Fighting the urge to accessorize can be difficult.
I was recently working with a client of mine who is an audiologist. She was preparing a talk to other audiologists about some cutting-edge technology
Three steps for keeping your nerves at bay
Keep your nerves in check by keeping your ego in check. Last week, my 11-year-old had to speak at school assembly. This is not something
What are you talking about?
In the past few months, the leaders of the world have had their communication skills tested. Some leaders have shone, and some…not so much. We’ve
Channel your inner Steve Jobs with the power of practice
Do you agree that Steve Jobs will go down in history as one of the greatest business communicators of our time? He had a knack
The first three slides of any presentation
Getting started on the design of a presentation can be the hardest part. And if we put it off, we end up stressed and cramming the process
Kiva Presentation
Kiva Presentation We use this presentation to demonstrate the components of our presentation design tool, the SpeakerMap™. If you’d like to know more about how
Where to put your Key Message
Don’t follow Winston’s example… Not Winston Churchill… Winston Peters. Announcing who his party will form a coalition with. I’m not commenting on the substance of
Lessons about emotion learned from a Chihuahua
My daughter Hayley was recently staying with me and brought her Chihuahua. Having owned and trained dogs, I was happy to have Murphy (not a
Do you talk too fast? Then… ‘Wait for the Nod!’
Are you one of those people who speaks faster when you get excited or nervous? http://effective-speaking-training-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/Wait%20for%20the%20nod.mp4 And does that have you feel a little
What’s the best way to open your presentation?
Have you ever got stuck figuring out exactly how to open your presentation? We know that the way we begin is important – it creates
How to eliminate filler words like um’s and ah’s
The odd filler word is OK. Yes, really. There are a few hyper-sensitive people (usually Toastmasters or public speaking coaches :-)) who notice filler words
5 Ways Bullet-Point Slides Damage your Brand
Your presentation style is part of your personal brand. If you’re still clinging to bullet-point slides, it doesn’t matter how dynamic you are as a
The Problem with Traditional PowerPoint slides
Bullet-point slides are the norm in most organisations. Yet bullet-point slides overload the audience and are visually boring. There’s even a phrase for it “death
Evidence that Bullet-Points don’t Work
At last, we have some scientifically rigorous evidence to show that slides full of bullet-points don’t work. The research is the work of Chris Atherton,
The Attention-Getting Myth
There is a pervasive myth in public speaking and presenting that you have to have an attention-getting opening. I would argue to the contrary. The beginning