audience From Going to Sleep
What to do when you’re losing your audience… Are there a lot of yawns and sleepy eyes in your audience? Use these tactics to pep up your talk and keep your listeners’ attention. Audience members’ attention will fade over time unless you take specific steps to keep them engaged.
Read More...Do You Want Your Presentations to be Funnier?
Are your presentations lacking humor? The late John Kinde is remembered as a comedy mentor for many. Know for his skill with observational humor claimed his most frequently-asked question was, “How do I get to be funny?” After delivering a fun-filled, brilliantly-crafted presentation, an audience member referred to his Observational Humor monologue. “You certainly have […]
Read More...Telling a Joke–The Dialogue From The Platform
Anytime you’re giving a speech, always remember it’s a conversation. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking we’re presenting a monologue. It’s easy to think of a speaker as the vehicle delivering a load of wisdom. In reality, every speech is a conversation. A two-way conversation with the audience. It’s important to remember that […]
Read More...The Richest Man in the World Speaks in Las Vegas
Bill Gates spoke in Las Vegas on January 7, 2007. Arriving almost four hours early guaranteed me a seat about 100 yards from the speaking platform. Thank goodness for big-screen projection. The crowd and the lines were something like a Rolling Stones concert. Except there were more geeks. About an hour from the start of […]
Read More...Lights, Camera,… HUMOR! The Rule of Three
Fellow students of humor, stand up and make ’em laugh! I say “fellow students” because through teaching others and making techniques and concepts graspable I, too, gain more clarity. I’m still on my own ever-changing path of humor mastery. Many of you have heard me speak in person. One of the favorite things that I […]
Read More...Humor for Selling Products and for Selling Your Message
Twenty to thirty years ago, humor was commonly used to sell low-priced products. We remember Mr. Whipple squeezing the Charmin and Clara Peller asking “Where’s the beef?” Today, when you watch TV, you’re likely to see humor being used to sell automobiles. Over the years, advertisers have gained a greater appreciation of the value of […]
Read More...The Call Back
Every year the World Championship contest is an amazing event. Lance, the 2005 World Champion, was wonderful! He connected with the audience and executed his speech perfectly. Lance’s message was simple and crystal clear. And a speech well worth studying! My favorite line, however, came from one of the other contestants, Rowena Romero. During her […]
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