Platform, presence, personality

• Win their confidence by deserving it – by your sincerity, being properly introduced, being qualified to speak on your subject, and telling the things your experience has taught you.
• To persuade an audience, you should:

1. Capture their attention.
2. Earn their trus...

• To remember a stranger's name, ask questions about it, observe their looks, and try to connect the name with their face and occupation.
• To remember dates, associate them with prominent dates you already know.
• To remember the points of your address, arrange them in a logical o...

• Read with a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words and try to use them to fix them in memory. 
• Study the origins of words, which are often interesting histories rather than dull facts. 
• Avoid cliches and worn-out phrases, instead using precise language. Refer to a thesaurus o...

• Most students take public speaking courses to conquer nervousness, think on their feet, and confidently speak.
• Anyone can develop public speaking skills with practice and desire.
• Even experienced speakers can feel nervous before speaking, but this feeling usually disappears a...

• The three natural laws of remembering are impression, repetition, and association.
• To get a deep, vivid impression of something, you must concentrate, observe closely, and get your impressions through as many senses as possible.
• The second law of memory is repetition. You sho...

• The close is the most memorable part, so plan it carefully and rehearse 
• Round off your talk smoothly rather than leaving it rough
• Effective ways to close include:

1.    Summarizing main points 
2.    Appealing for action
3.    Paying a sincere complim...

• When speakers have a real message in their head and heart, they are almost sure to do themselves credit.
• The preparation consists of digging something out of yourself, assembling and arranging your own thoughts, and cherishing and nurturing your own convictions.
• Do not sit do...

• Use simple language and avoid technical terms.
• Be sure of your topic and have a clear understanding of it.
• Use exhibits, pictures, and illustrations to appeal to the sense of sight.
• Christ declared that He had to teach by parables, “Because they (His listeners) seeing...

• People are interested in extraordinary facts about ordinary things.
• People are interested in themselves.
• To be a good conversationalist, lead others to talk about themselves and their interests.
• Use human interest stories to illustrate your points. Glorified gossip an...

• Announce that fact. Then, follow it with the assertion that his teachers flogged him as often as “fifteen times in a forenoon.” That makes the general assertion clear, impressive, and interesting.
• Use phrases that create pictures and words that set images floating before the eyes.

• Every idea is held as true unless hindered by a contradictory idea.
• First, set forth our ideas; second, prevent opposing ideas from arising to render them null and void.
• To be impressive and convincing, you must:

1. Convince yourself before you attempt to convin...

• Experience upon experience must be piled up until the very weight embeds the thought deep in the brain's tissues.
• Use graphic comparisons. Visual impressions stick longer.
• Back up your statements with unprejudiced authority.

• Begin on common ground that everyone can agree on to start positively  
• Don't frame your opening in a way that causes people to say "no” immediately
• Avoid saying you will "prove" something, as that can arouse opposition 
• Raise a question for the audience to consider r...

• Be confident and enthusiastic. Your audience will be likelier to listen to you if you believe in your words. Speak with conviction and passion.
• Russell H. Conwell built many of his talks on this plan: 

a. State your facts.

b. Argue from them. 

c. Appeal for ac...

• Repeating at intervals, in that manner, will enable you to memorize a thing in about one-half the time required to do it in one sitting. 
• After we memorize a thing, we forget as much during the first eight hours as we do during the next thirty days, so go over your notes just a few m...

• Restate your big ideas, but refrain from repeating yourself.
• Clear your abstract statements by following them with general illustrations or specific instances.
• Do not strive to cover too many points in a short speech.
• Close with a summary of your points.

Imagine that someone has asked you a question and that you are repeating it. Say aloud, “You ask, how do I know this? I’ll tell you.” …That sort of thing will seem perfectly natural; it will break up the formality of your phraseology and warm and humanize your manner of talking.

• If you wish to give a clear conception of the size of Alaska, do not quote its area in square miles; name the states that could be put into it; enumerate its population in terms of the town where you are speaking. 
• Avoid technical terms when addressing a lay audience. Follow Lincoln’...

• We are judged by what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it. Our language use is often the main way we are judged. Accurate and refined use of our native tongue is essential for ladies and gentlemen.
• Your language will reflect the company you keep. Follow Lincoln's examp...

• After independent thinking, collect information on your topic from encyclopedias, magazines, books, and the Internet.
• Collect far more material than you intend to use.
• The way to develop reserve power is to know far more than you can use to have a full reservoir of informatio...

• Plan your talk carefully. Think about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Organize your thoughts and create an outline.
• Cover each point thoroughly. Don't just skim over the surface of your topic. Make sure to provide enough information so that your audience can understa...

• Speak with conviction and passion. Your audience should be able to tell that you believe in what you are saying. Speak with conviction and passion; they will be more likely to believe you.
• Be heard. Speak loudly and clearly, and project your voice so everyone can hear you.
• Do...

• Enthusiasm is key to good public speaking. If you are not excited about your topic, your audience will not be either. So, ensure you are passionate about your words and that your enthusiasm comes through in your delivery.
• Be convinced of your message. If you don't believe in what you...

• When taking questions:

1. Repeat questions for all to hear 
2. Keep responses clear and concise and follow up on talk points
3. Avoid arguments and respect differing views
4. Don't let one questioner dominate; invite others
5. If heckled, smile and stay sile...

• Gather all the facts. Make sure you have all the information you need to support your claims. Be prepared to answer any questions your audience may have.
• Practice your talk. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel when you give your talk. Practice in front of a mirror...

• Delivery is as important as the words alone. The flavor of how you say it counts. 
• Engage your listeners; don't ignore them by staring over their heads or at the floor. Communicate and connect through eye contact. 
• Use the same natural conversational tone and directness as no...

• We learn through sudden improvements, not gradual. We plateau sometimes but can break through with more practice.
• Initial nervousness is normal, even for great speakers. It fades after a few seconds of speaking. 
• If we stay faithfully busy improving, we will become competent ...