The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is “Always be Prepared.” This is a very wise motto, and one that’s appropriate for life in general. Water, Kleenex, snacks, hand sanitizer, Tylenol, condoms…it’s always good to be ready for anything. Whether you are ushering kids around the zoo, getting stuck in traffic, or standing before an unruly crowd – be ready for anything.
I give 40-50 presentations a year. Not all of them are knock’m dead TED talks. But I hit way more than I miss. I’ve talked my way through everything from 3-minute pop-up presentations to 8-hour communication workshops. I have also sat through countless others. As you may guess, they don’t all go smoothly. Allow me to list a few of the most recent SNAFUs I’ve witnessed: projector bulb burned out, no Internet access, computer security restricted access to speaker’s presentation, projector didn’t work, sound didn’t work, no microphone for large auditorium, expected speaker no-showed, speaker accidently erased presentation, Windows updated mid-presentation and locked out talk, and presenter stung by a bee. Ok, last one didn’t really happen, but you must admit weird shit happens during talks. How you deal with it will ultimately decide your success. If you’ve practiced, you should be able to successfully present without the visual aids. Surprisingly, sometimes if things go really wrong, the presentations actually improve and become more memorable. Overcoming adversary is very endearing to your audience. Remember to handle your situation and your attitude with humbleness, calmness, dignity, and resolve. Grace under pressure. Don’t mess yourself. You could always reschedule if things go too awry.
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There are three main considerations for laying out a presentation:
Alright folks, it's finally happening. When I started up this company in March 2016 it was to help raise a larger platform for a book on parenting an public speaking that I wrote called "Dad's BIG Speech." After nearly a year of pitching, proposal, chatting, and trying to sell the manuscript to a publisher or literary agent, I decided it was a time for a different tact. I decided let's just get the content out there and we can adjust later. So...
I've decided to record the entire book into a series of clips for the Your Next BIG Speech podcast. Every Monday for the next few months you'll be able to listen to the audiobook version of Dad's BIG Speech. |
Parenting & Public Speaking. TogetherThe behaviors, experiences, and techniques parents use everyday can improve YOUR NEXT BIG SPEECH. Whether it be using silly voices or just playing with the kids, these actions improve self-confidence, stage presence, and audience engagement. And that’s just the beginning… Archives
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