Category: Craft of Public Speaking
-
Choose your [power] words wisely
Words are powerful, and you should choose them wisely when giving a speech. This is common knowledge, but what does wisely mean exactly? When you decide to go on stage and stand in front of an audience under the spotlight, you want to be heard. A good speaker is inspirational and quickly catches the audience’s…
-
The empty space: the psychology of pausing
I’m sure you heard about the importance of pausing during a speech or presentation. There are several practical reasons to do so, and you can find some tips on the perfect moments to use this technique right here in our blog. Yet, there is science behind the importance of pause, namely psychology. Why does your…
-
The Power of asking questions to become a better speaker
We all know how difficult it can be to stand on the stage and answer the audience’s questions, but how about the other side? How about standing up in front of everyone, picking up a microphone, and asking the speaker a question? Asking questions For those who fear public speaking and feel exposed, asking a…
-
Mastering the Q&A: Dealing with Tough Questions with Confidence
You’re about to start your presentation. Everything is ready, you rehearsed… what can go wrong? Immediately, a bright red alarm goes off in your head: the Q&A! The more you think about it, the more you feel your head spinning. What if they are mean? What if I don’t know the answer? What if…? Before…
-
Stand-up Comedy is Some Serious Public Speaking
Do you like to listen to stand-up comedians? People are more than happy to sit for 1 hour or more in a chair listening to someone talking and even pay for it. However, invite them for a formal speech, and they will be less than excited… Sure, the comedic tone helps, but there is more…
-
Creating SMART public speaking goals
Speaking in a thousand venues can be the dream, but without a precise goal, it may feel a bit empty to you. Did you improve? Were you better than last time? Better in what exactly? You may feel disappointed when you are not sure whether you improved or not. That’s why you need to define…
-
Channel Supervillains to improve your public speaking
Supervillains are those evil characters who only exist to make superheroes’ life really hard. Have you noticed that they are all excellent speakers? They are charismatic like no other character in the story, and they catch the audience’s attention, despite being the bad guys. Why does this happen? More importantly, what can you learn from…
-
Public Speaking: The Skill Your Students Need to Succeed in the Future
Speaking in public is an important skill and, yet, a hard one to master. It needs training and effort, but most of us are too scared to take the necessary steps to improve. Virtual Orator was born from the need to have access to actual practice in public speaking. 75% of the general population reports…
-
Creating routines: give yourself momentum before presentations
Many people have rituals – or routines – before doing something important in their lives. They often think about it as something to give them luck, but in fact, those rituals provide them with momentum. If you have an important presentation, you must create this momentum to be at the top of your game when…
-
Mastering the Clock: 9 Time Management Tips for your Presentations
Guests and fish may stink after 3 days, but presentations start to stink already when they go over by more than 1 minute. If you want to be an impactful speaker and leave your audience wanting to hear more from you, you must make them feel appreciated. The most fundamental form of this is respecting…