What makes a speech patriotic? According to the Oxford dictionary, a patriot is “a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.” Implicit in this definition is strong emotion. A patriotic person is proud of their country, and feels that pride strongly enough to fight for their…
Read MoreA recent article from the Wall Street Journal discusses the effects of declining eye contact in the workplace, citing our own research on ideal eye contact behavior, and we wanted to share our further analysis. As background, we know that because of evolution it is easy for humans to “speak” with their eyes. An article…
Read MorePauses can be an incredibly powerful tool in public speaking, as they provide several benefits to the speaker as well as to the audience. According to our research, the average professional speaks at a rate of 150 words per minute. Yet, according to Colorado State University, the average person thinks at a rate that is…
Read MoreSource: inBlurbs According to the Visual Networking Index Forecast from Cisco, online video will soon surpass Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media in terms of usage. By 2017, 81% of the world’s internet users will also use online video services (compared to 58% of internet users in 2012). The report states that “It…
Read MoreOn June 6th, 1944 (also known as D-Day), General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a short, inspirational speech to soldiers before the Battle of Normandy. A full transcript and audio of the speech can be found here. In June of 1944, approximately 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the coast of France’s Normandy region…
Read MoreThe honorable task of giving a commencement address is not an easy one. Speakers must tailor their words to the graduates, while considering that their audience extends to the parents, grandparents, younger siblings, teachers, and anyone else who might see the speech online. Ask around and you will learn that the majority of graduates do…
Read MoreA wonderful article from Fortune covering our analysis of the best commencement speeches: The best commencement speakers are… By Patricia Sellers June 3, 2013: 7:57 AM ET What makes a great speech? Persuasion. This is what the experts at Quantified Communications, a firm that analyzes communications skills, report is most critical to connect with a…
Read MoreThe following is an article from the Wall Street Journal, covering eye contact in the workplace with research from Quantified Communications! Is the Boss Looking at You? You’d Better Hope So. By Sue Shellenbarger How do people gauge their career progress: Praise from the boss? Landing a promotion? Scoring an office with a window? Another…
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Exciting to see our analytics in the Wall Street Journal! Just Look Me in the Eye Already The Workplace Perils of Staring at Our Phones and Elsewhere; The Ideal Gaze Lasts 7 to 10 Seconds By Sue Shellenbarger You’re having a conversation with someone and suddenly his eyes drop to his smartphone or drift over…
Read MoreWhat does your accent say about you? The above map comes from a website by Rick Aschmann which outlines the geographical locations and characteristics of different North American English dialects (linked above). Rick’s website also includes audio samples of each dialect, and several charts and guides describing how sounds differ between each dialect.
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