10 tips for public speakers—from 1980s pop music

So, I wanted to marry my guilty pleasure with my professional blog by offering public speakers 12 things they can learn from 1980s music.

Here we go—in descending order:

10. “You’re Only Human,” 1985. Billy Joel’s top 10 hit reminded listeners, “You’re only human, you’re supposed to make mistakes.” It’s good advice, so remember that the audience won’t judge you based on a scale of perfection. It doesn’t matter if you flub a line, forget a word, or make a minor gaffe—if you’re passionate and care about the topic, the audience will probably like you. And if you do make a big mistake? Stay in the moment. Beat yourself up afterward if you must, but never do it onstage.