I'm feeling spicy this morning, so allow me to make a blasphemous claim about my industry:

When it comes to public speaking, preparation is good, but technique is better.

Now, am I saying you should wing your TEDTalk? Absolutely not. 

But, I do think most of us are over-emphasizing the importance of “preparation.” (Or, at the very least, we’re defining “preparation” wrong. 

You’d be amazed how many times a week I play out some version of this scene: 

Future Client: I’m not bad at public speaking, as long as I have time to prepare.

Me: Okay, great! How often do you feel like you’re given adequate time to prepare? 

Future Client: …almost never.   

And therein lies the problem with relying on “preparation” when it comes to public speaking. 

If you define “preparation” as spending hours outlining, drafting things out word for word, memorizing, and rehearsing in front of...

Do you suffer from the curse of "ums," "uhs," and "likes" when you speak?

Join the club! 

One of the #1 problems clients come to me with is:

"How do I stop saying 'like' and 'um' in my talk?!" 

In general, I have two ways I like to fight the plague of what I call filler words. 

We'll cover the first method today, and I'll save one for next week, just to keep you on the edge of your seat. ;)

STRATEGY #1: Beat the Buzzer

This approach is usually best for memorized speeches—and it's a game!

(We'll discuss the tougher issue of eliminating filler words in extemporaneous speaking next week!)

The game is all about creating new muscle memory around your speech. 

When filler words creep into prepared remarks, it's not because you're struggling to come up with the next thought—it's a habitual vocal tic.

So how do we get rid of this tic? 

You may not like the answer...

Here's how to play "Beat the...

To memorize, or not to memorize?

That is the first question most of my public speaking clients come to me with. 

Here are the two scenarios I usually hear: 

• If I try and memorize my whole talk, it takes HOURS and I end up sounding stiff and robotic. 
• When I just wing it, sometimes it turns out great, but sometimes I completely lose my train of thought and start throwing out “likes” and “ums” all over the place. 

Either of those sound familiar to you? 

(We’ve ALL been there.) 

So, how much exactly should you be memorizing? 

In my opinion, whether your presentation is 5min or 90min, the answer is the same. 

Here are the 3 elements to memorize: 

• Your Hook
• Your Closer
• Your Roadmap

Let’s break that down, shall we? 

Your Hook 

This is the opening of your talk. You always want to start your presentation with a hook that engages the audience. 

Your hook can take many forms. Here are a...