Now that we have the basics...

Over the past few weeks, we've learned all about the equation that equates to the seeds of a great speech ((KT + KA + KE) * Appropriate Techniques). We've learned how to develop a great speech by incorporating a litany of techniques (repetition, rule of 3s, audience participation, props, statistics, quotes, and many more). We've learned how to transition from memorizing speeches to giving media interviews using a handful of talking points. We've learned how to get over some of the huge fears we have of public speaking, how to tell a compelling story, and how to sell (almost) anything. We even learned how to make a PowerPoint presentation that doesn't suck.

Since this course was only the beginning of a new chapter in our public speaking lives, here's a list of ways we can continue to hone the skills we learned in our excellent (excellent) course:

• Give impromptu speeches when the situation calls for one.
• Join Toastmasters.
• Volunteer to present at work.
• Run for office (if you're so inclined).
• Volunteer for "docent" positions. Many are available at serve.gov and allforgood.org.
• Watch speeches online. A number of excellent ones are available at TED and even on C-SPAN.
• For effective visuals (especially for quantitative information), check our publications by Edward Tufte: http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/

Does anyone else have any other ideas? Maybe we could meet on a semi-regular basis and deliver impromptu speeches to each other and possible invite friends. Would anyone else be interested in this?

= = =

Finally, our instructor, Dana Dierkes, did an incredible job in creating a supportive environment that helped ALL of us become stronger speakers, regardless of what our starting point was. I'm sure I speak on the behalf of the rest of our class in saying that we wish you ALL the best in California, and we hope to continue to be in touch. If you're ever back in DC, please don't be a stranger. Thank you for organizing such a great course!

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture (Thoughts welcome!)

During our last session (June 3, 2010), we watched Randy Pausch's famous Last Lecture, or rather the abridged version of it that he presented on Oprah:

It's an incredibly powerful speech that packs a lot of punch for its short running running time, but I'd highly recommend viewing his Last Lecture in full. It has a few "ums" and "uhs" in it, but it's quite a bit more relaxed and conversational, rather than presentational in tone:

Spaghetti Sauce

TED features some of the most incredible, inspiring, informative, and innovative talks I've seen anywhere, and it's a treasure trove of some of the best speeches given over the past five years. I've seen a number of them already, but the first one I watched was by Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. As I'm sure you can agree, he's a pretty great story-teller, as he uses his stories to illustrate much larger points: