Top 10 Countdown: Best Episodes of 2013
Let’s start the new year by reviewing the top 10 Public Speaker podcast episodes of the past year. Which communication tips made the biggest impact in 2013? Find out!
Lisa B. Marshall
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Top 10 Countdown: Best Episodes of 2013
During the week leading up to December 31st, my local radio station has been playing the top 40 countdown of the most popular songs in 2013. I thought it would be fun to do the same thing with The Public Speaker podcast.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most popular podcasts on The Public Speaker show for 2013. Let’s start with number 10 and work our way up to 1.
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Public Speaker Podcast #10: Presentation Disasters: What to Do When Things Go Wrong
No matter how prepared you are, there’s always the chance something will go wrong during your presentation. In this episode I give tips for dealing with some of the disasters we fear the most.
For example, what do you do if your equipment or computer crashes while you’re speaking? The solution is to always have a print-out of your slides. And be sure to ask for help. Don’t stand there fiddling with your technology and expect your audience to wait patiently and stay focused.
Public Speaker Podcast #9: 3 Secrets Radio Personalities Don’t Want You to Know
In this episode I spoke with Jeff Brown, host of the Read to Lead podcast, to learn secrets successful broadcasters won’t tell you. One of Jeff’s biggest pet peeves is radio personalities who say things like “Good morning, everyone!” or “Hey all you listeners out there!”
Jeff says the best way to broaden your audience is to narrow your focus. Sounds counterintuitive, right? Imagine yourself talking to one listener at a time and each listener will feel a personal connection with you.
Public Speaker Podcast #8: Trends in Public Speaking (Part 1)
I did a two-part series on trends in public speaking. Part 1 focused on general trends, while Part 2 got into the details of new technology. One of the biggest trends I’ve seen lately is more audience participation. Audiences no longer want to be just observers. They want to give input and share ideas and opinions.
Public Speaker Podcast #7: How to Give a Horrible Presentation
This was one of the most fun episodes I’ve done in a while. I hope you agree. I took top presentation skills and turned them upside down to show how to do a really bad presentation. Some examples of what not to do: cram your slides with data to make it look like you’ve done a lot of work and use a smaller font to get more words on a page.
The takeaway of course is that you should use words sparingly and only include idea on each slide.
Public Speaker Podcast #6: Why Soft Skills Matter More
If you’ll be looking for a new job or a promotion in 2014, this episodeis for you. I talked to bestselling author Dan Schawbel about what soft skills are most important. He told me that most managers, when polled, rank the ability to prioritize as the most important job skill. An average worker prioritizes work based on first-in, first-out; or what looks most interesting at the time. A top performer understands the business well enough to ask the right questions and prioritize based on what the business needs most.
Public Speaker Podcast #5: 5 Tips for Better Conversations
Even though it’s a big part of my job, I’ve never liked going to networking functions. In this episode I share tips on how to have better conversations, especially with people you’ve just met. I learned my best tip from my father. Show a genuine interest in the other person and what they do. Ask probing questions and give your conversation partner a chance to show their enthusiasm for the topic.
Public Speaker Podcast #4: Why You Hate your Voice
When you hear your voice on playback, it’s usually higher-pitched and thinner than what you expected. What happened to your deeper, fuller-sounding voice that you hear in your head? Why does it sound different in real life?
In this episode, I share research that explains why this happens. Although you can’t magically change your voice, you can use my tips to fix common problems like enunciation, ums and ahs, and speaking too quickly.
Public Speaker Podcast #3: How to Stop Mumbling and Be Heard
My mom used to tell me I mumbled. Of course I disagreed, but now that I hear my daughters mumbling so often, I think she may have been right. Here’s a trick my girls learned at drama camp for opening their mouths wider and enunciating. Simply repeat these words quickly: “The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue.” If you don’t open your mouth widely for this exercise, what happens? You’ll fumble the words. You simply can’t repeat these words quickly without opening your mouth.
Public Speaker Podcast #2: How to Communicate Better Using the Rule of 3Three
If you’re a long-time listener, you know this is one of my favorite topics. The rule of three is a favorite trick of speech-writers and comedians. Use the rule of three to structure your speech with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Combine topics into groups of threes. Repeat sentences, phrases, or words three times for emphasis.
And the Number 1 episodeof 2013 is . . .
Public Speaker Podcast #1: How to Calm Your Nerves before Speaking
I’ve admitted this several times before, but I still get nervous. Lately I’ve noticed a problem with nervousness just before I interview someone on my new podcast Smart Talk: Inspiring Conversations with Exceptional People. I follow the tips in this most popular episode regularly,
Just before every interview I do deep breathing exercises to help me breathe more fully and not run out of air. (Nervousness plus with ashthma is not a good combination!) I also follow the tip to stay hydrated with a mug of hot tea and also big glass of water. If you listen carefully you may even hear the ice in my glass.
However, my favorite tip from this episode is to embrace the nervous energy. Research shows that good stress helps us focus and think more clearly. Turn your anxiety into positive nervous energy and your audience will sit up and take notice. That’s my goal with all of my work.
That rounds out our top 10 list. I hope you found The Public Speaker podcasts both informative and entertaining this year. I look forward to connecting with you each week in 2014. Do you have a topic you want me to discuss? Do you have someone you want me to interview on Smart Talk? I’d really love to hear from you!
This is Lisa B. Marshall, Helping you maximize sales, manage perceptions, and enhance leadership through keynotes, workshops, books, and online courses. Passionate about communication; your success is my business.
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Top 10 and other images courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.