Today’s antithesis of the day – by Marcus Lemonis

Haven’t posted in a while, so here goes. One of my favorite things to do is collect examples of rhetorical techniques – such as metaphors, antithesis, analogies, etc. Here is a terrific antithesis from Marcus Lemonis, the Profit, who says this at the beginning of...
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Check out the Modern Law Library’s Podcast interview with me!

A short while ago the ABA’s Legal Talk Network and  The Modern Law Library interviewed me for a podcast on Presentation Skills for Attorneys. I’m excited to announce that they just published the podcast! You can go directly to the podcast and listen to it here. And...
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Using Today’s Antithesis of the Day

My most favorite rhetorical technique is the antithesis. Ok, maybe repetition too. So – Antithesis – the sentence that has opposing thoughts/concepts/words, usually in a parallel structure, that make your audience THINK. I use antithesis in all of my speeches and I...
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I’m Happy to Announce the ABA has just Published My Book — Being Heard: Presentation Skills for Attorneys

Well, I admit it. I don’t post on the blog much. It’s obvious. Writing isn’t my thing. In fact, it is so not my thing that it took me quite a few years to finally finish my book on presentation skills for attorneys. Yep, that’s how much I would prefer to...
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Today in 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream Speech” – The #1 speech of the 20th Century

On this day in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I have a Dream speech. You may not know this, but the part of his speech where he launched into beginning his sentences with “I have a dream” was not planned. He had used those phrases in the past, but they...
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Being ON and staying that way

Let me tell you a story. I teach my 3 to 3.5 hour in-depth training seminar on public speaking to law firms, corporate executive groups, businesses, bar groups, associations, public agencies and the like. I fly all over the country to do this. And when I do it, no matter where I...
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Breaking the us/them barrier

In a presentation setting there is the “us” – the audience – and the “them” – the speaker(s). As a speaker, you want to always try to breach the “us/them” dynamic. Makes sense, doesn’t it? The last thing you want between you and your audience is a barrier. Especially one...
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Energy is good; energy is great!

It is amazing how many speakers appear bored when making a presentation. There they are, up in front of a crowd with a golden opportunity to impart knowledge, create excitement or persuade a group to embrace a new idea and yet … they look as if they’d rather be almost anywhere...
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Men’s tips for speaking attire

Quick review #1: Always dress a notch above your audience. Quick review #2: Think neat, unobtrusive, classic. I suggest dark or darkish suits with a colored shirt underneath. So much for the general stuff. But there are some things that have to be divided by gender. Big surprise...
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Women’s tips about speaking attire

Quick review #1: Always dress a notch above your audience. Quick review #2: Think neat, unobtrusive, classic. I suggest dark or darkish suits with a colored shirt underneath. So much for the general stuff. But there are some things that have to be divided by gender. Big surprise...
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