Articles by Paula Statman

When a comedian starts a joke with the word “So” it's classic and effective—it builds anticipation and signals that something funny is coming. The audience leans in, waiting for the punchline. 

But when a speaker begins a presentation with "So..." it has the opposite effect. It comes across as a nervous habit that lowers the speaker’s credibility. 

Have you ever written the "perfect" speech, only to stumble through it when speaking aloud? There's a better way. Instead of writing first and speaking later, try this approach: start with speaking. It will save you time and you’ll get a great result.