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”, […]
effective connecting
How Vulnerability Can Make You a Better Speaker
Transform into a more compelling, relatable speaker by being vulnerable. I recently worked with a client on crafting a presentation for her organization’s internal conference. She had a compelling story she wanted to share, yet wondered how much detail she should share. The question that arose was how vulnerable is too vulnerable? When does sharing […]
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 Benefits of Using Gestures in Presentations
Using gestures in presentations is a powerful communication technique. One area of communication and in public speaking that hasn’t gotten much attention in recent years since we have been presenting virtually is the power of gestures. In developing content for a presentation, we tend to focus on our choice of words and how we deliver […]
3 Ways Intention Setting Helps With Presentation Creation
What Intention Are You Setting? I see this quite often with my clients, whether they are working on developing a presentation or thinking through how to navigate a challenging conversation. Their first impulse is to dive right into what they want to say, rather than think about what they want as an outcome or result […]