How do we make the presentation journey more concise and deliver just what our audiences want or need? I find it useful to think of my presentations and speeches as a journey where I lead my audiences to insights or ideas that might be new or different from how they’ve previously thought. This analogy helps […]
5 Strategies to Comfortably Self-Promote Your Accomplishments
How does one comfortably self-promote and not feel as if it is bragging? I’ve worked with many clients over the past several years who were preparing for an interview or needed to speak about their accomplishments in order to get promoted, and they felt uneasy with this task. In some cultures, it’s considered inappropriate to […]
5 Strategies That Make Speaking Up in Meetings Easier
One challenge that I’ve been observing over the past several months with several clients is speaking up in meetings. In my coaching practice, I often work with clients who have received feedback that they aren’t contributing or speaking up in meetings. There are several reasons why this may be occurring: lack of self-confidence, inner fear […]
4 Benefits of Scripting Your Presentation
The investment of scripting your presentation on the front end generally yields a significant return on the other side. An often-debated topic in speech preparation is should one’s speech be scripted? In working with many of my clients, one of the challenges they are faced with is not having enough time to invest in developing […]
3 Ways Your Numerical Communication Can Be More Memorable
Knowing the basic principles of numerical communication can help us become more effective and persuasive communicators. A couple of months ago, I read “Making Numbers Count” by Chip Heath and Karla Starr who observed that we could lose our audience “when we don’t translate numbers into an instinctive human experience.” These translation techniques serve as […]
How to Create an Engaging Speaker Introduction
Although some may not regard their introduction as a high priority, a good speech introduction has many benefits for a speaker. I’ve recently had several clients who were preparing presentations to deliver this spring, and the topic of their introductions came up. How should they be introduced? What makes a good speaker introduction? My recommendation […]