“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.”
— Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

In my weekly articles, I have extensively discussed how to create, practice, and deliver presentations. However, I have not often discussed what you should do before you create your presentation.

Before creating your presentation, you should take three essential preparatory steps to ensure your message is relevant, practical, and engaging. 

These foundational actions lay the groundwork for clarity, audience connection, and the impact of your presentation.

References 

• Lucas, S. E. (2019). The Art of Public Speaking. McGraw-Hill. Lucas emphasizes that “adapting to the audience is one of the most important keys to effective public speaking,” underscoring the need for thorough audience research.
• Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. Wiley. Duarte advises speakers to “articulate the big idea,” stressing that without a central message, the audience will struggle to retain anything meaningful.
• Reynolds, G. (2011). Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. New Riders. Reynolds promotes simplicity and structure, stating that “the best presentations are well planned and well organized,” not just visually compelling.

“If you listen to your audience, they will tell you what you need to know.” — Lee Clow, American advertising executive, best known for creating the iconic “1984” Apple Macintosh commercial.

Speakers often consider what their audience can learn from them. Have you ever considered how much you can learn from your audience?

This podcast episode explores three ways you can learn from your audience.

References

• Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED. Gallo explains that great speakers monitor audience reactions and use them to improve content and delivery, particularly noting the value of “listening with your eyes.”
• Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly. Brown emphasizes the power of vulnerability and listening in leadership and communication, encouraging speakers to see feedback as a gift that reveals what truly matters to others.
•  Morgan, N. (2008). Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma. Morgan argues speakers become more effective by responding to audience signals — adapting tone, body language, and content delivery based on real-time input.

“When you position your customer [or audience] as the hero and yourself as the guide, you win the day.” -  Donald Miller in his book Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
 
 

Donald Miller’s book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen (Harper Collins Leadership, 2025), discusses making your client the hero of your interaction. You are the guide who leads them to the solution to their challenge. 

This is directly applicable when you speak to your audience. Do you know their challenges, and do you lead them to the solution to their challenges through your speaking?

This podcast episode outlines three ways to make your audience the hero

References

• Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, by Nancy Duarte (John Wiley & Sons, 2010)
• Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller (Harper Collins Business, 2025)
• Connect, Then Lead, Harvard Business Review article (Cuddy, Kohut, Neffinger, 2013) shows that warmth, affirmation, and empowerment foster a stronger speaker-audience connection:

"Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it 'to whom it may concern.'" — Ken Haemer, Presentation Research Manager at AT&T

This podcast episode covers the nitty-gritty of how to create, practice, and deliver excellent presentations.

It contains practical processes for doing this you can implement immediately. 

“Ideas are worthless unless you can make them heard.” — Phil Cooke, media consultant and speaker

You were immersed in engineering or scientific matters in your engineering school or school of science. 

You then work in industry or government where you want to practice engineering and science.

Somewhere along the way, hopefully early, you realize you must “sell” your ideas to get ahead. It comes as a shock. You thought all you needed to succeed was sound engineering or science. 

Unfortunately, unless you can convey your thoughts intelligently in public, there will be a ceiling on your advancement.

In this podcast, we will explore three reasons technical professionals need excellent public speaking skills.

References

• Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. St. Martin’s Press.
• National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2023). Job Outlook Survey.
• https://www.naceweb.org
• Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Ibarra, H., & Hunter, M. (2007). How Leaders Create and Use Networks. Harvard Business Review.
• Carnegie Mellon University Career Center. (2021). Top Skills for Engineers Beyond the Lab.
• Arruda, W. (2013). Ditch. Dare. Do!: 3D Personal Branding for Executives. Wiley.
• Duarte, N., & Sanchez, P. (2016). Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols. Portfolio.
• Zak, P. J. (2014). Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling. Harvard Business Review.
• Pentland, A. (2012). The New Science of Building Great Teams. Harvard Business Review.

“Champions don’t do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things better than everyone else.” – Tony Dungy, former NFL player and coach, best known for leading the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl win

Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers football team, on taking over as head coach of the Packers, said, “I am not going to change anything. We will use the same players, the same plays and the same training system. But we will concentrate on becoming brilliant on the basics.”

Becoming brilliant at the basics of public speaking has always been and will always be the foundation of any excellent presentation. 

In this podcast episode, we will explore three essential skills every public speaker must master to become brilliant in the basics:

References 

• Lucas, S. E. (2014). The Art of Public Speaking (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
• Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
• Cuddy, A., Kohut, M., & Neffinger, J. (2013). Connect, Then Lead. Harvard Business Review.
• Kennedy, G. A. (2007). On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Oxford University Press.
• Mehrabian, A. (1971). Silent Messages. Wadsworth.
• Gilbert, G. M. (2010). The Psychology of Communication. Allyn & Bacon.

“The worst part of holding the camera up to speak is knowing that no one is really there to nod or smile back at you.” — Unknown

This week, my son Frank returned from a six-month Navy submarine deployment. He is a nuclear officer on the USS Indiana fast-attack submarine. My wife Elaine and I are very proud of him for defending our great country.

I thought about how my son and the other sailors on his boat must feel isolated being underwater for months. They have no contact with the outside world when they are underway.

Online-speaking entrepreneurs may also feel isolated at times. Speaking to and with others on a virtual platform differs from meeting with or presenting to others in person.

This episode explores three ways online speaker entrepreneurs can avoid isolation.

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References

• National Speakers Association: www.nsaspeaker.org
• Toastmasters International: www.toastmasters.org
• LinkedIn Networking Tips: LinkedIn Business Solutions
• PodMatch for Podcast Collaborations: www.podmatch.com
• Eventbrite for Finding or Hosting Events: www.eventbrite.com
• StreamYard for Webinar Hosting: www.streamyard.com
• Mastermind.com: www.mastermind.com
• SCORE Business Mentoring: www.score.org
• CoachHub for Professional Coaching: www.coachhub.com

“Everybody wants to win. However, there are few people who want to prepare to win.” - Paul “Bear” Bryant, legendary coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Today’s professional speakers face several challenges that can impact their effectiveness and career growth. 

Here are three key concerns of today’s professional speakers and how to address them:

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References

• Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. St. Martin’s Press.
• Duarte, N. (2012). Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences. Wiley.
• Neffenger, J. (2018). Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential. Penguin Books.
• Vaynerchuk, G. (2018). Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too. Harper Business.
• Scott, D. M. (2020). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Wiley.
• Schaefer, M. (2014). Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend. Mark W. Schaefer.
• Allen, K. (2015). The Speaker’s Edge: The Ultimate Go-To Guide for Locating and Landing Lots of Speaking Gigs. Indie Books International.
• Walker, C. (2020). The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business. Speaker Launcher.
• Baer, J. (2018). Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth. Portfolio.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker, renowned management consultant, educator, and author,

As a professional speaker, you must manage various business aspects to build and sustain your career. 

We will examine three key business matters for you as a professional speaker in this podcast episode.

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References

• According to insights in Book More Business, effective branding is essential for speakers to stand out in a competitive market.
• As noted in Book More Business, digital adaptation is a critical business matter that demands continuous learning and technological integration.
• Brands on Brands emphasizes that understanding and managing fee structures is crucial for long-term financial sustainability in the industry.

“Everyone who got where they are had to begin where they were.” – Richard Paul Evans, American author best known for writing The Christmas Box

As a speaker, you may often experience imposter syndrome, a psychological phenomenon in which you doubt your abilities and fear being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of your competence. 

In this episode, we will examine three key reasons why you may feel like an imposter and what you can do to overcome these feelings, supported by references (at the end of this article) from psychological research and communication studies.

References

• Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117-140.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
• Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121.
• Swann, W. B. (1983). Self-verification: Bringing social reality into harmony with the self. Psychological Perspectives on the Self, 2, 33-66.