Presentation anxiety is probably the most written about issue when it comes to public speaking Storytelling, structure and style pale into insignificance compared to requests we receive to help professionals calm their presention anxiety and nerves. Despite the ubiquity of presentation anxiety, at Mindful Presenter we have noticed an interesting phenomenon. When we ask professionals[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
The presentation anxiety phenomenon – where content matters
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 23, 2017
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor
Leadership Sep 16, 2017
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor Shainul Kassam, who is the founder of Fortune Law a corporate and commercial law firm in London, spoke at the launch of DRIVE, a brilliantly conceived initiative to bring founders and entrepreneurs together. Most presentation skills and public speaking[…]
The Presentation Anxiety Solution – 8 Pre-mortem steps
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Tips Sep 10, 2017
Have you been looking for the presentation anxiety solution? Presentation anxiety is one of the most commonly resported sources of stress in the workplace today. The symptoms of presentation anxiety can be alarming. So much so, that some people feel anxious for weeks or months before a presentation. Many will go out of their way[…]
Louise Hay – A Powerful Message for Public Speakers
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Sep 02, 2017
Louise Hay, the American motivational author, speaker and founder of Hay House, passed away earlier this week. Loved by millions of people, she will always be known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. I’d like to recognise and honour her talent and gift as a speaker. Occaisionally the world presents us with[…]
Do you need help presenting data? – These 4 tips will help
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Aug 05, 2017
Do you need help presenting data? It doesn’t have to as difficult as some presenters make it. We’ve all been a casualty of data dumps in bad presentations. The graphs, charts and tables surrounded by tiny text where the presenter gleefully says, ‘You probably won’t be able to read this, so I’ll read it for you.’ There[…]
The Presenters Inner Critic – 3 steps to taming it
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Jul 29, 2017
Do you have a presenters inner critic? All presenters have one thing in common regardless of experience, status or confidence. It’s that voice in their minds that is always there offering unwanted and unhelpful thoughts. The volume of criticism and negativity gets the loudest the moment we stand to speak. It’s the presenters inner[…]
Mindful Presenter – The Story behind the Brand
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2017
The story behind the brand is often worth knowing a little about Two weeks of beautiful sunshine, extraordinary sights and warm sea is so nurturing to the mind, body and spirit. It offers a priceless opportunity to reflect on where you are, why you are there and where you are heading. Visiting the stunning[…]
Here are 3 different but highly effective public speaking tips you may wish to consider the next time you present. 1. Don’t speak from the heart One of the most common reasons people don’t think they need public speaking training or coaching is because they think that all they have to do is, ‘speak from[…]
This article shares 12 tips to help you to communicate effectively when presenting. Mindful presenting offers the pathway to the art of persuasion, influencing and human connection. It is the strategic key to communicating effectively and the route to high impact public speaking and presenting. The key to personal and professional contentment and success is[…]
Good Presentation Skills – 5 things your audience want from you
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills Jul 04, 2017
Good presentation skills aren’t reserved exclusively as a competence for the annual performance review of the head of department or communication manager. It’s also not an activity isolated to the board or meeting room; it’s fundamental to the personal and professional success of each of us. Whatever you do you can be certain that[…]
8 Leadership Presentation Skills Your Team Need From You
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Jun 24, 2017
Do you have the leadership presentation skills your team need from you? Presentation skills are often referred to as a ‘soft skill’ in many organisations. At Mindful Presenter we believe that there is nothing ‘soft’ about the art of communication. We would go as far as to say that it is the most important skill[…]
3 Powerful Steps to Becoming a Better Public Speaker
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 18, 2017
Would you like to be a better public speaker? Do you sometimes wonder what it would take for you to become a more confident presenter and public speaker? At Mindful Presenter we believe that we all have everything we need to connect with confidence, clarity and purpose each time we speak. Whether you are presenting[…]
What is Mindful Presenting and why does it matter?
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Public Speaking Jun 11, 2017
What is mindful presenting and why does it matter? Imagine the following scene It’s Friday morning and it’s been a long and exhaustive week. but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In a few hours you’ll be driving home away from the noise, the pressure, the stress and the sameness. It’s the[…]
How do you feel when you are asked to speak in public? Public speaking skills aren’t necessarily on the top of most people’s personal and professional development list. In fact, many people will tell you quite plainly that they would rather learn to become a lion tamer than to speak in public. For some people[…]
Millennials, centennials, generation Z. Call them what you will but let’s all be clear on one thing, they are the future. The future belongs to our millennials and the next generation The one thing they need more than anything else is strong, empowering and inspirational leadership. Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing[…]
Mindfulness in today’s hectic world – is it boring, impossible or critical?
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 28, 2017
Is mindfulness in today’s hectic world, boring, impossible or critical? Mindfulness as a practice isn’t new It’s something that people have been doing for more than two and a half thousand years. It has clearly stood the test of time. Today, many of the most forward thinking companies in the world have some form of mindfulness[…]
A Presentation without Storytelling is a Lecture
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Apr 17, 2017
Do you use the power of storytelling in your business presentations? A presentation, a conversation or a lecture, which would you prefer to take part in? In my experience a great number of presentations in business feel far more like lectures. The absence of stories and the essential elements of a great conversation make many[…]
20 helpful tips to calm your public speaking nerves
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 15, 2017
Public speaking nerves is something which can effect even the most seasoned and talented professional. In fact, Mark Twain probably wasn’t too far away from the truth when he suggested,“There are two types of speakers: those who are nervous and those who are liars.” Barbra Streisand, the singer and actress is one of the highest-selling female[…]
3 Bad Speaking Habits That Ruin Your Presentation
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 08, 2017
Do you have any bad speaking habits when you are presenting? How well you influence people can be serverley hindered with bad speaking habits. Here are 3 of the big ones that we help professionals with every day. Bad Speaking Habit 1. Noise The phenomenon ‘Death by PowerPoint’ has been around for a long time.[…]
Article 50: How memorable was Theresa May’s speech?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 01, 2017
Article 50: How memorable was Theresa May’s speech on such a historic event? This time last year most of us wouldn’t have heard of Article 50, yet its triggering last week was hugely momentous. Given that no other country has ever left the European Union before, it was a truly historic moment when Theresa May[…]
Public speaking takes courage. It is not a skill that most of us are taught. It’s certainly not something most people enjoy doing; for many the very idea of it fills them with dread. Public speaking takes courage in business too. You may have to: – Update the board or management team, – Give a[…]
Presentation Skills Bad Habits are Easy to Find
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 11, 2017
Presentation skills bad habits are easy to find. You don’t have to look very far. Professionals looking to develop their communication skills have one major concern aside from anxiety. It’s their bad presentation skills habits. For many people those bad habits are of course very real and visible. For others, they are often imagined. Here[…]
8 examples of very influential and powerful public speakers
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 08, 2017
I’d like to share 8 examples of some of the worlds most influential and powerful public speakers. Each of them lead the way in showing us how to speak with power, passion and grace. They have also been instrumental in changing the world, each in their own unique way. Michelle Obama I wrote a previous[…]
What is the value of mindfulness in public speaking? Mindfulness is one of the most powerful tools available to each of us today. It can help us to become far more aware of ourselves; our thoughts, our feelings and the world that surrounds us. Its meteoric rise in popularity and effectiveness has some of the[…]
Presentation Skills: How to answer those killer questions
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Feb 19, 2017
Questions can be a major source of anxiety for many presenters. In our presentation skills courses we are often asked to help people to answer questions more professionally. It’s a much bigger issue than many people think. When we probe a little deeper to understand the issue, our delegates often ask 3 questions: […]
What does it take to speak effectively in public?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 11, 2017
The ability to speak effectively in public is probably the most important skill to develop to enhance your career. You, your team, and your entire organisation will be judged on just how effectively you communicate. Presenting information clearly and articulately is no longer good enough We live in an information age where professionals are overwhelmed[…]
Storytelling in business – 5 real examples to learn from
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking, Storytelling Feb 04, 2017
Storytelling in business has become the new strategic business tool of presenters. Professionals are overwhelmed with information and demand for our attention is at an unprecedented high. We can all take solace in a good story well told If you still believe that stories are the domain of the 4 year old at bed time[…]
As far as public speaking is concerned Donald Trump’s inauguration speech was clear, decisive and delivered with the appropriate pace, passion and even a few pauses. Apart from his signature circling of his finger and thumb which drove most people mad during his election campaign, which we saw again yesterday, he looked like he had[…]
Donald Trump is moments away from becoming the 45th President of the United States of America. I wonder what he will say in his inauguration speech. Here is a perspective on what he perhaps should say. My fellow-citizens of the United States: Today I stand before you with a heavy, humble yet hopeful heart. I have[…]
It’s no secret that President Obama is one of my favourite public speakers as I’ve written many articles expressing my admiration for his style. His powerful use of descriptive and creative words, his mastery of the ‘pause’, his brilliant use of metaphors, his command of repetition, humour and the skilful way he uses his voice[…]
