"Improving Your Delivery" — Public speaking webinar recording now available

Thanks to everyone who attended yesterday’s webinar, “Improving Your Delivery,” presented by attorney, communications professional and certified CLE provider Faith Pincus of Pincus Professional Education. Faith also blogs on The LexBlog Network at Speech Advice.

This webinar was the third in a series of public speaking webinars led by Faith — you can watch “Public Speaking for Professionals” and “Creating and Organizing your Speech” at LexBlog’s events center. The final installment in this series will be December 14 and will cover optimizing client presentations.

Faith started the hour with a quote from Dale Carnegie:

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.

She then instructed the audience on how to always give the speech you wish you gave.

A few key points from “Improving Your Delivery:”

• Image is everything — people won’t listen to your words if they’re distracted by your outfit. Dress conservatively, and wear a darker suit (avoid tan!) with a light or colorful shirt to draw attention to your face.
• Invest in an inexpensive video camera to record yourself presenting. Monitor your body language and use of verbal pauses — ummms, likes, and you knows.
• Pause for effect.
• Use repetition, metaphors and similes to hold your audience’s attention.
• Step away from the podium to break away a psychological barrier with your audience. Invest in a wireless mic so that you can move around the platform.

If speaking in front of an audience, be it in court or at a conference, is something you do or hope to do regularly, Faith’s presentation is definitely worth a watch. You can view the session in its entirety at LexBlog’s Events Center.