Next week I am facilitating a day-long training program for sales professionals in the world’s fifth largest software company. Unlike my usual clients who feel fear of speaking, these folks will be good at speaking and selling.  They are already very successful. So, “What,” I wondered “Do they need from me?” They need me [...]

  Presence happens when you are so deeply relaxed into yourself and accepting of yourself that you feel free to be genuine.  The secret to presence is to be fully grounded in your body so that you have a full-body sense of awareness.  When you are grounded and present, you experience sensation and awareness in [...]

   American Idol for 2011 has completely captured my attention.  I am loving it!  Finally they have a group of judges who all are insightful, honest, compassionate, entertaining and funny!  Steven Tyler is a total delight!  He listens with his eyes closed and feels the music as contestants sing.  Sometimes he sings along with relish.  Jennifer Lopez [...]

  “Has anyone ever been in prison?”  These were the words that opened W Mitchell’s talk to NSA Houston Chapter in September 2010.  Words spoken quietly in a voice vibrating from deep within his chest.  Words not spoken immediately.  W Mitchell wheeled himself to the center of the staging area, sat deeply into his wheelchair [...]

  I found a wonderful blogpost by Kathy  Reiffenstein at Professionally Speaking Blog that I simply must share with you!  Kathy draws some valuable lessons on speaking from the Broadway production of A Little Night Music. So much of my skill as a speaker and speaking teacher comes from my training as an actress.  So [...]

  Great analysis of Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk by John Zimmer.  (No relation to me.) http://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/02/02/analysis-of-a-speech-by-sir-ken-robinson/ I am absolutely in agreement with every point John makes about Ken’s talk! These are all principles I teach and love to see in speakers!

 I teach people to think on their feet and speak from their hearts.  My greatest challenge as a presentation teacher is to persuade people to accept their natural ability to speak and to let it flow without expecting themselves to be perfect in their speech. Verbal communication does not require the same sentence structure that [...]

  Impromptu speaking or thinking on your feet is synthesis thinking not new thought thinking.  You do have to prepare to think on your feet; but then you have to let go and flow.  So it uses structure and flow at the same time.   In impromptu speaking or thinking on your feet, you are [...]

  I heard this on the radio today, “Great Leadership begins with the ability to level with people.” That’s another way of saying we must be transparent to be effective as leaders. I just heard Obama criticized for going to Cairo to “apologize” for American behavior. It might just be that he was being transparent [...]

  When you add the word “with”, a bond is created.  For instance “she’s with me”, “be with child”, “speak with a group.”   So much of stage fright and fear of public speaking is about feeling separated or being judged by others. People with stage fright and fear of public speaking are experiencing a [...]