I often find it interesting that whichever aspect of life you may choose to focus on there is always an ‘exception to the rule’. When it comes to presenting and speaking in public many consider the number one rule to be the expression of passion. Every now and then a speaker raises his or her[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
Do you present with eloquence at work? Eloquence seems to me to be one of those words you don’t hear very often these days, especially in the workplace. Accompanied by words like charisma, presence and gravitas, these terms sometimes feel difficult to define. To present with eloquence is often a term reserved for great wedding[…]
Growing up as a young boy I was lucky enough to have had not just one but two super heroes in my life. If you are under the age of 45 you have probably never heard of my first hero; ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ aka ‘The Bionic Man’, but you can be forgiven for[…]
Leadership Lessons & High Impact Public Speaking From Charities
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 29, 2016
Leadership lessons are abound in many of the worlds finest charities. Those leadership lessons extend way beyond culture. They impact their presentation and public speaking skills immensely too. At Mindful Presenter our presentation skills training revolves around creating that all important emotional connection as well as an intellectual understanding. Our team consider it an honour and[…]
The Most Important Skill in the World Today – Public Speaking
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 22, 2016
Public speaking is the most important skill in the world today. Communication changes the world There are a great number of reasons why public speaking is the most important skill in the world. It brings with it the power to: – Influence and persuade – Win over the crowd – Motivate and inspire – Break[…]
One of my favourite speakers is the American author, spiritual leader, and political activist Marianne Williamson. As a brilliant speaker and author, Marianne Williamson is passionate about her beliefs and offers great wisdom. She demonstrates this beautifully in her commencement speech to the University of Southern California. Commencement ceremonies aim to inspire young people who[…]
The fundamentals of public speaking is a skill that some professionals find challenging to master. The people who understand and apply the fundamentals of public speaking tend to have a greater impact. Public speaking is a learned skill; it’s not simply a gift a few people are born with. The fundamentals of public speaking[…]
20 Reasons everyone needs to communicate effectively
Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 04, 2016
The ability to communicate effectively and with impact, is one of the most valuable skills in the world today. The 20 reasons everyone needs to communicate effectively 1- To persuade and convince others to do business with you or see things differently. 2- To create a personal impact and be remembered for the right reasons.[…]
Presentation Lessons from a Preacher: Joel Osteen
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 29, 2016
Presentation Lessons from a Preacher: Joel Osteen As a presentation skills coach I love to talk. That said, I made a decision many years ago that there are two things I would try my very hardest to avoid speaking about in public. Religion and politics Given that I’m neither a theologian nor a politician most[…]
It’s your attitude that makes all the difference – especially when presenting
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 21, 2016
I don’t think many people would argue with the idea that it’s your attitude that makes all the difference in life. Your attitude also makes a huge difference when it comes to public speaking and presenting too, which is often something many people overlook. A mindful presenter has an attitude of: Empathy Imagine the shift[…]
In July 2015 I offered Donald Trump what I regarded as some very much needed presentation skills coaching advice because watching his speech at the Phoenix Convention Centre in Arizona last year caused me a great deal of concern, not in terms of his ‘politics’ I hasten to add; purely the manner in which he[…]
Would you like to learn the secret to brilliant presenting? Earl Nightingale, the highly respected speaker, author and radio personality gave us the secret to brilliant presenting. He recorded an audio program which sold over a million copies to become the first spoken- word recording to achieve Gold Record Status. ‘The Strangest Secret’ has since[…]
A Powerful Presentation Tip from the Late Bruce Lee
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 09, 2016
“Don’t think. Feel. It is like a finger pointing out to the Moon, don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.” Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was arguably the greatest martial artist in history. Watch one of my favourite scene again last night in ‘Enter the Dragon‘ got me thinking about[…]
Hillary Clinton – Shares Lessons In Mindful Presenting
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 02, 2016
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited a Baptist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week to participate and speak on the subject of gun violence. A few weeks before that she spoke in Miami, Florida at what is known in American political campaigning as ‘Super Tuesday’. In two completely different speaking forums with strikingly contrasting tones[…]
Powerful presentation tips may offer the answer to transforming tedious business meetings which leave so many professionals uninspired. A number of readers seemed to empathise with a previous article I wrote, having left comments such as: ‘My previous employer needs to read this’ ‘Whew! I thought it was just me!’ ‘Many companies could take notes[…]
9 Great Presentation Tips to Influence Any Audience
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Mar 19, 2016
Life is full of great presentation tips. As a child my parents invested enormous energy trying hard to influence so much of my behaviour. At school, it seemed my teachers roles extended way beyond my academic development. They also had a plan to influence my thoughts and behaviour. Even my friends seemed to have their[…]
Presentation Tips You Don’t Hear – Write in Your Diary I often find that the most valuable presentation tips are the ones you simply don’t hear or read every day. Picturing yourself in the comfort of your own mind succeeding at something before you actually do it is an extremely powerful tool known as visualization.[…]
‘The Curse of Knowledge’ presents a significant challenge for most presenters. The ‘Curse of Knowledge’ is a phenomenon we experience every week in our training workshops. In layman’s terms,’The Curse of Knowledge,’ simply means that you assume that other people know the things that you do. It’s a curse because it causes you to believe[…]
6 Keys to a high impact presentation strategy
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 28, 2016
Having a clear, compelling and concentrated presentation strategy is fundamental to the success of any business presentation There are countless books and articles written on ‘strategy.’ A great number make it sound so complex that it’s no wonder so many people find it confusing. Here is one of my personal favourite definitions: “What do you[…]
3 Bad presentation habits to watch out for
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 14, 2016
There are 3 bad presentation habits to watch out for Bad Habit 1 – Reading slides Interestingly when you ask people what they regard as a bad habits when it comes to presenting many will list features such as: – Hands in pockets – Arms folded – Saying ‘err’ and ‘umm’ too much –[…]
6 Steps To Presenting With Confidence
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 06, 2016
Presenting with confidence starts in the mind. Presentation skills are a major contributor to personal success in business today. Presenting with confidence is the platform to influence, persuade and even inspire others. The days when the need to present well were useful or important have are long gone. Presenting with confidence is essential today Despite[…]
Presenting your monthly update at company meetings can be a challenge for many professionals. It is that last Friday of the month; time for the monthly update Everyone sits in exactly the same seat around the same table. They tell each other largely the same things they say each month. ‘Good morning, I’m here to[…]
Authenticity has long been one of the most respected and sought after qualities in leadership, presenting and public speaking. We live in highly competitive world. For many, our very self-esteem rests squarely on being liked, impressing people and an insatiable desire to look good. That’s why it’s so refreshing to hear someone speak who is completely[…]
Who would have thought it possible to ‘wow’ your audience in less than 2 minutes So much has been written about the skill of speaking and presenting in public. I’ve written over 100 articles myself in the last year alone. I’ve written an entire series about the ‘Art and Science of Presenting’, opening, closing, storytelling,[…]
Presenting is only as complex as you make it Our clients often present a similar opening challenge to us with each enquiry: “Our work is very technical and complex to explain. It is important to ensure that we are able to simplify our message and communicate it clearly.” We get it, every business is unique[…]
5 Pearls of Wisdom from Presentation Masterminds
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Dec 31, 2015
Do you know a presentation mastermind? We all have people who we admire and respect in our chosen passion. I have quite a few. Many are authors, speakers or leaders who are making a difference in the world. As a presentation skills coach it wouldn’t surprise you that I like a presentation mastermind. I’ve written[…]
Here are 5 Presentation lessons from fastcompany.com Presenting is about crafting and delivering a persuasive message with meaningful stories. After all, there’s not much point in delivering an Oscar winning performance if your objective is to lead your audience into action and they simply applaud and do nothing. The following 5 Presentation lessons from fastcompany.com[…]
Tthe following 5 presentation nuggets from forbes.com will serve you well the next time you are asked to present. 1. Believe in Your Audience “Employees mirror the enthusiasm, determination, and direction of a leader who shares innate confidence in their competence. With this understanding, employees learn to “act their parts” and exemplify the underlying[…]
Here are 5 presentation gems from Inc.com Each of the following extracts from Inc.com will help you to raise the bar on your own presentation performance: 1. Present like a GPS, not like a road map “A GPS shows you just the information you absolutely need to know at that moment. The key is simplicity,[…]
How to Turn a Boring Subject into a Brilliant Presentation
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Dec 26, 2015
Do you know how to turn a boring subject into a brilliant presentation? Whether you are speaking about algorithms, algebra or actuarial science, your presentation will only be as boring as you choose to make it. When my son was a young boy one of his favourite sayings was, ‘I’m bored’. I would often respond[…]
