Michael Gove, the newly appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, gave his first public speech at the Legatum Institute in London last month and if you’re about to give an important speech yourself it’s worth learning from Mr Grove exactly what not to do. Whether you’re the CEO, a senior Politician or[…]
Browsing:
Public Speaking category
6 Mistakes To Avoid When Closing a Presentation
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 13, 2015
Closing a presentation effectively can feel like a greater challenge than opening it. We are all familiar with crucial importance of creating the right first impression when presenting to an audience. Often, the same attention isn’t always given to closing a presentation. Many speakers forget the all-important, last impression. Some of the best presentations can[…]
It all starts with the first impression
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 17, 2015
How long do you really have before you make that all important first impression? Is it 5 seconds, 10 seconds or perhaps a little longer? Researchers at Princeton University believe that it takes only one tenth of a second for someone to judge us as soon as they see our face. That may be[…]
5 simple body language tips for presenters
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 01, 2015
There are a great many body language tips we can offer presenters. This article shares 5 of the simple ones. If there’s a mismatch between what we are saying and how we are saying it, the impact of the words we use is significantly diminished. People won’t trust what you say In other words,[…]
Your voice speaks volumes, how do you use yours?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 23, 2015
How do you use your public speaking voice? You’ve done everything you can to understand your audience, craft the conversation you wish to have, you know your story inside out and have envisioned what success looks like. Effective communication involves both verbal and non-verbal interaction The words we use in delivering our message are critical[…]
A few tips to manage presentation nerves
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 09, 2015
Would you like to learn how to manage presentation nerves? “I was a tiger, a good fighter, in good shape, but I was always nervous before boxing matches.” George Foreman Even the twice heavy weight boxing champion of the world got nervous before a fight and he didn’t have to say a word. When you[…]
How to rehearse for a presentation
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 02, 2015
Do you practice and rehearse for a presentation? Knowing your material well is one of the fundamental keys to success. The more you know your story, the more ready and able you are to adapt and improvise at a moment’s notice. Rehearsing and memorizing are two entirely different things When you rehearse for a[…]
Turning a presentation into a story
Advice, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Mar 13, 2015
Turning a presentation into a meaningful story is every presenter’s greatest challenge. Why is it important to tell a story? That’s how we live and how we learn We’ve been telling stories to each other since the beginning of time. There really is no more powerful a way of communicating and connecting with each[…]
There are a number of mindful ways to start a presentation, ‘Research from Princeton and the University of Glasgow suggests that we judge a stranger in just half a second. As harsh as that may sound, there is clearly something in it Researcher Dr Phil McAlee ,suggests that our ability to make rapid judgments[…]
Planning what you’re going to say in a presentation
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 01, 2015
Planning what you’re going to say in a presentation is vitally important. In today’s fast paced and highly competitive age of information, often the first thing a presenter will do when asked to speak is fire up their laptop. The second step is often filling slides with everything they know and want to say on[…]
10 tips for presenting at work successfully
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Feb 20, 2015
If presenting at work or speaking in public is a source of anxiety for you then you are not alone. For some, the anticipation of presenting at work is akin to the anxiety you feel just before calling your telecoms provider to tell them that your broadband doesn’t work. Something inside you tells you[…]
12 Tactics for handling challenging public speaking situations
Advice, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Feb 13, 2015
Have you ever found yourself in a challenging public speaking situation? Many of the most experienced and confident presenters have worked in very challenging public speaking settings and have lessons to share. I’ve had my fair share of them as well. This article sets out some of the key learnings I’ve taken from some[…]
How to make an impact in business presentations
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Feb 08, 2015
The most powerful way to make a memorable impact in business presentations is to tell a story. Human beings have been telling tales from the first moment we developed the capacity to speak. In fact, we’ve been telling each other stories for thousands of years to help us to make sense of the world[…]
Presenting and public speaking inspiration from Hollywood
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 22, 2015
Presenting and public speaking inspiration from Hollywood: Nine People Wounded in Tel Aviv Bus Attack, IS Demands $200m Ransom For Japan Hostages, Shanghai Officials Feasted As Stampede Killed 36, Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror These are just some of the world news headlines as I write this article from my office in London[…]
9 Powerful Steps to Storytelling in Business – Brought to Life
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking, Storytelling Jan 11, 2015
Storytelling has enormous value for professionals and leaders in business presentations. ‘Never be boring again’, written by Doug Stevenson is a valuable guide to storytelling. It sets out in a very compelling way the most effective means of constructing stories to connect with your audience. Many speakers have heard the term, ‘The Hero’s Journey’; a[…]
Are you presenting soon? – 6 things your audience really need from you
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 31, 2014
Your audience really need 6 things from you each time you present. In 1943, Abraham Maslow released a psychology paper called, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’. The theory suggests we each live by 6 fundamental human needs. Physiological: what we need for survival Safety: what we need to feel safe and secure Love and belonging:[…]
If you want a happy audience, avoid these 7 mistakes
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Dec 14, 2014
If you want a happy audience it’s worth avoiding a number of key mistakes other presenters make. Your audience want you to help them. They want you to feel comfortable in their presence so that they may relax and feel the same. Avoid these 7 mistakes if you want a happy audience. 1. Lack of[…]
What type of public speaker or presenter are you really?
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 08, 2014
What type of public speaker or presenter are you really? Do you know? If you’d like to learn more, take our FREE STYLE REVIEW but just before you do, here are a few thoughts to consider. To understand what type of public speaker you are requires insight into: – You own personality – How you[…]
How to tell a story to bring your presentation to life
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Dec 05, 2014
Every great presentation is really a story. At the age of 60 Diana Nyad began open water training for a 60-hour, 103-mile (166 km) swim from Cuba to Florida,. This was a task she had failed to finish thirty years previously. After 29 hours in the water, strong currents and winds pushed her miles off[…]
Presenters – Grab it like you mean it: Your audience’s attention
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 20, 2014
All presenters and public speakers face the same challenge; getting and keeping their audience’s attention. Psychologists at Princeton University suggest that people make judgments about the attractiveness, likeability, trustworthiness, and competence of other people after looking at their faces for just 100 milliseconds. No wonder so many presenters are anxious about the idea of speaking in[…]
Boris Johnson – Proof That Politics Doesnt Have to be Boring
Advice, Communication Skills, Public Speaking Oct 03, 2014
There have been so many adjectives to describe Boris Johnson Eccentric, Hugely clever Politically astute, Loveable Funny Quirky Boris Johnson has also been called: Self- promoting Arrogant A clown Charming Flamboyant Larger than life Some think he’s not only brilliant as the Mayor of London but that he should be the next leader[…]
Whether you like or agree with them or not, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Ed Milliband and Nigel Farage all know how to speak in public. Some, arguably better than others Each has their individual style and can give a good performance when the pressure is on. Last week Nigel Farage spoke at the UKIP[…]
Barack Obama- Master of the Pause
Advice, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 26, 2014
Barack Obama is arguably one of the best speakers in the world today. In my opinion he is unquestionably, the master of the pause. We saw this again this week in his address to the United Nations General Assembly Barack Obama outlined steps world leaders should take against violent extremists such as the Islamic[…]
Forget the Elevator Speech – Just Press the Button
Advice, Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 15, 2014
I enjoy networking, although, I really don’t care too much for the elevator speech. ‘Good morning, my name is John and I’m a partner at ABC; solicitors, accountants, marketing, training, etc. We are based in Richmond, have been in business for thirty years . We not only give excellent customer service but we offer great[…]
The Real Source of Public Speaking Anxiety
Advice, Anxiety, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Sep 14, 2014
Public speaking anxiety is by far the greatest issue we are asked to help professionals with every week at Mindful Presenter. I often hear professional speakers and coaches claim that the reason they believe that people suffer from public speaking anxiety is because they have low self-esteem. Whilst that may be true for some, I[…]
Keynote by Tim Cook – Steve Jobs Would Be Proud
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 09, 2014
Yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the birth of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 plus and the Apple Watch. His predecessor, the late Steve Jobs was long hailed as one of the best keynote speakers and presenters in the world. It could have been no easy feat to follow in the footsteps of such[…]
The mindful way to crafting and delivering a brilliant presentation
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 17, 2014
Have you been on the recieving end of a brilliant presentation recently? Perphaps you’ve given one yourself. Either way, you’ll know that giving a brilliant presentation at work isn’t easy. It doesn’t involve reading slides, speaking in a monotone voice or dumping data on fellow professionals; that’s very easy to do! The reality is, no[…]
‘Death by bullet point’- Is it really that bad?
Bullet Point, Communication Skills, PowerPoint, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 14, 2014
‘Death by Bullet Point’ – What do you think, is it really that bad? If used correctly there’s nothing wrong with PowerPoint or most other visual aid software. It can be used to great effect to significantly enhance your message, make it more meaningful and of course memorable. I’ve seen PowerPoint and other visual aid[…]
Stop networking and start connecting – Why and how
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 13, 2014
At Mindful Presenter the underlying sentiment that fuels our business and drives everyone who works here is our core belief and ethos that ‘Connecting is everything’; it’s on our website, business cards, and etched in hearts and minds too. When we’re not helping businesses connect with their people we are helping speakers and presenters from[…]
Just how effective are your presentation skills – have you asked?
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 06, 2014
Have you recieved feedback on your presentation skills? To be able to truly develop ourselves as public speakers, presenters and leaders the one thing we all need a great deal more of is feedback. 30 years ago, as a young manager, I thought I knew it all. I was climbing the corporate ladder faster[…]
