Surfing the video wave

Is the sound of your voice holding your business back? I know this is a public speaking blog – but I want to talk today about online video. Bear with me and I’ll connect the dots for you in a paragraph or two. You see, online video is the coming wave. Whatever line of business you’re in, if you don’t use it in marketing, you’ll get left behind. Far-sighted competitors who’ve adopted...

Oh Mr Darcy….

Colin Firth’s Oscar acceptance speech What a great occasion, the 2011 Oscars Award Ceremony, attended by the great and the good and there standing out like a varicose vein in winter, “The King’s Speech“. Best film, best director, best original screenplay and of course best actor, Mr Colin Firth. From Darcy’s wet shirted enticement to stirrings in his abdomen…...

Great Speeches in Films

Actors can’t give speeches I was chatting to Colin Firth last week…. not that Colin Firth, my neighbour Colin Firth. Incidentally my wife has never been the same since she saw that Colin Firth in the lake scene in Pride and Prejudice. Even now if you mention Mr. Darcy… her legs turn to jelly. Anyway, I was explaining to Colin that many actors just can’t give speeches. They can...

Oscar Speeches and the 3 G’s

Oscar acceptance speeches All this talk about which film will win the best film award, The King’s Speech, Black Swan or The Social Network, has got me thinking about the Oscars. And when you think about the Oscars, you can’t help but think about those awful acceptance speeches. These guys may be trained actors who know how to use their voice and deliver lines, but when it comes to a...

Speech Writing… the Marcus Method

Prepare a 20 minute speech in 5 minutes or less Before I delve into the title of this post, let me start off by saying I used to be just like most people – I had a complete and utter fear of speaking in public. In fact, when I was in high school I once gave a ‘speech’ in front of the student body that went so awfully bad (between the heat flashes, shakes, loss of words, and near...