Non-Traditional Methods of Improving Your Speaking with Mark Herschberg.

Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as we discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income.

Have you ever looked into activities beyond improv or Toastmasters to become a more effective, more engaging speaker? Mark Herschberg has. A self-described horrible speaker as a kid, Mark went on to teach at MIT for over 20 years, speak at conferences, and become a professional keynote speaker and workshop presenter. He is the author of The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Here's my conversation with Mark Herschberg.

From Hiding in the Corner to Teaching at MIT

Peter: You said you used to be a horrible speaker. In what way?

Mark: I was the kid who hated any type of public speaking in school. I would look down at the paper, couldn't make eye contact with the audience, didn't want to look at anyone. I was nervous. I wouldn't enunciate. I was really quiet. I had all the classic problems beginning speakers have. Whenever we did school plays, I was always cast as the student producer — their way of keeping me off the stage.

Why Professors Don't Improve as Speakers

Mark: At research universities like MIT, professors are evaluated on their publications, not their teaching. There's even a joke that winning the Baker Award for best teaching is a kiss of death for tenure — because research is what matters for tenure, not how well you communicate. Without an incentive to improve, most don't. Professor Patrick Winston was a notable exception — he started the MIT Speaks program specifically to address this gap. But without senior champions like him, there's no reason for anyone to invest in their public speaking once they're inside the university.

The Unexpected Power of Ballroom Dancing

Mark: The thing that gave me an incredible boost was competitive ballroom dancing at MIT. The biggest thing holding back early speakers is nervousness — the inner critic. Is my shirt untucked? Am I going to forget the words? Is that person judging me? When you're a competitive ballroom dancer, you're out on the floor being literally judged. Sometimes you screw up badly. Sometimes you nail it. But the key thing is learning that when you screw up, when you get judged, when you don't make the recall — it's okay. It's not the end of the world. That's the confidence you bring to the stage.

Mark: In ballroom, if a couple falls, the entire audience applauds when they get back up. They're saying: we've all been there, we're behind you, keep going. That culture carries over to public speaking. Audiences want you to succeed. They're not looking at you and thinking you're an idiot — they're thinking, “That must be tough for them.” Once you internalize that, everything changes.

What Stand-Up Comedy Teaches You That Public Speaking Doesn't

Mark: In public speaking, we tell people: don't memorize your speech. Be in the moment. Feel it. Comedy is the opposite. In stand-up, you do need to know it word for word — you need to know exactly where the pause goes and which syllable to enunciate. Changing a two-syllable word to a three-syllable word can make or break a joke. I've spent about five hours of prep for every one hour of comedy performance. That level of refinement has made me a better speaker by giving me a different set of tools — the ability to craft and land a joke precisely when I want to.

Brain Bump: Helping Audiences Retain What You Teach

Mark: People read a book, hear a talk, or listen to a podcast and retain very little two weeks later. That's not helpful to them — and it's not helpful to the speaker either. I built an app called Brain Bump to solve this. Speakers, authors, and podcasters upload their key tips — typically one to three sentences each — and users download that content to the app. They can get it delivered as just-in-time reminders right before a relevant situation, or as daily tips that keep ideas top of mind over time. At the end of my talks, I put the QR code on the final slide, and two weeks later, event producers tell me attendees are still talking about what I covered.

Peter: Mark, where can listeners learn more about you and Brain Bump?

Mark: For my book, visit thecareertoolkitbook.com. For Brain Bump, go to cognoscomedia.com — you can learn more, get your content on the platform, or download the app for free on Android and iPhone.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.