How fast do I speak?

3DStack

When I am making presentations about public speaking or delivering a podcast (yes, that really is me in the picture above), I often talk about the perceptions formed based on the rate of speech of the presenter.

Public speaking review

One way to improve as a speaker is to listen to others and think about what they did well and what they could have done for improvement. Here’s your chance.

Listen to an interesting talk then see if your review agrees with mine.

Peter Busby is a well-known architect specializing in ‘green’ design. You only need to listen to the first few minutes to understand my review.

Introduction to Expert Presenter Workshop

I hope you’ll indulge me! I spent all day working on this introduction (when I should have been reviewing contracts and sending out invoices!).

Improve your talks using video comments

This past fall the University of Pennsylvania hosted a symposium for biomedical postdocs and they wanted me to provide feedback for a few of the presenters. I wasn’t able to attend, so I asked them to record and upload the video using www.viddler.com. This is a tool I started using about six months ago and I LOVE it.

What makes you nervous?

In my presentations, I often talk about overcoming speech anxiety. But the reality is that people get nervous in a variety of communication situations for a variety of reasons. Some people get more nervous meeting strangers, while others get more nervous in small groups, while others are more nervous during meetings.

Public Speaking Today?

I was searching the internet archive today and stumbled across a manual for public speaking written in 1922! So I decided to give it a read. I’m so glad I did. Wow what a resource!

The introduction –oratory still the supreme art–applies today just as much today as it did then. It starts “the demand for good public speaking is as great as it ever was.

Networking Goals

A few weeks ago, I was “on the fence” about going to a Jeff Pulver social media networking breakfast. The main reason I was even considering this event was to meet a particular person who had RSVP’d a confirmation. I was thinking, “Hmmmm…

Helvetica, Comic Sans, and science presentations…

If you don’t already think I’m a geek…then this post will surely convince you of that.

Today, I was listening to NPR’s Studio 360. The host, Kurt Andersen, was doing a segment with Gary Hustwit, the director of the recently released documentary “Helvetica.” (It’s a feature-length film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture.

Business cards for scientists? Of course!

This past week I delivered two seminars for the School of Medicine at Harvard University. At the end of my first seminar something surprising happened.

As you might expect, after seminars, participants often come up to ask questions they didn’t want to ask in front of the entire group.

Conclusions and closers — How to end a talk

The day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I decided to go out on an “date” — our first evening out past 9:00 pm since the birth of our 3 1/2 year old identical twins. (Yep, I know, it’s a sad statement about our social life, but unfortunately it’s true.) We chose to visit our local Comedy Cabaret to decompress–to get away from work.

Copyright Lisa B. Marshall ©2012-2016. All Rights Reserved. Photo of Lisa B. Marshall by Joan Ford Photography.