‘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[…]
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Public Speaking category
The presentation anxiety phenomenon – where content matters
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 23, 2017
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[…]
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[…]
21 Ways to Calm Your Presentation Nerves (That Actually Work)
Anxiety, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Aug 18, 2017
Most people don’t fear presenting because they lack the ability; they fear it because they were never taught how to do it. You can move through life for decades without ever standing in front of a group. Then one day, without warning, you’re expected to speak with clarity, confidence, and composure while a room[…]
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[…]
Would You Like to Be a Better Public Speaker?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 18, 2017
Have you ever felt that flicker inside, the quiet belief that you could be a far more confident, compelling, and influential speaker than you are today? Many people feel it. They sense there’s another version of themselves waiting to step forward… but something keeps it just out of reach. At Mindful Presenter, we believe[…]
Mindful Presenting: The Skill That Separates Ordinary Communicators from Extraordinary Leaders
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Public Speaking Jun 11, 2017
Imagine the scene. It’s Friday morning. It’s been a long, relentless week, the kind that drains your energy in slow, invisible increments. The only thing keeping you going is the thought of sinking into your sofa in a few hours, away from the noise, the pressure, the sameness. You’re halfway through that soothing image when[…]
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[…]
Mindfulness in today’s hectic world – is it boring, impossible or critical?
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 28, 2017
Mindfulness isn’t a recent trend, nor is it fashionable, and it isn’t a passing fad. People have been practising it for over two and a half thousand years, long before smartphones, deadlines, and inboxes began vying for every second of our attention. It has endured because it works. Today, many of the world’s most[…]
What TV Adverts Understand About Storytelling That Presenters Forget
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Apr 17, 2017
When did a business presentation last make you sit up and pay attention? Many presentations feel less like conversations and more like lectures; dense, data-heavy, and emotionally flat. Yet every day, in the background of our lives, we’re exposed to some of the most compelling storytelling on the planet. Great TV adverts In just[…]
How Some of the World’s Most Accomplished People Learned to Calm Their Public Speaking Nerves
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 15, 2017
Public speaking nerves don’t discriminate. They affect new speakers, experienced leaders, and even some of the most talented performers around. Mark Twain captured it perfectly when he said: “There are two types of speakers: those who are nervous and those who are liars.” He wasn’t exaggerating. Barbra Streisand, one of the highest‑selling female recording artists[…]
Do You Have Bad Speaking Habits Without Realising It?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 08, 2017
Most presenters don’t lose their audience because of weak ideas; they lose them because of the noise they create unwittingly. Noise is the silent killer of communication. It shows up in your slides, your structure, your delivery, and even your mindset. Many professionals don’t realise they’re creating it. Here are three of the most common[…]
Article 50: How Memorable Was Theresa May’s Speech on a Historic Day?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 01, 2017
There are moments in public life when the words spoken become part of the historical record. The triggering of Article 50 was one of those moments. A year earlier, most people in the UK had never heard of Article 50. Yet when the Prime Minister formally announced the Government’s decision to invoke it, the country[…]
Break the Habit: How Mindful Presenters Rise Above the Noise
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 11, 2017
Poor presentation habits are widespread. You don’t have to look far to spot them; in fact, most professionals have at least one habit they wish they could break. When people approach us to enhance their communication skills, anxiety is usually their initial concern, but their second, often more persistent worry, is the set of[…]
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[…]
The Value of Mindfulness in Public Speaking: The Awareness Advantage
Mindfulness, Public Speaking Mar 02, 2017
Mindfulness has become one of the most effective tools available to us today. Not because it is trendy, or because Silicon Valley has adopted it, but because it provides us with something we desperately lack in a noisy world: awareness. Awareness of ourselves, our thoughts, our emotions, and the world we navigate daily. Its rise[…]
Speak to Lead: The Communication Advantage Every Professional Needs
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Feb 11, 2017
The ability to speak effectively in public is no longer optional. It is one of the most powerful career boosters available to any professional. Whether you realise it or not, people judge you and your entire organisation by the clarity, confidence, and emotional intelligence in your communication. In a world flooded with information, merely presenting[…]
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[…]
Michelle Obama’s Final Speech Analysis: A Masterclass in Hope, Courage and Public Speaking
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 07, 2017
Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama have long been two of my favourite public speakers. Few people consistently combine passion, eloquence, and grace. Whenever either of them steps up to a podium, you can be sure you’ll witness clarity, conviction, and humanity in equal measure. Her concluding speech as First Lady was no exception[…]
Why I Disagree with Simon Sinek About Millennials — With Respect
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 04, 2017
My son knows my passion for public speaking, so when he pointed me toward a Simon Sinek video, I was excited. I admire Sinek. I’ve learned a great deal from him, but fifteen minutes in, I felt something I didn’t expect: discomfort. Not because he’s wrong about everything, but because his conclusions about millennials felt[…]
There is no shortage of public speaking advice on the internet, in magazines and book stores today. In fact, I have written over 300 articles myself for mindfulpresenter.com and other online publications. I’d like to share some of my favourite public speaking advice from other respected authors in the field of communication skills. Carmine Gallo[…]
What would your Christmas message be as we head towards 2024? Note: I originally wrote and published this article on the run up to Christmas in 2016. Reflecting on it again today, it occurred to me that my personal message this Christmas would be exactly the same. Every year on Christmas day, a broadcast[…]
6 Public Speaking Habits to Take Off of Your Naughty List
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 10, 2016
Are you mindful of your public speaking habits, especially the bad ones? It’s unlikely that a week will pass where you are not called on to either attend of give a presentation. With that in mind, it’s worth becoming aware of your public speaking habits. Get yourself somefeedback through presentation skills coaching or booking yourself[…]
How Mindfulness Transforms Public Speaking: Five Practices That Work
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 03, 2016
Introducing mindfulness into public speaking is one of the greatest gifts you can offer yourself and your audience. Many people go through their days on autopilot. They wake up at the same time each morning, check their phones before their feet hit the floor, rush through a shower they scarcely remember, swallow breakfast without[…]
Why Speaking Up Feels Hard — And How to Do It Anyway
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 28, 2016
Have you ever walked away from a conversation wishing you’d spoken up, not to win, not to argue, but simply to honour yourself? Stephen R. Covey once wrote that voice is the pathway to greatness. Not volume or dominance, voice, the ability to express who you are with honesty and confidence. At Mindful Presenter, we[…]
Is Vulnerability in Public Speaking Something We Should Fear?
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 18, 2016
The brilliant TED Talk, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ by Brené Brown, offers a simple but profound idea: we are wired for connection and connection requires vulnerability. It challenges the increasingly popular belief that the path to success lies in control, certainty and predictability. Instead, it suggests that the real key to meaningful human connection is[…]
The Public Speaking Phenomenon: Why We Feel Terrified While Looking Confident
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 23, 2016
Are you familiar with one of the most bizarre global public speaking phenomena? It’s the moment when a speaker feels terrified; heart racing, hands trembling, mind spiralling, yet the audience sees someone who appears calm, confident, and in control. It happens far more often than most people realise. This week, during a workshop, one[…]
A Subtle Public Speaking Habit That Quietly Undermines Your Credibility
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 17, 2016
If you’re attending a business presentation this week, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter one of the most subtle habits in public speaking, a habit that quietly undermines a speaker’s credibility without them realising it. You’ll still notice the familiar problems, of course: speakers turning their backs to the audience while reading every word[…]
The Professionals Guide to Public Speaking & Presenting
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 10, 2016
A new way to speak, connect and inspire in today’s workplace Presenting has become a daily ritual in modern business, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood skills in the workplace. Every day, across every industry, talented professionals step in front of colleagues and clients armed with slides, scripts, and good intentions… but[…]
