Most presenters assume their bad habits are technical flaws: speaking too fast, fidgeting, pacing, saying “um”, hiding their hands, and reading slides. These behaviours aren’t signs of poor skill or lack of discipline. They are often unconscious self-protection responses, the nervous system’s way of creating safety when we feel exposed. Presenting doesn’t just reveal[…]
Browsing:
Public Speaking category
Why Presenters Develop Bad Habits — And What They’re Really Trying to Tell Us
Anxiety, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 28, 2017
The Secret to Confident Presenting: Meet Your Audience’s Human Needs
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 19, 2017
If public speaking or even the thought of presenting your ideas at work fills you with dread, you are not alone. Some of the most intelligent, creative, and capable professionals lose sleep over presentations. We feel exposed when we present. Even when we know our topic, our minds often flood with paralysing what-ifs, but[…]
It’s Time to Stop Presenting. Start Connecting
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 11, 2017
Before each presentation skills training or public speaking coaching session we lead at Mindful Presenter, we ask every client one deceptively simple question: “What do you want your audience to feel?” The most common responses are predictable: informed, engaged, interested, but at Mindful Presenter, we believe that’s far from enough. No presenter, regardless of[…]
The Power of Presentation Brevity: Why Less Will Always Be More
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2017
Conciseness in presentations is no longer just a stylistic choice; it is a vital discipline for anyone aiming to maintain an audience’s attention, interest, and respect. A few years ago, I wrote an article titled ‘Why Most Business Presentations Are Twice as Long as They Need to Be’. That message is even more urgent[…]
Acres of Diamonds: The Story and What It Teaches Presenters
AcresOfDiamonds, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 28, 2017
Most people hear this story from someone else. A sermon, a sales conference, a motivational speaker who used it to make a point about opportunity. The version that gets passed around is usually a sentence long: the riches were under his feet the whole time. That version is accurate, and it misses almost everything[…]
‘Theresa May offers the ‘British dream’ but speech turns into a nightmare’ The Guardian ‘Theresa May’s keynote speech at Tory conference descended into chaotic scenes’ The Telegraph ‘It is likely to go down as one of the most painfully agonising political speeches to watch in recent history.’ Independent As a public speaking coach I believe[…]
