From the monthly archives:

May 2010

Principles of “Golden Circle” help speakers inspire

by Cynthia J. StarksMay 31, 2010

Recently, I saw an excellent presentation Simon Sinek gave at a TEDx (Technology, Education, Design) conference last September, called “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Sinek’s premise, embodied in what he calls the “Golden Circle,” is that all organizations and leaders function on three levels – what you do, how you do it and why you [...]

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Freelance speechwriter considers “the need to connect”

by Cynthia J. StarksMay 22, 2010

The past few months have been a flurry of activity in my life – most specifically in my work life. As readers of this blog may remember, I’m a former corporate speechwriter who has had her own speechwriting business for some 15 years. Recently, however, some of what’s happened to me – as well as [...]

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Acronym helps speechwriters know audience, target remarks

by Cynthia J. StarksMay 12, 2010

Last time, I wrote about the importance of getting to know the audience your speaker will be talking to so his speech will address their wants and needs. This time, I’d like to continue by giving you a way of remembering the questions to ask in order to get this information. It’s an acronym that [...]

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Audience analysis: key to effective speeches

by Cynthia J. StarksMay 8, 2010

Recently, I was hired to write speeches for two very different audiences. The first is an East Coast direct-marketing group interested in the latest and greatest print and social media marketing ideas. The second is an Indiana business group interested in both big-picture business trends and specifics on what they can do right now to [...]

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Speechwriter “high” on research after job miss had her low

by Cynthia J. StarksMay 1, 2010

Gentle reader, A little more than a month ago, I blogged about a speech I wrote and gave, subsequently featured in Vital Speeches of the Day, that led to my being recruited by a global company as speechwriter to its CEO. I promised to let you know the outcome. Well, I flew back East for [...]

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