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 beings. It’s[…]
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Communication Skills
In Public Speaking The First Few Words Really Matter
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2020
Annoying Features of the Mind; not just for presenters but all of us
Communication Skills, General, Leadership, Mindfulness Mar 29, 2020
What is the mind exactly? Is it your brain, your consciousness, the reality of your being, or is it indeterminable and unquantifiable? Many scientists insist on the mind being distinct from the brain yet still struggle to offer a meaningful separation. Despite that, it’s generally accepted that the mind is the seat of our thoughts,[…]
12 Mindful Selling attributes of top performing sales professionals
Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindful Selling, Mindfulness, Sales Skills Mar 19, 2020
Mindful Selling isn’t a new age buzzword riding high on the back of mindfulness. Selling has changed more in the last ten years than it has in the past five decades. Advances in technology, competition, buying decisions, highly discerning and savvy purchasers presents today’s sales person with a formidable challenge. Mindful selling is the route[…]
20 Bad public speaking habits a Mindful Presenter avoids
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Mar 16, 2020
A mindful presenter considers, crafts and conveys their message with a high level of awareness. A distracted mind has a habit of reacting rather than responding and operating on autopilot rather than appreciation. A mindful presenter conditions their mind to focus with clarity on how to connect with their audience emotionally as well as intellectually.[…]
How to Present with Confidence in 2020 – 3 steps to liberation
Anxiety, Communication Skills, General, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills Dec 29, 2019
If one of your goals is to present with confidence in 2020, Mindful Presenter has the solution. Standing in front of colleagues or clients to speak can be a daunting experience. Public-speaking anxiety isn’t an affliction isolated to the meek or inexperienced. It has no respect for age, position or experience; it can trouble the[…]
5 Mindfulness techniques to help you to present with confidence, clarity and impact
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Nov 23, 2019
Mindfulness is a word that’s being used in just about every walk of life at the moment. Google, Apple, Nike and many of the world’s most successful brands have realised and harnessed the power of mindfulness. Even though it’s a way of living that’s been around for thousands of years many people are still confused[…]
How to present to smart people -10 tips for presenters
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Sep 22, 2019
Do you find yourself being called on to present to smart people? I don’t mean people with an IQ of over 140, I mean the rest of us. The world is full of smart people. You can be certain that the next time you present they will be sitting right in front of you. They[…]
The Graduate’s Guide to Nailing That Interview Presentation
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 15, 2019
An interview presentation isn’t something that most of us look forward to giving. In fact, I don’t believe I know anyone who actually enjoys being interviewed. Each year as we enter summer, even though it still feels like autumn in the UK, universities up and down the entire country prepare to say congratulations and farewell[…]
Your audience are searching; the question is, do you know what for?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 12, 2019
Everyone is searching for something, including your audience. If they came to listen to you by choice you can be certain that they are looking for something specific. Everyone and everything seem to be searching; let me explain. Sitting quietly in my own back garden this morning I noticed an ant a bee and a[…]
10 Tips for Presenting With Impact to Senior management
Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Apr 13, 2019
Presenting to senior management is a challenge for most presenters in organisations today; even the most experienced. It’s one thing having to speak up in a team meeting to update your colleagues on a project you have been working on but having to convince or co-opt the executive is something else. We all value our[…]
7 Real Examples of How to Open a Presentation With Impact
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Feb 24, 2019
The most common advice you will hear about opening a presentation is to grab the audience’s attention right from the start. Whilst that’s true, its not enough. At Mindful Presenter we often argue that you have your audience’s attention, after all, they turned up to listen to you. Every presenters first challenge is to not[…]
10 Simple Tips On How To Present Complex Information
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 21, 2019
Do you find yourself having to present lots of data 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[…]
Are you a confident presenter and public speaker? – these 6 tips will help you
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 19, 2019
Are you a confident presenter? Confidence is often cited as one of the most critical factors affecting professionals when it comes to presenting and speaking in public. In fact, it’s one of the biggest hurdles we help people to jump every day at Mindful Presenter. Regardless of status, experience or dare I even say confidence[…]
3 presentation tips you don’t often hear from the experts
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 18, 2019
Presentation tips are everywhere. Put those two words into Google as I did this morning and you will get 1,190,000,000 results. 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. Following those 15 tips alone will[…]
4 potent ways to open your 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 doesn’t take off. You may have the fuel, the pilot and the passengers but the journey doesn’t begin until the wheels leave the ground. As a presenter, you have the same challenge as the pilot; you have to get that plane off the[…]
7 Keys to Powerful Digital Presentations in Business
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Feb 04, 2019
Do you find yourself called on to deliver digital presentations, speaking with colleagues or clients online or via video? Make eye contact, project energy and contrast, speak, move and connect with your audience. Keep them fully engaged, maintain their attention, interest and curiosity whilst delivering a clear and compelling message is often the brief. How[…]
Presentation Skills – Content is King; make sure yours is compelling
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 23, 2019
Many articles posted on the Internet today about presentation skills tend to focus largely on delivery style rather than content. Delivery is critical of course, although you can be the most engaging and inspirational presenter on earth but if your content is weak or boring what’s the point? The prerequisite to a brilliant presentation before[…]
Mistakes to avoid making when presenting to the boss (or any other human being)
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 13, 2019
I still remember the very first time I was invited to make a presentation to my senior management team. I couldn’t sleep for days my mind was filled with dread and every nerve, cell and fibre of my entire being felt like they were preparing for a major meltdown. I was only in my early[…]
7 Powerful Presentation & Public Speaking Habits for 2019
Communication Skills, General, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 01, 2019
Presentation skills habits are easy to find and hard to break. The good ones are available to us all and we don’t have to look to far too find them. Stephen R. Covey’s book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ contains everything you need to know to achieve extraordinary results. It is a book[…]
Don’t just present, make a few waves too
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 25, 2018
If you are called on to present soon take a moment to ponder on the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: ‘Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall, but because each time they fall they never fail to rise again.’ When it comes to presenting our ideas with clarity, confidence and impact many of[…]
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 from[…]
Jeremy Corbyn: Took one step forward in public speaking and then two steps backwards
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Sep 30, 2018
Listening to Jeremy Corbyn deliver his Labour conference speech in Liverpool last week reminded me of some research I had read several years ago. This was a study by Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert which suggested that the human mind has a tendency to wander almost 50% of the time. In this instance,[…]
Meghan Markle: “It is the story behind it” The beauty 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 speech[…]
The critical role of leadership in presentation skills training
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Aug 28, 2018
The need for highly effective presentation skills is profoundly evident in the workplace today. Every day, in businesses all over the world professionals find themselves presenting in: Meetings Conference calls Conferences Networking functions Important staff and management updates Pitches to clients Outside of those scenarios, arguably every conversation is a presentation. There is rarely a[…]
The Most Important Word in High Impact Presenting & Public Speaking: Y – YES
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2018
The penultimate word in the series of The A to Z of Mindful Presenting is arguably the most important; it’s YES. One of my wife’s favourite TV programmes is an American series called ‘Say Yes to the Dress’. The TV show revolves around Kleinfeld Bridal, the Manhattan-based bridal salon where, ‘more than 250 professionals, most[…]
9 Ways to Improve your Presenting and Public Speaking Voice
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 17, 2018
‘The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play.’ Richard Strauss Despite the truth and elegance of this quote, I believe that the word ‘voice’ means a great deal more than the sound produced in a person’s larynx. The verbal expression of our message is of[…]
The TRUTH About Many Business Presentations Today
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills May 22, 2018
Do you enjoy most business presentations you attend? For decades presenting in business meetings has been far too lacklustre. I’m generalising of course, although I’m not exaggerating. At Mindful Presenter we see evidence of this every week. Despite the widely acclaimed power of storytelling, presence and mindfulness professionals still insist on donning their corporate spokesperson[…]
Mindful Presenting – 9 Ways to RESPECT your Audience
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 08, 2018
Mindful presenting holds the key to high impact public speaking and presenting. At the very heart of mindful presenting is the word ‘respect’. Presenting is one of the greatest privileges any of us could experience. When you pause for a moment to consider the most precious resource we all have, it is of course[…]
The A to Z of Mindful Presenting: P – Persuasion
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, motivational speakers or philosophers. Last[…]
