In the world of public speaking and presenting the first few words really do matter. One of the words I find very uncomfortable is, ‘hook’; as in ‘How to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds’. The term suggests to me that audiences are more like fish than intelligent, discerning and creative human beings.[…]
Browsing:
Advice category
In Public Speaking The First Few Words Really Matter
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2020
21 Powerful PowerPoint Tips you really need to know
Advice, PowerPoint, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Aug 18, 2020
These 21 Powerful PowerPoint tips will add enormous value to your presentation. Ten years ago it was estimated that there were more than 500 million users of PowerPoint globally. PowerPoint had an estimated, 95% share of the presentation software market. Around 30 million presentations were given every day using that software alone. It’s difficult[…]
Powerful Public Speaking Lessons: Inspired by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Advice, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 18, 2019
Powerful public speaking lessons: Inspired by one of my favourite authors, speaker and teachers, the late Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. Every day in businesses, conferences and seminars across the world, millions of presentations and public speeches are being delivered Each has its own intention. I believe that if you have a speech or presentation[…]
The Best Way to Stand Out From The Crowd When Presenting
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Feb 22, 2019
Presentation tips are abound on the internet today. If you’re looking for some and put those two words into Google search you will be greeted with 1,160,000,000 results. The internet and book stores are teeming with presentation tips, tools, techniques and valuable advice. Each time I introduce myself as a presentation skills coach I can[…]
10 Simple Tips On Presenting Complex Information
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 21, 2019
Do you find yourself presenting complex information to people who don’t have the same level of knowledge or expertise as you do? Presenting complex information can be a significant challenge for even the most seasoned presenter. Regardless of the topic, all presenters share the common goal of ensuring that they keep their audience stimulated.[…]
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[…]
How to Present Financial Information Without Losing Your Audience — or Your Credibility
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills Oct 15, 2017
Presenting financial data or complex information has always been difficult. The human brain can manage complexity, but it was never meant to process dense data quickly while also listening, understanding, and making sense of it. The key to success isn’t in impressing people with spreadsheets or bombarding them with details, but in approaching the[…]
The Art of Presenting Data: How to Make Numbers Meaningful
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Aug 05, 2017
Presenting data doesn’t have to be as difficult as many presenters make it out to be. We’ve all been victims of the dreaded data dump, the slide crammed with charts, tables, tiny text, and the inevitable line: “You probably won’t be able to read this, so I’ll read it for you.” There’s a persistent[…]
Many people believe public speaking is a matter of confidence and that if they simply “speak from the heart,” everything else will fall into place. It’s a comforting idea, and there’s truth in it, but it’s also the reason so many presentations fall flat. Speaking from the heart is powerful only when it’s supported[…]
Most ideas don’t perish because they’re wrong; they perish because they’re presented in a manner that never allows them to flourish. In every workplace, the true differentiator isn’t intelligence, experience, or even creativity. It’s whether you can make another person feel the importance of what you’re saying, at the moment you’re saying it. We[…]
Why Presenting Is the Most Human and Most Misunderstood Skill at Work
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills Jul 04, 2017
There is a moment in every working day when something far more significant than we admit takes place: someone steps forward and tries to make their thinking land in someone else’s mind. Someone presents in the doorway before a meeting starts, in a rushed Teams call between tasks, in a high‑stakes boardroom, or in a[…]
How Do You Really Feel When You’re Asked to Speak in Public?
Image Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 12, 2017
For most people, public speaking doesn’t sit neatly at the top of their personal or professional development list. In fact, many would genuinely rather learn to tame a lion than stand in front of a room and speak for five minutes. For some, even the thought of speaking in public is enough to trigger a[…]
Millennials. Centennials. Generation Z. Call them what you like, but let’s be honest about one thing: they are the future, and the future will rise or fall on the quality of leadership they receive today. Last night, I had the pleasure of hearing Simon Sinek in conversation with Reggie Yates at Union Chapel in London.[…]
Every meaningful act of communication begins with a single decision: to step forward when staying silent would be easier. Most of us were never taught how to stand in front of others and speak with clarity, conviction, or presence. For many, the very idea triggers a quiet dread, a fear of being seen, judged, or[…]
The Strategic Power of Storytelling in Business
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking, Storytelling Feb 04, 2017
In a world drowning in information, storytelling has quietly become one of the most powerful strategic tools a presenter can use. Professionals are overwhelmed, attention is scarce, and most messages vanish the moment they are delivered, but a good story, a meaningful story, cuts through the noise. If you still think stories are only[…]
From a purely public-speaking perspective, President Trump’s inauguration address was clear, decisive, and delivered at a controlled pace, with a strong emphasis and moments of deliberate pause. Aside from his familiar finger‑and‑thumb gesture, a hallmark of his campaign style, he appeared disciplined, almost as if he had stepped straight out of a presentation‑skills workshop. His[…]
A Masterclass in Public Speaking: Lessons from President Obama’s Farewell Address
Advice Jan 14, 2017
For years, I’ve written about the craft of public speaking, and one figure appears again and again in that conversation: President Barack Obama. His command of language, his mastery of the pause, his instinct for metaphor, his use of humour, repetition, voice and gesture. These are hallmarks of a communicator who understands not just how[…]
Effective presenting isn’t about charisma, theatrics or perfect slides. It’s about understanding how human beings think, decide and act. Strip away the noise, and every impactful presentation is built on three pillars: Facts Feelings Future Learn to use these well, and you shift the entire energy of the room — including your own. Facts —[…]
The Queen’s Speech on Christmas day opened in a curious way as she began by referring to this year’s British Olympic medal winners in Rio. 67 medals and 147 at the Paralympics is a stunning achievement, definitely worthy of recognition. It wasn’t quite what I expected though In a year in which we saw the[…]
What Social Media Can Teach Us About High-Impact Presenting
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Dec 16, 2016
Social media didn’t just alter how we communicate; it transformed what grabs our attention, what sustains our engagement, and what causes us to switch off. Whether we like it or not, your audience brings those same habits, expectations, and impulses into the room every time you present. If you want to hold their attention, earn[…]
This article explores leadership communication and the impact of language. It is not a commentary on politics, policy or ideology. Yesterday Donald Trump demonstrated unequivocally the impact the spoken word can have not only on a country but the entire world. Every so often, the world is reminded of something profoundly simple yet deeply powerful:[…]
One of the most common concerns in public speaking is the fear of developing “bad habits.” In fact, it consistently ranks among the top three requests we receive from delegates at every presentation skills workshop. “How can I get rid of my bad presenting habits?” Most people assume they have at least one. Many[…]
Leadership Communication Under Pressure: What the Clinton–Trump Debate Reveals About Speaking to a Global Audience
Advice Sep 27, 2016
Few communication challenges compare to a presidential debate. Speaking to a room of a hundred people is daunting; speaking to more than 100 million requires a different level of composure, clarity, and strategic intent. The 2016 debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump remains a powerful case study in leadership communication. Whatever one’s political views,[…]
On the morning after the EU referendum, I woke earlier than usual to hear the result. Even before all the votes were counted, it was clear that the UK had chosen to leave the European Union after more than four decades of membership. I’ve never claimed to be politically knowledgeable, but as a public speaking[…]
Another Perspective on Passion: A Communication Lesson from High Energy Speakers
Advice Jun 13, 2016
In every area of life, there are exceptions to the rules we rely on, and public speaking is no different. One of the most widely accepted principles of effective presenting is the importance of passion. Passion brings energy and conviction, and it brings life to a message. Every now and then, a speaker emerges whose[…]
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[…]
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[…]
Public speaking isn’t a secret exclusive to the naturally confident. It’s a discipline; a set of fundamentals that most professionals never learn, and even fewer ever master. That’s why some people speak, and nothing changes, while others speak and the room shifts. The difference isn’t talent, it’s understanding how the mind operates, how audiences think,[…]
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[…]
