Why reading the room matters more than the perfect script. An underrated communication superpower is the ability to “read the room”. Whether you are on a stage, leading a boardroom discussion, or simply sitting around the dinner table with family, the ability to notice what’s happening around you—and adjust in real time—is one of the […]
How Speakers can Connect with their Audience
How to Show Your Audience (and Meeting Planner) Some Love
For speakers and professionals, loving your audience isn’t about bringing more energy. It’s about something far more intentional. Even though Valentine’s Day has passed, this month of love isn’t over. In light of this month’s ‘love’ theme, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what it means to “love your audience”. This phrase sounds […]
4 Simple Ways to Deepen Your Audience Connection
I’ve had the opportunity to speak on several recent occasions about the power of our words and how we can make a better audience connection. Recent research emphasizes that how we communicate—our choice of words, tone, rate of speech, and nonverbal cues—profoundly affects our ability to build trust and connect with others. Most of us […]
5 Ways Pauses in Speech Create Impactful Presentations
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”, […]
5 Tips to Make Your Presentation Memorable
When you make your presentation memorable you keep your audience engaged. In a recent conversation with a meeting planner, she asked me about the ‘take-home’ message in my presentation. What will the audience remember when they leave my session? Quickly, I rattled off the phrase: ‘consciously connecting through communication’. I like alliteration, so I intentionally […]
3 Ways to Influence Emotions In Our Audience
As speakers, we need to be intentional about how we use our emotions for influence. I am often asked by clients how they can be more influential with the emotions of their audiences. Some have an ask for their senior leadership, others want their audience to accept a change within their organizational processes or procedures, […]