Speaking

Want to Be a Better Public Speaker? Stop Talking and Do This Instead

By |2020-06-23T11:30:58-04:00September 20th, 2018|Speaking|

Your silence is a gift to yourself and your audience. Successful presentations motivate, educate, and inspire listeners to take action. From the attention-getting opening to the powerful close--and the concrete, key messages in the middle--memorable presenters know to how to deliver their content in an engaging way. How? Read the rest of the article  

How Anyone Can Tell a Story like J.K. Rowling

By |2020-06-23T11:33:19-04:00September 17th, 2018|Speaking|

Top business schools ranging from Columbia to Wharton teach storytelling as a way to prepare leaders to deliver compelling, persuasive messages that appeal to both heads and hearts. Firms ranging from KMPG to Deloitte now couple candidate recruitment with storytelling, and companies like Nike and Disney include “storytelling skills” among other qualifications for open jobs.

Your, Um, Filler Words Are, Like, Killing Your Credibility. Here’s How to, Uh, Fix This in 4 Weeks

By |2020-06-23T11:37:08-04:00August 21st, 2018|Speaking|

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

How to Grab Your Audience’s Attention, Immediately

By |2020-06-23T12:18:06-04:00July 11th, 2018|Speaking|

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.

12 Phrases that Will Make Your Audience Put Down Their Cell Phones and Pay Attention to You

By |2020-06-23T12:36:46-04:00May 1st, 2018|Speaking|

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."

3 Tips for Presenting in English When You’re Not a Native Speaker

By |2020-06-24T08:01:16-04:00April 17th, 2018|Speaking|

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

Stop Ending Your Speeches With ‘Any Questions’ and End With This Instead

By |2020-06-24T08:05:12-04:00March 5th, 2018|Speaking|

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

Want to Increase Your Presence? Start by Telling One of These Stories

By |2020-06-24T08:17:50-04:00December 18th, 2017|Speaking|

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

3 Presentation Mistakes You’re Making (and How to Fix Them)

By |2020-06-24T08:20:29-04:00November 28th, 2017|Speaking|

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

Stop Beginning Your Speeches with ‘Good Morning and Thank You’ and Start With This Instead

By |2020-06-24T08:21:44-04:00November 10th, 2017|Speaking|

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

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