I like to think of gratitude as a communication superpower. You might be familiar with research that touts the benefits of cultivating a gratitude habit: higher levels of happiness and well-being, less stress, and greater resilience. Gratitude is a positive communications practice that not only improves my own well-being, but the well-being of others. Here […]
effective connecting
6 Tips for Creating a Powerful Ignite Presentation
How to Create an Impactful Ignite Talk I was recently chosen to present at an Ignite conference. For those who are not familiar with Ignite, it is a fast-paced public speaking event where you speak for 5 minutes with a slide deck where the slides advance automatically every 15 seconds. This type of presentation can greatly […]
Emotions and Body Language – What’s the Connection?
Our emotions play a huge role in how we communicate and how our message is received. To a large extent, our communication is driven by how we think and feel in the moment. Our emotions and body language are highly interconnected. We express our emotions through our body language, often on a subconscious level. Not […]
4 Ways Speaking Helps to Grow Your Business
Why Speak? Most people don’t know that speaking is one of the best marketing strategies for growing your business. As an active marketing strategy, speaking to an audience by offering solutions to a particular problem they are facing can lead to an increase in business if approached in the right way. Here are 4 reasons […]
Analyzing Your Audience
No matter how great your content, it won’t get heard unless you are tweaking your speaking to address your audience’s unspoken question, “What’s in it for me?” Oftentimes we spend a great deal of time developing our topic, key points, great openings and conclusions, and we don’t consider or spend much time evaluating who is […]
Are You a Part of the 25%?
You know the feeling – sweaty palms, dry mouth, butterflies in your belly. You are not alone. According to a study published by the Institute for Mental Health in March 2012, about 75% of us suffer from speech anxiety. Speaking anxiety is defined by a speaker’s level of fear or unease with speaking to a […]