A Blog Designed to Help You Become a Better Speaker

As motivational speakers, our ultimate goal is not just to entertain or inform — it's to inspire action. Whether you're helping an audience navigate uncertainty, embrace change, or overcome personal obstacles, the power of your message lies in its ability to move people into action.

But how do we, as speakers, tap into the psychology of our audience to create lasting impact? The answer lies in understanding the emotional and cognitive responses that drive human behavior.

1. Appeal to Emotion, Not Just Logic

The human brain is wired to respond to emotions before logic. While facts, figures, and logical arguments are important, they don’t move people the way emotions do. Research in neuroscience tells us that people are more likely to take action based on how they feel in the moment, rather than what they think.

As a speaker, your goal should be to create an emotional connection. You want your audience to feel something — whether it's excitement, empathy, or inspiration. When you e...

I shot this video to teach about Speaker Demo Reels and hawk my wares.

When I went to trim it, I noticed several things about this video. I thought about NOT posting it because of what I saw. However, I realized there's some valuable lessons in how much the details matter when you are shooting video.

I shot this with a Logitech Brio 4k computer camera, and a Samsung Q2U microphone. I shoot in my bedroom because there are two large windows and the natural light works best. (I do have lights, but I prefer natural if I can use it. Plus, setting up the lights to get them right is such a pain in the rear and I don't want to do it every time I shoot.)

I recorded this on Zoom because I have a pro level account through the National Speaker's Association and it's easy to use.

The video is 10 minutes long and there is a HUGE shift in the lighting. It starts in the bottom corner and you will see the sunlight grow into a big bright spot. Most of the day the sun is behind my house so there is...

I’m going to be honest—I don’t think everyone can be funny. We’ve all sat through someone trying to be funny, and it was awkward and painful, like watching a slow-motion car crash. Shoot—I’ve even been awkward and painful at times when trying out a new joke.

But there is one technique I believe anyone can do. And even if it doesn’t make you hilarious, it will at least make your storytelling dramatically more engaging—whether humor is your goal or not.

 What’s at Stake?

 This is a question actors ask themselves almost immediately when given a role. A story must have conflict in order to be a story. What a character stands to lose or gain shapes how they react—and that’s where the magic happens.

 There are different levels of stakes:

• Deep emotional stakes: Love, pride, significance, revenge. (Think: "If I don’t confess my love, I’ll die alone!")
• Medium stakes: Job security, finances, major life changes. ("If I don’t land this job, I’ll have to move back in with my parents.")
...

You got the rejection email. You were in the running, and THEN they went with someone else. Not only did they go with someone else, but you know that someone else—and you’re a better speaker.

So why did they hire that person instead of you?

Coming from the acting world, I can tell you there are a few reasons you may not have considered as a speaker.

1. Your Marketing Assets Aren’t Good

You can be an amazing speaker, but if you have a boring headshot where you look like everyone else, a so-so demo reel, and an uninteresting talk title, they’ll glaze right over you.

In acting, the headshot is everything. There has to be something that stands out—usually the expression, the eyes, or the colors. The same is true for your photo. If you have the typical boring gray or blue background headshot with your arms crossed in a suit… snooze.

You need something—whether it’s a standout demo reel, humor in your email, or a talk title that makes people do a double take—to get them to look at y...

Ahhh, the elusive demo reel. You can’t get hired for events without video footage of you speaking. But how do you get footage of you speaking if you can’t get events?

 In addition, what is it meeting planners or hiring committees want to see?

 Here are some tips and things to keep in mind regarding creating a demo reel that actually gets you hired.

1.        Quality of Footage:

There is a saying I have heard amongst speakers that the amount you want to make per event is the amount you should spend on a demo reel shoot. Basically, if you want to make $10k, then you need to spend $10k.

 Uhhh, no thank you. I come from the film/commercial world, and I do not see a reason to spend that kind of money. Ahhh, the elusive demo reel. You can’t get hired for events without video footage of you speaking. But how do you get footage of you speaking if you can’t get events?

 In addition, what is it meeting planners or hiring committees want to see?

 Here are some tips and things to keep in ...

(Be prepared: I am going to “should” all over you about storytelling in your speech. There are always ways to bend rules, but as a general practice, I find these to be effective in regards to creating an emotional powerful moment with the audience – which is a huge part of what stories are for.)

 Annnnnd Action. 🎬

He was an old white guy rambling on for an hour. His speech was basically a thinly veiled sales pitch to hire him for his services. Right when I thought he couldn’t annoy me anymore, he pulled out the ol’ sports hero story to end his sales pitch/speech.

 He wasn’t an athlete. If he was and it was HIS story - that would be different. It wasn’t. It was something I could have googled and read about on Wikipedia. I, and half the room, don’t care about sports. We politely endured what I am assuming was what he considered motivational.

When he was done, I imagined him getting his hefty speaking check, sauntering over to the bar to order an Arnold Palmer or Whiskey Sour, hitt...

How do you get someone to fall in love with you the first five minutes they meet you? I don't know that answer, which is probably why I'm single. However, I do know a few "tricks" to get an audience to fall in love with you within the first 5 minutes of taking the stage.

Your Intro:

Your intro is often wasted real estate space for audience connection. If your bio/intro is filled with a bunch of accolades such as you hold a PHD and won the Olympics after falling off a cliff and now are a CEO of a multi billion corporation...you've probably lost me already.

Why? Because you're obviously a better person than me. You may be interesting and I may get a nugget or two, but we have nothing in common. You don't know my life, so why should I trust you with telling me how to make it better?

When creating your intro it's fine to showcase your knowledge or experience, but throw in some things that are relatable. Examples could be that you are the proud owner of two dogs, you once threw up...

I had the privilege of being on set for two different projects over the last week. I LOVE being on a commercial set. Also, I LOVE getting my make up done by their professional make up artists.

One thing I started doing YEARS ago was ask the artists about the products they use and why. I was excite to learn what all has changed this time around. I was surprised that the oldies are still the goodies with a few updates I'll share.

First, Make up for camera is very different for make up for stage. Neither are the same for everyday. Make up for camera is much more subtle because the camera is right in your face. Light eye shadow, neutral lips, usually only eye shadow for eyeliner and it's very subtle.

Hair is also a it trickier because any flying frizz, tiny staticky piece, one grey root, show so bad!!!

Finally, no "dewy". Oil (shine is the enemy of camera.) I am always her "dewy" with terribly shiny skin for camera. Give me an hour on set and my skin will look lik...

There is a something called, "rule of thirds" used in most design. Whether it is photography, interior design, a piece of artwork, etc., things simply look better to the human eye with odd number and varying "levels". There are different types of "levels" that go beyond just visual.

I've yet to hear one speaker talk about how they thought through "levels" in their speech to add interest. In this article I'll address a few types of "levels" that can help add engagement, entertainment or intrigue to your speech.

Vocal Levels

Vocal levels are one most speakers DO think about in regards to variation of their vocal tone. No-one wants to listen to someone monotone for an ENTIRE hour. Vocal inflection is often thought about in regard to the voice going up and down.

However, there are levels in regards to how loud or soft your voice is which is a great way to keep attention. Ever been in front of a room where no-one is paying attention so you try and out voice them decibel wise? Doesn't...

A lot of us speakers struggle with this question, especially when we are just starting out. I paid attention to experienced speakers vs new when I began my speaking journey.

What I noticed is that experienced speakers weren't happy with their message if there wasn't something meaningful, in a personal way, behind it. New speakers wanted to get hired. Seasoned speakers wanted purpose.

What "should" you speak about?

First, there is a difference between your message vs. what tract you are or how you fit into the marketplace.

I'll bring the cat hair analogy back because it's actually a real thing!! (My ex-Mother-in-Law gave me a Christmas ornament once made out of her dog's hair...True Story! She's dead now so I can finally talk about her.)

You are passionate abut cat hair. You love it. You sleep on it. You have your doctorate in the evolution of it. You have 12 books on amazon about it. You want everyone to know how amazing cat here is because without it, no cat would survive. People...