I made this term up so don't try to find it anywhere else. A "brainstopper" is something you say or do that causes the mind of an audience member to stop to think. This can be a good thing, but most of the time when I catch a coaching student delivering a brainstopper, it is a bad thing.

Here is an example of a good brainstopper. You might say, "Take a moment and think about the first toy you had as a child."

A command like this would take the audience...

In the theater, an "aside" is something said to the audience that is not to be heard by the other actors. If the aside was delivered on a television sitcom, the actor would look right at the camera and talk to the viewers at home instead of talking to the other actors.

To a public speaker it means a temporary departure from the main theme or topic. If you get good at this technique, the audience will think you are a genius. The way it works is that you begin telling a...

The title of this article is the same as a famous book by Richard Bayan that is used by marketing professionals around the world. As I was looking through it the other day I realized that the same kinds of words could be used in public speaking to get the same kinds of effects.

We want to sell our ideas don't we? We want to increase our credibility don't we? We want to move people to action don't we? These are all the things that good advertising copywriters try to do in print...

Question-and-answer sessions are great opportunities to show off your sense of humor and get audience participation during a public speaking engagement. Let's see how we can have some fun with them.

A good way to open up a Q & A session is to say, 'The last time I opened up for a Q & A session, the first question I got was 'What time is it?' or 'Can I be excused?' or 'Aren't you getting tired up there?' Say anything except the old boring 'Now let's open it up for...

Being roasted is an honor, but you must be careful to honor people while you are roasting them during a public speaking engagement. Joke about things that are obviously untrue, then exaggerate them to make them more obvious. Or, you can outrageously exaggerate things that are true.

When choosing the butt of a roast joke or story, pick big targets. Never make fun of a small target (janitor, secretary, etc.). Make fun of the boss. He or she is still the boss after all the teasing...

Regardless of one's nationality and culture, cartoons and comic strips are the most universally accepted format for humor in public speaking engagements. These pieces of visual humor are seen in newspapers and magazines in most areas of the world. They may be found in newsstands in large cities, or in large libraries.

It might be fun to collect cartoons and comic strips when you travel so you have a ready supply when you need one for a speaking engagement. Be careful to avoid...

If you want to get real action out of your audience during a public speaking engagement, then tugging on their heart strings can help make it happen. This is where your storytelling ability can really make you shine.

Great storytellers like my friends Maggie Bedrosian and Thelma Wells can take a simple set of facts and paint moving pictures in the minds of their audience members with carefully crafted stories.

You don't have to tell stories when speaking to get emotional...

“The most effective learning is accomplished during periods of fun and enjoyment.”

-Dr. Ralph Smedley, Founder of Toastmasters International

Christmas Comedy at the Post Office?

By Darren LaCroix

FORWARD TO A FRIEND-

Don’t you justfeelthe tension while waiting on line at the post office this time of year?

The other day I was standing in line at the post office and I heard a...

As a very outgoing, energetic, and talkative woman, I have many times spoken out of turn, and spoken without thinking. I became very proficient in apologizing. I would keep talking until I either embarrassed my listener, or hurt the feelings of my listener.

I would then lapse into,"I am so sorry. I didn't mean that how it sounded. I apologize. I was so insensitive..."

Shaking my head, I would try to remain quiet for the rest of the...

Speaking can be a part-time job that you use as an essential part of your business strategies. It can also become a rewarding full time career. As a speaker you have the opportunity to help lots of people while possibly gaining financial rewards and becoming a local celebrity.

The secret to have a prosperous career in professional speaking is mastering the three main aspects of the speaking industry.These are public speaking skills, finding your niche, and marketing to your chosen...