The arrangement of chairs, the sound system, the lighting and the overall climate of the room can make a big difference in the way a public speaking engagement is received. You may not think you have much control over these items, but think again, because you do.

If you have prior access to the room where your speech will be held you should always get there as early as possible. I have never had a speaking engagement where everything about the room set-up was perfect. There is...

A wedding toast can be a scary thing, especially if you aren’t used to standing up and talking in front of large groups of people.

To make matters worse, you will probably be delivering your wedding toast when you are tired and you might have had a little too much to drink.

Add this to the fact that the video camera is going to be zoomed in to catch every facial expression and every syllable you say and you’ve got one tough situation to deal with.

So how...

So you "have" to do a eulogy speech . . . or maybe you "want" to get a chance to express in public all the deep feelings you have for your loved one who has passed away.

Yes, I know it's a tough time to write a eulogy speech or anything else for that matter. Yes, I know you're probably distraught and having a hard time focusing. That's OK. I'm going to give you an easy tip to get going. Where do you start?

One of the best elements to include in a eulogy...

* Your first priority is safety. Know where fire exits and extinguishers are.

* Have backup equipment and backup plan in case of failure.

* Keep room lights at maximum intensity unless slides and/or video projection are being used.

* If room lights are down, put a soft light on presenter.

* Schedule breaks during program.

* Tape door latches to prevent them from making loud noises.

* Use semi-circular seating if possible.

* Provide hardback...

THIS WILL SURPRISE YOU (especially if you know me) You can be a lousy public speaker and still be great on the speaking platform. By lousy, I mean that technically you do everything wrong. You look terrible. Your grammar and diction stink and you might have dandruff.

Do not think for a moment that I want you to be these terrible things. In fact, I sell videos teaching you NOT to be pitiful technically when you present. What I want you to see is the bigger picture. If you give...

A bit is a section of public speaking material that is so related that it makes it easy for you to memorize. Each point flows naturally from one to the next so you can deliver the information without notes (if you know your material).

Until I learned about bits, I never thought I could be that great at speaking because I'm not great at memorizing long talks. I discovered that no one memorizes long talks. They have a mental or written outline consisting of key words that trigger...

Here are some things you should keep in mind when a television camera is trained on you:

TELEVISION & VIDEOTAPE TIPS

* Gestures should be smaller.

* Make sure clothing is "broken in" and comfortable when you are sitting and standing.

* Prior to your performance, have instant photos or video taken of you while sitting and standing. Make sure your clothes look good in both positions.

* Find out the background color of the set if possible. You...

Public speaking has aspects related to time of day that you must know about. The first speaker of the day for an early morning (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) program should not expect hearty laughter. People are not conditioned to laugh a great deal in the early morning. Many won't even be awake yet. Use more information and less humor. I was asked by a sales speaker to open up an early morning public seminar. He said, 'I just want you to get them laughing before I start speaking.' I told him...

I invented the concept of 'Dynamic Range' in public speaking to help you improve your versatility as a business presenter, and to help you pick appropriate audiences for your skill and interest level (Did he say 'pick' my audiences?). Yes, I did say pick your audiences.

Some of you may not have this luxury because you must speak as part of your job, but those of you that do, will move up faster in the speaking world. When you are a beginning public speaker it is important for you...

There is just something about a magic trick during a public speaking engagement that grabs people. The nice thing about it is that as a public speaker who uses magic to make a point, you are not held to the high standards you would be held to if you were a professional magician.

I do some simple magic that would probably make a real magician throw up, yet I get comments from the audience that they loved my 'illusions.' Think about some of the points you make during your speech...