Using "um", "uh", "like" and "you know" is a bad habit that can be fixed It doesn't matter how elegantly your PowerPoint presentation flows, how artfully you can field difficult questions, or how perfectly balanced your mix of statistics and stories is. If you're filling your delivery with filler words like "um", "uh", "like", "right", "so" or "you know", you're
If you're losing momentum, you need these three strategies to get back on track. Steve Jobs once commented, "People who know what they're talking about don't need PowerPoint." Whether that's a slight exaggeration or a big one, it is true that most of our sales pitches and presentations rely heavily on visual aids and collateral.
Know the magic word that cuts through the noise. Franklin Delano Roosevelt once gave this pithy advice for making a good presentation: "Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated." As a professional speaker and presentation coach for the past two decades, I agree with this public speaking wisdom, and I would add one more tip: "Be memorable."
As a coach and international business school instructor, I have worked with hundreds of current and future leaders who are accomplished, bright, and capable — and who quickly lose their confidence and competence when making business presentations. For a subset of these leaders — those who need to present in English when it isn’t their
You have a big presentation to make to your client, your funders, or your boss. You've spent hours developing a deck that's concise, crisp, and visually stunning. You've practiced the delivery so that you speak with clarity, calm, and confidence. You've tested to make sure your tech is glitch-free, proofread the printed materials, and developed an
Here's how to grow your influence, boost your impression and make a powerful impact. Leading business schools, from Stanford to Wharton, teach storytelling as a business communication strategy. The ability to tell an engaging, compelling, and persuasive story is a hallmark of effective leadership and executive presence. Stories are a powerful way for leaders to
If you don't know who your presentation is really about, you're missing the point. When people think of public speaking mistakes, they usually imagine disaster scenarios - their minds go blank in front of the boss, or the A/V equipment stops working, or the client asks a question that stumps them. And of course, these
It doesn't matter how compelling your presentation is if you haven't grabbed your audience's attention in the first few seconds. Every presentation is an opportunity to make an impression. You can either use your pitch to build credibility, engagement and buy-in, or blow the chance to share your story in a way that sells. No
A challenging question won't undermine your confidence if you have a plan. Making a presentation under the best of circumstances can be nerve-wracking. From worrying about whether the rest of your team is as prepared (or unprepared) as you are, and making sure that the technology works, to confirming that your stories resonate, and that
Being a memorable, persuasive speaker requires building connection, being current and boosting credibility. When it comes to making a persuasive presentation, there are several elements that are core to making it a success. As Aristotle said eons ago, persuasion requires appealing to ethos (trust), logos (intellect), and pathos (emotions), no matter who your audience is.
Presenting to your boss can be terrifying. Here's how to calm down and step up your game. Even under the best of circumstances, it can be intimidating to make a presentation. Public speaking is a major source of anxiety for many professionals, whose worries may range from feeling underprepared, anticipating difficult questions, or assuming that
When your meetings go online, people check out--but it doesn't have to be like that. Here's how to make your virtual meetings engaging. As humorist Dave Barry once remarked, “If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word
Learn to communicate your needs with more firmness and less fear You don’t have to be a leader to wrestle with saying no. Regardless of role, responsibility, title, or position, many of us find ourselves wanting to decline a request for our time, but we don’t know how to say no assertively. Read the rest
There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank screen and wondering how you’ll begin to write a speech. Oh wait, there is something worse: Staring at a blank screen and wondering how to start your speech—while your deadline is hanging over your head. Add some pressure to a confused mind and a dreaded task and,
When it comes to telling a powerful story that sells, you need to tap into how your listeners' brains are already working. Storytelling is a powerful communication tool. It’s a way to build a memorable brand, create customer engagement, sell products and raise growth capital. Companies from Nike and Google to SAP and Cargill have
