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Snippets from Speeches

I tell people I would rather write than do anything else in the world. (This may explain why I've not had a date since 1985!) Writing speeches to meet a client's need is a source of great pleasure for me. Thus, I not only have a long list of possible topics, I also like creating new ones. My speeches challenge, inform, and entertain.

An example of Challenges

Leadership, according to several management gurus, depends on our ability to persuade. What do you think is the best way to convince or influence others?

1.     TO CONVINCE OTHERS YOU ARE CREDIBLE AND TRUSTWORTHY:
    A.   Cite statistics
    B.   Share an anecdote
    C.   Use a combination of statistics and anecdote

An example of Information

Perception is stronger than truth. Don't doubt it. If you do, just consider this: Charlie Chaplin, at the height of his popularity, was vacationing on the French Riviera when he spotted a sign in the hotel; it advertised a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest. On a whim, he entered......and came in third!

An example of Laughter

When she was in her 70's, my mother (with only an 8th-grade education) sold an invention to a major American manufacturer. I tell her story by introducing her first: She is a sweet little ravioli of a woman. At age 85, she is saucy and spunky and still thinks she is sexy. When our local supermarket, for example, was displaying fresh fish beneath a banner that proclaimed "Catch of the Day," she strode right up to the good-looking man behind the counter and announced, "If you are the catch, I'll take all I can get!"