Speaking FreelyOvercoming stage fright and fear of public speaking blogAuthor Archive: Sandra Zimmer

You Can Be-Come Anything You Want to Be.

I studied acting for many years. I thought acting would help me become somebody.  I think it did.  Much of what I have become and been able to accomplish is due to my acting training and experience. The one thing I learned from acting is how to become something new.  To become means to be… Read more

Thanks to Kathy Reiffenstein

Many thanks to Kathy Reiffenstein who writes the popular Professionally Speaking Blog on Creating Confident, Persuasive Speakers!   Kathy wrote a superb review of my book, It’s Your Time to Shine: How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking, Develop Authentic Presence and Speak from Your Heart.   For many valuable ideas on public speaking, visit… Read more

Being Genuine and Being Authentic

Beverly Dracos, a writer for business communications and owner of Genuine Communications.com, astonished me with her understanding of the use of words “authenticity” and being “genuine.”  Bev loves language and has made a serious study of the meaning of various words that relate to genuineness. I have always used authentic and genuine interchangeably, but Bev… Read more

Speaking Tips From Broadway Acting

I found a wonderful blogpost by Kathy  Reiffenstein at Professionally Speaking Blog that I simply must share with you!  Kathy draws some valuable lessons on speaking from the Broadway production of A Little Night Music. So much of my skill as a speaker and speaking teacher comes from my training as an actress.  So it… Read more

Married to Powerpoint

The following is a post written by my friend and client Leigh Mires, Principal and Training Director of Walter P Moore Engineering.  She and I have been working for seven years to train their engineers to reduce their dependence on PowerPoint.  I guess we have more work to do!   Married to PowerPoint Cate Blanchett, portraying… Read more

Expressing Genuine Warmth

 A wonderful new client gave voice to her goal of expressing more warmth.  I think this is a great goal for everyone! Warmth is an emotion, so it can’t be simply acted out.  You can’t behave like you are warm because others will sense you lack of real warmth. You can’t DO warmth, you must… Read more

Thomas Friedman & BP – How Messages Find their Way to the Right Ears

I am a huge fan of Thomas Friedman.  He articulates clearly what I can’t always think for myself.  When I can’t quite clarify my thoughts about global situations, Friedman will say it in a way that makes me sigh, “Yes, that’s it!” In case you don’t know who Thomas Friedman is, he is a columnist… Read more

Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk

Great analysis of Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk by John Zimmer.  (No relation to me.) http://mannerofspeaking.org/2010/02/02/analysis-of-a-speech-by-sir-ken-robinson/ I am absolutely in agreement with every point John makes about Ken’s talk! These are all principles I teach and love to see in speakers! Read more

Crafting Your Speech so Listeners can Track

This week, I coached a Director at a Fortune 100 company who is preparing to deliver an executive summary presentation.  Twice a year, “Steve” must present to senior executives an update that includes what his team has achieved, what they are working on, what their prospects are and what they have contributed to the overall… Read more

PowerPoint – An “Epidemic” Sapping Presenter Effectiveness & Costing Deals!

 I spoke at a conference for proposal managers last week and was reminded of how much business professionals rely on PowerPoint for delivering presentations. The following is an article I wrote forThe Houston Business Journal several years ago.  I have rewritten it to share with you…. Has PowerPoint gone from useful tool to emotional roadblock… Read more
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