Be a Public Speaking Master with Dez Thornton

Dez Thornton is a Communications Expert who helps Thought Leaders say the right words in the right way when they matter most. An idea enthusiast with a knack for transforming the complex into the simple, Dez has an uncanny ability to inspire action through story. Dez was professionally trained at the University of South Carolina and Dale Carnegie and was the 2014 President of the Georgia Chapter of the National Speakers Association. Today, Dez dedicates his gift of communication to helping CEOs and business leaders become more effective speakers. In this episode of the Small Business Matters podcast, Dez shares his insights around developing an effective presentation or speech, the importance of preparation and content development, the power of visual maps, and the four components of delivering a speech successfully. We also talk about the reason so many successful CEOs struggle with public speaking, the most common mistakes made by both seasoned and young speakers, appropriate non-verbal communication and gestures, and managing the fear around public speaking.