Confidence is one of the great illusions of public speaking. From the outside, it seems like a personality trait, something you either have, or you don’t. But behind the curtain, there’s something much more fascinating: most confident speakers aren’t naturally confident at all. They’ve just learned how to control their mind, body, and attention[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
How to Become a More Confident Presenter
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Feb 19, 2019
The Presentation Tips No One Talks About
Bullet Point, Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Feb 18, 2019
Type “presentation tips” into Google and you’ll be greeted with nearly a billion results and most of them say the same things: Tell stories. Pause. Make eye contact. Slow down. Know your audience. Prepare. Cut the fat. Smile. Breathe. Move. Practice. Start strong. Close stronger. Show passion. Ditch the bullet points. It’s all good[…]
How to Open a Presentation with Impact
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 09, 2019
A presentation that doesn’t start with impact is like a plane that never takes off. You can have the fuel, the pilot, and the passengers, but the journey doesn’t begin until the wheels lift off the ground. Presenters face the same challenge. Your audience will decide within the first 90 seconds whether they trust you[…]
Donald trump’s 2nd state of the union: Cool & Calm, or dull?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 06, 2019
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States gave his second State of the Union Address yesterday. Politics aside, I often find myself called on to review the rhetoric of world leaders to see what we can learn from them in the way of connecting with an audience. Commenting on Donald Trump’s oratory skills[…]
7 Keys to Delivering Powerful Digital Presentations
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Feb 04, 2019
In today’s world, virtual meetings and digital presentations have become the default. If presenting face-to-face can feel daunting even for experienced professionals, doing it via a webcam often presents an entirely different challenge. Suddenly, we’re expected to control lighting, framing, eye contact, energy, interactivity, background choices, and the skill of keeping people engaged while they[…]
How Rich and Compelling Is Your Presentation Content?
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 23, 2019
Before discussing delivery, confidence, or stage presence, we must confront a more fundamental truth: a brilliant presentation starts with brilliant content. Content that is rich, relevant, and genuinely rewarding, not just more of the same dressed up as insight. Sometimes the quickest way to grasp what excellent content is like is to endure a[…]
The Truth About Presenting to Senior Leaders — And the Mistakes That Hold Us Back
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 13, 2019
There are moments in a career that feel seismic. The first time you present to senior leadership is one of them. I still remember mine with uncomfortable clarity. I was in my early twenties, summoned to speak to a room of people whose titles felt larger than life. Sleep abandoned me for days. My[…]
Presenting ‘Christmas Presence’ – A Year-Round Gift for Presenters
General, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 22, 2018
It’s Christmas Eve and many of us are focused on presents rather than presence. At this time of year once the frenzy is over, the gifts are wrapped and the the chaos abates, we get to slow down and calm down. Liberated from the maelstrom of over indulgence, spending and preparing, we begin to regain[…]
Make Waves: The Art of Presenting with Power, Presence and Emotional Impact
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 25, 2018
If you’re preparing to present soon, take a moment to reflect on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words: “Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall, but because each time they fall they never fail to rise again.” There is something profoundly human about that rhythm. Every presenter knows what it feels like to stumble,[…]
Please Make Me Feel Something: The New Imperative in Business Presenting
General, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2018
Business presentations have never been more common or more challenging. Every day, millions of professionals stand before colleagues and clients to share ideas, insights, and recommendations. Every day, many of them wrestle with the same uncomfortable truth: You can’t simply turn up and read your slides anymore That era is over. Audiences expect more,[…]
4 Keys to Successful Company Summits or Conferences
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 21, 2018
Company summits and leadership conferences present an invaluable platform to inspire, enthuse and rally the troops. Whether you’re celebrating success or need that extra lift to meet your business targets, the vital ingredient required for success is communication. The courageous leaders understand that it’s not an expense, it’s a visionary investment. Most shy away[…]
Meghan Markle: The power of a smile in public speaking
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 23, 2018
Meghan Markle showed us the power, grace and beauty of a smile in her first big speech as a member of the Royal family. Without notes, prompters, slides or a script she spoke for 3 minutes in the most charismatic and authentic way. I believe one of the many reasons which made this short[…]
Theresa May: “It is something I will never agree to…” 2 Powerful Public Speaking Lessons from Theresa May
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 22, 2018
Theresa May demonstrated the power of clarity to the EU following the recent summit in Salzburg. The uncertainty of Brexit has left many of us in the UK dismayed, disillusioned and divided. Politicians and punters everywehere are telling us what to think about Brexit. That’s why as a public speaking coach I found Theresa May’s[…]
7 lessons from Barack Obama that will make you a better presenter
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Sep 16, 2018
Former President Barack Obama is noted for his public speaking excellence. His speeches have changed the way countless people communicate. He is regarded as one of the worlds most gifted and powerful orators today. His speech to more than a thousand students at the University of Illinois-Urbana was charged with public speaking lessons for all[…]
Leadership in Presentation Skills: The Missing Link in Modern Organisations
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Aug 28, 2018
The need for strong leadership in presentation skills has never been more urgent. Every day, across every industry, professionals are presenting in meetings, pitches, conference calls, town halls, networking events, and high-stakes updates. Outside of those formal moments, almost every conversation is, in truth, a presentation. In business today, we are constantly trying to[…]
Presence: The Quiet Power That Transforms Business Presenting
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 19, 2018
Presence is the crown jewel of high-impact presenting, the rare quality that enables a speaker to communicate with clarity, confidence, and creative ease. If it could be bottled, someone would be unimaginably wealthy, and yet, despite its allure, presence remains one of the greatest sources of anxiety for professionals everywhere. We know we need it,[…]
The Zest Factor: The Energy That Separates Ordinary Presenters from Unforgettable Ones
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 05, 2018
Many business presentations today leave audiences feeling exactly the way many people feel when they wake up on a grey Monday morning: tired, vacant, and already depleted. You sit through slide after slide, data point after data point, and walk back to your desk or your car not energised, but groggy. It’s astonishing how rarely[…]
Has Business Presenting Really Changed? The Surprising Truth
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 24, 2018
We live in an age defined by relentless transformation. In just three decades, we’ve witnessed breakthroughs that once belonged to science fiction — the rise of the internet, Wi‑Fi, email, MRI technology, DNA testing, non‑invasive surgery, GPS, ATMs, wind turbines, biofuels, and social platforms that have rewritten how we communicate and connect. And even[…]
Say YES to Yourself: The Hidden Psychology of Confident Presenting
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2018
Every meaningful presentation starts long before you speak. It begins in the quiet, private moment when you decide whether to step forward or step back. A moment defined by one small but transformative word: YES. Yes, to being seen. Yes, to trusting your own voice and yes to believing that what you have to say[…]
The Presentation X Ray: How to Diagnose and Eliminate the Hidden Breaks That Hurt Your Audience
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 17, 2018
Sitting through a bad presentation is a strangely physical experience. It’s not just dull, it’s uncomfortable. It’s the professional equivalent of a small fracture: your frustration begins to swell, your patience feels bruised, and your ability to concentrate weakens with every passing minute. The longer the presenter drones on, the more the pain intensifies.[…]
The Clarity Question: Why Knowing Your Message Changes Everything
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 24, 2018
Public speaking unsettles so many people because they step into the moment without a clear internal anchor. The National Social Anxiety Centre suggests that nearly three-quarters of people experience significant anxiety around speaking, and yet the solution is rarely found in technique alone. It begins with a question so simple most presenters overlook it: Why[…]
Stop Blending In: The New Rules for Presenting in a Noisy World
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Jun 10, 2018
Think back to the last business presentation you sat through. Not the exceptional one, the other one. The one where the speaker drifted from slide to slide, reciting information that had little relevance to you, offering no spark, no connection, no sense that they understood or cared about the people in the room. You[…]
The Silent Crisis in Business Meetings: Why Presenting Has Become Painful — and How to Bring It Back to Life
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills May 22, 2018
For decades, business meetings have harboured a quiet, persistent issue: presentations that sap energy rather than inspire it. It’s a habit so well-known that many professionals no longer question it. They simply endure it. They sit politely, nod occasionally, and wait for the moment they can return to work that truly matters. This isn’t[…]
The Storytelling Advantage: Why Great Presenters Don’t Just Inform — They Transform
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling May 13, 2018
You’ll find storytelling in business presentations in every corner of the business world. From boardrooms to town halls to team briefings, one truth remains constant: the presenters who make the deepest impact are those who tell stories. The kind that moves people, changes thinking, and makes ideas unforgettable. Stories are not just decorative; they[…]
The First Commandment of Mindful Presenting: Respect Your Audience
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 08, 2018
Every presenter has a responsibility far beyond just the slides they create or the words they speak. The moment you step up to address a room, you are holding the most valuable resource your audience possesses: their time. In a world that moves forward relentlessly, where attention is fleeting and demands are endless, time[…]
Questions: How NOT to answer them like a politician
Advice, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 01, 2018
Questions are the Achilles heel of the inexperienced, unprepared and nervous presenter. At least, that’s what most people would assume. Whilst it’s true, it’s not isolated to those groups. In fact, even seasoned public speakers and presenters find the moment they are called on to answer questions the most challenging. Even politicians. After all, we[…]
6 powerful principles of persuasion in presenting
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Mar 25, 2018
If you are presenting or speaking in public in any form, it’s highly likely that persuasion is high on your agenda. Whatever your position and role is in the workplace today, you can be sure that you will be required to persuade others to understand your perspective and agree with you. Whether you are pitching[…]
Stephen Hawking – The A to Z of Mindful Presenting: O – Original
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 17, 2018
Stephen Hawking is a name that will be remembered for an extraordinarily long time to come. A British cosmologist and physicist loved, admired and respected all over the world for his notable scientific work was also a brilliant public speaker. World class public speaking is normally associated with political leaders or motivational speakers Last week[…]
Signal Over Noise: The Mindful Way to Present
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 03, 2018
We live in an age defined by noise. Most of us are jolted awake each morning not by sunlight or intention, but by the shrill insistence of an alarm. Before our feet touch the floor, many of us have already reached for our phones to check what we missed: messages, notifications, headlines, and opinions.[…]
The Mindful Presenter: Why Awareness, Not Slides, Is the Future of Communication
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 18, 2018
Mindfulness in presenting has nothing to do with incense, lotus positions, or forcing your mind into silence. It isn’t an escape from thought; it’s a return to presence. At its core, mindfulness is the art of connection: first with yourself, then with the people and world around you. Most professionals see mindfulness as separate from[…]
