One thing we always tell our clients: do whatever it takes to get yourself prepared to give your next speech. Of course that means practicing your material, knowing your cues, and even testing out some of the lines you hope will get a reaction. Many speakers also prepare their bodies for presentations, and we’ve recently seen some interesting ways that people in the public eye have used to get themselves ready.

According to the gospel of EMS, there are eight essential Fundamentals of Public Speaking. Let’s recite them all together, loudly if you can: Energy, Eye Connection, Facial Expression, Gestures, Movement, Non-words, Pauses and…Bueller, Bueller…Speaking Pace.

The good folks at CNN are promising us a 20-candidate field (10 on each night) for the presidential debates coming up on July 30 and 31. With a handful of days left to prepare, we wanted to share some suggestions based on our observations during the first set of debates. So if you think these sound like ridiculous scenarios, keep in mind that we are literally discussing things we saw from real candidates for president.

Lots of people across the country have seen the recent clip of former “Daily Show” superhost Jon Stewart testifying in front of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. He was there to urge reauthorization of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), established to provide health care benefits to first responders and others in the community with illnesses stemming from the 2001 terror attack.

Back in 2004, the EMS team happened to be in Des Moines, working with a client, during the Iowa caucuses. In fact, we stayed in the same hotel that served as campaign HQ for John Kerry’s campaign, and we used our Speaker’s Digest credentials to see his victory speech in person. That same year, another politician gave a speech that, although he wasn’t yet a candidate, practically made him into a household name.

Congressman Tim Ryan from Ohio’s 13th District is one of many running for president on the Democratic ticket. If you haven’t heard of him, you can probably join a very large club; and we’ll certainly forgive you if you didn’t realize he was running.

When we work with groups of presenters, one thing we always emphasize is the importance of being well prepared. If possible, practice in the space you’ll be in, using the same microphone, and running your slides on the equipment you’ll be using.

This month we’re sharing our responses to letters we’ve received in recent months asking for our opinion on a variety of issues, a feature which we call “Hey EMS!” Here are a few more of those letters, along with our comments…

Even though no one will cast a single vote until next winter, campaign season is already blooming faster than spring flowers. We at EMS Communications always get interesting letters asking for our opinions on issues related to communication and leadership, and this month we’ll be sharing our responses to letters received from a very specific group of people. It’s a recurring feature we call “Hey EMS!”

If you want to watch great presenters in action, you can watch a few TED Talks, attend a conference, go to a religious service or participate in a political rally. Or you can turn on the TV news and wait for the weather report. It’s true. While many people heap grief on their friendly neighborhood meteorologists (“Get it right—we cancelled our plans because you predicted rain!”), the best ones out there tend to be great presenters.