Watch the recorded webinar “Top Five Mistakes People Make with PowerPoint” “Hi. I’m Abe Lincoln. My first slide lays out a timeline for our nation. As you can see reading from left to right, it really all started four score and seven years ago. . . .” Of course that wouldn’t have done at all. … Read More
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What I Learned from Vomiting and Fainting in Front of My Class
Watch the recorded webinar “Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking!” As a public speaking coach, nervous speakers regularly tell me “I think I’m going to pass out” or “I’m feeling sick to my stomach.” And while they never do faint or vomit, I have wondered what would happened if they did. Well I don’t need … Read More
Learning from Your Dentist: The Keys to Delivering Bad News
Watch the recorded webinar “How to Have a Tough Conversation at Work” Many of us have to deliver unwanted messages. For example, my dentist recently told me that some of my old fillings were deteriorating and needed to be replaced. “They’ve served you well for many years,” she told me. “But those old fillings don’t … Read More
Public Speaking Tips from Socrates
Watch the recorded webinar “How to Interview for a Job Virtually” Socrates said “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance”. But while the Greek philosopher may have touted his lack of knowledge, we can learn much about presenting ideas from his wise words. “Do not do to others what angers you if done … Read More
Public Speaking 4.0. Connecting with Audiences in the Post-Covid Era
Watch the recorded webinar “Keys to Public Speaking Success and Your Questions” What is the state of public speaking in 2021? Covid has ushered in what might be called Public Speaking 4.0. That’s a world where some of the most important public speaking platforms will likely be virtual. If that’s the case, then the best … Read More
Checklist for a Winning New Business Presentation
Watch the recorded webinar “How to Separate Yourself from the Competition with a Presentation” How do I communicate in a way that is credible and assertive but that I can still be myself? I recently read surgeon and journalist Atul Gawande’s bestseller “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right.” It’s about the amazing power … Read More
Help Your Stories with a Healthy Helping of Schmaltz
Watch the recorded webinar “Discussion with Expert on Managing Virtual Teams” I was helping a client with a story he planned to tell as part of his presentation. “You know what this story needs?” I said. “This story needs some schmaltz.” He gave me a confused look. “You don’t know what schmaltz is?” I said. … Read More
Leadership Communication for Women
Watch the recorded webinar “Online Leadership Presence for Women” How do I communicate in a way that is credible and assertive but that I can still be myself? We hear that a lot from women as they try to grow their careers. They want to come across as professional. But they don’t want to lose … Read More
How to Improve Your PowerPoint Presentation?
There’s an actual political party in Switzerland called The Anti-PowerPoint Party. Don’t believe me? Then check out this website. I don’t bring this up because I hate PowerPoint. It’s a fine piece of software for creating visuals to illustrate a presentation. But I do think that we need to rethink how we use the presentation … Read More
Should I Start my Presentation with a Joke?
Watch the recorded webinar “How to Start Any Presentation” “I like to break the ice with a joke.” We hear that all the time. But how does a joke break the ice? Usually jokes thicken the ice because they are neither funny, nor relevant. Sometimes the joke is offensive, turning off substantial portions of the … Read More