There were at least two memorable moments in the world of public speaking this month that occurred within 48 hours of each other, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. Both speakers took big risks to get their message across, and those risks made their speeches particularly memorable.

One thing we know about the NCAA Basketball Tourney: many of the games will come down to making a single free throw. An active, back-and-forth game pauses for a critical moment of silence and standing still. That magical moment in time should be a reminder to presenters that effective pauses can make all the difference.

We usually encourage our clients to ditch the prepared text when giving speeches. In our experience, most presenters do a better job of engaging their audience when they prepare well, then trust their knowledge and leave the notes behind.

We had the opportunity to work recently with a group of international leaders. The accents were a bit challenging, but the perspectives from around the world were fascinating.

David Hogg, student journalist at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, speaking on CNN after the shooting at his school.

Sometimes, you need to give an impromptu presentation in conditions that are less than perfect. In that type of situation, it’s more important than ever to be yourself.

Networking events are great opportunities to meet lots of people in a short period of time. But how do you make yourself stand out above the rest? There are some great ways to prepare and have some fun too! 

Just because you assemble a large audience for a meeting doesn’t mean they’ll pay attention to everything you share with them. Here’s a true story about how a speaker’s failure to reach his listeners cost his company a lot of money.

One of the best ways to improve your presentations is to watch other effective speakers, take note of what they do well, and work to incorporate those lessons into your own delivery. TED talks are such a great resource for this type of learning.