What emerged could be called a culture of dictation...that there should be a match, or coordination, between what one says and how that is written. This culture would have taken a while to emerge.

EW: So who was behind this culture of dictation?

ME: My argument assumes…that taste-makers, gatekeepers, broadcasters, teachers, and the like were the origins of umlessness, and that listeners or audiences wouldn't have natively attended to filled pauses. In other words, people didn't show up asking [Toastmasters founder] Ralph Smedley to create a public speaking group that would clean up American speaking. Smedley and others came up with a program that included the prescription "don't say um" because it was clear, direct item in a recipe for eloquence which could be replicated with a wide number of people from many backgrounds. Maybe it was a pet peeve of theirs.

I'm amused the lengths to which defenders of Toastmasters-style umlessness will go to insist about the naturalness of "um" as a distracter, but there's nothing natural about it -- the distraction is a cultural and historical artifact. It only seems "natural" because it's so embedded in our culture.

Denise Graveline has posted an interview with Michael Erard, author of Um…Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, And What They Mean. Dyed in the wool Toastmasters will probably feel uncomfortable with Erard's comments about Ralph Smedley's dogmatism, but I think it's kind of refreshing to hear someone speak out for naturalness and genuineness in speech. Follow the link to read the whole interview.

A key message is the number one thing you want your audience to remember or do as a result of your presentation. Some experts call it “the big idea”, the core of your presentation or the proposition.

Start planning your presentation by deciding on your key message. It will make the rest of your planning easy and straightforward. Steve Bent, one of my readers, said in a comment on a previous post:

“…[T]hat’s when I had the Eureka moment of the key message for that particular presentation. Then all previous thoughts, notes and parts of the presentation were easy to classify in terms of how relevant they were, and which step they fell into (if any).”

If you’re preparing a presentation on a topic you know well, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to decide on your key message quickly. I’ve trained hundreds of people and there’s not one that’s been unable to come up with a key message within 5-10 minutes!

But in Steve’s words you may have “message commitment issues”. You may be thinking that once you’ve got a key message, you can’t change it as you carry on with your planning. Rubbish! Think of it as an engagement, not a marriage. You can always change your message if you find that it’s not quite working for you.

Or maybe you’re expecting the perfect, clever and catchy key message to come to you fully-formed. If that does happen to you – you’re lucky. But more often a memorable key message is a result of crafting.

There are three steps to crafting your key message:

It makes sense. Start from your key point. But sometimes you can spend more time than you want to working out what that key point is. Olivia Mitchell offers a three-step process for "crafting your key message."

Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List

The public speaking blogosphere: a large and varied space with fuzzy edges spanning many disciplines. There are public speaking blogs which focus on speech delivery, visual presentation design, speechwriting, humor, personal development, and interpersonal communication.

Public Speaking Bloggers: A Diverse Group

One is a world champion speaker; some speak professionally; others chronicle their first speaking steps. Many are authors – some more than once. Many are Toastmasters. Or were Toastmasters. Or recommend joining Toastmasters. Women and men. Young and old.

The only unanimous traits are (1) a passion for giving so that others may be educated and entertained, and (2) a way to subscribe to their articles with an easy subscription.

Learn from the Public Speaking Blogosphere

I compiled this snapshot of the public speaking blogosphere with three primary aims:

• To aid readers in the discovery of excellent public speaking blogs;
• To build ties within the community of bloggers;
• To provide encouragement to current and future public speaking bloggers.

For each blog below, sample articles are linked to give a flavor of the blogger’s style.

Twitter List

You can find a comprehensive Twitter List containing all of the known Twitter accounts for these bloggers here: @6minutes/public-speaking-bloggers .

Valuable resources compiled by Andrew Dlugan at @6Minutes

“What do I do with my hands when I’m speaking?” is a common question that I hear when I’m teaching public speaking. Your hands form an important part of your non-verbal communication, or body language, and can help you convey confidence and communicate more effectively to your audience.

Here are 5 tips for what to do with your hands:

1. Be Aware of What Your Hands Are Doing
The first step in preventing your hands from distracting your audience is to become conscious of what your hands are doing. Are you cracking your knuckles, playing with your pen or twisting your note cards? I’ve seen speakers do each of these actions and they usually don’t realize they’re doing it. Focus on your hands while practicing, watch yourself on video or ask for feedback from a trusted colleague.

2. Use the “Neutral Position”
When not gesturing, your hands should be in the neutral position – hanging loosely at your sides. They should not be jammed in your pockets, folded across your chest or clasped behind your back.

3. Keep Your Hands Empty
There is no need to hold a pen, rubber band or paper clip while speaking. It’s easier and less distracting to gesture with empty hands. If you must hold your notes, the PowerPoint remote or a microphone, refer to point #1 and be aware of what your hands are doing with that item.

4. Relax Your Hands
I’ve seen speakers clench their hands into fists or grip the sides of the podium, neither of which conveys a relaxed confidence. Make sure that any nervousness or anxiety you may be feeling is not expressed by your hands.

5. Gesture to Support Your Words
Simple, natural gestures will support and visually illustrate your words. For example, use your hands to show distance traveled or open both arms wide to show that you are welcoming the audience.

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Gilda Bonanno is a speaker, trainer and coach who helps people from all walks of life improve their communication and presentation skills. Receive a FREE Special Report, “Six Mistakes to Avoid in Public Speaking, So Your Presentation Sparkles” by visiting http://gildabonanno.com/newsletter.aspx and entering your email address. You’ll also be subscribed to Gilda’s free twice-monthly e-newsletter containing practical tips you can use immediately to improve your communication and presentation skill

Seen via @OliviaMitchell at Twitter