Speaking That Connects’ primary mission is to promote speaking that creates a connection between the speaker and listener. As times change, the ways we connect with people become more numerous and diverse. With social media, for example, we need to consider a couple of questions: Are the connections being managed appropriately? And how are they […]
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Non-Verbal Indicators of Discomfort
In many ways, the United States has been inching closer and closer to racial equality. But the progress hasn’t been perfect, and true equality may never be achieved (I hope this is not the case). Despite all of the regulations and legalities, there are deeper social dynamics that make it difficult to break down all […]
Asking for a Raise: An Audience of One
The dawn of a new year prompts many of us to evaluate our lives and make bold moves designed to improve them. In many cases, our careers are the focus of these changes. Maybe you noticed some in your network changing career paths recently. If you are not looking to leave your job, but don’t […]
Effective Communication: Connecting Beyond Words
You’ve heard it said over and over again: It’s not what you say, but how you say it. Body language (voice, gestures, and eye contact) are essential to effective communication and presentations. Those who present with energy and enthusiasm often have a greater impact on their audience. Most important and powerful is the quality of […]
Take the Challenge – Become an Author!
Taking a challenge made me an author! After 30 years as a communication consultant and public speaking coach, I am now available on Amazon and B&N! Here’s the story behind my success. I was having coffee with a colleague, a peak performance coach, who was working on his second book. When I said I was […]
The Science of Public Speaking
By speakingthatconnects in Blog, Leadership, Non-verbal Communication, Presentation Skills, Relationships
One of my business’s taglines is “the art and science” of presentation excellence. Recently someone challenged the “science” aspect. Thinking “performance”, “stage presence”, “microphones”, “PowerPoint”, they felt speaking was more the “art.” But speaking is a complex neuromuscular activity (I learned that in Speech 101 many years ago) . Our thoughts are transformed into energy […]
The Counterproductivity of Counting Uhs and Ums
I recently attended a well-known public speaking organization, Toastmasters, to learn more about their structure and strategy in developing speakers. While I appreciated their focus on strong organization, the building of vocabulary and the pursuit of grammatical accuracy, I found the practice of counting “ums” rather counterproductive. Telling a speaker they have 7 ums and […]