Silence makes most speakers uncomfortable. We feel compelled to fill every second with words, as if any gap means we've lost our place. But here's the truth: strategic silence is one of your most powerful tools.

In this episode, you're going to learn about one of the most powerful tools in public speaking—the pause. Master this, and you'll command attention, emphasize key points, and create memorable moments.

Tune in and learn to use vocal variety to go from ordinary to extraordinary!

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

Ever sat through a presentation where the speaker had great content, but their monotonous delivery made you struggle to stay awake? Everything sounded the same—like listening to someone read a terms and conditions agreement.

Now contrast that with a speaker who varies volume, pace, pitch, and tone. They whisper to create intimacy, then boom out a key point for emphasis. They speed up to show excitement, then slow down to let crucial concepts sink in. That's the difference between forgettable and unforgettable.

Your voice is an instrument, and when you play it well, you move your audience from boredom to engagement, from skepticism to belief.

Topics covered include:

• Volume
• Pace
• Pitch
• Tone

Tune in and learn to use vocal variety to go from ordinary to extraordinary!

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

Nonverbal communication—your posture, gestures, facial expressions, and movement—all send messages to your audience, sometimes even contradicting what you're saying.

In this episode, you'll learn about the conversation that's happening while you're speaking—the one your body is having with your audience. Your body language can speak louder than your words, so let's make sure it's saying the right things.

Topics covered include:

• Posture
• Gestures
• Facial Expressions
• Eye Contact
• Movement

Tune in and be sure your body language is saying the same thing as your words.

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

Here's the harsh reality: if you lose your audience in the first minute, it's incredibly hard to win them back. So, the first 30 seconds of your presentation, your Attention-Grabbing Opening, has to reach out and grab them!

Tune in and learn how to open with an attention-grabbing openings that engage your audiences from word one. Just as important, learn how the common openings many speakers start with are undermining your talks.

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

Today, we're tackling something that can make or break your presentation before you even step in front of your audience. It's called audience research, and if you skip this step, you're essentially speaking into a void. Let's talk about how to truly understand your audience so you can deliver a message they actually care about.

Picture this: You've spent hours preparing your presentation. Your content is solid, your slides look great, and you feel confident. You step on stage, deliver your talk, and... crickets. The audience is polite but unengaged. What went wrong?

Tune in and learn how you can avoid this truly deflating situation.

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

Have you ever sat through a presentation where the speaker clearly knew their stuff, but something was just... off? Maybe they rambled, their message wasn't clear, or you left thinking, "What was the point?"

Here's the truth: great speakers don't wing it. They follow a process. And that's exactly what the AMP'D Framework gives you—a proven, systematic approach to creating presentations that captivate your audience every single time.

Check out this QuickBites episode, and learn how the AMP'D Framework can help you deliver transformative rpesentations.

Resources:

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

If you listened to my episode titled the Final Episode, you know why I've been away. And now, after two years, I'm back and ready to reconnect with you. In fact, I have changed the title of that episode to This Used to Be My Final Episode.

But here's the thing — what I went through back then has given me a fresh perspective. I love this podcast, and I love helping people become calm, confident, and credible speakers who consistently engage their audiences.

Now that I'm back, I'm changing things up a bit. Listeners often told me how much they got out of my 5-minute QuickBites episodes, so instead of having frequent guest interviews with the occasional QuickBites episode, you're going to hear mostly QuickBites — featuring practical, actionable speaking tips you can use immediately. And occasionally, I'll bring on a featured guest when I have someone truly exceptional to share with you.

This new format means you'll get weekly episodes packed with techniques, strategies, and insights to transform your presentations and your confidence.

Thank you for your patience as I focused on my health. Your support means everything to me. I'm excited about this new chapter, and I can't wait to share what I've got planned for you.

Remember … you deserve to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in front of others.

• PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com
• The Captivating Public Speaker on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ8HRPWC

You may have noticed how erratic my episodes have been over the past couple of months. I apologize for that, but there is a good reason for it!

In early July, I'm sitting on the sofa, feeling as if I'm getting the flu — sweaty, lethargic, just feeling a bit off. However, within a few minutes, my Apple Watch confirms that I'm experiencing A-Fib and suggests I go to the hospital immediately.

When I arrive, things move quickly. I'm immediately brought into a small room and hooked up to an EKG. In no time at all, the nurse turns to another. "Donna." Donna takes one look at my EKG and turns to a doctor. "Mike." Mike doesn't hesitate, telling them where to bring me and what to do. A team of doctors and nurses are waiting for me. They stabilize me, and several hours later, I'm heading up to a room.

The next day starts with a coronary catheterization. "A 30-year-old would like to have your arteries," the doctor tells me. "They're in excellent condition." "So I've got nothing to worry about," I think. I couldn't be more wrong.

The next day brings a few more tests, and the doctor shares the results. "You have aortic stenosis. In fact, the valve is barely functioning and must be replaced within the next few days. We don't do that here, so you have a choice of which hospital to go to.

It doesn't take long for Jeanne and me to decide on Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston — one of the top cardiac hospitals in the country and only an hour from our home in Rhode Island. The next morning, I am, as the Dropkick Murphy's song goes, shipping up to Boston … for open heart surgery. What a way to spend my 65th birthday.

Over the next couple of days, I meet with my surgeon several times. Dr. Kim De la Cruz, the section chief and an aortic specialist, has a wonderful bedside manner and a hearty, reassuring laugh. I am confident and ready.

Everything goes well during the surgery, and it looks like I'll be home in five or six days. But my heart has other ideas. Liking the attention from the nurses, doctors, and the rest of the staff, it decides to act up so I can continue to enjoy the pampering for a while longer.

Over the next two weeks, I have another operation (although not nearly as invasive) and two procedures, including one where they chemically stop my heart and restart it within seconds … while I'm awake. The doctor overseeing that procedure said it would be excruciating, and she was not lying!

I spend almost the month of July in the hospital. In some ways, it seems like I was there for several months; in others, it seems to have flown by. Thankfully, other than follow-ups, it's all in the past.

I realize that I'm extremely fortunate. Dr. De la Cruz said that of the thousands of aortic valves he's worked on, mine is in the top 10 — if not the top five — of the most calcified. It seems I could have had — and probably should have had — a serious, if not fatal, heart attack.

Now I'm recuperating, and at a faster pace than expected. But it's still going to be a while before I'm back to my full workload. So something has to give. And since my favorite part of being a speaking coach is working with my clients, then, for now, as much as I enjoy my podcast, I am going to stop it. Someday, it may be back. But in the meantime, I'd like to thank my guests for making this such a helpful, entertaining podcast. And, of course, I'd like to thank you for listening.

If you'd like to check out my multi-award-winning book, The Captivating Speaker, it's available on Amazon. Just click here. If you want to work directly with me, go to PeterGeorgePublicSpeaking.com and click on the link to schedule a free consultation.