Public Speaking Lessons from the 2021 Golden Globes

Public Speaking Lessons from the 2021 Golden Globes

Although most viewers want to talk about fashion from the Golden Globes, the real public speaking lessons are found in who won and who lost in the battle for the best acceptance speech.

Click the video to watch my commentary on the Golden Gloves at LinkedIn!

Don’t Miss Your 90 Seconds of Fame!

Daniel Daluuya had the right attitude and one you should adopt too: seize the moment! When Laura Dern was ready to write him off due to technical difficulties, he stepped up (er, or stayed seating) to express his gratitude. Most importantly, he shared the key message about Fred Hampton: that this leader taught him about self-love.

Don’t Cover or Smother Your Message

Although director Chloe Zhao had an important message to share for her Nomadland win, it was lost by her constant covering of her mouth. As we’ve learned from our daily mask wearing, seeing someone enunciate the words boosts understanding.

Be Prepared

As my fave character would say in the Lion King (love ya Jeremy Irons), be prepared! It doesn’t matter if you think you’re not going to win, prepare anyway. There were too many forgettable winners who simply had laundry lists of thanks and uhm, ers, and crying. Gillian Anderson, Andra Day, and Anya Taylor-Joy, for example. Rosamund Pike’s dress literally overwhelmed any message.

Create a Moment

From Mark Ruffalo to Jodie Foster to Norman Lear, these Hollywood legends dared to take a stand and deliver a message. “I’ve never lived alone or laughed alone” was poignant by Mr. Lear. And, of course, Jane Fonda brought home the importance of not only thanking your competitors, by citing the films that made a difference. Her call to action was clear and powerful.

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How are you preparing for your acceptance speech? Here’s a sneak peek at my new project devoted to this very topic: www.BestAcceptanceSpeech.com

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To your sizzling success!