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2-Minute Talk Tips

138 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratings

2-Minute Talk Tips helps you become a more effective speaker in as little as 2 minutes a week.

Each episode starts with a 2 minute, practical tip so you get value right from that start. After that, we have a deeper discussion about issues affecting public speakers.

If you've got only 2 minutes, you have time to learn stuff. If you have more time, we've got more detail.

A lot of folks are intimidated by the idea, of speaking. They think that to learn public speaking, they need to become the next Tony Robbins, Ronald Reagan, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, or Cicero. That's not true, though. Don't focus on being the best speaker ever. Instead, become a better speaker tomorrow. And do that every day. That's the pathway to success. Don't get best…get better.

I'm Bill Monroe. I've built a career on public speaking and training. In my work at Microsoft and Toshiba, I used these skills to teach folks how to sell technology products and to excite them about those products. Yet, while I've been conducting presentations for more than 25 years, I'm still learning and improving. I believe everyone -- from novice to expert -- can become a better speaker. With 2 Minute Talk Tips we can all become a little better every day.

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Episodes

Ep 139 -- Words and Stories Mean More than Picture with Ken Moscowitz

April 21, 2020 15:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MB

2-Minute Tip : The Stage as War Zone   Think of the stage as a war zone. Not in the sense that the audience is an enemy. The enemy is the way many folks hold back and don’t spend all their energy on stage.   To mix metaphors even further, the stage is that poker hand where you need to go all in./ If you hold chips back — if you hold energy or enthusiasm back — you won’t win. You won’t accomplish your goal.   When you get off stage, you want to be exhausted and drained because you...

Ep 138 -- Build a Speaking Business with Grant Baldwin

February 13, 2020 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MB

2-Minute Tip: Tell Stories   Stories are how humans connect. They form the basis of our social relationships. They’re how we share history.   As a speaker, one of the best ways to make sure you connect with your audience is to tell stories — and not just one. Illustrate your talk with as many stories as possible. Generic ones are okay, but authentic, personal stories will bring you the most success.   Post Tip Discussion   Grant Baldwin has built a business speaking to speake...

Ep 137 -- Bigger than Yourself with Kira Ming

December 15, 2019 10:00 - 48 minutes - 33.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Be Authentic and Tell Your Story   Across the different guests I talk with, the theme of authenticity keeps coming up in the tips. It’s similar in many of them which demonstrates just how important it is. Also interesting is how each of them brings their own angle to the concept.   When you tell your story and use it to connect with the message you want to convey, it’s much easier to have a memorable and authentic impact on your audience. And that’s ultimately what you ...

Ep 136 -- Be Brave and Commit with Heather Vickery

November 23, 2019 11:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

2-Minute Tip: Be Your True and Honest Self   We talk a lot about authenticity because it matters. And while it may seem daunting, it can actually make things easier. When you don’t try to fake it, you don’t waste brain cycles and energy trying to maintain a façade.   There are 3 questions to ask yourself when you prepare to talk to an audience:   Who are you really? What do you have to offer your audience? What do you have to gain from the experience?   Integrate this frame...

Ep 135 -- Connecting with the Ambassador of Happiness

November 03, 2019 09:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MB

2-Minute Tip — Connect with Your Audience   Before speaking, meet your audience members. In a small meeting, maybe that means greeting them as they come in to the conference room. At a larger event, that may mean mingling with attendees in the venue.   By meeting with some of your attendees before you speak, you start to build a connection and a more personal relationship. It can make your audience instantly more friendly to you as a result.   It can also give you Valuable inform...

Ep 134 -- Step-by-Step Public Speaking with Cory Truax

October 23, 2019 09:15 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MB

2-Minute Tip: Earn your Confidence   If you project confidence on stage your audience is more likely to believe you. If you are confident, you’ll feel less nervous getting up to speak.   Confidence doesn’t come for free, though. You have to earn it. And you earn it by doing to work — by planning, editing, revising, practicing and rehearsing. If you don’t do the work, you don’t deserve the confidence and probably should be nervous.   So if you find you lack confidence in your publ...

Ep 133 -- Process with Technology Coach for non-Tech Entrepreneurs Charles White

October 09, 2019 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MB

2-Minute Tip: Be Vulnerable   We often talk about the importance of authenticity as a speaker. Another way to think about it, though, is vulnerability.   The benefit of vulnerability as a speaker is that the audience can feel where you are coming from. It’s easier for them to connect with you.   And if they feel that stronger sense of connection, they are more likely to pursue the action you are calling them to pursue.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Charles White   When I pu...

Ep 132 -- Find your Story with Zack Hudson

October 02, 2019 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MB

2-Minute Tip: Know 3 Stories   While it’s helpful to have lots of stories at your disposal, there are three types that will help you in speeches, job interviews and client interactions.  They are Underdog, Authority, and Fixer.   The Underdog story is the story of where you came from. It’s the obstacles life put in your path and how you got over, around, under, or through them to get where you are today.   The Authority is the story about your expertise. How do you know what you ...

Ep 131 -- Core Confidence with Dennis Sumlin

September 25, 2019 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Reframe your Anxiety   Anxiety and excitement are closely related so if you’re nervous before speaking, reframe it in your has as excitement. Tell yourself how excited you are at this opportunity. The physical symptoms — jitters, racing heart, etc. are very similar so give your brain a different interpretation of them   Post Tip Discussion: Core Confidence   Authenticity is something a lot of my guests talk about because it matters. You can take inspiration and lear...

Ep 130 -- Fire Stories with Jason Jordan

September 18, 2019 10:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MB

2-Minute Tip: Don’t Apologize   Or more specifically, don’t start your talk by apologizing to the audience for the talk they are about to hear. It comes across as an appeal for pity. When you do that it means you are starting from a position of weakness rather than one of strength.   The opening few moments of your speech are where you can have a tremendous impact. Engage your audience with something compelling. Don’t waste it apologizing about how you were up late the night before a...

Ep 129 -- Medieval Times to CEO with Morgan Lopes

September 03, 2019 15:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Slow Down   Many speakers take the stage with their adrenaline pumping as the try to stifle their nerves or live in the exciting moment. Many times, they end up speaking to quickly. So try to slow down.   When we speak, we are often excited about, or at least familiar with, our topic. Our tendency is to go quickly over the basic stuff.   But the reason folks are in our audience is that they don’t know this stuff. They are likely hearing it for the first time. They a...

Ep 128 -- From Quiet Girl to Empowering Leaders with Denise Ann Galloni

August 28, 2019 09:00 - 45 minutes - 31.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Record Yourself and Watch it 3 Times   Recording yourself on video used to be hard. But that’s not the case anymore. Nearly everyone has a powerful video camera in their pocket. There’s no reason not to use this tool to make yourself a better speaker. Record a rehearsal or presentation, and then watch it back 3 times in 3 different ways.   First, close your eyes and just listen. Focus on pace, rhythm, and filler words (uhms, ahs, likes, etc.).   Second, turn the sou...

Ep 127 -- Magic, Happiness, and Dark Chocolate with Matt Fore

August 21, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MB

2-Minute Tip: Don’t waste you first 10 seconds   When you go out on that stage you are a blank slate with the audience . They don’t know you. They’re not bored with you — yet. Now is when you have the best chance to grab their attention and interest.   So plan it out. Don’t leave your opening 10 seconds to chance or peter it away on, “How is everyone doing today?”   Tell a story. Tease the content. Surprise them. Comfort them. Or get right down to valuable business. But whatever ...

Episode 126 -- Take Action with Candice Bakx-Friesen

August 14, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MB

2-Minute Tip: Take Action   The most important thing you can do as a speaker is to speak. Get one or two takes ready to go and then just focus on filling your calendar. Do whatever you can to book yourself solid. Get that stage time so you can get better.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Candice Bakx-Friesen   Candice Bakx Friesen is essential the Nike of Canadian Real Estate. She embodies the idea of just do it. In today’s conversation, you’ll hear her advise several times to say yes...

Episode 125 -- Storytelling in History Class with Joel Hawbaker

August 07, 2019 06:15 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Greet Audience Members Early   As much as practical, if you have time before your speech, meet some members of your audience. Greet them as they come in and sit down. This accomplishes a couple things.   First, it’s the start of a relationship with a new person. For part of your audience, you will no longer be just that person on the stage. Instead you will be that person they were just chatting with who is now on the stage. As you build that relationship, you are build...

Episode 124 — Nutrition and Public Speaking with Mary Sheila Gonnella

July 31, 2019 01:00 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Fuel your body properly   Our bodies react differently to different foods, and to maximize our performance, we need to consume the appropriate fuel for the results we want.   That means, first of all, hydrate. That was also the very first tip in the very first episode of 2-Minute Talk Tips. But it goes beyond that.   Avoid dairy before speaking. It drives mucous production which leads to throat clearing and generally results in less clear speech.   Managing blo...

Episode 123 -- Spoken Word and Public Speaking with Huwa

July 23, 2019 17:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MB

2-Minute Tip: Just put yourself out there   Getting past intense nerves can be challenging, but there comes a point where you just have to do it. Just acknowledge your nerves and stage fright and do it anyway. If things don’t go well, the world won’t end, and (for most of us) no one will die. So just get up on stage, nerves and all, and just do it.   How can you give yourself the best chance for success? It’s no secret — practice. Prepare and practice. The more you do that, the bette...

Episode 122 -- Courtroom Graphics with Kerri Ruttenberg

July 17, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 27.6 MB

2-Minute Tip: Slides must help the audience, not the presenter   One reason folks audibly groan when they think about PowerPoint is that too many speakers use the slides to help them get through their presentation rather than to help the audience understand what’s happening.   We use them too often to:   Help us remember To keep our place To just generally put too much stuff on screen   Ultimately there are 3 purposes behind our visual aids   Help the audience understand...

Episode 121 — Toastmasters and Vulnerability with Ari Gunzburg

July 11, 2019 08:30 - 53 minutes - 43.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Be Vulnerable   When you open up and share your story with an audience, it gives them an opportunity to connect with you on a deeper, emotional level. When you establish that connection with them, they listen more closely, relate to you better, and are more likely to retain your message or execute your call to action.   It’s not something to fake though. Audience’s can generally sense when someone is being authentic, rather than being fake. And vice versa.   So on s...

Episode 120 -- Motivation, Mistakes, and Speaking Your Truth with Mel Andre

July 03, 2019 06:30 - 46 minutes - 37.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Tell Your Personal Truth   To be effective as a speaker on the big stage, you have to be able to tell your truth. That means you have to know what it is. This may take some personal work to understand what you are passionate about — what you truly believe.   Where it really pays off is in the connection to your audience. They can sense the authenticity. More importantly, they can sense artifice.   Ultimately it goes back to the words of Maya Angelou:   “I’ve lear...

Episode 119 — Staying in Your Lane with Chandler Walker

June 26, 2019 06:30 - 28 minutes - 22.5 MB

2-Minute Tip: Stay in Your Line   When on stage, there’s pressure to have all the answers — to be the expert. And when we’re talking about the area of our expertise.   What do we do we aren’t the expert though?   There’s a lot of power in saying, “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you.”   Know what you can speak about and know what you shouldn’t speak about. Focus on your lane and the audience will respect you more.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Chandler Walker   There’s a...

Episode 118 — Quit Asking for Permission with Logan Rena

June 18, 2019 21:00 - 30 minutes - 24.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Mine Social Media for Stories   We talk a lot about the importance of storytelling in talks. And I’m sure many of us have seen speakers who have a story for everything. How do you do that?   Review your social media. We tell stories throughout our day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a variety of other platforms. Then we often forget them.   So next time you need a story go ahead and mine your own social media to find some good ones. It’s likely filled with ...

Episode 117 -- Understanding Audience Needs with Kim Baillie

June 12, 2019 08:22 - 41 minutes - 33.7 MB

2-Minute Tip: Practice Breathing   Breathing is, of course, an essential step in speaking. After all, it's how we make sounds. But it's more than that.   Getting adequate air into our lungs calms us down. It helps us counter act the nerves many speakers experience. It ensures our brain has the oxygen it needs to stay on task. And it enhances the volume and confidence with which we speak.   To practice breathing: Place 2 hands on your chest so your fingers barely touch. Inhale ...

Episode 116 — Comedy, Speaking, and Podcasting with Phil Johnson

June 05, 2019 09:00 - 59 minutes - 47.5 MB

2-Minute Tip: Cross the Screw It Line   We can prepare and prepare all we want, but at a certain point before a talk, we’ve done all that we can do.   The anxiety we may feel in going out on stage is less helpful on stage.   There comes a point, where we just have to say to ourselves, “Screw it.” (Or a less family friendly version of that). At that point it’s time to go execute. You’ve done everything you could to be ready. Once you get to that line, you have to trust that you’ve...

Episode 115 — Less Doing with Ari Meisel

May 28, 2019 16:00 - 27 minutes - 21.7 MB

2-Minute Tip: Textiful   One way to avoid overwhelming and stressing your audience is to make resources available after the fact and to let your audience know those resources will, in fact, be available.   Ari Meisel recommends Textiful for this. With this tool, you can tell your audience to text a key phrase to a specific number. Now you have an automated dialog with the audience member. You can automatically email them your slides, add them to a newsletter mailing list, or set up o...

Episode 114 -- Speaking, Training, and ROI with John Rohe

May 21, 2019 21:30 - 51 minutes - 41.6 MB

2-Minute Tip — Remove Filler Words   Filler or crutch words are the bane of many a speaker’s existence. The ums, ahs, likes, verys, you knows, and more clutter up our talks and conversation so much we don’t even notice them. They waste time, annoy the audience and distract from your message. So get rid of them.   Easier said than done.   One technique is to have a friend or colleague listen to you practice your talk and ring a bell every time they hear a filler word. Once you act...

Episode 113 — Servant Leadership with Lyle Tard

May 14, 2019 16:15 - 44 minutes - 35.7 MB

2-Minute Tip — Tempo   When things are going well or smoothly we often talk about being in a state of flow. We feel it in music; we feel it when we’re writing code; we feel it when we’re doing needlepoint; and we feel it on stage when we speak.   Part of what drives that rhythm is finding the right tempo, or pace, for ourselves and hour talk.   Tempo goes beyond just finishing on time (though that’s important, too). It’s about honing in on the natural way that you talk. If you na...

Episode 112 — Caring, Connection, and Touch with Richard Kauffman

May 07, 2019 17:30 - 37 minutes - 30.3 MB

2-Minute Tip: Caring is key   People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.   As with so many strategies for success in speaking, it often comes down to the audience. How well do you know them? How well do you connect with them?   Most importantly, do they trust you?   Try to connect with the audience and make them feel you care and are listening to them and their concerns. Once you have established that level of rapport, they are much more likely to ...

Episode 111 -- Theater Meets Public Speaking with Julia Wojnar

April 30, 2019 15:00 - 35 minutes - 28.7 MB

2-Minute Tip: Identify Your Biggest Take Away   To deliver an effective presentation, first identify the biggest take away for the audience. If they remember only one thing, this is the thing it should be.   To figure that out, start by doing a brain dump on a piece of paper or whiteboard. Then go through all theses random ideas that are in someway related to your topic. What stands out? Which ideas are most important? What themes keep popping up?   As you do this, you'll likely ...

Episode 110 -- Starting in the Deep End

April 23, 2019 15:00 - 34 minutes - 27.7 MB

2-Minute Tip: Build a Team   Sometimes to get better, you may need help, and that's okay. Hire a coach. Join Toastmasters. Ask a friend or colleague. Take an online course. Take a traditional course. Read a book. Subscribe to a podcast about public speaking   Or do all of the above. Or some combination of them.   The point is you can build expertise, or at the very least, competence in a skill by assembling your own team of experts. They can be in person or virtual. It ...

Episode 109 -- Failing to Success with Amy Lyle

April 16, 2019 15:00 - 52 minutes - 42.4 MB

2-Minute Tip: Challenge the Audience to Discover Truth   Immediately challenge the audience to discover a truth about themselves that proves the premise of your talk. If the group knows that you have an appreciation or understanding of their personal (or business) situation, they will engage. As a bonus, make them laugh within the first 30 seconds.   Post Tip Discussion: Meet Amy Lyle   I always enjoy to talking to folks who follow a path similar to mine -- sales, training, speak...

Episode 108 -- Digital Marketing Meets Public Speaking

April 09, 2019 15:00 - 34 minutes - 27.2 MB

    2-Minute Tip: You Know Your Stuff   Experienced speakers still feel anxiety and nerves before getting on stage, but there are a couple thing you can remind yourself of before you start speaking.   First, you know your stuff. The reason you earned that stage is that you are a subject matter expert (SME). You're likely speaking about your work or your passion. Or you're presenting material you've studied. Sure, there might be a question, you can't answer, but that's okay. You d...

Episode 107 -- Purpose in the Palm of Your Hand

April 03, 2019 15:00 - 44 minutes - 35.4 MB

2-Minute Tip: Don't Memorize   Memorizing your speech is generally a bad idea. You want to internalize it, not memorize it.   There are 3 main problems with memorizing your talk.   First, it's a lot more nerve wracking. Second, if you forget a part you're more likely to get stuck and freeze. Third, your audience wants you to be real.   You want to practice and prepare of course. Memorizing word for word is not a good use of your time, though.   Post-Tip Discussion: Spea...

Episode 106 -- A Life of Learning and Colorful Shirts with Richard Flint

March 26, 2019 15:00 - 50 minutes - 40.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Create a Presence    Live everyday to create a presence that has presence when you're not present.   As a speaker, in order for your message to have impact, it has to be something that sticks with your audience when you are not there. You can do that by being a powerful, memorable speaker.    But that's not the only way.   Give clear guidance. Develop a simple, compelling message. Make sure your audience knows what you want them to do. Tell great stories.    ...

Episode 105 -- How Tantric Dating can make YOU a Better Speaker! (Not Really)

March 19, 2019 15:07 - 33 minutes - 27.1 MB

    2-Minute Tip: Use Click Bait-ey Titles   When you need a title for your talk, take a lesson from all those click-bait titles you see on Facebook and other social platforms. Make it short, compelling, and maybe a little edgy.   When you promise a talk with the "5 Secrets to Successful Penguin Petting," you also have a built-in structure for your talk that will keep you on the right path.   If you take this approach, though, make sure you deliver. You'll only get one shot. ...

Episode 104 -- Speaking, Sales, and Improv with Stuart Rice

March 12, 2019 15:00 - 49 minutes - 39.8 MB

2-Minute Tip: Don't Squander Water Cooler Talk   After winning or losing a big sale in a store there's tendency to brag or vent to colleagues around a literal or metaphorical water cooler. It happens after a big talk, too. We celebrate the brilliance or decry the stupidity of an audience.   Don't.   It's not effective. It won't help you win or save more sales in the future. And it has the tendency to hurt morale and reinforce negative -- and counterproductive -- attitudes.   ...

Episode 103 -- Brandin' buildin' and Boomin' with Joe Apfelbaum

March 05, 2019 16:00 - 35 minutes - 28.1 MB

2-Minute Tip: Practice   To be successful, there is no substitution for preparation. Practice. Rehearse. Prepare. And then practice some more.   When you see speakers who make it look easy -- who effortlessly string together words and phrases and jokes and more -- it's usually not off the cuff. It's because they've practiced. Put in the time and know your stuff cold so that you can come up with it seamlessly when it's time to speak.   That's one of the beautiful things about spea...

Episode 102 -- Life Mapping with Tim Pahuta

February 26, 2019 16:00 - 41 minutes - 33.3 MB

2-Minute Tip: Scientist-Philosopher-Author   To grow as a speaker, develop your path along 3 aspects. This is a framework you can use immediately to become more effective quickly.   You have to be a scientist, a philosopher, and an author.   Be a scientist and conduct experiments in your preparation and on stage. Figure out what works for you. What is the right level of energy? What gestures feel most natural? How do you relate most effectively with slides? You have to experiment to ...

Episode 101 -- Vulnerability While Speaking With Sasha Laghonh

February 19, 2019 16:00 - 39 minutes - 31.2 MB

2-Minute Tip: Seek out Vulnerability     Vulnerability can be a powerful element in your speaking. Being vulnerable doesn't mean your weak. It's about having the confidence to acknowledge how you can grow today and how you have grown in the past. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable helps the audience connect with the most human aspects of your nature.   Post Tip Discussion   A lot of us got our first exposure to public speaking in school. It's a common theme that often sets the ...

Episode 100 -- Rock on with Pat Roque

February 12, 2019 16:00 - 45 minutes - 36.8 MB

2-Minute Tip: Evaluate and Connect   Create a scoring sheet for your audience members, and ask them to complete in at the end of the talk. In the Learning and Development field, we call these smile sheets, and they are the first step in figuring out if training is effective.   In a speaking context, they can be a little different. One approach is to build the form in three sections.   Section 1 is a 5 category scoring rubric, and they audience members give you points in each 5 of...

Episode 099 -- Be Authentic and Understand Temperament with Coach K

February 05, 2019 16:00 - 47 minutes - 37.9 MB

2-Minute Tip: Be Authentic   Present in a way that is true to yourself. Your content needs to resonate with you first, or it won't resonate with your audience. When you can share a message that you are on board with, you can convincingly tell your story and you have the best opportunity to move your audience to take the action you want them to take. And isn't that the point of all this?   Post Tip Discussion   A lot of my guests appear on other podcasts -- shocking, I know. Every...

Episode 098 -- Skip the Welcome + Speaking & Preaching with Dylan Dodson

January 29, 2019 16:00 - 38 minutes - 31 MB

2-Minute Tip -- Tell a story to Open   The beginning of a talk is when you have the maximum audience attention. Don't squander it welcomes, thank yous, and introductions. Instead, tell a story to engage your audience at the very start.   Think about a band coming out on stage. They don't start with banter. They go right into a big opening number to get everyone excited for the rest of the show. Try the same thing with your audience.   You can come back to introductions 3 or 4 min...

Episode 097 -- Use a Take-Away and Meet Danielle Roberts

January 22, 2019 16:00 - 47 minutes - 37.9 MB

2-Minute Tip: Increase Attendance Retention with a Take Away   One challenge with webinars and live sessions is keeping folks around until the end, especially if the material is on the dry side. To help folks stick around, let them know that at the end you'll have a give-away for them.   It could be something as simple as a collection of other resources or websites. Maybe it's a how-to document. Perhaps it's a list of key email addresses.   It could also be something bigger -- li...

Episode 096 -- Go the Extra Mile and Meet Shawn Anderson

January 15, 2019 16:00 - 31 minutes - 25.4 MB

2-Minute Tip: Go the Extra Mile   To create the life you want, go the extra mile every day in 3 separate ways.   First, go the extra mile for your health. What can you do today to live a more healthful life that you might be inclined not to do? Is it eating less junk? Getting a little more exercise? Tending to a nagging health issue you've been trying to ignore? Do this every day to help make sure your body can take you where you need to go. Getting healthier gives you more stamina o...

Episode 095 -- Eye Connection and Meet George Hendley

January 08, 2019 16:00 - 37 minutes - 30.3 MB

2-Minute Tip: Make Eye Connection   Look them in the eye and make strong eye contact. It helps to make the audience feel more comfortable. To make that connection, though you need to hold the eye connection for 4-6 seconds. They will feel you are conversing with them rather than talking at them.   Pure Mind Magic   A few months back, German podcaster, magician, and mindset expert Victoria Mavis joined me to talk about the intersection between public speaking and magic. You can fi...

Episode 094 -- Watch Yourself on Fast Forward and Speaker Resolutions for 2019

January 01, 2019 16:00 - 14 minutes - 11.9 MB

2-Minute Tip: Watch Yourself on Fast Forward   I met speaking coach and entrepreneur Emily Messner (AKA Sleevs) on the JoCo Cruise earlier this year and she told me about this tip.   Gestures are a complicated thing for many folks. Your gestures may or may not feel natural, but it's hard to tell how they look. We're not watching ourselves while we speak; we have higher priorities. So if we want to evaluate our gestures, video becomes our friend. With the proliferation of camera phone...

Episode 093 -- 18 Public Speaking Tips

December 25, 2018 16:00 - 27 minutes - 21.9 MB

2018 has been a great year for 2-Minute Talk Tips, and I got to talk with some amazing people from around the world for the show, This week, I pull together the initial tip from each guest into a single episode. If you want to listen to the whole episode each tip came from or explore the guest's background, click in the link below.   Episode  Guest Tip 62 Iszi Lawrence Tell a story 66 Mario Porreca Practice in the shower 68 Melanie Childers Raise Your Energy 69 Pradeepa Naray...

Episode 092 -- Greet Your Audience and Meet Dave Jackson

December 18, 2018 16:00 - 50 minutes - 40.6 MB

  2-Minute Tip: Greet Your Audience   A lot of speakers pace back stage or pound coffee or try to deal with nerves in other ways before going out to speak.    Instead, go out into the audience as folks are arriving, and greet audience members. Have a brief chat to get to know folks. This accomplishes a few things.   It gives you something to do and gets you out of your own head It gives you information you can leverage in your talk to better connect with the audience while you...

Episode 091 -- Describe your Audience and Meet Phillip Andrew

December 11, 2018 16:00 - 56 minutes - 45.2 MB

  2-Minute Tip: Describe your Audience   Back in 2008,  Best Buy described 4 personae who represented their target customers. The even started designing different stores to appeal to Buzz, Barry, Ray, or Jill. They had detailed descriptions for theses archetypes.   I'm not sure if it's the best approach for a big-box retailer, but it can help your talks.   It's important to understand your target audience. Start by describing the one person you wan to reach. Who are they? What...

Episode 090 -- Get on Stage and Meet Donnie Boivin

December 04, 2018 16:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MB

  2-Minute Tip: Get on Stage More   Ultimately, the most important way to get better as a speaker is to speak more. Find more stages and get on them. Reach out to local clubs and service organizations who are always looking for speakers in your community. Theses gigs may not pay anything, but especially when you're starting out as a professional speaker, you need to get in the stage time. And then you need repeat that. Get more stage time to refine your craft and develop your skills. ...

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