Utilizing pauses in speech can create a deeper connection with your audience. At a recent speaking event, I was conversing with an audience member before I took the stage, and the concept of “ma” came up. What is “ma”? No, it’s not another word for your mom. It’s a Japanese concept that translates to “pause”, […]
Communication Skills
How to Build a Successful Relationship with a Meeting Planner
One important element that should not be overlooked is the relationship one builds with the meeting planner. One of the best ways to keep your speaking pipeline filled is to build a successful relationship with a meeting or event planner as their success is related to your success. The following are several ways to ensure […]
5 Ways to Ensure Effective Cross-Cultural Communication
Become a more effective speaker by strengthening your cross-cultural communication skills. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to audiences in other countries (virtually) as well as coach professionals not from the United States who wanted to improve their presentation delivery to a US-based audience. Whether speaking to an audience from a country […]
How to Turn Negative Feedback from Speaking Engagements into Gratitude
Using this powerful tool when faced with perceived negative situations will help turn negative feedback into gratitude. According to neuroscientists, our brains are evolutionarily hard-wired to remember the negative rather than the positive. It’s one of our defense mechanisms to protect us against threats and keep us alive. It’s called our negativity bias. That is […]
3 Ways the ‘Less is More’ Approach Works in Presentations
Like some of my clients, I can get lost in how much content I need to provide. Then I remember the ‘less is more’ approach. Although my first impulse in developing content for a presentation is to share as much as possible about a particular topic, it is not the best route for an engaging […]
3 Ways to Speak with Power
When you speak with power, you engage your audience while elevating your confidence. Over the past several months, I have worked with several clients who were looking to speak with more confidence. Jonah Berger’s most recent book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way, calls this ‘speaking with power’. Our use of language […]