We’ve blogged before about how helpful it is to watch other speakers to learn from them. In our books and lectures, we recommend that you observe, adapt, and adopt to help develop your own personal style.
When you hear
Latest from Johnson & Hunter, Inc. - Page 2
Internet Myths: Speaking Skills Edition – Part Two
In our last post we discussed unscientific and objectionable, yet widespread, ideas about speaking skills that we continue to encounter when we teach. We discussed why the idea that speakers should stay inside “the box” when gesturing is bad advice.
Internet Myths: Speaking Skills Edition – Part One
In the last many years, we have worked closely with our legal Professional Development colleagues to improve not just how we teach, but how we can achieve better outcomes for our speaking skills programs. It is a lifelong pursuit as
Primacy and Recency
Listeners pay close attention to the beginnings of presentations. Minds often wander in the middle, and retention drops. When the listener gets a signal that the end is near—“In conclusion…”— attention increases once again. Primacy is the first thing listeners
Plan to Forget
Many speakers bury their noses in their notes because they’re gripped by the fear, “What if I forget?” But that’s the wrong question! The question is, “When I forget, how will I recover?” Plan to forget. Know that it is
The Two-Minute Problem of Public Speaking
by Brian K. Johnson
To size up attorneys before coaching with them individually, I ask them to describe their feelings about public speaking. “Where do you fall on the Love-Hate Speaking Spectrum? Love it, hate it, or somewhere in between?”
Helping Witnesses Avoid “Uptalk”
There is a common vocal habit where speakers make statements sound like questions. In daily conversation, lots of people end their phrases and their sentences with a vocal pattern that […]
The post Helping Witnesses Avoid “Uptalk” appeared first on
Speak Confidently and Don’t Trail Off
Does your voice trail off at the end of your sentences? It is natural for your voice to fade at the end of a sentence as you run short of breath. Soft-spoken people especially tend to trail off on the
A Case for Practice
There is a critical gap between your brain’s capacity to know something and your body’s ability to know how to do it physically. Practice bridges that gap.
What your brain knows and understands, your body must practice to execute well.
Breathe In, Speak Out
A mantra of our public speaking techniques is breathe in and speak out. Breathe in to fill your lungs, and once they’re filled, use the air in your lungs to power your voice.
From the dawn of time until the